It’s Not Steve Nash’s Fault!: A Study in White Privilege
RELATED: RESPONSE TO JACK MCCALLUM’S RESPONSE
I was passing though an airport this week, and as chance would have it, Steve Nash’s blue eyes were staring directly at me. The magazine was “Men’s Journal” and the cover story title read: “STEVE NASH: The Superstar Who Made the NBA Fun Again” by Paul Solotaroff. My shoulders immediately slumped as I suspected to myself “here we go again”. Then I read on (Note: Subheadings not included by original author):
Nash’s Effect on NBA: “…he has revived the NBA, morphing it from a walk it up, half-court grind to a fast-break air show with speed and meet me at the rim precision. Indeed, for all Nash has accomplished as a paradigm shifter, his reward was another round of questions.”Nash as “the Everyman”: “At a press conference to announce his return to Phoenix … he wore a pair of golf-shoes, the only non-sneakers he owned” or “Sightings of Nash pushing the twins’ double stroller are as common as delays at the Holland Tunnel.”Nash as Black-Athlete Antidote: “The NBA is known, fairly or not, for superstars who roll five deep; 20 something moguls in tint-glass Maybachs who travel with handlers and hangers-on. But when Nash shows up for a meal in Manhattan, he arrives on foot and on his own at a diner he selected. Clad in his permanent off-the-court ensemble – baggy gym shorts and a sleeveless tee – Nash is unadorned by tattoos or diamonds or even a watch.”
First things first: I am a HUGE Steve Nash fan. I absolutely love watching him run an offense, and certainly a fun one at that. I love that he: sees Amare and Marion on the cut EVERY time; cannot be double-teamed without a two point cost; makes Raja Bell a relevant offensive player; shoots over 50% but is a guard; and I just LOVE that he never gives up his dribble no matter how far he has gone under the basket. But what I truly admire most about Steve Nash is his social consciousness and his community service that is described later in this article. If I had to really nitpick for a flaw, it would be his gosh-gee-wiz-just-happy-to-be-here-Derek-Jeter-like false modesty that so many other fans seem to eat up. Make no mistake: Steve Nash is a cold-blooded basketball assassin who – like the mindset of any top 10 NBA player— believes that he is the very best player every single time he steps on that court. I love almost everything about Steve Nash… except those that write, cover, and report on him. So moving on…
Dear Mr. Men’s Journal Author, Where to start?… The game was already fun whether you and your magazine’s targeted readers were paying attention or not. And even if you weren’t a basketball “purist” fan of watching the fundamentally-sound Spurs or Pistons, Steve Nash is not the first guy to run with a basketball since the Showtime Lakers. The Sacramento Kings were doing it a few years ago, the Mavericks were also doing it AFTER Nash left, and Jason Kidd’s fast-break style led the Nets to two NBA finals appearances. The game was fun knowing Kobe Bryant could approach the sublime on any given night; it was fun watching that epic Mavericks-Spurs 7 Game series two years ago (best in history for my money)[1]; and it was fun with the league’s recent young double-first-name superstar infusion of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul. But the most fun that this fan has had in YEARS was watching last year’s first round series of those tattoo-having, diamond-wearing, 5-deep-rolling, tinted-glass Maybach-driving Golden State Warriors run the Mavericks up and down the court and out of the playoffs. And even if Stephen Jackson won’t land any magazine covers any time soon, those 3-point shots, those Baron Davis dunks, and those rocking Oakland fans with “We Believe” t-shirts all “made the NBA fun again”. Having stated that, Steve Nash might be particularly useful in reviving interest in some former fans that approach Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum with what he calls The Old White Guy Sermon.
But no, it’s not Steve Nash’s fault that the media – “unfairly or not” (is this in question?) — often uses him in a way to discredit other NBA players and the NBA itself with unmistakable racial euphemisms. Can’t Nash simply be great just because he is great? Must there be an obligatory "in contrast" piece that does less to describe the NBA’s "image" as much as it does to create and perpetuate one (for more see disparate coverage of NBA vs. MLB fights). But the Men’s Journal article, which had promise and potential in other areas, is nothing new. Let’s count the other ways how the mainstream media makes rooting for Steve Nash such a chore for even the biggest of fair-minded Nash fans.
1) MVP Consideration: Nash has received unprecedented benefit of the doubt in receiving back-to-back MVPs. The first year he upset Shaq with numbers that are lacking in the NBA MVP historical reference department. When Miami Herald’s Dan Le Batard was virtually the only mainstream sportswriter to point out the mere possibility of race as a factor (subconsciously, if not consciously) by a 90+% white sports-voting body, he was categorically dismissed by his journalistic peers (many who were also voters). And while, curiously, his website article can no longer be found online, one can get the gist from King Kaufman’s similar take from Salon . But instead of endless Shaq-Nash tit-for-tat (for pro-Nash camp see Dave Zirin from Counterpunch), let’s just agree-to-disagree as benefit-of-the-doubt courtesy #1 is graciously extended. In his second MVP, he upset two HISTORIC seasons by both Lebron and Kobe. And while I will challenge anybody fact-for-fact who says Nash was more deserving than Lebron[2], let’s just assume that I had a few drinks, am in an insanely generous mood, and granted benefit-of-extreme-doubt courtesy #2. But what defies any semblance of fairness, logic, and rational human thought is the indefensible LANDSLIDE MVP vote that concluded with Nash receiving 57 to Lebron’s 16 first place votes. With Socrates, Plato, and NBA MVP voting history turned on their respective heads, this vote is “Exhibit A” why future MVP judging should be permanently taken away from our nation’s sportswriters[3]. …But that’s not Steve Nash’s fault.
2) Athleticism: Nor is Nash to blame because commentators can’t see past the white athlete stereotype. Like when former NBA great Bill Walton marveled at Nash’s achievements a couple of years ago in part because he was "the least athletic point guard in the NBA." While Nash has never been a great leaper, perhaps Walton never took notice of Nash blowing by most opposing guards in the league on a nightly basis. We could only guess that lateral quickness and agility have absolutely nothing to do with athleticism. Because such a reality might put a dent in the romantic notion that Nash is just like every other white guy on the couch with a TV remote, but just worked that much harder than all those “natural black athletes”. But the truth is that Nash was a highly gifted three-sport star (soccer and hockey) who had professional potential besides basketball. Nash also comes from a family where both parents and multiple siblings were/are professional athletes. But it is obvious that Walton and others are “blinded by the white”. …But that’s not Steve Nash’s fault.
3) Politics: Before any MVP trophies, Steve Nash became more than a basketball hero to many (including this author) when he used his influential voice four years ago to publicly oppose the Iraqi war by wearing a t-shirt at the 2003 All-Star Game that said “Shoot baskets, not people”. He also stated:
On the War: "I believe that us going to war would be a mistake … Being a humanitarian, I think that war is wrong in 99.9 percent of all cases. I think it has much more to do with oil or some sort of distraction, because I don’t feel as though we should be worrying about Iraq."[4]
On Perspective: "It makes basketball awfully ridiculous when people are having bombs dropped on them and guns pointed in their face," Nash told the Dallas Morning News. "It’s very difficult and somewhat embarrassing that in the year 2003, we’re still threatening each other with violence. When you take into account that we run around in shorts and throw a ball through a hoop, it’s certainly insignificant in the scheme of what’s going on in the world."[5]
On Potential Backlash: "It’s not going to hurt me because I don’t really care if I have any endorsements," he says. "I’m not in this for endorsements."[6]
“…Back when I first wanted to come out publicly against the war in Iraq, I surprisingly was having a lot of trouble finding a media outlet who would allow me to use them as a vehicle. I went to the Washington Post, the Washington Times, New York Times, every publication I could think of, and nobody would touch the story. Dave Zirin [Edge of Sports] was working for the Prince George’s Post at the time, and he was more than happy to publish my article. The piece was called, “I Am Totally Against This War”. This was back in 2004 when it wasn’t too popular of an opinion to be against the war in Iraq. Now, most people, even Republicans, are speaking against this war, but not back then.”
If NBA athletes, and particularly African-American athletes, are often portrayed with a sweeping one-dimensional brush of “dumb jocks” at best or “thugs” at worst, perhaps Thomas’ media experience might help explain why. Ironically, it may be possible that Nash may have benefitted twice over his black NBA colleagues, once by getting his story told, and a second time by not having his public anti-war stance greatly diminish his popularity or endorsements — even if, to his credit, Nash was fully prepared for that outcome [7] …But that’s not Steve Nash’s fault.
4) Community Service: Steve Nash was one of only three athletes named by Time magazine last year as one of America’s most influential people. This summer when Nash collaborated with Yao Ming for a charity game in Beijing to help orphans in China we commended Nash and Yao, and also ESPN’s Henry Abbott for covering that important story. When the annual “Steve Nash Charity Classic” was held this summer it was also wonderful to see Sports Illustrated’s website pick up the story. And while the SI link has since been removed, you can read Sam Cassell’s take on the event. However, much to my disappointment, that very same week SI, ESPN, and virtually every other mainstream website chose not to run a story on Dikembe Mutombo’s ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony from a $30 million dollar hospital in his own home country. Mutombo ain’t Nash, and Canada ain’t The Congo. And it’s also not Steve Nash’s fault that virtually no national mainstream outlets covered Stephon Marbury’s extensive community service this summer that included his own annual basketball tournament, “Starbury Giveback Day”, and a 4 million dollar pledge to New York City workers[8]. And despite Marbury’s release last year of a revolutionary $15 sneaker which Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called “the biggest business story of the year”, Marbury didn’t do enough to make Time’s list or any mainstream sports magazine cover[9]. …But that’s not Steve Nash’s fault.
And then on April 29, 2007 everything suddenly came to a head. Nash was in the midst of a playoff masterpiece in which he racked up 20 assists after three quarters against the Lakers. While thoroughly enjoying the performance commentator Jon Barry, perhaps overly giddy from the display, said the following: "I don’t know if we’ve seen a better passer in the NBA ever". Barry, a former player with ties to history’s greatest point guards[10] made this statement with millions watching and thousands in attendance including one man by the name of Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
The Protest Begins: Barry’s act of basketball announcing blasphemy was the cake-icing that made me lose all focus. That was the day I foolishly started to go against my true nature and root AGAINST Steve Nash. I watched the whole 4th quarter hoping he wouldn’t match the NBA playoff record of 24 assists held by Magic and John Stockton, and cracked a relieved sigh when he finished with 23. I suddenly had deep fears of his Sun’s winning the championship as overzealous announcers might then pontificate if Nash was now superior to Michael Jordan. And even though Nash had done absolutely nothing wrong except have the audacity to play brilliant basketball, he had become the innocent object of my new “media protest stance”. By rooting against Nash, ultimately, I was rooting against the widespread media-perpetuated “white privilege”.
White Privilege is something that I know about. Steve Nash is not the only beneficiary! Every single day I get benefit-of-the-doubt love from cops, cashiers, employers, security guards, landlords, waiters, loan officers, and just about everyone else. You see, in racial terms I’m just like Pamela Anderson, the only difference is that I KNOW that everyone around me is not “really really nice” to everybody. Have I ever told you the story of the cop that pulled me over (I’m often perceived as Hispanic), and how I immediately put on my very best Frasier Crane voice, and he instantly became APOLOGETIC and told me what to say to BEAT the $80 ticket in court? I’ll spare you the details besides the fact that almost no one in the court room looked like me. The fact is that the laws of white privilege dictate that I can make the same exact statement, put forth the same exact argument, and write the same exact article as another more talented black writer and my perceived “unbiased” voice is more likely to be received. For some readers, I’m benefitting from WP right now! Hey, besides the celebrity, bank account, and deft passing touch, I’m more like Nash than you might think! Well, just like Nash and his MVP trophies, I’ll take it, won’t give it back, flip-the-script, and use any unearned status to “give back to the community”.
The Protest Ends: Of course, my silly, ill-advised, and misguided media protest meant that I had already lost. The great irony is, by continually telling me what to think, I let the media, inversely, control my mind. I started rooting against a player that I love, one that I greatly admire, and one that is everything that I could ever want in a professional athlete. But after my unfortunate lapse, I simply had to tell myself: “Don’t hate the player, hate the mainstream sports media game.” After all, it’s not Steve Nash’s fault.
It’s the MEDIA”S fault!:
It was the media that often used Nash as a tool to: denigrate black athletes; to perpetuate tired racial stereotypes; to revise current and past basketball history; and, by contrast, to ignore or give token treatment to the incredible community service of men like Marbury, Mutombo, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Jefferson, and so many others.
…But the truth is, it’s YOUR fault!
That’s right, it is your fault if you like up-tempo basketball and tuned into the Suns in the playoffs last year, but did not watch the Warriors-Mavericks historic series; if you appreciate the finest of pure point guard play, but didn’t witness last year’s playoff series’ that featured Jason Kidd AVERAGING a triple-double or the coming out party of Utah’s Derron Williams; if you praised Nash’s politics, but never acknowledged the existence of Etan Thomas; or if the reason why Marbury’s community service can’t garner a magazine cover is because the big bosses know full well that you won’t buy a copy. Yup, it is YOUR fault!
