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发帖数: 1741 | 1 How Rafael Nadal became the tennis version of Allen Iverson
By Chris Chase 11 hours ago
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Rafael Nadal is done, at least in terms of being a constant Grand Slam
threat, even on his favored clay. Oh, he’ll still win tournaments and
perhaps even Grand Slams, but his days of consistent dominance are over. He
almost certainly won’t be playing at 34, the age Roger Federer will hit in
two months while impressively holding firm at No. 2 in the world. And, most
importantly, Rafa won’t catch Federer in the all-time Grand Slam race,
which The Fed currently leads 17 to 14.
These are only predictions, mind you, but what they aren’t are
overreactions to Wednesday’s devastating loss to Novak Djokovic. They’re
something I’ve believed since Nadal was in his prime, winning multiple
Grand Slams per year. My theory is simple: Rafael Nadal is the tennis
version of Allen Iverson. He aged too quickly.
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Rafa and AI have little in common off the courts. The closest similarities
are maybe an often tense relationship with their coaches and being the
subject of unfounded rumors that have a way of turning into fact in some
places. But on the court, the two sports greats couldn’t be more alike.
Iverson’s phenomenal and memorable “practice?” press conference has
unfortunately clouded the memory of his play, which was an all-out, bruised
elbow, banged-up knee, no-fear style that saw the (generously) six-footer
drive into the lane against 6’8″ guys weighing 240 with reckless abandon.
When there was a loose ball, he was the first on the floor. When an Eric
Snow brick caromed out of bounds, Iverson was leaping into the third row to
save it. He led the NBA in minutes in seven different seasons and retired
having played 41.12 minutes per game, which ranks fourth all time, behind
three players whose careers all started more than 50 years ago. (Only three
players in the top 15 of that category have debuted in the last 30 years.)
Iverson was a basketball pitbull.
(AP)
(AP)
But it all takes a toll, which is part of why Iverson’s numbers fell off a
cliff when he turned 33 and he was out of the league one year later. (There
were other factors with AI, of course, but those injuries perhaps
exacerbated his other problems.)
I fear Nadal, a tennis pitbull himself, has been headed down the same path.
Roger Federer glides across the court so much that his socks don’t get
dirty when he plays on clay. Nadal charges like a bull — an animal which is
, not coincidentally, his personal Nike logo. Nadal never takes a point off.
He runs so hard and so forcefully that you can practically hear the
cartilage shredding away from his knees. Like Iverson, he’s constantly
relentless. For years, he played in far too many tournaments and matches,
especially during the spring, would complain about the length of the ATP
schedule, then go out the next year and play just as much.
(Getty images)
(Getty images)
Nadal turned 29 on Wednesday (the loss to Djokovic probably made it a less-
than-happy birthday). Though that’s young by other sport’s standards —
LeBron James is six months older, for instance — Nadal’s body makes him
seem far older. He’s become an NFL running back who, just like Iverson,
stops producing when they hit their fourth decade because their bodyies can
’t take the pounding any more.
The dominance of Nadal, especially on clay, was predicated by a startling
lateral speed that allowed him to play an unparalleled defense. It worked
wonders when he was young. But when speed is your greatest virtue, losing a
half-step is your greatest downfall. Nadal has lost that half-step.
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
This is not meant to count out Nadal for good. Iverson basically gave up
when injuries started to decimate him, but you don’t get the sense the same
will happen to Rafa. Despite his anxious exterior, he’s a mental fighter
too. What you do sense is that Rafa’s days of being a sure thing in Grand
Slam semifinals are behind him, particularly with his ranking falling to No.
10 or No. 11 (if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga makes the final) after the French. If
you thought Nadal playing Djokovic in the quarters was early, just wait
until Nadal’s poor grass-court performance possibly slides him down even
more, which could lead to an unthinkable People’s Monday fourth-round clash
with Djokovic, Federer or Andy Murray. And that’s if Nadal even makes it
that far.
