I am devastated. My dad has not cared about the NBA in a decade. The "slow it down and runs isolations every single play" era turned him away and he stuck solely with college ball. (Then the University of Kentucky he adores went into the Tubby Smith Era of clock-burning post-ups and bad jumpers as the shot clock expires, where even Rajon Rondo couldn't make it fun.)
But Dad has always talked about how great Larry Bird was, how sweet Kevin McHale's post moves were, how much fun the Bird/Magic rivalry was, and how fast and exciting the Showtime Lakers were. Considering he usually talked about Bird and the Celtics (which got me into watching the Celtics myself and becoming a fan), it took me by surprise a few days ago when Dad suddenly was rooting for the Lakers!! It turns out he has always been a Lakers fan, but just respected the hell out of Bird and the rest of those 1980s Celtics. And he just never bothered to tell me this, but got to be all excited and happy last night as I turned off the TV at the buzzer and slammed the remote down on the table and walked off in disgust. So, uh, happy Father's Day?
Worst of Game 7 in Pictures:
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Labels: Bawful After Dark, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers
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Speaking of whom, I think we should all follow his fine example and respect our rival teams as if they were our own. I'll get the ball rolling:
Better luck next year, Celtics! =D
"Kobe, Michael Jordan was a great player. He helped me to a Three-peat Repeat. He is the best of all time. Kobe, you're no Michael Jordan."
Seriously, who the hell started this insane talk? I almost choked on my late night snack when I heard Mark Jackson say, "Move over Magic, blah, blah, blah..." Are you fucking kidding me????
To all the Laker fans, do you really believe that?
"And Tyreke the Freak Evans slams it home for the most phenomenal head-fake of ALL TIME!"
"So, I'm here to address the rumor that the Kings want to move to a more profitable market, like Las Vegas. I can tell you that if the Kings move to Las Vegas, they still will not wash away the stink that is the status of being the only team in major professional sports history to have actually spent time loitering in the psuedo-metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska. That's right. Omaha. Yeah, I don't even know how the Kings didn't get contracted in the wake of the ABA merger."
80's NBA: If anyone wants to say "KOBE MORE RINGS! MAGIC NOT AS GOOD!" then the only thing that needs to be pointed out is "1980 Finals MVP. As a ROOKIE. Subbing for Kareem."
End of discussion, now and forever.
A close teammate of Jordan commented about who is better between Jordan and Kobe. "I think Kobe's better. Kobe scored 81. Jordan never did, and don't think that he didn't try."
I'm not saying that I think Kobe is better than Jordan, but fuck, 81 points is 81 points.
Did Evil Ted ever come back from his trip into the wild?
He's from Queensbridge. A rapper. Is it sort of a battle cry/gauntlet down indication?
On a more serious note, the Kobe suckoff has gotten to the point where I'm afraid that w/ another championship or two people might forget that Shaq was ever even on the Lakers.
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?
Is he a special player? He is for this era, when players who don't have the coordination to rub their tummy and and pat their heads at the same time are considered to have "potential" as long as they're strong and fast, and wouldn't know positioning if it Kobe'd them in the ass.
Is he special in a broader, timeless sense? Hell no. But how many HOFers are?
Its just impossible to say who's greater. There are too many facets of the game and their rank in importance is different to everyone. All three guys have led their teams to championships, all 3 guys were crucial to their teams success and all 3 guys were vicious competitors. Once you get to that level the rest is just nitpicking. Bird, Magic, Jordan,Kobe, Kareem etc have reached that plateau where saying who is best is simply based on personal bias instead of accomplishments. For all the players above(including his airness) you can say "Well he did but he didn't do like ".
Oh and happy Lebron Appreciation Day!
Pau was made of pure goo in the Phoenix series but was much better in the Boston series. I don't think he has shed that soft title quite yet. I'd like to see him rip balls down consistently and dunk the ball hard instead of gingerly placing it into the basket. From a strict skill standpoint he is one of the best big men in the NBA but alas his European heritage may keep him soft to the end of his days.
The only writer I don't particularly enjoy is WildYams, although that may be b/c of my unabashed Laker hate. Or it could be because he has a tendency to ramble and isn't funny.
Or kinda how I think of it: Jordan was the greatest combination of skill and winning we'll ever see, but Russell was a greater winner (without being anywhere near the offensive machine).
Faizan: thanks. Of course, being a (somehow, they're still in Sacramento) Kings fan, the disgust, disbelief, and disappointment is going to come in due time, don't worry. :P
Ash: And Wilt scored 100. Does that make him better than Jordan? (rhetorical question) I totally get your point though.
I live in Anchorage, which I assume you will at least pass through, so get in touch if you want to grab a beer or I can give you some recommendations or advice on avoiding the tourist traps and such.
Fishing for Kings?
