Good things happen to the Lakers, nothing good happen to the Knicks.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
So the hundreds of millions of dollars spent yesterday mean nothing. As a petty, pissed off Knicks fan, I'm kinda rooting for this now. Let the Lakers cockblock everyone while the Knicks keep building.
I get it's his decision & his life, but weak sauce on Kawhi's part if true. If you're going to leave Toronto & go to LA, be The Man with the Clips. Don't go join a superteam with LBJ & AD.
Depressing.
I guess the one bright side is that it sometimes takes teams like this a year to get it all together & by then LBJ will be 36 & wearing down. I don't know. I'm talking myself into thinking that.
It's difficult to see how a kid who grew up in SoCal during that time, seeing how the Lakers absolutely owned the league, would pass up a chance to play with the best player of this generation and arguably the second best player in the league.
when on the court together. Best Big 3 ever by quite a distance.
But Kawhi/AD are injury prone and LeBron is an Iron Man but missed 1/3rd of last year and has accumulated an absurd amount of miles over the years (I believe he's already Top 10 mins all-time including playoffs).
An injury to any one of those guys, and the league is open again. Just like KD getting hurt.
when on the court together. Best Big 3 ever by quite a distance.
But Kawhi/AD are injury prone and LeBron is an Iron Man but missed 1/3rd of last year and has accumulated an absurd amount of miles over the years (I believe he's already Top 10 mins all-time including playoffs).
An injury to any one of those guys, and the league is open again. Just like KD getting hurt.
Better than Kareem, Magic, and Worthy? They are better than the Heat trio. The Bulls trio 3 peat was on the decline too.
It does fly in the face of the whole culture/competent front office Â
- LeBron joined the Lakers for reasons that had little to do with basketball.
- LeBron and his "friend/agent" orchestrated the trading of a star player to LA for a collection of media-hyped, overrated young players.
- Kawhi went where he always wanted to go in LA, only choosing the better, more high-profile team.
The only thing the Lakers' front office controlled this entire offseason was getting gifted cap space from the league's worst front office in Washington and hiring Frank Vogel after they messed up the Ty Lue negotiations.
Part of it is that it's the fucking Lakers these players are clamoring Â
to join, not our Knicks. Is their owner any better? No. Is their organization better run? Hell no.
But they are the Lakers so they get all the breaks. I mean, who the fuck is watching Space Jam that LeBron is producing?
I get that the league is suffering because of this type of abominable behavior, because most of the pimply fans now have an attention span of a gnat and are bandwagon fans who pick teams based on the uniform color. But the diehard fans need to let these players hear it. This is frowned upon, if you are going to do this, don't come crying about your legacy when you retire.
I get him wanting to go to the Lakers. He's a local, grew up a Lakers fan, & wanted to be traded there last summer.
It just sucks for people who hate the Lakers, like me. In hindsight, I should have told my old man to F off, bought a Big Games James jersey, & gone with the local team. Instead I chose the Knicks....(shaking head in disgust).
Just makes not watching the NBA that much easier Â
And the players around the league generally don't rail against this, at least judging by their social media responses.
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
I don't think any of these players with 100s of millions in career earnings will be crying about legacy.
They will be owning media companies, clothing and shoe brands, and NBA teams.
There are 2 ways to build winners in the NBA -- be a city that is relevant and can attract stars or build a winner through the draft and make a big move if you're close.
The players own the league now. It's been that way since Miami.
Really felt Kawhi was different. He has taken down 2 big 3 franchises.
Why in the world would he want to play on "LeBron's team" when he can have his own and still win. There are plenty of players that would want to play with Kawhi at this point.
I can wait for this "team up" era of basketball to end.
--Kawhi grew up a Lakers fan and lives in SoCal so it makes obvious sense he'd want to play there at some point
--Kawhi already won two championships as an alpha dog; it's not like Durant running to Golden State after blowing a 3-1 lead against them with the Thunder
--This Lakers Big 3 is very injury prone; AD is always hurt and at LeBron's basketball age (top 10 all time in minutes played), who knows how long he holds up
He's 993 mins away from Kobe in 2nd place. He played 1937 mins last year in only 55 games.
He's 6,476 mins away from Karl Malone in 1st place. He played 4,018 mins in 2018 when he carried the Cavs to the Finals
He has maybe 2 full seasons before he passes Karl Malone in minutes played, a guy that was known as the ultimate example of longevity. He's in the midst of passing Kobe/Dirk/Duncan/KG who all fell off hard at the end. LeBron is a freak, but he's in some uncharted territory here.
I have to mention that Kareem is at 66,297 mins (10,012 ahead of LeBron) + he played at UCLA, so it isn't completely unprecedented. Either way, it's no given he stays LeBron James stays "LeBron James" for too much longer.
Good things happen to the Lakers, nothing good happen to the Knicks.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
Kinda agree about good things with the Lakers. They have had 4 top five picks the past five years, an incredible amount of luck, yet no all stars from them. While the Knicks never were higher than three even while having the worst record.
Kawhi and KD or Davis and KD joining the Knicks would have been awesome and them joining stars elsewhere is weak and what’s wrong with the NBA. Do I have that right?
