duncan228
03-15-2010, 01:36 PM
The Shaun Livingston Dream Will Never Die (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-theshaunlivingstondr&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
Several weeks ago, when the Wizards signed Shaun Livingston, I noted that every time he signs with an NBA team, it receives a level of attention incommensurate with his actual impact on the court.
He was once was so promising, and his 2007 knee injury so gruesome, that it’s natural for fans (myself included) to view every new signing as an opportunity to recapture what he lost three seasons ago, even though his success was by no means guaranteed.
On Saturday, Livingston logged 18 points and eight assists against the Magic. As Jonathan Abrams notes at Off the Dribble, those are meaningful numbers (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/livingstons-comeback-is-bright-spot-for-wizards/):
But there is a reason why Henry Thomas, Livingston’s agent, called him nearly in tears after the game. The tally represents more than just numbers. They are the most points and assists Livingston has amassed since his gruesome injury in February 2007, in which he landed awkwardly on his left knee, damaging virtually every portion of it. […]
“To be honest with you, I’m really not thinking about it,” Livingston said. “I’m just thinking about doing my job when I get in there and that’s trying to get others involved, make shots when I get in there and play the right way.”
Livingston recalibrated his expectations for himself long ago, but many of us are still a bit behind. Every time Livingston has a new game, it’s a piece of evidence that he’s on his way back and could make solid performances a regularity. Then, if he somehow were to accomplish that amazing feat, we could return to our past expectations for his career, no matter how unlikely he may be to reach those heights.
This is the ugly side of potential. Livingston’s ceiling was once so high that nothing he does on the court will ever be enough, even as his comeback represents an unreal achievement in its own right. Our initial expectations for his career will remain forever, even as they become infinitesimally likely.
Livingston’s accomplishments will still be recognized and cheered, but that knee injury saddled his career with a permanent asterisk. The new Shaun Livingston will always be viewed against our hopes and dreams for the old one.
SportingNews
Several weeks ago, when the Wizards signed Shaun Livingston, I noted that every time he signs with an NBA team, it receives a level of attention incommensurate with his actual impact on the court.
He was once was so promising, and his 2007 knee injury so gruesome, that it’s natural for fans (myself included) to view every new signing as an opportunity to recapture what he lost three seasons ago, even though his success was by no means guaranteed.
On Saturday, Livingston logged 18 points and eight assists against the Magic. As Jonathan Abrams notes at Off the Dribble, those are meaningful numbers (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/livingstons-comeback-is-bright-spot-for-wizards/):
But there is a reason why Henry Thomas, Livingston’s agent, called him nearly in tears after the game. The tally represents more than just numbers. They are the most points and assists Livingston has amassed since his gruesome injury in February 2007, in which he landed awkwardly on his left knee, damaging virtually every portion of it. […]
“To be honest with you, I’m really not thinking about it,” Livingston said. “I’m just thinking about doing my job when I get in there and that’s trying to get others involved, make shots when I get in there and play the right way.”
Livingston recalibrated his expectations for himself long ago, but many of us are still a bit behind. Every time Livingston has a new game, it’s a piece of evidence that he’s on his way back and could make solid performances a regularity. Then, if he somehow were to accomplish that amazing feat, we could return to our past expectations for his career, no matter how unlikely he may be to reach those heights.
This is the ugly side of potential. Livingston’s ceiling was once so high that nothing he does on the court will ever be enough, even as his comeback represents an unreal achievement in its own right. Our initial expectations for his career will remain forever, even as they become infinitesimally likely.
Livingston’s accomplishments will still be recognized and cheered, but that knee injury saddled his career with a permanent asterisk. The new Shaun Livingston will always be viewed against our hopes and dreams for the old one.