LeBron James the greatest? Like the Spurs, we’re not buying it
Built, not Bought
by Jack “Karl” Maloney (@jmaloney9)
Have you ever built something? Like maybe a table, for example? It feels awesome doesn’t it? And every time you use it you think about how much hard work you put into putting it together and it makes you proud that your handiwork was successful. It’s fun to create and then see your creation thriving—and that feeling lasts a lifetime. But when you buy something, like say you just buy a table. I mean its great and you use it, but there’s no emotion, no pride in having that table. Sure it’s cool at first, but eventually it just becomes another thing that exists. Guess what? Those same ideas translate to the basketball world.
Recently, Chris Bosh had the following to say when reflecting on the Heat’s season:
“I don’t think anybody really enjoyed this season like in years past. There was no, like, genuine joy all the time. It seemed like work. It was a job the whole year. Winning was just a relief. Losing was a cloud over us sometimes, and then we’d break out of it — and then go right back. But we got here. We had a chance. They were just better.”
I mean can you really be surprised? That’s what happens when you buy something—and there’s no two ways around it: the Cryami Weaks were bought, not built.
They were bought with millions and millions of Micky Arison’s money, thrown together in a greedy attempt to bring quick, emotionless glory to South Beach. And they won a few titles, sure—far fewer than they said they would win, though, I might add—but now you’re starting to see the consequences of a hasty impulse buy. “[The Spurs] were just better,” Chris Bosh said. And it’s easy to see why—they were built with care and love and thoughtfulness.
Do you ever see Manu Ginobili not having fun or just looking like he’s clocking in another day of work? Of course not—when you take the time to build something, to put it together properly, how could there be drudgery? You take pride in the construction, have faith in the process and eventually get to relish in the end product.
One team was delicately crafted by the steady hands of R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich. One team was bought like a spoiled teen on a shopping spree with their parents’ credit card. One team stood proudly on the biggest stage and together took home the NBA championship, smiling and laughing as they went along their way. One team dragged through the season in a haze and got demolished on that stage.
One team had success, while one team floundered. And I think we all know why: the Spurs were built, not bought.