This past weekend was a blessing sent from the basketball gods. If you're heavy into hoop history then you were treated to the televised Revolutions documenting Michigan's "Fab 5" and their blueprint, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Considering the huge impact they made in basketball culture and society overall, I felt compelled to chronicle the four turning points that transcended basketball in the last 30 years.
Thirty years sounds like a random number but it denotes the foundation of the NBA's "Neo" era birthed by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird ("Neo NBA" meaning the age of cable rights, national TV games/highlights, sold out stadiums, etc.) If the Christian calendar recognizes the first year of Jesus' birth as "Anno Domini" or "A.D.", then 1979 should be the NBA's version of "A.D."—“After Drafted Bird and Magic.”
Acknowledging the trailblazing feats by these legends should be implicit, so the first person recognized in the NBA's "A.D." era as a transcendent figure is Michael Jordan. Jordan emerged on the scene in the mid 80s with an infectious flare and style of play that was foreign to the general public. He captivated the nation with an aerial assault that featured high-flying dunks and gravity-defying usages of hang time when driving to the rim. This unprecedented style of play and domination lent itself to unprecedented levels of commercial exposure and monetary success in Corporate America. Jordan is known as the godfather of Nike's success and popularity, along with introducing the world to other on-court fashion statements. The extent of Mike's influence reached global proportions as evidenced in the ‘92 Olympics, but his roots in Chicago may have been most pivotal in the shaping of his legend. The Windy City has the resources to be labeled as the New York City of the Midwest while maintaining its hard-working, blue-collar reputation. Michael Jordan encapsulated that double entendre beautifully. Besides, the Bulls had no substantive history or tradition so Mike could do no wrong. His work ethic mimicked the grit of the city's blue-collar side while his game performances suggested Broadway. As a 6'6" guard who could also handle the ball, shoot, pass, defend, and play above the ground, he set the precedent for the prototypical contemporary swingman (think Kobe, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Tracy McGrady all in their primes).
The next two entities that transcended the sport of basketball on and off the court are the aforementioned Fab Five and UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Setting trends and affecting the culture on the collegiate level rarely occurs. Historically, big time college basketball programs are mostly defined by their coaches. Typically, it’s the guys like Bob Knight, Coach K, John Wooden, Roy Williams, and Dean Smith who play the marquee name on the bill when their school is in town, and their programs usually adhere to strict discipline and honor codes. The running joke in Chapel Hill was that the only person to contain Jordan was Dean Smith, so the fact that these teams equaled their coach in stature (UNLV) and even eclipsed him (Michigan) is extremely impressive.
UNLV was the father of the Fab Five in so many ways, particularly because the make up of the teams was so similar. Both teams boasted versatile future power forwards that would eventually go on and become the #1 pick in the NBA (LJ/C-Webb). They both had the luxury of being afforded two head-strong, tough, and talented point guards for leaders (Greg Anthony/Jalen Rose). Everything UNLV did beforehand was subsequently embraced and enhanced by the Freshmen, including style (meshing street fashion with Nike) and social disposition (introducing mainstream sports to hip-hop culture). Additional crucial elements that Michigan inherited from UNLV were the Rebels' racial stereotypes and rivalry with Duke. HBO and ESPN both did an excellent job bringing insight to the magnitude of those social and racial match-ups, but I took the Duke situation far worse then most. In political terms I viewed Duke on the same level as the oppressive, Jim Crow government of the early 50s. When Vegas beat the Blue Devils in the 1990 title game, it felt as if my father just won a civil rights case in court. When the Devils beat Vegas in the Final Four the next year, it was as if government tried my old man in the same case but this time he was sentenced to life in prison. And then when his son (Fab 5) attempted to avenge his father of this injustice the next year, he was convicted to the same fate (loss to Duke in the championship game).
Speaking of the legal system, the arrival of Allen Iverson and his movement was the last lightning bolt to strike and transcend basketball. If UNLV/Fab Five were the malcontents to the media's bark, then Iverson was definitely the bite. What made Vegas and Michigan so scary was the "potential" factor. People really thought Ice Cube was killing people and Public Enemy were breaking people out of jail when the Fab Five hopped on the scene. When Allen Iverson became notorious, mainstream America was becoming more receptive and understanding of the "hip-hop" athlete. I'll never publicly throw the Answer under the bus, but most of the transgressions in his career seemed to substantiate a lot of the preconceived notions that were falsely placed on the likes of a Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, or Larry Johnson. But getting in trouble or being a bad-ass doesn't make you a transcendent figure. Iverson was able to parlay all of the negative press into a great career sans the final year. Corn-rows, arm sleeves, and a plethora of tattoos will forever be credited to Iverson. When the NBA institutes a dress code and Charlie Sheen quotes you ("Practice"), those are clear indicators to me that you transcended basketball on and off the court!
I'm really glad two of my favorite teams of all time got major shine this weekend. A lot of people slept on the UNLV documentary but ESPN wouldn't allow that to happen. They did a good marketing job; it seemed as if Onyx’s opus “Slam” was the soundtrack to every other commercial that came on television advertising the film. I really can't add on much except that I'm pretty salty all of my Detroit/Chicago urban legend stories were exposed to the masses (guess I'm not in the Cool Kids Club anymore). The whole phenomenon of kids going to the league from high school was a major turning point, and you can definitely credit Kevin Garnett and Kobe for that, but that option has since been eradicated. The perpetual and continuous affect of UNLV, The Fab Five, and Allen Iverson resonate to this day!
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