Official NBA thread

[mvp 78]

The Delonte West situation really bums me out. He was a fun guy to watch for the C's.

[moonslav59]

Great to see the mighty Lakers get bitch slapped.

 

My Bucks are looking very powerful, but they have to prove they can win when it counts.

[Sox75]

Kobe

 

Please let this be a BIG MISTAKE, or even a hoax!

[Station 13]

Wow, it's true. Kobe died in a helicopter crash.

[Jasonbay44]

It doesn’t even seem real. Kobe is one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever seen, and literally one of the last things I saw before going to bed last night was him congratulating Lebron on passing him on all time scoring list. Rest In Peace to one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever seen and God the news about his 13 year old daughter passing away is heartbreaking. So sad

[jacksonianmarch]

f***ing A man. f***. Like what the f***. Kobe is gone. And his daughter dies with him as do others. Just f***ing awful. f***

[TylerD]

f***ing A man. f***. Like what the f***. Kobe is gone. And his daughter dies with him as do others. Just f***ing awful. f***

 

Beyond unreal the news. When I first heard I thought it was fake. Tragic day in the sports world. My heart breaks for the family. Something no family member should ever have to go through.

[Jasonbay44]

I feel so bad for Isaiah Thomas. A few years ago he was an MVP candidate and looking like a superstar, and thought he was getting a max contract, and ever since he had that unfortunate death of his sister and that injury in the playoffs, he just hasn't been the same. He's been on 4 teams in the last 3 seasons, been settling for near league minimum contracts and really struggled with Cavs, Lakers and Nuggets, and now was just traded again by the Wizards to the Clippers, who plan on releasing him. Its unfortunate seeing his fall happen so fast. As a Wizards fan it was tough watching him play this season, his defense was horrendous, he clearly lost a step, was getting blocked a lot, etc. Sucks, because he is a good dude off the court and in the locker room, I've heard nothing but positive things about IT from teammates (current and former) and the charity work he was doing with Bradley Beal in DC was awesome. I hope IT latches onto another team but his days of being an impact player look long gone.

[Bellhorn04]

This 10 hour ESPN docuseries on the 1997-98 Bulls looks like it should be pretty good stuff.

[Thunder]

This 10 hour ESPN docuseries on the 1997-98 Bulls looks like it should be pretty good stuff.

 

I have it recorded. Not a big NBA fan but I love a good documentary

[Bellhorn04]

The Last Dance is pretty good s***.

[Bellhorn04]

The Last Dance is great because it feels like you're getting the plain truth, no matter how down and dirty.

[Thunder]

The Last Dance is great because it feels like you're getting the plain truth, no matter how down and dirty.

 

I think it's good not great but I understand the fascination. I've never been a huge NBA fan, and since I didn't live through Jordan's career, it's just not that gripping to me. I know a lot of people that are so into it. It is well made, I'll give them that

[mvp 78]

The Last Dance is pretty good s***.

 

Have not watched one second of it.

 

I didn't like the Bulls growing up. Jordan was the greatest of all time, but also a complete jerkoff. I think I'd find it irritating to watch.

[notin]

Have not watched one second of it.

 

I didn't like the Bulls growing up. Jordan was the greatest of all time, but also a complete jerkoff. I think I'd find it irritating to watch.

 

I haven't either.

 

Too much Jordan Love in Chicago. I can see the argument for him being the GOAT, but there other players I rank right there with him. But in Chicago, that's heresy...

[Thunder]

Too many people forget about Bill Russell in the NBA GOAT debate. Not saying he's #1, but he's often overlooked

[Bellhorn04]

Too many people forget about Bill Russell in the NBA GOAT debate. Not saying he's #1, but he's often overlooked

 

IMHO you have to put the big men in their own category.

[moonslav59]

Too many people forget about Bill Russell in the NBA GOAT debate. Not saying he's #1, but he's often overlooked

 

He's gotta be top 5, and I'm a Celtics- hater.

 

2 NCAA Championships in his last 2 years

Olympic Gold (1956)

11 out of 13 championships in the NBA

 

That's 14 championships or gold medals in 15 years playing against the highest competition in the world.

 

His playoff numbers were better than his regular season numbers, too.

 

The guy was a winner. I would not argue with anyone saying he was the very best.

 

Wilt, Jordan, LeBron and Russell, to me, are indisputable top 5 ever.

