Absurdity
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:34 am
Here's a recent comment by one of my favorites in NBA history, Dwayne Wade:
It was at this point where Wade decided to drop a shocking truth bomb about how the hatred for the Heat was racially motivated: "We knew that some of the hate was because of our skin color," he claimed. "Because of being Black men and deciding to control the fate of our careers. ... So, when we had the power, when we had the moment, we took it. But some of the hate came because we were three Black guys who decided and changed the way that the NBA probably would ever be because of that decision." - via Paolo Songco @ Clutch Points
The article refers to Wade's comment as a shocking "truth bomb." Unfortunately, we're in a time and place today where no one will dare suggest publicly that there probably isn't any truth in what Wade said. First of all, to the extent there was hate, or more accurately anger, directed at any player it was aimed at LeBron for the way he went about leaving Cleveland, not at Bosh and certainly not at Wade. Second, the generalized anger resulted from watching a group of elite players banding together to do something that seemed fundamentally unfair - something that would further skew the NBA system in favor of certain big glitzy markets. We all read reports about the three deciding which team they all wanted to end up with. Those comments included Bosh dismissing the Cavs as a destination because he didn't want to live in Cleveland. People generally have an aversion to mercenaries and that's what those three players became when they decided to band together to form a "superteam." It's human nature to value and admire loyalty, courage, fortitude and fair play. Therefore, we tend to dislike the opposite - disloyalty, expedience, taking the easy route or trying to rig the game in your favor. When growing up on the playground, we'd typically have the two best players as captains and they'd alternate when picking players. We did that to make sure the games would be fair and competitive. In a sense, Wade's right that the anger over what those three players did came from a sense that they changed how the NBA would function going forward, but that's a superficial, incomplete explanation and it's a huge leap for him to then conclude that the anger had anything to do with the race of those three players who were disrupting the system and arguably "rigging the game."
Bill Laimbeer was universally despised outside of Detroit because he was a surly thug, not because he was white. Darko Milicic was disliked because he was a lazy, not because he was white or European. Magic, Jordan and Bird were beloved because they were great players who played incredibly hard and with a sense of unmatched joy and love for the game. What all three also had in common was that they stayed with their respective teams without ever complaining publicly about their teammates or their situations and without ever hinting that they would take their talents to South Beach. Does Dwayne Wade really believe the Heat would have been any less despised back then if the three players involved had been Larry Bird, John Stockton and Dirk Nowitski all in their prime? Does anyone really believe Bird would not have been disliked if he had pulled a stunt like LeBron's "The Decision" and said he was "taking my talents to South Beach"?
Racism is all around us. It's toxic, decisive, disgusting and dangerous. It's a really serious issue and that's precisely why we need to be especially careful about invoking racism to characterize or explain things we don't like. I still like Dwayne Wade. He remains one of my favorite players of all time and I continue to believe he's a terrific person. Unfortunately for him, the only voices he'll hear are those that echo his unsupported opinion. It's unfortunate because without any push back he'll never learn or grow. Life is easier if you have one simple explanation that demonizes or impugns the motives of those who do or say something you don't like. And it's certainly easier to dismiss criticism and feel good about yourself when you instantly invalidate that criticism as racist. But while easier, it's dishonest and dangerous. Self-deception can create a sense of bliss, but it's destructive.
Sorry to get get sidetracked a bit from the typical and far more fun topics we discuss on this board. But I couldn't help myself.
It was at this point where Wade decided to drop a shocking truth bomb about how the hatred for the Heat was racially motivated: "We knew that some of the hate was because of our skin color," he claimed. "Because of being Black men and deciding to control the fate of our careers. ... So, when we had the power, when we had the moment, we took it. But some of the hate came because we were three Black guys who decided and changed the way that the NBA probably would ever be because of that decision." - via Paolo Songco @ Clutch Points
The article refers to Wade's comment as a shocking "truth bomb." Unfortunately, we're in a time and place today where no one will dare suggest publicly that there probably isn't any truth in what Wade said. First of all, to the extent there was hate, or more accurately anger, directed at any player it was aimed at LeBron for the way he went about leaving Cleveland, not at Bosh and certainly not at Wade. Second, the generalized anger resulted from watching a group of elite players banding together to do something that seemed fundamentally unfair - something that would further skew the NBA system in favor of certain big glitzy markets. We all read reports about the three deciding which team they all wanted to end up with. Those comments included Bosh dismissing the Cavs as a destination because he didn't want to live in Cleveland. People generally have an aversion to mercenaries and that's what those three players became when they decided to band together to form a "superteam." It's human nature to value and admire loyalty, courage, fortitude and fair play. Therefore, we tend to dislike the opposite - disloyalty, expedience, taking the easy route or trying to rig the game in your favor. When growing up on the playground, we'd typically have the two best players as captains and they'd alternate when picking players. We did that to make sure the games would be fair and competitive. In a sense, Wade's right that the anger over what those three players did came from a sense that they changed how the NBA would function going forward, but that's a superficial, incomplete explanation and it's a huge leap for him to then conclude that the anger had anything to do with the race of those three players who were disrupting the system and arguably "rigging the game."
Bill Laimbeer was universally despised outside of Detroit because he was a surly thug, not because he was white. Darko Milicic was disliked because he was a lazy, not because he was white or European. Magic, Jordan and Bird were beloved because they were great players who played incredibly hard and with a sense of unmatched joy and love for the game. What all three also had in common was that they stayed with their respective teams without ever complaining publicly about their teammates or their situations and without ever hinting that they would take their talents to South Beach. Does Dwayne Wade really believe the Heat would have been any less despised back then if the three players involved had been Larry Bird, John Stockton and Dirk Nowitski all in their prime? Does anyone really believe Bird would not have been disliked if he had pulled a stunt like LeBron's "The Decision" and said he was "taking my talents to South Beach"?
Racism is all around us. It's toxic, decisive, disgusting and dangerous. It's a really serious issue and that's precisely why we need to be especially careful about invoking racism to characterize or explain things we don't like. I still like Dwayne Wade. He remains one of my favorite players of all time and I continue to believe he's a terrific person. Unfortunately for him, the only voices he'll hear are those that echo his unsupported opinion. It's unfortunate because without any push back he'll never learn or grow. Life is easier if you have one simple explanation that demonizes or impugns the motives of those who do or say something you don't like. And it's certainly easier to dismiss criticism and feel good about yourself when you instantly invalidate that criticism as racist. But while easier, it's dishonest and dangerous. Self-deception can create a sense of bliss, but it's destructive.
Sorry to get get sidetracked a bit from the typical and far more fun topics we discuss on this board. But I couldn't help myself.