Buck in the NY Times

by TLF_Big_Papi on Mar 4, 2008 10:53 AM PST Comment 2 comments

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/sports/basketball/04araton.html?_r=1&ref=basketball&oref=s login

Buck Williams is in the NY Times (via TrueHoop's Tuesday Bullets http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-31-4/Tuesday-Bullets.html ) politely discussing race and NBA management hires. I must say that Buck's quotes are pretty vanilla and then the reporter uses them as a springboard for his own opinion.

The interesting bit of the article that pertains loosely to the Trailblazer organization is two paragraphs that basically say that the NBA is more enlightened in its diversity in hiring than most places, but "the midlevel or journeyman N.B.A. white player is still ascending to the choice front-office position, the general manager's chair, by more than two to one".

KP is an example of a (not even NBA) journeyman white player. He has earned his position and done wonderfully; but it is an interesting paradox that so many of the former players that go to management are white when the majority of players are black.

I'm not sure I have a point, just that I found it an interesting tidbit in an article that I clicked to because Buck Williams was in the TrueHoop tease.

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I'm making a guess

If I exclude the good old boys club mentality, maybe it's because the journeyman white player has a lot more time sitting around observing stuff while the other guys play. Not that I am correct, just speculating.

"I fart in your general direction! You mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

by tominhawaii on Mar 4, 2008 11:08 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

not to open up a can of worms here

but i find this issue very, very interesting.

looking through the media guides (you know this is my pet hobby) it's amazing to see the educational pedigrees of most nba executives. 4 year college degrees at the very least. many hold advanced degrees; many attended old boy network type institutions. statistically, access to this type of education has been limited not only for black athletes but for blacks in general.

another interesting thing to consider: very good (but not superstar) players in the nba often do not finish 4 years of college, but most every mid-level player does. i would suspect that plays a role here as well.

also, i think we can and should acknowledge socioeconomic pressures many black athletes have faced that push them towards leaving early. while you can always go back to get your degree, it does take you off the hiring "fast track" if you wait to do so after your career is over.

no question about it: the NBA should address this issue directly.

ps. buck williams is the man.

"I want Portland to be the model franchise." ~ Bobby Medina

by Ben. on Mar 4, 2008 12:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs