NBA would be better without David Stern

Nathan Miller

David Stern please go home! I have to say for the first time in a long time, I was compelled to watch the NBA playoffs last year, and I must say I was impressed. But as the NBA regular season putters on this year, I’m getting more and more fed up with the game, and the man behind the bore, commissioner David Stern.

Sure, for the first time ever, Madison Square Garden witnessed a throw-down that wasn’t in a squared circle, but I doubt Carmelo Anthony will release “Chapter IV” the sequel to Ron Artest’s infamous “Chapter III” rap album any time soon. Hey I’m down…but I’m not down with Stern so let’s get on with the burn. (That’s right “Chapter V” by Nathan Miller coming to a store near you.)

Strike 1 – Changing the leather regulation ball to a new synthetic ball, and then back to the original leather regulation ball. John Kerry didn’t get elected over this kind of rationale. The decision yielded a fair amount of heat from Miami Heat star Shaquille O’Neal. Diesel described the new ball as something you would find at a toy store and the person responsible for the decision should be fired. Thank you Diesel for adding fuel to my fire.

Strike 2 – Instituting “business casual” dress code policy in post-game press conferences. Not a problem right, the NBA is after all a place of work? But when players go as far as calling the policy racist, you have problems. No longer can Denver Nugget Allen Iverson wear his chains, that hang oh so low, but Phoenix Sun Steve Nash can wear his cowboy boots. I’m not sure if there are cowboys in Canada but you get my point.

Even San Antonio Spur Tim Duncan, who I believe to be perhaps the most prominent and respected star in the league, called the policy retarded. Duncan is a pretty easy-going individual and likes to wear sandals, but can’t, due to the new policy. But he can show team spirit and wear spurs on his cowboy boots.

Strike 3 – No player shall be allowed into the NBA until they are one year out of high school. This policy has forced players like Ohio State’s Greg Oden and Texas’s Kevin Durant to play college ball for at least one year, and taking a risk that could risk their future.

Instead of getting drafted or being picked up at a camp and sign a six-digit contract with a franchise right out of high school, now players are playing on a university right off with no insurance. If you have a career-ending injury in the NBA, you have six digits to figure out what you’re going to do the rest of your life, probably commercials. If you have a career-ending injury in college, you have nothing.

Some players have even found loopholes to the college route attending prep schools for a year. But even those that do go to college are, according to Texas Tech Coach Bob Knight, destroying the college game. Knight explains players that are going to the NBA don’t even have to go to class second semester.

Stern now wants an NBA franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada. Why is there no other major professional sport in Vegas? It doesn’t take rocket science, but Stern doesn’t have common sense. Stern please go home!