I have always had strong feelings about sports journalism. To me — in my not-so-humble opinion — sports media doesn’t stress facts as much as it insists on being a space for fans to have nuanced discussions about their favorite athletes.
If you don’t believe me, turn on ESPN and watch talking heads like Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. They will make you question what kind of so-called “factual” journalism is happening.
Aside from commentators calling games, distracting sideline reporters, redundant post-game coverage and press conferences — sports journalists serve fans with just enough subjectivity on a plate to come back for seconds and thirds.
Yes, sports reporting is predominantly accurate. But as soon as the stats of a game or player are analyzed, the rest of the airtime depends on the notoriously hypothetical debates that don’t omit hyperbole or favoritism.
Having talked all that smack though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t express my gratitude for our Sports Desk here at the Emerald. They do phenomenal work. Telling stories effectively in any capacity is impactful and inspiring.
After all, you know that because you read my stuff.
But I digress. My point is that sports deserve attention, just in the right place. And that place is right here, at the opinion desk.
When it comes to the game of basketball my love for playing and watching it gives me enough confidence to tell you what’s going on in the game today. Remember, it’s just my opinion.
I will give you a fair disclaimer: I am a die-hard Lakers fan. I always have and always will bleed purple and gold.
In case you didn’t know, LeBron James finished his 21st season in the NBA this year. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists. James is the oldest player in the league and he has the most buckets to date — effectively making him one of the contenders for the greatest basketball player of all time.
For those of you who are worried, don’t be. He most certainly is not my GOAT.
I don’t consider James to be the greatest just yet, but at the same time I am not here to deny it either.
But for now, my heart still remains somewhere in between the numbers 8 and 24. RIP.
What I am here to tell you James fanatics is that he is not getting old. He is old, and so is every NBA superstar. That is why I will now be using the term “old heads” to refer to any top paid player in the NBA that is over the age of 35.
A great example of an old head is 36-year-old Stephen Curry. Known to be the greatest shooter ever, Steph had the worst game of his life this year shooting 0-9 from the three-point line ultimately leading his Warriors to the fattest L against the Boston Celtics by 52 points.
Even 35-year-old Kevin Durant is reaching for his back every other play now. We got 39-year-old Chris Paul calling timeouts just to catch his breath.
Of course they keep up and hold their own, but Father Time cannot be stopped. The new kids are in town, and they are here to stay. The youngins know that it is their time to shine.
Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum and, of course, Anthony Edwards are stealing the thunder and they are just getting started. Dončić will be back for revenge, Tatum has made it to the finish line and Edwards’ villain origin story has just begun.
The youngins are not the future of the NBA anymore: they are the NBA.
So, as we get used to having no more old heads making championship runs, let’s raise a toast to the vets, wish them well in their summer Olympic run and welcome the next generation of hoopers. After all, Father Time is no match for destiny.
