Ngalo lonke ixesha ibhola isondela kufutshane noLatrell Sprewell kumdlalo wokugqibela we-Indiana uthotho, uKeith Livingston, indoda edibeneyo enentloko kunye neeglasi ezichetyiweyo, wayebetha isandla sakhe eposini eDean Street Cafe eProspect Heights, eBrooklyn, ekhwaza, Iphupha laseMelika, Iphupha laseMelika. Ibha yezemidlalo ibigcwele ngabantu abamnyama abaphuma kwiidolophu zangaphandle, bambalwa kubo bethe cwaka, isikhalo sikaMnumzana Livingston senyuka ngaphezulu kwedin: Yinike iphupha laseMelika!
Igama lesidlaliso livela kwintengiso eyothusayo eboniswa ngexesha lokudlala kunye ngu-1, inkampani yebhasikithi yebhasikithi. Indawo yesibini-yesibini ibonakalise umfanekiso osondeleyo kaMnu Sprewell, umdlali webhola yomnyazi odume kakhulu ngogonyamelo ngokuchasene nomqeqeshi wangaphambili, njengoko wayebambe iinwele zakhe kwaye wanikela ngento eyayibizwa ngokuba yinkampani ngonxibelelwano lomntu malunga nokuba ungubani .
Ndizenzile iimpazamo, kodwa andizivumeli ukuba zigcine ndiphantsi, utshilo. Abantu bathi ndingumntu oyiphupha elibi eMelika. Ndithi ndiliphupha laseMelika. Ngasemva, ikatala yayidlala iThe Star-Spangled Banner, ivakala ngokungathi nguJimi Hendrix ongacimekiyo wengoma yaseWoodstock, ngo-1969.
Ngaphandle kokuthetha ukuba njengokuba kugqitywa ukhuphiswano lokugqibela, uMnu. Sprewell, owakrwitsha umqeqeshi wakhe wangaphambili, uPJ Carlesimo weGolden State Warriors, ngo-1997 kwaye waphulukana nonyaka wobomi bakhe ngaphambi kokuba uKnicks amthengisele ngoJanuwari, ungqinelwe emehlweni abantu abaninzi baseNew York. Kwaoko ubumnandi kwaye uyadubula, umdlalo wakhe sisizathu esikhulu sokuba iiKnick zikowokugqibela. Kwaye ibali lakhe, lokugculelwa ngamajelo osasazo ngexesha lokungabikho, elibhalwe ukungasebenzi kakuhle yiNew York Times, kujongeka ngathi libali elihlengahlengisayo.
Uyenzile into enomdla ngokwenene, utshilo uJerry Della Femina, indoda yentengiso. Ekupheleni kwawo wonke umdlalo, unika olona dliwanondlebe lusengqiqweni. Ndiphantse ndaqiniseka ukuba uqeqeshiwe, ukuba kukho umntu onobubi we-P.R emva kwalomntu umxelele, Ungaze uliphakamise ilizwi lakho. Kwaye ulungile. Ubonakala njengomntu onesidima kakhulu. Unyana wam oneminyaka eli-10 uyamthanda. Akukho mntu ufuna ukuza nesiganeko sokukrwitshwa kwakhona. Ukuba sisenzo, siza kufumanisa ngaphambi kwexesha elide.
Emva koko uMnu Della Femina wagxotha amarhe endiwavileyo, ukuba uzamile ukudibana noMnu Sprewell.
Ndizokoyika ukudibana naye, wandixelela. Mhlawumbi andixoleli ngokwaneleyo.
