The NBA thread

[Arkady Renko]

Why? Is Lebron gonna go see the Wizard and get some heart? :-k

He could always do a Dirk and spend the summer working on his shortcomings. And maybe, 13 years from now, he'll be a complete payer.


nah, but my my guess is that more people will "take their talents to south beach" and not care about the money, only the title...


bargain basement :tup:

I doubt that very much, that might apply to a few half stale has beens in the fall of their carreer who want a cheap championship ring. Maybe they can get Grant Hill, Vince Carter and Allen Iverson on board, but that's about it. I don't see anyone like Chris Paul or Dwight Howard sign there for minimum wage while le LaBron, Wade and Bosh rake in tens of millions.


http://i.imgur.com/YkYOG.jpg

so far he can't hold a candle to either of these guys.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Did you here that Monday will be Lebron James Day at work....everyone gets to leave 12 minutes early :dance:

[Arkady Renko]

I wonder if he was just pouting because Wade gave him a talking two towards the end of game 3?

[Joebob034]

taking Knight over Kemba? I dunno how I feel about that one :-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

taking Knight over Kemba? I dunno how I feel about that one :-k

It was a horribly weak draft this year....nobody grabs me as an up and coming NBA star out of that draft

[Joebob034]

I was hoping Tristan Thompson would be around for the Pistons to pick up but that didn't happen

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The thing I liked best for the Nuggets in the draft had nothing to do with a college player...it was the fact that they got Andre Miller to come back.

[deebakes]

how about them t-wolves :lol:

[Joebob034]

they need some more guards

[deebakes]

maybe next year we can draft some more... if there is a next year of course :lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

KFC offered Dwayne Wade a job.

:lol:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/kfc-offers-miami-heats-dwayne-wade-job

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/e4jrU.jpg

[Arkady Renko]

I guess we're going to lose at least half of the season to the lockout, but the upside is that Dirk will play for germany in the european championships. If they make the semis they're also qualified for the olympics. I'm not sure how I feel about Rick Kaman helping out as well, though. Best bet is he'll scare some of the opponents with his ugly mug.

[Joebob034]

you mean Chris Kaman?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I'm thinking the whole season is gonna be a loss

[Arkady Renko]

you mean Chris Kaman?

oh, right, chris, yeah. If ge's really fit he would easily make the tam a great deal better, but he was injured a lot over the last two seasons.


I'm thinking the whole season is gonna be a loss

probably, yeah, unless team owners and players come to their senses suddenly and soon,

[deebakes]

:rip: nba

[Joebob034]

this made me chuckle

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Rashad-McCants-is-still-saying-odd-Rashad-McCan?urn=nba-wp8542&active_dimension=carousel_ept_sports_blog&ysp_frm_woah=1

[Arkady Renko]

hilarious...! I wonder if he's had a call from Jerry West by now?

[Joebob034]

hilarious...! I wonder if he's had a call from Jerry West by now?

yes Jerry West must be thinking, "I'm soooo lucky he'll consider us. What privilege!"

[Arkady Renko]

absolutely. I wonder which of their current players they'll wive to make room for him? Gasol? Artest?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Artest?

Who? :confused:

You must be thinking of Metta World Peace :tup:

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/20541/ron-artest-to-change-his-name-to-metta-world-peace

[Arkady Renko]

oh, right, I forgot that there are even crazier people in the NBA than outside.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:link: NBA cancels first 2 weeks of season (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=An.iJiGP1BmeQAOT14QaT2s5nYcB?slug=ap-nbalabor)

[deebakes]

:rip: nba

told ya...

[Arkady Renko]

let's face it, most of the regular season is boring anyway, they should just start with the playoffs this time and use the rest of the time to work out a durable bargaining agreement.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

This is just the start....the whole season will be lost, just like I predicted.

The NBA is trying their best to make themselves irrelevant.

[DemonGeminiX]

This is what happens when greed takes the place of the love for the game. Maybe when the season's lost, some of these guys will think about becoming real athletes.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

As much as I would like to see that DGX, somehow I doubt it. Most of the players will all end up playing overseas. Granted, they won't be making NBA-type money, but they will be making far more than any working class person.

Life isn't fair. :|

[DemonGeminiX]

Well, if nothing else, maybe when they're playing overseas not making NBA-type money, they'll come to appreciate what they used to have and will settle for what the owners are offering.

Or maybe this spells the end of NBA basketball in the USA as we know it.

[Arkady Renko]

chances are we'll see about half of the season cancelled until a face-saving compromise is agreed upon, just like the last time. Until then, te european leagues will see a lot of interesting players flock over for a few months. Tony Parker has already signed with his home side, the Gasol brothers are allegedly talking to Barcelona's management, german teams are trying to talk Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman into spending the fall and winter here etc. etc. Best case scenario is the european scene will get a lot more media attention while a lot of the american players will get to learn a few things about teamwork, tactics and fan culture over here.

[Joebob034]

:link: NBA cancels first 2 weeks of season (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=An.iJiGP1BmeQAOT14QaT2s5nYcB?slug=ap-nbalabor)

:yawn: and I don't even care

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Players reject NBA’s offer, begin to disband union (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbalabor)

Everyone should have listened to me, I said there would be no NBA this year. What a bunch of morons.

[DemonGeminiX]

I'm sorry. What's this NBA thing you keep ranting about, again?

:-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

No Basketball Anymore :tup:

[DemonGeminiX]

:hand:

Basketball's for pussies anyway.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:hand:

Basketball's for pussies anyway.

You drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes :hand:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2A194yTWoQ

:lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

:cheers:

[JoeyB]

:hand:

Basketball's for pussies anyway.

Basketball is a serious sport requiring endurance and strength. Unlike handegg...which is all about fatass trash standing around doing fuck all.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

NBA owners, players reach tentative deal (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbalabor)

Damn :sad2:

[DemonGeminiX]

Doesn't matter, I'm still not watching.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yes you will :hand:

[DemonGeminiX]

Dude, I never watch basketball. I rank it right up there with golf. I hate watching both of those sports.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I said you'll watch it :x

[DemonGeminiX]

[-(

You can't make me.

[deebakes]

that's too bad :(

[Joebob034]

Chris Paul to the Lakers in a deal that has the main part of Pau Gasol going to the Rockets and Lamar Odom going to the Hornets. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[deebakes]

:shock:

[Joebob034]

looks like now it wasn't approved by the league

[deebakes]

:huh:

[DemonGeminiX]

looks like now it wasn't approved by the league

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/08/report-chris-paul-three-team-trade-to-lakers-off/related

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I have never been less excited for the NBA in my life :|

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Looks like this is what happened to the deal (similar to the story in DGX's link):


Within an hour of the Hornets striking an agreement in principle with the Lakers and Houston Rockets on a three-team trade that would have landed Paul in the same backcourt as Kobe Bryant, Stern informed the Hornets that they couldn't make the trade, stunning team officials who had been working around-the-clock for days in hopes of bringing an end to the Paul saga before the season officially started.

Amid a stream of reports that angry owners were demanding the trade be vetoed, on the same day those owners had gathered in New York to ratify a new labor pact purportedly designed to foster competitive balance and prevent small-market teams from being raided for their stars, league officials tried to dispute claims of a revolt by insisting that the decision was Stern's.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7333285/los-angeles-lakers-deal-acquire-chris-paul-off

[Joebob034]

Even though I didn't want to see CP3 go to the Lakers, I can understand why NO did. Unless they find a new partner they're gonna lose him for nothing cuz let's face it CP3 is not staying there when he becomes a free agent. In other news I was happy to see the Pistons re-sign Tayshaun and Jonas Jerebko.