AK Dave - I'm in Alaska as I type this, but unfortunately I'm not going to be going anywhere near Anchorage. Instead I'm down near Ketchikan and will be out on a fishing lodge for the next five days (I have to take a sea plane in the morning to get there). I'd love to come back and go up your way in the future though, so if I do I'll definitely look you up. And yep, I'm fishing for Kings (and any other salmon) and for halibut :)
The biggest HOF travesty is all of the mediocre college coaches who get selected, instead of Jamaal Wilkes with his four NBA titles, three All-Star selections, two all-NBA defensive team selections, and being the second best player on the greatest NCAA team of all time (88-game win streak, two titles and a third Final Four appearance).
The HOF finally righted a long-time wrong by voting Dennis Johnson. It's about time it does the same for Wilkes.
But it is also 81 points against the Toronto Raptors who have been known to have historically embarassing defense. This coming from a Raptors fan...
My point is: it's impressive but also an overrated 81....
Also, by the time he becomes eligible for HoF consideration, the advanced stat movement will have progressed to a point where his contributions will be held in higher value. He beat Kobe this year in the playoffs for WP/WP48 and came very close to beating him in PER. In fact, if you visit Professor Berri's blog, you'll see a conversation where everyone agrees that Pau is Batman and Kobe is Robin.
I think this title punched his ticket. The conversation for his legacy going forward now is things like "best European/foreign player of his era". Dirk's MVP gets in the way here, but another title will help Gasol's cause, especially if he picks up a Finals MVP.
Wild Yams: the Southeast is gorgeous- have fun down there. Good luck with the fishing- let us know if you get a King; it takes a little luck to land a decent one. Halibut is a little more of a sure-deal. Enjoy the great white north, eh? (I know its not Canada, but close enough!)
Actually ET was on the tail end of the game 7 comments. He was pretty cool about the whole thing, and even congratulated the Lakers, which I thought was pretty classy after the whole "I hope Ron Artest ruins the Laaaaakerrrrrrrs" chant at the beginning of the season. In Evil Ted's defense, I thought it was hilarious, and at the time had about a 60% chance of coming true.
All I have to say is that the the Celtics were the team that I felt we HAD to have a victory over to prove we were the best team in the league. They have been the best team in the east for the last three years, and have lived up to the Celtic heritage.
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That's a horseshit argument. Jordan spent most of his first quarters and first halves getting his teammates involved. He understood how to keep them involved so they could play at their best to help them win. Jordan didn't give a damn about points, he just wanted to win at all costs. He'd dunk on his momma if that's what he needed to do to win a game.
Case in point, box scores for Jordan's 69 pt game and Kobe's 81 pt game, respectively
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199003280CLE.html
http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=260122013
Jordan's game went to overtime while Kobe's didn't. Jordan took 9 less shots, 7 less 3 pointers, shot a higher percentage, had 12 more rebounds and 4 more assists. Kobe clearly was focused on only scoring that game, while Jordan still focused on all the other aspects of basketball. Jordan also played against a decent team, while the Craptors were a historically bad defense. Jordan's 69 pt game was much more impressive than Kobe's 81 pt game.
My whole point is, Jordan didn't just try to score all the time, like Kobe often does. Jordan did whatever was the best thing for his team to win. Its insulting to Jordan that Kobe's 81 pt game is a better game than Jordan ever had. The reality is that these Kobe-Jordan comparisons are alive because ESPN commentators keep it going. Whether they really believe it, or they're just trying to sell the NBA as having a player on Jordan's level, I don't know. I hope its more the latter than the former.
not saying that kobe is better than jordan (he isn't), but that logic is faulty.
jordan didn't play against the detriot pistons every day.
Is it incredibly impressive? Yes. Should it have any meaning as far as "legacy" is concerned? Hell no.
Kobe is one of the best of his era, but he's far from what Jordan was... and honestly he's probably pretty far down the all-time list.. there's no way you can convince me he should be thought of as better than Magic, Bird, Dr. J, West, Kareem, Wilt, Russell, Robertson....
As for Gasol being a HOFer? By the end of his career I doubt anyone will question that being the case.
Second, it's not like Jordan played in a super-tough era... there were some cupcake teams back then and he STILL didn't advantage.
Either way, I didn't say who was a better player!
All I'm saying is that who cares about the 81 points. To me, it doesn't show how great Kobe is, maybe how selfish he was playing. And again, I've been watching the Raptors terrible, make-you-want-to-kill-someone terrible defense for years and scoring 81 points on a "hot" day for Kobe Bryant just doesn't seem as impressive as everyone keeps making it seem.
I really don't think it's a legitimate argument to make when comparing MJ and Kobe...
On a lighter note, did anybody else scroll through the pictures and first think 'Why is Mr. Bean in here?', only to find out it was Wyc? Yeah, I'm probably the only one.
