Future of NBA in Great Hands

With the news breaking today that Bulls guard Derrick Rose has been named the NBA's Rookie of the Year, it gave me a good feeling as the Association continues to look past the post-Michael Jordan era. When Jordan hung up his sneakers (for the second time) after the 1998 NBA Finals, there was a genuine concern about the future of professional basketball. Jordan had been the consumate champion on the court as well as the perfect corporate spokesman off the court. His unique blend of basketball and salesmanship turned the NBA into a global company. The post-Jordan years saw the duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant win three titles (2000 - 2002), Tim Duncan and the Spurs win four titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007), a rebirth of the Bad Boy Pistons in 2004, the duo of Shaq and Dwayne Wade take the trophy in 2006, and the Celtics return to glory in 2008. In that decade, the NBA was carried by Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, Wade, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitski, Paul Pierce, and Chauncey Billups. The league survived the retirement(s) of Jordan because it had a stable of stars to rely upon to keep the game exciting. As we look ahead to the next decade, the NBA looks like it will continue to flourish. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will be the top stars that will carry the league but recent additions Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant (2008 ROY), Chris Paul (2006 ROY), Deron Williams, Brandon Roy (2007 ROY), Rajon Rondo, and Rose will lay the foundation for another decade of excellence on the hardwood.