If you’re anywhere in the neighborhood of mid to late thirties and grew up an NBA fan, then you’ll understand some of this, I’m sure.
My generation came to know basketball in the Bird-Magic regime. This was an either/or discussion. You were with Bird or you were with Magic. You were not casually following both. Even if your favorite team was someone other than the Celtics or the Lakers, you’d still allegiances with the rivalry. The degree to which fans were passionate gave my generation the impression basketball had been important forever, when in fact, the NBA finals had been viewed on tape delay only years early. In the ultimate what the hell fashion rookie Magic dropped 42 in game 6, filling in at Center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while sealing the Laker’s Finals victory over Dr. J’s 76ers… AND IT WASN’T ON LIVE TV.
The NBA was recovering from some serious image problems, mainly that of the ‘nose candy’ era. 1970s basketball featured a lot of immense individual talent, many careers compromised by the cocaine and an alienation of the purist, craving team basketball, due to all the showmanship. Attendance dropped and many crowds were comparable to low-level division 1 level college hoops of today. Except these stadiums held immensely more seating that they’d fans to occupy seats.
Magic and Bird were sent to the NBA by the basketball Gods. Riding heals of the eye-popping ratings of their highly anticipated NCAA Finals match (still the most watched collegiate game to date), the two entered the 1979 draft. Magic went to LA to start showtime and Bird went to Boston to insight angry, short white guys with a hoops complex… I couldn’t help poking Boston in the ribs. Bird was yet another star in a long line of winners to have played in Boston. He was coined “the great white hope,” a moniker commonly given to any white guy with game – the difference this time was that the hype was all true. The juxtaposition between Black and White, east and west coast, showtime’s up tempo pace and the bring your lunch pale to work grit of the Celtics was central casting for television.
Larry Bird was either a God or a bastard in your home as a hoops fan of my generation. He was my older brother’s favorite player, my father’s as well. There was a lot of, “you don’t understand how good this guy is” or, “now that’s how you play basketball”. Bird is easily the odds-on favorite to have lead the 80’s in “that’s how you play basketball” plays. We were a Bird-household. Except for my mother, she’d an unapologetic crush on Pat Reilly.
The Bird-Magic era was cut somewhat short. Bird’s back betrayed him and he spent the end of the 80’s laying on the sidelines, trying to get loose and talking shit to all Boston’s opponents. Magic famously retired before the 92 season after being diagnosed with HIV. The NBA was hurt, but clearly had a star to carry their torch.
The Pistons snuck in a back-to-back championship to close the 80’s and usher in the 90’s. They were both an excellent team and a threat to nullify some of the progress made by the NBA in terms of popularity. Outside of Detroit, the Pistons were largely hated. Only your most annoying, puzzling friend would have been a Pistons fan. Detroit’s highly physical, borderline cheap play was not must see TV. Detroit’s two finals victories were relatively low-rated finals.
Michael Jordan’s Bulls started their domination of the NBA. He had been must see TV as a perpetual playoff loser. As an NBA champion, Michael became the NBA’s golden boy. The Bulls dominated the 90’s: 6 titles in 8 years, two 3-peats sandwiched between a brief retirement. His second retirement officially ended the Bulls reign and again reset the field. The NBA had officially turned over again and a new era had arrived. The question was: what the hell is the era?
David Stern was suffering PTSD after Michael’s second retirement. Every Bulls fan (me certainly included) was busy hating Jerry Krause, the Bulls general manager. Krause boldly stated that Phil Jackson would not return to coach the team following their final title in 1998. Krause knew that this also meant he’d lose Michael and Scottie Pippen. Jordan had been signing one-year deals and had maintained that he’d only play for Phil. The Bulls became the worst team in the league in 1999. Jordan retired, Pippen went to Portland, Rodman started drinking a lot, okay…Rodman started drinking a lot more. He also may have married himself.
The NBA also decided it was a good time to lock out. The 1999 season was abbreviated, a 50 game season. The season featured the first appearance of fat Shawn Kemp. In fact, many players had packed on a few pounds in the wake of the lock out. Some may have thought they’d a lot more time to get in shape. At any rate, the NBA had taken several image hits. No Jordan, greedy young millionaires locking out the league and no league ambassador. The biggest star in the league, Michael Jordan, remained a retired…
[This is the first of a two part article. Part 2 will look at 1999-today and discuss the return of Gen X to hoops.]
By Pat Makenna
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