…But most of all, it’s MY fault!
It is my fault that I: waited this long to call out the media on its blatant hypocrisy and double standards; thought that Nash’s privileged status wasn’t my own problem; have spent a lifetime enjoying the fruits of white privilege, but not until recently ever actively taken personal responsibility in striving that everyone else receive the very same treatment. (note: "responsibility" is not to be confused with “guilt” – a word to be rejected)
Conclusion: So from now on, I will go back to rooting for Steve Nash, and for everything that he represents. I’ll root for his game, his community service and most urgently, for his anti-war stance to be heard by as many people as possible. And if he is not facing my beloved Knicks in the finals, I might even root hard for him to get that championship ring. But it is simply not fair or ethical to wildly root for Nash, but not challenge the white privilege that he regularly receives by a media that predominantly looks likes him, lives vicariously through him, and probably wants to BE him. Rooting for Nash comes with the added responsibility of demanding the very same accolades, credit, and attention be given to any other athlete who is just as worthy, if not more worthy of our praise. So yes, it is clearly my fault because while I was innocently cheering for Steve Nash, enjoying his on-court game, and admiring his off-court causes, it took me this long to write why “It’s Not Steve Nash’s Fault”.
RELATED: RESPONSE TO JACK MCCALLUM’S RESPONSE
POSTED BY MODI
[…] on the topic of race in the NBA–White Privilege: It’s Not Steve Nash’s Fault–but it exists (my […]
October 15th, 2007 at 2:06 amFirst: good point about Dikembe. He has been working on getting that hospital built for years, has taken players over there to Africa to see things, and deserves more credit for this.
Personally, I see Steve Nash as something of a blank slate, someone more defined by his interactions with other people rather than his own behaviors. I’m intrigued by how people read so much symbolism into what he does, and wonder how much “Steve Nash is so this-or-that” is influenced by people not knowing other Canadiens. (I’m serious. Aren’t many of Steve’s traits very Canadien? So he’s really not that extraordinary of a human being; it’s just that for many reporters he’s their first Canadien. Am I crazy? maybe.)
October 15th, 2007 at 2:12 amMCBIAS, I can’t answer if your crazy because I myself am not qualified to comment on how “Canadien” Nash is. But you raise an interesting cultural point that perhaps i did not consider strongly enough when writing the article. I’ve give Nash a great deal of credit for coming out against the war when it was unpopular in 2003. Why? Because very few other players were publicly doing it. Now I would imagine that an American black all-star would automatically have to kiss their endorsements goodbye upon that decision, and wouldn’t get that eventual Wheaties box like Nash.
What i think you suggesting is that perhaps MOST canadiens would have taken Nash’s public anti-war stance. And if that is so, then yes, you are correct, I’m probably giving Nash too much against-the-grain credit. Now I don’t know the answer to the question, but maybe i should poll a group of canadiens! In any case, his commitment to community service is much more than token and deserves high praise in any culture.
October 15th, 2007 at 2:34 amWow, great piece MODI. You really break it down better than ANYONE I’ve read in any genre of journalism.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:25 amThat is an absolutely BANANAS post!!!!!! Great job. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:53 am[…] Steve Nash and White Privilege From COSELLOUT…check this!!! […]
October 15th, 2007 at 12:10 pmFantastic work, I agree wholeheartedly with nearly everything you’ve said. However, regarding Etan Thomas’s book, I think it’s also important to consider the differences in fame and status between Thomas and Nash. I have little doubt that if Kevin Garnett had written a similar book, the disparities in press coverage would have largely evaporated.
I’m looking forward to having some friends read this article, thanks MODI.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:17 pmGreat piece from COSELLOUT. Brilliantly put together. That Men’s Journal piece was an embarressment
I was a big supporter of Nash winning the 2005 MVP because he was able to overcome two longstanding prejudices in MVP balloting: against point guards, and against political athletes. Also, his number one competition was Shaq who was arguably not the best player on his own team, shot 47% from the line and averaged 22 and 10.
This is the piece I wrote at the time.
counterpunch.org/zirin05102005.html
Nash plays hoop with a genius that makes his teammates excel. But did he “make the NBA fun again”? Give me a break. Some of us never stopped having fun.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:10 pmMiranda, T3, and Matt - thank you kindly. Matt, your KG point is certainly a valid one even if I still have more doubt than you. Big name status did not help Lebron in the MVP votes or Marbury in the community service love department, so I will hold out on that KG question by saying that I simply don’t know how it would have been covered.
—————–
Thanks Dave… rather than making my Shaq case, ultimately, I am willing to file the first Nash MVP under the “reasonable-people-can-disagree” cabinet. Having stated that, I think that the link to your dissenting article would add to the piece so I will make a minor editorial adjustment to include it. The real MVP travesty, of course, is the #2 landslide vote over Lebron that seals the deal on inarguable blatant bias. …but most definitely, some of us never stopped having fun. …BTW, congrats on the new move, and keep on kicking ass over at SI!
October 15th, 2007 at 1:50 pmThanks MODI, great post as usual. I’m not sure if you’ve read Da Vinci Code, but there is a section in there when they’re talking about the different symbols and whatnot, and the phrase I remember is something like: now that you’re aware, you’ll see the symbolism everywhere you look.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:46 pmAs my awareness has grown over the past few years it’s staggering to see how far people’s (and society’s) internal racism stretches, and how present it is in everything.
I have been using the same arguments you use with a friend of mind and he just won’t see it. Nash is so freaking good, but I find myself rooting against him because of the things other people say. I used to do the same thing with Kobe when he was winning with Shaq, but now I love Kobe as a player.. I can’t go along with idiocy.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:06 pmBrilliant article, very very good job. These kind of writing adds quality to this world.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:24 pm[…] Itâs Not Steve Nashâs Fault!: A Study in White Privilege - Interesting Nash article […]
October 15th, 2007 at 8:48 pmOh, there’s no question that Canada was very anti-war: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/mar2003/cana-m20.shtml , a bit of an odd site, has an old article about how Canada wouldn’t even join the invasion force with us.
But I mean even beyond that. Steve’s laid-back attitude outside of the game, his casual dress in not owning dress shoes, etc…I’m wondering if all of that is from being Canadian. You see what I’m saying? There’s a big difference in being a “breath of fresh air” because you are different than your culture and environment, and being different just because you’re from another country and have that country’s culture and style!
Anyway, MODI, keep writing good stuff. I know these subjects can be touchy, but I love the rigorous documentation and crisp, informative style you’re bringing to complex people like Isiah and Steve Nash. Keep it up, and this site is going to be really special (it’s already quite good).
October 16th, 2007 at 12:44 ammcbias, thanks. Your Canadian cultural points all have merit, but you should know that I didn’t PERSONALLY score any extra “laid back points” for Nash here. If he was as wildly free-spirited as a Marbury interview, it would all be the same to me. …Now I do score points for his anti-war stance, but not because of his position but because of his potential risking American popularity and potential endorsements for it (which never actually happened) Regardless of his belief, that step took some courage back in 2003… By no means am I equating him with Ali circa 1967, but considering how apolitical so many athletes are these days, it was quite nice to see…
October 16th, 2007 at 2:22 am[…] Steve Nash, white privilege, and media coverage. [Cosellout] […]
October 16th, 2007 at 2:52 pmThank you! More articles like this are necessary…
I hope all white folks read it with an open mind and continue to think about it past the moment when they close the window….
We are not all guilty; we ARE all responsible…
October 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pmMcBias and Charles –
Being Canadian (note: not “Canadien” unless you’re a French-speaker), I think I can comment on Nash’s “unique” way of comportment. Nash is a template of Canada’s REGIONAL character, him being from the West Coast — Victoria, to be specific, a city that never had a “casual Friday” because that would mean people would go naked. American sports fans don’t have much in common with Nash (other than pigmentation), especially politically, unless they live in liberal areas like San Francisco or Vermont.
As for Nash’s anti-war stance, this is also regional. Case in point, Prime Minister Harper (President equivalent) is from Alberta, a right-leaning province (think Texas with mountains and snow) and as such he and his supporters are pro-military interventionism. Canada’s military is in Afghanistan, and if Harper was PM in 2003 Canada would probably be part of the coalition in Iraq. West Coasters like Nash often vote NDP, the “3rd party” which, to put it in very simple terms, shares the political mind-set of Kucinich, who is considered fringe in the American Left, if I’m not mistaken.
Macrocosmically, and to toot our own horn, roughly because Canada has the same population as California, and are geographically and linguistically so similar to the US, Canadians know a lot about American politics (far more than most Americans know of Canada) — both to accept it and reject it. So Nash’s worldliness, from his Latino wife, to his international charity events, is almost *expected* by many Canadians. Kind of the attitude of, “Nash makes $11 million a year, he better be doing something worthwhile to earn it.” A negative spin on the same attitude is what Bogut said about the NBA’s “bling” culture, which many Canadians would agree with, but framed more in terms of cultural bias as opposed to racial bias.
So in other words, YES, Nash is definitely a product of his culture. If he grew up in most parts of America other than the aforementioned coastal outliers, I highly doubt he would bring to the table his inherent contrariness and iconoclasm.
Cheers,
October 16th, 2007 at 6:49 pmjjdynomite
could this white privelege thing also be a reason why Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP last year?
October 16th, 2007 at 7:02 pmPJ, IMO Nowittzki won it legitamately last year, even if, ironically, nash had his best year. Remember that voting takes place prior to the post-season.
jjdynomite: Tinformative post as this is the type of commentary that enhance the depth of the article, and probably exposed that I did not consider the Canadian cultural aspect in its original form. And while i understand that you say that Nash is a product of his culture, but he did risk endorsements on the line which might separate him from your average non-celebrity canadian.
October 16th, 2007 at 10:01 pmGood article, but I am constantly amazed by the adulation Lebron gets from many writers. I watched enough games that year to say that he began forming a lot of the bad habits that led to his poor performance in the Finals this past year (eg. pull up threes when he really cannot make that shot consistently). I would hasten to add that his experience this year may well push him to overcome these problems since he seems to have the drive to succeed. Also Nash’s team mates that year were really not that good (I am sure an honest person would not suggest that Bell, Barbosa and Diaw were superior to Lebron’s mates at the start of 2005). Kobe, on the other hand, has a legitimate gripe but given his bad publicity that year it would have taken a miracle for him to succeed.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:35 pmI knew it! (pumps fist) Oh, it still was courageous of him to wear that shirt. But I did have a suspicion that Nash was more the product of a particular culture rather than an individual that transcended culture. And yes, jjdynomite, I stand corrected; it’s Canadian, not Canadien. For some reason I thought of the hockey team and thus messed it up.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:00 amhold up! did rplace really say that
“an honest person would not suggest [Nash’s supporting cast] Bell, Barbosa and Diaw were superior to Lebron’s mates at the start of 2005″
its statements like that make it hard to root for Nash (even though I do).
Come on: S Marion (3rd Team All NBA), B Diaw (Most improved player), K Thomas, Raja Bell, and Nash(1st team All NBA, MVP), oh and Leandro coming off the bench.
VS.
Lebron (1st Team All NBA), and basically nothing (ok, Ilgauskas wasn’t bad, but the rest of the starting lineup was Larry Hughes (ok), Drew gooden (ok) and nothing after that)
in addition Lebron had new coach, new owner, new GM
it’s not even close The Suns without Nash but with a competent point guard were still a playoff team, The cavs without Lebron get the first pick in the draft again.
Moerover rplace talks about Lebron’s bad habits. Interesting that he doesn’t speak of Nash’s bad habits (ie. his entire play on the defensive end of the court). Last year Lebron took a bunch of scrubs to the NBA Championships. Nash has yet to take (Marion, ALL STAR ALL DEFENSE, Stoudemire, ALL STAR, Leandro 6TH MAN OF YEAR, DIAW ex MOST IMPROVED, RAJA BELL ALL DEFENSE) to an NBA Championship series.
I love Nash, but let’s stay in the realm of reality. I heard Mike Dunleavy say that he would rate Nash higher than Isiah Thomas. I almost fell off my seat. I can’t even rate him higher than John Stockton, yet.
I would put him with the Mark Price and Mark Jackson’s of the world. If he can elevate the Suns to at least a Championship Game then maybe he ranks with Jason Kidd and Iverson. Only If he can win a championship can I put him along side Isiah and Tiny. No player over the last 3 years has played along side more talent than Steve Nash. yet no ring…no runner-up even
October 17th, 2007 at 1:55 amWhat a bunch of RACIST CRAP!
October 17th, 2007 at 2:03 amOOO you missed my point, I said at the start of the season. I did not notice any big bidding war for Diaw that year. Hughes was more coveted than Raja (and still might be). I would be delighted to hear your take on Barbosa at the start of that season also. Hindsight is always 20-20. I know the predictions for the Suns that year after Stoudemire’s injury were a lot more dismal than the for the Cavs (with their lineup intact). Maybe its just possible that the writer’s thought the same thing AT THAT TIME. At the end of the day the MVP argument is never really satisfying anyway and I suppose we will always be able to argue about it. While we are on the subject of bias, however, has anyone considered the possiblity that this was more of an age bias than a race one (when was the last time someone under 22 won an MVP?).
