Gratitude for the Gift of Irritating People

Gratitude for the Gift of Irritating People

Are there any people in your life who greatly irritate you?  Are there any persons whom you seriously dislike?  Do wish they would simply go away?  Have you determined that the world would be a better place without them?  Do you despises and disdain anyone?  Does anyone absolutely disgust you?  I have a foolproof suggestion for handling such difficult persons and personalities.  Begin to give thanks for them! Mysteriously and ironically, they have come into your life to bring incredible gifts.  Though it may not seem likely, you will learn a lot from these complex and perplexing people.  They will reveal dimensions of your character that you easily overlook.  Difficult people force us to examine ourselves.  They reflect negative and unhelpful characteristics we need to neutralize if not eliminate.  Rather than desiring the absence of these people, start to thank God for them and embrace the lessons which they bring to you.

One of the lay leaders in my church personifies a mirror for my character.  She is an expert on any and every subject we discuss in leadership meetings.  She provides a nuance to any suggestion any other lay leader makes.  Regardless of what we decide and the process we utilize to reach a logical conclusion, she offers a supplement to perfect the decision.  She is convinced that were she not in the room we would make a crucial mistake.  She has even asked us to consider postponing meetings if they conflict with her work and personal schedule.  Interestingly, she never assumes primary leadership of any initiative before the Church.  She stays on the sidelines and criticizes other people’s efforts and products.  When we debrief the success or shortcomings of any ministry or project, she “logically” assumes that the rest of us suffer severely from a cognitive myopia that she must correct as she saves us from our mental incapacities. 

I mean to be as sarcastic as I am being.  This woman demonstrates how people have received me over the years.  She causes me to reflect upon my character assets and liabilities.  Am I making any progress with regard to genuine humility?  Am I taking myself too damn seriously?  Am I open-minded enough to appreciate each person’s contributions to our church family?  This woman is a yard stick with which I measure my spiritual growth and personal development.

A second lay leader quintessentially personifies self-pity and passive aggression.  Though a diligent worker in the church with considerable incapacities, she does not feel anyone appreciates her.  Despite numerous public and private demonstrations of my thanks for her contributions, she resolves that I am her enemy who arrogantly takes her for granted.  A lingering breakdown in communication coupled with an exchange of testy emails widens a relational chasm between us.  She responds with indifference and contempt only exchanging civil greetings if someone else is present.  Equally, I am thankful for this woman as she represents aspects of my character.  I can fluctuate between being egotistical and having an inferiority complex.  I too can be dismissive of people.  I also can digress to passive aggression laced with penetrating linguistical venom toward people I dislike.  As I progress spiritually, I humbly ask Almighty God to remove these defects of character.  This woman’s presence in my life shows me how far I have come as it simultaneously reminds me of just how far I must still travel toward self-acceptance.

A third lay leader substantially disappoints me with his conflict avoidance behavior.  Somehow, he assumes that I create and sustain any tension within the lay leadership.  He believes that I should simply conform my thinking and actions to the will of the group regardless of my principles and reservations.  Though an independent, impartial person could collaborate the behavior of his fellow lay leaders contributes significantly to an impasse we face, he persists in his outlook that I subordinate myself to them.  His avoidance tendencies manipulate him into trying to coercer me to submit to the will of these misguided people.  This man reminds me of a time in my professional life when I disappointed myself by failing to advocate for justice in a termination debacle.  His inadequacies reflect how much I have grown. As, I am most grateful to assess the progress I have made, I shudder to think that I once acted as he does.

The arrogant “know-it-all,” self-pitying simpleton and conflict avoider, all, help me to evaluate personal attributes as I become a better person.  As I resolve the internal challenges of pride, self-centered fear, projection and cowardice, I am better able to relate to other people.  I welcome them as human sand paper and personal chisels who help remove deformed aspects of my character and personality.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to pray for those people who scorn and despitefully use you.  As I pray for these persons and their growth, I pray that they receive the exact same blessings that I desire for my family and me.  As I seek success, wellness, happiness, love, joy and peace of mind, I earnestly and honestly desire the same for them.  These prayers for them eliminate adverse, angry and negative feelings.  Praying for my “enemies” conjures thanksgiving as I realize “But for the grace of God there go I.”