I'm not rational when it comes to the Lakers. Having grow up there & being surrounded by their fans, I hate that franchise & fan base with every bone in my body.
I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Apparently LBJ really wants to play with his 14 year old son Bronny in the NBA someday. The '21 draft will probably be the one that goes back to high schoolers being drafted so Bronny might be picked then.
It's amazing how well the league is doing if BBI is anywhere close to a good sample.
Butler goes to Miami for the max largely on his own = he's selfish and just wants the shots
Kyrie and KD take less than the max to fit in Jordan = weak they just want to play with their friends
Vets want to join the Lakers for a chance at a ring and take less money = chasers
Leonard signs with his hometown team after delivering rings to two cities he had no choice in playing = should have picked the shittier team in his hometown
Apparently LBJ really wants to play with his 14 year old son Bronny in the NBA someday. The '21 draft will probably be the one that goes back to high schoolers being drafted so Bronny might be picked then.
Hopefully he gets drafted to Minnesota so LeBron has to go there.
Back in the day, each team would have 1-2 legit stars and match-up's on any given Sunday would be fun to watch. Now you have super teams killing also-ran's to the tune that the good teams are routinely sitting their stars during the regular season.
Sure, let the players do what they want, it's good for the league.
It's especially deflating when the Lakers reap all the benefits of player movement. They are as incompetent as the Knicks and yet their outlook is always bright because players are tripping over each other to play at the Forum.
So there are no NBA players that grew up with the Bulls, Pistons, or the Knicks? Why is AD not dying to join Chicago?
Who would ever suspected such a thing as Kawhi going to the Lakers?No No wonder Millennials get 99% of their info from Reddit
This is a useless post. Reddit is an invaluable resource and effectively an aggregation of the internet at large. It's like saying "no wonder Millennials get 99% of their info from the internet."
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The league and the union keep trying to put measures in place to convince players to stay put, and the players keep indicating money is less important than winning and being happy.
These guys are paid extremely well, and thankfully this offseason it looks like most of the big free agents have actually made 4 year commitments to their teams.
There is a way to keep players on their incumbent teams, and that's penalize the owners financially for signing other team's franchise-type players. But good luck getting that passed by the teams in cities players like.
Lakers don't trade for AD without the number 4 pick Â
They had a 2.8% chance to get that pick and a 77+% chance to pick 10 or higher. Yet, what a coincidence got the number 4 pick which then allowed them to get AD. Oh and of course David Griffin is hired to run the Pelicans just as the Lakers and his old pal LeBron decide they want AD. All a bunch of amazing coincidences of course.
RE: Just so I am understanding my BBI correctly... Â
Kawhi and KD or Davis and KD joining the Knicks would have been awesome and them joining stars elsewhere is weak and what’s wrong with the NBA. Do I have that right?
Good point, but the Knicks haven't won squat in 50 years - the NBA world can spare us a title or two. Lakers have won plenty.
They had a 2.8% chance to get that pick and a 77+% chance to pick 10 or higher. Yet, what a coincidence got the number 4 pick which then allowed them to get AD. Oh and of course David Griffin is hired to run the Pelicans just as the Lakers and his old pal LeBron decide they want AD. All a bunch of amazing coincidences of course.
I'm as much an NBA conspiracy theorist as the next person, but come on. This is a stretch.
Look on the bright side, at least the Knicks don’t get flattened Â
Already on the bottom where it’s safe. Would really suck to be a Bucks/Rockets/Celtics/Nets/Sixers fan now knowing your teams are good but also have no fucking chance. Could throw some others in there as well, Jazz, Nuggets.
But shoe companies have heavy influence in the NBA and have for a very long time. Stern and now Silver allow their influence. Nike has LeBron and AD. If they wanted them on the same team in the market of LA of all places they would get what they want. One way or another, they always do.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The league and the union keep trying to put measures in place to convince players to stay put, and the players keep indicating money is less important than winning and being happy.
These guys are paid extremely well, and thankfully this offseason it looks like most of the big free agents have actually made 4 year commitments to their teams.
There is a way to keep players on their incumbent teams, and that's penalize the owners financially for signing other team's franchise-type players. But good luck getting that passed by the teams in cities players like.
It's really hard to do because of how much weight singular players carry in the NBA. One LeBron James or KD or Kawhi... whichever superstar player you want to name - that one guy makes such a huge difference in wins and losses - so, the players have more leverage than they do in any other landscape.
Odell Beckham, for instance... outstanding player. We all know that. We watched him here for some time and know what he can do on the field. But Beckham going to Cleveland doesn't just automatically make them a playoff team. It makes them better. But it's nothing like LeBron joining a crappy Cavs team and almost turning them entirely upside down all on his own.
I get why it's this way, and I realize a lot of the complaining I do about it is useless. It's just deflating to be a fan of a team that I already know has no chance at a title pretty much every year before a game is even played since I've been a fan.
I don't need a dynasty. I don't need the Knicks to have the same history as the Celtics or Lakers.
I'd just like to live in a world one day where I can think the Knicks might win a title and not have people look at me like I should be admitted for even thinking it...
We might need to attach picks to free agent signings. Â
Although in the NBA draft picks aren't valued as much as the other sports.
It just sucks that one player has such an influence on a team in basketball. You just don't see players in other sports buddying up to play with each other.
