11/05/24
February 21, 2002
What the Falk?: Is David Falk trying to be more like Mike by holding a grudge against Isaiah Thomas? (Remember the supposed Dream Team lockout by Jordan--"it's me or Thomas"). After the Rose trade, Falk severely criticized Thomas for his lack of loyalty and professionalism, despite the fact that G.M. Donnie Walsh claims Thomas had nothing to do with the trade. So is anyone else tired of Falk? And are agents pimps, leeches, or hard-working assistants?
Falk is lashing out because despite having a sizeable roster of NBA players he no longer wields the power he once did. He used to be able dictate trades to teams and force GM's to make sweet deals to players who didn't deserve them in order to stay in his good graces. With the new CBA he can no longer crack the whip and one his clients got sent to NBA hell in Chicago. Now Falk and Krause will have to sit at the same table. The Hoop Gods are chuckling.
posted by srboisvert at 10:04 AM on February 21, 2002
I appreciate the article because the writer exposes the insufficiency of Falk's personal hostility towards Thomas: Falk disliked Thomas' performance as president of the NBA Players Association because [a]gents' fees were reduced during Thomas' reign. Falk disapproved of the trade that sent Adrian Dantley (a Falk client) to Dallas for Mark Aguirre in 1989 when Thomas played for the Pistons, although the Pistons won their first of two consecutive NBA titles after the trade. Falk criticized Thomas for not playing Rose more during a stretch of games in late December and early January...Rose was left on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of games against Orlando, Washington, San Antonio, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pacers won all of those games except against the Lakers. (Rose also led the Pacers in scoring, minutes played and field-goal attempts at the time of Tuesday's trade.) As I've mentioned previously, I like Rose (and didn't appreciate how the trade was handled) and was disappointed to see him go. But IMHO I think Falk talks too much or imagines himself to be far more important than he really is. No doubt, he brings in the money, but he also makes his living basking in the glory of others (and far too often mistakes this borrowed glory to be his own). holden, thanks for the article. I'll check it out.
posted by jacknose at 10:24 AM on February 21, 2002
I'm going to defend agents (god help me) because the good ones are advocates for players and nobody sticks up for players, at least highly paid ones. Nobody's going to stand up publicly for Rose but David Falk, and that's probably worth 4% of $10 million. Last night I watched Rose who supposedly doesn't want to play in Chicago, trying to get the crowd involved in the last minutes of their victory over the Knicks. It was obvious that Rose didn't know what he was doing, his bony girl arms just kind of flapping around. The crowd didn't know what to do either, they kind of started yelling louder but it was more like an increase in individual shrieks of terror than the roar that should have happened. I think this season has taken a real toll on Rose. But, hope springs eternal that everybody may end up better off (at least psychologically) from this trade. Srboisvert, I'd rather sit at the same table with Jeffrey Dahmer than Jerry Krause. Don't dredge up all that tired nonsense about how "the agents control the NBA" that's just owner propaganda from the lockout swallowed by the large contingent of basketball "journalists" (*cough* Peter Vecsey *cough*) who, I believe, truly hate the game and the players they spend their lives covering.
posted by pastepotpete at 10:47 AM on February 21, 2002
pastepotpete: Don't dredge up all that tired nonsense about how "the agents control the NBA" that's just owner propaganda from the lockout swallowed by the large contingent of basketball "journalists" (*cough* Peter Vecsey *cough*) who, I believe, truly hate the game and the players they spend their lives covering. Please don't tar me with the Vecsey brush...that is almost hateful. I suspect in your refusal to swallow propaganda you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There are facts that indicate there is at least a kernal of truth, if not more, to the Falk meglomania stories . Falk has repeatedly and publically dictated and threatened owners. Falk made threats to McHale with Marbury, screwed around with Danny Ferry and the Clippers, tried to with Miles and the Clippers to name just a few of his ploys. I think it is pretty clear that agents, particularly super-agents like Falk who had large rosters, used to wield considerable power. Now they don't and when Falk lashes I can just picture the impotent rage and maybe some spittle on his chin.
posted by srboisvert at 01:47 PM on February 21, 2002
While I have a fairly negative view of agents (see the segment in this piece by Peter Gammons on the messed-up symbiotic relationship between Rangers owner Tom Hicks and agent Scott Boras), I have to say that Walsh saying that Thomas had nothing to do with the trade is not particularly convincing. That Thomas and Rose did not see eye to eye on what type of player Rose was going to be and where on the court he was going to play is well documented. That said, if you look at the trade on paper I think the Pacers come out on top and that gives Walsh the luxury of not having to put any of the blame on conflicts between player and coach.