The Insights of Dennis Hans (http://dennishans.blogspot.com/2007/04/amaechi-hardaway-and-vexing-question.html)

From Amaechi’s book, it looks pretty clear to me that Sloan was rightly disgusted with Amaechi’s lack of commitment. By NBA standards, due to his limited athelticism Amaechi was always a pathetic defender and rebounder. But to his credit, by college he had developed a well-rounded, ambidextrous offensive repertoire. For him to be effective as a Jazz reserve, he had to keep that repertoire razor sharp, and that means lots of extra work. Otherwise, you end up shooting 32.5 percent, which is what he shot his first season with the Jazz. It's perfectly fine for a brilliant guy like Amaechi to have interests beyond b-ball, but Sloan is fully justified in expecting a highly paid professional to act like one. Alas, by the time he joined the Jazz Amaechi had lost the work ethic that enabled him to make it to the NBA in the first place.

Amaechi completely misses Sloan’s REAL bias: He actually likes slow dudes with limited talent (e.g., Jarron Collins), because he knows they won’t freelance on offense; he can always count on them staying within the confines of his system. Hard as it is to believe, Amaechi’s slowness and lack of jumping ability explain why Sloan’s Jazz was willing to give a fading, 30-year-old stiff a fat 4-year contract. And remember, this was toward the end of the Stockton-Malone era, when the only chance for the Jazz to make another title run was to surround their slowing but still highly skilled all-star tandem with active, athletic youngsters who would improve over the course of a year if given playing time. Collins or a dedicated Amaechi might help you win a few extra regular-season games, but they're of limited value in the REAL season, the playoffs.

Not persuaded? Let us turn from basketball’s mediocrities to Charles Barkley -- purportedly among the all-time greats in a profession of “great athletes.” But can you be considered a truly great athlete if you devote most of your non-drinking spare time to a game that, to be adequate, requires a modicum of arm-hand-eye-leg coordination, yet you remain light years away from attaining adequacy? Of all the non-disabled men in the world under 70 who play golf regularly, Barkley is the worst. His disjointed, hitch-ridden swing is the most unintentionally hilarious sight in sports.

Any blog post that compares Lee Trevino and Greg Ostertag gets two :thumb: :thumb:

An impressive troll. :p_welldone:

Well, I don't think Rasheed is in the tip top shape. Pistons still will take him. What does that prove? You have players like Curry who do not look like they are an athlete in the peak form. Remember Oliver Miller? That guy was hillarious. I guess if you have enough talent and potential you don't really need to be an "athlete" so to speak.

You could say that the bigger the player is the less athletic he needs to be. If you are Earl Boykins, playing in the NBA, you are a world class athlete.

All of these guys are great athletes despite weight or muscular. I don't think any of us truly knows what it takes to play an 82 game season plus playoffs.

I don't think any of us truly knows what it takes to play an 82 game season plus playoffs.
Darko is also searching for this answer. :pound:

Doesn't Darko sell popcorn at halftime? I thought it was part of the contract.........

Most of the players would not call themselves athletes. Most would call themselves afletes. :pound: :pound: :pound:

What is that supposed to mean? I am not going to assume anything but that to me is somewhat borderline.


:tape2:

What is that supposed to mean? I am not going to assume anything but that to me is somewhat borderline.


:tape2:

Lighten up explosivity. EVERY segment of society has their own pronunciations. EVERY. I'm a northerner living down here in the south. For some reason, the kids crack up every time I say the word car. And I crack up every time I hear them say the word ten (teeeeein). We laugh at each other and don't get bent out of shape. Nobody is stupid.

True story. Three years ago, I had to go to my dad's funeral. Very sad occasion indeed as you can imagine. Nothing funny about going to your dad's funeral. What made it even more sad was I lost my mother a few years earlier, so it is compounded sadness when you lost both. Very lonely and sad feelings. Well, the preacher that was doing the funeral was from England. And he was making the point that when we get to heaven, there is no more pain. But you have to understand how the English people say pain. They prounounce it peeein. So we were all sitting there sad and crying and the preacher says when we get to heaven, there will be no more peeein. I tell you it jolted every one of us that was in there. All the little kids thats were in there started to laugh and the adults were keeping a straight face. The problem is he kept hammering it home. After several times, everyone was smiling but the preacher. He couldn't understand what he said that was so funny.

