As a small market team fan (Sacramento Kings) I think this was the right thing to do. I'm tired of all these "Dream Teams" being put together. These players are getting to go where ever the hell they want. The new CBA was supposed to do something about this, but I heard it didn't happen. Big name players don't want to come to Sacramento, tough shit! I didn't want 10 furlough days this year! It's becoming harder and harder to remain a fan of NBA basketball. My rant for the day:stickbeat
So let's say I'm a good employee I work for a small company and want to quit because I find a place that can pay me more and I can have better opportunities should there be some governing body that tells me I can't because I'm too valuable to the place I currently work for?
I think the nba just opened a can of worms imo. If there were cap issues or something of that nature id understand, but to nix it because the lakers will be too good? What a load of horse ****. And for the record I dispise the lakers but don't see the issue w/the trade.
I see what both of you are saying. To me, the free-market analogy doesn't work here, though. Sure, from that point of view all the caps and trade rules, etc., are bogus. But sports are NOT a free market economy.
In order for sports to be ... sporting ... there needs to be ways to level the playing field and keep things competitive. Otherwise, teams in high-dollar venues just get uber-amazing, and all the small-market teams have to go bankrupt. You'll end up with 6 teams in each of the major sports ... then no one will watch, no one will make money, and there won't be any sports at all.
"Fair" is largely in the eye of the beholder, and honestly "fairness" as a concept is an illusion anyway (it's just a child's view of justice, flawed by lack of perspective). The issue here isn't fairness, it's what is best for the sport as a whole, long term.
In the case of this particular issue, I really don't know. I think I understand why the trade might have smelled funny to certain people given the league-owned team issue ... but that could just as easily be an excuse to keep a good team from getting another great player.