Kubantu abaninzi abancinci, abamnyama ngakumbi, umbono kaSprewell wawunokwahluka ngakumbi. Ayibhekiseli kwingozi emnyama, ubundlobongela okanye ubuhlanga. Imalunga nokuzalwa ngokutsha, ubuchule bokwenza izinto, ukungaboni imibala kunye nokusebenza nzima. I-American Dream ad yenzelwe yinkampani encinci yeenkcubeko ezahlukeneyo ukuvumela uMnu Sprewell ukuba ahambe ngaphezulu kweentloko zamajelo eendaba, amadoda amhlophe amadala abathi abaxhasi baka Mnu. Sprewell baziva befunda kakubi ungeniso lomdlali njengokuchasana ngokobuhlanga, kwaye kuye kwabetha. Uluvo lukaSprewell luluvo lokubandakanywa kunye nokuzimela, zona kanye izinto abantu abamhlophe baseMelika kudala babhiyozela njengelifa labo laseMelika kwaye abantu abamnyama baseMelika ngoku bayazamkela njengezabo.
Uhlobo olwahlukileyo aluhambelani, uKeith Livingston undixelele eDean Street Cafe. Ewe, abanye abantu baya kumfumana esoyikisa. Umntu wakhe wangaphandle-ujongeka esoyikisa, kunye neebraids. Kwaye, ujonge ngokukhangeleka. Kodwa ke uyaqonda ukuba ngekhe umgwebe ngaloo nto. Waphulukana nemali eninzi. Waphulukana nobomi bakhe okomzuzwana. Uvela ndawo kwaye ngoku umjonge. Uphezulu, uyinkokeli yeqela lakhe. Kwintengiso uye uve ‘I-Star-Spangled Banner.’ Kufana nepie yeapile nebaseball. Awunakho ukufumana amaMelika angaphezulu kunalawo.
Nge-1 ka-Disemba 1, 1997, uPJ Carlesimo, umqeqeshi weGolden State Warriors onedumela lokukhwela abadlali, wakhwela kuLatrell Sprewell ngexesha lokuziqhelanisa nokungaphumeleli kakuhle, kwaye uMnu. Sprewell wayemele ukuphela kwenyanga ngomlomo ukuxhatshazwa. Ubushushu buvutha; UMnu Sprewell wagijimela entanyeni kaMnu Carlesimo. Waphoswa ngaphandle kwendawo yokuzivocavoca, kwaye watyholwa ukuba ubuyile emva kwemizuzu engama-20 ukuza kuhlasela uMnu Carlesimo kwakhona. (Mnu. Sprewell uyayiphika le nto.) Umdlali wakhawuleza waxolisa ngokuziphatha kwakhe, exhaswa ngamalungu amaninzi eGolden State Warriors, nanjengoko evakalisa ukungakhathali malunga nokubuyela emdlalweni. Unqunyanyisiwe kwaye waphulukana nomvuzo wakhe.
Kubantu abaninzi, isimilo sikaMnumzana Sprewell silingana nodidi olucacileyo: ubutshaba obumnyama kwabamhlophe. Xa ndaxelela uMnu. Della Femina ukuba wayegweba uMnu. Sprewell ngokwedatha enye, wathi, ndinedatha enye kuphela ku-O.J. USimpson, naye. Kwiwebhusayithi ye-1 kunye ne-1, uJoCouch uthe intengiso ye-Sprewell yayilingana nokubeka i-O.J. kwimela yorhwebo. Ezinye zezi zigwebo zivakaliswa ngabantu abamnyama. KwiDean Street Cafe ngobunye ubusuku, umfana omnyama omnyama ovela eQueens wandixelela ukuba wayephazamisekile xa abakwaKnick babethengisa ngoMnu. Sprewell.
Kodwa ndathi ndakumbona kumabonwakude, ndabona ukuba wayethetha kakuhle. Khange athethe ngathi usesitratweni, yatsho le ndoda. Okwangoku, ukuba ndirholile umphathi wam, ngaba bendiya kuba nawo umsebenzi?
