The White Guy Bias Part 4

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.