Nadal was never going to exit the sport gracefully, at least in terms of his
play. (Off the court, Nadal is nothing but class, as evidenced by his
losing press conference on Wednesday.) Since he won his first French Open at
19, he was destined to lose his talents quickly when his level of play
began to drop. The question is, will he go gently into that tennis night or
hang around too long? How much tennis does Rafael Nadal truly have left? | a*****0
发帖数: 6788 | 2 说到点子上。 和Iverson一样，要不是超人的fighting spirit，他俩大概都不太可能
有多大成就。 豆子的技术像发球，接发球，都不算top10甚至top20. | T**********y
发帖数: 559 | | D*******y
发帖数: 4252 | 4 豆子发球一般是真的，但要说他接发一般......费费说尼玛
【在 a*****0 的大作中提到】
: 说到点子上。 和Iverson一样，要不是超人的fighting spirit，他俩大概都不太可能
: 有多大成就。 豆子的技术像发球，接发球，都不算top10甚至top20.
| b******n
发帖数: 1629 | 5 谁说的豆子发球一般？
【在 D*******y 的大作中提到】
: 豆子发球一般是真的，但要说他接发一般......费费说尼玛
| D*******y
发帖数: 4252 | 6 比豆子发球好的大有人在，比他接发好的没几个
【在 b******n 的大作中提到】
: 谁说的豆子发球一般？
| d**n
发帖数: 559 | 7 太可笑了，两个人成就天差地别的根本没法比。纳豆明显是乔丹，科比，老北京级别的
。其实爱佛逊倒是挺像法瑞尔，都只进过一次决赛，斗志都不差，但是先天不足。 | S*****i
发帖数: 3374 | 8 豆子接发差？史上前三吧，阿加西，小德，豆子
【在 a*****0 的大作中提到】
: 说到点子上。 和Iverson一样，要不是超人的fighting spirit，他俩大概都不太可能
: 有多大成就。 豆子的技术像发球，接发球，都不算top10甚至top20.
| n*********e
发帖数: 25274 | 9 德州扑克高手豆子这次是让球了，叔叔／阿姨家所有财产都在赌博公司里赌自己输，最
后还是发大了。。。 | s***i
发帖数: 6149 | 10 chris chase在体育新闻界跟冬日娜差不多，原来在yahoo干过，后来实在受不了体育迷
的谩骂，跳槽到了不支持评论的usa today。哗众取宠的功夫跟日那差不多，干货比童
可欣还少。他的文章可直接转joke版 | z*******a
发帖数: 2826 | 11 这个比较简直侮辱两者
AI和RN是两个世界的人，无论从哪一方面看。他们play hard是的确，但RN打得聪明的
多，从来不会鲁莽，用的是理智和坚持。
家庭，成就，个性，对待职业的心态……没有一个类似，就连身体条件也是截然不同，
就因为play hard 就可以这么类比。哗众取宠罢了。
有一点倒是不错的，RN以后要少打比赛，渐渐肥 | n*********e
发帖数: 25274 | 12 支持。
作者白痴。
【在 z*******a 的大作中提到】
: 这个比较简直侮辱两者
: AI和RN是两个世界的人，无论从哪一方面看。他们play hard是的确，但RN打得聪明的
: 多，从来不会鲁莽，用的是理智和坚持。
: 家庭，成就，个性，对待职业的心态……没有一个类似，就连身体条件也是截然不同，
: 就因为play hard 就可以这么类比。哗众取宠罢了。
: 有一点倒是不错的，RN以后要少打比赛，渐渐肥
| d**********9
发帖数: 5215 | 13 拿里奥斯出来比还差不多
【在 z*******a 的大作中提到】
: 这个比较简直侮辱两者
: AI和RN是两个世界的人，无论从哪一方面看。他们play hard是的确，但RN打得聪明的
: 多，从来不会鲁莽，用的是理智和坚持。
: 家庭，成就，个性，对待职业的心态……没有一个类似，就连身体条件也是截然不同，
: 就因为play hard 就可以这么类比。哗众取宠罢了。
: 有一点倒是不错的，RN以后要少打比赛，渐渐肥
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