Greg Oden's Missing Street Cred

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/070520&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2

I thought this Granderson piece was well-done, and was curious what others thought of it.

I remember finding Oden's decidedly-unhip almost-nerdy off court personality to be somewhat disarming at first --like a kid who'd just stepped from a 50s time capsule and didn't realize how today's basketball superstars are supposed to carry themselves. But also refreshing, he comes off as a genuinely humble kid. It'll be interesting to see how the NBA life of fortune, fame and groupies affects that personality.

 

Decent article, but I felt the he sort of over did it with the street cred thing, considering many of the ball players behaviors don't reflect anything related to the streets.

 

What's a street vibe anyway?

This whole street cred thing is just a ephemism for "black acceptance."

What the street wants have little to do with the decisions of shoe companies.

 

You'll find Oden's street cred sitting right next to Tim Duncan's.

 

We know Ron Artest's street cred post-palace brawl has escalated two fold. His album only went double wood.

This street cred garbage is another one of those media generated myths created in executive board rooms.

 

heyabbott,Boom racist comment coming in 3....2....

 

Chee, I might me misconstruing what you meant by this sentence. But if you're suggesting that Nike and Reebok don't base decisions on what the kid on the street is thinking, you're way off. They spend ridiculous money and devote entire departments to finding out his preferences (and trying to influence his thought). Why do you think they pay AI and Carmelo more shoe money than Duncan and Nash?

 

They really don't. I've worked in the clothing industry owning my own line and saw few African American decision makers. I was told my stuff wasn't "urban" enough by a non-black wholesaler because we didn't subscribe to the cliched contrived media "street" imae, although growing up in poverty stricken Brooklyn along with my partner.

It's a complete joke to believe that Nike and others know what the streets want.

 

Right next to Grant Hill and across the table from Miami's Jason Williams.

 

Of course it might've only gone single wood without the brawl. A shit album is a shit album, street cred or not.

 

alot of shit albums have seen success over the years because of some contrived overdriven image rather than quality music.

 

True.