Being Still and Standing Aside As God Works

Being Still and Standing Aside As God Works

In one of her enduringly spiritual and relevant books, The Secret Door to Success, Florence Scovel Shinn offers a most profound and powerful meditation.  “Spiritual development means the ability to stand still, or aside, and let Infinite Intelligence lift your burdens and fight your battles.” Simply put, Shinn recommends “letting go and letting God” as His infinite power, goodness, knowledge and presence will justly resolve any adversity you face.  You need not demonize people who attack you.  God will vindicate you.  Accordingly, forsake extracting revenge upon anyone and relinquish our right to insist upon their punishment.  In His mystery and justice, God will mete out punishment in a perfect way.  He will force your accusers to live with the direct consequences of their choices.  Moreover, if you trust unswervingly in God’s unquestionable faithfulness, you experience His unfailing love and unending grace as He perfectly removes daily and lingering obstacles and defeats longstanding and intrepid adversaries.

It is so easy to recite Shinn’s meditation with fierce emotion.  In contrast, it is very hard to practice it in daily living.  However, I assuredly attest it works.  For so many years, I reasoned that I had to defend myself against all enemies.  I did not think that I could rely upon anyone to speak on my behalf.  As a result, I inadvertently alienated countless people as I relentlessly defended my honor and reputation as I resolved I could not trust anyone else to do so.  I wrote countless memoranda spanning hundreds perhaps thousands of pages.  I insisted upon numerous and lengthy meetings in which my very argumentative disposition further distanced people from me.  My intensity overwhelmed people; the feverish pitch of my anger resembled an erupting volcano.  Though some people actually agreed with me and believed that I had been falsely accused, they remained silent lest they be thought as sharing my righteous indignation.  My personal attempts at self-justification and self-vindication failed miserably each time. 

As I incorporate Shinn’s books and meditations into my thinking and practice her suggestions in daily living, I more greatly acquire peace of mind, happiness and wellness.  Life is considerably less stressful and emotionally taxing as I learn to be still and watch Almighty God advocate my cause.  Embroiled in a current battle in which some persons wish inexplicably to eliminate my position, surprisingly, I remain silent at meetings and allow justice, truth and righteousness to emerge.  Though I have been on the receiving end of numerous belittling, demeaning and dehumanizing remarks,  I have not fought back by reciprocating those insulting and harmful words.  In total contradiction to the hardwiring of my personality, I proactively apologized to the authors of the memoranda and speakers as I reason I must have said or done something to warrant their vitriol.  Further, I offered to meet with them to clear any clogged channels of communication.  I remain open to the redemption of these relationships; further, I entertain the possibility of reconciliation were all persons to assemble in good faith and commit willingly to restore our relationships.  As I seek to honor God with these overtures of establishing genuine peace, He neutralizes my “enemies” and advocates for me.

Being still and standing aside demand silence, humility and patience.  It is hard to remain silent when I wish to speak forcefully on my own behalf.  In instances when I am silent, I experience a better outcome.  The difference amazes me as I accept my words can worsen a situation; the very sound of my voice taints a perspective for some people.  Humility means that I realize that an Infinite Intelligence is better able to resolve difficulties.  My limited view, no matter who correct, remains imperfect.  As I learn to cease taking myself so seriously,  I must accept the correctness of other people’s opinions.  Lastly, patience teaches me to trust that God does indeed desire the very best outcome for me as He does for everyone else.  He will not bless me at the expense of others; neither will He favor them at my expense. 

Waiting upon Almighty God equates with cultivating spiritual maturity to rely genuinely upon Him and developing greater trusts in His faithfulness.  Shinn’s meditations are a contemporary appropriation of the Psalmist’s experience.  During a very turbulent period in his life, the Psalter declares “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in the time of trouble.”  Later in Psalm 46:10, the Psalter exhorts his own soul, “Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted over the Earth.”  Though wars burst forth, earthquakes occur and the mountains shake, the Psalter takes refuge in God’s everlasting faithfulness.  The Psalter need not fear for his physical and emotional well-being.  As the Psalter’s Infinite Intelligence, Provision and Protector, Almighty God perfectly possesses the power to preserve the Psalter.  Self-reliance is meaningless.  The Psalter realizes rewards and blessings of being still in the presence of God and allowing God’s favor to bestow unimaginable joys, mysteries and experiences upon the Psalter.

