"Are comparisons fair..." (April 26, 1998)

With the NBA the way it is now, I wonder what it was like back in the "Dark Ages" of the NBA, back when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird was just entering the league. Back in 1979 and 1980, did those players come in and get compared to others? Was Magic Johnson the next Oscar Robertson? Was Larry Bird the next Jerry West? Now it seems, every young player is being compared to another player, be it a former great or an average player. Even more than that, sometimes you see a player have his game dissected into even more parts. He plays like that guy, but has a jumper like this guy and his defense is reminiscent of another guy and so on.

I just read an article on Kobe Bryant in Sports Illustrated. It's a really good article, saying how Kobe grew up in Italy and how his basketball game fundamentally sound and he grew up idolizing Magic Johnson. That article lead me to this point. Kobe Bryant is the next line a long line of "next" Michael Jordans. Before him, there was Harold Miner, Grant Hill, Mitchell Butler, even players who weren't real players but could jump through the roof were being touted as potential Jordans. On the same vein, anytime there is a tall white guy who plays forward, you get the "Larry Bird" syndrome. The latest is Keith Van Horne, who describes his game similar to Derrick McKey, which I would agree to an extent, except McKey is a great defensive player who doesn't shoot as well as Van Horne. If I had to make a comparison, Van Horne is similar to Tom Chambers, because of his lack of defense and ability to out score his opposition. Both have that inside-outside game. Before Van Horne, there was Christian Laettner, Danny Ferry and Michael Smith from BYU, who was drafted by the Celtics. As for the next Magic Johnson, any player who played point guard and was taller than 6'6" was considered a candidate for the next Magic. There was Walt Williams, who had a magical name, the Wizard. He played some point at Maryland, but failed miserably there in Sacramento. Steve Smith played point for his first two years in Miami. He was 6'8". He was from Michigan State. Very similar indeed. How about Anfernee Hardaway? Tall, athletic, more like Jordan than Johnson is stature, but because he played point, he was the next Magic? I know there are others but you get my point.

If some of you can remember far enough back, Randy White from Louisiana Tech was the next Karl Malone because they were strong, muscular and came from LA Tech. How about Clarence Weatherspoon? Baby Barkley. In fact, any undersized power forward, or 'tweener, is called a Barkley-type player. Corliss Williamson. Byron Houston. There are others.

I would like to see less comparison and pressure put on players saying that they are the "next" so and so, and instead focus on their own attributes and strengths. A good example of this is Tim Duncan. He's so good right now, he defies comparisons. He's his own man. Some might say he has similar attributes to 3 or 4 centers, but he doesn't copy anyone or remind anyone of one specific player. Shaquille O'Neal was the same way. The closest comparison made on him, was he is like Wilt Chamberlin was when Wilt came into the NBA. Wilt was so much bigger, stronger and faster than the other big men, he dominated. Shaq is like that, but their games aren't that similar.

I know a great past time is comparing a player to another, I do it sometimes, but I think it might be time to drop it. The pressure it puts on these players are too much. You get super-inflated egos because these players are being told that they are the next "Magic", "Michael" or "Larry". It might keep them from fulfilling their potential. It might make them complacent. Or it might make them cash in early on Foot Locker and Sprite commercials, because they are the flavor of the month.

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