[DemonGeminiX]

I have never been less excited for the NBA in my life :|

I played basketball back in junior high, but I never gave a shit about watching it. Even when the 76ers were doing well, I couldn't have cared less. And I still don't.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I played basketball back in junior high, but I never gave a shit about watching it. Even when the 76ers were doing well, I couldn't have cared less. And I still don't.

Man, growing up in New England in the 80's with the big three in Boston...it was impossible not to love basketball. That's when the NBA was it its best. Unfortunately, that seems like forever ago and it will never ever be close to that again. :(

[Arkady Renko]

I have no idea how the new bargain will pan out. At any rate, I think it's not a bad thing that the league nixed the Lakers' deal with Chris Paul. If the idea is to keep a handful of wealthy franchises to combine almost-allstar rosters, that's laudable. I think it takes a lot of the magic away if teams willing to rebuild or improve their roster don't have to do anything but pay luxury tax and sign anyone they can get. If memory serves, most of the past dynasties were at least partly the result of clever draft picks and/or clever trades.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The NBA is way out of whack when it comes to competitive balance. Unless they do something drastic (and blocking that trade was a good start), this will continue to be the league of the haves and the have nots.

The bad teams may be able to draft and then 'rent' good players out of college, but that doesn't help those teams when those good players bolt to a big market team (like Boston, Chicago, Detroit, the Lakers) as soon as their rookie contract is up.

The NBA needs a hard salary cap, that's the only way to solve the problems.


Oh, and now that they can't get Paul, it appears the Lakers want to make a run at Howard now :|

[Arkady Renko]

sure, the luxury tax should have been abolished altogether, but at least they're trying to curb the worst excesses by now. Come to think of it, if the Lakers were to lose Gasol on top of Odom in exchage for Dwight Howard, they would probably not be much stronger than last season and look where they ended up then.

As far as dallas are concerned, I'm much more excited about Vince Carter's arrival than that of Odom. At anyrate, they might be able to compensate the departure of Butler, Chandler and Barea fairly well. This said, they're obviously far above the salary cap as well...

[Joebob034]

Man, growing up in New England in the 80's with the big three in Boston...it was impossible not to love basketball. That's when the NBA was it its best. Unfortunately, that seems like forever ago and it will never ever be close to that again. :(

Yeah I agree that was the pinnacle of pro b-ball, back when you could actually be physical. I'd be more excited if these were the Pistons coming back.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpcLo4rG3Q

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNpJXDPnQTE&feature=related

:shifty:

[deebakes]

i just want rodman back... then i'd watch for sure :tup:

[Joebob034]

looks like CP3 is going to LA afterall, just to the Clippers not the Lakers

[deebakes]

:bored:

[Joebob034]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TK66PcQxC4A

[Arkady Renko]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TK66PcQxC4A

ouch

[deebakes]

go timberwolves :woot:

[Arkady Renko]

seems like Ricky Rubio was a helpful draft choice after all. If they keep playing the way they did the last few games they might well make the playoffs or at least finish the season with a winning record. That'd be a huge improvement. I'm sure Kevin Love would like to see some playoff action rather sooner than later...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

go timberwolves :woot:

Are they still in the league? :-k

[deebakes]

surprisingly enough, yes :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Anthony denies wanting trade from Knicks (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-knicks-anthony)

So glad that baby is outta Denver

[Joebob034]

and now D'Antoni resigns

[deebakes]

wow :shock:

[Arkady Renko]

seems like a wise decision by D'Antoni. Seeing how several teams are doing a lot worse than expected, there will be many new head coaching jobs to fill come summer. And if the Knicks management would rather miss the playoffs than rein in on Carmelo Anthony, it's a bad place for any coach to work at. did you read that they plan on coaxing Phil Jackson out of retirement? What a riot. I can't think of a franchise in professional sports with a worse performance as compared to its potential than the Knicks.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's a shame too, because talent-wise, Carmelo is a top 5 player offensively, but his defense is pretty horrible. He's a 'stats player', all he cares about is his numbers and if he isn't going to be the star in NY than he will want to do it somewhere else. He couldn't care less about the whole team.

He's the one that forced Denver to trade him to NY, he got exactly what he wanted, and now the whole 'grass is always greener' doesn't look so good now that he's on the other side of the fence.

Good riddance.

[Arkady Renko]

he could do the Bobcats a world of good, or maybe take his talents to South Beach...seriously though, which team would be dumb enough to trade decent players for him?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Maybe a team in desperate need of a star that can score? The only problem is that defensively he gives up as many points that he scores for you.

And I doubt that he would go someplace like Miami, already too many big names there and Melo definitely needs to be the one in the spotlight the whole time.

Maybe he could end up with the Nets after they move to Brooklyn?

[Arkady Renko]

he's from new York originally, isn't he? that might help with marketing, but he seems to be downright toxic for his teams so the Nets would probably be ill advised to trade for him

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yup, he was born in Brooklyn...plus his wife works for MTV at their NYC studios

[Joebob034]

Just another example of why I don't care about the NBA anymore. It's a player's league and if they don't like something like where they're playing or who they're playing for they just whine until they get their way. Reportedly D'Antoni "lost" the locker room. What a joke, you're a professional b-ball player you should be able to play in any system. This whole situation with Dwight Howard is real annoying too.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Just another example of why I don't care about the NBA anymore. It's a player's league and if they don't like something like where they're playing or who they're playing for they just whine until they get their way. Reportedly D'Antoni "lost" the locker room. What a joke, you're a professional b-ball player you should be able to play in any system. This whole situation with Dwight Howard is real annoying too.

No kidding....he has said today that he's 'not against staying' the rest of this year in Orlando, but he won't make any kind of guarantee that he will re-sign at the end of this year's contract. So the Magic are fucked no matter what they do :roll:

[deebakes]

its shaq's fault :sad2:

[Arkady Renko]

didn't howard waive a certain clause in his contract with the Magic so they'll at least be able to trade him if he leaves at the end of the season? if that's correct it seems like he treated them OK even if he made too big a production of it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yes, he had an 'early termination' clause in his contract where he could have basically opted out at the end of this season, which is what the Magic thought he was going to do (and every sign pointed that way as well). So that left Orlando with only 2 choices, trade him so they can get something for him now or take the chance that he wouldn't opt out and play out his contract, when it was clear he was leaning towards opting out.

He waived, in writing, his early termination clause yesterday about an hour before the trade deadline, so he will be with Orlando through the end of next season when his contract will be up and he becomes a free agent.

[Arkady Renko]

so basically he's giving them about six months to improve the squad enough to turn them into a contender and if that fails trade him? Seems like a wise choice because there's no telling how it would pan out if he had been traded this late in the season.

in related news, I think Dallas did well not to trade anyone now. There were no players on the market that would have helped for sure right now except maybe for Pau Gasol. And after the fiasco with Lamer Odom, I'm not sure they wanted to risk having another frustrated Lakers castaway to pamper back into form. Now they can try and develop the existing squad. If they make the playoffs at all, anything can happen there.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Welcome back to Denver you LA bitches :cheers:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Fucking Lakers...... but dont worry they just wanted to win in your town to make it sting that much more....bu by Denver

[Teh One Who Knocks]

You better hope the Lakers can win here in Denver, they definitely don't want a game 7....anything can happen in a game 7 ;)

The Lakers looked old and tired last night except for Kobe...by game 7 they will be dead on their feet :dance:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Kobe was killing the end of the 4th quarter. Game 7 would be back in LA, thats a win if it comes to that. The Lakers love to drag the playoffs out, they have bonuses tied to it ;)

[Joebob034]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/nba/05/10/chris.andersen.search.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a6&eref=sihp

[PorkChopSandwiches]

LAKERS!!!

