The Official 2013-2014 NBA Thread

[JB]

It's an altruistic approach to what professional sports truly isn't about anymore, I guess.

Thats the sad reality dude.
Stars think they are above it, and until fans speak with their wallets and voices, they get away with it.
My dream is to have Lebron about to sign a contract with Cleveland for his return and have them cut to a live feed that says "Sorry, you had your chance, this is our TV time now" and announce someone else coming on board. For many reasons, this would and can never happen, but it would be so sweet if it did.

And this coming from not someone that dislikes LBJ, just a realist that wants sports back the way they were supposed to be.

 

[Tadashi70]

Theey are not gone. Dirk did it. Tim Duncan did it. There are many guys out there that believe the team that gives them the shot can be built around. LBJ did not. Some call that selfish, his fans think otherwise.

The idea that LBJ asked Wade and Bosh to come to Cleveland is not correct. It could not have happened because of the moves (that he seemed fine with) did not allow it.



As a home grown talent and major star of a franchise, that is absolutely part of the job. Its not fantasy sports. These guys make millions and millions of dollars to play a freaking game. How do they make that? Because of the city and fans. Lets not pretend that the fans dont matter, despite how badly some athletes at the top of their games want to pretend that to be true.

When a city stops everything to welcome you, the locals have every right to feel sucker punched the way this was handled. This is not some guy that said here is hand shake, but I am heading to somewhere else. This is someone that baited the city along to announce a slap in the face on national TV.

I think this what is wrong with our society. So much stock is put into a guy that plays a game and is over paid to do so. It is a game and he is expected to some how be bigger than that. I just don't put that kind of stock in athletes.

D Howard left Orlando and the city is still growing. He was, the fan's, hope for a title. But he has no effect on the day to day lives of the people. This should hold true for LBJ.

I've said his departure was low class, I stand by that. He could have just left. But that was four years ago, time to move on.

 

[Tadashi70]

I get that fans are angry and I give you that. But what good is being angry doing for fans.

I'm a huge fan of two depressed teams from my home town. The Brewers and Bucks. I root for them win or loose. But at the end of the day it's just entertainment.

 

[mikedean441]

I get that fans are angry and I give you that. But what good is being angry doing for fans.

I'm a huge fan of two depressed teams from my home town. The Brewers and Bucks. I root for them win or loose. But at the end of the day it's just entertainment.

I dont think the "anger" is at the levels from 4 years ago, its more noticable when someone inquires about their thoughts on Lebron more than anything.

Entertainment for some, but for those that had businesses in the city Im sure they take it a little more personal since the times have changed so drastically.

I believe I once read an article that said his departure would cost local businesses $150M in revenue IIRC

 

[JB]

I think this what is wrong with our society. So much stock is put into a guy that plays a game and is over paid to do so. It is a game and he is expected to some how be bigger than that. I just don't put that kind of stock in athletes.

D Howard left Orlando and the city is still growing. He was, the fan's, hope for a title. But he has no effect on the day to day lives of the people. This should hold true for LBJ.

I've said his departure was low class, I stand by that. He could have just left. But that was four years ago, time to move on.

Society did not put him on TV.
Society did not pull that whole charade.
In fact society asked for months what his plans were and the complete selfish act of a man pulled that stunt. (And no, I dont care what it was for).

Life sucks for a lot of people. Money is tight. Work is tough to come by. A city and the people there have pride. They take pride in their teams as a way to show that pride. Telling a city "Eff You", "Im taking my talents to Souf Beach" was in a way saying your home is not good enough for me. In a fans point of view, there is nothing wrong with that.

Instead what you are asking is to follow these athletes as they charter jet hop from city to city regardless of how they treat the fans, the local community or anything else because they are gifted in a game. Eff that. As a fan of sports, rooting for a team is what makes it special. It brings cities together and win or lose its what makes team sports great.

Dwight Howard leaving Orlando and the city "growing" is more a sign that they were already burned once by someone far more talented in Shaq and with the way Dwight "The Queen of Ill Get Mine" Howard played that, he deserves a losing fate. Orlando is as much a team sports city as Moscow is, considering on any given night that 75% of the people staying there are from some where else.

That team should have been in Tampa the entire time.

 

[Canadan]

I get that fans are angry and I give you that. But what good is being angry doing for fans.

I'm a huge fan of two depressed teams from my home town. The Brewers and Bucks. I root for them win or loose. But at the end of the day it's just entertainment.

I'm not angry, I just lost nearly all interest for Cleveland basketball when lebron left, especially in doing so the way he did. I was actively trying to get into the NBA and cheer for an arguably local team, and it just sucked out any interest I had in doing so.

 

[Tadashi70]

And I will bow out now as my points are being lost.

 

[Jank]

I'm not angry, I just lost nearly all interest for Cleveland basketball when lebron left, especially in doing so the way he did. I was actively trying to get into the NBA and cheer for an arguably local team, and it just sucked out any interest I had in doing so.

And that is how 95% of sports fans are. Once the Cavs have a good enough team to watch, the former Lebron fans who didn't jump ship to Miami, Chicago, or Indiana will be back to cheer on the team. It is difficult to go from watching one of the best teams in the NBA to one of the worst in one offseason. Believe me, I'm from Houston, so I know about rooting for heartbreaking teams (not as much as Cleveland though). Unfortunately, it happens to every team, sooner or later. Players who are lifers are becoming rarer and rarer. It's just the way it is across all sports now.