In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat experiences God’s defense against three formidable armies.  Three fierce rivals decide simultaneously to attack the nation.  Jehoshaphat, anxious at this threat, declares a period of fasting and prayer which includes new born babies!  The king despairs to such an extent that he cannot eat or sleep.  Still, he wisely and reasonably prepares for battle.  On the day of the conflict, after offering praise and thanksgiving to God, Jehoshaphat learns from God that he will not have to fight after all.  Rather, the Lord will fight for the king and His people.  “This battle is not yours; it is the Lord’s.  Stand aside and see the salvation of God.”  Jehoshaphat watches the Lord confuse the three armies of His foes; they eventually destroy each other. 

The Psalter’s and Jehoshaphat’s experiences reinforce the necessity of maturing in our trust in God’s faithful promises.  We can relate these two sacred stories to our current challenges.  If our financial situation mirrors a natural disaster, we can appeal to God for wisdom and resolution.  If threatened with termination, we can let God fight our “enemies” and defend us.  Should we receive a diagnosis which means that our physical life hangs in the balance, we can commit this challenge to the Infinite Intelligence of our loving Heavenly Father.  Summarily, being still and standing aside rather than being indicators of weakness are actually practical and pragmatic means of spiritual growth and personal development.

Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Nelson Mandela and The People's Struggle in South Africa - Part One

Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Nelson Mandela and

The People’s Struggle in South Africa

“Albeit an extraordinary human, Nelson Mandela [was] a human being nonetheless.”  One of Mr. Mandela’s daughters reputedly offered those sober words in response to an inquiry regarding her impressions of the recently released movie, A Long Walk to Freedom, depicting the life of her much beloved and venerated father.  She further suggested the necessity of viewing the film in silence and solitude to allow her to grapple honestly with the contrast between the heroic and mythological figure of late twentieth century international relations and her very human father who was as susceptible to mistakes, error, temptation and fear as any other person.  Mandela’s daughter’s insistence upon a balanced assessment of her father’s life and legacy predicts the forthcoming judgment of history.  Within the next quarter of a century and beyond, the post-apartheid gloss and grandiloquent characterizations of historical heroes will yield to the hard, realistic and sober analysis of history.  Future generations throughout the world and Black South Africans specifically will assess Mr. Mandela’s legacy and share their perspective of its successes and failures. 

Contemporarily, with praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, I celebrate his inspiration for his nation and the world.  Among the countless lessons he taught us upon his release from twenty-seven years of unjust imprisonment are the importance of forgiveness and the necessity of forsaking bitterness and revenge.  Though he forgave his oppressors, he rightly insisted upon truth, dignity, honor and respect as conditions and means of achieving reconciliation.  History’s future judgment will determine if his decisions as the first duly and democratically elected Black President of the Republic of South Africa were merely symbolic yet profound and enduring or whether his governance actually laid an economic, political and social foundation and infrastructure to enable future generations of Black South Africans to actualize their individual and collective potential.  Nevertheless, history will forever vindicate Mr. Mandela and countless and nameless millions of his people for their commitment to a vision of country free of rabid and reprehensible apartheid.  As we celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy, we do as justly as we simultaneously honor and commemorate the anonymous persons who literally gave their lives for a free South Africa.

Wholeheartedly, I suggest we discard Carlyle’s “great man of history” thesis as we rightly celebrate Mr. Mandela’s contributions to ending apartheid and building a post-apartheid South Africa.  I suggest we temper grandiose characterizations of his role in the people’s struggle for justice and freedom.  Due veneration for his heartfelt commitment to the liberation of his people does not necessitate concretizing a mythic personality who accomplished grand deeds with unusual foresight and superhuman motives.  The people’s struggle is always greater than any one individual.  Admittedly, the confluence of historical and contemporary circumstances catapults a person to leadership and celebrity.  Yet, it is generations of Black South Africans who painstakingly walk toward freedom with great sacrifice to their marriages, families, livelihood and physical lives comprise the movement to end apartheid and create a brighter future for their posterity.  As we appropriately honor Mr. Mandela’s seminal role without yielding to the sentimentality and meaningless grandiloquent descriptions, we equally celebrate each past, present and future person who gave, sacrifices and expands this just cause.