Hayi. Kodwa noLatrell Sprewell akazange. Eli lilungu elibalulekileyo lombono kaSprewell. Uthumele emva kwe-O.J. O.J. Ngokuqinisekileyo wayenomdla wokuvuma. Kudliwanondlebe kunye noRosie Grier, umphathiswa kunye nowayesakuba ngumdlali webhola ekhatywayo, u-O.J. kuthiwa uvumile kwaye wabuza uMnu Grier ukuba enze ntoni. Umnumzana Grier wamxelela ukuba kufuneka aluvume ulwaphulo-mthetho kwaye acele uxolo. O.J. andizange ndilithathe eli cebiso. Hayi, sihlala kuluntu olusemthethweni apho abantu abanjengoAlan Dershowitz bekhona ukubetha iiraps. Ke u-O.J. uphumelele ityala lakhe-kwaye ube ligobolondo elitshisiweyo lomntu. Kodwa uMnu. Sprewell wavuma, wohlwaywa ngokuqatha. Ngelixa asamangalelayo uMbutho weBhola yeBhola yeSizwe kunye neeWarriors (esithi makabuyise konke kodwa i-1 yezigidi zeedola kwi-6.4 yezigidi ezilahlekileyo), ibali lakhe liyaphikisana ne-O.J.
Ubuhlanga obufihlakeleyo kunyango lukaLatrell Sprewell ukwala ukumvumela ukuba adlule kulwaphulo-mthetho awuhlawuleleyo. Ukuba uLatrell Sprewell wayemhlophe, ngaba isohlwayo sakhe sasiya kwahluka? ubuze i-CP kwiWebhu yeWebhu ye-1, kungekudala. U-Ernesto R uphendule ngelithi isohlwayo besinokufana, kodwa ukusasazwa kweendaba bekuya kufa ngokukhawuleza okukhulu. INew York Times ngamanye amaxesha ibisohlwaya, ibonakalisa umdlalo wakhe njengongasebenziyo. Ibali likaMike Wise kuMnu Sprewell kwiphephandaba lika May 2 Times lathi isimilo sika Mnu Sprewell sokudelela sathethelela ezona ngcinga zimbi malunga nomlinganiswa wakhe, i-miasma awayecinga ukuba iliginyile ithemba lobuntshatsheli beqela. (Umnumzana osisilumko uliphindile eli bali nge-13 ka-Juni amaxesha.)
Abafundi abancinci bebasketball bathande ukubona uLatrell Sprewell kwimeko eyoyikisayo. Bajonge ngaphaya komsindo kwaye babone izakhono, inkundla evulekileyo yokuphosa u-Elgin Baylor, umdlali okhuselayo osebenzayo owenza konke okufundiswa ngabaqeqeshi kwiiligi zoMbutho woLutsha lwamaKatolika.
Ndaye eGadini xa ndabona kwiJumbotron ukuba ukuthanda kwakhe kulungisa izitiriyo ezindala, utshilo uTony Gervino, umhleli wephephancwadi iSlam. Ndifumene intsini kuloo nto. Ngaba uyisongelo sobundlobongela njengoMelika ocinga, okanye iimbaleki ezinamandla, njengoTy Cobb? Kwakungekho mntu unamandla ngaphezu kukaTy Cobb. I-Cobb yayiyi-maniac. Kodwa ukwaligorha laseMelika.
ULarry Platt, umbhali we-Keepin ’It Real, Ixesha leZiphithiphithi e-Crossroads Kunye ne-NB. , uthe uMnu Sprewell ukwinqanaba elingasemva kweJordani, eneneni udidi olwenziwe lwenzeka nguMichael Jordan, ongxowankulu abasebenza nzima abazimisele ukugcina isimilo sabo nanjengoko bezama ukwakha imibuso yezoqoqosho kulwa noMichael Jordan.
