According to NBA commish David Stern, we can expect to see women playing in the league as early as the next decade. Other NBA notables, including Doc Rivers and Kiki Vandeweghe, back Stern’s belief that we will see the first "Michelle Jordan" or "Lorraine James" in our lifetime. Even though I proclaim to be a feminist, I couldn’t quite believe what these people were saying. I mean, have you ever watched a WNBA game? God knows I haven’t. I’m not trying to knock women’s sports, because I do watch women’s tennis more than I do men’s (it should be noted, however, that I don’t watch much tennis to begin with), but the idea of a woman competing in a sport so specifically gendered male left me flabbergasted. By gendered male, I mean the sport’s emphasis on speed, physicality, and size, characteristics that are more pronounced in the male half of the species. In fact, the argument could be taken further, that these requirements actually give the sport a cultural bias. Take the Philippines for example, a nation that has their own professional basketball league where non-nationals are regularly recruited to quite literally overcome the nation’s shortcomings. But that’s another story. One of the reasons put forth to support the idea that women could eventually compete in the NBA is the notion that women’s basketball is continually evolving. Even New York Knicks president Donnie Walsh concedes that the women playing today are far superior ballers than his generation of peach basket grannie shooters. Point taken Mr. Walsh, but I also don’t think dudes were literally jumping over 7 footers in your day, heck, I don’t even think there were 7 footers in your day. Sure, the woman’s game has evolved; but it is continually being outpaced by the evolution of the man’s game.
WNBA players do have the skill set to compete against their male counterparts, as evidenced by co-ed all star weekend events where it is not uncommon for a female baller to shoot the lights out. However, playing a game of 21 where jumpshots are uncontested and playing a live game with Ron Artest closing out on you is a different story. There is a great divide between having the skills and actually being able to use them in game situations.
Some would point out the tiny players in the league, like 5"4 Earl Boykins, as evidence that woman can play in the NBA; after all they are the same height. But Boykins is an extremely rare specimen who just proves the game’s fundamental physicality. While tiny in stature the dude is freakishly strong, it is said that he regularly benches over 300 lbs.
For women to jump into the league in its current state they would have to jump the physical divide that separates the sexes. They would have to be as fast, as strong, and as athletic as their male counterparts, something I view as near impossible. Asking a woman to play in the NBA would be like asking women to box with men. But what the hell do I know, Elin Nordegren does hold a knockout victory over Tiger. I guess nothing is impossible.
