All I can say is: Awesome Read. The euphoria has died down and now we need another injection of it. Well, it's more of a nice feel-good kinda things, and I like feel warm and fuzzy. --------------------- http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=440100 McGrady and Artest together can make each other normal Posted: July 30, 2008 Professional basketball is a sport, and therefore is about winning and losing games above all else. That's why individual players get branded "winners" and "losers," and we base our opinions of players on whether or not success seems to follow them around. But in some cases, it gets more complicated. Take Tracy McGrady. Even when paired with international titan Yao Ming, T-Mac has problems winning. Maybe you heard about it: One of this generation's most potent offensive players simply can't get past the first round of the playoffs. McGrady has come up short seven times in the postseason -- and yes, it often has come down to his inability to assert himself late in games and playoff series. But McGrady, perhaps because he's so darn likable, isn't a loser. He could use a little more edge, and his injury woes frustrate him as much as they do us. But McGrady cares deeply about winning, is flush with talent and deserves better. You could say much the same about Yao. McGrady is one of those athletes whose psyche seems almost as important as what he does on the court. That's not to say he's more motivated than, say, LeBron. It's just that, for him and us, the game has become more personal. That's why, in a weird way, he and Ron Artest were soul mates waiting to happen. Artest is an undeniable force on the court, and his ruggedness is consistent with the new identity the Rockets discovered during their 22-game winning streak in the second half of last season. First and foremost, though, Artest is the wild man of the NBA -- a two-way talent who should be a perennial All-Defensive selection but has distracted himself, and us, with his antics. Seriously -- when was the last time you actually thought about whether Ron Artest was winning or losing games on the basketball court? Like McGrady, who has come to stand for hard luck and disappointment, Artest is all hellfire abandon and almost irrational rebellion. Just as T-Mac's angst has come to overshadow his team's fortunes, Artest's mental state is a news beat all its own. Perversely, we watch Artest wondering when he'll lose control and wander off the ledge -- or when he'll harness all his emotion and whup competitors within the rules of the game. T-Mac, well, we just want some reason to smile for the guy. Calling him a "loser" seems so shallow, cruel, and simplistic, just as branding Artest a "winner" barely even makes sense anymore. And now, they're going to be teammates, along with Yao, Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Rafer Alston and most likely Carl Landry. That's a monster of a nucleus, one with stars, role players, skill, heart and even a bit of swagger after last season's streak. Coach Rick Adelman is an offensive mastermind, while the defensive culture instilled by Jeff Van Gundy still runs deep. Even with all the chaos and disappointment we've come to associate with Artest and McGrady, this team will contend. But this also means both men are out of excuses. It's time for them to join the ranks of ordinary superstars, which is probably what they would have preferred all along. In fact, after this year's unceremonious first-round exit, McGrady seemed intent on avoiding a scene like 2007's tearful press conference. He had accepted fate. Now, it's time for him to stop that kind of supernatural thinking. If McGrady was unsteady and fragile, Artest gives him strength. Same for Artest. He's now riding with a man for whom games' outcomes have become a source of pain and suffering. This should bring the former King back into orbit, reminding us that, when his head is screwed on straight, the dude is a winner. Earlier today, I wrote that Artest completes the Rockets. But on the level of myth and legend, Artest and T-Mac not only make each other better -- they provide some perspective, maybe even a degree of normalcy. They can actually get a chance to be judged for their successes or failures, instead of as freaks, charity cases, novelty acts or any other kind of athlete whose baggage stands in the way of him having a Paul Pierce-like summer. Maybe we'll miss the angsty T-Mac and the antisocial Artest. Ultimately, though, those reputations are detriments to the two players. We owe them the chance to live normal lives, to be "winners" or "losers" like everyone else. Now, they're getting the chance to do their thing without it being an automatic distraction. And the rest of the league should be very, very scared. Nathaniel Friedman, a.k.a. Bethlehem Shoals, is a founding member of the NBA blog FreeDarko.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.
great read. we all know how painful tracy takes all these losses and it's def. become a personal battle for him. artest knows he finally has "that dude" who he really can say, "damn this dude is straight up better than me." both will really go at one another and make each other better. this is like a jordan-lite (tracy) and pippen with a great center to boot. can't wait for next yr.
