Ten Moments that Changed the NBA Forever: Part 2

Ten Moments that Changed the NBA Forever continued...

4. Sam Bowie say what?!

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." - Magic Johnson

If Bill Russell could have been a Hawk, it is safe to say that the infamous #23 could have easily been a Portland Trail Blazer. The 1984 NBA Draft is widely regarded as one of the deepest in NBA history. It sported future big names and Hall of Fame members such as: Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and of course Michael Jordan.

The Houston Rockets had the first pick in the NBA draft. Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon was at the top of almost everybody's draft card. Teams were doing all they could to wheel and deal their way into that top spot and the coveted draft rights to 7ft, 250lbs shot blocking machine. At the top of the list of those wheeler and dealers were the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers were in dire need of a Center to immediately step up and fill in for the ailing Bill Walton. The Rockets however, also needed to fill that spot and the Blazers, despite their efforts, ultimately ended up with the number 2 pick.

Hakeem Olajuwon would not have been a pick for anyone to scoff at. He had produced a spectacular college career and was widely regarded as a future league MVP. Sam Bowie on the other hand was in many minds not even the best Center left in the draft after Hakeem had been picked. The Blazers decision to take Bowie has in retrospect been dubbed as the biggest draft bust in professional sports history. Although, it should be pointed out that as un-coveted as Bowie was, Jordan was not exactly the Bulls first choice either. In fact Rob Thorn, then general manager of the Chicago Bulls, was quoted by the Chicago Tribune after selecting Jordan as saying:

"We wish Jordan were 7-feet, but he isn't. There just wasn't a center available. What can you do? Jordan isn't going to turn this franchise around. I wouldn't ask him to. He's a very good offensive player, but not an overpowering offensive player."

Much to the pleasant bewilderment of Thorn, the Bulls and Michael Jordan turned out to be the perfect consortium. Chicago was able to cultivate Jordan's talents through the unorthodox coaching styles of the great Phil Jackson as well as surround him with the requisite supporting cast. The ingredients could not have been more proper and even more so, down right genius. The NBA was the stage; and in the Bulls, Jordan had found a production; and in Jordan, the Bulls had found a star.

Michael "Air" Jordan and his high flying- gravity defying, rim rattling, performance in the clutch antics went on to change the game forever. From his best selling shoe brand to his cinematic feats of the decade, M.J was more than just a basketball player; #23 transcended the game. When even the most casual observer looks back on Jordan and the 90's they will undoubtedly find themselves compelled to bear witness to the fact that no player has ever brought more attention and esteem to the NBA and the game of basketball. Simply put, there is not a word in existence that could more adequately describe Michael Jordan than "iconic".

"By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." —Introductory line of Jordan's NBA Encyclopedia biography


5. The Malice at the Palace

The spectacle between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at the Pistons home arena 'The Palace of Auburn Hills' could hardly have been billed as the "Thrilla in Manila" (the famous final boxing match between greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier). This observation is not solely predicated upon the fact that it was capriciously unplanned, but rather that it was also an appalling manifestation of the NBA at its worst.

With less than a minute left in the game Piston's Center Ben Wallace responded to then Pacer Forward Ron Artest's hard foul, which was committed while he (Wallace) was going up for a dunk. Wallace reacted by shoving Artest hard to the chest. From there the altercation transformed into an all out violent affair. Players from both teams engaged in pushing, shoving and even the exchange of punches.

As the incident started to seemingly calm down Artest lied upon the scorers table in what can only be described as a taunt (although Artest claims to have been trying to disengage). That is when a fan hurled a beverage at the young Forward and things once again escalated. Artest sprang up from the scores table and vaulted into the stands after a man whom he had mistakenly identified as the assailant. As he did, other players ventured into the stands as well. Now the fight that was once between players, incorporated fans. Once Artest had made it out of the stands he was aggressively approached by two fans on the court. He responded by punching one of them in the face. Teammate Jermain O'Neal intervened by gaining a running start and punching the other fan in the face.

