What kind of music do you think T.J. Ford listens to, T-Mac, Garnett, Jason Kidd, I bet it ain't counter-culture. Are those guys me-first players. If you really think Phil Jackson made a good point here I don't what to think. Stereo-typing an entire segment on something as meaningless as the music they listen to is pure stupidity and I just don't get how you can defend it. Its not about defending hip-hop again, go back and read the article. Scoop is defending its listners including himself.
You are going overboard. "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." He doesn't like the thug ASPECT of hip-hop and it becoming a part of beasketball. That is all. Are you going to say it isn't there at all?
I would say the thug aspect of where a lot of these guys come from has become a part of the NBA. Some of these guys are posers, but most of these guys come from crack ridden run down neighborhoods, have friends who have died in the streets, and that's the environment they reflect, and that's the environment hip-hop reflects. Its also a black and white issue. Black players have at least since the seventies always dressed differently from what the standard of corporate america is. they dress to what is hip. because most black players don't come from homes where dad was a cog of corporate america. there are a lot of issues at play here and I would think someone as well-rounded as Phil Jackson would understand that. edit: and that's not to say that all white players come from Leave it to Beaver type homes, but its a cultural issue beyon hip-hop. Hip-Hop is just the latest fad.
this thread should prob be moved to the d&d... but this quote is where i think he begins to lose credibility. taking a political stand is one thing, but to say that they're conscious statements such as, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." I just have to roll my eyes
I don't hear too many players saying they won't obey the new policy. For the ones that don't, they will be fined. If they choose to pay the fine in order to "choose" to defy, that is their right (they are accepting the penalty, one that hurts no one but them and their family/posse). And last I checked, in this country you always have a right to complain about your job, whether you choose to follow the rules or not.
Again, the thuggery aspect of basketball that has come along with hip-hop music. Hip hop music brought a thuggery aspect of basketball to the NBA? Wasn't the league a lot more physical in the mid 80's and early 90's (before hip-hop was mainstream)? Didn't Rudy get suckerpunched way back in the day? You aren't even allowed to fight in todays NBA.
Hmm, sounds like some generalization here by someone who is against generalization. Sociology IS about generalization. If you get sensitive about every bit of generalization, then you'll get pissed all the time. I am a minority myself. But I don't whine every time people generalize about my culture. To me, if someone says something negative about my culture, the first thing to do is not to defend, but to reflect. Is there an element of truth in there? If so, what is my responsibility of improving my culture?
I don't think Phil was defying the genre of hip hop, but rather the trendy content it carries. I don't think Phil would have a problem if the rappers rap about "I want to earn my paycheck, I wanna play teamball, I like triangle offense, I'm a professional". The fact is some rap music overblow thuggery coolness and gansta lifestyle. I don't think Phil was talking about physical thuggery, but having a thuggery attitude in life, doing things without a sense of responsibility, without discipline, without professional ethic, see Eddie Griffin and Ron Artest. I think Phil overstated the infuence of rap music since not every rap fans are without professionalism, but he does have a point.
How does he lose credibility. Just because he mentioned a rapper whom YOU don't agree with stance. The point isn't what Kanye said, the point is Kanye spoke out about something relevant making him more than a wanna be thug rapper which rap has become characterized by.
i don't like phil. i agree with red auerbach about him. but phil's just an old man who remembers a time when kids grew up listening to donnie and marie. pretty harmless compared to what kids idolize today. i see where he is coming from. he's no different than most any other old man including my old man who gave me a hard time for wanting long hair and listening to metallica. that's life. phil just said the same thing i had to hear from my dad to the public.