RE: Look on the bright side, at least the Knicks don’t get flattened Â
Already on the bottom where it’s safe. Would really suck to be a Bucks/Rockets/Celtics/Nets/Sixers fan now knowing your teams are good but also have no fucking chance. Could throw some others in there as well, Jazz, Nuggets.
Many of those teams are a torn AD Achilles from a shot at a championship.
Where they play shouldn’t bitch one iota. This is what you get. You think NBA owners should be loyal to players? Why should they. We see countless examples where players decide they are leaving even before the prior season starts.
We just saw Kyrie fracture a team knowing he wasn’t coming back.
Lebron has screwed over 3 teams.
KD has left multiple teams.
AD basically quit on the pelicans.
Kawhi is about to leave a team who just won the title.
And what’s the compensation for the fans/teams? Nothing but the players laughing to the bank.
If you can’t see that as a problem.... then I’m sorry you aren’t seeing the big picture.
RE: Look on the bright side, at least the Knicks don’t get flattened Â
Already on the bottom where it’s safe. Would really suck to be a Bucks/Rockets/Celtics/Nets/Sixers fan now knowing your teams are good but also have no fucking chance. Could throw some others in there as well, Jazz, Nuggets.
Yep. A total downer for those teams. We can keep building in peace.
Good things happen to the Lakers, nothing good happen to the Knicks.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
This sums it up perfectly
RE: Fans who think players should have more power Â
Where they play shouldn’t bitch one iota. This is what you get. You think NBA owners should be loyal to players? Why should they. We see countless examples where players decide they are leaving even before the prior season starts.
We just saw Kyrie fracture a team knowing he wasn’t coming back.
Lebron has screwed over 3 teams.
KD has left multiple teams.
AD basically quit on the pelicans.
Kawhi is about to leave a team who just won the title.
And what’s the compensation for the fans/teams? Nothing but the players laughing to the bank.
If you can’t see that as a problem.... then I’m sorry you aren’t seeing the big picture.
The best leverage the owners have is not getting desperate and handing out 1-and-1 deals at the max. Force players to commit to 4 years.
KD would still be a Warrior if they had displayed any backbone when courting him.
Thankfully it looks like most of the big names aside from Davis have committed to their new teams.
KD going to Golden State is still the one that bugs me the most.
He and Westbrook were good enough to beat them in OKC. They fucking HAD them beat the year before KD bolted - it was KD's own shitty performance in Game 6 that kept them from closing that shit out and ultimately losing the series.
I wanted to see KD say "I'm going back to OKC and I want another shot at Golden State" - it's not like the Thunder were bad. They were right there. They had the Warriors on the ropes.
Instead, he just bolts and joins Golden State and essentially makes them unbeatable.
Stuff like that is just bad for any league. I don't see how anyone could have seen that happen and thought it was a good thing for the NBA outside of Oakland.
When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
He has changed the league, everything operates the way he envisioned now and the players have total control. The Decision set off this whole era. As a Knicks fan it’s frustrating to always be on the outside looking in and as a fan of the league it would be interesting to go into a season without a team that’s a ridiculously huge favorite. But I give LeBron and the players in general credit for making the league their own. He really has a handle on things I don’t think any other player has had in history.
When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Who idiotically think “Rings” are what makes players great and shit on those who can’t get it done.
Jordan being 6/6 in the Finals is not why he’s the modern GOAT. He’s the GOAT because of his insane skill/athleticism/mindset combination. Bill Russell gets pigeonholed as a GOAT candidate because of his 11 rings, he’d be in my Top 5 with less than half his rings because what made him great was his transcendent athleticism/IQ combination.
Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing aren’t “losers” because they didn’t win rings. They had some flaws in their offensive games that kept them from being dominant against elite competition and they also ran into better teams led by better players (MJ/Hakeem).
At the very least the RINGGZZZ logic can stop and people will hopefully realize what makes a player truly great.
RE: RE: What’a worse about Kawhi is he HAS two rings. Â
When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Then just go to the the Clippers instead of creating the MonStars
RE: RE: RE: What’a worse about Kawhi is he HAS two rings. Â
When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Then just go to the the Clippers instead of creating the MonStars
Didn't he grow up a Lakers' fan? Who would go to their hometown rivals' team?
I hope he stays with Toronto. The whole nonesense that is the NBA offseason where players write the league narrative pisses me off. I`m also not excited to watch another mercenary team on the court. It`s bad enough having to watch Lebron out there.
Stuff like this makes it so hard for me to enjoy this league.
No one wants a challenge anymore... everyone just wants to play in the same city and build super teams.
I never quite looked at it like that. I don't think the players join forces and think, "Well this will be a cinch no... we'll face no challenge whatsoever!" I think it's more akin to great jazz legends collaborating on an album or live -- they're aware of the potential sum of the talented parts, and that's gotta be very appealing.
When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Why would that make his decision worse? Wouldn't it diminish the criticism that he just wants rings, since he already has them?
I'm sure rings ARE a factor, but maybe he primarily wants to enjoy his career as much as poasible?
it all gets easier to understand when you realize Â
that fans and players have completely different needs and motivations.
To fans, the NBA is a sport and just entertainment. Some fans take it was more seriously than others, but it's a diversion from the obligations in our lives.
