I???m not angry that the NBA has evolved the way it has. I enjoy the dunk contest and highlight reel plays as much as anyone. But to not recognize the direction the league has taken post ABA merger and beyond is just ignorant. In years when Tim Duncan lead his team to a ring(s) he was never in the Top 15 jersey sales and was outsold by the likes of Latrell Sprewell. Market size be damned, even Carmelo and Iverson while at Denver were more popular with the NBA fan base than Duncan who is arguably one of the Top 5 players of the last 15 years. The great Bill Russell Celtic teams of the 50???s & 60???s would bore fans today just like the Spurs do with their workman-like fundamental based play. Last time I looked Russell, KC Jones, Satch Sanders, Sam Jones, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Robert Horry were all black so your claim that I yearn for a ???whiter??? game is bogus and offensive. Good fundamental play does not equal white and that claim itself might even be racist.
The comparison of MLB and NFL to the NBA is a false equivalency and here is why. The term swagger is prevalent in Hip Hop and its related pop culture communities. The NBA is the sport most closely related to these communities and therefore the concept of ???swagger??? is much more popular in the NBA than the NFL and MLB combined. Don???t believe this? Try reading a few issues of Slam magazine and then show me something similar in those other two sports. Rappers don???t own professional baseball or football teams.
Basketball is a team sport yet the new model fan is more apt to follow players rather than teams with a couple of exceptions. It???s become a league whose fans focus as much on swag and fashion as they do on the game itself. A game that creates lists of which players have the most and least swag (see below) with Tim Duncan dominating the latter in every such list I could find. And even lists of which teams have the most swagger, on which the 4 time champion Spurs never appear. This is the NBA 2013 and I???m not mad at it, I just recognize where it was and where it is today.
Joe DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe. The connection between celebrity glamor and sports is nothing new.
I don't understand what your actual complaint here is. It seems like more of a grudge against society in general than against the NBA.
If Tim Duncan played in Los Angeles he would have all the recognition we both think he deserves.
By the way, when Bob Cousy was at the peak of his popularity he wasn't being lauded for his fundamental soundness. He was celebrated because of his flash and his swagger and his "street moves." No look passes and behind the back dribbling and so forth. After he retired the fundamentals-loving press openly wondered how the Celtics could continue to win without him, because the fundamentals-loving press didn't know what they were talking about.
He also shot .375 for his career, which I suppose is another tribute to fundamentals. But then that wasn't bad for his era.
Haven't been able to watch the Pacers much. I want to. Does dude have a killer instinct? You know that quality that separates good from great. Just an impression, but I get Tracy McGrady vibes.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
And I agree with Stacks, that the Heat's D when they put their mind to it, has some lockdown D. I'd like to see them dethroned though.....I am rooting for OKC........wanna see KD win a title.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
yeah, he put that on instagram last night. the comments are all from pissed off NYK fans telling JR he isn't shit and his brother doesn't deserve to play in the league. LOL. What a fucking farce this team is.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
who's stats are those? Oscar Robertson or something?
and yes, in this era or any other era, a "point forward" posting 59% from the field is amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Nah, Larry Bird posted those.
By the way, someone has to explain to me why it is that Bird at 220 pounds could have out-rebounded the 275 pound LeBron in his sleep.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
LazarusOblong said:
yuichi said:
LazarusOblong said:
yuichi said:
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
who's stats are those? Oscar Robertson or something?
and yes, in this era or any other era, a "point forward" posting 59% from the field is amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Nah, Larry Bird posted those.
By the way, someone has to explain to me why it is that Bird at 220 pounds could have out-rebounded the 275 pound LeBron in his sleep.
Bird can not stop Lebron. Lebron can stop Bird. End of story.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
yuichi said:
LazarusOblong said:
yuichi said:
LazarusOblong said:
yuichi said:
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
who's stats are those? Oscar Robertson or something?
and yes, in this era or any other era, a "point forward" posting 59% from the field is amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Nah, Larry Bird posted those.
By the way, someone has to explain to me why it is that Bird at 220 pounds could have out-rebounded the 275 pound LeBron in his sleep.
Bird can not stop Lebron. Lebron can stop Bird. End of story.
Hey Yuichi,
That is not my point. I was comparing the mental make-up of Bird and LeBron. Any :real_headz: . LeBron is not in Bird's galaxy on that dimension, hands down.
Hard to say Lebron's mental make-up is frail after 3 MVPs and 2 titles, with more to come....
Lebron would run right through Larry Bird, and he'd foul out before half time..
You DO know that basketball is played 5-on-5, right?
I can't tell it from your posts, but I figure you must know that.
LeBron could no more have "stopped Bird" than he could stop rain.
But then you never saw Bird play, or you wouldn't say something so stupid.