Kwakudla ngokuba iimbaleki ezimnyama kufuneka zenziwe zithandeke ukuze zithengiswe, utshilo uMnu Platt. Kwiminyaka yama-70, uJulius Erving wathi ‘Ewe, mhlekazi’ kwaye ‘Hayi, mhlekazi,’ ngendlela efanelekileyo, kwaye wayicheba iAfro yakhe xa evula ivenkile yezihlangu. Kungekudala, uFila wazisa iGrant Hill kwi-tuxedo kunye nezicathulo zeempompo. Ewe, awusoze umbone uAllen Iverson okanye uLatrell Sprewell belahlekelwa zii-cornrows ukuze baxolise oosomashishini abamhlophe. Umnumzana Iverson ugxothe nje uDavid Falk, indoda eyadala i-crossover yaseJordani. Uthe, 'Ndaziva ngathi ndilixhoba.'
Umnumzana Platt uthe ukungqubana kwenkcubeko ye-NB. amagumbi ezitshixela kule mihla aphakathi kwababhali bemidlalo abadala abamhlophe abasetyenziswa kwiparadigm yaseJordani-indoda emnyama enolwazi kwezopolitiko, betshintshiselana ngeempahla, iinkonzo kunye noncumo kunye noluntu oluninzi-kunye nabadlali abancinci ababona indawo yabo kuluntu njengoluzinzileyo, umbala omncinci -khowudiwe.
USeth Berger, umongameli wenkampani yezihlangu Kwaye u-1, wavuma. Uthe umabonwakude womculo wenza intengiso yolutsha apho abantu abamnyama nabamhlophe ngokungakhathali bengakhathali ngombala. Yinkcubeko engathathi hlangothi evulekileyo kubaxhasi kunye namaqhawe akhangeleka ngokwahlukileyo, utshilo. Aba bantu bonwabile ngeeTattoo nakwii-cornrows.
Kwaye i-1 yinkampani yeentlanga ngeentlanga e-suburban Philadelphia (inamaqabane amnyama namhlophe; elinye lamaqabane ayo amhlophe atshate umfazi omnyama). Iqale ngokuthengisa izikipa ezizukisa intetho yenkunkuma; kuMnu Sprewell wabona umdlali onobuchule be-mad, ukusebenzisa ixesha le-hip-hop kumdlalo wokuyila. Emva kwesiganeko sokukrwitshwa, Ingxoxo yaphosa ngokukhawuleza uLatrell Sprewell njengomxhasi. Kwaye amaqabane ama-1 abiza abahlobo kwiligi, kwaye afikelela kwimbono enovelwano ngetyala: Umnumzana uSprewell ngumdlali osebenza nzima, ozimeleyo obecaphukisiwe. Kwaye u-1 wacela ukumlanda kwangoko. Ummeli wakhe uthe ibingeloxesha.
Kwandula ke ngoAprili 19, uMnu. Sprewell wasayina nenkampani. U-Latrell uthe kum, ‘Mhlekazi, le ingaphezulu kwenkampani yeempahla. Le yinkampani endiqondayo. Umbono wayo ubonakalisa eyam. Singakhula kunye, utshilo uRobert Gist, iarhente kaMnu Sprewell kunye nelinye lamagqwetha akhe. Bavakalelwa kukuba, ‘Masithengise iLatrell.’ Asifuni mfanekiso mhle, sifuna umfanekiso kaLatrell, kuba siyazi ukuba abantu baya kumamkela uLatrell ngenxa yokuba enguye. Akuyena mfanekiso wolawulo okanye umfanekiso waseMelika odibeneyo.
Leyo ibiyinqaku elipheleleyo lentengiso yeAmerican Dream. Ukuba unengxaki noku, ingxaki yakho nguwe, uSeth Berger ucacisile. Kwaye u-1 wenza urhwebo kwiveki ephelileyo yexesha, xa kwabonakala ukuba abakwaKnick bazokukhwaza kwi-playoffs. Sithathe isigqibo ngolwe-Lwesine sadibana noLatrell ngolwe-Sihlanu kwigumbi elitshixwayo eGadini, emva kokuba ooKnicks bedlale iiCeltics, utshilo uMnu Berger. Yadutyulwa kuloo mpelaveki.
