Melo and the Alleged DUI:
I read an article on Yahoo Sports yesterday written by Adrian Wojnarowski regarding Carmelo and the arrest on suspicion of DUI. Mr. Wojnarowksi calls Melo the most “untrustworthy franchise player in basketball.” These allegations are unfounded and baseless. First, by no means do I condone a DUI. It is negligent and deserving of reasonable consequences. Nevertheless, the DUI does not detract from Carmelo’s performance on the court, the intensity in which he plays, the performance of his teammates and the Nuggets’ playoff race. It is an off-court issue that will be dealt with my Melo and his family. There are thousands of instances of out-of-the-office negligence, such as DUI’s, committed by C level officers and top level employees that does not impact the bottom line of the company or the leadership of the company. Second, let’s not take a few instance of questionable off- the-court actions to assassinate Melo’s character.
I am sure that Mr. Wojnarowski is not privy to the thousands of good deeds Melo performs each year. From each autograph he signs, to each photograph he takes, to each hour of his limited private time he devotes to the community, to the millions of dollars he contributes to charities and the community, to the family and friends he helps, to the children that he inspires, to the recreation centers and gyms he has built, to the people he has fed, to the Denver Nuggets and the NBA who earn millions from the sale of his jersey/likeness/image, to the country he represents with honor and dignity in the Olympics, to the team of service providers that generate a living handling the Melo Empire, etc etc.
It is one error in judgment amongst a lifetime of good deeds. Third, the off-court issues, such as the fight at Madison Square Garden, are fueled by much more than carelessness and errors in judgment. The NBA and its teams, US and international media, the shoe companies, the fans, the companies that sponsor and endorse the NBA player/team, encourage the NBA players to play tough, hard, with passion and intensity. Yet, if a conflict arises on the court, all the above entities want the NBA players to immediately become diplomatic, resolve on court disputes in board rooms, and shut off the intensity and passion that fuels their success. This is both unreasonable and unrealistic request. I do not advocate violence, but a push, a punch, a fight are all reasonably foreseeable byproducts of sport, especially in professional sports when players play for their livelihood. Take also into consideration Melo’s thought process during the fight. Factor in the adrenalin, the roar of the fans and the human instinct of self preservation and defense, now Melo must weigh all of these factors within a split second: 1) I am the leader of my team-- toughness is encouraged and demanded so I have to throw this punch to support my team; 2) my friends from home and from the Hip Hop community are at the game so I can’t just walk away from this, I will look soft; 3) the kids that buy my shoes want to see street credibility so maybe a punch is a good thing; 4) I didn’t grow up “soft” and I don’t back away from confrontation so how would this look if I don’t fight: how will my neighborhood see me when I go home; 5) I will get fined, suspended—the fight will affect me financially and professionally; 6) I will get suspended and this will impact my team; etc etc. There were so many competing thoughts running through his head so how can you expect a 23 year old young man to make the “right” judgment at the time.
How many classes on conflict resolution has he taken? How many mediation/arbitration calluses has he taken? How many on court fights has he been through so he would know how to handle himself? The answer is No to all the above. He did what he did. At the end of the day, he paid his fine, apologized to the city/community/teammates and media and incurred the penalty. All told, to make conclusions and pass judgment when you do not know, and chose not to know all the facts, is negligent in itself.
Spend a few days with Melo, cameras off, pens down, eyes and ears open, and you will see what I see: a young man doing his best to make a better life for himself and his family.