We cannot allow contemporary and historical grandeur to overshadow the continual struggle which Black South Africans face.  The HIV/AIDS epidemic equates with genocide.  Western and multinational pharmaceutical companies have a moral and ethical obligation to utilize their resources and philanthropy to retard the devastation this disease reeks daily upon South Africa.  Literally hundreds of thousands of children are orphans as both parents have died because of HIV/AIDS.  It is not possible to estimate the long-term effect upon the nation’s gross national product, familial and social structures, governance, education systems and participation in the global village.  Many South Africans still reside in shanty towns and other forms of entrenched poverty.  They deserve the development of public and affordable housing, public education, healthcare, job training for the twenty-first century, civil and human rights and access to the arts parallel to the New Deal programs of the Roosevelt Administration and the Great Society and War on Poverty programs of the Johnson Administration.  Expansion of national infrastructure inclusive of replacing shanty towns with the equivalent of Habitat For Humanity homes and extending public utilities and medical clinics to impoverished, disenfranchised and economically disadvantaged Black South Africans are concrete and practical means of celebrating Mr. Mandela’s legacy.  Conceivably, his vision of a post-apartheid South Africa necessitated the distribution of economic, governmental and other social resources in a just and equitable manner thereby offering human dignity and respect to each citizen.  I posit celebrations of his life justly ask the nations of the world that benefited handsomely from investments in the apartheid regime which exploited immeasurably Black South African workers to return and reinvest in a new and free Republic of South Africa.

Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Nelson Mandela and The People's Struggle in South Africa - Part Two

Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Nelson Mandela and

The People’s Struggle in South Africa – Part Two

Mr. Mandela’s ability to vanquish hatred and bitterness is one of the most inspirational aspects of his life story.  He spent nearly ten thousand days in prison.  Cinematic depictions reflect years of hard labor in a rock quarry.  As I write on the occasion of his death and following his service as President of the Republic South Africa, it is easy to romanticize that experience.  Essentially, there is nothing idealistic about unjustly depriving an undeserving man of nearly twenty-seven years of his life.  Still, it appears he learned one of the greatest spiritual lessons during his incarceration.  Mandela learned how to forgive genuinely.  His actions following his release reveals he definitely learned how to forgive.  As a consequence, he was able to teach a nation this vital spiritual discipline as the world watched in awe.  Working in sub-human labor conditions during his imprisonment, he listened clearly to the voice of Almighty God as he progressively understands the radicalism of God’s love and grace which extend equally to all believers in South Africa whether White, Colored or Black.  The spiritual motifs associated with Mandela’s prison years remind me of the biblical story of Joseph whose brothers sell him into slavery.  After decades of separation inclusive of a period of unjust imprisonment, Joseph and his brothers reunite.  Amazingly, Joseph forgives his brothers and provides for them in the midst of one of the worst recorded famines in the Ancient Near East.  Similarly, Mandela forgives his Afrikaner brothers and provides a way for redemption, reconciliation and restoration as their brothers throughout the world watch in amazement. 

Still, I refuse to romanticize human suffering in a manner that I despise; I imagine Mandela’ daily difficulty in acquiring the spiritual attribute of forgiveness.  The sweat that drenched his clothing manifested the putrid hatred that threatened his mind, heart and soul.  How could a man of his intellect, abilities and providentially determined destiny genuinely resist bitterness and resentment?  Did he lose hope at any point?  How was he able to persevere toward freedom, physical and spiritual?  Did thoughts of revenge form?  Exactly how was he able to forgive?  A man of lesser character would have internalized hatred and bitterness.  It would have consumed him perhaps cancer may have manifested in his body.  Twenty-seven years is a lengthy period of unjust incarceration because of just advocacy on behalf of oppressed, subjugated and disenfranchised people.  I marvel at Mr. Mandela’s ability to overcome a very human and understandable tendency toward outrage.  His willingness to forgive will remain forever as a cardinal pillar of his legacy. 

