Piece By: Alaa Alarashi
A few days ago Damian Lillard put a post on Instagram saying that, “My loyalty is my biggest flaw… I’m too solid for this weird ass era.” This was after a flurry of trades were made at the trade deadline. Not that there were too many surprising trades, but it was the signings that came afterwards. Both LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets after being bought out by their former teams, the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. It proved to be a power move by the Nets to add more depth and skill set to compete for a title. With all that in play, the question remains what is more valued in the NBA, championships or loyalty?
Loyalty in the NBA seemed to be a thing back in the ‘90s. Many star players remained on the same team to compete for a championship. Some examples that come to mind are Reggie Miller and John Stockton who played for small market teams in Indiana and Utah respectively. They would eventually retire having only played for one team and no championship to show for. However, their legacies remain intact as one of the greatest to play in their positions. Miller is third all time in three point shooting and Stockton holds the record for most assists in history. Does not having a championship lower their value in history? Definitely not. Many other players past their prime in the 90s tried joining other teams to add a ring to their careers. Charles Barkley and Karl Malone tried to win in other cities after many years on one team. They were not able to achieve that feat but no one questions how good these guys were.
Fast forward to players like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki who also stayed loyal to one team. Although they had some hiccups throughout their careers, they would eventually win. Kobe would win three championships early on playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers would become subpar after Shaq left and Kobe wanted some help and actually asked for a trade. Los Angeles was able to bring on board Pau Gasol and with LaMar Odom playing a vital role, the Lakers were able to win back-to-back championships. For Nowitzki, it was a harder path but the payoff couldn’t have been sweeter as the Mavericks had one of the greatest championship runs in recent memory. In a tough Western Conference, they went through the Kobe Led Lakers and the Durant and Westbrook led Oklahoma City Thunder. In the Finals, they went against the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat. The Mavericks had many veterans past their prime, but the focal point and star of the team was undoubtedly Nowitzki.
Another prime example was Tim Duncan who retired as arguably the best power forward to play the game. He had five championships in his tenure with the Spurs. Although he had Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, Duncan was the lone superstar. So loyalty does hold some merit after all, given the above examples.
In an era where the NBA is asking players to perform now and are asked what they’ve done lately, it’s nearly impossible to not receive criticism. Lillard and Bradley Beal are two current star players who have yet to win a championship and play in small market teams. The Portland Trail Blazers and the Washington Wizards don’t look to trade their star players and it doesn’t seem like they’re asking for one either. In an interview with the Athletic, Lillard reveals that he and Beal constantly talk and message one another. Lillard says that they share the same mentality when it comes to playing for one team and not forcing their way out. He added that, “it’s nothing against people who decide to team up and all that stuff. It’s just, this is the route we choose… and we connect on that.” Although many fans of Lillard and Beal want them to succeed it seems they value more than a championship.
Former player Jalen Rose criticised media for creating a narrative that the careers of Lillard and Beal would be, “meaningless if they don’t win a championship.” He further expressed that players like Giannis and Luka who play in small markets are good for the league. The idea that in order to succeed you need to go to large markets is something that needs to stop. For the league it creates more of a balance and it allows for young players to flourish in these markets.
A couple of days ago, Stephen A. Smith critiqued Russell Westbrook and said his numbers meant nothing because he doesn’t have a championship to show for it. That was in reference to the game where Westbrook had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 21 assists. Westbrook responded by saying that a championship won’t change his life. He also added that he cares about what he does “…off the court and using his platform to create change around the world.” An unfair assessment was made by Stephen A. to suggest that his career would be meaningless if he doesn’t win a ring.
LeBron going to Miami in free agency to team up with Bosh and Wade to win a championship was made to validate his career. For many years in Cleveland he struggled to win and was constantly reminded that he won’t be great if he doesn’t win a championship. Kevin Durant years later dealt with the same criticism and he hopped over to Golden State to win.
The bottom line is that the media controls the narrative that Championships are more valued than loyalty. It also sways players to hop over to other teams in order to validate their careers. To have players like Lillard and Beal to continue to grind and play for one team is refreshing and goes against the media. Simply said, the value of star players does not rely on Championships.