October 17th, 2007 at 3:30 amSomething to keep in mind, Nash was raised in Victoria, and he went to college-Santa Clara. Culturally there are a lot of similairities between the two, geographically it is not too far apart compared to other cities. While attending Santa Clara, he obtained a Sociology Degree-the social science of human behaviour- i can confidently assume that this particular field granted him a closer look at humans, and created a path for his beliefs ie) war, revolution…
I believe in the stigma of society, he has been even garnered a high status and more credibility because of his degree-and the people around him are willing to listen. Majority of people will so more respect to someone who has a degree than a person who does not.
I am from Alberta, and Steve Nash is my Favorite player on this planet, he did make basketball entertaining again for me, Im not saying he made it fun “again” for everyone, but i just wasn’t interested in it until i noticed Steve Nash, perhaps it was the timing of things or just the type of person he was-laid back and someone i could relate to ( I am not caucasian).
October 17th, 2007 at 3:55 amEtan was/is a scrub basketball player on a crummy team. That’s why no one gave/gives a flip about his opinions. It has nothing to do with him being black.
October 17th, 2007 at 5:28 amabsolutely great post… love the dissection..
October 17th, 2007 at 6:16 ambut most of all, love the way u can see things, even if the fault is only in ourselves.
simply excellent
I can’t really comment on how much being white helped Steve Nash get his MVP votes, since only the voters really know why they voted the way they did.
However, who was more deserving than Nash? Please don’t use individual game statistics to evaluate Nash’s performance. In 2003-4, what was the Suns’ record? What were Stoudamire’s and Johnson’s statistics like? Now look at their 2004-5 stats? Notice anything? From 13.5 to 26, from 9.8 to 17.1 (and a max contract from Atlanta).
Now perhaps Mike D’Antoni’s system deserves much of the credit for these success stories, but he’s not eligible for MVP consideration.
The bottom line is look at the Suns from the year before Nash and look at how they’ve done since he’s arrived. From a 29 win team to a 60+ win team. No other NBA player has had such a measurable impact on his team over the same period.
Certainly a case could have been made for Shaq or Kobe, but Shaq was old news, and Kobe a potential embarassment. Lebron last season was worthy of consideration, but not in either of Nash’s years. Nash deserved the first MVP award based on the Suns’ regular season performance, then went out and played better the next two years.
Anyone complaining about his selection is just looking at numbers, not value. The award is still based on value to the league and the team, not just on highest scoring or most outstanding dunks.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:54 amwhat i don’t understand is the free pass nash gets for being the worst defensive pg starter in the nba. he is freakin terrible on the defensive end. obviously he makes up for it by being one of the 5 best offensive players in the nba- but why doesn’t anybody call him out?
why doesn’t anybody give marion and bell credit for covering for the atrocious defense of nash? I mean he is not just bad- he is freakin the worst. last year, i got the impression that dantoni- told nash to not even worry about playing D- b/c i saw him play 5 feet of everybody- while also not providing any help D
October 17th, 2007 at 11:45 amExcellent piece that well describes your conflicting and shifting perspective on such a likable athlete. I also admire Steve for his humility and commitment to social change and I have long admired Etan Thomas and Adonal Foyle and others for that same commitment. Basketball and sports do no operate in a vacuum. Have been subjected to military attack planes roar over stadiums before games while giant flags ripple in their exhaust tells me that more than ever we need Nash and Thomas and others to speak up whenever they have the opportunity.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:00 pmFirst of all, I’m not sure what endorsements Nash would’ve been missing out on by speaking out against the war, seeing as how his stance came before he had his first real breakout season (did he even *have* a shoe deal circa-2003? Beyond whatever a good PG would, I mean).
He was already a hero here in Canada, of course, and there was little he could’ve done to threaten that status. In fact, his public image would have been far more threatened if he’d come out in favour of the war.
But Nash’s nature is typically Canadian; take a Nash interview, change all basketball references to hockey and he’d sound very similar to Gretzky, despite being raised three time zones apart.
[At the same time, though, Gretzky’s always made a point to keep away from any political discussions or stances. That’s a big difference between the two.]
Nevertheless, he didn’t have much to risk. Heck, even today after the MVPs and recognition, his most visible endorsement HERE is probably for a third-rate computer company.
On the LeBron “landslide”, welcome to another thing that Canadians tend to think about more than Americans, namely the nature of voting systems. The NBA MVP is a system where you cast your first-place ballot for one player, but it doesn’t quantify how much better you think one player is than another. So let’s say I’m a writer who’s genuinely split between Nash and Lebron (as historic as Lebron’s season was, the sheer awfulness of the East that year has to play into it somewhat, as well as the Amare injury creating built-in voter sympathy for the Suns and leading Nash to be perceived as more “valuable” despite Lebron having better stats). I choose Nash, and so the first-place vote goes to him and Lebron gets a 2nd.
Now, is that system necessarily fair? I may have been 50.01% in favour of Nash and 49.99% in favour of Lebron. But the extra 0.02% in favour of Nash rendered that 49.99% in favour of Lebron meaningless (when considering only first-place votes).
Repeat that process, oh, another 40 times and you’ve got your “landslide.” People recognised Lebron’s season, but if they just throught Nash was a *little* better the magnitude of his wins would get expanded to that amount.
(We tend to think a lot about these types of things in Canada because our political system - with actual, functioning third and even (for most of the 1990s as well as earlier eras) fourth parties - tends to lead to skewed results in elections, with one of the most famous being 60% essentially voting against free trade with the U.S. in 1988 yet Parliament consisting of ~60% pro-free-trade candidates.)
Nash didn’t win in a landslide; he probably just finished first on a lot of ballots where the voters were conflicted and stuck with the reigning MVP. If the system was different - perhaps, if every writer got ten points to allocate in proportion to who they thought should receive the MVP and THEN Nash beat Lebron by a 3:1 margin, I’d agree that things were outlandishly wrong (I assume, though, that Lebron may have had enough people who’d give him a 8:2 or 9:1 edge where he’d be able to win out in such a system despite all the close votes). But a close race doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard.
As for announcer’s comments… announcers (esp. Walton, although he’d probably be the NBA legend most alike in personality to Nash) are idiots. Not exactly news there.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:01 pmJim’s comments about the Suns before Nash is so infuriating. Why didn’t he bother to point out that the season before Nash came Amare had injury problems and Suns traded Marbury in the middle of the season for Howard Eisely and trash. If you look at the season befoere that trade the Suns were a playoff team with Amare as a ROOKIE. Damn, I hate when people use flawed points. And I find it funny that people only give D’Antoni’s system a “little” credit or only give Amare and Marion a “little” credit. Before he signed with the Suns, Nash had his worst statistical season in five years and the Mavs lost in the first round of the playoffs. His success in Phoenix is not just due to some innate amazingness he possesses ebcause he never had that success before playing with amazing talents like Shawn Marion and Amare, and running D’Antoni’s system. Let’s stop minimizing the other factors to talk about how freaking great Nash is.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:19 pmSteve made an intelligent post. But he takes a huge leap of faith when he posits that Nash probably “barely” won on most people’s ballots. There is no way to prove that most people were torn between Nash and Lebron. All you have to go on is that an overwhelming majority of sportswriters voted against Lebron despite his historic numbers, great team success and overall importance to his team.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:22 pmno help defense?!who led the suns in charges taken?
October 17th, 2007 at 2:43 pmFirst of all, I am an Asian so the racism on “white and black” in America doesn’t matter to me. I love Jordan, Barkley and I hated John Stockton. But I love Nash, as much as I love Jordan.
Have you ever think about, it is exactly because of all the good things you listed about Steve Nash that make people like him? But you then turn around and say, it’s because he is white, that’s why people see the good things in him.
It must feel good for you to write an article like that, because you are implicitly saying “I am a White, but unlike other white people, I am not a racist. I am unique”. Put down your colored glasses and try to appreciate Steve Nash, not Steve Nash the white.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:34 pmPeople who suck at reading comprehension are all over the internet and Wilson is clearly one of them. Nowhere in his article does MODI say that people only like Nash because he’s white. Nowhere. But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of you telling us how above race you are.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:02 pmOne fact alone thrumps all your arguments: John Stockton did not win any MVP, not even close.
Why is that ? Some anti-Nash people always say “Nash is not even as good as Stockton”. Turn around and say, therefore Nash won the MVP because of racism? See the stupidity in that argument ?
October 17th, 2007 at 4:15 pmThis was a great article and I ate it up due to it’s subject and obvious research. The when I found out mid way that the author was white I appreciated it even more. If most white people in America was this open minded and looked at race issues this way I truely believe that we can start to begin on the road towards equality in this country.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:17 pmAllen, you obviously suck at reading comprehension. I did not say I am above race, I said racicm in America doesn’t matter to me, as I am neither white nor black. Now go back to sucking on your pacifier.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:18 pmSummary: if Steve Nash were black, he’d be just another good guy.
Where have we heard that before?
Damned white privilege got Bird all the accolades too.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:24 pmI’m black. I live in Phoenix. I’m a Suns fan. I’m a Steve Nash fan. Imagine that. The MVP of the league is a player that is on a team that simply cannot win consistently without him. LeBron, Kobe, KG (when he was with the Timberwolves), AI (in Philly), and the list goes on ~ they can all be considered for MVP. The difference between Nash and all the other candidates listed above is that he led his team to more victories. The Suns inspired a new style of basketball - it’s called passing the ball to the open players. That style made Raja, Boris and Leandro damn near household names, where on another team they would be sitting the bench. Simply put, Steve Nash is the best point guard in the league (he could drop the ball in the perfect spot for anyone to score) on a team where the game strategy depends on the point guard. He may not play what you consider defense, but the charges he takes and steals that he makes is the type of defense that plays into the Suns game plan. If you had made the same argument using Dirk as the big bad white guy, I would not have even engaged in this discussion (probably, neither would have the 24 people ahead of me). But, Steve deserved MVP for the 2 years he received it, and he deserved it last year. However, LeBron impressed me in the playoffs last year. If he plays this season like he did in last year’s playoffs inevitably his team will win more games. Then, if the MVP vote is still 16 to 57 you will have an argument.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:34 pmDamn Modi. Damn.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:10 pmThere are endless ways to see one thing. Sometimes it may make us feel like we have a grasp of our seemingly meaningless lives to manipulate objective reality to what we’d like, or even not like, it to be.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:16 pmThe argument about white people being the people that everyone “picks” for mvp or any other good thing is a load of crap.
White people like myself are always being looked at as the inferior. When you walk near a group of black people you will most likely hear them refer to one another as the n word. A group of mexicans has the “right” to call each other any name they feel like using. BUT if a white man were to call a black man the n word or a mexican anything derogatory he would instantly be in the middle of a warzone with everyone against him. It is ok for anyone, BUT a white person to use derogatory comments when communicating with each other.
On another note, Steve Nash may be given more publicity than other sports figures, but that does not mean that he is more important. And you are hearing this from a WHITE, PHOENIX SUNS fan. Steve Nash has been able to lead a team at a pace that astounds many people. People marvel at his ability to be able to lead a team like that. It has nothing to do with skin color. If a black man, an asian man, mexican man, or any other kind of man you could think of led a team at that kind of pace I would almost without a doubt assure you they would have just as much talk of there on the court abilities.
October 17th, 2007 at 8:16 pm– mcbias, JD, & signature: thanks for the informative Canada dimension. One of better parts of blogging is learning more from the commenters themselves.
– rp, as OOO pointed out I don’t think that there is any doubt that Nash had far superior teamates than Lebron. I would also like to add that Larry Hughes was injured the majority of the year. As for Lebron “age bias”, it is quite possible that this was also a factor, but a far lesser one IMO. But as we quibble about which bias, we should agree that the landslide proves that the voters were incompetent no matter what the bias equation.
– I’m tempted to lay out my full detailed argument of Lebron over Nash in 2006, but the debate would not be productive to the larger point. What even NASH MVP SUPPORTERS should all disagree that the LANDSLIDE vote was inexplicable, unnacceptable, and displayed the utter incompetence and bias of the voters AS A COLLECTIVE. Steve, your point about “repeat 40 times” means that 40 extra writers gave the benefit of the doubt in the same direction. Given the facts this “leap of faith” astonishing.
– Mark, thanks for the Adonal Foyle reference. Even the he sucks, his off court work has been tremendous
– Allen, thank you. You saved me a paragraph about the Suns prior to Nash!
– Allen, thank you. You saved me half a response to Wilson. The other half is that just race doesn’t PERSONALLY matter to Wilson doesn’t mean racial bias doesn’t exist in our media. That fact SHOULD matter to us all.
– for those who changed the subject with other white player of years gone… The subject was how white privilege has benefitted STEVE NASH. If i write an article on Stockton or Bird then it might make sense to talk abouth them.
