Where's the Motivation?

Now that football season is over, I began to wonder what story lines in the world of sports would inspire me to write. There were a couple of topics I wanted to cover before the football season went into hibernation, but I missed my window after my computer broke last week. I noticed the NBA All Star game was last weekend. I couldn't believe half a season was gone and I hadn't written about basketball once. I used to look forward to the All Star game. Now it sneaks up on me as much as the Olympics.

I have had some minor trepidation thinking about the tedious task of getting caught up on hoops. I used to really enjoy basketball, especially the NBA. It was a suitable way to soothe the football hangover. I never had a rightful claim to an NBA team while growing up, so I followed the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan. I would watch just about any NBA game I could get in the 90s. Time marched on, and the superstars of the period retired. A void was left that couldn't be filled with the rising stars of the time. I lost interest in the NBA and found myself watching less each season.

These days I struggle to find the motivation to invest in basketball. Of course, I love my Sooners. Despite the struggles of the team this year, I have been thrilled to have Jeff Capel building the program. They are filled with young talent that can't stay on the floor long enough to find any consistency. They seem to be mirroring the football team with their Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde type play, getting big wins at home but getting smoked on the road.

Also like the football team, they lost the best player in the country when sophomore Blake Griffin was the first player selected in last year's NBA draft. Like his counterpart (Sam Bradford), Griffin will miss the entire season due to injury. Pretty spooky. Griffin was the most dominate player I ever saw play for the Sooners. I am old enough to recall the days of Stacey King and Mookie Blaylock, but Griffin was frightening athletically.

So it's understandable that the Sooners have struggled. They need to find an identity without Griffin, and they tend to look for leadership from sophomores and freshman. While I am still a loyal and rabid fan, I do not live and die by wins and losses during a season like this. I really enjoy watching the growth of players and the maturation process of the team, but I am not sweating my clothing choices for fear of jinxing a national championship. NCAA basketball will not be able to fill the void of passion this season.

I have searched to replace the Bulls as my NBA team of choice as I no longer have a rooting interest in that franchise. I thought I would become a Clippers fan and follow Griffin's career. But the Clippers curse continued as Griffin was lost for the season to injury before he ever played a game.

The Clips used to play in San Diego before defecting to Los Angeles. There are few true fans of San Diego sports, but for those of us that exist, rooting for the Clippers is a bitter pill to swallow. Not only are they one of the worst franchises in NBA history (par for the course in San Diego, not L.A.), but they left San Diego. It's hard to feel any loyalty to a franchise that moves away, especially when they only get three televised games a year. That book closed quickly once Griffin called it a season.

Then there's the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma has always been my second home, and I have true and serious ties to the area. More than being an OU alumnus, my father's side of the family is from Norman, so there is a sense of belonging. I was excited when OKC finally got a professional sports team. The city has embraced the NBA looking for something other than the Sooners (or Cowboys if you're a degenerate) to cheer for. I have been proud of my friends who live in OKC with the way they support Thunder basketball. It is good for the entire state and it helps OKC become a viable market nationally.

Unfortunately, even this has failed to stir the NBA fan within me. I have loosely followed the progression of the Thunder and they have some tremendous young talent. Many speculate they are headed to the playoffs behind Kevin Durant who has quickly become one of the best players in the league. He is a pure scorer, and sure to be a superstar many years to come. Management has made a serious effort to put a competitive team on the floor, and they have made some great personnel choices.

So why can't I buy in? Is it because Durant went to the University of Texas? That's got to be part of it. I would like to hear how Thunder fans get past that. Or perhaps it's the blue and orange uniforms. I realize the Thunder didn't want to alienate folks by slapping crimson and cream on their new NBA franchise, but Boise State colors? Anything with orange? A better choice would have been maroon and gold like Arizona State, but I suppose that's not too Thunderish.

I would argue that NBA stars are not what they used to be, but the current Kobe Bryant/LeBron James rivalry captures basketball fans all over the world. I have never been a Kobe guy (although I have softened my stance as he has matured), and LeBron is still a youngster who has no supporting cast. Shaquille O'Neal is good for a few headlines, but no longer the cornerstone to an NBA championship. I have a hard time convincing myself to root for Cleveland even with James running the floor as my favorite player.

The nation's economic state is reflected in NBA franchises around the league. Talks of an impending work stoppage due to labor and contract disputes do not help foster my desire to be an NBA fan. Owners are clamoring to save money this year to prepare for an off season where James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will be on the market. The Miami Heat aren't far removed from an NBA championship, yet their financial struggle has left Wade as the only player to watch on a team with no future. Sounds familiar.

The NBA has always been a player driven league, and will continue to be after contracts become more polarized next season. The elite few will command more than the rest of their supporting cast combined as the term sports billionaire becomes relevant. With the unemployment levels skyrocketing and the nation facing a terrible recession, I am not sure how contracts over the $100 million mark will help grow popularity. If a labor dispute should arise from players who don't want to see their $15 million contracts turn to $12 million, fans will have a hard time sympathizing.

Currently, there is only a handful of competitive teams, and even less marketable stars still in their prime. There needs to be more choices when shopping for an NBA team. The lack of rivalries has left a stale smell in the arena. The NBA has allowed Nike to pigeonhole the league by only promoting Kobe and LeBron. A new class of stars like Durant must be promoted to restore the NBA to its 90s popularity.

So if there are any NBA fans out there that can help me regain my interest in professional basketball, please let me hear from you. I would like to know who to root for and why. Right now, I am coming up with dead ends. I guess if all else fails, I'll let the season float by and start watching when the playoffs start. That's what I have done the last five years. I don't really see a reason to change.