We root for our teams, but we also root for what we think is in the best interest of the league; as a result, we hate any moves that we think will jeopardize the narrative intrigue and competitive nature of the league.
But for players, NBA decisions are life decisions. Signing with a team requires them to decide where they will live (including location relative to their family), what their job role will be, if they want to work for a particular boss (coach), how they feel about the culture and colleagues (teammates, locker room), and how they feel about their boss's boss's vision (front office).
I guess I side with the players because I'm closing in on a position where I can start to call my career shots a bit more. At this rate, within a few years my family should have a few options to weigh and a lot of the factors you stated will shape how we do so.
I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Were revisited for the lakers with shaquille and Kobe.....and now.....(drumroll) after many years in obscurity... james and Leonard? Can lightning strike again? Standby for lots of close ups of jack courtside....!
I hope he stays with Toronto. The whole nonesense that is the NBA offseason where players write the league narrative pisses me off. I`m also not excited to watch another mercenary team on the court. It`s bad enough having to watch Lebron out there.
Send all 3 to the Knicks please. I’ll happily watch them. Will even include Payton, Ellington and Bullock because today on BBI I learned these guys will be taking the Knicks to the playoffs. May even include Bobby Portis if it gets it done....
I hope he stays with Toronto. The whole nonesense that is the NBA offseason where players write the league narrative pisses me off. I`m also not excited to watch another mercenary team on the court. It`s bad enough having to watch Lebron out there.
Send all 3 to the Knicks please. I’ll happily watch them. Will even include Payton, Ellington and Bullock because today on BBI I learned these guys will be taking the Knicks to the playoffs. May even include Bobby Portis if it gets it done....
I don't know that I've ever seen someone play the same note so frequently since the John Jerry troll...
I'm saying that as a Nets fan. Tired of these super teams. Its just super boring when all of these guys play on the same team.
how do the nets have a super team? they swapped out an AS point guard for an All NBA point guard, and used cap space to sign a SF with a torn achilles.
they kept all of their young talent (ex the swap)- and have picks moving forward (phillys next year and acquired a GS one further out).
I don't like the lakers but kudos to them for maneuvering cap space to make all of this happen.
Come to think of it, the “preferred destinations” recently have Â
if he can pull this off, but the NBA should take a long, hard look at how LAL and LeBron are subverting the cap. AD foregoes his trade kicker, but gets a role in LeBron's Space Jam? Just a coincidence, I'm sure. We'll see if Kawhi gets a part in it as well. I guarantee he won't if he's not a Laker.
if he can pull this off, but the NBA should take a long, hard look at how LAL and LeBron are subverting the cap. AD foregoes his trade kicker, but gets a role in LeBron's Space Jam? Just a coincidence, I'm sure. We'll see if Kawhi gets a part in it as well. I guarantee he won't if he's not a Laker.
I'm sure the NBA has taken a long look at this.
He got a role in Space Jam because he's a top 5 player, is represented by the same agency and the same footwear brand. Even if he didn't go to the Lakers he'd be in this movie.
RE: The frustrating thing is, the casual fans around the league want this. Â
And the players around the league generally don't rail against this, at least judging by their social media responses.
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
These lazy hot takes hurt the brain. May as well whine about Millennials and Reddit like you were someone's grandpa.
if he can pull this off, but the NBA should take a long, hard look at how LAL and LeBron are subverting the cap. AD foregoes his trade kicker, but gets a role in LeBron's Space Jam? Just a coincidence, I'm sure. We'll see if Kawhi gets a part in it as well. I guarantee he won't if he's not a Laker.
you're probably not wrong but other players have waived trade kickers. Kyrie did it 2 years ago and so did Melo (albeit for different reasons). IMO, some of the late career contracts for guys like Duncan and Dirk were a little questionable in terms of potentially subverting the cap.
From 1970 to 1987, there were no repeat champions in the NBA. Nine different teams won those eighteen titles. Starting in 1988, ten teams have won 32 titles.
RE: at least different teams made the finals then Â
We just saw four straight Warriors-Cavs finals before this year. Even the Lakers and Celtics of the '80s didn't do that.
There was a lot of luck in that. OKC had GS down 3-1, HOU had a 3-2 lead (going off the top of my head). I don't think the league is as 'pre-ordained' as it seems with hindsight.
RE: and now that I'm actually looking at it..... Â
From 1970 to 1987, there were no repeat champions in the NBA. Nine different teams won those eighteen titles. Starting in 1988, ten teams have won 32 titles.
I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Your grandmother is not a Nets fan, I suppose?
Another random weirdo who follows my baseball fandom that I cannot recall having a single exchange with here.
I'll humor you, though!
She's not a hoops fan. My grandfather was a C's fan, actually. So, that's a no-go for me.
But again... people keep trying this joke with the Nets, Jets and Islanders. It doesn't work and isn't analogous. Find a new angle. At least make me laugh or impress me with something clever.
I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Your grandmother is not a Nets fan, I suppose?
Another random weirdo who follows my baseball fandom that I cannot recall having a single exchange with here.
I'll humor you, though!
She's not a hoops fan. My grandfather was a C's fan, actually. So, that's a no-go for me.
