And Phil grew out of his immature past, much like Jordan and Barkley. Hopefully a lot of these kids will as well.
Hmmmm, Jimi Hendrix or Puff Daddy? Hard choice. Bob Dylan or Jazzy Jeff? That one is a draw. Sly Stone or Fat Joe? Man that's tough.
So, if you're a part of the counter-culture that has elements of drug use and other crimes, it's OK if your music's better? Gotcha. Not to mention, the very vast majority, including NBA players, of those who listen to hip-hop don't emulate the actions that mentioned in the music. By the way, Jazzy Jeff? That's a great example of hip-hop music.
Actually, the two counter cultures are different. One was about "dropping-out" the other is all about "getting paid" I like Zack De La Rocha's (Rage agasint Machine) take: But de la Rocha is less forgiving of bands like Korn, who, he says, "aren't really screaming about anything. it's just this fabrication." he is also unhappy with the direction taken in new rap. "It's a shame the way most popular hip-hop is so void of real commentary. I look at Puff Daddy or Jay-Z, and I think, "if Ronald Reagan was a rapper, he'd be in Puff Daddy's crew. the materialism and individuality-"I'm taking mine-it's Reaganism."
Of course, not all hip-hop is like that. Not everyone who listens to hip-hop necessarily advocates that kind of thinking or behavior. It's the labeling a group of people with one broad brush that's the problem. I mean, is P-Diddy or Puffy even relevant to the genre anymore? I listen to a fair amount of hip-hop and I'm not sure I've even heard him outside of a Biggie album.
No one said it is. Labeling everyone who listens to it lack of attention span having wanna be thugs is what Phil Jackson did and that's the problem.
Yes it does. He is talking down on a counter-culture shared by youth (hip-hop) when he was involved in one himself in his playing days. Very hypocritical.
The MTV generation has led to the demise of True Hiphop. Just wanted to put that out there. I'm short on time so i just want to briefly state what a good article that was and will keep it for future reference, thanks for the post. Go Rockets.
Interesting take. But still, I gotta say it's not about bashing one and not the other. I listen to "hippie" music, but when I go to work I wear professional business attire. One of my co-workers is into rap/hip-hop, but when he goes to work he also wears professional business attire. Another guy is into "alternative" music, yet he wears professional business attire at work as well. No one's wearing tie-dye. No one's wearing bling bling. No one's wearing holey jeans. Again, I think this is in line with Phil Jackson's point (which is in line with what Stern and the league are going for). That may be the preferred look of each respective musica genre, but basketball players - regardless of what music they grew up on - will wear professional business attire. It's not like this is a strictly anti-rap movement. Luke Walton can't wear his Grateful Dead-inspired Lithuanian basketball jersey either.
Why do people insist on comparing the NBA-where grown men attempt to put a ball in a round hoop for millions of dollars-to the corporate world? For every job where you have to wear a suit, I can find one where you don't. Hell, I work in an office for one of the fastest growing private companies in America...and I'm wearing cargo pants, a Rockets-T, and flops. As is my boss.
"I don't mean to say [that] as a snide remark toward a certain population in our society, but they have a limitation of their attention span, a lot of it probably due to too much rap music going in their ears and coming out their being." He is implying that rap music is leading to the short attention span. I don't think he would say that the "new wave" music that he listened to in his playing days was a hinderence to his ability to pay attention (related to basketball). Maybe the weed, but not the music. "I think it's important that the players take their end of it, get out of the prison garb and the thuggery aspect of basketball that has come along with hip-hop music in the last seven or eight years." A throwback is prison garb? Hip-hop has brought a thuggery aspect to basketball? I guess all those vets on the bad boys were listening to Run, Tupac and Biggie. Dumb, idiotic, hypocritical comments. Spin it any way you want....
Exactly, I don't think people are reading the article correctly and they don't understand exactly what Scoop is criticizing. He isn't jumping on Jackson because of his hypocricy, he's jumping on him because of his over generalization of people who listen to hip-hop. it isn't just insulting to basketball players, its insulting to people like me. His argument about what Phil used to do is saying that people used to say the same thing about people who did what Phil did when he was young. And Phil turned out okay. This isn't hip-hop vs. 60's counter-culture. I guess Scoop confused some of you guys with the hip-hop terminology.
Okay, fine. For MANY years, public schools right here in our city have instilled dress codes. They include things like: no head covers (hats, bandanas, etc.) no pants that drag on the floor or reveal underwear no clothing that reaveals body parts (like midriffs, butts, cleavage, etc.) no clothes that promote obscenity, vulgarity, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violence, etc. no body art (including make-up) that promotes those things either no chains, spiked collars or wrist-bands and no excessive jewelry Dress codes are nothing new. And why do I compare their dress code to mine here in the corporate world? Because like me, they are paid to not only do their job but also to promote the image of the company they work for. I wish I worked for a more laid-back company like yours so I could show up in jeans and a t-shirt. But in my corporate handbook, it tells me otherwise. The NBA's corporate handbook now has a dress code in it. You don't want to obey it? Fine, go work somewhere else. I don't understand the gripe.
They are his players. He would know if they had a attention span problem or not. Can he think it's due to the music bumping around in their head? Sure. He can also think the "me first" attitude is detrimental to that player and the NBA. Is the macho, "me first" attitude (Iverson) prevalent in popular "hip-hop"? I'm no expert but I think so. It sure looks like it. I find hip-hop sensitivity amusing.
Hi, welcome to America. The macho, "me first" attitude (Jackson, with his multi-million dollar contract) is prevalent throughout all of our society. To act like this is something new to our society. Just like Jackson's counter-culture from the 60s. "I don't want to conform to society." Or "I don't want to get a cell phone."
