Interview with Jason Rubin of Dunkbase

I was going through a lot of sports blogs a couple days ago, going beyond the usual assortment of ESPN’s and HoopsHypes, and that’s where I found Dunkbase, a growing website on the rise in popularity.

Jason Rubin is the site’s administrator, and he’s responsible for organizing more than six of Hoopshype’s most passionate posters for what comes out as a insightful and educational basketball read.

I sat down with Jason earlier this week not only because his website has been a splash hit since it’s inception, he’s actually a die hard Chicago Bulls fan. Naturally, it wasn’t very difficult to sit down and chat about anything Bulls related.

Besides from the championships and heroics of Michael Jordan, what memories stick out in your mind about the 90’s era of basketball in Chicago?

There are really so many memories that stick out in my mind that it would take me hours to go over them all. I am extremely fortunate that I attended more Bulls games during that era than I can remember. I have just absolutely vivid memories of Jordan’s Bulls. And luckily for me, the Bulls did not lose a single game that I attended during the 90’s. In fact, it wasn’t until I attended the Bulls’ first preseason game after the Bulls’ dynasty had officially ended did I witness my first Bulls loss in person – which was absolutely heart-breaking.

As for non-Bulls related memories, though, Karl Malone’s Rogaine commercial comes to mind. I’ll never forget watching that old commercial where Malone walks into a barber shop, sits down at a chair and the barber points to a poster of Karl that’s hanging on the wall. The barber makes a big deal about how much Karl’s hair had grown and Karl responded that he used Rogaine. What was so ironic about that was that Malone still didn’t have a great deal of hair on his head, so why he was going in for a haircut was beyond me. But hey, you can’t blame a guy for taking on some endorsements.

In fact, it really wasn’t until after the Jordan era that you really saw endorsements begin to boom for NBA outside of the Bulls brand. Sure, there were big players making big money, but not anywhere near the same degree as you see today. NBA greats from the 90’s such as Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing just didn’t have the same pull in terms of endorsements than a great deal of players today with not even half of their respective skill levels. If players from the 90’s knew how much dough the players today would be making, they’d have been up in arms back then – which is both good and bad for today’s game. It’s good in the sense that the NBA is more visible and it gives players more of an incentive to get better to get that big contract. However, it’s also bad in the sense that those contracts can lead to awfully selfish play.

I also think that the overall talent level in the NBA has gone down considerably over the past decade. Franchises are banking so much on the potential of the excess of big bodies entering the league today that you’re finding a lot of raw “talent” that has to learn on the job. It’s still fun to watch that talent develop, but I prefer to watch the polished product.

After the MJ era, Bulls fans had to adjust their expectations to a completely different extreme. How did you handle the change? And were you optimistic about the young players being brought in?

It was difficult to watch them lose at first, but Elton Brand seemed like he was really the future of the franchise. In his second season with the Bulls, they were sporting key guys like Brand, Ron Artest, Jamal Crawford, Brad Miller and Ron Mercer. Things looked as if the rebuilding process was well on its way. But with the subsequent trade of Brand for Tyson Chandler and then essentially losing Artest, Miller and Mercer for Jalen Rose, my loyalty to the franchise was really being tested. After all of the great moves that Jerry Krause did as the general manager for over a decade, he began making horrible move after horrible move. I stayed optimistic throughout that entire period, but it was incredibly painful to watch and I really hated Krause at the time for so royally screwing things up.

Purely for comic relief, thoughts on Tim Floyd?

I don’t think he’s that funny. He did an awful job trying to coach a lot of promising young talent. Granted, Chicago was his first head coaching job in the NBA, but he should have gotten more out of those guys. I do think it’s funny, though, that he’s now an assistant coach for a franchise he was once the head coach of in New Orleans.

When the Bulls secured the number one pick in 08, who did you covet more, Rose or Beasley?

Rose. There was no question in my mind that he was the guy. With the way the game has been changing over the past few years, quick point guards like him have been increasingly more valuable. I also wasn’t a big fan of Beasley’s maturity level while Rose had the very humbling character that I really appreciate from players.

I believe the Bulls can be a elite defensive team as they gain more experience, do you agree with that assessment?

Absolutely. I think they already are an elite defensive team in the league.

In regards to the 2010 free agent class, who’s at the top of your wishlist? And who would best fit the Bulls style of play?

LeBron James should be at the top of everyone’s wish list. But I think Dwyane Wade is the most likely free agent that the Bulls could potentially acquire in 2010. I don’t think Wade is the best option because the Bulls really need a power forward like a Chris Bosh or an Amar’e Stoudemire that can score consistently inside. However, if Miami falters come playoff time, there’s a fairly decent chance that he bolts for his hometown. I would prefer the Bulls go after a big man if they can’t get LeBron (which they probably won’t), but my gut tells me that Wade is their top target.

Catch all the writers as they discuss the NBA over at Dunkbase, and for Jason Rubin’s work specifically, head to Dunkbase.com/jasonrubin

That’s it for me today. If I have the time I’ll be doing one more post before the weekend is over.

Tags: Amar'e Stoudemire, Brad Miller, Chicago Bulls, Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Rose, Dunkbase, Dwayne Wade, Elton Brand, ESPN, Hoopshype, Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford, Jerry Krause, Karl Malone, Lebron James, Miami Heat, Michael Beasley, Michael Jordan, Phoenix Suns, Ron Artest, Ron Mercer, theblogthatjordanbuilt, tim floyd, Tyson Chandler