[RBP]

BULLS!!! Oh wait... stupid free throws. dumb sixers. :sad2:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

LAKERS!!!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/hanky358/Denver_Nuggets.gif

[Acid Trip]

http://i.imgur.com/SFJ7g.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

LAKERS!!!


http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/hanky358/Denver_Nuggets.gif

Hey Porky!


:dance:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Kobe was sick, that my argument and I'm sticking to it :)

They looked awful last night, but we will be seeing some elbows on Sat. because Meta World Peace will be back :dance:

I love that he changed his name to that and is one of the most violent thuggish players in the NBA :facepalm:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bwahahahahahahahahaha.....Heat are down in their series and got hammered last night :banana:

[Arkady Renko]

So far, the Pacers have done an excellent job here. They didn't let the Heat's star roster intimidate them and stuck to playing their own brand of basketball. I just hope they can keep it up.

Obviously, it's not very novel to pile on LBJ when things go pear shaped, but isn't it just typical how he lets Chris Bosh's injury and Wade's slow game drag him down too? I wonder if we'll ever see him bring his A game when it matters. Before the playoffs began, there was another big article in a german weekly magazine comparing James to Michael Jordan. What a joke.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It was an absolute joke that Lebron won the MVP this year...it's the NBA and ESPN that keep pushing him down everyone's throat. WTF has he ever done besides run his mouth? Saying he was gonna win 5 or 6 or 7 championships in Miami? He is an arrogant ass who desperately wants to be included in the Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan group of players, the best of the best. Well, I have news for Lebron, he isn't even worthy of carrying those guys jock straps.

When the pressure was on, those guys wanted the basketball in their hands, hell they demanded it! What does Lebron do when the pressure is on? He quits. That's all you need to know about that guy.

[Arkady Renko]

They say, at his age, Michael Jordan hadn't won a thing yet either but that's a ridiculous point. He ostensibly had that unstoppable greed of a true champion, to a degree ony very few people ever do.

If anyone could be considered the dominating player of the time since Jordan retired from the Bulls, it had to be Kobe or maybe even Tim Duncan. But none of them is such a nicely glitzy poster boy...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The difference is, when Jordan came into the league, there were the Larry Bird led Celtics and the Dominique Wilkins led Hawks and the Isaiah Thomas led Pistons all to contend with. Not to mention that the Sixers and Knicks were above average teams as well. The Eastern Conference was loaded with talent and VERY good basketball teams, not just a few individual players here and there.

Lebron has none of that to deal with right now...and what has he done? He made one trip to the finals where is team got swept.

[Arkady Renko]

and another trip to the finals where his team went down 2-4 to a bunch of dinosaurs

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's things like this as to why Lebron will NEVER be in Bird's or Jordan's or Magic's league....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6sLMupoQLQ

Lebron doesn't have the stones to do anything like this.

[Arkady Renko]

unless he turns around in a dramatic way, he'll be remembered for all that absurd brouhaha about The Decision.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Exactly...and if there is any justice in the world, that will truly be his legacy...plus the fact that he quit on his teammates on more than one occasion.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

c'mon Lakers

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Dude, they have no chance against OKC

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Sure doesnt look that way, but we're home now

[Teh One Who Knocks]

If the Nuggets can beat the Lakers at Staples (and almost win a 2nd game there) then I think OKC will do just fine ;)

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:hand:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Sorry, it's gonna be OKC v San Antonio in the west and Boston v Indiana in the east

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:hand: It aint over till the fat man fucks

[Acid Trip]

The Spurs are unstoppable this year. It won't surprise me if they sweep the Clippers too.

[Arkady Renko]

The Spurs are unstoppable this year. It won't surprise me if they sweep the Clippers too.

they just might, at that...

[Goofy]

Spurs didnt even get a champions league spot :hand:

[Arkady Renko]

Spurs didnt even get a champions league spot :hand:

yeah, thank that egoistic cretin Arjen Robben for that.

[Acid Trip]

Spurs get another full weeks rest thanks to a....


http://i.imgur.com/ijjf3.gif

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:-s

All depends on what happens tonite, if OKC eliminates the Lakers tonite, they only get one day more than the Thunder, which will be completely negligible.

[Acid Trip]

:-s

All depends on what happens tonite, if OKC eliminates the Lakers tonite, they only get one day more than the Thunder, which will be completely negligible.

As much as I despise the Lakers I think they'll win one more before OKC puts them away.

[Arkady Renko]

As much as I despise the Lakers I think they'll win one more before OKC puts them away.

probably not, seems to me the Lakers quit except maybe for Kobe. Everyone else is waiting to see what the management will get up to in terms of trades for the next season. They've made it pretty clear that all players other than Bryant, Bynum and maybe Artest are expendable, an excellent way to kill motivation.

Nonetheless, I have hardly a doubt that the Spurs will do away with the Thunder in six games tops.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Nonetheless, I have hardly a doubt that the Spurs will do away with the Thunder in six games tops.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this series go 7, these are the best 2 teams in the playoffs and this series might actually be better than the finals.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

As much as I despise the Lakers I think they'll win one more before OKC puts them away.

We can hope

[Arkady Renko]

I wouldn't be surprised to see this series go 7, these are the best 2 teams in the playoffs and this series might actually be better than the finals.

true, these teams are on a roll. All the remaining contenders in the east will have an awfully hard time standing up to the eventual finalist.


We can hope

sure, sure...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

We can hope

:empathy:

[Iffy]

Sorry, it's gonna be OKC v San Antonio in the west and Boston v Indiana in the east

The league won't let this happen. Case in point Hansborough's Flagrant 1 vs Haslem's Flagrant 1. Sad how much the refs bitched out on these calls. :meh:

[Acid Trip]

Spurs 2 and OKC 0

I smell another sweep...

[Arkady Renko]

Spurs 2 and OKC 0

I smell another sweep...

I thought so too, but apparently there's still a good bit of fight left in the OKC team

[Acid Trip]

I thought so too, but apparently there's still a good bit of fight left in the OKC team

The announcers made me laugh though. "This will be the first time in the playoffs the Spurs have to make some adjustments."

Well no shit Sherlock. It's the first time in months that they've lost a game.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I smell another sweep...

:-k

[Arkady Renko]

I admit I was really baffled when I saw the score this morning.

[Joebob034]

go thunder

[deebakes]

Celtics take 3-2 series lead over the heat :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Fuck Lebron James and the Heat :woot:

[Arkady Renko]

Awesome, I really didn't dare hope that they'd pull it off. I didn't watch the game, only the highlight clip - but it seems to me that the Heat consisted of only Wade and James who had big games while everyone else tanked. The celtics on the other hand...six players in double figures? that's a solid team effort. I hope they go on to the finals now.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

This series definitely shows the difference between a team of players that are all talk and a team that has been there and done that and won a championship together and does their talking by example.

It's not over yet and I would bet anything that the Heat will be favored in game 6, but I sure like the Celtics' chances to close the series out on their home court tomorrow. The arena will be rocking for sure.

[Acid Trip]

go thunder

:(

I think my Spurs are toast. OKC turned their game up and the Spurs failed to match them.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:(

I think my Spurs are toast. OKC turned their game up and the Spurs failed to match them.

You're the one that jinxed them...after you brought up a sweep, they never won another game :nono:

[Arkady Renko]

This series definitely shows the difference between a team of players that are all talk and a team that has been there and done that and won a championship together and does their talking by example.

It's not over yet and I would bet anything that the Heat will be favored in game 6, but I sure like the Celtics' chances to close the series out on their home court tomorrow. The arena will be rocking for sure.

