National Basketball Association

NBA: Friendships And How They're Shaping The New NBA

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Dec 4, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 90-87. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Super Teams are becoming a common theme in the NBA and friendships in High School, and before, may be the main reason why

Take a moment and picture this… Isiah Thomas, Julius Irving and Michael Jordan on vacation riding a Banana boat.

Don’t worry I couldn’t imagine it either, but today seeing players take vacations together in the offseason is common. Outside of competing in games, these guys are great friends, and honestly, who is to say that is a bad thing?

Let’s face it, the modern-day NBA is not nearly as physical as it once was. Players aren’t taking you to the ground when you come through the lane like they did in the 80’s, and there isn’t an “enforcer” team like the Bad Boys in the 90’s. It is just not the same league.

The common theme today is actually Friendship. Even the best players in the NBA are beginning to talk about relationships being bigger than basketball. These bonds are unbreakable and start long before entering the professional realm.

Let’s take a look at how these friendships start, and why they are reshaping the face of the modern NBA.

The Travel Ball Circuit

For those who are not familiar, let me give you a brief explanation on the “Travel Ball Circuit”. At about nine years old, it is time to find a team that will compete in local and national tournaments.

Every summer, the biggest shoe companies in the world host youth basketball tournaments in which the top amateur talent participates. Outside of the tournaments, there are showcases and invitation-only camps for the players recognized as the cream of the crop.

Year in and year out, the same players compete against each other battling for the top spot. This is the circuit where you can first make a name for yourself in the basketball world. It is also where the lifelong bonds amongst teammates and opponents begin.

Now that you know about the circuit, you can begin to understand its impact.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James recently sat down with Open Court and shared how he met Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Outside of meeting Wade at the draft combine, he was introduced to both Paul and Anthony while playing Travel Ball.

The same goes for many of the basketball players we watch today on TV, because the country has gotten smaller. Athletes used to compete primarily with their region, but now they fly across the country to join teams just for a weekend.

LeBron played for a team called the Oakland Soldiers in Northern California when he lived in Cleveland, Ohio. It should not come as a shock to fans when these players join up because it has gone on since they were teenagers.

Mar 19, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (left) talks with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (right) after their game at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 122-101. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The New NBA

The new NBA is ruled by “Super Teams”. We used to watch incredible duos like MJ and Scottie, Stockton and Malone, Kobe and Shaq or Duncan and Robinson. Besides the Celtics and the Lakers in the 80’s (who were loaded with HOF’ers), the league had a ton of great teams.

Anybody had a shot at getting in the playoffs and there were at least 8 teams who could battle for the title at the end of the year. The last duo left in the league was Westbrook and Durant and we all know how that ended. If you don’t have three stars on your team, you are not a championship contender. Period.

Will this be bad for the NBA? Commissioner Adam Silver seems to think so. He recently said, “I don’t think it’s good for the league, just to be really clear. I will say whoever is the prohibitive favorite, try telling that to the 430 other players who aren’t on those two teams. I mean, we have the greatest collection of basketball players in the world in our league, and so I’m not making any predictions, but there’s no question, when you aggregate a group of great players, they have a better chance of winning than many other teams.”

I have to say, I do agree. It reminds me of our economy and the famous phrase “The rich get richer while the poor get poorer”. If we continue to allow the best talent in the NBA to combine forces amongst two or three teams then the rest of the league will suffer.

A third Warrior vs Cavalier finals matchup will come next season unless something drastic happens to one of the teams. That is not good business. The beautiful thing about March Madness or any competitive sport for that matter is that anyone can win on any given night.

Take that away from the NBA and watch more blowout games ensue, ratings plummet and fans turn to other sports.

Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and LeBron James pose for a picture after the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Final Thoughts

It is quite interesting how high school friendships could be affecting the entire NBA, but maybe we should focus our attention in the right direction.

Being understanding that this is the culture of youth basketball, we can not ask it to change when they enter the league. If players have teamed up to compete their whole lives, it becomes bigger than basketball.

The NBA has to make adjustments because it is bad for business, but blaming the players is not correct and is also misleading.

These players are the toughest competitors in the world. Don’t knock them for being open about their friendships. This is a different NBA now.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Basketball Association