History usually vindicates visionaries who see far beyond their present circumstances.  The outpouring of genuine gratitude for Mr. Mandela’s example of patient justice that resisted vengeance foreshadows the positive light of history’s forthcoming sober judgment of personal and political life.  Hopefully, his vision of freedom that incorporates all citizens regardless of color, ethnicity or social strata will become a permanent paradigm for leadership within the twenty-first century global village.  Civil liberties, individual rights, economic progress, religious tolerance and political enfranchisement are birth rights of all residents of the international community.  Personifying the hopes and dreams of countless millions of his people, Mr. Mandela taught the world the non-negotiable necessity of truth and justice in reconciliation.  In the spirit of the Kairos document, we have the perpetual moral, ethical and political obligation to expand upon his example and achievements.  As we build upon the foundation for justice and peace which coexist as a hand in a tailored glove, we must utilize the resources of the international community to revitalize the economic infrastructure, eliminate poverty, eradicate HIV/AIDS, expand political power sharing and institutionalize racial and social reconciliation not only in the Republic of South Africa but throughout the international community. 

I conclude this tribute by reiterating the obligation we have to remember the countless and nameless millions of Black South Africans who sacrificed lavishly to create the nation their children currently enjoy.  Regrettably, celebrations of heroic personalities often overshadow and ignore these seminal contributions of average persons.  I hope historians, archivist, museum curators and other relevant officials will undertake the painstaking process of retrieving any information that enables future generations of South Africans to know, thank and celebrate any verifiable ancestors in the struggle against apartheid.  I envision visiting museums and monuments in Capetown, Johannesburg, Durban and elsewhere with walls of remembrance similar to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC.  Further, I hope to view an official registry compiled and authorized by the South African government.  Of course, I look forward to reading a well researched and critically acclaimed historical account of the people’s contribution to the anti-apartheid movement that parallels any forthcoming biography of Mr. Mandela.  Both books are necessary to have a balanced and complete account.

“Blessed are the dead in the Lord, for they rest from their labors.”   These words from Revelation are most appropriate as we commend Mr. Mandela to Almighty God with thanksgiving and praise for his inimitable life and contributions.  O Gracious, Loving and Eternal God, “the Giver of every good and perfect gift,” grant unto our brother, Nelson, eternal rest and let Thy love, kindness and light perpetually shine upon him.

Immediate Mental Defeat

Immediate Mental Defeat

Defeat begins in the mind.  It is usually immediate and definitive.  Most ideas die within milliseconds of their birth.  Many people fail because they defeat themselves mentally.  First, they entertain creative thoughts about accomplishing their goals and dreams.  Then, instantly, they nurture notions about obstacles and possibilities of failure.  Unfortunately, they dwell on the negative rather than accentuating the positive.  In so doing, they immediately defeat themselves before even trying.

In the Tower of Babel story, the people were of one language and thus of one mind.  The biblical word, language, translates into border and shore.  Practically speaking, because they did face a language barrier, they enjoy clear and consistent communication, which enables them to achieve unity in thought and uniformity in action.  That clarity and unity empowers them to achieve anything that they imagine.  In Genesis 11:7, the author says of the builders of the Tower of Babel, “If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity, just think of what they will do later.  Nothing will be impossible for them!”  Essentially, if they could clearly conceive an idea and overcome any “borders” or “shores” that would limit their ingenuity and implementation, then they could do anything that they thought.

Charles Dickens in his novel, David Copperfield, speaks of the necessity of unified thought and action in marriage.  “There is not a disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.”  If a husband and wife are of the same mind and possess a united game plan, they can accomplish any goal or dream.

You will recall, in the Tower of Babel narrative, God decides to impede the people’s progress of building of a  monument to the heavens.  In accordance with Genesis 6:5, the Lord questions the purposes of the Tower of Babel.  Rather than honoring and glorifying Him and furthering His objectives, the Tower of Babel rises as a testimonial to human willpower.  So, the Lord confounds the language and gives them different languages.  The builders are not able to understand each other.  They find people who speak their “new” language and go their own separate ways in groups.  The Tower of Babel remains incomplete to this day.

The biblical word, confounds, means to confuse, fortify and enclose.  By giving them different languages, Almighty God puts a formidable barrier between them.  It practically prevents the progress of the building of the Tower of Babel.  More significantly, it permanently limits their communication and creativity.  Not only will the Tower of Babel remain unfinished, but also there will be no possibility of conceiving any venture of this sort in the future.  Likewise, negative thoughts and language confound the prospects of achieving our dreams and goals.

