Criteria For A 'Superstar'
The word 'superstar' is thrown around too easily these days. A promising rookie puts up big numbers for a lousy team and suddenly he's a superstar. Weak. I'm of the opinion that you're not an NBA superstar until you pass a few important milestones:
First, if you lead your team to an NBA title then, yes, you are a superstar. Current active players that can say this: Kobe, Shaq, DWade, Chauncey, KG, Pierce, Duncan, Manu and Tony Parker. That's it. Pau Gasol, Rip Hamilton, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo have legit gripes but if you go back and look at their Finals (not playoffs) stats, they really were supporting players, not superstars. They were basking in the glow of their more celebrated counterparts.
Which brings us to the second group of superstars: MVP candidates whose supporting cast hasn't been good enough to get them over the hump and into the class above. LeBron's the poster boy for this category. Dwight Howard, Dirk, JKidd, Carmelo, AI, Deron Williams, CP3 and Nash all fit in here nicely. Nobody can dispute that these guys are/were superstars, right? I want to include Durant here but it's hard to justify considering that he's only been in the L for a minute and his team hasn't sniffed the postseason yet. But he's close...
Speaking of close, Brandon Roy, Amar'e, Joe Johnson, Bosh and Boozer are all on the cusp. But it's safe to say that only their hometown fans/supporters would argue that they're undisputed superstars. And personally, I think Boozer is such a douchebag that I'd never include him even if he won 20 titles in row. Ditto for the eternally apathetic Vince Carter.
Now, on to the young guys. Newcomers get way too much shine before they've really proven anything. Sorry, Derrick Rose isn't a superstar yet. Neither is Tyreke Evans. Or Steph Curry, Monta Ellis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Josh Smith, Al Horford or any number of young guns getting All Star mentions lately. Nice numbers but no real accomplishments. The worst/best example of this 'next big thing' gushfest: the ridiculous hype around Young Money after his 55 on G State. Dude's nice but he's shooting under 40% for the year.
Historically, plenty of talented ballers have come and gone without truly distinguishing themselves from the pack. Mitch Richmond, Terry Porter, Damon Stoudamire, Nick Van Exel- all these guys made All Star teams but were never actual superstars. Just because your hometown retires your jersey doesn't put you in this conversation.
Fans HATE it when someone points out that their team's best player is not the next MJ. But who do these inflated expectations benefit? If you overvalue a player, then you have to overpay him. And if you look around the league, the worst teams are the ones paying top dollar to guys who clearly are not premier players. No way Iggy's a max contract guy. No way any GM should break the bank for Rudy Gay.
Not trying to be a hater. Just stating the obvious.
Pictured: one former superstar and three pretty good players