– KC, you say “there are endless ways to see one thing.” My only response is that we should always seek for the one way that represents the TRUTH, not what is psychologically convenient.
– tericknelson, you said that you are a Suns fan and that could very well be a bias too since you get to see Nash every night (who i agree is brilliant). I would really urge you to examine Lebrons year two years ago, his incredible stats, and the fact that his supporting cast was far worse than Nash’s (if only Lebron had shawn Marion next to him). And then look at that 57-16 vote. I would actually agree with you that last year, his BEST year, Nash had a stonger case than his second one. However, I would have also voted for Dirk, who was brilliant up until the playoff when GS went bananas.
–Suns fan, woe is you. You poor dear, whites can’t say the n-word but Snoop Dogg can. It seems that racial double standards are of deep concern to you. i’m glad. Then you will REALLY be interested in “UNEQUAL JUSTICE” http://www.cosellout.com/?p=126 It is the umpteenth study that chronicles the severe racial disparities in arresting and incarcerating non-violent drug offenders. Knowing your deep passion for equal justice, I just know that you will send a letter to your congressman about this at the minimum.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:04 pm[…] - Steve Nash Gets Help Because He’s White […]
October 17th, 2007 at 10:40 pmTake this with a grain of salt or two, since I’m a Suns fan and have been since childhood, so I clearly favor my own team: Nash has made a legitimate case for being MVP all of the last three years. I kind of shrugged at the first one he got, agreeing with the logic behind giving it to him instead of Shaq but not particularly caring either way. The second year surprised me, because I was sure it was Kobe’s year to finally get one–but again, there were plenty of statistical reasons to back Nash’s claim at the trophy. And even last season, his numbers plus his big-game performances kept him in contention as well.
Ultimately, though, winning the MVP can kind of be like winning an Oscar–it’s sometimes less indicative of a particular level of performance over a given season than an accumulated level of performance over time. This is why it’s almost (almost, I repeat) astounding to me that Kobe hasn’t won an award yet. And it also takes (I hope) a little of the sting from Lebron’s runner-up season–he’ll get his trophy sooner or later (I’m crossing my fingers for sooner).
I’m on board with the idea that Nash gets more hype than he deserves–the whole idea of him not being “as athletic” as other players is absurd, when you stop to think that athleticism encompasses things like footwork and hand-eye coordination and body positioning–and I have no doubt that there is, at some level, a racial bias that plays into the media’s reporting of his impact.
I’m just glad you’re sharp enough not to lay the blame on Nash himself. He’s a decent guy–talented, intelligent, maniacally competitive, and classy (at least, classy in a grungy prep indie extraterrestrial sort of way).
I think, though, that part of the excessive hype about Nash is indicative of something other than racial bias: it seems that, over the past several years, the media has made a huge deal about the internationalization of basketball, and Nash/D’antoni’s run-and-gun style of offense makes for easy comparison. Writers and commentators have gone gaga over the talent coming from overseas, over the shocking difficulties the US team encountered in international play (before this year, that is), and over the way the game is changing as a result. They gush over “team” basketball, over the “unselfish” play of these international stars, and I think much of the reason Nash gets such hype is because he fits this mold perfectly.
I don’t mean to suggest that there isn’t racial bias, only that it seems like there’s this other thing mixed in there, too. The NBA has worked to redefine its image from the game of the individual star to the game of the cohesive team (since Detroit upset LA, if not before), and Nash (who is an assists guru, clearly one of the better passers in history) just happens to be a convenient poster-boy for this new image.
I don’t mean to ramble–my point is probably a lot more succinct than I made it. Nash’s popularity most likely benefits both from racial bias and from the league’s concerted effort to globalize the game. Any thoughts?
October 18th, 2007 at 12:17 amBestCoast, thanks for the thoughtful reply. I think that there certainly could be merit to some of your points. I think that we both agree that because racial bias is a factor, it doesn’t negate that there could be multiple factors. People always like to claim: “Its not racial bias, its (fill in the blank)” of course such “either-or” scenarios are incredibly simplistic and rarely get at more complex truth of the matter.
Also, as you pointed out, I want to reiterate that this article is not about “blaming” Steve Nash, but is an indictment of our media. While I think most readers got this point in this comment section, this point was lost on many of the commenters from ESPN’s “True Hoop” comment section who seemed to think that I was down on Nash himself.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:10 amThank you MODI, great article, the NBA has been exicting for the last 5 years so I don’t know why people are so anti- NBA. (wink, wink)and I thought that Iverson should have won the MVP instead of Shaq or Nash because Iverson was playing with a CBA team and almost got them into the playoffs by one game. Like Bird most white americans and the MSM need a white guy they can relate to.
It’s kinda of funny becausde they say the NBA is too black but the San Antonio Spurs are the Celtics of the 1980’s with a multicultural team. People in this country just deeply resent young black american men making millions and not being thankful or contrite and this is by whites and black americans.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:11 amActually, I’ve thought about this more after reading some of your posts about complicity. Steve Nash would be PUSHING THE ENVELOPE if he called out the national sports media for their various representations of him. Isn’t it a fundamental precept of white privilege that folks either accept or fail to question benefits which accrue based principally on skin privilege.
I wouldn’t be mad at Nash regardless of how he addressed the issue, but if the privilege is about the benefits of membership, renunciation is the only path to justice.
That’s a little over the top - and it ain’t that deep for me, but I am questioning the idea that given it isn’t Nash’s fault - is he done?
Feel me?
October 18th, 2007 at 9:57 amYes, temple I DO feel you despite the article title and I actually gave that quite a bit of thought. I think that I pulled back on it in the end because I have viewed Nash as someone who uses his “white privilege” in so many other positive ways that I didn’t want to detract from that. But I actually STRUGGLED with the point you make and still am not 100% certain that I made the right call.
Eric, I’m glad you brought up Iverson in that his phenomenal year that year flew under the radar.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:37 amMy point wasn’t necessarily that it was a leap of faith, merely that your definition of landslide was strained by the fact that you’re only looking at the first-place votes. The system itself is the flaw, not necessarily the voters - by giving one point to the winner and nothing to the loser (okay, assuming there’s no second-place balloting), pretty much EVERY race winds up being skewed.
(In fact, a close ballot would be far more remarkable than a blowout.)
It’s the same deal as people who call a 30-27 in UFC a decisive victory. You can’t say that with any authority unless you know why each round was scored as such; each round could have been a razor-thin margin, but it goes onto the scorecard as a clear win.
I honestly think that no other PG in the NBA today could get that Suns team to play like they do / did under Nash (except, ironically, LeBron if he remembered that he’s probably the second-best pure passer in the league after Nash). I also think that without James, the Cavs are nothing. That makes them just about equal in my eyes, which, yes, WILL lead to the occasional freaky, seemingly-out-of-proportion result.
It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the one you have to live with.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:31 amVery thought-provoking post. I will definitely be reading your work in the future.
That being said, I think you hinder your point by putting so much weight on the MVP race. The criteria for selecting MVP is very open-ended, which is why there have been so many ridiculous MVP selections. Was Nash’s selection over Nash so much worse than the Mailman winning an MVP during the Jordan era? Or anyone whose nickname wasn’t MJ winning during his championship years? I’ll grant you that statistically, Nash’s game probably looks meager compared to most MVP selections, but everything’s relative, and I think his assist numbers look more impresive when considering how assist numbers have lessened over the years.
That being said, I don’t doubt for a minute that the racial makeup of the MVP voters was a factor in the race, I just don’t think that should base so much of your argument on what is always a very subjective process. You may feel LeBron was more deserving that year, but having the best statistical numbers (which isn’t so easy to judge accross positions) doesn’t ensure he would have won anyway in a given year. As mentioned above, it’s somewhat like the Oscars, and I’m guessing you probably don’t think that every best picture winner was the best movie of the year.
Not trying to sound overly negative as as I really enjoyed the article. I think the points you raise are for the most part, spot on.
Any white person denying the existence of white privillege is someone who lacks the ability to reflect honestly on their own experiences. And to the poster going on about how upsetting it is to him that he can’t use the word, nigger, grow up…seriously.
October 18th, 2007 at 12:47 pmNice pacifier comment Wilson. I’m not sure what gave you the impression I was a baby, but judging from your past attempts at reading comments and making intelligent deductions, well I have an idea.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:31 pmAnd I want to say that everyone who commented and pointed out that it could an international bias or an uptempo bias made a good point. I agree to a certain extent, but then the example of Jason Kidd just keeps coming back to my mind. And the person who said that nobody could run the Suns like Nash, I think Jason Kidd, Deron Williams and Chris Paul could do an admirable job, and improve the overall team defense. Also, many people seem to think that if you plunk Nash down on any team, he makes them great. I haven’t seen that argument hear, but I’ve seen it. I’m wondering how these people explain his previous stints in Dallas and Phoenix where the teams were good, but never superior.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:34 pmI really like your article about Steve Nash, you are right saying that sometimes is not Nash’s fault to get all the praises and publicity. I’m Canadian, and of course Nash is my number one player on and off the court, the way he works hard to improve and get better is an example for the young kids that all they think about is money and “bling-bling”. About the MVP trophies I don’t think is a race issues, Nash made Phoenix better everyt single season. Yeah, Shaq was right beside him that year, and I think Lebron is too overrated, people call him the King without accomplishing anything (Just go back and see the tapes from last year’s finals, and don’t tell me he didn’t have a good supporting cast because he did).
October 18th, 2007 at 2:29 pmThe only thing I totally don’t agree with you is comparing Nash to Marbury. Yes, Marbury does community work, sells those ugly sneakers at a cheap price, but the way he handles himself is not even close to Nash’s. And Mutombo is in a league of his own with his constant work to Congo and all over Africa, which I wish could get more support by the media
You make some decent points, but basically it comes across as a whiney reading of tea leaves. The true tragedy is that anybody would pull the race card on Nash.
Or let’s put it another way. If you want to make a case for racism in America, this isn’t it. Your case here is flimsy at best. Could Nash get the benefit of the doubt because he is white? Perhaps. It *is* America and we have a sad degree of racism still. But I don’t see anything at all conclusive. The fact remains that if I get to select a pickup team from NBA all stars, Nash is my first pick, ten times out of ten.
Finally, should Shaq have gotten two trophies at some point? Doubtlessly. But I’d wager that the reason he didn’t has more to do with the way the NBA bent the rules around Shaq (or created new ones specifically to allow him to excel) than anything else.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:21 pm– Steve- thanks for posting. I would like to point out that there IS a declining point system in MVP voting. It is a pretty good system and I don’t think the system is at fault. It is the sportwriters who in large mass gave Nash the benefit of the doubt over Lebron’s season. Any random sampling of benefit of the doubt cannot statistically fall so much one way, NOT with the truly remarkable season Lebron had. In contrast, the Sporting news which received its votes from NBA GMs and coaches had Nash and Lebron as a tie for co-MVPs with Kobe and Nowitzki not far behind. Now even though i though Lebron deserved it, I can completely live with that more rational result. It also shows the gap between GMs and coaches (those who PLAN against opposing players!)thinking and that of our sportswriters. Honestly, while your thought process is appreciated, this landslide simply cannot be explained away except for the simplest explanation: BIAS.
– Gar, thanks for posting. The MVP bias smoking gun bias is NOT just that nash won, but it is the landslide fashion. Even in the years Jordan lost, they were usually pretty close votes and the Bulls udsually won less games than the MVP that year (Magic, Malone, Barkely, etc). Had Jordan lost by the nash-Lebron disparity, then that would be a different story.
– Allen, thanks for bringing up Kidd, Chis Paul, and Deron Williams. These four are the first tier class of point guards. I have not one single reason to believe that in Mike D’antoni’s system (and those Sun’s players)that Jason Kidd would not run just as good an offense, if not better than Nash. Nash and Kidd qualities are so alike in so many ways except for three differences: Nash is simply a superior shooter than Kidd. On the other hand, Kidd is a far superior rebounder and defender than Nash. It is worth repeating: Kidd AVERAGED a triple-double in the playoffs last year. he actually turned journeyman Mikki Moore into a legitimate player! That is just completely insane! I think that Paul and Williams are exactly one year away from being in Kidd and Nash class and will replace both of them for the next 10 years.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:31 pmAll Canadians relate to Steve Nash. Why? Because he’s an awsome Canadian basketball player. No Canadian related to Rick Fox. Why? Because he just sucked. It doesn’t matter if one was white & the other was not. Are Canadians biased when it comes to Nash? Sure, because whether he likes it or not, Canadians see him as a representative of their nation. So, are all the millions of Chinese people that vote for Yao Ming to be in the all-star game year after year racist? Doubt it. Nash got all the media attention because of what he accomplished. He was already a big deal for leaving Dallas because he played very well there and was still growing as a player. Your team can win the NBA title. But MVP stands for MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. Nash got everything he deserved because he earned it. Though many points are very arguable and valid in the original post as well as all corresponding articles, there’s really no need for this discussion.