But again... people keep trying this joke with the Nets, Jets and Islanders. It doesn't work and isn't analogous. Find a new angle. At least make me laugh or impress me with something clever.
Just for the record.
It doesn't take a stalker to know you are now #1 Yankee fan.
I mean did you or did you not start a new thread about it at the time? Accusing people of stalking you about it is just your defense mechanism.
The thread I started was over a year ago, and it was supposed to be humorous. I can't believe how much some of you guys care about this - it's really not a big deal.
I stopped following a baseball team after about 2 decades because it's clear to me they aren't trying to win and I no longer want to give them my money or attention.
Deal with it. The only place I post about the Yankees is in Yankees threads. I know you read them all; but that's not my problem.
I'm happy with my decision. Sorry it bugs y'all and sorry you're having such a bad season.
And the players around the league generally don't rail against this, at least judging by their social media responses.
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
Yea, gonna have to disagree with the "this generation is so soft" generalization.
A 31 year old Wilt Chamberlain coming off 3 straight MVPs left Philly to go to the Lakers to play with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in 1969. Those West/Baylor Lakers had just lost to the Celtics in 6 games in the Finals in '68.
A 27 year old defending MVP Moses Malone left the Rockets to go to the 76ers in 1983 to play with Dr. J, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones, and a loaded 76ers squad that lost to the Lakers in 6 games in the Finals in '82.
because the Rockets didn't want to pay him. They had the right to match Philly's offer, which they did because they wanted to get something in return. It was a sign and trade.
I just read old articles on google lol. The Rockets could've been bluffing but it seems like they just agreed to let him go to Philly if they received decent compensation.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
I just cringed.
Depressing.
I guess the one bright side is that it sometimes takes teams like this a year to get it all together & by then LBJ will be 36 & wearing down. I don't know. I'm talking myself into thinking that.
But Kawhi/AD are injury prone and LeBron is an Iron Man but missed 1/3rd of last year and has accumulated an absurd amount of miles over the years (I believe he's already Top 10 mins all-time including playoffs).
An injury to any one of those guys, and the league is open again. Just like KD getting hurt.
But Kawhi/AD are injury prone and LeBron is an Iron Man but missed 1/3rd of last year and has accumulated an absurd amount of miles over the years (I believe he's already Top 10 mins all-time including playoffs).
An injury to any one of those guys, and the league is open again. Just like KD getting hurt.
Better than Kareem, Magic, and Worthy? They are better than the Heat trio. The Bulls trio 3 peat was on the decline too.
- LeBron joined the Lakers for reasons that had little to do with basketball.
- LeBron and his "friend/agent" orchestrated the trading of a star player to LA for a collection of media-hyped, overrated young players.
- Kawhi went where he always wanted to go in LA, only choosing the better, more high-profile team.
The only thing the Lakers' front office controlled this entire offseason was getting gifted cap space from the league's worst front office in Washington and hiring Frank Vogel after they messed up the Ty Lue negotiations.
But they are the Lakers so they get all the breaks. I mean, who the fuck is watching Space Jam that LeBron is producing?
I get that the league is suffering because of this type of abominable behavior, because most of the pimply fans now have an attention span of a gnat and are bandwagon fans who pick teams based on the uniform color. But the diehard fans need to let these players hear it. This is frowned upon, if you are going to do this, don't come crying about your legacy when you retire.
It just sucks for people who hate the Lakers, like me. In hindsight, I should have told my old man to F off, bought a Big Games James jersey, & gone with the local team. Instead I chose the Knicks....(shaking head in disgust).
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
They will be owning media companies, clothing and shoe brands, and NBA teams.
There are 2 ways to build winners in the NBA -- be a city that is relevant and can attract stars or build a winner through the draft and make a big move if you're close.
The players own the league now. It's been that way since Miami.
Why in the world would he want to play on "LeBron's team" when he can have his own and still win. There are plenty of players that would want to play with Kawhi at this point.
I can wait for this "team up" era of basketball to end.
--Kawhi already won two championships as an alpha dog; it's not like Durant running to Golden State after blowing a 3-1 lead against them with the Thunder
--This Lakers Big 3 is very injury prone; AD is always hurt and at LeBron's basketball age (top 10 all time in minutes played), who knows how long he holds up
Kobe: 57,278
Dirk: 57,262
Duncan: 56,738
LeBron: 56,285
Kidd: 56,199
Garnett: 55,701
Stockton: 54,163
He's 993 mins away from Kobe in 2nd place. He played 1937 mins last year in only 55 games.
He's 6,476 mins away from Karl Malone in 1st place. He played 4,018 mins in 2018 when he carried the Cavs to the Finals
He has maybe 2 full seasons before he passes Karl Malone in minutes played, a guy that was known as the ultimate example of longevity. He's in the midst of passing Kobe/Dirk/Duncan/KG who all fell off hard at the end. LeBron is a freak, but he's in some uncharted territory here.
I have to mention that Kareem is at 66,297 mins (10,012 ahead of LeBron) + he played at UCLA, so it isn't completely unprecedented. Either way, it's no given he stays LeBron James stays "LeBron James" for too much longer.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
Kinda agree about good things with the Lakers. They have had 4 top five picks the past five years, an incredible amount of luck, yet no all stars from them. While the Knicks never were higher than three even while having the worst record.
