the 'next larry bird'

josh levin, slate's sports nut, examines the annoying sports media cliche to anoint the 'next larry bird'

The allure of the Bird comparison is that many of the qualities that made him great—his court vision, his anticipation, his leadership—are stereotypes associated with white basketball virtue.

levin includes reference to several 'great white hopes' like the duke big men, keith van horn, euro dirk nowitzki, even former bullet faves tom gugliotta. the players suffer the burden of comparison, and even bird doesn't particularly like the whole thing.