I watched the '86 Lakers vs Celtics today matter of fact on TV....Only reason he was scoring
was because James Worthy does not exert too much energy on the defensive end....lol
Lebron > Bird
You know basketball is about running and jumping too...
Hard to say Lebron's mental make-up is frail after 3 MVPs and 2 titles, with more to come....
Lebron would run right through Larry Bird, and he'd foul out before half time..
You DO know that basketball is played 5-on-5, right?
I can't tell it from your posts, but I figure you must know that.
LeBron could no more have "stopped Bird" than he could stop rain.
But then you never saw Bird play, or you wouldn't say something so stupid.
I watched the '86 Lakers vs Celtics today matter of fact on TV....Only reason he was scoring
was because James Worthy does not exert too much energy on the defensive end....lol
Lebron > Bird
You know basketball is about running and jumping too...
Bird could run all day. Dr. J, after being dominated by Bird, famously said, "YOU try chasing that guy around all game."
And jumping is the most overrated basketball skill. You'd know that if you'd ever seen a game in person rather than "matter of fact on TV."
BTW if you watched the 86 Lakers vs. the 86 Celtics (the best NBA team of all time) and thought James Worthy was guarding Bird much, you're blind. Michael Cooper was the guy the Lakers had guarding Larry most often, and he was a pain in the ass. Anyone who knows anything about that era of Lakers/Celtics rivalry knows that - and you do not qualify.
In the future please try to avoid talking about things you know nothing about, okay?
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
yuichi said:
LazarusOblong said:
yuichi said:
Hard to say Lebron's mental make-up is frail after 3 MVPs and 2 titles, with more to come....
Lebron would run right through Larry Bird, and he'd foul out before half time..
You DO know that basketball is played 5-on-5, right?
I can't tell it from your posts, but I figure you must know that.
LeBron could no more have "stopped Bird" than he could stop rain.
But then you never saw Bird play, or you wouldn't say something so stupid.
I watched the '86 Lakers vs Celtics today matter of fact on TV....Only reason he was scoring
was because James Worthy does not exert too much energy on the defensive end....lol
Lebron > Bird
You know basketball is about running and jumping too...
Hey Yuichi,
Your comments are showing a lack of perspective regarding the evolution of the game. The current state of the game emphasizes athleticism above all else, but back in the 80s, it would've been insufficient to be a great player. Guys stayed in college longer, exhibited a better understanding of the game, so mastery of the intellectual and emotional parts of the game was key in that era. There were some tough customers on the floor, and without sufficient mental (and physical) toughness, those guys would run all over you. Numerous clips talk about how mentally tough Larry Bird was, how he would point his defender to the scoreboard to show how many points he scored on him, and stuff like that.
LeBron is ruling in a different era where the schooling on the game, physical and mental, is less well-developed. To me, this explains some of the devolving of the game (skill- and judgment-wise) due to the lack of college playing experience guys bring into the pro game.
I know at least three championship squads in my era that would easily take this team.....Parish/McHale/Ainge? Ainge and McHale might be in the D-league in this era, please believe.
Stacks, just by a few games, I can tell that Larry Bird was a fierce competitor. I do not doubt this, or his shooting ability, court vision, and determination.....Scrappy as fuck.
But the old-school vs new-school debate is played out, because in ANY era, the cream rises to the top, and THIS
so mastery of the intellectual and emotional parts of the game was key in that era.
is necessary to win a title in ANY era.
San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, '00 Lakers, '04 Pistons. They all exhibit this.
Most recently in the college ranks, '11-12 Kentucky Wildcats......a helluva team.
the lack of college playing experience guys bring into the pro game.
I do completely agree with this point. There is more money to be made now......so a confident, aggressive scorer are the ones scouts are looking for....instead of a 4 year guy that has played great team ball. Probably another reason why I don't watch as many NBA games....Hero ball all around.
Lazarus, put Larry Bird on Lebron's Cavs squad and tell me he would take them to the East Finals...I don't know anyone besides MJ and Magic that would be able to do this.
Comments
fools in NYC talkinbout trying to get Injured Derrick Rose.
knowing Dolan, they'll trade him for Andrew Bynum, a 2nd round pick and spare parts.
Rondo is on the radar.
Joe DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe. The connection between celebrity glamor and sports is nothing new.
I don't understand what your actual complaint here is. It seems like more of a grudge against society in general than against the NBA.
If Tim Duncan played in Los Angeles he would have all the recognition we both think he deserves.
By the way, when Bob Cousy was at the peak of his popularity he wasn't being lauded for his fundamental soundness. He was celebrated because of his flash and his swagger and his "street moves." No look passes and behind the back dribbling and so forth. After he retired the fundamentals-loving press openly wondered how the Celtics could continue to win without him, because the fundamentals-loving press didn't know what they were talking about.
