Sold on Self, Buyer Beware

If I could write one more chapter in my yet to be published book…wait I could…it would be called something like 1-on-1 = Embarrassment or maybe Real Elites Play Golf. The title needs work but the idea is that Sportscenter and the radio hosts play up marquee match-ups like tonight’s including pedagogue and protege, Kobe and Lebron. And yes they are playing against each other and may even check one another briefly. But we all know they don’t really do the same thing or have the same build. After all, Kobe is hardly 260 pounds and the last thing Lebron wants to do is foul out trying to guard the multiple head-faking legend who is due for a big night at the charity stripe.

Marquee is a word for the display that draws you and your family to the theater. It’s the feature board with lights and letters practically demanding that you drop everything and spend your time and money on this entertainment. As spectators, we’re a the mercy of the advertisement. Advantage NBA. Why? Because the marquee has one caveat that works every time – ONE NIGHT ONLY! The Cavaliers and Lakers don’t play tomorrow. Ladies and gentlemen they play tonight and if you’re not tuning in for live broadcasting, you’re programming the DVR (Digital Video Recorder). I’m as guilty as any and I suppose I willfully yield to the prowess of the all-star casting and its irresistibility. Actually, I was gonna watch this one anyway because Laker fans always watch the big games.

But you know what I wouldn’t watch? I’d never sit down on my couch to watch two hours of a one-on-one game between Kobe and Lebron. Have  you ever played one-on-one for two hours? It’s as boring to play as it is to watch. Basketball was invented to be an orchestration of skill, team chemistry and athleticism. When the sports casters bill it as The Black Mamba vs. The King, it’s the spirit of Neon baiting you into something we’ve learned to cater to, sports governed by selfishness. We’ve acquired a taste for forgetting about the role players, the clutch defenders and the bench play. When teams win we’re interested in the PPG of the MVP and nothing more.

Players say they don’t get caught up in the expectations of some trumped up fantasy bout starring them and another industry icon  but I’ve learned from playing basketball that it’s a constant struggle to ward off individualism in a team sport. Kobe is one of the game’s most prolific scorers of all time but he’s lost 3 of the last four to the Cavaliers. I’m pretty sure he’d trade his individual statistics for victories instead. Whatever game we’re in, it’s vital to understand that there are more team activities in this world than there are individual. Don’t ever let the marquee fool you when the match-up is really closer to 12 on 12 rather than one-on-one.