We all as NBA fans really have one player to blame for this new NBA…

I think Kawhi and Kyrie may have broken the NBA. I say this in the wake of the news that Jimmy Butler does not “get along” with his teammates and now wants a trade. That was similar to what happened in San Antonio with the news coming out that Kawhi was angry that his teammates questioned his toughness regarding his injury. It seems based on those stories that now when a good or great player faces any kind of adversity from their teammates that they will simply give up on their team. Who really knows how serious Kawhi’s injury was other than him? Even giving the guy the benefit of the doubt he still quit on his team by refusing to play for them. With Duncan and Ginobli retiring and Parker no longer on the team was he may be afraid that he would have to take on a leadership role? He knows that many players in the locker room do not respect him because of what happened last season, why would he not want to try to gain that respect back?

Now, with Jimmy Butler supposedly wanting out of Minnesota because he does not get along with Wiggins and KAT we have another example of this. Once again a great player faces adversity with his teammates and decides he wants a change of scenery. The worst part about this is he is literally screwing over the entire organization. Kyrie and Kawhi both made their trade requests well before the season started. Here it is right before training camp and just makes him look like a selfish quitter. This team gave up valuable resources to get you, reunited you with a coach and GM who believes in you, you guys just made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years and you want to fuck your team over cause you have a hard time getting along with some of your teammates. That just seems like it will only end badly for the Wolves. They either will not get enough value in return because he will use his leverage of being a free agent at the end of next season, or he will play out the deal then leave and they get nothing.

We all as NBA fans really have one player to blame for this new NBA and that is Kyrie Irving. He had it pretty good in Cleveland. He had just come off his 3rd straight Finals appearance, was beloved in the city for hitting the biggest shot in franchise history, and if he had stayed it would have been “his team” going into this year. Instead he decided I am so sick of playing with Lebron that I want out now. He used an injury excuse to refuse to play for the Cavs ( a play that Kawhi I am sure took notice of), and forced a trade. Now he is saying he is not sure if he will even resign with the Celtics when he still has two years left on his deal. Why would you say that other than to be a distraction? You are the best player on the best team in the East. Other than Haywood’s leg you really have few questions other than how are we going to play everyone? Yet the guy who forced his way out of a great situation is already gearing up to force his way out of another one. Maybe with all the great players on the Celtics Kyrie won’t get to shoot 25 times a game and that will piss him off, maybe Brad Stevens will tear into him for not playing defense, maybe he will get questioned for his toughness by his teammates. For a guy who plays a sport that requires so much confidence he does seem to have a really fragile ego.

The only thing that gives the NBA even a small semblance of hope is Paul George. Yes, old Playoff P. As a Sonics fan I hate the Thunder. I hate them with the kind of passion that most NFL fans do for the Cowboys or Patriots, or most baseball fans do for the Yankees. I was pissed that he did not screw the Thunder over, but what he did is good for the NBA. He clearly was not happy in Indiana. Demanded a trade, got sent to the smallest media market in the entire league, played there for a year, and loved it. Everyone thought he would be a Laker and he apparently loved OKC so much that he stayed. Maybe Kawhi will love Toronto, maybe Jimmy will love whatever team he is traded to (if he is), maybe Kyrie will grow up and realize that once the Warriors are done he can do the same thing in Boston. At least Paul George has given us hope that a change of scenery can inspire a player to stick around.