To know me is to know that I am an old school type of guy. I wardrobe of choice and preference is a tee shirt and jeans, I don’t have call display, and I don’t know how to down load anything off of the internet. Likewise, I don’t believe in touchdown dances, pimping of jerseys or leisurely home run trots.
You can only imagine how I’m feeling about Gilbert Arenas right about now. For those who needing enlightenment, Arenas had made a pre-season promise to torch the Phoenix Suns, coached by Mike D’Antoni, and Nate MacMillan’s Portland Trailblazers for 50 points apiece. The reason being that D’Antoni and MacMillan are Assistant Coaches as well as members of the United States basketball selection committee, the very committee that had snubbed Arenas when selecting the squad designated to compete in the 2008 summer Olympics.
Arenas looked like he might live up to his words in December when he lit up the Suns for 54 points. A similar result was expected when Arenas faced a very young and rebuilding Blazers team on Sunday. So what did Agent Zero go off for? 40, 50, 60!! How about 9 points on 3 of 15 shooting.
Now I really am trying to resist the urge to absolutely blast Arenas. Here is a player who has gone from 2nd round draft choice, drafted behind such household names as Kwame Brown, Kirk Haston and Michael Bradley, to All Star, making the concept of self motivation an art form in the process. After all, the reason he chose to wear zero is because that is the number of teams that drafted him in the 1st round.
The problem is that all of his anger and vengeance can reach a point where it starts to become counter productive. The trademark of great champions such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods forever will be their enduring ability to fight off complacency and keep that competitive fire burning. It appears that in Arenas’ case that fire that he has spent so much energy cultivating, may be on the verge of consuming him.
As I have said, I am uncharacteristically taking it easy on Arenas because it cannot be denied that he belongs in the NBA’S upper echelon of great players. The motivation that he derives from this vendetta against everyone who underestimated him will only take Arenas and more importantly his team, so far. If Arenas is ultimate goal is to one day become win an NBA title as it should be, he would be better suited shifting his focus from proving that he is a great player, to learning what it takes to be a champion.
Achieving this goal would command a respect that 50 point game are simply unable to accomplish.
Gotta go, 'Night Rider' is on.
You can only imagine how I’m feeling about Gilbert Arenas right about now. For those who needing enlightenment, Arenas had made a pre-season promise to torch the Phoenix Suns, coached by Mike D’Antoni, and Nate MacMillan’s Portland Trailblazers for 50 points apiece. The reason being that D’Antoni and MacMillan are Assistant Coaches as well as members of the United States basketball selection committee, the very committee that had snubbed Arenas when selecting the squad designated to compete in the 2008 summer Olympics.
Arenas looked like he might live up to his words in December when he lit up the Suns for 54 points. A similar result was expected when Arenas faced a very young and rebuilding Blazers team on Sunday. So what did Agent Zero go off for? 40, 50, 60!! How about 9 points on 3 of 15 shooting.
Now I really am trying to resist the urge to absolutely blast Arenas. Here is a player who has gone from 2nd round draft choice, drafted behind such household names as Kwame Brown, Kirk Haston and Michael Bradley, to All Star, making the concept of self motivation an art form in the process. After all, the reason he chose to wear zero is because that is the number of teams that drafted him in the 1st round.
The problem is that all of his anger and vengeance can reach a point where it starts to become counter productive. The trademark of great champions such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods forever will be their enduring ability to fight off complacency and keep that competitive fire burning. It appears that in Arenas’ case that fire that he has spent so much energy cultivating, may be on the verge of consuming him.
As I have said, I am uncharacteristically taking it easy on Arenas because it cannot be denied that he belongs in the NBA’S upper echelon of great players. The motivation that he derives from this vendetta against everyone who underestimated him will only take Arenas and more importantly his team, so far. If Arenas is ultimate goal is to one day become win an NBA title as it should be, he would be better suited shifting his focus from proving that he is a great player, to learning what it takes to be a champion.
Achieving this goal would command a respect that 50 point game are simply unable to accomplish.
Gotta go, 'Night Rider' is on.
posted by average john at 8:45 PM
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