I wish Doc Rivers could sneak Dirk Nowitzki into his roster, disguised as one of their bench players. :D


:(

I think my Spurs are toast. OKC turned their game up and the Spurs failed to match them.

that seems to be exactly what happened.

[Acid Trip]

You're the one that jinxed them...after you brought up a sweep, they never won another game :nono:

:hand:

I brought up a sweep after game 2 of the Clippers and they swept them. Just look back a page or two. Nice try ;)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Clippers aren't the Thunder :nono:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I was gonna watch the game last night, but I was so freaking tired that I fell asleep. After seeing the score this morning, I'm glad I fell asleep :wha:

[Acid Trip]

I was gonna watch the game last night, but I was so freaking tired that I fell asleep. After seeing the score this morning, I'm glad I fell asleep :wha:

LaBron would not be denied last night. It was quite the performance.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, the C's really need to nut up now and win game 7, they wasted a perfect opportunity to win the series last night. TBH I don't like their chances in game 7 in Miami.

If it does end up the Thunder v Heat, I will be behind the Thunder 100%...I can't freaking stand Queen James or the Heat.

[Acid Trip]

Well, the C's really need to nut up now and win game 7, they wasted a perfect opportunity to win the series last night. TBH I don't like their chances in game 7 in Miami.

If it does end up the Thunder v Heat, I will be behind the Thunder 100%...I can't freaking stand Queen James or the Heat.

I don't like their chances in Miami either. Thunder vs Heat would be a good match up though. Both are younger teams with All Stars looking for their first title.

I've love to see my Texas boy Durant get his first title before LaBron.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Kevin Garnett to re-sign with Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kevin-garnett-to-re-sign-with-celtics.html)

:cheers:

[deebakes]

i think miami is going to beat okc this year :-k

[Godfather]

Apparently Nash is going to the Lakers! Awesome, he and Kobe will own

[Arkady Renko]

Apparently Nash is going to the Lakers! Awesome, he and Kobe will own

yep, Nash confirmed the move earlier today. Apparently the Suns settled for a busload of draft picks in return, so the Lakers didn't have to trade in any of their big men. So their startin five would be Nash, Bryant, Bynum, Gasol and Artest...pretty exciting. If they don't have too many injuries, they should be a serious contender until Nash and Bryant start to show their age in two or three years. Seems like a smart move to me.

Mark Cuban on the other hand royally shafted the Mavs with his trade strategy. I don't see Dwight Howard moving to Dallas, Terry's as good as gone and Kidd stays on the payroll so they'll be left without a second go-to-guy. MAybe it's time for nowitzki to go and look for greener pastures if he wants a serious shot at a second ring. I'd like to see him in a Celtics Jersey.

[Godfather]

Nash turned down $11 million more from the Raptors, but they're more than 3-4 years from winning a title, so what good would it have done him

[Joebob034]

I would root for the Lakers just to see Nash get a ring

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I wouldn't root for the fucking Lakers if someone put a gun to my head...I'd rather have my brains all over the wall than root for those assholes.

[Arkady Renko]

Nash turned down $11 million more from the Raptors, but they're more than 3-4 years from winning a title, so what good would it have done him

Allegedly Nash was looking for someplace on the West Coast so he wouldn't be too far away from his family and an instant contender, money being a secondary issue at best. Since the Clippers are all set with Chris Paul, that pretty much narrowed things down to the Lakers.


I would root for the Lakers just to see Nash get a ring


I wouldn't root for the fucking Lakers if someone put a gun to my head...I'd rather have my brains all over the wall than root for those assholes.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'd certainly have a hard time enjoying another Lakers triumph...

[Joebob034]

Ray Allen to the Heat

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Fuck Ray Allen, fucking traitor

[Arkady Renko]

Fuck Ray Allen, fucking traitor

I read that he fell out with Rondo and Garnett pretty badly and the management as well as Rivers made it quite clear that they wanted to keep them at any cost but Allen was replacable. Might explain why he settled for a lot less monay than he would have made in Boston.

Also, the Celtics already secured Jason Terry who isn't that bad a replacement and they are left with some money to spend on top.

[Acid Trip]

I read that he fell out with Rondo and Garnett pretty badly and the management as well as Rivers made it quite clear that they wanted to keep them at any cost but Allen was replacable. Might explain why he settled for a lot less monay than he would have made in Boston.

Also, the Celtics already secured Jason Terry who isn't that bad a replacement and they are left with some money to spend on top.

I hate Ray Allen. Dude is always smacking his gum like a prick.

[Arkady Renko]

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/551237_10151110844376271_1138582649_n.jpg

[Iffy]

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/551237_10151110844376271_1138582649_n.jpg

:lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

The Dwight Howard saga reportedly is about to come to an end.

In a blockbuster, four-team deal, the Orlando Magic have agreed to trade the All-Star center to the Los Angeles Lakers, multiple outlets have reported.

The Lakers will send Andrew Bynum to the 76ers, who also will get veteran guard Jason Richardson from the Magic. Denver, in turn, will receive All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers and one future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.

Orlando will receive veterans Al Harrington and Arron Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Vucevic from the 76ers.

The teams have scheduled a trade call with the NBA for Friday in order to make the deal official, according to the reports.


http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Dwight-Howard-Los-Angeles-Lakers-Andrew-Bynum-Philadelphia-76ers-Denver-Nuggets-Orlando-Magic-080912

[Arkady Renko]

I hope that's it because the entire affair has become more than tedious a long time ago.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Steve Nash...Dwight Howard...why not just do what the league wants and cancel the season and go straight to a Lakers/Heat finals FFS :roll:

[Arkady Renko]

doesn't Nash take a big pay cut with his move to the Lakers? I'd say as long as they do not cheat their way around the salary cap, it's perfectly legitimate. And I'm not sure how much better they'll be off after sending Bynum away. I'd say the Lakers are the favourites to win the west next year, but they'll be hard pressed to beat the Thunder and you shouldn't count out the Clippers and Spurs either.

[Iffy]

Steve Nash...Dwight Howard...why not just do what the league wants and cancel the season and go straight to a Lakers/Heat finals FFS :roll:
I hate that teams can essentially buy championships. Granted there were a few powerhouse teams back in the 80's but somehow it just seemed less tainted.

Do you think this is any different than what the Celtics did when they brought in Garnett and Allen?

[Iffy]

doesn't Nash take a big pay cut with his move to the Lakers? I'd say as long as they do not cheat their way around the salary cap, it's perfectly legitimate. And I'm not sure how much better they'll be off after sending Bynum away. I'd say the Lakers are the favourites to win the west next year, but they'll be hard pressed to beat the Thunder and you shouldn't count out the Clippers and Spurs either.

The salary cap in the NBA is a joke. How many teams below are above the $58 million cap...

