Women pros can shoot free throws better than the men. Yet when the NBA held its All-Star Game recently, the emphasis was still placed on personal sideshow skills. The new rage is Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors. Because he can dunk more spectacularly than anybody else. Tiger Woods drew a rating of 8 in the afternoon and our figure-skating ballerinas drew an 8.5 the night before.
Attendance is down in most arenas.
Yet the league and NBC, its partner, seem determined to continue to place all bets on the star system. The NBA has got to start putting on its game face. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer. Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. An AOL Time Warner Company.