Over the course of an NBA career that has spanned 12 years and 11 different teams, it’s safe to say Mike James has seen it all. This season, in addition to backing up Derrick Rose in Chicago, James brings that veteran’s perspective to sportsnet.ca, covering topics around the Association in his new weekly column, James World.
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In a recent pre-season game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, 5-foot-9 Nuggets guard Nate Robinson took offence to the physical play of OKC’s seven-foot rookie centre Steven Adams, and gave the big man a smack to the gut.
Robinson was ejected and was fined $10,000 for his actions on Tuesday. But was the shot deserved? Was Robinson trying to teach Adams to respect his vets? Trying to endear himself to his new teammates by acting tough with the biggest guy on the court? Mike James breaks it down.
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If you’re going to a new team, the only way anyone is going to respect you is if you go onto the court and do the right things to help the team win. That’s how you earn respect. Sometimes guys have false toughness inside of them. It shouldn’t be about proving anything to anybody – you let your game speak for yourself.
Nobody is going to respect you for being a fake thug. They’re going to respect you for being the basketball player that you are. I’ve played on a lot of teams, and when I join a new team my main thing is: you don’t have to like me off the court, but I want you to respect me – as a man and as a ballplayer.
I’ve never been involved in an all-out brawl, like in baseball when both dugouts clear, but tempers have flared and it’s almost gotten to the point where punches are thrown. Almost. But almost doesn’t count.
No matter how tough you are – fake or otherwise – reality sets in because nobody wants to get that fine! A guy may call you a punk, but when you throw that punch and see how much money you lost, you’re going to regret it. Then everybody will be saying, “You know what, man? You shouldn’t have thrown that punch!”
But guys are still going to play differently against rookies, no question. On the court, opposing veterans will always come at rookies hard. When they don’t know who you are, they want to see what type of ball player you are, so they’re going to be a little more aggressive against you. They’re trying to test you, see how you’re going to react. Everything is cause and effect in this world, so they’re trying to see where your heart and skill are. They’ll try to push your buttons to see if you can withstand it or not. And if they see that, as a young player, you can’t handle the pressure, they’re going to put even more of it on you.
In general, I think there was more respect for veterans when I came into the league than there is now, and I think it has a lot to do with how much is given to the rookies so early in their careers. They really don’t have to pay their dues the way we had to.
No matter how good a rookie thought he was, it was only the truly special ones that got playing time early. Us other rookies had to wait our turn and be patient. But now, if you have potential, you have an opportunity to come in and play right away. They feel like they’re equals straight out of college, like they’re owed something, so they have a bigger chip on their shoulders. That respect level isn’t what it was because rookies don’t feel the need to earn it.
In my first NBA season, I was in Miami and the veterans were Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones, Jimmy Jackson and Rod Strickland. They were a great group, but they were pains in the butt, man. They’d make me go get things every day; make me drive miles and miles to get some special donut or something. And all my first year, the veterans only called me ‘Rook’ – I didn’t have a name for the first year. They would do those sorts of things to remind us that no matter how good we thought we were, there were still dues to pay before we could get what we thought we had coming to us.
Reader Questions:
Q: The Bulls are starting the regular season in Miami. With Derrick Rose’s big return and all the expectations this season, would you rather be playing your opener in front of your home crowd in Chicago? – Christine, Halifax, N.S.
We don’t care. We’re ready to play regardless. We have a goal this year, and that’s to win a championship. In order to do that, we have to go through the reigning champions, and the best place to start is on their home court, where we can let them know this is going to be a tough season for them. We’re not just going to lie down and make it easy for them to think they can win three championships in a row. This is going to be a great test for our team right off the bat, especially because it’s going to be ring night.
What comes to mind when you think of your time in Toronto? – Phil, Scarborough, ON.
The city was great. I love the T-dot. I love the way the people there accepted me and I enjoyed just being able to have fun on the basketball court. The T-dot was official!
Got a question for Mike James? Send it in to asktheinsiders@sportsnet.ca