1. Los Angeles Lakers $97,740,731
2. Brooklyn Nets $82,863,544
3. Miami Heat $82,629,170
4. Orlando Magic $73,312,267
5. Philadelphia 76ers $72,705,528
6. New York Knicks $68,989,028
7. Golden State Warriors $66,699,736
8. Detroit Pistons $66,009,791
9. Memphis Grizzlies $65,621,568
10. Utah Jazz $64,192,721
11. San Antonio Spurs $63,687,035
12. Washington Wizards $62,043,724
13. Los Angeles Clippers $61,619,891
14. Dallas Mavericks $61,217,894
15. Milwaukee Bucks $60,678,085
16. New Orleans Hornets $57,053,630
17. Charlotte Bobcats $56,820,187
18. Oklahoma City Thunder $56,638,264 ($76 million w/ Westbrook's contract)
19. Phoenix Suns $55,856,415
20. Toronto Raptors $55,786,355
21. Chicago Bulls $55,702,768 ($75 million w/ Rose's contract)
22. Sacramento Kings $54,886,455
23. Atlanta Hawks $53,089,031
24. Portland Trail Blazers $53,013,198
25. Indiana Pacers $50,530,897 ($60 million or just slightly over w/ Hibbert)
26. Denver Nuggets $50,059,814
27. Cleveland Cavaliers $48,498,938
28. Houston Rockets $48,195,649
29. Minnesota Timberwolves $44,513,198
30. Boston Celtics $36,512,932 (looks like they are missing at least $20 million in salary)


Some player salaries are missing (Garnett, Rose, Hibbert, Westbrook....) No idea why

[Joebob034]

How the fuck do the pistons have the 8th highest payroll

[deebakes]

:woot: timberwolves :dance:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/r5VIM.jpg

New Denver Nuggets alternate jerseys for this season...not sure if I like them or not :-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Lakers lose their home opener....makes the Celtics losing to the Heat a little less painful :lol:


Nuggets open tonight against Philly.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, the Celtics season is over :|

[Acid Trip]

Well, the Celtics season is over :|

Is Rhondo that good or his backup that bad? I haven't watched a Celtics game in a long time.

My Spurs are getting old but still kickin butt!

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Lakers won it for JayZ

[PorkChopSandwiches]

http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Jay+Z+Sean+Combs+Celebrities+Lakers+Game+4sRmxN3vz R1l.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Is Rhondo that good or his backup that bad? I haven't watched a Celtics game in a long time.

My Spurs are getting old but still kickin butt!

Rondo is that good...one of the top 3 PG's in all of the NBA right now depending on who you see ranking them. He leads the whole NBA in assists at 11.1/game (nobody else is in double digits) and averages 13.7 PPG and 5.6 rebounds while running the floor.

The Celtics miss Ray Allen a lot and are getting old and were barely going to make the playoffs as it is, but now without Rondo, they have no chance.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Celtics are 5-0 since they lost Rondo :confused:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/MTKUoZN.jpg

Celtics rout Lakers 116-95 for 6th straight win :cheers:

[Acid Trip]

The Celtics are 5-0 since they lost Rondo :confused:

Rondo was clearly holding them back :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

7 in a row for the Nuggets :cheerlead:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/f0SzRG4.png

[Acid Trip]

I just want to point out that my team is still #1 in the West despite a bunch of aging players. Teamwork > Star Power

Go Spurs Go!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Can't believe how disrespected the Nuggets are...their in the midst of a 13 game winning streak, there are only 3 teams in the entire NBA that have a better record than they do (and none of those teams are more than 6 games better than the Nuggets), they have the best home court record in the NBA, they own the tie-break against both the LA Clippers and the OKC Thunder, and they are playing incredible offense AND defense.

But because they aren't the Miami Heat, nobody in the sports world outside of Denver will talk about them :roll:

[Acid Trip]

Can't believe how disrespected the Nuggets are...their in the midst of a 13 game winning streak, there are only 3 teams in the entire NBA that have a better record than they do (and none of those teams are more than 6 games better than the Nuggets), they have the best home court record in the NBA, they own the tie-break against both the LA Clippers and the OKC Thunder, and they are playing incredible offense AND defense.

But because they aren't the Miami Heat, nobody in the sports world outside of Denver will talk about them :roll:

Welcome to living in a "small" market.

Announcers went ape shit when it was San Antonio Vs. Detroit several years back. "Nobody is going to watch that, the cities are too small!"

Umm, San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the US you dumb ass announcers!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Welcome to living in a "small" market.

Announcers went ape shit when it was San Antonio Vs. Detroit several years back. "Nobody is going to watch that, the cities are too small!"

Umm, San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the US you dumb ass announcers!

It's getting absolutely ridiculous....the Nuggets just won their 15th in a row last night, they are only 2-1/2 games behind OKC for the division lead now, have moved up to the 3 seed in the west, and I still had to go looking for stories on last night's game :meh:

[deebakes]

try finding good/any press relating to minnesota's "sports" teams :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

try finding good/any press relating to minnesota's "sports" teams :lol:

Minnesota has pro sports teams? :shock:




:dance:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Oh look, the Nuggets winning streak comes to an end and THAT story makes the headlines at all the sports websites. :roll:

[RBP]

I'm glad it was Chicago that ended the Miami streak. Suck it, LeBron.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, there goes the Nuggets shot at going deep in the playoffs this year. Lawson is out indefinitely and now last night Gallinari most likely tore his ACL :|

[Teh One Who Knocks]

21 in a row at home for the Nuggets :woot:

[Acid Trip]

San Antonio let Oklahoma take 1st place in the West. We'd rather play Houston than the Lakers in the first round.

That's the story and I'm sticking to it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

San Antonio let Oklahoma take 1st place in the West. We'd rather play Houston than the Lakers in the first round.

That's the story and I'm sticking to it.

:empathy:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Nuggets get the 3 seed and the best home record in the entire NBA :cheers:

And I know the Celtics are too old to compete for another title, but please just let them beat that ass Melo and the Knicks in the first round and I'll be happy :pray:

[Acid Trip]

The finish to the Rockets vs Thunder game last night was awesome!

The Lakers look like they have no answer for the Spurs. Between Gasol, Howard and Artest they should be dominating the paint.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Man, George Karl has got to go....he's a great regular season coach but that's 8 times in the last 9 seasons that the Nuggets have been one and done in the playoffs.

What good is winning 57 games, having the best home court record in the league, and getting the #3 seed if you are just going to choke it all away?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Looks like Allen Iverson is finally going to retire. I heard that to honor him, the Sixers are gonna hang his practice jersey from the rafters. :)

[deebakes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Lakers lost to the Clips last night by 48 points :lmao:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Oh boy, Heat v Spurs again for the finals. Woohoo :|

[Acid Trip]

Oh boy, Heat v Spurs again for the finals. Woohoo :|

Hell yeah! Go Spurs Go!

[deebakes]

:unimpressed:

[Godfather]

I'm so damn late and off topic seeing as how the NBA Finals are on.. but I finally watched Durant's entire MVP speech. Pretty awesome, definitely one of the better award acceptance speeches I've ever seen in sports. Sure as shit beats the hell out of Jordan's arrogant HoF speech...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I'm so damn late and off topic seeing as how the NBA Finals are on.. but I finally watched Durant's entire MVP speech. Pretty awesome, definitely one of the better award acceptance speeches I've ever seen in sports. Sure as shit beats the hell out of Jordan's arrogant HoF speech...

Jordan was a self-centered, egotistical ass that put himself before his teammates. Jordan played for the name on the back of the jersey, not for the name on the front.

And WTF is up with Queen James leaving with leg cramps in an NBA finals game just because the a/c went out before the game? And people are saying this is the best player of all time? Hey Lebron, they didn't have a/c in the old Boston Garden and you never saw Bird or McHale or Parish leave because their freaking leg hurt :roll: The official game time temperature at the start of game 4 during the '84 finals in Boston was 97° on the court because of a heat wave in Boston, it was 89° by the end of the 3rd quarter last night in San Antonio.

http://i.imgur.com/MRCh0uv.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/0djNS0A.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/Q4WQxpt.jpg

Lebronning :lmao:

[Godfather]

Jordan was a self-centered, egotistical ass that put himself before his teammates. Jordan played for the name on the back of the jersey, not for the name on the front.

You ever hear the rapper Chamillionaire's story about trying to meet Jordan? Seems like he's a nice guy telling an honest story... so it's pretty depressing. Once I heard this I started reading up on it more and my bubble kind of burst. Jordan sounds like an asshole.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ZQERHL6ow

[Godfather]

http://i.imgur.com/Q4WQxpt.jpg

Lebronning :lmao:

:rofl:

Wasn't there an NHL'er who broke a leg and finished his shift earlier this year... I mean, I've had cramps too and they're awful but seriously walk it off princess.

