Some Thoughts on the 2000s

It's hard to believe but the decade is coming to a close in a few days. It's been a good 10 years for the NBA with a couple of dynasties, with Shaq and Kobe's Lakers and the always consistent Tim Duncan led Spurs each winning 3 championships. There were some really good teams this decade, but I think the best individual team was the 2001 Lakers who though they didn't have the best regular season record, they pulled it all together and just ran through the playoffs at 15-1. These were the high times for this bunch of Lakers, because even though they would go onto complete their threepeat next year, the seeds of destruction between Shaq and Kobe were being planted. It is scary to think how many titles they might of won if those two had stayed together I'm saying at least 2 but honestly it could have been more as they were that dominant.
Arising from the ashes of the Laker turmoil, the team that benefited most from this breakup were the Spurs. The Spurs were the most consistent team throughout the decade, and as a mid market team they did it through savvy draft moves (ie Tony Parker with the 30th pick) and never straying from their defensive calling card. The major knock against the Spurs is that were just too boring to watch, and maybe for a casual fan who wants to see up and down streetball than that's true, but from a sheer basketball perspective they were amazing to watch. The team molded into the same persona of their superstar Tim Duncan, and it was this fundamental and methodical approach that led to their incredible run of 50+ win seasons and championships. Though age and injuries are starting to catch up with them a bit, and their title winning days might be behind them, you can never count out the Spurs, because as Rudy Tomjanivich said, you "can never underestimate the heart of a champion," and in the 2000s, Tim Duncan was the penultimate champion.

For me, due to their relevance for all 10 years, the Spurs were an easy choice for the team of the decade, and Greg Popovich for coach of the decade, but it was much more difficult to pick just one player of the decade. While there were many great performers, ultimately I think it comes down to either Kobe or Shaq. Each has 4 championships in the last 10 years, and have primed themselves to make a run at their fifth this year. For the first few years, they were the most powerful duo in the NBA, and then with persistent media coverage they were portrayed as mortal enemies, a fact that has only cooled in the last two years. I think that for the first half of the decade Shaq was the most dominant player in the league, and he was literally unguardable. He routinely averaged over 30 points and 12 rebounds and no one could stop him without putting him on the line. With that being said though, he has slowed considerably since winning the title with Miami in 2006. Though he had a rejuvenated year last year, which only further convinces me that the Phoenix Suns training staff has somehow found Ponce de Leons fountain of youth (I mean how else do you explain keeping Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Shaq playing at extremely high levels into their mid and late 30s?) he often has looked slow this year and does not garner the double teams and advanced schemeing to stop him that he did a few years ago. Kobe on the other hand, has been playing at a consistently high level the entire decade,and has been arguably the best player in the NBA for years now. He has been to five Finals, winning 4, and won somehow only his first MVP award in 2008. There is a lot of speculation about what happened to break up the early Lakers, with Kobe taking a lot of the heat. I am not going to speculate whose fault it was but I think that both men believed they were alpha dogs and Kobe was tired of sharing the spotlight, leading him to pose an ultimatum to Mitch Kupchick that ended up forcing Shaq out of town. In the few years following, Kobe faced some intense criticism for being a selfish and spiteful teammate, but honestly a lot of those teams were just so bad that he had to try and score 50 points every night to give them the best chance to win. And that might not have been great team basketball that helped the Spurs win, but it did provide some of the most memorable performances of the decade, including the second greatest scoring performance in the history of the league. Because say what you want about how he goes about doing it, but just like with Jordan, no one can deny that Kobe wants to win at any cost. That's why I think there was a marked change in his play when the Lakers had Pau Gasol gift wrapped into their lap. Now he had a reliable superstar to help complement him. He still has the talent to score and affect the game like few ever have, but he is learning now to pick his spots. I used to hate Kobe for his attitude and arrogance, but ironically, over the last few years it is those qualities that I have come to admire. It gets overused I think, but he really is a cold blooded killer out there on the court. He is fiercely competitive, will do absolutely anything to win, and does not care what anyone thinks of him for it. I agree that some of his facial expressions and actions might be contrived, but I am alright with that becuase he did have to rebuild his image from scratch, and because the underlying messages are genuine. There's no doubt in my mind that if I had to pick one player to win a game for me this decade, it would unquestionably be Kobe, my player of the 2000s.

After suffering from a lack of likable talent during the end of the 1990s, the NBA began to regain it's popularity slowly this decade, and now is back to a level not seen in many years. A lot of that has to do with a new influx of not only talented, but extremely marketable superstars. After MJ retired, the NBA struggled to have a positive face of the league, but now there are numerous options. Kobe maybe the most polarizing figure in the NBA, and as seen by his welcome in China during the Olympics, the most popular and recognized global player. His image is finally coming back after the tarnishing it took following his Colorado incidents. But Kobe is not alone, as many of his Redeem Team teammates are also helping to bring the league back to prominence. LeBron, Dwight Howard, and D-Wade, (just to name a few) are all fantastic players, but more importantly they are not selfish superstars. They play the game the right way both on and off the court. They have brought the talent level in the NBA back to a high point, but they have also helped rid the negative "thug" image that haunted the league and turned off many viewers. These are stars who are in the news for their humanitarian efforts in their communities not for any criminal indiscretions. For a three year period between 2003-2005, an unprecendented amount of current stars were drafted into the league, and they have helped to save basketball in this decade and have it poised for an even greater explosion into the next one.

I have covered who I thought were the best teams, coach and player of the decade, and here are my choices for first, second and third team All 2000s teams.

First Team:
Steve Nash- 2 time MVP, and heart of soul of 7 seconds or less offense
Kobe Bryant- Player of the decade, enough said
LeBron James- Won his first MVP awards last season, and almost singlehandedly made basketball relevant in Cleveland again.
Tim Duncan- 3 time NBA champion, leader of the best team of the decade
Shaquille O'Neal- 4 time NBA champion, 3 time Finals MVP

Second Team

Jason Kidd- Best pure pg since Magic. Led Nets to finals appearance.
Dwanye Wade- 2006 Champion & Finals MVP. 2009 scoring champion
Paul Pierce- Gets the 2nd team nod because of 2008 playoff performance
Kevin Garnett- Conistent All Star and All defensive team. Capped career 2008 title
Dirk Nowitzski- Best foreign player, still one of NBAs elite

Third Team

Allen Iverson- Best pound for pound scorer I've ever seen
Ray Allen- Best shooter of the decade
Carmelo Anthony- Consistent All NBA performer. Led Nuggets to 6 straight playoffs
Amare Stoudamire- Athletic specimen with best years ahead of him despite past injuries
Dwight Howard- Most dominant center in game, and hasn't even scratched surface of potential

And now a prognostication of the first team of the 2010s...

John Wall- NBA ready now, will be a franchise player.
Kevin Durant- Love his game, he and the Thunder will be relevant for years
LeBron James- Just turning 25 and already one of all time greats. Scary to imagine how he will finish
LaMarcus Aldridge/ Michael Beasley- Bit of a cop out picking two. Each with imense talent, but both too raw to tell just yet
Dwight Howard- Assuming he continues post game development to help counter physical attributes.