Elite athletes keep pushing the envelope making records fall and staggering amounts of money look pretty routine in their quest for excellence.
Beyond their chosen disciplines, sports athletes are pushing the boundaries on matters beyond their play like handling free agency and venturing into sensitive social issues which would have hitherto been absent. Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James is a classic example of not sticking to sports but doing more than that by going hard at US President Donald Trump.
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Le’Veon Bell is forcing his way to become a free agent by failing to report to the team 10 weeks into the season due to a standoff with management over contract talks. The All Pro Bowl player turned down a $14 million franchise tag which would have had him play for the team with an unknown future beyond this season.
His controversial move comes after Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers indicated a quicker route to free agency and more power for players in such situations would endear league more.
Rodgers made the statement ahead of the season where Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Real Madrid to Juventus dominated world headlines.
On another level, one of Rodgers long standing rival teams is the Seattle Seahawks which boasted one of the best defenses half a decade ago. The core group of deep line defense made up of Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Brandon Browner and Byron Maxwell earned the nickname, “The Legion of Boom”.
The group won the Super Bowl in 2013 but a loss to New England Patriots the following year over a controversial call from Coach Pete Carroll marked the end of the elite group. Handing the ball to Running Back Marshawn Lynch was the logical option but Seattle Quarterback Russell Wilson’s pass was intercepted costing the team a second Super Bowl title.
In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors have built a dynamic juggernaut that has won three championships in four seasons. Going by the nickname the “Hamptons Five“, Warriors look almost destined to be the first team to win three straight titles since Lakers last did it in 2002. Luring Kevin Durant to the team after the famous meeting at the Hamptons Hotel brought about the nickname. Despite struggles with adjustment, the five man unit has worked well to power the franchise to an incredible run.
However, recent run ins threaten to unhinge everything the team has worked for. Draymond Green’s heated exchange with Kevin Durant in a loss to Los Angeles Clippers has generated a lot of talking points about the potential end of this unique team. Thanks to similar incidents in past seasons including Green insulting Coach Steve Kerr, this is a big deal.
Questioning Durant’s approach to free agency and hitting him with profanity laced insults has led many to believe Durant-the former Oklahoma City Thunder man-is leaving after this season. The Warriors won the 2015 title and played in the finals the next season after winning 73 regular season games before Durant’s arrival.
However, the team lost to LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 Final but has won back to back titles after adding Durant to the roster. It is important to note in both finals, Durant sealed Warriors wins with a pair of unforgettable three pointers en route to winning the Most Valuable Player titles in both finals underlining his importance to the team’s success.
Lost in the heat of the exchange, the quiet Klay Thompson feelings of disgust after Green’s queer decision late in the game was clearly written on his face. Only God and deep insiders know how long he has been containing such frustrations inside. Considering he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Thompson could be the next out of the door leaving Steph Curry and Green as the key holdovers. As important as Andre Iguodala’s defense is to Warriors course particularly in the postseason, he doesn’t play a lot of minutes and has a ton of injuries to deal with.
DeMarcus Cousins is just a one year rental who has bad blood with Durant at the time Cousins played for New Orleans Pelicans. His presence on the floor isn’t guaranteed as a player recovering from an Achilles injury and his odd fit in Warriors small ball fast paced game. Budding stalwart Small Forward Patrick McCaw is still holding out for an improved contract, is yet to play this season and has been linked to Philadelphia Sixers and a handful of teams.
The talent of Curry, Iguodala and Green is far from enough to compete in the Western Conference and that is the uncertain future Golden State faces in the near future.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
