Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson seems to disagree with those who object to star players teaming up via free agency.
The 1964 MVP pushed back on critics of fellow league legend LeBron James, whose team-jumping has been frequent fodder for his foils in the media.
Robertson, appearing this week on "The Knuckleheads" podcast hosted by Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, contrasted James' formation of a super team in Miami a decade ago, with the Boston Celtics' league-changing acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen several years prior.
"I'll never forget when Boston got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, that was David Stern's deal -- the NBA allowed that. Everything was fine, people didn't say anything about it. But when LeBron went to Miami, it was 'oh man, like how can you do this?'"
The 82-year-old icon's remarks came during a discussion about his landmark lawsuit against the NBA, which ended the so-called reserve clause and ushered in the era of free agency.
The NBA has been accused on at least a couple of occasions of having a heavy hand -- or looking the other way -- on major transactions that could potentially reshape the balance of power in the league.
Boston's acquisition of Garnett turned some heads at the time because it was brokered by former Celtics teammates Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale, who was then the GM of the Wolves. The best player the Wolves received in exchange was Al Harrington, while the others were either journeymen or youngsters who didn't pan out. The Wolves also received two drafts picks, later used to select Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn.
Robertson suggested he doesn't buy the narrative that players are secretly calling all the shots behind the scenes.
"You know, let's be honest, the management knew all about this in Miami. It's almost like, 'the three players got together and they carved this out. Like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George got together to go to the Clippers.' Come on people, don't be that naive and stupid.
"The owners sit back, and they see what happened with the right of first refusal -- how it's made basketball players into superstars all over the world, how it's upgraded basketball from being a USA sport to an international sport. It's made a big difference in how they've made more money.
"[Donald Sterling] bought his team for $12 million and sold it for $2 billion. And what do you think the Knicks are worth? And they'll sit back and say, 'oh the greedy players.' I just saw that a player got $50 million. I just say to myself, 'what are the owners making then?'"
Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Robertson discusses being the first Black player at the University of Cincinnati; what it was like to win an MVP award; and how his wife helped steer him to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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