Quote:
Originally Posted by Melonhead
Why is basketball the sport where we are always looking for the next person. The next Jordan, the next dirk, the next insert legend from the past. Why can't players just play without always being compared? I don't see that happening in other sports. Or maybe I don't look hard enough
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Basketball is actually less of a team sport than most other team sports... It's simple math: there are only 5 guys on the court per team at any given time, so 1 guy can make more of a difference. Sure, there are player comparisons in platoon-style sports, such as football (American and Euro), but it's usually limited to "skill positions" like quarterback & running back, or striker & goalie... In basketball, any position can be the most effective player on the court, so the comparisons run quick when there are only 5 positions to choose from. And when a guy comes along and re-defines the game, like Dirk (or Wilt, Dr. J, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Curry?, etc.), people can't help but look for the next player who comes along to make it a trend, thus cementing the NBA narrative.