No one wants a challenge anymore... everyone just wants to play in the same city and build super teams.
I'm not rational when it comes to the Lakers. Having grow up there & being surrounded by their fans, I hate that franchise & fan base with every bone in my body.
He's not the same player he once was, but the Lakers can really manage his minutes now.
When it comes down to it, the Lakers really just need to be a top 4 seed in the regular season, and then go full speed in the playoffs.
With that three they are going to get 2 rings in the next 3 years.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Butler goes to Miami for the max largely on his own = he's selfish and just wants the shots
Kyrie and KD take less than the max to fit in Jordan = weak they just want to play with their friends
Vets want to join the Lakers for a chance at a ring and take less money = chasers
Leonard signs with his hometown team after delivering rings to two cities he had no choice in playing = should have picked the shittier team in his hometown
(Finds something breakable, but not important or hard to clean up)
Hopefully he gets drafted to Minnesota so LeBron has to go there.
Sure, let the players do what they want, it's good for the league.
It's especially deflating when the Lakers reap all the benefits of player movement. They are as incompetent as the Knicks and yet their outlook is always bright because players are tripping over each other to play at the Forum.
So there are no NBA players that grew up with the Bulls, Pistons, or the Knicks? Why is AD not dying to join Chicago?
This is a useless post. Reddit is an invaluable resource and effectively an aggregation of the internet at large. It's like saying "no wonder Millennials get 99% of their info from the internet."
The league and the union keep trying to put measures in place to convince players to stay put, and the players keep indicating money is less important than winning and being happy.
These guys are paid extremely well, and thankfully this offseason it looks like most of the big free agents have actually made 4 year commitments to their teams.
There is a way to keep players on their incumbent teams, and that's penalize the owners financially for signing other team's franchise-type players. But good luck getting that passed by the teams in cities players like.
Good point, but the Knicks haven't won squat in 50 years - the NBA world can spare us a title or two. Lakers have won plenty.
LOL. Yeah, that'd be fitting.
I'm as much an NBA conspiracy theorist as the next person, but come on. This is a stretch.
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I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The league and the union keep trying to put measures in place to convince players to stay put, and the players keep indicating money is less important than winning and being happy.
These guys are paid extremely well, and thankfully this offseason it looks like most of the big free agents have actually made 4 year commitments to their teams.
There is a way to keep players on their incumbent teams, and that's penalize the owners financially for signing other team's franchise-type players. But good luck getting that passed by the teams in cities players like.
It's really hard to do because of how much weight singular players carry in the NBA. One LeBron James or KD or Kawhi... whichever superstar player you want to name - that one guy makes such a huge difference in wins and losses - so, the players have more leverage than they do in any other landscape.
Odell Beckham, for instance... outstanding player. We all know that. We watched him here for some time and know what he can do on the field. But Beckham going to Cleveland doesn't just automatically make them a playoff team. It makes them better. But it's nothing like LeBron joining a crappy Cavs team and almost turning them entirely upside down all on his own.
I get why it's this way, and I realize a lot of the complaining I do about it is useless. It's just deflating to be a fan of a team that I already know has no chance at a title pretty much every year before a game is even played since I've been a fan.
I don't need a dynasty. I don't need the Knicks to have the same history as the Celtics or Lakers.
I'd just like to live in a world one day where I can think the Knicks might win a title and not have people look at me like I should be admitted for even thinking it...
It just sucks that one player has such an influence on a team in basketball. You just don't see players in other sports buddying up to play with each other.
Many of those teams are a torn AD Achilles from a shot at a championship.
Being good is never bad in the NBA.
We just saw Kyrie fracture a team knowing he wasn’t coming back.
Lebron has screwed over 3 teams.
KD has left multiple teams.
AD basically quit on the pelicans.
Kawhi is about to leave a team who just won the title.
And what’s the compensation for the fans/teams? Nothing but the players laughing to the bank.
If you can’t see that as a problem.... then I’m sorry you aren’t seeing the big picture.
Yep. A total downer for those teams. We can keep building in peace.
The fans around the league should let these fuckers hear it. You go win a championship, albeit against a depleted team, and are in the conversation for the top player in the league. So what do you do? Go join two other top five players of course?!?! What a farce. Fuck the NBA, fuck Leonard, fuck the Lakers. And a big fuck you to LeFraud.
This sums it up perfectly
We just saw Kyrie fracture a team knowing he wasn’t coming back.
Lebron has screwed over 3 teams.
KD has left multiple teams.
AD basically quit on the pelicans.
Kawhi is about to leave a team who just won the title.
And what’s the compensation for the fans/teams? Nothing but the players laughing to the bank.
If you can’t see that as a problem.... then I’m sorry you aren’t seeing the big picture.
The best leverage the owners have is not getting desperate and handing out 1-and-1 deals at the max. Force players to commit to 4 years.
KD would still be a Warrior if they had displayed any backbone when courting him.
Thankfully it looks like most of the big names aside from Davis have committed to their new teams.
He and Westbrook were good enough to beat them in OKC. They fucking HAD them beat the year before KD bolted - it was KD's own shitty performance in Game 6 that kept them from closing that shit out and ultimately losing the series.
