NBA Superteams
That’s the latest concern for this beleagured sport as the NBA’s labor negotiations loom menacingly on the horizon.
Superteams collect all the star players and leave those in minor markets, such as Minnesota, Memphis, Cleveland and Toronto, out in the cold. With the movement of LeBron James to the Miami Heat, joining superstar teammates, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, everyone in that town is looking for a championship.
Meanwhile, other players have gravitated towards major markets in New York, Boston, etc.
I say, let them go. You can’t buy a championship in any sport — games are just too unpredictable when you have a contest at such a high level. And the strong teams make the game exciting, even if you’re not rooting for one of them.
Owners have the right to spend freely to please their fans. In fact, I wish more teams would do so (are you reading this, New York Mets). And as the commissioner, David Stern, notes, strong teams are not an anomaly. How about the Boston Celtics with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, or the Lakers with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen?
Owners should stop trying to tinker with their sports and just let the action take place on the basketball court.
