For Hansbrough, Love, it's all about now
This is madness
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Do you know anyone bothered by the fact that Marvelous Marvin Gaye failed to drop 12 bars in the middle of Sexual Healing?
I didn't think so. So why do we care that Hansbrough might be the second coming of Eduardo Najera in the Association? Why does it matter that Love may have similar NBA upside as Nick Collison? Why can't we appreciate Hansbrough and Love for what they are, tremendous college players?
I have a friend who keeps preaching to me that I have to learn to live in the moment and enjoy it.
We're on the brink of a historic Final Four, a gathering of No. 1 seeds and truly great teams in San Antonio. I spent much of Sunday evening and Monday morning sulking because Davidson College, Stephen Curry and Stephen Curry's breathtaking mama were knocked from the tournament.
With no remarkable upsets and Cinderella eliminated, the tournament lost its charm. I complained that this weekend's Final Four was the best tourney that recruiting money could buy and that college basketball was turning into Major League Baseball, a game rigged in favor of the big spenders. I worried that the men's tournament would start to play out like the women's tourney, a race between a half-dozen teams.
You see, rather than appreciate what we have, a classic ending that pits the best and brightest, I wasted energy and emotion moaning about what was missing and speculating about a future that I can't control.
My point is Tyler Hansbrough is college basketball's best player, and Love is in the top five. What they'll do at the next level is irrelevant. What they'll do this weekend is all that matters. My suspicion is Hansbrough will lead North Carolina to victory over Kansas and Love will power UCLA to victory over Memphis, setting up a made-for-TV showdown of Rocky vs. Rocky, Balboa vs. Marciano.
Would I rather see Davidson and shots of Sonya Curry cheering in the stands or a pregame package featuring old clips of her playing volleyball at Virginia Tech? Maybe, but that's because I'm an old-school traditionalist who likes to see the game played the right way. And Dell Curry, besides being a great shooter, is obviously an old-school playa of the highest order.
I'm sorry. I digress.
No doubt there are more physically gifted players than Hansbrough and Love. Kansas' Darrell Arthur and Memphis' Derrick Rose meet the description. Kansas State's Michael Beasley certainly has more raw skill and will have a superior NBA career. The style of play in the NBA will make O.J. Mayo a much better baller than he was in his freshman season at USC.
The college game fits Hansbrough and Love, and we shouldn't downgrade their production because it won't translate to the pros.
Some people criticize Hansbrough because they think broadcasters make too big of a deal about his work ethic. The broadcasters are former coaches and players who have a keen understanding of how difficult it is to control the effort and energy of 20-year-old basketball players.
Hansbrough's Dennis Rodman-like intensity makes it easier for Roy Williams to coach. It's more difficult to loaf when the biggest and most celebrated player on your team is going 100 miles per hour.
Look at the Phoenix Suns for an example. The key to their improved play has been Shaquille O'Neal's Hansbrough-like effort. Shaq is finally playing the way Kobe Bryant begged him to in L.A. Shaq is thin, hustling up and down the court and diving on the floor and into the stands for loose balls. After a 3-6 start with Shaq, the Suns have won 10 of their last 13.
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Does Hansbrough have to hustle to put up 22 and 10? Yes. Does Shaq now have to hustle to avoid embarrassing himself? Yes.
Athletes, like all humans, do whatever is necessary for them to survive. Blessed with a couple more inches of height and longer arms, Hansbrough would likely play a different game.
Try this analogy: I have two friends who love to chase women. They're both former basketball players. One — we'll call him Tyler — is 6-foot-3, has put on a good 75 pounds since his playing days and looks like a retired NFL lineman. The other — we'll call him Beasley — is 6-7, stays in the gym and looks like Rick Fox's brother.
Beasley goes in a bar, sits at a table, buys a drink or two and holds polite conversation with one or two select women. Tyler wears the biggest, friendliest smile at all times, talks to everyone in the bar, drinks until he's bubbly and might smoke a cigarette or two. Beasley will close a deal by midnight and leave no later than 1 a.m. with an absolute superstar. Tyler will leave at closing time with a 40-year-old divorcee and the 25-year-old waitress who served him drinks all night.
Who is the playa of the year, Beasley or Tyler? It all depends on your perspective.
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