In order to annihilate immediate mental defeat, we seek anything positive in every situation.  As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we find hope in everything.  We discard negative things that easily and quickly entangle us.  Despite the length of the challenge and the weight of the burden, we rejoice in the hope that our Lord gives us through His example.  The author of Hebrews (12:1-2) exhorts us to “lay aside every weight” as we run the race with perseverance.  Negativity and immediate mental defeat are two of the biggest weights that burden us.

Of course, fear, our daily negative companion, is the identical twin of mental defeat.  Fear emerges and strengthens thoughts of failure that overcome us.  We must overwhelm this internal adversary before we can win externally.  Fear encourages us to flunk ourselves even before we have taken the exam.  It also coerces us to give ourselves a grade of “F” before we start the paper.  Additionally, fear yells within our minds like a dictatorial editor while we write.  If that is not enough, doubt, a very close relative, visits and joins in the fray of unhelpfulness.  The Greek word for doubt connotes warring twins.  Nevertheless, the annihilation of fear is essential to conquering the immediate mental defeat that threatens our creativity and seeks to imprison our talents.

Sometimes well-meaning people inclusive of family members and friends fan the flames of immediate mental defeat.  Because our ambitions shake them out of their complacency, they accentuate the negative rather than support us by being positive.  We necessarily resist any tendency to listen to their negative thinking.  A prominent pastor, in California who battled cancer, developed the practice of interrupting negative parishioners with stories about the cancer of relatives and acquaintances with the question, “Does this story have a good ending?  If it doesn’t, I don’t want to hear the rest of it.”  Similarly, I submit that we must firmly, politely and immediately apprehend negative stories that potentially deepen the potential for immediate mental defeat of our dreams and goals.

Interestingly, the Tower of Babel story teaches, “Nothing is impossible” to anyone who truly believes.  The Lord Jesus Christ says the same to the jaded father of an epileptic boy in Mark 9:23.  If you genuinely believe that you have the wherewithal to accomplish your goals and dreams, nothing can stop you.  Hopefully, you will not defeat yourself with negative thinking.  George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars trilogy, says, “If you can conceive it, then you can achieve it.”  Again, triumphing over immediate mental defeat that commonly afflicts us is central to success.

Imagination is the foundation of practically everything.  It precedes the architectural renderings that produce blue prints, which precede the start of construction.    I conclude with the compelling story of a Louisiana preacher who was erroneously thought to be “slow and dumb” at the beginning of his ministry.  In fact, he was strongly encouraged to forego ministry with the insulting question, “Why would someone like you want to preach?’’ His wife was once told that she deserve substantial financial compensation given “what she has had to live with.”  Yet, this preacher triumphed over all adversity, internal and external.  Because he had the indomitable will to glorify Almighty God in the preaching ministry, he totally defeated the immediate mental defeat that sought to solidify his failure.

Battle for the East - The 2013-2014 NBA Season

 “Battle for the East – The 2013-2014 NBA Season”

“A View from the Bleachers”

Victor M. Singletary with Curtis J. Singletary

Quite possibly, the Brooklyn Nets within a season of their move across the Hudson River and over the Verrazano Bridge from New Jersey have utilized masterfully free agency to acquire an ensemble of players certain to dominate the Eastern Conference.  Previously unimaginable, Kevin Garnett relinquished his Boston Celtics uniform; suspecting the luck of the Irish can be found in the borough of Brooklyn.  Paul Pierce also finds Brooklyn Boehme alluring.  Jason Terry makes a Texas size exit from the Dallas Mavericks.  Mason Plumlee realizes that people play basketball outside of the research triangle of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.  The assets of this ensemble’s veteran experience, height, neophyte fever and eagerness to achieve a professional record equal to a stellar collegiate one and Brook Lopez’s  strength in the center position begs the question on the mind of many avid basketball fans.  Can the Brooklyn Nets dethrone the Miami Heat?

