Today, I offer my fourth point concerning the Outside the Lines piece on the lack of white American players in the NBA.

The preconception or bias I have been speaking of is the lack of quickness or general athleticism of the white American player.  As I mentioned, virtually everyone in the basketball world agrees that this preconception exists.  It is a running joke in the basketball community.  The issue is whether or not it is true.  Today, I want to assume it is a bit true.  Not only that, I want to point out that there are also plenty of black American basketball players that are more skilled than athletic.  They are the exceptions to the stereotype and they also, by being a step slow on defense or not as athletic as other guys, have barriers to climb.  They just don’t have to overcome the white- guy preconception.

The question I want to ask in light of these things is one that the OTL piece didn’t address.  It is this:

Is it possible that athleticism is sometimes an overvalued trait in the NBA?  I believe the answer to be, ‘Yes.’

Every person interviewed spoke about the lack of athleticism of the white American player, but no one said (at least not shown) that maybe, just maybe, it is possible to have too many athletes on the floor and too little highly skilled basketball players (white or black).

Interestingly enough, one of the men interviewed, Mark Price, (who is, incidentally, one of my all-time favorite players and a player I looked up to as a kid), was not the most athletically gifted individual.  Though he had an outstanding college career, he was drafted second round and was not guaranteed a great opportunity of NBA success.  This was because people questioned his athleticism right?  And yet, he turned out to have a great NBA career and no doubt, outplayed many a man quicker than himself.

Another white basketball player with limited athleticism that comes to mind is John Stockton.  I actually played against him when he was 40 or 41 years-old.  Yes, 40 or 41 years old in the 2001-2002 season.  So this is the modern area.  From personal experience, I can say that I did not believe he was a strong one-on-one defender.  In fact, I was very confident offensively going against him (and I am white, just to remind you).  Yet, John Stockton is one of the best defenders in the history of basketball, because he played great team defense.  He is the all-time steals leader not because he is quicker than everyone else, but because he has great hands and his positioning and feel for the game on the defensive end is second to none.

And this is not to mention John Stockton on the offensive side of the court.  He was just as successful, but again, not as quick as many of the players he was playing against (especially at 40 or 41 years-old).  But because he knew the game so well and fit into an offensive system that was perfect for his gifts, he made younger and quicker players look stupid.  I know, because I was one on a few occasions (thought that doesn’t prove much, I suppose, b/c I am one of the slow white guys!).  His footwork and change of pace were so good that he easily had success against quicker, more athletic, and younger players.  In fact, he often used their athleticism against them!

The point is that there have been numerous players that were not the most athletic of the bunch (and that might not ‘make the cut’ in today’s NBA) that are some of the best NBA players of all-time.  And this is true, white or black (Mark Jackson comes to mind as a black player who wasn’t the most athletic, but great in his own right).

Now this really gets to the heart of the issue, in my opinion.  Whether a player is white or black is not so much the issue. Though I do think there is a bias or preconception that white guys are not athletic enough, etc. I also believe that plenty a good black basketball player is not given at opportunity to succeed in today’s NBA because not enough teams value diversity.  Not racial diversity, however, but player diversity.  A diversity that embraces differing gifts.  It’s my view that in much today’s NBA (especially on the poorer teams), there is too great an emphasis on one trait (athleticism) and too little appreciation for the things that made John Stockton or Mark Price or Mark Jackson great.

As I mentioned yesterday, the NBA is a copycat league.  And right now many are copying one another in pursuing the most athletic players out there.  That usually means more opportunity for black players, but it also means less opportunity for black players who aren’t the most athletic of the bunch, but who could be more effective, because of their basketball savvy and skills.

I could be wrong, but I personally don’t think this is good for the NBA game.  And I think that a good look at the best teams in the league support this notion.  For, white or black, European or American, they are filled with a diverse group of players who work well together.  The poorer teams, not so much.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoy the NBA game (it’s rules, etc. which I know many folks don’t like).  I still believe it is the best basketball in the world and I would love to play there again.  But what I am saying here is that I believe it could still be better. With the plethora of diverse talent out there today all over the world, white and black, I think many NBA teams would improve by looking for more than just athleticism.  Sure, it would be perfect to have both in every player.  But if you can’t have that, you had better diversify.

