NEW YORK — It was the perfect backdrop for the New York Knicks, the league’s king-in-waiting, and for the NBA itself.
And on Christmas Day, of course.
As the NFL continues to lay claim to territory usually respected and reserved for the NBA, it has the added benefit that every regular season game has meaning. The advantage of the NBA is that a regular season game feels like whatever is happening in the moment, even if it means less in the grand scheme of 82 games.
But for two hours, it can feel like the NBA Finals if the investment is there, especially with the backdrop of Madison Square Garden and desperate Knicks fans.
Victor Wembanyama was majestic and the Spurs are closing in on a team worthy of his talent, worthy of continued attention on the national stage. They looked fun, exploiting their athleticism and coming out on break several times to catch the Knicks off guard.
“Fun” was never at the top of the list of adjectives during their successful eras, but I hope that changes.
“I thought their approach was excellent,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, alongside Gregg Popovich who is recovering from a stroke in November. “I didn’t feel like it was going to be too big of a moment. I thought the energy and enthusiasm was positive. I thought they felt like they were exactly where they were supposed to be. And I thought they played like that.
Wembanyama was not impressed by the garden; in fact, he seemed to be up to the task – the only thing missing was a last-second opportunity and the ball in his hands with a chance to extend the afternoon by another five minutes.
Although he and his teammates failed to grab a rebound on the final possession, succumbing to the Knicks’ determination and grit in a 117-114 loss, Wembanyama and the Spurs acquitted themselves on Christmas Day.
If Wembanyama’s three-pointer hadn’t been overturned midway through the fourth quarter due to a foul away from the ball, the future would have been the present – the best for Adam Silver – as he scored 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and many more altered shot attempts.
The 42 was just short of Wilt Chamberlain’s first Christmas record of 45, but there is no need to set a record to commemorate the occasion.
He’s ready to be showcased, the heir to everything the graybeards still cling to. Wembanyama is ready to snatch it from the majestic torchbearers: LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
“Tonight just proved that we are not ready yet,” Wembanyama said. “I’m sure we’ll see that it works and we’ll get hooked on things. It’s a huge effort, but it also has great rewards.
The Spurs aren’t ready, but he is. And the Spurs are averaging .500, hot on the heels of the former Lakers and Warriors — which means more room for growth this season.
And even though he’s just over a week away from being legally allowed to drink, Wembanyama speaks with maturity and confidence while being fully aware of the moment, fully seizing the opportunity to announce his candidacy to the world.
He turned away shots so devastating they looked like a goalie, only to be turned around by critics. There were long-limbed offensive rebounds and follow-up dunks on game defenders who couldn’t help but be helpless against the 7-foot-4 wonder.
“It’s a game of anticipation, trying to read the opponent,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a very interesting part of the game. I have a lot of opportunities to block guys, but these guys don’t have a lot of opportunities to make layups against me.
The temptation is to dream that Wembanyama is somewhere else, in a larger market where a Christmas Day window is one of many for the casual fan, to see him on billboards with his arms outstretched, to give him his “Hello World” by Tiger Woods. ” moment.
But there’s nothing wrong with Wembanyama being in San Antonio, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being in Oklahoma City, or the new Cooper Flagg ending up in Salt Lake City – young superstars (or presumptive superstars in the case of Flagg) being in small markets.
But the league should no longer allow the old, old excuse of these well-run franchises not letting the public know their transcendent stars. There are arguments to be made for smaller markets that complain about the advantages of Los Angeles and New York, but those same franchises benefit from the revenue increases provided by big-name franchises and, because of this two-apron system with salaries, the scales will also be even financially as each franchise wishes.
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That said, these franchises can’t have it both ways. They need to help grow this league, or at least maintain the real estate it has in the American lexicon. The NBA can’t afford to let franchises sit on the sidelines, almost irritated by the league office in some circles, while pocketing the bread.
There are a lot of withdrawals and not enough deposits in the league’s present and future, and fans won’t invest in new stars unless they feel like they know them in some way. ‘another one. Behaving as if players hold state secrets and are not involved in the entertainment business can no longer be considered “cute”.
You can’t sell mystery over the course of an 82-game season, not across the board when many fans are already investing hope in their own market. Wembanyama is experienced enough, with all his experience in his native France, to handle the attention that has engulfed many before him.
Zion Williamson and his body weren’t ready to become the next big star. Ja Morant continues to rebuild his reputation after his missteps a few years ago. That leaves Anthony Edwards as a genuine face – and Wembanyama.
The public should get to know Wembanyama, and the NBA should aid and abet this journey – because it is essential in determining the future of the league.
It’s no secret that one of the reasons for the popularity of the Golden State Warriors was not just their excellence on the court – allusion to the NBA: America loves basketball dynasties, not the parity – but there was a feeling of closeness with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson. and, for a time, Kevin Durant.
We didn’t see the players naked, but as three-dimensional figures with real stories, real quirks, and real personality — not carefully curated Instagram posts that show a lot but say nothing. The gift of the NBA is that the players don’t have helmets and you see them everywhere because it’s an 82-game story waiting to unfold.
But players need to be characters of character, unafraid to be themselves and not the cookie-cutter images they believe corporate America wants – because as we see, this is not the case.
It’s not just the play that needs to be looked at, as there are so many extraordinary, versatile athletes who do unimaginable things every night, including Wembanyama, who can easily total 12 blocks and 12 3-pointers in two games like he did against New York and Philadelphia.
There are too many three-pointers, too much creativity sapped by analysts who have too many seats at the table. But beyond that, there are other factors that require careful attention – or at least recognition by all observers.
Commissioner Adam Silver finds himself in an unenviable situation. Franchise owners paid dearly when more teams appeared to change hands than at any other concentrated time in league history. Not only do owners want to make money and have that guaranteed, but they also want an NFL type system where they have a chance to win every year.
Having that as a goal, combined with keeping viewers’ attention spans itching, comes into conflict with each other.
Silver works for the owners, but honestly he should consider himself working for the public, because their support and interest grows the game – otherwise their disinterest will put Silver in the crosshairs.
Since 2010, 16 teams have changed hands. That’s more than half the league. Although the late David Stern was still in power at the time, everyone knew that Silver’s time was coming, and subsequent CBAs were led by Silver.
It does not seem possible to achieve all the objectives, financial and symbolic, but to get closer requires a certain skill and agreement of all parties on the common good.
The players certainly haven’t done their part, as everything is tinged with a sense of “you can’t make me”, with no thought given to how the game has evolved to a point where exorbitant salaries are the standard and are not reserved for gamers. some specials.
Players don’t even try during the All-Star Game and claim we don’t have decades of information showing players exceeding the very low expectations of the league’s marquee weekend.
It’s become unbalanced, and that’s why there’s so much focus on TV ratings and ratings and “who’s next?” » discussions.
However, for one glorious afternoon, America got to see a long, bright future — and it’s up to the NBA to cultivate Wembanyama’s momentum.
The future depends on it.