One major story line of the 2013-2014 NBA season will be the battle for the East.  Will the Miami Heat “three-peat” and match the illustrious achievements of the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and Dennis Rodman era?  After considering the difficulty of such a main feat and whether the Heat individually and collectively possess the internal resolve, focus and determination to ask themselves to match such a monumental historical achievement, the question remains, “Which Eastern Conference team has the talent and potential to deny the Miami Heat a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference title and trip to the NBA finals?”  Basketball fans in the Mid-West immediately cite the return of Derrick Rose and the Bulls’ stalwart defensive game and premiere coaching as reasons for Chicago’s chances of dethroning the Heat.  In the neighboring state of Indiana, Pacers fans relish their big bodies in the paint and height advantage as evidence of their best possibilities.  With Roy Hibbert, the center standing at 7’ 3”, George Hill, the point guard at 6’ 7”, Paul George, shooting guard at 6’ 8”, and returning from an injury at small forward at 6’ 9”, Danny Granger, Pacers fans are not delusional.  Religiously and uncritically devoted New York Knicks fans such as one of the authors posit Carmelo Anthony’s repeat of the NBA scoring title, averaging twenty-nine (29) points per game, the acquisition of Meadow World Peace’s (previously Ron Artis) defense skills and the return of Tyson Chandler and JR Smith solidifies the case for the Knickerbockers.  Notwithstanding the Bulls’ unparalleled history in basketball, Pacers fans’ atavistic view of their team and Knicks’ fans’ evangelical devotion, objectively, the Brooklyn Nets seemingly have the best chance of gaining dominance in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to their previously cited assets, the Nets have depth on the bench.  Anyone sitting on the bench will be able to immediately enter the game and contribute to their offense.  However, to present a reasonable threat to the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets faces three major challenges and have one primary liability.  Can they establish consistency in play and execution of an offense that the whole team accepts?  Will the preseason games afford the Nets sufficient time to define to a game plan that utilizes their strengths and compensates for their weaknesses?  Stated another way in plain language, will the disparate veterans, all-stars and rookies who comprise the Brooklyn Nets gel as team thereby enabling them to contest the Miami Heat for control of the East?  The larger than life elephant in the Nets locker room is the head coach’s abilities and potential.  Will the recently retired player turned coach, Jason Kidd, motivate this team and empower them to maximize their personal and team talent?  An affirmative answer presumes Kidd possesses the inner reserves to corral the monumental egos of his players.  Nevertheless, hiring Kidd as the Nets head coach equal a double edged sword thus presenting the team’s cardinal liability.   He will propel the Nets to control of the Eastern Conference or possibly his steep learning curve in his first year as a coach will squander a perfect opportunity for a hungry franchise.

Miami’s well-renowned, well respected and greatly fears triumvirate of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade remains intact.  Recent acquisitions of Ray Allen from the Boston Celtics and Greg Oden from the Portland Trailblazers complete the staring five.  Undoubtedly, these veterans have gelled into a fiercely competitive and championship team.  Three consecutive trips to the NBA finals yielded two back-to-back chips.  Some fans credit head coach, Erik Spoelstra, with keeping this team focused.  Looming over his shoulder is the magnanimous shadow of Miami’s general manager and previous championship winning head coach, Pat Riley, whose influence in both the game of basketball and world of fashion is unparalleled.  Still, the Heat must contend with a few basic and appropriate questions for athletes in their position.  Have they reached a plateau that they cannot exceed?  Are they too old and tired to make a legitimate run at another championship?  Has the talk of a Miami Dynasty distracted them?  At thirty years of age, will Wade’s ankles and knees prevent him from contributing to any future success?  As I relates to liabilities, rebounding continues to plague the Heat.  Resting upon withered laurels as a new season begins is a major temptation for last year’s champions.  Boundless, the Heat’s recent successes have earned new rivalries for them as several teams throughout the NBA seek to dethrone them.

As a proud resident of the City of New York and an avid Knicks fan, one of the authors would love to assure you that the Knickerbockers will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals come June 2014.  Bookies and odds makers in Las Vegas and elsewhere can supply you with the percentages and possibilities of that favorable hope becoming reality.  However, it seems more likely that the Miami Heat stand a reasonable and perhaps formidable chance of earning a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference title and third consecutive NBA championship.  However, they still must navigate the tough terrain of New York as the Brooklyn Nets represent a considerable adversary to the Heat’s historic dreams.  Notwithstanding the powerful opposition of the Bulls and Pacers as well as the Knicks, the battle for the East in this season will be a burgeoning rivalry between the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.

