Which accomplishment would you value more?

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

I was struck this morning by quotes by JD Davison like, "I can't even explain how I feel right now," and the general enthusiasm of the Maine Celtics in getting to the finals. They seemed genuinely thrilled, which is understandable, of course, but I was kind of thinking these guys saw the G-League as just a way station and didn't take the wins/losses all that seriously. Definitely, the level of effort last night was way beyond what I've seen in other regular season games.

Which made wonder: Would they value a G-League championship more highly than an NCAA title? Would you? For sure, the level of competition is higher - many of the guys in the NCAA tourney would never sniff a G-League deal. But the prestige of the NCAA is obviously worlds higher and of course "NCAA national title holder" is something people understand and would be impressed by, regardless of whether they even follow sports.

But just as an athletic accomplishment, I think I might personally value a G-League championship more, since it's much more representative of beating the best competition. But obviously the G-League rosters are changing up all the time, it's a relatively short season, etc. So, I dunno. Mostly just curious on what you think the players, themselves, would think of winning a G-League title vs. an NCAA title and what you personally would place on it in terms of value.

 

[Bergs]

There is a social cache involved with the NCAA tourney that just doesn't exist for the G-League. NCAA all the way.

 

[jon abbey]

I honestly doubt anyone would pick G-League.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I honestly doubt anyone would pick G-League.

Maybe some of the "Ignite" guys, who skipped college. Or International players who never attended a US school. But I agree, if someone played NCAA ball and then went to the G League, it would be the NCAA title that would be more prestigious

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Heck. Ask Keith Smart which is more important to him. Winning the World Basketball League title in 1990 with the Youngstown Pride, or beating Syracuse in the NCAA Finals a few years prior

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I honestly doubt anyone would pick G-League.

G-League players and coaches wouldn’t pick the G-League

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Even non-sports fans will be able to name who wins the NCAA tourney if asked tomorrow, whereas only diehard NBA/basketball fans will ever know who wins the G-League championship.

EDIT: I'm a moderate basketball fan and I can only name one G-League team. (I can't even name another G-League home city/state other than Maine with any certainty, much less a team name.)

 

[Royal Reader]

Even non-sports fans will be able to name who wins the NCAA tourney if asked tomorrow, whereas only diehard NBA/basketball fans will ever know who wins the G-League championship.

EDIT: I'm a moderate basketball fan and I can only name one G-League team. (I can't even name another G-League home city/state other than Maine with any certainty, much less a team name.)

I can tell you OKC has one, but not its name. On account of hearing how the Thunder guys all turn up together to cheer the G leaguers.

I think that says more about Oklahoma than the G League.

 

[benhogan]

Over 2 decades later and HOFer Carmelo Anthony will probably be best remembered for winning a National Championship at Syracuse.

I doubt 90% of hardcore hoops fans or posters here, myself included, have a clue who won the G-League last season.

35yrs after the fact I still remember the bar I was in when Princeton almost beat G-Town on St Patrick's Day.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

I was 1 of 2 to pick the G-League but did so by accident!

If I was to pull the First Take zag, I'd say that these guys are professionals and are eating and sleeping basketball, as opposed to college when regardless of the heights you are at basketball will be a smaller slice of the pie. When you are playing to put food on the table, I could see a lot of emotion in winning G-League.

That said, Carmelo will get a hero's welcome everytime he steps on the Syracuse campus for the rest of his life, and I don't feel like (hairstyle notwithstanding) Davison would get the same recognition nor maybe even return for the imaginary 25-year anniversary event in Portland in 2049.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I was 1 of 2 to pick the G-League but did so by accident!

If I was to pull the First Take zag, I'd say that these guys are professionals and are eating and sleeping basketball, as opposed to college when regardless of the heights you are at basketball will be a smaller slice of the pie. When you are playing to put food on the table, I could see a lot of emotion in winning G-League.

That said, Carmelo will get a hero's welcome everytime he steps on the Syracuse campus for the rest of his life, and I don't feel like (hairstyle notwithstanding) Davison would get the same recognition nor maybe even return for the imaginary 25-year anniversary event in Portland in 2049.

Hopefully, he'll attend the one in Boston instead that year.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

The NCAAs are the top of that particular level of Bball. Even though the G-League is a better brand of basketball, it's just a minor leagues.

Maybe a better question would be if players would rather the NBA or one of the European league titles (not the EuroLeague, which I presume is a pretty important tournament for players in Europe).

 

[chilidawg]

The fan base involvement is so different that the NCAA's have to be a more emotional win. Best thing about NCAA basketball is the rabid fans imo.

 

[SumnerH]

The NCAA tournament is also an event that draws in casual non-fans due to office brackets and the like. Between that and the rabid fanbase, the NCAA Finals and even some earlier Final Four games often rival NBA finals games for viewership, and quite often outdraw things like World Series games, World Cup matches (in the US), the Masters in golf, the Kentucky Derby, etc.

There aren't many bigger stages in the American sporting world, as pure stages go. As noted above, Melo will be best remembered for his NCAA victory. Even Juan Dixon is still a household name in much of the DC/College Park area. And almost nobody hates Laettner primarily for what he did with the Timberwolves or Hawks.

 

[mauidano]

I assume it's all relevant to the moment. You play to win championships. So on the peak of it, beer league softball championships are cool moments.

That being said; there is no bigger moment than an NCAA Championship. The hype leading up to it is relentless and if you win? Oh man...the rest of your life you got serious bragging rights.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

I'm watching the G-League Finals now. It looks like they're playing in a high school gym.

 

[Pxer]

As a fan, I'm more excited if my pro team affiliate wins the G League title than my NCAA team. One can affect the Celtics roster some day and the NBA is 1000x better than NCAA bball.

 

[reggiecleveland]

Heck. Ask Keith Smart which is more important to him. Winning the World Basketball League title in 1990 with the Youngstown Pride, or beating Syracuse in the NCAA Finals a few years prior

To put that in perspective. I played in that league. I was on the roster (but didn't play for another team) that won the championship of a similar league two years later. I would rather have tickets to the final four than score 40 in the title game and be playoff MVP of either of those leagues.

I ended up on smart in a switch on the left wing, and after seeing his game winner against Syracuse about a million times I completely guessed he was going to shoot a one dribble pull going left and was all over him and he missed. To this day I contend, with all the knowledge I had at that point, if you quantum leaped me into Howard Triche, for just that play, Syracuse wins. Had he gone right he could have walked in for a dunk. Smart wasn't a top ten player in that league, but when guys went out after he was still top dog for what he accomplished in college.

I am a bit of a Forrrest Gump of NCAA game winning shots. Two nights before my heroic stand against Keith Smart I scored on Lorenzo Charles. On the very next play he blew up and fought everybody and was kicked out of the league. I tend to think me scoring on him was the last straw and he decided to commit professional suicide.

And the guy who was guarding Tate George on his famous shot is one of my friends.

 

[Humphrey]

As a fan, I'm more excited if my pro team affiliate wins the G League title than my NCAA team. One can affect the Celtics roster some day and the NBA is 1000x better than NCAA bball.

Player (and their effect on the big club at some point) development has little to do with team success.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Hopefully, he'll attend the one in Boston instead that year.

That would be awesome if Carmelo showed up to this.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

And the guy who was guarding Tate George on his famous shot is one of my friends.

Vivid memory of this. I was at a bar drinking long Island Iced Teas with friends and kept repeating to them (literally like 7x) that the game wasn’t over bc Scottie Burrell is a baseball pitcher and he can throw that length of the court pass for them to get a shot off.