PS - I’m a Pistons fan, BAD BOY 4 LIFE. So all this talk about making it a “team sport” was already established by the Pistons vs Spurs in 04-05. Following their Championship year, 4 Pistons got voted into the all-star game because of their team play. If you watched that game, that team of 4 saved the east that year. I respect Nash very much, but don’t give him all the credit for restoring “TEAM” play.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:34 pmTemple/MODI - When Nash accepted both MVP’s, he basically said how ridiculous it was that he had won…at length, he thanked his teammates & made sure it was evident to all that his winning was more a reflection on the team than on himself. If anything, he was (& likely still is) at least somewhat embarrassed by it all. You can be cynical and believe it’s all an act, if that helps you sleep at night. But MODI, part of understanding the Canadian culture/psyche is that at the heart of the matter, we’re a pretty humble society. Whether you think it genuine or not is irrelevent, and I’m certainly not going to speak for all Canadians, but for him to be anything other than humble would be distinctly un-Canadian.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:46 pm– Dave, nobody is “pulling the race card on Nash” (whatever that tired, simplistic, and reflexive built in shield-against-all-discussions-about-race means). An accurate reading of the article is an indictment on our mainstream sports media and NOT Steve Nash. I am sorry to say that 2nd year MVP landslide vote, and his preferential media treatment in many other areas mentioned in the article is not enough information to enter a serious discussion about media bias, than there is absolutely nothing that will satisfy your senses.
– 2 cents, you are talking about a nationalistic aspect that relates to CANADIANS and I fully grant you that. I’m talking about an AMERICAM MEDIA that has a double-standard. To recognize this takes nothing away from Nash.
– Tito, I agree with many of your points, but not the one on Marbury. There is no athlete in ANY SPORT that comes remotely close to marbury’s body of work of community service. NOBODY. Firstly, there is nothing that I can think of that may have more social impact than his Starbury initiative. It is already having an impact with other players lowering their snaeker prices. If he did nothing else, this fact alone would be incredible. But he does soooooo much more.
As I explain in further depth here http://www.cosellout.com/?p=11 “Marbury has donated thousands of hours and MILLIONS of dollars to various causes; has been named as one of the “Sporting News Good Guys” three separate times in his career; he runs basketball tournaments every summer (fair warning: before you decide to enter you must read 3 books and write an essay); and his emotional breakdown at the Knick’s “Post Katrina Conference” shows the depth of his heart to even the most hardened of cynics.(go to 3 min marker of video http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.php?content=video&url=http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbatv/operation_rebound_presser_050903.asx )
Outside of some token media treatment of his Starbury sneaker initiative, the national media has covered virtually NONE of all these other initiative!There is absolutely NOTHING that can justify not covering a FOUR MILLION DOLLAR PLEDGE (to my knowlede, the single greatest pledge by an athlete) Unfortunately, stories of consensual sex and free-spirited interviews is what sells papers even though they are meaningless next to his tremendous work. Marbury has ALWAYS been more marketable as a selfish “villain”, and it would be absurdly naive for anyone to think that race did not play a role in all of this. Marbury’s treatment is a crystal clear indictment on our media which must box our athletes in “good guys” and “bad guy” boxes. Once the media places you in one, it is very hard to get out.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:47 pmTrev, your point is very well taken and your comments are appreciated. One of the reasons that i have great admiration for Nash is that I think that he has an acute understanding of the benefit-of-the-doubt privilege that he receives. In his own way, he uses it for good. Listen, i can’t expect him to give that second trophy back, but I’m pretty sure that nash himself is aware that that landslide vote was absurd.
And no, my “false modesty” comment should not be read to think that Nash’s demeanor is “all an act”. I actually find him to be quite genuine including sharing his MVP love with his teammates) for the most part, just not so much assessing his basketball prowess. And I will leave open the point you made that i may be wrong on this count because of a misreading on my part about “Canadian culture” which I am unqualified to asses. On the other hand, there is a certain Bull Durham handbook humility in sports that athletes are trained to recite because that’s what most fans like. I can’t dismiss that Nash is also aware of this handbook, even at least in part.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:58 pmSorry, MODI, I’d intended to mention that I enjoyed the article immensely, and understand where you’re coming from. As a white, Canadian fan of Nash, his winning does evoke a certain level of discomfort, simply from the fact that there are quite a few guys in the league who could have been substituted in either year without a tremendous uproar.
It funny, and depressing, I suppose, that race is just one of ‘those’ things that society (& I’m thinking globally here, not just the US or Canada) is simply never going to get over.
If the handbook states to be humble, then I assume it’s been memorized by all NHL players, perhaps the most humble collective of athletes on the planet (&, as a result, probably the most boring).
October 18th, 2007 at 5:14 pmModi, great post. You’ve accurately captured what I think a lot of people feel - myself included - but have never been able to articulate coherently.
- the discussion with Temple3 regarding Nash’s responsibility to discuss white privilege: this is difficult ground to tread isn’t it, assigning moral obligation? That being said, I’d be interested to see Nash be asked that question directly, simply to see if he would acknowledge that it exists.
- the Canadian Dimension: the comparison to Gretzky isn’t entirely valid because of what Steve brought up right after - Gretzky makes a conscious decision to stay away from anything political; infact, Gretzky stays away from anything even remotely outside popular opinion. I can’t give Nash enough credit for being an extremely interesting human being. During a recent BBC interview, he credited the NBA’s rise in popularity in China to their fascination with hiphop culture. How many other athletes would suggest that in conversation? I bet Fashion Police Commissioner Stern frowned when he heard that.
- D’antoni and his system : While I accept that a number of NBA point guards could be plugged into the system with somewhat comparable success, you’d have a tough time convincing me that any other point guard could get it to run as efficiently as Nash. No other PG in the NBA can match his combination of passing AND shooting skills - he’s shot below 40% from behind the three for one season. One season. That’s remarkable.
But I think the most interesting thing about Phoenix is how well each of their parts is tailored to fit that system - Stoudemire, Marion and Barbosa are all freaks of nature, though in different ways. That high screen is unstoppable not only because Nash is the best shooting point guard in the NBA, but because Stoudemire is an absolute beast.
- Gar, the MVP vote is important in this case because it’s probably the closest we’ll get in terms of concrete proof regarding a biased media - though, as Steve says, it’s not necessarily an accurate indication of how much it skews.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:28 pmP.S. As a Canadian, it’s mildly embarrassing to read other Canadians boast about how humble we are. Embarrassing both because of obvious logical flaws, and also because…I’m modest.
Trev, I don’t know if you can call NHL players humble simply because they rarely have anything remotely interesting to say.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:35 pmThis is an amazing article. I have noticed almost everything you talked about but I just couldn’t find a way to articualte them without sounding like a hater. The “Nash is not athletic” comments in particular have offended me countless times during the past 3 seasons.They make it sound like he’s getting past his marker by using extreme intelligence to fool the defender! Nash is extremely quick and his footwork is one of the best in the league…Away from basketball, I think the concept of white priviledge is very hard for white people to understand. It’s not because its such a complicated concept, its because the “natural”(can’t think of a better word)response is to be defensive to what sounds like a critisism. I took a gender class in college, and I remember I was very resistant and even hostile to the idea of male privilege , but eventually I was able to recognize it…Anways, awesome article. Makes me have hope that journalism is not dead in this country.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:40 pmcome on. all i hear about in SLAM and on the sports channels is stephon marbury, it’s not like his work is going unnoticed. steve made the time list because he does so much charity work AND was a back to back MVP. no one listens to etan thomas because he is not good. better players get more coverage. thats why the top players on each team get the majority of interviews because people care. 90% of america has no idea who etan thomas is why would they care if he opposed the war? come on thats no very newsworthy. obviously. etan thomas by the way had a couple articles in SLAM and i even saw a couple reviews in newspapers of his poetry.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:59 pmTo me, what seems the biggest shame in all of this is what you’ve mentioned a few different times: that other players with genuine social consciousness don’t seem to get the same accolades that Nash does. Now, I keep fairly good tabs on what goes on in the league, and especially jump at any mention of players who do really decent things for the world, whether in their local communities or elsewhere(re: Dikembe, who is one of the coolest players ever), so I don’t imagine my familiarity with the league’s good guys is anything like Joe Average’s.
Of course, this disparity of reporting happens most obviously at the national level; I can speak firsthand for the Suns when I say that the non-Nash players get just as much local publicity as he does. One night I had to sit through ten minutes of listening to Raja Bell (yes, Raging Raja Bell, guru of the clothesline cheap shot and the histrionic flop) talk on some local news station while doing some sort of volunteer fund-raising drive at a local Taco Bell for… what was it? The Boys and Girls Club, maybe? I don’t remember.
That’s just one isolated example of a regular trend in the local reporting, at least in Phoenix. Since I crossed over from basketball fan to basketball addict a few years ago, I’ve seen consistent news briefs on charity work by players from Amare (who gets tons of props by the writers) to Eddie House to Marcus Banks–and so on.
I know Sacramento’s latched onto Kevin Martin as the good guy face of the franchise, and he gets fantastic press; I’ve seen Nets articles about Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter; San Antonio has all sorts local press about off-court character–I mean, really, though I can’t speak directly for anyone but Phoenix, it seems like the local reporters and writers are doing a fairly decent job of keeping their audiences informed.
I suppose the challenge, then, is to the national writers.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:01 pmMan, I think you missed the boat on this one. Here is the deal: The guy in the Men’s magazine was fully myopic. But I believe you fell victim to the same thing on this post. Let me explain: You rational for the MVP trophy in ‘05 (in which Shaq lost) forgot to include the fact that D-Wade was the regular season leader of that team, not Shaq.
Your rational for the lack of press given to Etan Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo and Stephan Marbury, forgot to mention that all of the above mentioned players had not made a trip to the all-star game (as voted by the fans and coaches) for the past 4 years. Simply put, they do not have the combined “star-power” as does a 2-time MVP and multiple all-star player… That being said, Mutumbo should have gotten the Nobel award for his work. Seriously, he built a hospital!!!
Finally, I will agree that priviledge exists, but not just in white/black terms. I got pulled over 9 times in high school because I was in the wrong neighborhood (poor) at the wrong time (after midnight.) Funny thing is, once I explained that I lived two streets down and that I was playing football and needed to get home, I got let off the hook. They weren’t looking for race, they were looking for drugs. I get sick of the whole black/white world because I was not raised in it. I hate the words because they bring up immediate filters that intimate that being black or white somehow made a person better/worse. So this is my stand. I won’t use those words anymore. To me, they only increase a fire that will only be extinguished when everyone decides to stop pouring fuel on it.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:16 pmYou’re an idiot. Stop bringing a 50 year old issue to defray the success of someone who deservedthe MVP. Irrespectively, the league has been tarnished by players who can dunk, jump, bark while on defense but cannot play defense, make a jump shot if it saved their life, or be modest in an interview. Not only did Steve Nash deserve to win from a basketball standpoint, he deserved to win from an ambassador standpoint. It just happens that he’s white. Players like Kobe, Shaw and Arenas could learn a leson from him and these players just happen to be black.
Give me a break.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:28 pminteresting..
October 18th, 2007 at 9:09 pmFor Steve:
“I honestly think that no other PG in the NBA today could get that Suns team to play like they do / did under Nash ”
This statement only makes sense if you are referring to the style of play and not the level/quality of play. The only data point we have in regard to the level/quality of play is that when Steve Nash played for the Dallas Mavericks his team made it to the Conference Finals in 2003. Ironically, without Nash, the Mavericks were able to get one notch further, making it to the NBA Finals with Jason Terry at the point guard. Hmm…. So in this case another point guard was able to allow the Mav’s to reach a higher level of play than Nash.
Do you honestly think that with 2ALL NBA players (Amare, Marion), 6th Man of Year (Barbosa), and 2 ALL NBA Defensive players (Marion, Bell) that the Suns couldn’t at least reach the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs with say, Jason Terry as the point guard. (notice I didn’t even reach for Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams or Chauncey Billups)
Also for Steve:
“I also think that without James, the Cavs are nothing. That makes them [Nash and Lebron] just about equal in my eyes”
Wow!! So you think Lebron’s current supporting cast is equal to Steve Nash’s? How can you make such a statement, in good conscience? Back to my earlier point. Replace Steve Nash with anyone of about 12 point guards in the NBA and the Phoenix Suns still make it at least to the 2nd round of the playoffs.(ie. they beat the Lakers) If you replace him with anyone of the four I mentioned above (Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams or Chauncey Billups) , It is my opinion that the Suns would win an NBA Championship. Now that is just my opinion. I think that all of the four point guards above, especially Kidd and Paul would still push the ball, obviously not as effectively as Nash; but it is on the defensive end that the difference would be felt.
For Modi:
Kudos on your props for Marbury. Tito’s comments
“Yes, Marbury does community work, sells those ugly sneakers at a cheap price, but the way he handles himself is not even close to Nash’s.”
Is way off base. Remember what Mark Cuban said re: Starbury.