College Basketball Outlook as the 2013-2014 Season Opens

“College Basketball Outlook as the 2013-2014 Season Opens”

“A View from the Bleachers”

Victor M. Singletary with Curtis J. Singletary

Can the Cardinals of Louisville repeat as the NCAA National Champions?  Will Coach Krzyzewski at Duke obtain his one thousandth win?  Having missed the “big dance” of the NCAA tournament last season, will John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats return to the top twenty basketball programs in the nation?  Are there any specific players whose skills are so superlative that they warrant close scrutiny by basketball fans and addicts?  Essentially, what is the outlook for college basketball as the 2013-2014 season begins?

Touted to be the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Andrew Wiggins of Kansas undoubtedly will receive widespread and constant media coverage during the season.  Interestingly, he was the top college recruit in 2013 which means he will play one season prior to turning professional.  His meteoric rise to the upper echelon of college basketball and the professional draft will reignite the dying embers of an ideological, political, pedagogical and financial debate relating to the use of college basketball programs as revolving doors of entry to the NBA.  Given the hundreds of millions and perhaps billions of dollars that these programs generate for their schools, should not we end the farce of relegating collegiate athletics to being amateurish?  In plain language, should not colleges and universities begin to compensate athletes for their hard and lucrative labor?  Yet, as the debate rages throughout the nation, Wiggins promises to delight coaches, scouts and fans everywhere with his skills and game.

As it relates to the proverbial revolving door, within the last decade a year spent at Kentucky virtually guaranteed a slot on a NBA team.  From John Wood to Joshua Harrison to any number of “alums” of Kentucky basketball, Coach Calipari maintains the quintessential feeder program for the NBA.  Prevalent and persistent rumors cast a huge shadow over this program.  Nonetheless, we can expect a return to prominence and perhaps dominance after a year of mediocrity and strife.  You will recall Calipari’s numerous press conferences in which he openly and unabashedly displayed his frustration with the lack of a teachable attitude amongst his players.  Longstanding cynics and detractors of the Kentucky program saw a lot of smoke being blown across the heartland of America.

Plagued by allegations of substantial recruitment violations, Jim Boeheim’s top ranked program at Syracuse promises to be a repeat contender for a national championship.  Will the Orange men and their coach remain focused?  Perhaps, his chase for a thousand wins may distract them.  Given their quality of play, whether doggedly or haphazardly focused, Syracuse threatens any team they play.  An “Elite Eight” contender last year, this team can taste a championship. 

With Mason Plumlee’s move to Brooklyn to play with the Nets and Seth Curry’s move the Bay Area to play for the Golden State Warriors; will Duke retain its position in the top ten this season?  They too have the potential distraction of Coach Krzyzewski chasing a historical record of a thousand victories.  If past practice were to prove instructive, Duke develops its bench which usually possesses as much talent or more than the players on the court.  We can expect to learn the names of the current juniors and seniors at Duke who as underclassmen and loyal team members patiently waited for this moment.

Michigan lost Tim Hardaway to the New York Knicks and Trey Burke to the Utah Jazz. Did they have a good recruiting year?  Have they established a fluid pipeline of players to guard against the colossal damage that the NBA draft eligibility can cause a competitive college program?  Also, does Michigan have a substantial bench to whom they can turn? 

Ohio State’s fiercely competitive program demands mention.  Aaron Craft’s yeoman’s hustle and diligence delights basketball fans everywhere.  Will this season afford Ohio State the grace and good fortune finally to achieve a national title?  This team intimidates so many other stellar programs throughout the season.  However, they are unable to cinch one of the slots in the final game yet alone actually win the championship.  Have we ignored a progressive curse of the Buckeyes’ basketball program?

This snapshot is just that a small, incomplete and indefinite glance at a few of the trees in the vibrant and verdant forest of college basketball.  With the fast pace of the game and the drama of a switching one or two point lead keeping fans and viewers on the edge of their seats, collegiate basketball always offers startling surprises.  Recall the ascension of Florida Gulf Coast’s team and the indirect way in which their NCAA tournament performance last season raised the ball handling skills and requirements of all players.  Arguably, “March Madness” comprising the sixty-eight games of the NCAA basketball tournament is the most exhilarating athletic competition of the year.  Each season, diehard basketball fans overdose on this tournament as they attempt to watch each game.  Year to year, we have no way of knowing which school will dominate and win the national championship.  Hence, a snapshot ultimately yields to a panoramic of the forest as many surprises lurk in places we least expect.