Pau Gasol was HOF before he joined the Lakers. It's not just the NBA HOF. It's international and NCAA too. He's the best player in Spain's history, as noted above. He led them to the 2006 World Championship. Drazen Petrovic is in the HOF, and he wasn't as good as Gasol or Ginobili, who's also a lock for the HOF, even if he had never played for the Spurs and stayed in Europe his entire career.
Wasn't Gasol Injured when he "led" Spain to a world championship? Yes he was.
They are white, they aren't very musuclar, they sometimes look goofy and they don't jump out of the building so they must be soft.
@ Heretic
Dunking a basketball hard doesn't make you a tough player and not doing it doesn't make you soft. Amar'e Stoudemire is proving my point one 5 rebound game at a time.
Also watching helplessly as the ball bobs on the rim and then falls out after you had placed it delicately on the tip of the rim also does nothing to improve your toughness. Also players think twice about getting up to block a hard dunk that may have them posterized over and over again on sports center but when it comes to a gentle lay up even the meekest defender may try to block or tie you up.
Amare simply doesn't position himself well for rebounds, I doubt he has the instinct for it but he is a hell of a lot tougher than Gasol.
Put perkins' toughness into gasol and he would easily be 3 times better than he is right now. Plus he should cut down on the flopping and the screaming.
This also brings up the question, would you rather be the alpha dog super star on a shitty team or play second fiddle on a championship team?. I know a lot of players say "its all about the ring man, i'll do whatever it takes". But I seriously doubt that, case and point the cAnswer, who will be making his triumphant return next season! I can't wait!
@Gabe
Pau Gasol was HOF before he joined the Lakers. It's not just the NBA HOF. It's international and NCAA too. He's the best player in Spain's history, as noted above. He led them to the 2006 World Championship. Drazen Petrovic is in the HOF, and he wasn't as good as Gasol or Ginobili, who's also a lock for the HOF, even if he had never played for the Spurs and stayed in Europe his entire career.
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Good point, I forgot about that about the HOF. In that case he's definitely a HOFer right now. I think that's retarded though, they should break it up into NBA, International, and College HOF.
Caleb Smith: For that matter, Wilt had a _100_ point game. Does that make him greater than Kobe? (And as much of a non-fan as I am of Lord Mamba, this is also a rhetorical question that I think extends nicely from the point you made.)
but then again, what else would sports buffs talk about? I dont like my brain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdi-lOqDv8&feature=player_embedded
Also, golfawful historical collapse by Dustin Johnson today at the US Open.
RIP Manute Bol. :(
- "In what must be some kind of playoff record, 18 players were ejected in the melee and the game ended as a three-on-three match." Check out the videos. http://www.ballineurope.com/countries/serbia/partizan-belgrade-hemofarm-stada-serbian-basketball-championship-fight-6681/
- Also, FC Barcelona (Rubio's team, among others) got swept 3-0 by Caja Laboral (with maybe-Spur Tiago Splitter, who won finals mvp) in the ACB finals after going a combined (Spanish League and Euroleague) 56-5 over the season while winning by an average of 15.6 points...
- The Greek championship also got decided in rioting fashion. "Various incendiary devices were thrown in the area of the Panathinaikos bench, some with amazing accuracy." http://www.ballineurope.com/countries/greece/panathinaikos-olympiacos-greece-basketball-championship-riot-7669/
The Lakers were down 20 in the first half on a night where Kobe was already hot and nobody else could throw the rock in the ocean.
Then Kobe went supernova and the Lakers took the lead late in the third quarter. What, was he supposed to start passing to Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, and Chris Mihm?
Believe me. 81 was IMPRESSIVE.
http://985thesportshub.cbslocal.com/2010/06/18/phone-problems-with-bill-walton/
As a Lakers fan, Kobe ain't perfect, but he's been good enough for back-to-back rings, and that's pretty good.
Can you win a or get out of the first round with these players as your no.2?
http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikebasketball/2010/06/17/black-mamba-5-rings-tee
Then again, to the shock of no one, it's a Nike shirt. I think I'm at the point where I can no longer blame the athletes for their massive egos, not when Nike is feeding it to them by pulling amateur video of a half-assed dunk on someone who hasn't won a title and making the star of the last two title teams wear a shirt that blatantly says, "it's all about me." Remember last year's four rings foam hand shirt.
The only reason I'm watching is because it's 80 degrees in LA, and there a good chance for some decent cleavage.
Don't forget the 62 in 3 quarters that outscored a Dallas team that went to the Finals that year. But that Mavericks squad didn't win the championship, so that was probably an overrated 62 in 3 quarters.
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I saw that whole game. Mavericks sucked at D too, but they weren't nearly as bad as the Craptors. I think that game was more impressive than the 81 pt game.