 

The fifth guy is harder to name: Kareem? Magic? Oscar Robertson? Bird? (I disagree on Kobe.)

[moonslav59]

IMHO you have to put the big men in their own category.

 

Why?

 

I realize there are vast differences in the skillsets of Wilt, Russell and Kareem as compared to Jordan & LeBron, and maybe Bird and the Big O deserve their own grouping, too, but the GOAT should include everybody.

 

It's harder to distinguish the best pitcher from the best everyday player than this.

[Bellhorn04]

Why?

 

I realize there are vast differences in the skillsets of Wilt, Russell and Kareem as compared to Jordan & LeBron, and maybe Bird and the Big O deserve their own grouping, too, but the GOAT should include everybody.

 

Everybody has their own take on it, of course.

 

I don't see how you compare Jordan to Russell straight up. But that's just me.

[Bellhorn04]

How would you compare Tom Brady to Jim Brown to Lawrence Taylor?

[moonslav59]

Everybody has their own take on it, of course.

 

I don't see how you compare Jordan to Russell straight up. But that's just me.

 

I never said it was easy or clear-cut, and I have no problem saying this guy is the best big man, this guy is the best little guy and this guy is the best tweener, but eventually, it seems natural to give your opinion on who you think is the best of the best.

 

To me, rebounds are under-rated. I get how the league was different then, and in some ways, Wilt and Russell were men among boys, but it's precisely that image that proves how much they dominated the competition of their time, and to me, that's what I go by. (Not saying anyone else's criteria is wrong.)

 

1. Wilt

2. Russell

3. Jordan

4. LeBron

5. The Big O

[moonslav59]

How would you compare Tom Brady to Jim Brown to Lawrence Taylor?

 

Simple:

1. Jim Brown

2. Lawrence

3. Tom

[Bellhorn04]

Especially after watching some of this series on the Bulls, I have to put Jordan at the top. As Larry Bird said after MJ torched a great Celtics defense, "That wasn't Michael Jordan out there, that was God disguised as Michael Jordan."

[mvp 78]

Too many people forget about Bill Russell in the NBA GOAT debate. Not saying he's #1, but he's often overlooked

 

In New England they don’t forget.

[Thunder]

In New England they don’t forget.

 

That's why I reminded everybody

[notin]

Too many people forget about Bill Russell in the NBA GOAT debate. Not saying he's #1, but he's often overlooked

 

Not by me for every Jordan Fan!!

 

“Jordan is the GREATEST PLAYER EVER!!”

 

“Why? LeBron and Kobe have really good arguments.”

 

“SIX RINGS!! SIX RINGS!!”

 

“Bill Russell has 11 rings.”

 

“Not the same! Russell was on a great team!”

 

“Jordan’s team wasn’t so bad. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals while he was playing baseball!”

 

“But six rings!! Six rings!!”

 

“And Russell got his 11 rings in only 13 seasons.”

[Thunder]

Russell was also a coach at the same time as some of those titles

[Bellhorn04]

Not by me for every Jordan Fan!!

 

“Jordan is the GREATEST PLAYER EVER!!”

 

“Why? LeBron and Kobe have really good arguments.”

 

“SIX RINGS!! SIX RINGS!!”

 

“Bill Russell has 11 rings.”

 

“Not the same! Russell was on a great team!”

 

“Jordan’s team wasn’t so bad. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals while he was playing baseball!”

 

“But six rings!! Six rings!!”

 

“And Russell got his 11 rings in only 13 seasons.”

 

a) The Bulls didn't make it to the Conference finals while Jordan was on his baseball hiatus.

The rings argument for Russell is weakened a bit by how small the NBA was back then. In some of those years there were only 8 teams.

[notin]

a) The Bulls didn't make it to the Conference finals while Jordan was on his baseball hiatus.

The rings argument for Russell is weakened a bit by how small the NBA was back then. In some of those years there were only 8 teams.

 

1. Oops. I meant semi-finals. They did win 55 games and I want to say might have gotten past the Knicks if Pippen didn’t sit out the end of game seven.

2. I do not agree that fewer teams makes it easier. It’s not like rolling a dice where each side/team has equal probability. In fact, fewer teams actually ups the overall talent in the league, making repeating more difficult. Personally, i don’t like “rings = greatness” arguments because rings are a team accomplishment. But six rings really is the first argument everyone out here makes about Jorda’s greatness. Not his career-leading PPG, which is not a clincher but is a better argument...