NBA executives need to show more class and respect to players
Submitted by admin on August 2, 2010 – 3:48pm
The recent trend in the NBA seems to be owners and front office personnel calling out former players for “quitting” on the team before the season was over.
Most recently, Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo called out Chris Bosh for throwing in the towel on the season despite being cleared to play. Before Colangelo there was Dan Gilbert who handled losing Lebron James to the Miami Heat by voicing his list of regrets concerning James and accusing him of being a quitter as well.
Not many people handle rejection well, and apparently a lot of front office NBA personnel handle rejection horribly. The same people that are calling out James and Bosh would be singing entirely different tunes had the players chosen to stay with their team.
Instead, the players have left and now comes the anger that most often is voiced by fans of the game, not the owners or the general managers.
Players are often scolded if they take their beefs with the business to the media, but in this case it is the owner and general manager that need the scolding. Essentially, Gilbert and Colangelo look like sore losers that aren’t capable of handling a loss.
Gilbert and Colangelo have made plenty of tough business decisions that put players out of work and pissed a lot of people off, but you don’t see them running to the media to voice their displeasure. It is a business and sadly, a lot of people were witnesses to the ugly side of the business of sports.
As much as organizations want players to give their all and sacrifice their bodies, the least they could do is show a little more class and have more respect for the athletes they rely on to put fans in the seats. Nobody is paying money to go watch Dan Gilbert or Bryan Colangelo do their job; they pay to see the players. The next time Gilbert or Colangelo feel like giving a statement, they should keep that simple fact in mind.
Writer name:
Quentin Jones
Writer title/position:
Contributor
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