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Before the Raptors were officially sent home by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, two the the team's major contributors were spotted out-and-about very late at night in Cleveland. This apparent neglect for the proper sleep and preparation invited some criticism of the players.
On the morning of the latest, biggest game in Raptors history — just before 2 in the morning to be precise — two prominent Toronto players were spotted walking through a downtown Cleveland casino with a large group, clearly not in game-preparation mode.
This may have had nothing to do with how or why the Raptors were decimated and embarrassed 116-78 again by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. But it makes you wonder. -- Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun
But this website -- given its title of Clips Nation -- will not get into the debate or commentary around this situation. Rather, we turn to what one of our own players has to say about the actions of his peers, and the NBA life in general. Check it out:
If NBA player is in hotel room watching episodes of Game of Thrones at 1 or 2 am...how is that diff than being @ public space @ same hour?
— JJ Redick (@JJRedick) May 26, 2016
Most NBA guys r wired & go 2 sleep btw 2 and 4 am after games. After 90 some games it's hard to fall asleep at 10 am on a non game night.
— JJ Redick (@JJRedick) May 26, 2016
Fans have a complex relationship with the athletes for which they cheer: in one sense, we expect them to work hard and reward us for our support. But, at the same time, we ought to be more mindful that the players do not truly owe us anything -- they have their own lives, which we should respect.
It is clear that fans did not quite understand why Carroll and Joseph would be out so late at night, which is why J.J. felt the need to send these tweets. Being a NBA player can be a hard life -- it is obvious that sleep schedules can become abnormal and result in players walking around late at night when one might expect them to be sleeping.
Basketball is often said to be an artful activity: players move up and down the court in rhythm, displaying powerful yet aesthetically pleasing motions. But, for some reason, we, as fans, get caught too up in criticizing the process rather than just enjoying the performance. So long as Carroll and Joseph do not let late night activities explicitly harm their ability to create their art, us fans ought to turn off of the watch-dog act and stop pretending we know what is best for NBA players.