Re: Re: Top Five Most Important Things For The Celtics This Season

["Lance Jacobson" <lancejacob@xxxxxxxxx>]

A positive story would be him just going away.  I liked him as a player at one
time but he has turned into everything that is wrong with professional sports
for most of his time in the league.
>>Jim Hill

Talk about having a bone to pick with a player!

Shawn Kemp has plenty of problems, from being a young JUCO player in the NBA
with no maturity, to having 7 (or more) kids, a drug addiction and a big
weight problem.

That's not what's wrong with the NBA.  What's wrong is the cocky, "I have
nothing to learn" attitude that these kids have that makes them uncoachable.

You can tell me that Kemp's a poster boy for what's wrong with wealthy
youngsters.  You can tell me that Kemp's been overpaid and didn't put the
effort in to provide value, and I'll agree.  I've never read anywhere that he
abused anyone or shirked from child support.  There are plenty of players who
have done one or both.  There are plenty of "ME" guys in the locker room that
have split teams apart.  Never heard that about Kemp.

You want poster boys for what's wrong with the NBA, I'll give you some
candidates.  Kemp's got problems, but they seem to only be hurting him.  His
kids each get more child support than you'll earn in 5 years, and their moms
are living well, too.

What's wrong with the NBA is the I GET MINE NOW attitude on the court with
stats and Sportscenter, and it's affecting the value of the game to adults
while temporarily appealing to children.  The FIBA games are teaching us a
lesson early, and it may cure the disease, but it won't be overnight.  More
equal pay, better games, and fewer "top dogs".  The Cap and the Lux Tax, were
they phased in properly, can help the cause.

Shawn Kemp's not the problem.  He's a symptom.