I wanted to see KD say "I'm going back to OKC and I want another shot at Golden State" - it's not like the Thunder were bad. They were right there. They had the Warriors on the ropes.
Instead, he just bolts and joins Golden State and essentially makes them unbeatable.
Stuff like that is just bad for any league. I don't see how anyone could have seen that happen and thought it was a good thing for the NBA outside of Oakland.
Lebron did this to the Cavs his last few years there when he was there the first time.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Jordan being 6/6 in the Finals is not why he’s the modern GOAT. He’s the GOAT because of his insane skill/athleticism/mindset combination. Bill Russell gets pigeonholed as a GOAT candidate because of his 11 rings, he’d be in my Top 5 with less than half his rings because what made him great was his transcendent athleticism/IQ combination.
Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing aren’t “losers” because they didn’t win rings. They had some flaws in their offensive games that kept them from being dominant against elite competition and they also ran into better teams led by better players (MJ/Hakeem).
At the very least the RINGGZZZ logic can stop and people will hopefully realize what makes a player truly great.
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When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Then just go to the the Clippers instead of creating the MonStars
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In comment 14489143 bceagle05 said:
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When Lebron left Cleveland the first time, and KD left OKC, neither had any rings. They were getting nervous about a ringless legacy. Kawhi has no such concerns.
Idk. I think that's actually to Kawhi's credit. He's from LA. He's not ring chasing. I have more respect for a hometown kid coming back to his hometown team than KD's gutless move.
Then just go to the the Clippers instead of creating the MonStars
Didn't he grow up a Lakers' fan? Who would go to their hometown rivals' team?
Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Miller, Dominique etc. all get their legacies questioned because they never won titles.
The narrow parameters of what is a great legacy in the NBA is absurd.
You've got to basically win with the team that drafted you, and preferably with little help.
New thread:
"Can someone help me understand the appeal of pro wrestling the NBA?"
That’s almost always been the case going back to the dominant Celtics teams in the 60s.
No one wants a challenge anymore... everyone just wants to play in the same city and build super teams.
I never quite looked at it like that. I don't think the players join forces and think, "Well this will be a cinch no... we'll face no challenge whatsoever!" I think it's more akin to great jazz legends collaborating on an album or live -- they're aware of the potential sum of the talented parts, and that's gotta be very appealing.
Go Utah.
Why would that make his decision worse? Wouldn't it diminish the criticism that he just wants rings, since he already has them?
I'm sure rings ARE a factor, but maybe he primarily wants to enjoy his career as much as poasible?
To fans, the NBA is a sport and just entertainment. Some fans take it was more seriously than others, but it's a diversion from the obligations in our lives.
We root for our teams, but we also root for what we think is in the best interest of the league; as a result, we hate any moves that we think will jeopardize the narrative intrigue and competitive nature of the league.
But for players, NBA decisions are life decisions. Signing with a team requires them to decide where they will live (including location relative to their family), what their job role will be, if they want to work for a particular boss (coach), how they feel about the culture and colleagues (teammates, locker room), and how they feel about their boss's boss's vision (front office).
Twitter randos: “I have another update from inside the Lakers with new information since my last update 5 minutes ago”
This. This multiplied by infinity divided by accurate as fuck.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Your grandmother is not a Nets fan, I suppose?
Send all 3 to the Knicks please. I’ll happily watch them. Will even include Payton, Ellington and Bullock because today on BBI I learned these guys will be taking the Knicks to the playoffs. May even include Bobby Portis if it gets it done....
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I hope he stays with Toronto. The whole nonesense that is the NBA offseason where players write the league narrative pisses me off. I`m also not excited to watch another mercenary team on the court. It`s bad enough having to watch Lebron out there.
Send all 3 to the Knicks please. I’ll happily watch them. Will even include Payton, Ellington and Bullock because today on BBI I learned these guys will be taking the Knicks to the playoffs. May even include Bobby Portis if it gets it done....
I don't know that I've ever seen someone play the same note so frequently since the John Jerry troll...
I don't know that I've ever seen someone play the same note so frequently since the John Jerry troll...
Frequently with such repeated failure and stupidity.
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I don't know that I've ever seen someone play the same note so frequently since the John Jerry troll...
Frequently with such repeated failure and stupidity.
This was clearly a joke but I’m curious what you view as stupidity and failure?
how do the nets have a super team? they swapped out an AS point guard for an All NBA point guard, and used cap space to sign a SF with a torn achilles.
they kept all of their young talent (ex the swap)- and have picks moving forward (phillys next year and acquired a GS one further out).
I don't like the lakers but kudos to them for maneuvering cap space to make all of this happen.
Can’t wait. Talented, yes, probably most ever. GOAT? Not even close.
I'm sure the NBA has taken a long look at this.
He got a role in Space Jam because he's a top 5 player, is represented by the same agency and the same footwear brand. Even if he didn't go to the Lakers he'd be in this movie.
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
These lazy hot takes hurt the brain. May as well whine about Millennials and Reddit like you were someone's grandpa.
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2/3 of the league shouldn't even bother showing up.
New thread:
"Can someone help me understand the appeal of pro wrestling the NBA?"
