By: Aaron Shariq
Sports stories that leave followers scratching their heads are almost always the most fun to read. Whether it’s an organizational blunder, or a player that can’t help but do something stupid, the sports world has a way of making its fans say, “Huh?” I’m here to tell you that I don’t get it either! In this new segment, I will break down some of my favorite questionable moments. With post all-star weekend basketball starting up and the trade deadline behind us, I think it’s only fitting that the inaugural You Done Messed Up! with A-Aron centers around the NBA.
Following the NBA all-star game, the Sacramento Kings parted ways with 3-time all-star Demarcus Cousins, one of only two NBA players who averaged 20+ PPG and 10+ RPG during the past four seasons. In exchange for Demarcus Cousins, and Omri Casspi, the Kings received from the New Orleans Pelicans Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, Buddy Hield, and the Pelicans’ 2017 1st and 2nd round draft picks.
It may seem like the Kings received a lot for Cousins, but when considering quality over quantity, the Kings are on the losing end of one of the most lopsided trades in recent sports history. When asked about the trade, Kings GM Vlade Divac said “I had a better deal two days ago.” If Divac was so willing to move on from Cousins, why would he not take the original offer which he commented on as “better” for the Kings? Considering the deadline was days away, Divac could have at least held out on the trade until New Orleans put up the players to match Cousins’ value. The trade continues to make less sense as the minutes go by. You done messed up, Vlade Divac!
Anyone who follows the NBA all-star events can agree that the dunk contest has been quite underwhelming these past few years. Lovers of what the dunk contest used to represent were thrilled to watch the 2016 lineup battle it out in Toronto. The showdown between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine contained an abundance of arena shaking dunks that left sports fans in awe.
When it was announced Aaron Gordon would be a headliner for the 2017 contest in New Orleans, it was expected that he would put on a show to rival his prior year’s performance. Make no mistake that a wide audience tuned in just for the thrill of what Gordon might bring to the event. Those viewers, myself included, were quite disappointed. Gordon put on a less-than-impressive performance as he spent the night missing dunk after dunk. While many analysts believed he’d win the 2017 event, Gordon fell far below the bar he’d set in for himself in 2016, finishing with the lowest dunk score in each round. You done messed up, A-Aron Gordon!
Circling back to my hometown, the Chicago Bulls have slipped to a new low throughout these last two years. Gone are the days of the Bulls being thought of as the team in the East that could possibly take down LeBron James and the rest of the former Miami Heat Big Three. The organization is stagnate; just good enough to reach the playoffs and lose. It seems the 90s are distant memories to those still faithful.
There are several reasons why the Bulls are currently in decline, but since they just traded away Taj Gibson, a Chicago fan favorite, and dragged Jimmy Butler’s name through trade rumors, I will focus of their lack of loyalty. First off, the Bulls clashed with former coach of the year, Tom Thibodeau, subsequently driving him out of town in favor of Fred Hoiberg. Then, after the 2016 season, the Bulls organization traded Derrick Rose, hometown hero and MVP, in a trade meant to make the team “younger and more athletic” but achieved neither of those goals. In that same offseason the Bulls let former defensive player of the year Joakim Noah walk and sign with the New York Knicks. If these moves weren’t detrimental enough, the Bulls were also rumored to have locker room spies used to paint departing players as “bad guys” in the event that ownership decided to move on from them. No player in their right mind would want to play in the environment that has been created by the Bulls’ front office in recent years. I think all of Chicago agrees with me when I say, you done messed up GarPax!