Loyalty, You talking about loyalty?

Whether the Celtics and  Cavs trade gets finalized,hopefully this is the last season we talk about loyalty in sports. I’m not saying there is no loyalty between the players or even the coaching staff and the players but that’s where the cut off begins. Look at the contrast of the biggest offseason moves of the last two season.

In 2016 Kevin durant signed with the Golden State Warriors and was destroyed by the internet and sport personalities for not being “loyal”, after playing in OKC for 9 years, taking them to their very first NBA finals and was a focal point in the community during the Tornado that devastated the OKC area. This off season the Celtics are in the process of trading Isaiah thomas for kyrie irving. If you missed last season isaiah thomas only Averaged 30 ppg and led the NBA in 4th quarter scoring. Those are only numbers though. Isaiah showed his heart to the world last season when he played in the Celtics first playoff game a day after the death of his younger sister. After defeating the bulls they moved on to the 2nd round, where thomas tore his right labrum and continued to play on to the conference finals until his body couldn’t take anymore.

Isaiah showed true loyalty to Boston, the city that embraced him and he became an All NBA performer in. How do the Celtics repay him? They blind side him with a trade a year before he’s do for his big contract extension. Thomas kept ramming himself against the wall that is the NBA season and once his body couldn’t take it anymore he was told his services were no longer needed here.

Loyalty is a two way street. If we hold players to this high bar of accountability and expectation of loyalty then why don’t we hold franchises to the same standard? Once franchises are involved the narrative switches from loyalty to business. I’m not against looking at every move made as a business decision because there is money involved, i just want consistency. When teams want to turn the narrative they talk loyalty, Lebron leaves Miami to go back to cleveland they bring up his loyalty, Pat riley asking Dwayne Wade to take multiple pay cuts so the team can have flexibility and wade agrees, but when it’s time for riley to make up for the money he’s owed wade since 2010 Pat tells him I can’t help you and dwayne ends up in Chicago and that’s viewed as a shrewd business decision. Wade’s the best player in Heat franchise history if he’s not being shown loyalty then who is?

The power dynamic in the league has shifted to the player’s side, so much so that Lebron has been treating franchises the way they’ve treated players for years. He uses them until they’re no longer viable source for his hunt for championships.

I’m not taking a shot at Lebron here he’s the first player to say to hell with public perception i’m doing what’s best for me my legacy and my pockets and i respect that. So the next time the NBA offseason rolls around

and you start hearing the narrative of player x isn’t loyal remember they’re just handling their business.