2014 NBA Playoffs thread

It's certainly the quietest, least celebrated five-time champion in any sport.

 

Getting rid of Eva Longoria was the most important moment in franchise history.

 

San Antonio is one of the three smallest markets in the NBA, right? Championships don't always result in a bigger national fanbase, especially when your superstar and face of the franchise is all steak and almost no sizzle.

Is there another team in any sport from that small a market that was won multiple championships like this? I can't think of any.

 

Green Bay would like a word with you, MC.

 

Damn. I knew that would come back to bite me.

The Gretzky Oilers were the other one I thought of almost immediately.

 

Very good point.

Although we might be able to claim the ole chicken/egg defense (or is it egg/chicken?). Do we incessantly talk Lebron/Heat because ESPN has primed us to do so, or vice versa?

 

Popovich drinks LeBron's milkshake. He drinks it up.

http://theweek.com/speedreads/index/263449/speedreads-spurs-coach-perfectly-trolls-lebron-james-miami-heat-in-championship-parade#axzz3565QmcwC

 

I don't think for one second that Pippen was a better player than Wade. Does anyone here think Shaq and Pippen even sniff at an NBA title?

Wade in his prime, which included the start of Bron's stint with the team, was a player who could drive and score at will. Pippen always needed set up for his shots. He was a great defender, but he always needed help getting his shot off. Wide open shots or drives set up by others were his forte.

I'm not buying the Jordan had better support meme. James had a mess in Cleveland, but not in Miami.

 

Duncan gets so little national attention now, it will be interesting to see what happens when he finally retires.

So many big time players stay in the game, because the networks want a name and a big personality. Others go into coaching. Magic and Jordan have stayed relevant through their business and marketing deals (and obviously through Jordan's ownership interest, and Magic's desire to own a team).

But, I could see Duncan slipping into relative obscurity in retirement.

 

It's possible. Without Jordan, Pippen was able to lead the Bulls to a 55-win season and a seventh game in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

I could see Shaq getting them over that hump.

Miami went 42-40 in Wade's rookie season, then 59-23 when Shaq arrived, then won it the next season.

 

And the Bulls lost on a horseshit foul call by hue Hollins.

 

Why is it that no NBA players seem to be making it known they would accept less money to play with LeBron? Weird that the Chosen One needs to look around rather than have the rest of the league begging to play with him