Gifted is the politician who can transcend race or gender. Rare are the instances when its been done, since successful politicians usually represent a particular interest group, and in so doing exclude others. That’s the nature of the beast.
Which is why artists and athletes are such important people. The most important people, really. ‘Cause they navigate us thru all kinds of murky social waters--particularly the rough surf of race relations and integration where most politicians fear to tread.
The history of race relations in Detroit is pretty pathetic, but when it comes to Joe Louis and Tommy Hearns, everyone in Detroit--black and white, claims them as their own.
Course Joe Louis was way too early for me, but my dad got me his autograph on one of his trips to Vegas. By then Louis was broke and indebted to the IRS for hundreds of thousands of dollars, so he sat outside Caesars Palace and signed autographs for $20 a pop. The legendary Brown Bomber who knocked-out Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. Detroit’s own Joe Louis! 20 bucks a pop.
Detroit Tigers are the oldest sports team in Detroit--and Red Wings are probably the most decorated franchise; but my family grew-up with NBA, so my favorite team has always been The Pistons.
One day when I was a kid--maybe ten years old or so, my dad took me to a Pistons game at Cobo Hall. Back then we used to go to all the games and oftentimes had courtside seats. Sounds like a big deal now, but this was (35) years ago. Long before ESPN and skyboxes and the need for salary caps. Men still wore suits to the game--no team jerseys or jeans in the crowd.
Anyway, in those days there was a guy who’d go to every game. Leon. An older black guy who always wore a pimped-out red suit and fedora hat. Leon had the same seats, but a different gal every game. I was kind of in awe of him for that, and because of the respect he commanded from his seat behind the Pistons bench.
Before each tip-off, Leon would hold court with a regal air to prognosticate about the game and opine on the various match-ups. It’d be him, my dad, about a dozen other regulars with season tickets. Professional men from disparate racial backgrounds who (back in the 1970’s) would never have socialized in a non-work, social situation. This is what I mean about the importance of sports.
Well, this one night Leon was in the midst of his pre-game analysis when he casually dropped what appeared to be an innocuous comment.
“You all hear about this kid they got out in Lansing?” he asked the group of men in suits.
“Johnson?” one of ‘em asked.
“That’s right. Got the chance to see him play the other night.”
“Yeah, he’s good?”
“Shit! Let me tell you, that kid’s got Magic in his Johnson. That’s just what they call him too--Magic. Kid’s gonna turn the league on his head, you’ll see. Ain’t never been nothing like him.”
I walked away from that conversation with a confusion I couldn’t shake. It tugged at my young mind long after the game began. Until finally, I had to ask.
“Dad, what’d Leon mean when he said ‘that one guy had Magic in his Johnson.’”
My parents exchanged a tacit look.
“...Nothing Lodo,” my dad finally said. “He just means he’s real good.”
That was the first time I’d heard of Magic Johnson, and little did I know it was the beginning of the end for the Grdzak’s and our courtside seats.
Before Magic and Bird the NBA wasn’t much bigger than hockey, but once they entered the league it was Showtime. Courtside seats were worth big money and any games we watched after that were from our couch in front of the TV.
When Magic beat Larry Bird for the NCAA title there wasn’t really any racial element to the rivalry. It was more like the small school (Indiana State) vs. the big goliath of Michigan State University.
But when Bird went to the Celtics along with Kevin Mchale and Danny Ainge, you had to scratch your head a bit. Not that all those guys weren’t great--of course they were. Yet you couldn’t help but feel like Boston went out of its way to sign white guys.
Those Celtics/Lakers teams had a great rivalry in the ‘80’s; and both Magic and Bird had success in different years. Course I liked Magic over Bird since he was from Detroit and because he was more unique in the way he played all positions. And at the end of the day Magic won (3) more rings, so I think history validates Magic’s dominance.
Isaiah Thomas and my Bad Boy Pistons eventually got (2) rings themselves, but they had a much harder time with the Celtics. Those teams were very evenly matched.
More than the Lakers or The Celtics, The Pistons climb to greatness was an extended journey. With very gradual steps since we had no overwhelming superstar to propel us over the top. As such, our margin for error was less and there were more obstacles along the way.
At one point in 1987 it appeared the Pistons were going to finally beat The Celtics in the East Coast Finals. I forget if it was game 6 or 7, but Boston was down by a point with (5) seconds left on the clock. All Isiah Thomas had to do was inbounds the ball, then we’d run out the clock. The game was ours.
But that freaking Larry Bird was a crafty motherfucker! Isiah got a little flippant with the pass, Bird made a great read on the ball--suddenly a steal, a quick basket. Boston wins by a point.
...What the fuck the just happened?!
A great play by Bird. A heads-up play. That’s all it was. He got the best of Isiah just like he got the best of most of the league--white and black. The guy was a surefire Hall of Famer.
But after that game--perhaps in the heat of the moment, rookie Dennis Rodman commented,
“Bird’s very over-rated. He only won (3) MVP’s cause he’s white.”
Then Isiah Thomas chimed-in. “I agree with Rodman. ...If Bird was black, he’d be considered just another good guy.”
Keep in mind, these comments took place right after the game, while both players were still in the moment of what had happened. You cant blame them for being emotional.
But when those quotes made it to the papers, it was pretty strong stuff. Isiah had to hold a press conference to apologize. Rodman too. They were both apologetic; but Isiah didn’t completely back down either. He gave a kind of long-winded explanation as to what irked him so much--some of which seemed valid; but in my mind all he really had to ask was "Hey Boston, why you got so many white guys on your team?"
Why indeed was what we'd all wondered in Detroit, long before that play.
Isiah Thomas (3 days after Bird's steal): “Larry definitely had to work to get where he's at, but so many times its been said about black athletes that their talent is ‘God-given’ or that it’s natural ability. I had to work just as hard to get where I am. It's not God-given or instinctive. Basketball is a game where you do things over and over again. When someone makes a great play it's not a matter of instinct, but how quickly you can recall.”
* NOTE: Due to the length of this post, I'm going to split it into at least (1) more part.
3 comments:
I think Larry Bird was one of the great player of his era. Along with Magic they took the NBA to a new level like you said.
The Celtic, at the time,did have mostly white players. The Boston Red Sox were the last team in the major leauges to have a black player on thier roster. It seems that Boston takes a little time intergating thier area.
Good stuff Lodo.
Thanks Willie,
I know exactly what you mean about Boston "taking its time." Lotta assholes over there (and I'm sure lots of good people too).
And yes, Bird was great. Though as we've seen with Lebron (and even Kobe before the Lakers got Gasol), no one guy can take you over the top on their own. Closest anyone's come to that was Magic Johnson his first year in the league. Guy played every position and started at center in that last game of The Finals.
Not even Jordan could do that.
I think you're right about the unifying nature of sports & the arts.
There is no doubt in my mind that much human progress would never have been made without them.
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