Hard to believe, but there is an entire generation of basketball fans growing up thinking that when you introduce a team prior to a game, you must turn off the lights in the arena, play loud music, put together an elaborate video presentation, shoot off a few fireworks and then watch as the players leap in the air and bump butts with each other, or dance around, or whatever, as they are introduced. They look like a bunch of guys who just heard they won the lottery — or a date with Tony Parker’s wife.

I’m seeing a lot of acrobatics by the players and I would suggest it’s gotten to the point when somewhere, someone is going to sprain his ankle or blow out a knee just running toward the team huddle and leaping up to bump chests, hips or rear ends with a teammate — all of that, by the way, stuff that would make you an outcast when I was a kid. And no, I’m not one of those grumpy old guys who is yelling at the grandkids, “You’re going to put your eye out with that thing,” everytime I see them running around with a carrot stick in their hand.

Hey, all I’m saying is that it makes more sense to jump around like a fool when you have something bigger to celebrate than hearing your name on a loudspeaker.

I’m not going to even suggest players should stop doing that stuff – that train left the station quite a while back. I’m here merely to point out that it hasn’t always been that way. I mean, can you imagine Bill Russell, for example, being introduced prior to the game and then skipping into the huddle like Rasheed Wallace and then leaping up and planting a big butt bump on a teammate? He’d sooner retire. Same with Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or any number of other great — yet dignified — players. I crack up when I try to picture Russell jumping up and bashing butts with Bob Cousy prior to a Celtics game.

I come from the days when cool was the rule, folks. You walked out, shook a few hands. absorbed the applause and then played the game. This brings us to Greg Oden, which a lot of discussions seem to do around here. I recently heard someone saying he didn’t look too “pumped up” or “excited” about games because during the player introductions he just kind of trotted out and slapped a few hands.

God love you, Greg. Maybe it will start a trend. Save every ounce of energy for the games. Protect your body to better withstand the punishment you get every time someone passes you the ball. Be cool . . . and let the other teams win the intros.

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