“The concept of $15 sneakers that are cool and hip for kids to wear could have more impact on family finances and the culture of consumption in many households than anything that’s happened in years.”
I know all three of my kids wear Starbury’s. Even I have a pair of those “ugly shoes”. BTW there are now about 20 or 30 different styles now, all of which are $14.99. Tito you should hit Steve and Berry’s. I bet you’ll find a pair that fit your style.
it seems to me that we have to keep things in proper perspective. It is great to like Nash (he’s seems like a great guy), but to elevate him to some higher level of social consciousness, while cutting down those athletes that are actually doing tangible good deads seems really wrong. Stephon marbury has, and will continue to affect infinitely more lives than will Steve Nash or the vast majority of NBA players.
Finally, before I close,
for 2 cents:
You don’t earn the MVP. You are awarded the MVP.
and for Dave:
Not even Steve Nash would pick Steve Nash first for a pickup game of NBA All Stars. Remember “he’s such a heady player”.
and once again for Tito:
Lebron has actually accomplished more than Steve Nash in his short NBA career. He has taken his team to an NBA Finals. “Hate the game, not the Playa”
October 18th, 2007 at 9:27 pmu r a complete jackass
October 18th, 2007 at 10:38 pm– OOO and Brouk, cosign everything you said. feel free to return anytime to help out with the “heavy lifting” around here.
– Alex, I am also interested in how Nash himself would respond to white privilege, particularly to the landslide vote. In some ways, through his deeds he already has responded without directly answering the question. However, it would be pretty cool if he did say something, only to enlighten some of these posters who will go to the ends of the earth for any possible reason for bias instead of white privilege. After a point, the denial enters the realm of a pathological disorder. …moving on… it is hard for me to imagine that Jason kidd can’t take Amare, marion, and co. into the finals when he can take Kenyon martin and Richard Jefferson… and that is factoring the tougher western Conference
– mac daddy, you keep talking about “Slam” and i’m talking about ESPN and CNNSI. Slam, which I very much like, is a bit role player next to the ESPN and other mainstream giants. You are actually SUPPORTING my argument the more you talk about “Slam”.
– Bestcoast: clarification - I was most definitely talking on the NATIONAL level. I’m a ‘hoops head” and didn’t know half the stuff you posted until now. And since I’m a Knicks fan, I know about all of Marbury’s tremendous work (besides the sneaker) that I would never know about if I didn’t follow local media.
– Andrew, white privilege existing is a concrete fact of life. The only discussion is its depth. I can write a thesis, but i won’t. However, a good place to start for those genuinely seeking truth is “White Like Me” by author Tim Wise. http://www.amazon.com/White-Like-Me-Reflections-Privileged/dp/1932360689
– FM, you state “[Nash] deserved the MVP. Irrespectively, the league has been tarnished by players who can dunk, jump, bark while on defense but cannot play defense…” Considering Lebron’s defense over Nash, it seems that you might agree that Lebron should have been awarded that 2nd MVP…
October 18th, 2007 at 10:41 pmI’m shocked that you would devote this much thought to this non-issue. First he was just as deserving as anyone in the NBA for the MVP BOTH years and stats show this very clearly. Second does everything in this country have to break down to race? In the real world a certain type of person gets all the media coverage.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:33 amTraits of this type of person -
Clean cut, well spoken, and media friendly.
Examples - Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Peyton Manning.
Nothing to do with race, it is too bad that some people just have been unable to get over that hump and move on. If you want to provoke thought, write something fresh and hasn’t been said a thousand times before you. I wish I could bill you for the 5 minutes I wasted reading this. What a disappointment coming from you.
First of all, please do not correct my spelling! I’m Black British so my writing is not in American English.
I think this is a strong article, with very good arguments. I do not agree with all of them, but certainly the general steer is spot on. I applaud your confidence in attacking what is a delicate issue and not shying away in ignorance or denial (like some who have responded to you, i.e. Jai) or for fear of political incorrectness. We should be able to discuss such issues frankly.
The issue of whether or not Nash should have won back to back MVP awards will always be debated, simply because the award is given on the opinions of sports writers. The majority of these people are white, and as such our nature as people dictates that we have certain prejudices, and we carry these into our work. By this reasoning, if the panel of voters had been predominantly black, I think it is possible and maybe even probable that Nash would not have won both (or even one) of the MVP awards. The point here is that it is perhaps unfair to blame these writers for voting Nash as MVP because they, like all of us have underlying biases that affect our opinions and thus our decision making daily.
However, it is a fallacy to suggest that Nash has not benefited from white privilege. I thank the writer for addressing what has been an inherent feature of the media. I applaud the gentleman above who noted that other factors may also have influenced the voters. Chief among these, in my opinion is the fact that Nash represents something different to conventional superstars, and it is clear that this is a well-established (albeit annoying) feature of the media. When something unusual comes into the picture, fascination causes a raft of comment among media contributors. A look back at the early reporting on Tiger Woods is evidence for this, as is this year’s Formula One season and the success of Lewis Hamilton. The point here is that white privilege may have played a role in Nash’s rise to prominence, but the fact that he is an atypical basketball superstar in his appearance and off-court demeanour is no doubt also a noteworthy factor.
Stephon Marbury is not perfect, and neither is Nash, or any other athlete out there. For all his faults, it cannot be denied that Steph has done much more in terms of community service than can be said of 90% of people, not to mention athletes. It is a shame that he is locked in the ‘bad boy’ box. Those who assigned him there have no right, unless they themselves have not (and still do not) made mistakes.
This is slightly off topic, but for my part I think Jason Kidd is the better of the two point guards, even now. But hey, that’s just my opinion- to which we’re all entitled.
I must also comment on FM’s point about players learning from Nash- I don’t know about that. We’re all different and I’m sure Nash can learn from the players you mentioned just as they can learn from him. For example, Gilbert Arenas is a unique character, probably unlike anyone in the league. See the link below for evidence of why I say this.
http://www.nba.com/blog/gilbert_arenas.html#070322_01
October 19th, 2007 at 10:18 amfood for thought, and this is an interesting response by SI’s jack mccallum:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jack_mccallum/10/18/mvp.race/index.html
as for nash winning mvp in 05 — as always, stats are never the entire picture. how did nash win the mvp in 05? not just because of the suns’ record, but because they were dominant at 31-5 when in january he sat out three games due to injury, and only played 11 minutes in the prior game. the suns lost all four but how they lost was the key (they had lost two in a row before nash got hurt, and the first game he played when he came back). after never scoring fewer than 93 points a game with nash playing, the suns scored: 83, 103, 80 and 79 points in those 4 game without nash including a measly 79 against a memphis team that was 21-18 in phoenix. then, when nash came back, they immediately scored 111 against san antonio — 123 including overtime — and in the next four games the suns would score: 113, 133, 121, 128 points with nash runnig the show.
the contrast in offensive output had as much an impact on nash’s mvp considerations as his statistics did — it showed in stark relief how significant he was to a team that would win 62 games.
so sometimes you can’t just measure the impact of a player on his stats, you may also need to see his effect on his teammates when he doesn’t play.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:31 am[…] Blaming Steve Nash! […]
October 19th, 2007 at 10:54 amModi:
“I think that I pulled back on it in the end because I have viewed Nash as someone who uses his “white privilege” in so many other positive ways that I didn’t want to detract from that.”
I agree 100%. I’m not looking for perfect people. It’s worth shining a light on the positives that he contributes to all of our well-being. I believe your emphasis was in the right place.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:32 amTrev @ 61:
Don’t be such a ___. The point I made had nothing to do with Nash’s humility or his acceptance of an award. For one, most MVP award winners acknowledge their teammates. An embarrassment is not the equivalent of rejection. It’s a baby step along that continuum. White privilege is not about humility…it’s about exactly that which great point guards do best - perceiving and anticipating the role of many moving parts. White privilege is not something easily understood or owned by most, but it can be clearly discerned with diligence and practice.
If you think I need to hate on Nash to sleep, not only do your comprehension skills suck ass (yeah, I said it), but you’ve completely misread the situation or my mild objection. I’m not mad at Nash. I’m mad at bullshit artists like you who feel the need to defend folks who are not under attack.
I hope that helps you stay awake at night - you can get over your false humility while you’re at it. I make no pretense about humility or civility. When I hate on someone, it’s crystal phukkkin’ clear.
Where did all that come from, you ask? Stop defending folks who don’t need to be defended. Stop aligning yourself with the brigade of media who exalt Nash above his level of performance. Stop paying homage to the niceties of “white” privilege by equating embarrassment (even if by implication) with a rejection of undeserved kudos. If you can do all that, and keep your head when all others about you are losing theirs, we’ll get along just fine.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:42 amJOnesy
I see this point raised all the time about the Suns performance when Nash goes down. Yet, nobody considers the fact that other than Nash, there is not a single pass first point guard on that team, and the entire offensive system is dedicated to a pass first point guard making decisions and setting up the other players. When Nash went down that first year Joe Johnson was running the point. Now, when he’s out, they have to attempt to get by with Barbosa or Banks at the one and neither of them is a pass first point guard. This fact clearly invalidates the logic that Nash is the reason the Suns are great. But, if you want further proof, actually look at the Suns record with Marbury for a full season while Amare was a rookie and Joe Johnson was a second year player. Than compare the stats for Amare, Marion, JOe Johnson and Quentin Richardson pre-Nash and post-Nash. I’ve done all of these things and I think it supports the idea that Nash inherited a very good team and a very good system.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:02 pmHaving been a huge Steve Nash fan since his Santa Clara days, it’s easy that I’d be offended by this article – but not for the reasons you may assume.
Sure, if I wanted to be “nitpicky,” I could rip this article apart “fact-for-fact,” as not only are you presumptuous in a lot of your arguments, but you tend to pass your opinions off as if they are undisputable just because you wrote it down. But your presumption and despotism doesn’t even bother me.
I agree that the media does praise Nash excessively and that the majority of his fans like to portray him with a “David” (as in vs. Goliath) complex – and rationally it is somewhat irksome and even a bit cringe-worthy. Yet, for someone who seems level-headed, I can’t understand why you would let the media “inversely control your mind.” As a “fair-minded” person, you surely are privy to the media’s tendency to deify athletes (especially those that make any kind of impact in their respective sports). Even though that praise is unwarranted, it’s part of the business. It shouldn’t really matter what garbage the media spews, as what they have to say means nothing to the sport itself. To be so affected by it that you start to “root against him” or find it a “chore” to be his fan means you indeed did
“lose.” But not even your pseudo-fair-mindedness or overtly impressionable mentality bothers me.
What bothers me is your self-righteous ploy in pretending that the reason you’re bothered by Nash’s popularity is because of race. You use the pretense of “white privilege” to shield yourself as it is hard for other people to argue in terms of race. Being a minority myself (plus the double jeopardy in also being a woman), I have suffered unjust racism so of course it would be impossible for me to deny “WP” (as you so eloquently acronym-ed). Yet, even I can see through your ignorance. Is it not racist yourself to be condemning Nash because he is white? Is not racist to say he’s undeserving of MVP because he’s white? Now, I’m not saying that Nash is not benefiting from being white in a black-dominant sport, yet you yourself fail to look beyond the color barriers, and, in which case, you are not allowed to judge.
However, what TRULY, TRULY bothers me is that you would take your time out to write this long convoluted article condemning Steve Nash (which even if you state it’s not his fault, you still are in fact criticizing him) on EVERYTHING that doesn’t matter. Who cares how much he is praised, how unwarranted (based on your opinion) his MVPs are, how he is a “cold-blooded assassin” that is “falsely modest,” how he benefits from being white, how he is praised for his charity work, or how he is compared to Magic unfairly? What I think really is the problem with sports today is all the analyzing and commentary on everything OUTSIDE the realm of the sport itself.
SHUT THE FUCK UP AND PLAY (or, for the fans, watch) THE GAME.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:42 pmAlice - quick question:
“Is it not racist yourself to be condemning Nash because he is white? Is not racist to say he’s undeserving of MVP because he’s white?”
Could you show me (I’m having trouble today) where you read that in the post? Thanks.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:58 pmIn other words - is “condemning Nash because he is white” the same thing as “condemning the media for praising Nash because the media demonstrates a quantifiable in-group bias”?
Is there a difference - if so, which one do you believe best describes the original article? Thanks again.
October 19th, 2007 at 3:09 pmI am hoping that Yao Ming has a big season with the Rockets this year and he wins MVP. That way, it’ll be FOUR consecutive years with no black MVP in the NBA and the conspiracy theories will multiply!!!
October 19th, 2007 at 3:27 pmTemple3:
The article itself is suggesting that the main reason he is given the accolades that he has is because of “white privilege.” While I’m not suggesting that that isn’t true to some extent, the implications are easy to spot. And while I may have exaggerated a bit, exaggeration is a tool people use in writing to emphasize a point – and I’m not here to give a report on “Elements of Style.”
“…is ‘condemning Nash because he is white’ the same thing as ‘condemning the media for praising Nash because the media demonstrates a quantifiable in-group bias?’”