If you are tempted to think that I think black people are stupid, you are incorrect. Right at this very moment, I have an Algebra 1 class that has 20 students in it. One of them is black and he is heads and shoulders above the rest of the class. Every thing I say, he is the first one to get it. So no, I don't believe blacks are intellectually inferior to whites, if that is what you were tempted to assume.

Lighten up explosivity. EVERY segment of society has their own pronunciations. EVERY. I'm a northerner living down here in the south. For some reason, the kids crack up every time I say the word car. And I crack up every time I hear them say the word ten (teeeeein). We laugh at each other and don't get bent out of shape. Nobody is stupid.

True story. Three years ago, I had to go to my dad's funeral. Very sad occasion indeed as you can imagine. Nothing funny about going to your dad's funeral. What made it even more sad was I lost my mother a few years earlier, so it is compounded sadness when you lost both. Very lonely and sad feelings. Well, the preacher that was doing the funeral was from England. And he was making the point that when we get to heaven, there is no more pain. But you have to understand how the English people say pain. They prounounce it peeein. So we were all sitting there sad and crying and the preacher says when we get to heaven, there will be no more peeein. I tell you it jolted every one of us that was in there. All the little kids thats were in there started to laugh and the adults were keeping a straight face. The problem is he kept hammering it home. After several times, everyone was smiling but the preacher. He couldn't understand what he said that was so funny.

If you are tempted to think that I think black people are stupid, you are incorrect. Right at this very moment, I have an Algebra 1 class that has 20 students in it. One of them is black and he is heads and shoulders above the rest of the class. Every thing I say, he is the first one to get it. So no, I don't believe blacks are intellectually inferior to whites, if that is what you were tempted to assume.

K, thanx for the insight and sorry about your parents. I haven't lost a parent so I can only imagine the pain you have gone through these past couple years.

:peace:

Hans' article is useful because it challenges an accepted cliche. Maybe "specimens" is a better word that "athletes." Very few people are that tall, and the ability to move gracefully or with coordination whittles a small group down even more. These are rare human beings, no question.

On the other hand, "athletic" has always been one of those fuzzy words people don't define. Is it running and jumping only? That's what most seem to accept. But what about great hand/eye skill? Versatility in multiple sports? Or strength-to-size ratio such as the ant-like Mr. Boykins, who benches double bodyweight?

If NBA players fall short these days, it's probably because they don't ever train in anything but basketball. Long ago great NBA athletes like a Joe Caldwell or Wilt Chamberlain would run track. Randy Smith was an All American soccer player. Many guards were fine quarterbacks. All that cross-training probably helped in ways that 100 AAU games a year won't.

K, thanx for the insight and sorry about your parents. I haven't lost a parent so I can only imagine the pain you have gone through these past couple years.

:peace:

No problem. Now you want to here something funny. As I was thinking about this a few hours ago as I was working on my house, you should here a black man talk that is from England. Very funny stuff. We are all used to hearing white people with an English accent, but I never heard a black man talk that way before. I'm not making fun of them. It's just vrey different and that is what makes it funny. Kind of reminds me of those old Marvin Hagler commercials where he would be talking about "being civilized". Marvin Hagler was one tough dude. That's what made the commercial so funny cause he was trying to talk all snooty and proper. That's what makes this world so interesting. Even though we have alot of similarities, there are alot of variety just to spice things up and keep it loose. You know what I think it really attractive. A girl with a German accent. Very pretty indeed. And of course, our friends down under. One of the greatest teacher's I have seen is that crocodile hunter. Such enthusiasm! I enjoy hearing those people talk too.

I think they are athletes. They have to run up and down the court. You don't see guys tanking it like you do at the Y sometimes. Are they BETTER athletes that some other major sports players? I dunno.