Bradley Beal Hopes No One Wins The NBA Championship

Bradley Beal on his pick to win NBA title now that #wizards are gone: "I hope nobody wins. I’m a sore loser."

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) May 19, 2015

This may sound like the obvious angle that an NBA player that just got eliminated from the playoffs would take. For that reason, it's kind of sad that it made me smile a little bit when Bradley Beal didn't choose a bandwagon to hop onto. So often in today's NBA there are players wishing each other well, hugging for extended periods of time on the court, shooting good luck and congratulatory texts back and forth, and all but making backdoor deals to join up when they reach free agency. I think that's the biggest difference between the old NBA and it's heated rivalries, and this new school love fest. I'm glad that Beal doesn't want anyone else to win. That's the type of stance a competitor should take. You think Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan ever rooted for anyone but themselves? You think Larry Bird or Magic Johnson gave a shit about the finals if they weren't in them? Hell no. To be the best you've got to think that there is no one more deserving than yourself. You've got to hate the success of others so much that it fuels you to be better. I'm glad that Beal realizes that it's natural to be a sore loser, and his attitude lends itself to a successful future in this league. It's good that the NBA possesses a certain level of camaraderie, but I'll take the scorned, jealous player on my team any day. Being genuinely happy for your opposition is a weakness that breeds complacency.