 

[Canadan]

And that is how 95% of sports fans are. Once the Cavs have a good enough team to watch, the former Lebron fans who didn't jump ship to Miami, Chicago, or Indiana will be back to cheer on the team. It is difficult to go from watching one of the best teams in the NBA to one of the worst in one offseason. Believe me, I'm from Houston, so I know about rooting for heartbreaking teams (not as much as Cleveland though). Unfortunately, it happens to every team, sooner or later. Players who are lifers are becoming rarer and rarer. It's just the way it is across all sports now.

I am and probably always will be a casual NBA fan. I've got my die hard sport (Columbus Blue Jackets) and I've already had to watch them go through a decade of mediocrity. Watching lebron dismantle teams was flat out fun to watch, and despite the comments made about the team around him, watching him make impossible passes that resulted in points was also great fun to watch.

I know I'm drawing lines away from basketball, but I think it reflects on my attitude toward the Cavs. It's not like they won every game while I watched, but the end result was a bad taste in my mouth and the loss of arguably the best player in the league. Probably the same reason I haven't established a love for Ohio football or baseball teams -- They rarely do much, leaving little to grab hold of.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Agree that's the sad reality nowadays. It used to be more than just entertainment; professional sports does have the influence to effect morale, economy, etc. Of course we can only speculate how things would have turned out if Lebron stayed, but what is certain is that the city would have supported him no matter what. Still, it would have been great to see and using Dan as an example, would have probably grown the fan base of the NBA. It is unfortunate there are less and less guys willing to gut it out through thick and thin with one team, but I feel like Lebron staying in Cleveland would have contributed to reversing that trend.

The Spurs are a great example of what can happen when you maintain a strong nucleus, make team winning the most important thing and foster and develop talent instead of chasing big names. It goes back to David Robinson handing the reigns to Duncan and now Duncan focusing his role on the team. Year after year they are a force.

 

[Jank]

Probably the same reason I haven't established a love for Ohio football or baseball teams -- They rarely do much, leaving little to grab hold of.

No doubt. I have to be desperate to watch an Astros game right now since they are so terrible. I still keep up with them, but I could not care less about if they win or lose. And their terrible record is reflected in their TV and attendance ratings (as it is for most below average teams). I am admittedly a fair-weather Astros fan. The Rockets are my die-hard team since the Texans were not around when I grew up. I will always watch and keep up with the Rockets no matter how good or bad they are (probably like you with the Blue Jackets).

 

[Miller Time]

I love watching Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA. They're all great.

 

[Jank]

Funny bit from Inside the NBA the other night. I don't think that's the right way to eat churros, though.

[video=youtube_share;aW5I-fFa4gY]http://youtu.be/aW5I-fFa4gY[/video]

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

CLIPPERS!!!!!!


Taps away

 

[Evok]

That game was just ridiculous

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

As a Clippers fan, it was unfathomable. Can't believe they won.


Taps away

 

[Evok]

As a Clippers fan, it was unfathomable. Can't believe they won.


Taps away

They went crazy! Okc just couldn't do anything. We'll see how that momentum translates going back to okc but I know they were playing like this was a game 7

 

[Sanzabar]

Lebron James is really really freaking good.

 

[Jank]

Lebron James is really really freaking good.

Crazy good. Must have been all that bulletin board material in here recently

Funny that he missed that FT, but 49 on 24 shots is insanely good. Looks like the conference finals are going to end up exactly how the NBA wants in MIA/IND and SAS/(OKC or LAC). Last 2+ rounds should be fantastic.

 

[Sanzabar]

Crazy good. Must have been all that bulletin board material in here recently

Funny that he missed that FT, but 49 on 24 shots is insanely good. Looks like the conference finals are going to end up exactly how the NBA wants in MIA/IND and SAS/(OKC or LAC). Last 2+ rounds should be fantastic.

I think Jason Kidd should backhand Paul Pierce the next time he mentions wanting to guard LBJ.

Conference Finals are shaping up to be GREAT series.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Wonderful. Salvatore is one of the refs in the LAC game. We'll see how this pans out.

 

[Jank]

Wonderful. Salvatore is one of the refs in the LAC game. We'll see how this pans out.

Wow! It's like you're a prophet! Don't get me wrong, the Clips choked something fierce in this game, but several questionable calls at the end in OKC's favor. Unbelievable.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Wow! It's like you're a prophet! Don't get me wrong, the Clips choked something fierce in this game, but several questionable calls at the end in OKC's favor. Unbelievable.

Definitely a worst nightmare kind of game. Looked to be a W even in the last minute, but terrible defense, turnovers and general choking did them in. As for the refs, I've actually been fine with them this series, letting a lot of incidental contact slide and I'm not sure if Salvatore officiated those games, but he is the worst. It shouldn't be too much to ask for these guys to get the calls right.

Really, my only solace is I'm not sure how well the Clips would fare against the Spurs in the next round anyways.

 

[Sanzabar]

That ending was bonkers. The refs blew it... but the Clippers blew it more.

Chris Paul was AWFUL at the end of that game. I laughed when he was celebrating and beating his chest and then had a heckuva choke job.

Once again... I am not saying he is better than KD, but I feel like the Thunder will only win when Westbrook is playing excellent basketball. If he is average, they lose.

 

[Jman]

That ending was bonkers. The refs blew it... but the Clippers blew it more.

Chris Paul was AWFUL at the end of that game. I laughed when he was celebrating and beating his chest and then had a heckuva choke job.

Once again... I am not saying he is better than KD, but I feel like the Thunder will only win when Westbrook is playing excellent basketball. If he is average, they lose.

Bingo, he even admitted he lost the game for them. The calls have been terrible both ways this series, so nothing should surprise anyone.

A win is a win is a win is a win though.