We've taken the game, and a great part of the game now is more show business than competition. And he's an extreme example of that, but part of it. But Phil Jackson said, I'll have him on my team, and we'll win a championship. And we're supposed to be playing to win. There's some flashes of brilliance every now and then, which keeps it from getting dull.
Some players can get past the mundane issues that dominate the game.
There are maybe half a dozen good centers in the league. But they'll play each other and won't guard each other. So for you it was a matter of pride to match up with the best. That's imposing your will on the game and deciding the pace of the game and how the game's going to be played. That's why they keep score.