Sit down at a table for a couple of drinks with friends. When discussion starts to drag, those same old questions arise.
“Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?” “Is Oprah Winfrey or Brett Favre the world’s biggest narcissist?”
But I always ask, “What’s better: college basketball or the NBA?”
On the surface, people quickly say college basketball is the best. But if you delve into logic, the opposite is actually true.
Electric crowds, energetic youth and passion are the justifications for the greatness of college basketball. Now, I’m rational, and in many circumstances in life it’s led to a lack of casual friendships — if someone brings up a point, I’m more apt to give an honest opinion than to do that sympathetic consoling thing.
I’ve often heard there is no defense in the NBA. No, there’s a 24-second shot clock as opposed to 35 seconds in college. The NBA has professional athletes who can score as opposed to a group of amateurs a coach puts into a tight defensive system. Kevin Durant will knock down jump shots and LeBron James will barrel into the lane and crush the souls of defenders and the Cleveland economy. College coaches know players haven’t grasped the offensive game, so they establish tight-knit defenses that utilize the natural athleticism of the young athletes as they establish an offensive skill set.
Think there’s no passion in the NBA? Watch the Knicks play the Pacers on a Friday in Madison Square Garden, and there’s an electrifying atmosphere. Watch Kentucky play at USC, and there is an electrifying atmosphere. Die-hard fans exist in both — it just so happens that the sophomore engineering student is drunk and loud while the 80-year-old season-ticket holder casually claps and cheers.
For every dormant Sacramento Kings there are proportionally 30 agonizingly boring college teams with half-filled student sections. Even though the Kings suck, I could still watch a fourth quarter with Tyreke Evans scoring and the threat of DeMarcus Cousins attacking a referee.
Name any NBA team, and I’ll give you two to three reasons to watch. Name half of the teams in the SEC, and I couldn’t name a coach or a player on them. The players are not as entertaining and don’t differentiate themselves in the one year or four years the way a professional athlete can over a 10-year career.
Quality of play, recognizable personalities and well-rounded talent make the NBA much more watchable.
But we all know the real reason the NBA is better: You’re assured of never hearing Dick Vitale utter a word.