Back Down Misery Lane With the Washington Wizards
It’s been some time since the Washington Wizards were the worst team in the NBA, and its sad that our hopes got up so high so soon after those too-recent days of mediocrity.
I still remember taking trips to the Capital Centre to catch Bernard King, Kevin Duckworth, Harvey Grant, and even Rod Strickland force their talent onto the floor for a fan base that was never really hoops hyped. The Bullets’ first and only championship thrilled area basketball fans three years prior to my birth, which means that my generation shoulders a heavy burden of local basketball failure.
Yes, we are the young fans who suffered through the lean years of Don MacLean, Tom Gugliotta, Rex Chapman and Calbert Cheaney. We paid our dues, listening with heavy hearts to George Michael begrudgingly report that the Bullets blew it again in the fourth quarter. We yearned for the fleeting glimpses of favor in the form of a Manute Bol block or a Muggsy Bogues steal from the mid-80′s, but it was not to be.
The 90′s brought with them baggy shorts, high profile draft picks, and a new team name, all of which never really washed over the fan base, and was a morose reminder of what could have been. They also had a new downtown arena, which became more known for hot dog consumption than playoff success.
The rest is a blur of Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber and arrests, so that’s all I’ll say about the 90′s.
Hope sprang anew in the 2000′s, and with the exception of Kwame Brown and the Michael Jordan fiasco, the Wizards showed signs of life. They helped build the Detroit Pistons into a championship team, which eventually led to MJ’s dismissal and Eddie Jordan’s hiring. They got a guy named Gilbert, a guy named Antawn and a guy named Larry. Then they made the playoffs, and despite being not a great defensive team, they were entertaining.
They single-handedly launched a movement of blogger media coverage.
Now Eddie Jordan’s gone, Larry got replaced by Caron, and Gilbert is injured. The team hasn’t yet won ten games. Bad times are here again, with not much hope in sight apart from some young players who have yet to make a mark. You would think that nearly 20 years of underachievement would have gotten us used to this kind of display, but it hasn’t. We were satisfied being seventh or eighth best in the conference, because after all, we aren’t that hoops hyped.
But now that we are, it sure hurts that we’re back on that lonely road again.
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Wow….this really drives home the depressing fact that I blog about the Wizards.
Don’t be so depressed. Bernard King had some quality moments in Landover.
Bernard did have quality time here but that was long ago… The wizards are the worst team that actually has talented players and it’s a shame that they get paid more than the local boys and girls teams!!! Are you serious jc? At a laughable 7-30, I’ve never seen such bums in all my years of living in the Washington area since baseball season and the nationals…. This team is ridiculous and had the audacity to fire coach Jordan!!!! He was the coach, yes!!But he can’t be the coach and the team that is on the floor!! Truth be told, if these men can’t come together as a team and win some games then there should be alot of folks losing their jobs… Remember, this is a recession and everyone needs to earn their keep!!! Just because you play in Washington don’t expect congress to offer you a bailout for your god awful skills…..
Jordan had to go, but nobody could’ve seen 7-30 coming. He didn’t deserve to be fired, especially after the job he did last year, but if the team isn’t listening to defensive instruction and guys aren’t producing on the offensive end, it ultimately comes down to what is or isn’t motivating them.
True, the main job of a coach is to motivate and win, point blank!! But what if you team just sucks?! What if they have no passion, dignity, self respect, skills… Or an even better word, HEART!! “agent zero” has done just as his name represents “zero” !! He spoke of taking less money to get other role players paid an seemed all so humble and giving!! Fact is the wizards organization are the ones who are giving!! Giving agent zero a free ride on his always injured butt!! When was his last game? How well did thecteam do then? When will he be back? It had gotten so tiresome I even put that clown on IR on my NBA 2k9 game!!! Trade him, cut him, ask for your money back!!! Hell, get marbury… Atleast he is able to play!! 7-30 is a joke and so are the wizards…
I hear you Dejuan Lynch….I definitely hear you…..wait (record scratches to halt)…Marbury?
Cancer kills.