U-Theresa Runstedtler ku-‘Black Ball’ mayelana no-Kareem, i-NBA yama-’70s

Izinsizwa eziMnyama ezidla izidakamizwa! Ukuqala ukulwa! Ufuna ukukhokhelwa! Lona bekuyiqoqo le-NBA boogeyman lama-1970s nasekuqaleni kwawo-’80s, isikhathi sezinguquko ku-basketball ekhokhelwayo nasemphakathini. Njengeligi yabamnyama abaningi yamukela isitayela sokudlala esiwubukhazikhazi futhi ekhombisa izinzuzo zenhlangano yamalungelo abantu kanye namandla Amnyama, i-NBA ingene enkathini entsha yokubonakala. Izinkanyezi bekulindeleke ukuthi zinxeshezelwe futhi zithathwe ngokungathi sína njengabantu. Akumangazi ukuthi ukuhlehla emuva kwaba kukhulu – phakathi kwabaphathi ababemanqikanqika ukuyeka ukulawula ngokuphelele futhi phakathi kwabalandeli abaningi abamhlophe abacasukela laba badlali abasha abadonsa izinqwaba zemali (okungabonakala njengemali encane ngokwezindinganiso zanamuhla).

U-Oscar Robertson, owalwela ukususa isigatshana somthetho wezinkontileka ze-NBA, uphithizela abalandeli bakhe njengoba ethungatha umthwalo wakhe esikhumulweni sezindiza eMilwaukee ngo-1971.

(Paul Shane / Associated Press)

Lona umhlaba we “Ibhola Elimnyama: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, kanye neGeneration that Saved the Soul of the NBA,” inhlolovo ka-Theresa Runstedtler ehlakaniphile, ehehayo futhi engagwegwesi yesikhathi esibalulekile emlandweni wezemidlalo. Lokhu ikakhulukazi indaba yezabasebenzi nobuhlanga kanye neMelika, exoxwa ngesisekelo sophiko olusondelayo kodwa olungakafiki ezingeni layo lamanje lokukhiqizwa ngobuningi, ukuthandwa okuhlanganiswe ngokucophelela. Yindaba yokungezwani kwezidakamizwa eseminyakeni Eyishumi Yokusetshenziswa kwe-cocaine okudlangile kanye nomkhiqizo odonsa kanzima ngokuba seduze kwawo emigwaqweni. Futhi kuwucwaningo lokucwasa ngokwezikhungo esikweni elishintsha ngokushesha kangangokuthi unogada balo bakudala, abamhlophe babengakwazi ukuqhubeka.

“Lesi yisikhathi esifanayo lapho i-Bronx yayivutha khona, futhi amadolobha angaphakathi angacaphuni ayelulama kuzo zonke izibhelu ezenzeka maphakathi nawo-’60s ukuya phambili,” kusho u-Runstedtler ehhovisi lakhe lasekhaya e-Baltimore. “Kunalokhu kukhathazeka mayelana nezinsizwa eziNsundu ezinikezwa inkululeko enkulu – ukuthi lokhu kuzoholela ohlotsheni oluthile lodlame … noma izenzo zobugebengu.”

U-Runstedtler, uprofesa kanye nomlando wezomjaho nezemidlalo e-American University, uthathe indlela ejikelezayo kodwa ebonisayo esihlokweni sakhe sakamuva. Ongowokuzalwa e-Ontario, wayeyilungu leToronto Raptors Dance Pak ngeminyaka yawo-’90s. Ithimba elisha lokunweba, i-Raptors yaqala ngendlela yokuqala yobusha ngaphansi komsunguli oMnyama, umphathi jikelele kanye nesihlabani sangaphambili se-NBA u-Isiah Thomas.

“Asibukeki njengeqembu elijwayelekile lomdanso le-NBA,” kubhala u-Runstedtler. “Besingabantu abasubathi basemadolobheni kunobukhazikhazi be-sexy. Kwakungekho ukulungiswa kwesisindo. Sihlonipha isiko le-hip-hop yase-Afrika yaseMelika, sigqoke amakhava, amabhandeshi, namajezi ahlotshisiwe, futhi sadansela izingoma zakamuva ze-rap ne-R&B.”

Kodwa ke iqembu lathengiswa ku-Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment egxile kakhulu ebhizinisini. Iqembu lomdanso lishintshile: “i-skinnier, imhlophe, i-blonder.” Indawo ye-hip-hop ithathwe nguMotown. Njengoba u-Runstedtler ebhala, “Kwaba sobala ukuthi sasidlalela izicebi ezinamathikithi esizini emhlophe phansi esikhundleni sabalandeli abavamile (okuvame ukungebona abamhlophe) emakhaleni. Ngandlela thize le ncwadi isineminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili yenziwa – indlela yokuba ngenze umqondo walokho engaba yingxenye yakho ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990. “

Ngemva kokufunda umlando kanye nezifundo zase-Afrika zaseMelika e-Yale, u-Runstedtler waqala ukucabanga nokucwaninga lokho ngezinye izikhathi okubizwa ngokuthi “inkathi yobumnyama” ye-NBA. Imigqa yetulo miningi.

