It’s Over! It has Finally Ended!

Melo Drama.  How did it drag out this long?  Think of the worst people in the NBA, the cloak and dagger types and the shady former star player turned executive.  All the names and faces of a real crappy version of HBO 24/7, where no one has any redeeming qualities except the guys being shoved around because they don’t put up 30+ points a game or draw a crowd or “move the needle” sell jerseys or whatever it is that allows you to demand trades.

It got ugly, not really in public, but the rumblings and arguments behind the scenes, plus the public disdain (so maybe it was in public) have just tainted an entire All-Star Weekend and most of the season for 3 teams involved.  Numerous names, now 12 active players, at least 4 draft picks all surrounding one  All-Star that no one can really decide how good he is.

It’s going to take a while for the NBA to shake the stink off this one.  Denver is getting some great youngish players, some draft picks and cash.  I can’t say I blame them for working on this as long and hard as they did.  New Jersey was in there as well, pushing up the price like that “rich” guy in the glasses on Storage Wars.  Russian Billionaire, Mikhail Prokrov called an end to the discussions, just to have them jump right back into it in the last few weeks.  It’s drama, gamesmanship, negotiation, back stabbing and bullshit.

I just don’t get it. The beginning was obviously the Nuggets attempting to sign ol’ Melo to an extension.  Carmelo refused and I feel like the discussion went from there with “his people.”  His people are the same group that represents Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and the most hated recent free agent, Lebron James.  Worldwide Wes, Leon Rose, who all knows.  Power players and back room dealers.  Think Jerry Maguire, before he got fired, the guy who fired him…then add some guy who isn’t really an agent but came up through the shoe business, not at Nike or Adidas but at a place across from the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey.  He was the guy pulling Ron Artest back to the locker room in the Malice at the Palace incedent between the Pacers and Detroit fans.

It’s just shady.  Melo’s people let everyone, and I mean everyone know that Carmelo wouldn’t sign in Denver, so basically it turns into a full season version of the day or so it took to figure out what Cleveland and Toronto got in the Lebron and Bosh “sign and trades.”  It’s crazy that there are things set up to where the player gets more money to sign with his current team, and the team and the player’s people work out a deal to get that money to the player even if he doesn’t sign with them?  How does it work?  Will the next CBA have something like that going forward?

So Denver said “Ok, we have 30+ points per game to the highest bidder, cause he won’t sign with us, might as well make the best of it.”  Who knew it’d drag out and every phone call or trade proposal would be plastered all over the place?  The NFL ended and this began.  Don’t people realize that there are like 40 games a week and at least half have ridiculous plays and incredible intrigue?  Beyond that, maybe, maybe in a good week, Carmelo Anthony accounts for 2 good games and maybe 5 good plays.  Who cares?  Seriously.

I surmised that Carmelo might be able to announce his decision on Conan tonight.  Hoping, really, cause I like Conan and want him to get the ratings and he’d make the story fun.  Kicking it off, Conan was already wrong, they taped the show earlier today and he called Carmelo Anthony a member of the Denver Nuggets.  He didn’t have anything to report at the time of the taping.  Conan gave him the option of the Denver Omellette, New Jersey Salt Water Taffy, or Manhattan Clam Chowder.  He respectfully said the omlette.  Then they showed him in a snuggy and everyone had a good laugh.

It’s not funny, it’s not one of those ridiculous things that everyone has to put up with just because.  It’s a guy, who is an employee, albeit valuable to his team and the league, in a situation that has devolved to the point of being a circus, where he thinks he can determine the outcome for 3 teams.  More than getting on my nerves, it makes me sad and worried for the future of the NBA.  For the first time, possibly ever in sports labor negotiations, I am going to be cheering for the owners in this upcoming CBA.  Sad, when you gotta look to “the man” for some sense and you don’t see it.

Oh well, should make next Wednesday’s game at Denver a bit easier, and, yes….IT’S OVER!