Inkampani yaseMiami yentengiso yeCrispin Porter kunye neBogusky yenze intengiso malunga neentsuku ezine, malunga ne- $ 80,000. U-Alex Burnard, umlawuli wezobugcisa wenkampani, wathi iskripthi senzelwe ngokukodwa ukuba singamniki ithuba lesibini kodwa sivumele uMnu Sprewell atsho ukuba ungubani. Besingazami ukuya, apha sinomdlali webhola yomnyazi onomdlalo odlulileyo, sifuna ukumlungisa. Kodwa sinomntu onamandla, mbonise ekukhanyeni kwakhe okuyinyani. Kwacingelwa ukuba kwenziwe isibhengezo kwindawo yokucheba iinwele, ngaphambi kokuba kusetyenziswe indawo yobuqu: igumbi lehotele likaMnu Sprewell, eWestchester County. Kwakuhlala kuhlala 'I-Star-Spangled Banner' okanye 'UThixo Usikelele iMelika,' kusho uMnu. Berger. Kodwa uMnu Burnard uthe bafuna ukukhumbula isiphumo esothusayo uJimi Hendrix awayenaso. Kutheni basebenzise isiginci se-blues ukwenza umhobe, hayi i-Hendrix's lick? Mhlawumbi imali, utshilo uMnu. Burnard.
Intengiso yaqala ukuqhuba usuku lokuqala lokudlala, ikakhulu kwi-Turner Broadcasting, MTV kunye neMnyama yeTV yeTV. Idlale kathathu kuphela kwi-NBC, apho imizuzwana engama-30 ixabisa i-200,000 yeedola. Kodwa umyalezo uphumile, utsala intiyo enkulu. UBill Walton, owayekade eyi-hippie kunye nomsasazi we-NBC, uye wavuma ukuba uMnu Sprewell akekho kwiligi kaJimi Hendrix, kwaye intengiso iye yahlaselwa rhoqo nguPhil Mushnick wePost. Kwibhodi yezibhengezo ezikwi-intanethi eziyi-1, abanye abantu bayihlasele le ntengiso. Abantwana base-Afrika nabamaMerika banqwenela ukuba ngabantu abalingwayo abangumzekelo… USprewell ngumzekelo ogqibeleleyo wento engalunganga kuluntu lwethu, utshilo uMichele. Abanye baye baphindezela. Ndiyinike ^, wabhala j-dogg. U-Spree wafumana umdlalo ongaphezulu kunowakho. Kutheni le nto wayeyilahla iflava yakhe.
Eli lixesha lokuqala imbaleki emnyama ithengiswa njengomvukeli, utshilo uMnu Platt. Emuva xa uMuhammad Ali wala ukutshintsha, akazange afumane izincomo. Ndicinga ukuba ufumene enye, kwi-D-Con, umbulali we-roach. Oku kundikhumbuza loo ngoma yengoma, nguNas. 'Ungandizonda ngoku, kuba ndihlawulwe.'
Ezi nkwenkwezi zinika umbono wenkcubeko engathathi hlangothi. Xa i-Sacramento Kings yayibiza ngokuba yi-white rookie sensation uJayson Williams chocolate emhlophe, ngenxa yendlela yakhe yokudlala, uMnu Williams wayikhaba le ilebheli. Akazange alithande igama lesidlaliso, utshilo uMnu Platt. Wayechukunyiswe ngamabali amnyama okudlala. Andicingi ukuba kukungaboni, kodwa kukuqondwa okuyinyani kokufaneleka. Omnye wabavakalisi abatsha kwezi ntsuku ngumntwana omhlophe ovela eDetroit, uEminem, ugqirha kaGqirha Dre. Utyala imali ngakumbi kubaphathi abamnyama kuneVanilla Ice.