Kukhona inkanyezi Oscar RobertsonImpi yomthetho ngokumelene nenketho ye-NBA (noma ukugodla) isigatshana, esibophele umdlali eqenjini elilodwa impilo yakhe yonke ngokubona kweqembu. Kukhona ukufika kwe-ABA eqalayo, e-razzle-dazzle, enikeze abadlali ukukhetha okwengeziwe – inkululeko i-NBA eyayiyesaba kakhulu kwaphoqa ukuhlanganiswa ngo-1976.

Kukhona futhi Abdul-Jabbar, i-cerebral UCLA kanye no-Lakers omkhulu, owadida abezindaba ngokwenqaba ukudlala umdlalo wabo wokuzithoba kanye nezimpendulo ezisemathinini. Kunokuthukana ngokusetshenziswa kwabadlali kwe-cocaine, isidakamizwa esithandwa abantu abaningi abanemali engenayo ngeminyaka yawo-’70s kanye nama-’80s, esathusa futhi sathukuthelisa iligi kanye nabezindaba ngesikhathi izicebi Ezimnyama zizitika. (Izithukuthuku eziqhutshwa yi-innuendo Isihloko se-Los Angeles Times wasiza ukushayela ukwethuka).

Umbhali we-‘Black Ball’ u-Theresa Runstedrler ungumlando wezobuhlanga nezemidlalo.

(Isithombe sika-Britt Ecker-Olsen)

U-Runstedtler ukwenza kucace ukuthi uyazi ukuthi i-NBA yayingeyona eyengelosi ngeminyaka yawo-’70s. “Angisho encwadini ukuthi akekho owenza i-coke, kodwa kufanele sikucabange lokho njengokulandisa okucwasa ngokwebala, ukwethuka kokuziphatha okwaba yindaba enkulu ngabadlali be-basketball abamnyama eminyakeni eyaholela kulokho ekugcineni. inkinga ye-crack-cocaine,”kusho yena. “Wonke umuntu uvele awele esitebhisini bese ethi, ‘Yebo, kumele sibajezise laba bafana. Kufanele sibalawule. Kufanele sibagade sisebenzisa amaphoyisa.’” Kuwuhlobo olufanayo lwezinkulumo ezasetshenziswa eMpini Yezidakamizwa eya ngokuya ikhula ngamandla.

Ingxenye yokwethembeka eqondisa “Ibhola Elimnyama” ukugcizelela kwayo ukuthi imibono yethu ngohlanga ithinta indlela esiwubuka ngayo umdlalo, nokuthi awukwazi nje ukwehlukanisa imidlalo kusukela ezikhathini edlalwa ngazo — kanye nezithameli ozidlalela’ idlalwe kabusha. I-NBA yanamuhla umpetha ubuciko bokuba nayo ngazo zombili izindlela, ukusebenzisa iligi epholile kanye nesitayela sayo esiMnyama ngaphandle kokuhlikihla izimpaphe eziningi. (Lesi ikakhulukazi isihloko sencwadi enhle ye-basketball, kaPete Croatto “Kusukela ku-Hang Time kuya ku-Prime Time”).

I-“Black Ball” ifundwa ngesikhathi ngesikhathi lapho abasubathi abangochwepheshe bekhuluma ngokukhululeka kunanini ngaphambili ezindabeni zomphakathi, nalapho kusobala ukuthi ezemidlalo nomphakathi kuxhumene ngendlela engenakuhlukaniswa. Ngaphandle kwentuthuko ebhalwe lapha kunzima ukucabanga, ngokwesibonelo, i-NFL ithembisa amaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-250 ukulwa nobandlululo oluhlelekile (ngemuva kokuqamba amanga u-Colin Kaepernick ngemibhikisho yakhe ethule ephikisana nesihluku samaphoyisa).

Amalungu e-Milwaukee Bucks kanye ne-Boston Celtics aguqa eduze kwelogo ye-Black Lives Matter ngaphambi kokuqala komdlalo we-basketball we-NBA ngo-2020 eLake Buena Vista, Fla.

(Ashley Landis / Pool / Getty Izithombe)

Kubalulekile futhi ukuqaphela ukuthi abadlali be-NBA batshelwe ukuthi “bavale futhi babhukule,” noma okunye okufanayo, amashumi eminyaka. I-Runstedtler imele isikole sokubhala imidlalo kanye nezifundo ezibona isenzo esibaluleke kakhulu esenzeka ngaphandle kwenkantolo.

UChris Vognar ungumbhali ozimele ozinze eHouston.