Written by Bill Reiter at CBS Sports.com
Bill Parcells once told reporters that people always show you who they are. You just need to listen.
Well, America, take a moment and lend your ear. Because in the NBA’s frenzied summer of free agency, a host of stars are telling you something about the league, its stars and the nature of our country and its always-bustling cauldron of ambition.
There’s no loyalty.
None.
Just listen.
Chris Paul told us that when, two years after helping coax DeAndre Jordan back from a Dallas Mavericks team Jordan agreed to join, Paul bolted for Houston. Paul is a Rocket now, Jordan is still stuck a Clipper, and the rest of us should take note. All that talk of brotherhood, friendship and commitment was a CP3 sales pitch, not a real connection.
It’s not only our jobs that don’t always love us back. It’s our teams and their stars, too, whose affection is decidedly temporary.
Gordon Hayward was drafted No. 9 overall seven years ago, bloomed into a max player and became the linchpin of a Utah Jazz team growing into a legitimate Western Conference force. Until last week, when he said, “See ya, Utah, it’s Boston time.”
Former Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert was listening. And he heard, loud and clear, that same message. He even offered up on Instagram Chris Brown’s time-honored, if misogynistic, refrain that sometimes these, er, folks ain’t loyal.
Because they ain’t. Not anymore. The days of Jeter, Brett, Duncan and Kobe living out careers in the same jersey are over. Loyalty in sports is dead.
Kevin Durant is a Warrior now. Paul George made it clear a full year before his contract was up in Indianapolis that he had no intention of being a Pacer beyond 2018. Forget exiting stage right, George eviscerated any chance the Pacers had to trade him for the appropriate value.
To continue reading this article, click here.
