It was his final All-Star game, so everything had to be prefect, right? Wrong. What actually happened in the All-Star game was incorrect, and there are a number of people who should be embarrassed about making such a spectacle of the fact that Michael Jordan had to start in his last All-Star game.
First of all, let’s just look at which guards and small forward were voted in as starters for the Eastern conference: Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and Vince Carter.
McGrady is averaging 30.4 points, 6.50 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Iverson is putting up comparable numbers with 30.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 4.8 apg. Carter, who has just started playing again after a knee injury, has only played 15 games thus far and is averaging 18.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.9 apg.
On the bench for the East, we have Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd and Michael Jordan. Pierce is putting up an impressive numbers with 26.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 4.6 apg, while Kidd is averaging 19.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg and a whopping 8.4 apg.
This brings us to his “Airness,” who tallies 18.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.9 apg.
Now look back and compare Jordan’s numbers to those of McGrady and Iverson. Notice a difference? His number are significantly lower, but there was still big talk around the league that one of the two, or even Carter, should give up his starting spot so that Jordan could start his last All-Star game.
After such talk, both Iverson and McGrady did offer their starting spots to Jordan, who respectfully declined, as he should have. Carter insisted on keeping his spot, because he felt he needed to honor the fans’ wishes.
This was all well and good until Isaiah Thomas, head coach of the East squad, decided to keep pushing the issue and had his team vote on if Carter should offer his spot to Jordan because he was from Jordan’s alma mater.
First of all, what did it really matter that they both went to North Carolina? It is not like they played together during their years there, as Jordan was at UNC from 1981-84 and Carter was there from 1996-99. Jordan was not an assistant coach or even a huge part of the program while Carter was at UNC, and he didn’t even play in the same decade.
Was the real reason Thomas wanted Carter to give up his starting spot because he didn’t feel Carter really deserved his spot anyway? That his 15 games were not enough to earn him a starting role and that Carter would be the starter giving up the least by letting Jordan start? Maybe.
How fair is it that Thomas even put the rest of the Eastern Conference All-Stars and Carter in the middle of a difficult and sticky situation?
Vince Carter was starting in the All-Star game because 1, 300, 895 fans thought he deserved to start, and they wanted to see him start. Carter, who was the leading All-Star vote getter in 2000 and 2001, was second only to Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant this year.
The reason why the reserves are not voted in is to add other players who are worthy of the All-Star title and who have had All-Star type performances for the first half of the season.
If the NBA and the All-Star coaches are going to decide who is going to start by messing with the starters, then what is the point of even having the fans vote? If there is such a big controversy with the coaches over who starts, then why don’t the coaches just pick the starters and have fans pick the reserves, or how about coaches just stay out of the decision all together.
Starting is and will always be just a popularity contest, and forcing someone to give up his starting spot is just absurd. The entire point of starting was thrown right out the window. If I was Jordan, I would have been embarrassed that people were trying to put me in a place the fans obviously didn’t want me to be.
After all, the last time I checked, the point of the All-Star game was pretty much just for the fans’ entertainment.
I know a lot of you out there are going to hate on me and tell me I am disrespecting one of the greatest players that ever played.
I completely agree that Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players to play the game.
The man has six NBA championship rings, five NBA season MVP awards, six NBA Finals MVP awards, numerous scoring titles and the list could go on forever.
I am certainly not knocking this man’s career or his accomplishments, perhaps I am not even knocking him at all, but it is those who surround him and who campaigned so vigorously for him to get the start in the All-Star game that I am upset with.
“Right before the game, when it all boiled down to it, this is a storybook ending for Michael Jordan,” Carter said. “I’m sure I’ll have another opportunity to be in the All-Star game, and this is how it’s supposed to be.”
Hasn’t Jordan had enough storybook endings in his career? In the long run, what would have not starting this game done to his legacy; probably nothing, because for Jordan, this accomplishment is just a drop in the bucket.
“I could have easily come off the bench and was proud to do that,” Jordan said.
If he was willing to start the game on the bench, then he should have, or even if he wasn’t, he still should have. Too much time has gone by to be making up rules as we go along for the All-Star game.
The rules have to stay consistent, or they are unfair and arbitrary. If people want to see the “greats” like MJ or John Stockton or Karl Malone play, then there should be a special legends game; if not, then leave the All-Star balloting to the fans.
Starting in the All-Star game must be consistent, and if it is not, the NBA is just opening the door to future problems.