[deebakes]

Once I heard this I started reading up on it more and my bubble kind of burst. Jordan sounds like an asshole.

i am going to keep my memories from how much i loved this guy when he was playing intact and not go digging, it's probably better that way :shrug:

[deebakes]

:rofl:

Wasn't there an NHL'er who broke a leg and finished his shift earlier this year... I mean, I've had cramps too and they're awful but seriously walk it off princess.

the chick in the duncan jersey totally wants it deep and hard :wank:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:rofl:

Wasn't there an NHL'er who broke a leg and finished his shift earlier this year... I mean, I've had cramps too and they're awful but seriously walk it off princess.

http://i.imgur.com/eoB9rv4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Qg1eYIG.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://i.imgur.com/W2wJJkD.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

So, the guy that could never see himself leaving Miami and was going to win 20 zillion championships there, just had his agent announce that he's opting out of his contract and becoming a free agent :rolleyes:

[Acid Trip]

You all know I'm a Spurs fan but what a clinic they put on the Heat this year. That was the BEST team basketball I've ever seen. They won every game by 15 points or more and the only loss could have easily been a win.

Timmy is coming back for another year and I think the supporting cast will too.

[deebakes]

it was crazy how superior they looked during the championship :idk:

[Acid Trip]

it was crazy how superior they looked during the championship :idk:

It's all due to Coach Pop playing a huge portion of the bench every game. One, it let his "old" superstars get lots of rest throughout the season. Two, the bench guys gained experience and confidence by playing all the time.

It didn't matter who was in the game because they all knew the plan. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass and take the wide open shot. Rinse and repeat.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Then what happened last year? :hand:

[deebakes]

miracle shot by an aged ray allen :lol:

[Acid Trip]

miracle shot by an aged ray allen :lol:

Ding ding ding.

[Godfather]

Wiggins!! Love the suit, what a beauty. Two Canadians in the top ten picks. Canadian first overall two years in a row... Maybe we'll be competitive on the international stage at the next Olympics!

[Godfather]

So... Lebron eh

[deebakes]

http://i.imgur.com/suYI4BP.png

[deebakes]

http://i.imgur.com/Gws79lZ.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Kelly Dwyer - Ball Don't Lie


http://i.imgur.com/VqwjyS2.jpg

In his first public comments since the Los Angeles Lakers announced that he had suffered a torn right rotator cuff, Kobe Bryant went peak Kobe Bryant with his Twitter response:

http://i.imgur.com/voq5Dek.png

That is brilliant. And perfect Kobe – a self-aware joke, an endorsement, hashtags and thanks.

More telling? No dour notes, no blacked-out Twitter avatar (as he did during his 2013 rehab from an Achilles tear), no complaints about the struggle being real, nothing for us to chomp down on in wondering if Kobe was game to retire after a third consecutive season was ended by a major injury.

Bryant was never going to retire, regardless of the $25 million he would be walking away from in the process, but it wouldn’t be atypical for him to spend the next few months fuming and lamenting his recent streak of bad luck. It would have been just fine for Bryant to be frustrated before the cloud cleared and the summer brought new hope, but we’re not getting any of that from this tweet. Perhaps we’re reading too much into a stupid Twitter message, but it’s still good to see.

Kobe Bryant, healthy and on the basketball court again, would be great to see. We’re enjoying 2014-15, but this is one benefit of 2015-16 that can’t get here soon enough.

[Arkady Renko]

Kobe can probably play a few more years, but not the way he used to. Besides, he alwas had a good supporting cast until two years ago when the Lakers traded their roster to death. I fail to see how the Lakers will manage a successful rebuild as long as Kobe keeps hogging this much cap space.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Gordie Jones - CSN Philly


http://i.imgur.com/5Wbp3pZ.jpg

Every time the Sixers and Celtics renewed their blood feud in Boston Garden in the 1980s, former Daily News columnist Mark Whicker once wrote, there were only three people laughing in the entire building before tipoff — Darryl Dawkins, seated on the bench, and the two ballboys at his feet, listening to the Sixer center’s nonstop patter.

Seems to me that’s the best way to remember Dawkins, who died Thursday at age 58, of an apparent heart attack. As a showman and a prankster and an endless self-promoter.

As a guy who always left ’em laughing.

This made Dawkins, a sculpted 6-foot-11, 250-pounder, endlessly frustrating to his coaches, who believed that if only he would take the game more seriously he could deliver on his considerable potential.

But it also made him one of the NBA’s all-time great characters.

A story, courtesy of former Sixers general manager Pat Williams, now an Orlando Magic executive: The team used the fifth pick of the 1975 draft to take Dawkins out of Orlando’s Maynard Evans High School, making him the first high school player to jump to the NBA (one year after the ABA’s Utah Stars took future Sixer Moses Malone, from Petersburg, Virginia).

Dawkins settled in an apartment in South Jersey. One day Williams, a one-of-a-kind figure himself, called to see how his new center was doing.

“This is Dawk,” Darryl said into the phone, “and I’m ready to talk.”

Williams was flabbergasted. This was an 18-year-old kid? And to this day Williams, an accomplished banquet speaker, regrets that he didn’t respond as follows: “This is Pat, and I’m ready to chat.”

Dawkins’ career gathered momentum from there. He picked up a nickname (Chocolate Thunder) from none other than Stevie Wonder, a home planet (Lovetron) from who knows where. He brawled with Portland enforcer Maurice Lucas in the 1977 Finals — Dawkins wound up accidentally slugging teammate Doug Collins instead — and destroyed the restroom in the home locker room afterward, when he felt the other Sixers didn’t have his back.

Then he began demolishing backboards. Did it twice in the 1979-80 season. Called one of them, over a luckless Kansas City Kings forward named Bill Robinzine, “Chocolate Thunder Flyin’, Robinzine Cryin’, Teeth Shakin’, Glass Breakin’, Rump Roastin’, Bun Toastin’, Wham Bam, Glass Breaker I Am Jam.”

He had names for his other dunks, too. Names like the “Sexophonic Turbo Delight,” “Spine Chiller Supreme” and “Yo Mama.”

It has been said that when he was asked if he knew where they signed the Declaration of Independence, his response was, “At the bottom.” And it has been said that when he was asked his favorite color, his response was, “Plaid.”

“I never take anything serious,” he told me in October 2012. “I don’t take myself serious. If you hurt my mother, my kids, my wife, my family, I’d go to jail. I’d be sitting in jail, in a lounge chair with a cigar. But you’ve got to do a lot to make me mad.”

Everybody tried to light his fire, no one more than Sixers coach Billy Cunningham. One day he dressed Dawkins down on the apron of the practice floor. Told him he had to grow up, had to take better care of himself, had to work on his game. And after all that — after a highly successful coach of a team with championship aspirations delivered the sternest of tongue lashings — Dawkins playfully tripped Cunningham as he walked away.

“That was just me,” Dawkins admitted that day three years ago.

The Sixers tired of him after seven seasons, and traded him to the Nets. He also played for the Pistons and Jazz during his 14-year NBA run, his career averages of 12 points and six rebounds shockingly so-so for a guy of his size and skill set.

“People always thought there was more there,” Williams was saying over the phone Thursday. “I’m not sure there was.”

He pointed out that Dawkins wasn’t as big as most centers, that the Sixers had hoped he would grow a few inches when they drafted him, but he never did. And muscular as he was, Williams added, Darryl was a good athlete, not a great one.

Then he arrived at the crux of the matter.