As the Pacer's exited the floor towards the tunnel leading to the locker room they were met with a barrage of food, debris and a folding chair from the fans still in the stands. This led Pacer Guard Stephen Jackson to return from the locker room with what appeared to be a dust pan in an attempt to battle off fans. He was restrained however, and the atrocious catastrophe was left to the overwhelmed stadium security to sort out.

In the wake of the debacle the legal repercussions of the event were as follows: 5 players were charged with assault and all 5 were convicted; each of them receiving a year of probation and community service. Five fans were also charged with assault.

The NBA also levied out some consequences of their own. The 5 fans that were charged with assault also received a lifetime ban from Piston's home games. The NBA also took measures to limit the sale of alcohol at NBA games in congruence with increasing their stadium security presence. As far as the players were concerned the NBA initially suspended Artest, Jackson, O'Neal and Wallace indefinitely. Once the league finished sorting through the events of that night the more notable punishments handed out were as follows: Pacer's Forward Ron Artest was fined $4,995,000 along with receiving a suspension that lasted the remainder of the season (73 regular season games and incidentally 13 playoff games). Pacer's Guard Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and fined $1,700,000. Pacer's Center Jermain O'Neal was suspended for 15 games and fined $4,111,000. Detroit Piston's Center Ben Wallace was suspended 6 games and fined 400,000 dollars. Piston's Guard Chauncey Billups and Pacer's Guard Reggie Miller also received fines and suspensions.

The Malice at the Palace will always remain as black spot on the legacy of the NBA and a constant reminder to officials and coaches to get involved before things become unmanageable. Since the brawl there has been a noticeable uptick in the assessment of technical fouls and increasingly stringent guidelines for officials with respect to what constitutes the big T.

Enjoy ESPN's coverage of the event:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-169695640295285298#


6. Bargaining with a Lockout

The 1998-1999 NBA season did not see its first tip-off until February 5th after a collective bargaining agreement was reached between the NBA and the Players Association. The Players Association had been threatening a players lockout for years leading up to the 98-99 season and were eventually led to stage one due to not being able to meet a timely agreement with the league.

The shortened season led to an absence of the NBA All-Star game as well as many of the non-conference games that usually take place during a season. A total of 50 games per team were played in place of the regular 82 game schedule, with the addition of a full playoff schedule. The San Antonio Spurs led by David Robinson and Tim Duncan were crowned champions.

The NBA struggled for a few years following the lockout to match their pre-lockout revenues, but was eventually able to recover. The players however, were very content with the terms of the agreement and were able to have much more negotiating power within many different facets of their contracts. Players, money, and the NBA collectively have been markedly different since.

7. Grounded

James Jordan (Michael Jordan's father) was murdered on July 23, 1993 at a highway rest stop in North Carolina by two asinine teenagers. They were later caught and convicted to a life in prison. The sudden loss of his father rocked Michael's world. This sobering incident only served to exacerbate Jordan's purported thoughts of an early retirement.

On October 6, 1993 Michael Jordan stepped away from the NBA and the game of basketball. The face of the Bulls was now gone and the impact of Jordan's retirement was felt league wide. National and world wide interest in the NBA saw a definite decline. For fans of teams that, in spite of their respect of Jordan, loathed him and the Bulls, this was the opening they had been looking for. Parity had finally struck its chord in the NBA and the title was up for grabs.

While M.J was testing his skills on the baseball diamond, Hakeem Olajuwon and his Houston Rockets were winning championships; 2 to be exact. However, in March of 1995 the Chicago Bulls (who were at that point in mid season sitting on a 31-31 record) got their leader back. M.J scored 19 points in his much anticipated return to the Bulls, and also provided the NBA with their most viewed game on television since 1975. Although Jordan had been removed from the game for over a year the "Sultan of the Hardwood" soon regained his basketball mojo and led the Bulls into the postseason. Jordan and the Bulls were ultimately eliminated by the Orlando Magic in a 6 game Eastern Conference series. However, the following season the Chicago Bulls were right back in the NBA Finals; and as history now dictates, Michael Jordan led them to another astonishing 3 Championships in a row.


This concludes part 2 of my 3 part series the Ten Moments that Changed the NBA Forever. Tomorrow I will post Moments 8-10. Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed it.