Kukho amarhe okuba iSpellell izakufumana izithembiso ezizayo. Umnumzana Della Femina uthe isibhengezo esiqhelekileyo kuya kufuneka sibonakalise uPJ Carlesimo, naye. Awunakho ukuba ne-choker ngaphandle kokukrwitshwa, utshilo. URobert Gist, iarhente kaMnu Sprewell, ukuhlekisile oku kodwa wathi ujonge uxolelwaniso, ngenye imini, phakathi komdlali nomqeqeshi. Umnumzana Gist uthe ufumene izinto ezingaphezulu kukaCalvin Klein kunye noHugo Boss (inkampani kaMnu. Klein uyiphikile le nto, uBoss akabuyisanga umnxeba wam), kodwa ngoku ayiloxesha. UMnu Sprewell kufuneka ahlale egxile kwisivumelwano awasenza nabantu baseNew York. Kwakukho ulwamkelo olungenamiqathango oluvela kubalandeli, utshilo uMnu. Gist, kwaye uLatrell uzame ukuhlangabezana nesityholo sabo: 'Sifuna ukuba ube nguWalt Frazier wethu olandelayo.'
UJimi Hendrix wasweleka eLondon kwiiveki nje ezimbini emva kokuzalwa kukaLatrell Sprewell eMilwaukee. U-Hendrix ngelo xesha wayeneminyaka eyi-Latrell Sprewell, 28-29, kwaye ndiyakhumbula ndilele iiyure ezininzi kumgangatho wendlu yomhlobo wam uGreg McNair, ndimamele i-Band of Gypsies, bejonge umfanekiso kaHendrix kwiipowusta nakwiingubo ze-albhamu.
Mna noGreg sasifunda kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo esasinabantu abamnyama ubukhulu becala eBaltimore, kodwa uGreg, umntwana omnyama okumgangatho ophakathi, wayegqame kakhulu kunam. Wayekama iinwele zakhe njengeHendrix, wayenxibe iintsimbi zentsimbi, ebopha ibhanana edolweni, edlala isiginci. Wahlala endlwini yam ndaza ndahlala kwakhe, kwaye yonke into emhlophe-mnyama, ileyibheli, umahluko, onomdla kum, wawubonakala umenza adinwe uGreg. Wayefuna ukudlula kuyo. Yiloo nto eyamtsala kuHendrix, owaphuma kwisithethe esimnyama seblowu kodwa wazimisela ukuphikisa iilebheli. Ndiza kuphephezelisa iflegi yam ephezulu, utshilo uHendrix.
Namhlanje, iqela elibanzi kwinkcubeko lifuna ukudlula kulo, libe ngoonobumba, oongxowankulu okanye enye into. Ukunyuka kwezoqoqosho kunye nomgaqo-nkqubo ka-Bill Clinton wokufakwa uzise iphupha laseMelika liphile kubantu abamnyama baseMelika. Elo phupha liza kufana nelinye lamaJuda-ababhali abangamaJuda, amagcisa, oogqirha-wayeneminyaka engama-40 nengama-50 eyadlulayo: iphupha lokuphela kweghetto.
Ngobusuku bokugqibela beemidlalo eyandulela eyamagqibela kankqoyi eDean Street Cafe, ndothuswa bubuAmerican babantu abandingqongileyo. Xa isihlwele esimnyama siqala ukucula, njengesiqhelo, isiqubulo sikaKnick, Yiya eNew York, Yiya eNew York, Yiya, yayiyinto ekude kakhulu nokugculelwa ngokuqatha kwabo ndandidlala nabo kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo kwaye ndandihlala ndicula xa ndibaleka ibhasi emhlophe ezikolweni. Xa uReggie Miller waphoswa yimpazamo, kwaye isihlwele saqala ukucula, iReg-gie Sucks, babenjenge dorky njengabantwana abamhlophe basezidolophini.
Uphele umdlalo. U-Latrell Sprewell wabaleka ejikeleza umgangatho wegadi ebulela abalandeli ababemxhasile. Kufuphi nam, umfana omnyama wenyuka waya kwindawo yentselo. Hayi, beka loo rekhodi, 'eNew York, eNew York,' utshilo. Ngu-Frank Sinatra. Ukuba ungayenza apha, ungayenza naphina.
