GROWING TIRED OF ‘FOUL PLAY’

Today’s National Basketball Association is getting progressively softer. Teams used to go at it for 48 minutes, cheap shots and all, and no one batted an eye. Nowadays, if someone even turns the wrong way too near an opponent, that someone ends up on the floor in an Emmy-worthy fashion.

In last Saturday’s Lakers-Rockets game, following a common foul on Houston’s James Harden by Brandon Ingram, of Los Angeles, Harden (as usual) complained that the foul should have included the basket he had made, even though he took an extra two steps.

Ingram, not pleased with Harden’s usual begging for handouts, shoved him, and the battle ensued.

Rockets team “leader” Chris Paul inserted himself into the scuffle to protect his teammate. Wanting to get in on the fun, new Laker Rajon Rondo did the same, confronting Paul and exchanging words just to get his 2 cents in.

This confrontation took a turn for the worse when punches were exchanged. Starting with what Paul claimed was Rondo spitting in his face, Paul shoved his finger into Rondo’s face. Not taking to kindly to this, Rondo began to throw punches, connecting on one to Paul’s head. In retaliation, Chris connected on a quick two-piece to the dome of Rondo.

The fight was dispersed by teammates dragging the two apart, but once the scuffle seemed to have died down, re-enter Ingram –throwing a haymaker of a cheap shot at Paul’s head.

The three have since been suspended by the NBA head office, but do not let that distract you from how soft these players are getting.

Let’s not forget what started this scuffle. Harden, being the supreme crybaby, actor that he is, was upset that after taking five steps, his basket did not count. Although “the Beard” deserves a bit more criticism for this, Ingram, the third-year Laker, had no room to shove him just because he didn’t agree with him.

This another example that today’s players just aren’t as mentally tough as NBA ballers used to be. This charge has been led by none other than Harden himself, the man who averages nearly 10 free throws a game, and over 800 free throws in three of the last four seasons.

Put simply, players nowadays have resorted to trying to draw fouls, more of the time, rather than playing basketball.

For example, in Monday’s overtime loss to the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazer point guard Damian Lillard came off a screen as he does time after time. The only difference here, instead of taking the usual pull-up jumper, Lillard leaned back into the tailing defender, trying to draw a foul instead of just shooting the open jump shot. This shot came in an important possession since the game was so close. Miraculously, Lillard sank the shot, but still wanted the foul call, and let the refs hear about it.

This shot mirrors multiple plays from Harden and other players such as Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry, who are multiple-time offenders in kicking their legs out on a somewhat-contested jump shot just to hook the defender to draw a foul.

To all of this – all the flopping, crying to the refs, begging for handouts, and starting fights over a common foul call – I say, play the damn game. On behalf of all NBA fans, or just basketball fans, we are tired of seeing this. Fans want to see players going at each other on the court, trading baskets, making tough shots, and actually outplaying the opponent. We are tired of seeing players result to acting or flopping.

Basketball is a contact sport, and some players need to realize that and fight through a little adversity, rather than expecting everything to be given to them.