The Last Link

Memories tend to be jaded, and often things in the past were not actually quite as good as remembered. With that being said, despite my current love for the NBA, I cannot help but to reminisce back to the 90’s on occasion, and longingly linger on the state of the League at the time. Nothing against the players today, but everything was better in the 90’s; basketball, hip-hop, shoes.. The 1990’s era of NBA basketball is what got me hooked on the game, and regardless of my affection for any of the game’s future or current talent, I don’t imagine that I will ever be quite as captivated as I was then; watching Michael and just knowing that you were witnessing something special; watching a crop of first-ballot hall of famers, who looked as though they generally enjoyed playing the game, trying to dethrone His Airness year in and year out. Every game seemed like it mattered to these guys, and watching this passion on the NBA on NBC was a weekly highlight. I watch more basketball now than I did then, and I know much more about the game, which is maybe why I appreciated it more then. Regardless, despite my excitement and enthusiasm regarding the upcoming playoffs, part of me still wishes it was the 1990’s and I was sitting listening to a new 2pac album (one that he actually released, not one that’s been stitched together a decade after his death), while watching Miller vs. Ewing in a first-round matchup as an appetizer, and then enjoying Malone and Stockton battling David Robinson as the finale.

Luckily, the transition from Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Michael, Scottie, and Charles to the era of ringtone rap, big endorsements, and even bigger egos has been bridged by one of my favorite players of all time, allowing me to adapt to the new generations of players, while still having someone to fall back on to remind myself of NBA seasons past. He represents the last remaining link between the golden era of 90’s NBA basketball to today’s batch of ballers. He has managed to not only stay relevant, but actually managed to dominate the game for the better part of two decades. I am of course talking about Shaquille O’Neal. One could argue that there has never been a brighter personality in the NBA. Between his comedic nicknames and interviews, his bigger-than-life off the court swagger, his movie roles, his rap albums, and even his hilarious on-court mannerisms, Shaq is certainly a once in a lifetime type character. Shaq was drafted in the early 90’s, just as I began to heavily follow the game, so naturally I paid attention to the big man, who has since always been there to remind me of the glorious past of the NBA, while serving as a sign of hope for the future as well. When Michael retired for the first time, Shaq filled the excitement void by carrying the Magic to their first Finals (despite losing to another all-time great center once there). He was a member of the ’96 Dream Team when the U.S. still dominated the world with superior basketball. When Michael retired the second time, along with many of his contemporaries, Shaq welcomed the new generation of talent by leading the Lakers to 3 straight titles alongside the biggest star of the new wave of warriors. Then, when all the other legends that made up the all-star teams of the 90’s were golfing, broadcasting, relaxing, and enjoying their retirement, Shaq continued to roll along, adding another NBA title to his resume, coupling with another budding superstar in Dwayne Wade.

And even now, while watching his peers being inducted into the hall, he continues. Shaq himself has little left to prove; rings, scoring titles, all-star selections, records, MVP awards –everything that we use as a standard to rate the career of an individual, Shaq has. And yet, there he is, looking recharged and rejuvenated in Phoenix, having one of his most statistically efficient seasons, despite the Sun’s struggles. Shaq’s woes last year demonstrated to me that a man I have always taken for granted and considered to be ageless, would one day no longer be able to illuminate the NBA with his presence. Although some predict this day to be sooner than later, I hope for the sake of myself and all NBA fans that this is not the case, because when Shaq retires, so does the only active bridge between two separate generations of basketball. When Shaq retires, we not only lose a legend, but that last link as well.