Highly Unlikely

The "Basketball for Thought" is a commentary by Kris Gardner.

January 2000

It amazed me to read and hear how upset some people were with USA Basketball selecting Milwaukee Bucks' guard Ray Allen over Toronto Raptors' forward Vince Carter. One writer described Allen as a "decent" player. Other people stated Allen's selection as a "slap in Carter's face". Give me a break!

First, Ray Allen is one of the top shooting guards in the entire league. It's not Ray's fault he plays for a team in a small media market and thereby lacks exposure. However, Toronto is not exactly a huge media market, either; which indicates how much more popular a spectacular dunk is than a game winning turnaround jump shot.

Second, who says the committee had to select a player based on flash and popularity? Tom Gugliotta, Steve Smith, and Vin Baker were already named to the Olympic roster and none of them will ever be mistaken for a player who has more sizzle than steak.

Third, unless something drastic occurs, Carter can be named to the 2004 Olympic team. He's not about to retire within the next two or three years. Plus, what does it matter? No other country has a team with enough quality depth and / or talent to defeat the United States in the Olympics as long as NBA players (re: stars) are chosen. Hell, countries are still years away from losing to the US by only single digits.

In case you've been out of pocket the last few days, you know Charlotte Hornets' guard Bobby Phills was killed in a three car accident on January 12. The investigating officers have stated that Phills and teammate David Wesley were racing their respective Porsches at speeds exceeding 105 mph. Some people in the media have begun to shift their attention away from the stance of "what a great person" Phills was toward the position of a person who was "careless, irresponsible, and reckless". Why?

I never got the chance to meet him; however, the feelings and sentiments of those who did know Bobby indicate he was someone everyone could respect and admire. His death shouldn't change those feelings.

This shouldn't come as a shock: but, I've been known to break the speed limit every now and then. Who hasn't?! I've never gone past 85 mph (mainly because I've never driven a car that could go above 85). Did Phills and Wesley break the law when they were speeding? Obviously. Does it make them less human than me or anyone else? Of course not. Bobby Phills made a mistake in judgment. Yes, he and Wesley were speeding down the road possiblywithout regard for any other drivers on the road; but, Bobby paid the ultimate price for poor judgment. I don't hate him because of it. I'll mourn his passing just as I still mourn the death of my hero Len Bias who died June 19, 1986. People say Len tried cocaine only one time and it cost him his life. Len's death hasn't stopped people from using cocaine while Bobby's death won't stop people from speeding.

Will Phills' death cause people (athletes in particular) to drive slower? Highly unlikely. Should we all obey the speed limit? Sure; however, we don't and we won't. Bobby Phills' death seems much more news worthy than Vince Carter being snubbed for the Olympics team.