Rick Reilly: The superstars are in charge

[Shooter]

This is what the NBA has become: very tall, very rich twenty-somethings running the league from the backs of limos, colluding so that the best players gang up on the worst. To hell with the Denvers, the Clevelands, the Torontos. If you aren't a city with a direct flight to Paris, we're leaving. Go rot.

There's no rule against it, so they do it. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce beg Kevin Garnett to please come to Boston. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh connive to play in Miami. At his wedding in New York City this past July, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Paul toasted to all three playing in New York someday. Stoudemire switched this past summer. Anthony was traded there Monday. And Paul is set to enter free agency next season, bags already packed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6150136

 

[Nikolokolus]

It's kind of liberating in a way to know that it's so blatant now. It makes managing my expectations a lot easier.

 

[Rhal]

Small markets always get shafted. Hard to change that when the players want to play in the big spot light because
A. They get better calls, pretty obvious on this one (or this one could just be me pouting)
B. They can make more money through endorsements
C. Will always have access to role players willing to take a pay cut to play in a big market because theres a stereotype that only big markets win.

 

[Shooter]

It's kind of liberating in a way to know that it's so blatant now. It makes managing my expectations a lot easier.

I think we're going to see a drop-off in attendance in smaller markets, as fans begin to realize that league rules are screwing their team's chances for success.

 

[speeds]

Nice mom jeans.

 

[KingSpeed]

Did Pierce and Ray Allen have to beg KG to come to Boston?

 

[KingSpeed]

Also- how does NY have the cap space to sign Chris Paul?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Also- how does NY have the cap space to sign Chris Paul?

They don't.

Nor do they have the assets to pry him away, either.

 

[Run BJM]

Also- how does NY have the cap space to sign Chris Paul?

They're currently set to have 41 mil in salary in the summer of 2012. The cap now is set at 58 mil so that would leave 17 million to start Paul off at, pretty close to what his max would be I think. Dumping Renaldo Balkman somehow would put them at almost 19 mil under that cap though. This is all discounting any draft picks they may have over the next few years. The CBA could change a lot of this though.

I don't have a problem with the Pierce, Ray, and KG team in Boston because Boston's front office legitimately acquired all three. The Miami big three is clearly collusion on the part of the players. The Knicks signed Amare and Melo pretty much was dead set on going there one way or the other, CP3 or Deron is destined to be there in 2012.

Maybe its a good time for the CBA. Stern has to love the big ratings that these super teams get but it'll start hurting the league when small market fans abandon their teams. It almost feels like if Stern succeeds in once again raising the minimum age to enter the NBA and continues to allow this shit then hes setting up college basketball to take a big chunk of his viewership and revenue. Stars will be born and developed for 2-3 years in college where the game is purer and small market fans don't have to deal with all the NBA bullshit.

 

[Natebishop3]

Did Pierce and Ray Allen have to beg KG to come to Boston?

Probably. He didn't want to go to Boston at first and then the Celts acquired Ray Ray. Next thing you know KG is on his way to Bean Town.

 

[Shooter]

I don't have a problem with the Pierce, Ray, and KG team in Boston because Boston's front office legitimately acquired all three. The Miami big three is clearly collusion on the part of the players. The Knicks signed Amare and Melo pretty much was dead set on going there one way or the other, CP3 or Deron is destined to be there in 2012.

The point is that the best players are picking and choosing where they want to go--and it's usually the big markets, and the glamour destinations of the league, like New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston, and LA.

Unless the league puts a limit on this, it's going to hurt the rest of the teams--i.e., the majority of the franchises in the NBA.