White or black, International or American, I think the NBA game would be a lot better off if many repented of their over-emphasis upon athleticism and turned to valuing the things that made the greatest players of all-time, the greatest players of all-time.  Sure, many of the greatest were great athletes.  But if they won championships, you can bet your bottom dollar that they were surrounded by a few guys who may have been a step slow.

As promised (and no doubt eagerly anticipated by everyone in the blogging world), I now return to my comments on the Outside the Lines piece concerning the lack of American born white players in the NBA.

My first two observations were: a) that everyone in the piece agreed that there is a general preconception or bias that white basketball players must overcome and b) that that preconception forms an obstacle that is probably bigger than many people think. I then followed those observations with a lengthier discussion of point b.

Today I offer this:

To explain the greater presence and ability of white International players in the NBA solely on the basis of hard work (this was obviously implied by a few interviewees, including one I highly respect, Jerry West–he was big in my having an NBA opportunity) is very limited….in my humble, strong opinion, of course.

Now I know that my tone in that paragraph might sound like a bitter American white guy who wants to go after the International players, but I assure you that that is by no means the case. I am addressing those insinuations not because I am one of those American white guys who have to overcome the preconceptions, but because I believe that such statements reveal a lack in thorough thinking on the subject.

I admit that I am now moving into the realm of opinion rather than observation, but it was going to come sooner or later, so now is as good a time as any. So why then do I believe we see more and more International players in the NBA? My answer is simple. I present it in three parts.

1) Because for years, no one really knew how good International players really were or they weren’t that good and got better.

I don’t think this point will be disputed. Few NBA teams looked outside the States for basketball talent. And, more times than not, they did not do so because the talent wasn’t good enough to justify the cost of checking it out. After all, America’s college players used to routinely win the gold medal against every other country’s professional ones. That has changed over the last twenty years, of course, as International players have certainly turned up their game. The world championships and Olympics over the last ten years are obvious evidence of that.

This leads to the second part of my answer.

2) NBA teams found a few very good International players and plenty of others who are solid in their own right.

This is also indisputable fact. The OTL piece makes that plain.

3) Because the NBA is obviously a ‘copycat’ league, NBA teams are being very careful not to miss International basketball talent….and yes, oftentimes, overcareful.

This is the key point of opinion. Not the ‘copycat’ part. After all, even the average fans knows that most teams run the same set offenses and hold the same defensive principles. Not to mention the moment a few great high school players were drafted high and performed well, every team and their brother started drafting 18 year olds (Take note how many actually worked out well). As is the case in any business, when someone finds something good, the competitors want to make sure they don’t miss out. Such is the case with International players.

Now, this is not to say that International players are not high-level players. I haven’t said that. Because many certainly are. What I will say, however, is that it is my opinion that right now, at this point in basketball evolution, International players (especially, young European players) aren’t as good as many NBA execs think they are. Because we are in the midst of an International wave in the NBA, many scouts and decision-makers see things that just aren’t there. At the very least, there is little to no difference between them and many of the American players they are being chosen over.

What this means for the American white player is that he needs to show he is even that much better than his International counterparts. Actually, it should be stated that this proves true not only for the white American player, but also for the black American player. After all, there are plenty of black American basketball players that aren’t in the NBA now, while International players that may not be as good as them are in the NBA. Look at the number of high-level black American players playing overseas (oftentimes as the best players on their team), and support for that statement is plain. White or black doesn’t matter. International players are being chosen over both black and white American players in the NBA.

To make it plain: I believe that there is no reason to believe that there is a significant difference between the top International players and the white (or black) American players they are being chosen over. There are exceptions, of course. Dirk Nowitzki and a handful of others are obviously great players no matter where they are from. But the fact is that most International players that are chosen don’t make it. They are drafted young, don’t pan out, and end up making a career in Europe.

In the end, what this means is simply that the talent pool has been enlarged, particularly from players that are not in the top tier of world-class basketball talent. Not only has it been enlarged, but right now, there is a tendency in the NBA to think that International talent is better than it actually is. The presence of Americans in International leagues (particularly as they are often the best or central players on their team) supports such an assertion.

It’s odd. You have the NBA execs saying one thing about the high-level of International players, while International basketball clubs continue to recruit Americans to play a big role for their teams. And more times than not, these Americans (black or white) are the ones the NBA has passed over in favor of an International player. I have seen this time and again, and have even experienced it myself.

It’s not the entire story, I know, but I think it is a big piece that was not mentioned in the OTL piece. It also leads me to another thought that I plan on sharing tomorrow.