The "true" NBA has long since passed us by

Memories are priceless. In fact, in many instances, memories are all we have. James W. “Jim” Nantz III, lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, points out in his book “Always by my side” the love he had for his father. While traveling the world early in his career, he would think of his father often. Many times, his dad would be nearby to relish in his son’s accomplishments. Jim Nantz, Jr. would succumb to Alzheimer ’s disease and lose all memory of his life. Deep down, Jim always knew his dad was with him.

While we may have trouble recounting the dates of important historical events or formulas for important mathematical formulas, we somehow can take you to the seat of an all important college football game or possibly the moment Michael Jordan hit the game winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers over defender Craig Ehlo in the deciding game of the 1988 NBA Playoffs.

On one May afternoon in 1987, I was at my grandfather’s house watching the Eastern Conference Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. Celtics legend Larry Bird stole the inbounds pass and Dennis Johnson converted the winning basket to give the Celtics the win. Boston would eventually lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals that year. As we fast forward 21-years, the teams are the same but the feeling is all but gone.

This week, the Celtics and the Lakers will clash for the right to be crowned 2008 NBA Champions. For some reason, the appeal to many sports fans is long gone.

Similar to everyday life, times have changed in the NBA. Just as gas prices continue to soar, so do the escalating salaries of the professional players. Gone are the rivalries of McHale/Rambis, Parrish/Worthy and Magic/Bird. Gone are the knee high socks adorned by Laker Michael Cooper. Gone are the Boston Garden and Red Auerbach, legendary General Manager of the Celtics.

Today, players worry about themselves. There’s no “I in team” need not apply. It’s about endorsements, media exposure and the almighty dollar. While much of the blame is on the players, the fans choose to pay the escalating ticket prices, watch the game on the major television networks, which have been brokered through the NBA for exhorbant amounts of money. Simply put, times have indeed changed.

Fortunately, the memories etched in our minds of the games of our youth are not altered. We remember the friends and family members in our presence when Jordan hugged the Championship trophy following the death of his father. Most importantly, both Jim Nantz and Michael Jordan had their father by their side, only now it’s a memory.