He also shot .375 for his career, which I suppose is another tribute to fundamentals. But then that wasn't bad for his era.
dude will get into the HOF at the first opportunity. has rings. has a young snow bunny on his arm. what else is supposed to be happening?
Bird's defense was well above average until the last few years of his career.
I will personally kidnap Rondo and chain him up in a cave somewhere before allowing him to play for the fucking Knicks.
Apparently some magazines don't have him on lists and his jersey sales aren't as high as Bieber's.
This must mean basketball is slowly dying.
I look forward to this actually happening.
Rondo is a great PG but he's not the solution to the Knicks' woes.
Haven't been able to watch the Pacers much. I want to. Does dude have a killer instinct? You know that quality that separates good from great. Just an impression, but I get Tracy McGrady vibes.
And quietly, Lebron is beasting.......with 59% FG, 40% from threes....and of course, the 7boards, 6.5 assists...Shit is unheard of......There really is no denying his greatness now.
And I agree with Stacks, that the Heat's D when they put their mind to it, has some lockdown D. I'd like to see them dethroned though.....I am rooting for OKC........wanna see KD win a title.
52% FG, 42.7 3PFG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 Steals, 1.2 Blocks...
Is that unheard of?
Ha! JR Smith is straight clown shoes. His brother is even worse than that.
JR Smith is John Starks revisited (minus the defensive prowess). His shot selection is just plain horrendous!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
who's stats are those? Oscar Robertson or something?
and yes, in this era or any other era, a "point forward" posting 59% from the field is amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Nah, Larry Bird posted those.
By the way, someone has to explain to me why it is that Bird at 220 pounds could have out-rebounded the 275 pound LeBron in his sleep.
Hey,
Because Bird is grittier and tougher than LeBron can ever hope to be. :real_headz:
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Maybe not anymore. He IS 57.
Bird can not stop Lebron. Lebron can stop Bird. End of story.
Hey Yuichi,
That is not my point. I was comparing the mental make-up of Bird and LeBron. Any :real_headz: . LeBron is not in Bird's galaxy on that dimension, hands down.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Lebron would run right through Larry Bird, and he'd foul out before half time..
You DO know that basketball is played 5-on-5, right?
I can't tell it from your posts, but I figure you must know that.
LeBron could no more have "stopped Bird" than he could stop rain.
But then you never saw Bird play, or you wouldn't say something so stupid.
I watched the '86 Lakers vs Celtics today matter of fact on TV....Only reason he was scoring
was because James Worthy does not exert too much energy on the defensive end....lol
Lebron > Bird
You know basketball is about running and jumping too...
Bird could run all day. Dr. J, after being dominated by Bird, famously said, "YOU try chasing that guy around all game."
And jumping is the most overrated basketball skill. You'd know that if you'd ever seen a game in person rather than "matter of fact on TV."
BTW if you watched the 86 Lakers vs. the 86 Celtics (the best NBA team of all time) and thought James Worthy was guarding Bird much, you're blind. Michael Cooper was the guy the Lakers had guarding Larry most often, and he was a pain in the ass. Anyone who knows anything about that era of Lakers/Celtics rivalry knows that - and you do not qualify.
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-12/sports/sp-6653_1_michael-cooper
In the future please try to avoid talking about things you know nothing about, okay?
Hey Yuichi,
Your comments are showing a lack of perspective regarding the evolution of the game. The current state of the game emphasizes athleticism above all else, but back in the 80s, it would've been insufficient to be a great player. Guys stayed in college longer, exhibited a better understanding of the game, so mastery of the intellectual and emotional parts of the game was key in that era. There were some tough customers on the floor, and without sufficient mental (and physical) toughness, those guys would run all over you. Numerous clips talk about how mentally tough Larry Bird was, how he would point his defender to the scoreboard to show how many points he scored on him, and stuff like that.
Larry Bird's Career Statistics
LeBron is ruling in a different era where the schooling on the game, physical and mental, is less well-developed. To me, this explains some of the devolving of the game (skill- and judgment-wise) due to the lack of college playing experience guys bring into the pro game.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I know at least three championship squads in my era that would easily take this team.....Parish/McHale/Ainge? Ainge and McHale might be in the D-league in this era, please believe.
But the old-school vs new-school debate is played out, because in ANY era, the cream rises to the top, and THIS
is necessary to win a title in ANY era.
San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, '00 Lakers, '04 Pistons. They all exhibit this.
Most recently in the college ranks, '11-12 Kentucky Wildcats......a helluva team.
I do completely agree with this point. There is more money to be made now......so a confident, aggressive scorer are the ones scouts are looking for....instead of a 4 year guy that has played great team ball. Probably another reason why I don't watch as many NBA games....Hero ball all around.