“I don’t know how serious he was about the game,” Williams said. “I don’t think he ever loved the game. He loved the life and entertaining.”

Dawkins played overseas. He played for the Harlem Globetrotters. And later in life he actually got into coaching — imagine that — serving as head man for Winnipeg of the International Basketball Association, the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL and at Lehigh Carbon Community College.

He and his third wife Janice had by then settled in Allentown with Tabitha, Janice’s daughter from a previous relationship, and the couple’s two children.

He also said in 2012 he had become a more spiritual person, and a doting father.

“I’ve grown up some,” he said.

Then he laughed, and talked about what a soft touch he was for his kids — how Janice would tell them no, and he always said yes. He talked about how he had water guns scattered throughout the house. How he goofed on his kids the way he used to goof on his coaches.

And he talked about how Tabitha, who is afflicted with Downs Syndrome, had him wrapped around her finger.

“Tabitha sees the world just for what it is,” he said. “Here’s a 7-foot black guy with a 4-foot-6 little white kid, and people are saying, ‘What’s he doing with her?’ And she says, ‘That’s Daddy Darryl. Do you love me, Daddy?’ … She only knows how you treat her. She doesn’t care about black or white or whatever.”

Darryl taught her to shoot foul shots, danced with her, made her feel special.

Left her laughing.

Everyone else, too. Heck of a legacy.

[deebakes]

:rip:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

FOX News


http://i.imgur.com/61USfF8.jpg

Moses Malone, a three-time NBA MVP, Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star, died on Sunday at the age of 60.

Fellow Hall-of-Famer Calvin Murphy said Malone died in his sleep from an apparent heart attack, according to FOX26 sports director Mark Berman. Malone was to play in a golf tournament in Norfolk, Va. with Murphy.

Malone, nicknamed the “Chairman of the Boards” for his rebounding dominance, won a title with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983 and made the All-Star game 12 times in a row, from 1978-1989. During 21 seasons playing pro basketball, the 6-10 center averaged 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

Malone’s 29,580 total points ranks seventh all-time, his 17,834 rebounds is third all-time and his 1,889 blocks is 23rd all-time.

The first player to go pro directly from high school, Malone debuted during the 1974-75 season for the Utah Stars of the ABA. He played the next season with the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis before beginning an NBA trek through Buffalo, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Milwaukee and San Antonio.

Malone led the NBA in rebounds per game in 1978-79 and every season from 1980-81 to 1984-85.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Golden State's 23-0 now....and 27 regular season wins in a row overall. 6 more to tie the record, can they do it? :-k

[deebakes]

they might, they seemingly really want the record :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Michael Allen - Opposing Views


http://i.imgur.com/hXZYPjd.jpg

Oklahoma City Thunder fans slammed Kevin Durant after he announced on July 4 he was leaving the team for the Golden State Warriors (video below).

Several Thunder fans burned replicas of Durant's jersey, filmed the incarcerations and posted them online, ESPN reports.

The former fans often dropped F-bombs as they burned the jerseys, and some appeared to use their Fourth of July barbecues to cook the clothing they once prized.

Durant's restaurant in Oklahoma City tweeted a picture promoting its barbecue chicken for the holiday, which was met with derogatory comments by fans, according to SB Nation:


You might as well shut down and sell the place.

KD is a traitor, you better look for jobs ASAP.

True, ya'll better find new jobs, and it is truly fitting that you are featuring chicken.

Jam your chicken.

Arguably the angriest fan is Twitter user, LostNUnbound.

He tweeted a picture of a 2009 tweet by Durant that said, "I wanna play with Oklahoma City for my whole career," and added the caption, "The biggest lie of the decade," notes Mediaite.

LostNUnbound also tweeted, "I need to make a list of the things Kevin Durant screwed up, but I don't have enough paper."

LostNUnbound saved his real rant for a YouTube video where he said:


I hope you have a new home in the dumpster with your career! Forget about it bro, you have literally gone from my favorite player to the most hated player I've ever seen in a second, in a tweet, in a single headline! It's the only NBA jersey I have! It's the only one I care about! It's the only one I used to care about! What is this? This isn't even real! This isn't even real! You're not even a part of this team!

Later in the irate video, he uses scissors to tear up Durant's jersey.

WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5N-sISeHCg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHTQwwZug9M

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Tim Duncan retires from the NBA after 19 seasons and 5 championships

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Celtics best the Bulls by 56 last night. :shock: In Chicago. :shock:

[RBP]

The Bulls are a JV HS team. Not that I pay attention to the the GRL (ghetto rounders league).

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/uzuIuCVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bML6KAhh.jpg

Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek passed away yesterday at 79. :rip:


“John was the best finisher I played with in 13 years. When you finished the way John did, give him the ball at the right time, the ball is in the damn hole.”
— Bob Cousy, Celtics teammate of Havlicek

“Best all-around player I ever saw.”
— Bill Russell, Celtics great, talking about Havlicek


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4fTjcJwImw

[Godfather]

Ugh Toronto with that ridiculous buzzer beater. Now I have to hear about that on TSN for a week instead of hockey :lol: FU

[Teh One Who Knocks]

My interest in the NBA barely registers anymore and once the Celtics are eliminated from the playoffs or don't make the playoffs, my interest drops into negative number territory. :lol:

[Godfather]

KD got hurt last night, Toronto fans cheered, everyone except for Drake who made a scene and acted like he was the one who got hurt. Now everyone's acting like Golden State is the underdog and wants Toronto to lose :lol:

Aaaand now all of America understands how the rest of Canada feels about Toronto :thumbsup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I hate Golden State, I hope Toronto wins...even though I couldn't care less about the NBA at this point :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by James Herbert - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/HEcKwkk.jpg

The 2019-20 NBA season has been suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The league announced at 9:31 p.m. ET on Wednesday that, following the games that night and until further notice, no games will be played while the league determines its next steps, as a Utah Jazz player has tested positive for COVID-19. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the player is center Rudy Gobert.

Is the season over?
No. Suspending the season is not the same as canceling it. It is unclear what the rest of the season will look like, though, if it is played at all.

When will games resume?
That is uncertain, but the shutdown could be lengthy. Teams were told by the NBA that a positive test would result in a 12-to-14 day quarantine for the player in question, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The incubation period of COVID-19 can be as long as two weeks, according to the CDC, which makes it difficult to identify people who have it. If it is difficult to contain the virus in general, it follows that it will be difficult to contain it within the NBA.

The league expects the hiatus will last two weeks at minimum, per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds.

Did the Jazz play on Wednesday?
No. They were scheduled to play the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the game was postponed. The announcement, however, did not come until after the scheduled tipoff time. Players, staff and fans had already filled Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

What happens with the players who had contact with Gobert?
Gobert wasn't at the arena for the game, per the NBA, and didn't go to shootaround in the morning, per ESPN's Royce Young. He has been in close contact with his teammates, though, and both the Jazz and the Thunder were quarantined. Utah players will not be able to return to Salt Lake City until the team coordinates plans with public health organizations in both Oklahoma and Utah, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Where this gets more complicated is determining who else will need to be quarantined. Utah played against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, and Toronto played against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, and the whole league can be connected this way:
1237923526461530112
For now, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons have been told to self-quarantine. The Jazz have played those teams in the past 10 days.

The effects of Gobert's positive test could go far beyond all this. In addition to the players he competed against, the team staff that has traveled with him and the media that has covered the team, it's worth thinking about everywhere he has been since he contracted the virus. For example, the Berkeley Beacon published a story on Wednesday about the Jazz practicing at Emerson College's gym last week. If there are more NBA players who have COVID-19 and haven't been tested, the scope of the spread could be much wider than we know.