In regards to your question, I don’t feel the need to answer something so presumptuous, as I can’t see how after reading what I posted, you could come to such an assumption. Could you show me (I’m having trouble today) where you read that in my post?
Don’t patronize me when your argument is faulty. “Condemning the media for praising Nash because the media demonstrates a quantifiable in-group bias,” in itself is a false statement.
Let’s break it down: Help me define “the media.” Is this article itself not a medium of media? And it is not “praising” Nash, is it? Let me ask you this: Is this the first article/person/writer you’ve come across that questions Nash’s “praise”? Though a lot of people in “the media” do in fact praise him, there are many that don’t. There are many people that see him as undeserving, which is why the media tends to blow him out of proportion. He is praised partly because he is and will always be the odd man out. Why else would someone at his MVP acceptance press conference ask a question such as, “In the list of MVPs; Jordan, Shaq, Bird, and now Nash. What do you think about that?” Can you imagine that being asked to Kobe or Lebron? Therefore, (in defining “quantifiable”) because there are those that don’t praise Nash, there is hardly a “quantifiable demonstration of in-group bias.”
I know my response is long, but I really can’t stand smart-asses. If you’re going to be condescending, at least do it effectively.
October 19th, 2007 at 6:00 pmwtf is wrong with u you guys must not actually watch basketball?? i am a young black and i do say successful and i am a absoute lover of the game of basketball even tho i think the commissioner is horrible however steve nash desevered every bit of those awards what he does on the court is absolutly amazing i am not saying he is the best basketball player that belongs to kobe bryant but he is the one that makes his team go they are just not good without him and they are in the top 3 with him that says alot so i agree with alot of your stories but just not this one
October 19th, 2007 at 6:09 pmcome on people
October 19th, 2007 at 6:17 pmkshow — excellent post
allen - absolutely right! in many ways the value of someone when they are injured is really a commentary on the quality of their backup.
– Alice, your criticisms in the 3rd paragraph are redundant, as I already acknowledged those mistakes in the article; the questions in your 4th paragraph makes me wonder what article you were reading; and the 5th paragraph confirms that sentiment. If what you took away was that I was condemning STEVE NASH and NOT our mainstream media, then the entire point of the article was missed. As for your final point about “who cares” about fairness in media, the answer is I do and that is why this is a MEDIA WATCH WEBSITE! If I cared about chimpanzees, i would have started a blog on them. If you don’t care about media accountability, that is your perogative. Steve Nash is merely a vehicle to tell a story about our media.
– jamall and anyone else who talks about the Nash and awards, the big point is the 2nd year landslide vote. I am curious if anyone agrees with this.
– thanks T3
October 19th, 2007 at 7:34 pmWow… are we back in the 80’s or what? This feels like the Rodman/Isiah - Bird conversation all over again…I have absolutely no objection to Nash winning those two MVP’s, nor do I have a problem with Nowitski winning it last year…Nor do I believe they won their awards because they are white. They were both the best players on dominant teams when they won, which is a pretty common theme for most MVP’s the league has seen in the past…I do believe the sports writers who voted for anyone other than shaq for the ten years prior to that had their heads firmly lodged in their asses… and it wasn’t white players winning in lue of shaq…
I do agree that great white players probably receive a little more media attention, but that is human nature… not racism..in that arena the whtie player is the minority, the underdog… and we all know everyone roots for the underdog… I mean, as big as Mike Tyson was in boxing… could you imagine if he was white… he would have been adored ( before becoming a convicted rapist that is ) by every white person on earth… and that would have been ok… I mean, how many blacks folks have taken an interest in golf becuase of Tiger…( not to mention some white ones like myself ) and that’s ok too… don’t hate… appreciate and admire greatness…regardless of race
October 19th, 2007 at 8:30 pmI have trouble giving this article any credit, in fact i think the issue is moot.
The advantage that Nash had is as follows (year 1) he joined that was a mediocre at best and proceeded to ignite the talents of those around him (year 2) Nash went down for a few games and the team down right stunk. Perhaps Steve was the benefactor of circumstance in that his situation allowed him to explicity show how valuable he is/was to his team…Marion had this opportunity when Nash went down but he didn’t do anyting with it. Perhaps if D Wade went down in year one for 5 to 10 games and Shaq stepped his game up there would be more grounds for this superfluous griping.
IF you want a racial issue with merit, explain to me the almost tangible divide between white and black America i immediatly noticed when traveling through Alabama. THat is a legitimate issue….not whether a white athlete won a subjective award two year running Is Nash a breath of fresh air? I would say so relative to his NBA peers. I’ll never forget seeing him on the campus of the University of B.C with long hair, a backpack and carrying a basketball looking like every other idealistic student - only he was making ten million a year.
Steve Nash is admired because he is relatable, articulate and respectful person not to mention one hell of an athlete. Lebron - i can’t say enough about the guy. He’s is an absolute FREAK on the hardwood in terms of his jaw dropping ability and he is by far and away the most composed and mature early twenty something i’ve ever had the pleasure of watching play basketball and do interviews.
Anyway, perhaps the tone of this response is a bit negative. While i don’t agree with you in entirety i’ll tip my hat to you for doing a good job of defending your assertion …i’m sure that we can agree on a few things however. (1) Nash didn’t save basketball - basketball has always been fun (2) Nash is immensly entertaining basketball player as well as an interesting person (3) Lebron will dominate this league for years to come and in doing so will win more than 2 MVP’s.
Can we please move beyond Nash’s two awards and concentrate on how nice it was to watch the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs and hope that the average combined score in playoff game will be at least 200 points per game
Cheers
October 19th, 2007 at 9:35 pmAlice:
I wasn’t being a smart ass. I was trying to be nice - for a change. We would probably get along famously - if you told me where you left your meds.
You began with: “The article itself is suggesting that the main reason he is given the accolades that he has is because of “white privilege.”
Now, I know you know that’s not an answer to my question. Putting a spotlight on “white privilege” is not the same thing as bashing someone because they’re “white.” In fact, I don’t even know that the author believes in “whiteness” - but he has demonstrated an awareness of “white privilege.” It’s not all the same thing.
When you hit with this, I have to wonder — “However, what TRULY, TRULY bothers me is that you would take your time out to write this long convoluted article condemning Steve Nash (which even if you state it’s not his fault, you still are in fact criticizing him) on EVERYTHING that doesn’t matter. Who cares how much he is praised, how unwarranted (based on your opinion) his MVPs are, how he is a “cold-blooded assassin” that is “falsely modest,” how he benefits from being white, how he is praised for his charity work, or how he is compared to Magic unfairly? What I think really is the problem with sports today is all the analyzing and commentary on everything OUTSIDE the realm of the sport itself.”
“Don’t patronize me when your argument is faulty. “Condemning the media for praising Nash because the media demonstrates a quantifiable in-group bias,” in itself is a false statement.”
– You can’t be serious. You may be delirious, but you can’t be serious. In the context of the only back-and-forth we’ve had, the media in question clearly demonstrates an in-group bias. This is not rocket science - nor is this solely about Nash. In fact, the coverage is part of a larger continuum which is fairly evident whether you’ve read other pieces here or elsewhere.
If I wanted to unpack that Samsonite of logical fallacies you brought along for the ride, I’d be here all night.
As for that unimaginable question you posed - it was only for winners of multiple MVP awards. Perhaps it will be asked of Kobe and Lebron, but it won’t be this year.
I love your venom - but if you can’t do any better than that - shut the fuck up and watch the game. Actually, it’s all good…I guess you were looking for something else and were disappointed by what you found. Shit happens.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:15 amWow, I usually don’t take the time to read - into such detail - the comments posted by others, but some of this shit is hilarious! The exchange between Alice and Temple3 is both comedic gold and intelligent! (though the latter trait, for Alice, seems to be reccessing as time goes on…)
Re the article itself, I agree on every level. I too am sick and tired of the media praise Steve Nash receives. Yes, he’s talented and most definitely, he makes the players around him better. But a 2time MVP he is not. When talks about a 3peat began to swirl last year, I was about to lose it. Anyways, there’s no point in digressing anymore.
A very well-focused article, addressing some key points most people don’t or choose not to see. As I first time viewer, I’ll be coming back to the site. Hope to see more articles with this type of frankness.
October 20th, 2007 at 1:30 amBy the way, I thought the choice of the picture at the top reflected the white priviledge issue SOOOO WELL. It’s just so… WHITE!
October 20th, 2007 at 1:33 amMODI - I’m not talking about you at all when I say this…
I’m really sick and tired of people bringing race into everything, it’s all I ever hear about. I live in Detroit and go to a predominantly black school and anytime a black person gets in trouble it’s because the teacher is racist, not because they were disobeying the rules or anything like that. Now I’m not saying there aren’t any racist white people, but not every single white person is racist like so many people make it seem. Another thing I’m sick of is how people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson make it seem like it’s impossible for a black person to be racist and how everybody is out to get the black race, it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.
I think Nash legitimately won his back-to-back MVP awards, I really don’t think race had anything to do with it. How come anytime a black person wins back-to-back MVP awards it has absolutely nothing to do with race? I’m not saying there was any other more deserving players but come on now, people say the only reason Nowitzki won last year is because of race, but he won because he was the best player on the most dominant team that year.
So everybody needs to stop brining race into everything. And I’m not going to reply to anybody who comments me saying any stupid shit, I really don’t care what you have to say because you don’t know me and you don’t know anything about me so you can’t try saying anything about me.
October 20th, 2007 at 2:22 amI think Chris needs a hug.
October 20th, 2007 at 4:40 pmCan you imagine how easy your life would be if folks just did the work to answer their own questions when the data is only a click away?
You’d be smiling all day long.
Maybe “white” liberals should write a manual and tell people when they can bring “race”/”racism” into the conversation. That would be really helpful. Yep, a manual.
October 21st, 2007 at 12:41 amAaaaaaand….Alice never came back. Perhaps embarassed at her outburst. Phsaw.
MODI, I do think however that the landslide MVP vote was more about his Youth (hasn’t paid his dues yet, it’s too early, etc.) than Nash’s race. It was also a little bit because of the absurd argument that just because his numbers had improved from the previous year when he won MVP, he should be MVP again.
Alice, if you come back, if you’re going to criticize, please do it effectively as well, pretty please.
October 21st, 2007 at 2:25 amChris, you state:
“I think Nash legitimately won his back-to-back MVP awards, I really don’t think race had anything to do with it.”
Of course you wouldn’t. Why would anyone possibly question a 57-16 margin where Lebron (and Kobe) had a year for the ages.
“How come anytime a black person wins back-to-back MVP awards it has absolutely nothing to do with race?”
Because Kirk Hinrich is not putting up a close enough fight to tip the scales my friend.
“I’m really sick and tired of people bringing race into everything, it’s all I ever hear about.”
Yeah, I really hate it too! Now I have this great idea. Let’s all of us eradicate racism from our society so we don’t have to hear about it any more! I’m also tired of hearing about domestic violence, but guess what… some woman is getting her ass beat right now, so that is why I concern myself with it. I’m also tired of hearing about breast cancer, but someone is going through chemo right now, so that is why more money is needed for research. Those daily reports about more people dead in Iraq also get on my nerves… And while you complain about how you are “sick and tired of people bringing race into everything”, Genarlow Wilson spends yet another day in jail… presumably without any of your help in getting him out.
Finally, I was reeeeeeeally hoping to set an never-before-accomplished milestone with this post by going a full 100 comments on a race-related post without having Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson be slipped into the conversation. Damn! It was sooooooooooooooooooo close!
October 21st, 2007 at 9:58 pmI can see what Chris is saying and agree to an extent, but race will always be brought up and around so there’s no point in getting so upset about it.
I think Nash deserved his 2nd MVP, but definitely not by a landslide, if anything it should have been a landslide when he won his 1st. LeBron and Kobe were both deserving of the MVP, but I think one reason neither of them got more votes is because their team’s record’s, now if the MVP award also covered the playoffs then LeBron would have won it by a landslide for sure.
Personally, I’m suprised it took that long for Sharpton or Jackson to be brought up in this discussion. I’m black and I think those two are extremely embarrassing because they make us look very bad, to me it seems as if they’re trying to end racism by being racist.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:23 amnash shouldnt even won the mvp one time let a lone two times! the only reason he won in the first place is cuz he white, the whites jus love bringin him up cuz hes white n hes not all thugged out n shit. white people like commish stern need to realize the nba is and awlays was a black sport n black people dress diff from them so get over it whiteys!!!!
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:34 amMark, it should be noted that Nash’s Suns had 54 wins and Lebron’s Cav’s had 50 wins. Lebron won 50 games playing with a bunch of CBA players (same with Kobe about CBA players)
And while I didn’t want to get sucked into another Sharpton/Jackson discussion, I believe that both do not nearly get enough credit they deserve from people of all colors. Example: for almost 9 months bloggers were complaining about the Jena 6, but were not heard at all. When Jackson and Sharpton come on the scene, so do the cameras and national media. If you look at the story of Shaquanda Cotton (14 year old girl sentenced up to 7 years for pushing a hall monitor), you will find that she was released on April 1st, exactly ONE DAY before Sharpton and other activists had a march planned. Now I can personally call a march, but only 3 people might show up.