Well, sometimes I do wonder why anyone is a fan of any teams but a tiny handful.
You deserve a Matt Cooke elbow for that one
you're probably not wrong but other players have waived trade kickers. Kyrie did it 2 years ago and so did Melo (albeit for different reasons). IMO, some of the late career contracts for guys like Duncan and Dirk were a little questionable in terms of potentially subverting the cap.
There was a lot of luck in that. OKC had GS down 3-1, HOU had a 3-2 lead (going off the top of my head). I don't think the league is as 'pre-ordained' as it seems with hindsight.
I blame John Starks.
Even during that period, you had a handful of teams that were dominating their conferences for several-year stretches at a time.
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I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Your grandmother is not a Nets fan, I suppose?
Another random weirdo who follows my baseball fandom that I cannot recall having a single exchange with here.
I'll humor you, though!
She's not a hoops fan. My grandfather was a C's fan, actually. So, that's a no-go for me.
But again... people keep trying this joke with the Nets, Jets and Islanders. It doesn't work and isn't analogous. Find a new angle. At least make me laugh or impress me with something clever.
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In comment 14489092 arcarsenal said:
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I'd obviously not be mad if they all came to the Knicks. I just don't love the landscape of the league. Players just call all the shots and if they don't get their way, they hold their team hostage until they get traded or freed up to play with their buddies.
It's just not that enjoyable to me - but the ratings and everything else say this is what people like now, so I guess I'm just old and grumpy. Just seems like most of these guys want the path of least resistance.
I don't expect anyone to deliberately take the hard road; it just feels weak and cheap to keep seeing teams form like this.
The Lakers were being talked about like the biggest circus in the league mere weeks ago - now they're potentially looking at a killer Big 3 that will plow through the West (and the league) if those guys stay healthy.
God forbid they ever have to deal with actual adversity there.
Your grandmother is not a Nets fan, I suppose?
Another random weirdo who follows my baseball fandom that I cannot recall having a single exchange with here.
I'll humor you, though!
She's not a hoops fan. My grandfather was a C's fan, actually. So, that's a no-go for me.
But again... people keep trying this joke with the Nets, Jets and Islanders. It doesn't work and isn't analogous. Find a new angle. At least make me laugh or impress me with something clever.
Just for the record.
It doesn't take a stalker to know you are now #1 Yankee fan.
I mean did you or did you not start a new thread about it at the time? Accusing people of stalking you about it is just your defense mechanism.
Yet another response on a completely off-topic subject - totally not stalker behavior!
The thread I started was over a year ago, and it was supposed to be humorous. I can't believe how much some of you guys care about this - it's really not a big deal.
I stopped following a baseball team after about 2 decades because it's clear to me they aren't trying to win and I no longer want to give them my money or attention.
Deal with it. The only place I post about the Yankees is in Yankees threads. I know you read them all; but that's not my problem.
I'm happy with my decision. Sorry it bugs y'all and sorry you're having such a bad season.
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I mean did you or did you not start a new thread about it at the time? Accusing people of stalking you about it is just your defense mechanism.
Yet another response on a completely off-topic subject - totally not stalker behavior!
No matter how many times I tell this dude I barely even read his posts or notice his existence here, he just can't stop himself.
I'm in his head, I guess. Not my problem.
We’re there players back then who before the season started teaming up with other players in where to play the following season?
It isn't like arc pulls for two hockey teams in the same division or obsesses over the percentage of fans sitting in the Top Quandrant of MetLife.....
It isn't like arc pulls for two hockey teams in the same division or obsesses over the percentage of fans sitting in the Top Quandrant of MetLife.....
Arc knew Greg was a follow jorts fan. He just needed a fellow jorts baseball fan to hang with.
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new Yankee fans! Especially sarcastic motherfuckers that hit line drives over the clueless heads over and over again.
It isn't like arc pulls for two hockey teams in the same division or obsesses over the percentage of fans sitting in the Top Quandrant of MetLife.....
Arc knew Greg was a follow jorts fan. He just needed a fellow jorts baseball fan to hang with.
I'll die before you ever catch me in a pair of jorts.
Hope you're doing better by the way, buddy - saw you had quite a time recently health-wise.
This is a different generation, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. This is how society in general is going. When things get tough, take the easy way out.
Haha, maybe an over generalization, but this fucking blows as a Knicks fan.
Yea, gonna have to disagree with the "this generation is so soft" generalization.
A 31 year old Wilt Chamberlain coming off 3 straight MVPs left Philly to go to the Lakers to play with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in 1969. Those West/Baylor Lakers had just lost to the Celtics in 6 games in the Finals in '68.
A 27 year old defending MVP Moses Malone left the Rockets to go to the 76ers in 1983 to play with Dr. J, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones, and a loaded 76ers squad that lost to the Lakers in 6 games in the Finals in '82.
This has been happening.
Moses really was ahead of his time in a lot ways. HS to Pros, Free Agency. Underrated figure for sure considering he was also a 3x MVP and Champion.
What Kyrie did to the Celts this year should be investigated.
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now he's a benevolent stalker.....
Jack the Builder
Filthy was always right about you....
The book was so much better. The series was a travesty.
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Lakers are back.
Filthy was always right about you....
:)
Fair enough. It was before my time.