What about the other games on Wednesday?
Four games, which were all in progress when the announcement was made, were played. The New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings were scheduled to tip-off at 10:30, p.m. ET, but that too was canceled. This decision, according to the league, was made "with an abundance of caution," as referee Courtney Kirkland worked the Jazz-Raptors game on Monday.

What about playing the games without fans?
This seemed to be the direction the league was heading. As recently as Wednesday evening, commissioner Adam Silver was expected to make an announcement on Thursday that games would continue in empty arenas, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Things changed quickly when Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

What's the rationale for suspending games?
The goal is to limit the spread of the virus. Several cities in the United States had already banned large public gatherings, as social distancing is generally an effective way to "flatten the curve" when it comes to the number of infections. In the case of COVID-19, Taiwan has set an example in terms of being proactive, containing the virus and avoiding overwhelming the healthcare system.

Wasn't Gobert the player who was joking about all of this?
Yes, the NBA's "patient zero" touched the recorders and microphones in front of him after his media availability on Monday. In retrospect, not great.

What about practices?
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that the league has informed teams that they can still hold practices, but players have been told they shouldn't have visitors from out of town, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1237919525590441985

[Godfather]

^ I think Cuban's comments were really measured, good for him... but doesn't it just feel creepy seeing that? It's like watching history play out.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Sam Quinn - CBS Sports


Coronavirus may not have a huge financial impact on wealthy NBA players, but it has the potential to be disastrous for those who work in or around the NBA in a non-basketball capacity. With no games being played, arena workers around the league that are paid on an hourly basis are suddenly out of a job. No unified plan has been presented to take care of those workers, so some people are taking it into their own hands.

One such example? Kevin Love. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward pledged a $100,000 donation to the the workers and support staff at Quicken Loans Arena impacted by this crisis with an Instagram post Thursday.

B9ph25mgJtQ
So far, Love is one of the first major basketball figures to pledge financial support to displaced arena workers. The Cavaliers followed Love's lead, with a statement saying they will develop "a compensation plan to continue paying our event staff and hourly workforce that is impacted with the changes to our regular event schedule."

The generosity shown by both Love and the Cavs made one player on Cleveland's roster feel particularly proud:
1238254219737665538
"Incredible! Proud to be around such an amazing organization and people! Well done @kevinlove and @cavsdan," Larry Nance Jr. tweeted.

Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks was the first team owner to promise wages to arena staff, though he has not yet figured out the specifics.

"I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to financially support people who aren't going to be able to come to work -- you know, they get paid by the hour, and this is their source of income," Cuban said during a press conference Wednesday. "We'll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we've already started the process of having a program in place. I don't have any details to give, but it's certainly something that's important to me."

Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler followed Cuban's lead, according to Bill Shea of The Athletic. This is one of the greater indirect threats that the world faces amidst this crisis. Even a healthy person has quite a bit to lose financially if they are unable to work due to public health closures, and that could have a crippling effect on the economy. The league and its players can't protect everyone from financial harm, but doing its part to help its own employees would seem to be a logical point of intervention. The NBA may not be obligated to pay its workers right now, but Love was not obligated to do so either. He did so, and the league should follow his lead.

[Godfather]

Anyone going to watch this new 10 part Jordan doc The Last Dance? I hear it was on ESPN tonight in the US and Netflix tomorrow night in Canada and the UK. Not a big basketball guy but it looks good.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peh9Yqf1GXc

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Anyone going to watch this new 10 part Jordan doc The Last Dance? I hear it was on ESPN tonight in the US and Netflix tomorrow night in Canada and the UK. Not a big basketball guy but it looks good.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peh9Yqf1GXc

No desire to watch it. Basketball is my least favorite sport of the "Big 4" (and barely above the MLS) and I am NOT a Jordan fan in the least.

[deebakes]

i was a huge jordan fan growing up, when i used to actually follow sports.



but i likely won't watch it for awhile :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

For me, despite that he was a talented player, I put him in the 'overrated' camp, along with Lebron James.

[deebakes]

we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, the memories from my childhood with jordan being a dominant force winning 6 championships only split by his time playing baseball are pretty strong. i understand others have differing opinions, but it would be disingenuous for me to argue about walton, chamberlain, etc, as i didn't really watch them play. jordan was around when my appetite for basketball was at its peak :shrug:

[Godfather]

No desire to watch it. Basketball is my least favorite sport of the "Big 4" (and barely above the MLS) and I am NOT a Jordan fan in the least.

Not a Jordan fan either, every story you read about him makes him sound like a complete prick :lol: I'll give the show a chance, if it's just fangirling on him I'll turn it off, but I do love raw behind-the-scenes sports documentaries. Gives you access you don't normally get as a fan.

Speaking of which, F1: Drive to Survive is wicked if you haven't given it a watch. I don't give a shit about motor sports but it's totally fascinating seeing how it all works. Even my wife loved it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Kyrie Irving does not support NBA resuming in Orlando, said 'something smells a little fishy,' per report
By Sam Quinn - CBS Sports

Kyrie Irving led a conference call on Friday consisting of over 80 players from both the NBA and WNBA, and according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, became the first superstar to directly voice his opposition to restarting the season at Disney. "I don't support going into Orlando," Irving reportedly said. "I'm not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up."

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kyrie-irving-does-not-support-nba-resuming-in-orlando-said-something-smells-a-little-fishy-per/

=========================

Of course it ALL has to do with "systemic racism" :tup:


:suicide:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By the TMZ Staff


Stephen Jackson is imploring NBA players to NOT return to action this season ... saying a basketball comeback would hurt the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for social justice.

"Now ain't the time to be playing basketball, y'all," the former NBA star said. "Now ain't the time."

Jackson was friends with George Floyd and has become a very influential voice in the media since Floyd was killed.

"Playing basketball is going to do one thing: take all the attention off the task at hand right now and what we fighting for."

Jackson says the NBA season -- which is currently set to tip off next month in a "bubble environment" in Orlando -- would dominate the headlines ... and push away all the progress national protests have made in the wake of George Floyd's death last month.

"Nobody's going to be talking about getting justice for all these senseless murders by the police," he said. "And, nobody's going to be focusing on the task at hand, bro."

Several players are already in Jackson's corner ... Nets star Kyrie Irving and Lakers stud Dwight Howard have both said this past week they don't want to come back.

In fact, Howard said straight-up, "No Basketball 'til we get things resolved."

Of course, others want to see the season go forward ... the league's biggest star -- and Howard's teammate -- LeBron James, has said consistently he's ready for a comeback ASAP.

And, Clippers guard Patrick Beverly backed him in a tweet Sunday, writing, "Hoopers say what y’all want. If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS"

But, Jackson doubled down in another video message to players Sunday ... saying, "Our moment is now."

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said Wednesday that dealing with racial matters will be a shared goal during the resumed season.

The league and union announced they will “take collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice” when the season restarts at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida next month.

Specific plans have not been finalized.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts led a meeting that included league officials and players Tuesday to go over plans, including how best to ensure greater inclusion of Black-owned and operated businesses in league matters and forming an NBA foundation “to expand educational and economic development opportunities” in the Black community.

“The issues of systemic racism and police brutality in our country need to end,” union president Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder said.

He added, “there is much work ahead both in Orlando and long-term to continue the momentum and bring about real, long-lasting change to our society.”

Silver said talks will continue.

[FBD]

The Associated Press


The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said Wednesday that dealing with racial matters will be a shared goal during the resumed season.

:-k

https://streamable.com/9kavvj


oh wait that's right I forgot, you cant be racist against white people and any evidence of it should be just more evidence that white people are the racist ones

https://twitter.com/thehoopcentral/status/1296989382948188160?s=21