I notice this trend a lot, so therefore I have a new criteria for Jackson/Sharpton critics: before standard criticism takes place, what is the alternative plan to deal with the type of injustices that I just mentioned. Don’t tell me that you don’t like them, tell me who will do their job in their abscence. …Jena’s DA Reed Walters… Governor Blanco… George Bush… the critic themself… who exactly will step in their place?
October 22nd, 2007 at 2:00 amhttp://temple3.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/this-is-really-about-sharpton-and-jackson/
It’s all about Sharpton and Jackson.
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:45 amT3, I would say that your post-link was classic material, and then I would sadly remind myself– judging from comment sections everywhere– that it is really not that far off from the actual truth…
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 amLet me only say this. Steve Nash won the 2nd MVP trophy because he had better stats then the year before. All most of journalist said, “if we gave it to him last year, and he did better this year, WE have to give it to him again.”
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:05 pm04-05 15.5 pt , 11.5 ast, 3.3 rbs, 34.3 minutes per
05-06 18.8 pt , 10.5 ast, 4.25 rbs, 35.4 minutes per
Only number that dropped was ast’s everything else increased. Only thin i have to add is for all those people who point out w/o Nash the Suns are nothing. MVP ’should’ go to the player that cant be replaced by ANYONE else in the NBA. Nash can be replaced at least 10-15 other Point Guards in the NBA, where as Lebron, for what he does for his team, could only be replaced by at least 2-3 players. Kobe(maybe- shoot first player) Dirk (maybe - not a defender or pure passer) Wade (maybe - not as physical dominating from the forward/guard position)
Let me only say this. Steve Nash won the 2nd MVP trophy because he had better stats then the year before. All most all of the journalist said, “if we gave it to him last year, and he did better this year, WE have to give it to him again.”
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:08 pm04-05 15.5 pt , 11.5 ast, 3.3 rbs, 34.3 minutes per
05-06 18.8 pt , 10.5 ast, 4.25 rbs, 35.4 minutes per
Only number that dropped was ast’s everything else increased. Only thing i have to add is for all those people who point out w/o Nash the Suns are nothing. MVP ’should’ go to the player that cant be replaced by ANYONE else in the NBA. Nash can be replaced at least 10-15 other Point Guards in the NBA, where as Lebron, for what he does for his team, could only be replaced by at least 2-3 players. Kobe(maybe- shoot first player) Dirk (maybe - not a defender or pure passer) Wade (maybe - not as physical dominating from the forward/guard position). Nash won it that year for 2 reasons, LeBron was to young to win, and second the media had to justify Nash winning the year before so they “gave” it to him again
Modi:
A couple of thoughts. I did not expound on what I found compelling about your post. Now seems like an appropriate time.
1) My initial impression of your post was that you did a masterful job of capturing the way Steve Nash is presented by MSM. I still hold that to be the case. It is beneficial to shine a light on the “context setting” which is often done for us.
2) I see why folks are having such a difficult time wrapping their heads around the notion that ‘racism’ informed his winning the award in either season. Dave Zirin hits the nail on the head in the first case. It is noteworthy that Shaq has only won the MVP award once - but 2004 was not his best case scenario. He had 11 seasons where he scored at a higher clip; 12 where he snatched boards at a better rate. It was dominant Shaq, but not SuperMan. I think Zirin is right that a better case could have been made for Wade - but that was his 2nd season (the implications of that follow).
With that said, I’d be interested to see two controls applied to the voting for the MVP award: wins and number of seasons played.
The last three memorable instances of players elevating the number of wins on a team were Tim Duncan*, David Robinson, and Larry Bird. Of course Duncan’s season merits an asterisk because D-Rob was injured the previous year. This brings me to my point: Robinson and Bird won the ROY. There was no way they were going to win MVP in those seasons.
Since LeBron was in his third season in ‘05-’06, it stands to reason he might have had sufficient (or at least better)standing to garner the award - or at least merit a closer vote. Still, many great players were no where near the MVP after 3 seasons. Bird took 5 seasons, Magic 8 seasons, Jordan took 4 seasons. You have to go all the way back to Kareem, Wilt, and Bill Russell to snatch that hardware any sooner. Was LeBron hazed? Probably, but he’ll get over it.
As for the second statistic (wins), I always found it interesting that Bird won those three MVPS when he did. As a Laker fan, I always believed Magic was more valuable to his team. After all, the Celtics had an accomplished small forward in Cedric Maxwell and still had McHale and Parrish and were capable of destroying 9.5 teams at will. Regardless of all that, during the seasons that Bird won MVP, his team won more games than anyone else. In 2005, the Cavaliers were not world-beaters. Five or six teams finished with better records - and many of those teams played in the stronger conference.
It has proven prohibitively difficult for players from weaker conferences to win this award. You could make a case that the lone exception to this has been Allen Iverson (shock of all shocks). Honestly, he could have won the award every year he played in Philly.
Check out the recent list of MVP winners from the Eastern Conference (pre-Iverson): Michael Jordan, LARRY BIRD (that’s right - he’s the last Eastern Conf. MVP before Jordan); Moses Malone (back-to-back (Houston-Phila.); and Julius Errrrrrrving!
Given the DELTA in Suns wins in ‘04-’05 and Wade’s youth, Shaq’s declining numbers and the T.D. boredom factor, it’s not easy to see how Nash won his first award. It isn’t entirely unreasonable to say that the same factor which precluded Wade from winning in Year 1 hurt LBJ in Year 2. Still, I believe you may be on to something with respect to the discrepancy in voting. I don’t have any viable explanations for that one - so I’ll leave it to the experts.
Interesting stuff. Thanks again for the post.
October 23rd, 2007 at 3:55 pmThat last paragraph should read, “it’s not HARD to see how Nash won…”
October 23rd, 2007 at 3:56 pmJust a final thought…
your posters are correct in highlighting the effectiveness of the Suns under Starbury.
October 23rd, 2007 at 4:44 pmTemple,
It is worth noting that Nash won the MVP with 54 wins in a year where there were no less than THREE teams with at least 60 wins. (pistons at 64 & Spurs at 63). Why do we arbitrarily cut-off the “winner bias” at Nash’s 54 wins and not Lebron’s 50 wins, or even Kobe’s 45 wins…. I would also add that those other players did not put up the kind of year in their third season that Lebron did
Many of your points are well taken and, despite disagreement, I have given extended benefit of the doubt on the final verdict of the 2 MVPs. Ultimately, I have repeatedly rested my case on the “landslide vote” and if I had to write the article over again I would have made that point even clearer than it already was. A
October 24th, 2007 at 1:46 amI definitely feel you. I don’t believe a compelling argument can be made for a guy on a 54 win team under the conditions you described. If you add an addendum to this piece, I’d love to see the wins component. Seems like maybe Mr. Big Shot or Bron Bron should have had the hardware.
In any event, there are enough nuances here for folks to wrestle with your cogent argument. They don’t seem able to overthrow it. Great post. That’s what blogging is supposed to be about.
October 24th, 2007 at 7:55 pmldawg3,
That’s it right there! A very sensible rationalization of the foolishness imbedded in the MSM control of the MVP voting. They collectively said: “We fucked up last year–to further justify our right and privilege as fuck-ups, we’ll fuck-up again this second year.”
I trust that Modi’s expose’ will cause theme to take heed going forward. Why: If Nash improves his numbers from last year, which he’s wont to do, they will have justification for giving it to him for a 3rd year. But this time, I TRIPPLE DARE them to make it a UNANIMOUS vote.
October 25th, 2007 at 8:37 amModi:
Looking at the team records for ‘05-’06, it’s interesting that the vote went down like that. There were a lot of players who received zero consideration on great teams. Wade, Parker, Marion, Dirk, Rip and Duncan all should have merited greater consideration.
Veddy intellesting!
October 25th, 2007 at 1:35 pmall this talk about discrediting nash’s personality because he’s Canadian is outragous. What it is doing is stereotyping all Canadians into laid-back good guys. Don’t you know there are ass-holes douche-bags averywhere? He’s a cool guy, and it’s not because he’s Canadian. geez.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:49 amMax, I don’t think that was so much the argument. Personally, I could care less if Nash is “laid back”. But to note that Nash’s position against the war takes on a different meaning because of his Canadian background is a useful point for commenters to make. If in 2003 most Canadians were against the Iraqi war, but most Americans weren’t then that cultural point should be understood.
November 7th, 2007 at 9:35 amI just stopped in to peruse Modi’s articles and I am amazed. I said myself, “this man’s pen is as strong as any I’ve seen in years”. I was struck by the fluidity of facts and indictments of a flawed system. I knew that this had to be a white writer. Otherwise how could such a profound subject be meted out to the public in such a digestive manner. It was on point!
November 26th, 2007 at 5:02 amSmooth, well covered, well researched, with all points dispersed evenly to all readers…ala Steve Nash. Actually, I jest.
On too many occasions the Bill Waltons of the world have heaped “brilliance, intelligence” and other brainy adjectives upon white players to describe their achievements on the court.He and other white so-called commentators tend to minimize the very same cranial activity when it exists in black players by using the bully pulpit to relegate their feats to athletisism and relating to their body shapes and sizes. It’s as if Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson and other great players don’t get conjured when comparisons are made. We hear Cousey, Barry, Stockton touted as the basketball thinkers.
Modi, this is my first look at your blog and i am very impressed. what it has done for me is to make me (and others I hope) think. If that was your intent…Bravo! Oh.I’d be remiss if i didn’t add that this attitude lives in other sporting neighborhoods. Keep up the heat!
Cobillion, thank for you kind words and we’ll keep up the heat. The brainy white stereotype can be nauseating, especially since so few black athletes are descibed that way. The brainiest athlete in the history of sports in my opinion was Mark Jackson. Slowest dude on the court at all times. Played like 15 years and is the 2nd man in all-time assists (yes, you read that right).
November 26th, 2007 at 11:59 amChris Parker’s response has proven that the Dumbing down of America is truly in full effect. The statement that “i live in Detroit and go to a predominantly black school” belies your stance that you are sick and tired of race being brought up as an issue. What is sick and tiring is that there are still folks who want to hide from the facts and posit that we are all Gods children and we should just get along. Who still look at the media tape and believe that Rodney King is attacking the police.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:51 pmThese are the same people who (like yourself Chris) probably claim “I don’t see color”. Wake up..everybody sees it and experiences it. Now we are talking feverishly about how it is so firmly ensconced in our system . Dialogue and interraction is what we’ll need to change things and whatever the subject matter, it ought to give rise to a multidimensional thought process that allows for critical analysis and openess. Believe it or not, that only takes a minute. if you can’t get with that program Chris, I feel for you. reaching you is important because you represent a kind of lackluster do nothing attitude that permiates our slow moving growth in this area. I say..take a few of your Black student colleagues home with you, or better yet, go home with them, around the holidays. Sit down and eat together instead of across the cafeteria from each other. Stop assuming they are wrong when they cry out for racial justice. you may find yourself alongside them in their thinking and their effort.
I need to inform you that you used the word “race” and “racist’ ten times in your response. I think thats more than the writer of the piece and the responders. I believe self examination is in order, even though I don’t know you. Be well my friend.
Exactly COBILLION! You nailed it. This Steve nash post was about self-examination more than anything. For myself as well as readers.
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November 29th, 2007 at 3:27 pmExcellent work, MODI. You echo many Nash fans’ thoughts about the particular character of the media’s Nash-love fest.
The hostile reaction to the suggestion that white privilige is at work doesn’t just speak to the narrow-mindedness of the “you’re pulling the race card” types; it highlights a larger problem in public discourse: the inability to deal with nuance. Thus, “mainstream media is influenced by Nash’s whiteness” becomes “the only reason Nash won the MVP is because he’s white.”
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April 14th, 2008 at 8:47 amTo fm: you JUST PROVED your racist b.s. by saying the NBA has been ‘tarnished’ WTF?!! It’s been no more ‘tarnished’ than Hockey has with all the damn fighting but NOONE has an issue with that!! And for Wilson that’s not his point learn to read first his point was that Nash DOES get more attention from the media because he’s white. Take Stockton for example if the NBA were predominantly white John Stcokton wouldn’t get one mention because he sucks! Now I’ve seen Nash and yeah he’s damn good and a humanitarian but he ain’t all that and certainly not enough to warrant BACK TO BACK MVP honors that was the writer’s point.
April 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pmAs for the jackass who said ‘if a white guy says it’ when the HELL have white people EVER been afraid to use or m,ake racial slurs?!! You are the ones who made them up in the first damn place but now want to boo-hoo because ‘they’ can use them on themselves but you can’t. Awwwww shall I throw a telethon for you how about a hug or a pillow because you are obviously just ’suffering’ because you can’t be your old racist self. And if it’s about a double standard I got a MIRROR you can borrow.
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