Am I the only one who had a problem with last night’s NBA
Finals post-game trophy ceremony? Don’t get me wrong, I loved that the Spurs
got the Larry O’Brien Trophy almost as much as I loved that the Heat did not.
But from the guys with the microphones to the sequencing of awards, to the
disrespect paid to the league’s greatest winner, the NBA’s little Finals
after-party could use a bit of an overhaul. I believe that rookie NBA
Commissioner, Adam Silver, should watch next year’s Academy Awards for a little
guidance. Okay, he probably doesn’t have to watch the entire program, nor am I
suggesting that the trophy ceremony be extended to three hours; just three
little tweaks is all it would take.
1.)
Choose Your Master Of Ceremonies Wisely.
Yeah, I know, the Oscars don’t always get this one right.
Think: Chevy Chase and James Franco and Anne Hathaway. But they often do get it
right. Think: Billy Crystal, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. I’m not sure if Stuart
Scott was the league’s choice or the network’s choice to host last night’s
post-game show, but could they have chosen a more self-important guy? Did he
really grab Peter Holt’s sleeve when it appeared he might not get his interview
as the Spurs owner tried to step away from center stage so the team could pass
around the championship trophy without anyone standing in front of them?
2.) Hand Out The Individual Awards First.
This one’s rather easy, isn’t it? There’s a reason the Oscar
for Best Picture is given out last; it’s THE MOST IMPORTANT AWARD. It’s a
collaborative award. Basketball’s a team sport. So, why does the NBA give out
the Finals MVP award after the Larry O’Brien Trophy? Aren’t they the
only major league sport that does this? People don’t stay up all hours on Oscar
Night to see who won Best Actor or Actress.
3.)
Honor Your Past.
This one the Oscars always get right, sometimes nauseatingly
so, seeming to pay as much attention to their past as their present. Video
montages. Lifetime achievement awards. In memoriam tributes. The Academy Awards
show is routinely bloated with movie history. The 2014 NBA Finals ceremony
neglected to even acknowledge their history’s most decorated player. The Bill
Russell Award is the name given the trophy for Finals MVP. As Scott handed the
microphone over to Silver so he could announce the winner, I was scanning the
stage, wondering, Is Bill Russell even there? I was left to wonder because
neither Scott, nor Silver, thought to introduce the 11-time NBA champion as he
anonymously handed the trophy to Kawhi Leonard, then stood awkwardly to the
side like some guy who was there just to deliver a trophy. Not one camera even
focused in on him (check out the ceremony on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1zBfI3Zb74). Picture Sidney Poitier presenting the Best Actor Award
without introduction. It would never happen. That weird tuxedoed guy with the
white gloves and dust cloth who guards the Stanley Cup gets more respect from
the NHL than Bill Russell got last night from the NBA. Inexcusable.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
