NBA 2012: Running thread

The NBA is a league where I believe over 90 percent of the fans believe the commissioner would cheerfully rig games if he thought there was money in it. That's Stern's legacy. I could've been commissioner in the '80s and '90s and done just as well as long as Michael Jordan couldn't hit big league pitching.

 

Agreed, Bob. A small market team that is widely perceived as "boring" and draws tiny TV ratings winning four titles and becoming the league's winningest franchise the last two decades was most definitely NOT part of the Stern blueprint.

I'm sure Stern's long been eager for this whole Spur success story to finally end, but it just won't. go. away. It's nearly 2013 and that goddamn Popovich, Duncan, Parker and Ginobli are still going strong.

 

I'm not sure, even as a Pacers looser fanboi, that I'm 100 percent all in with Stern rigging the '84 lottery. But I sure as hell believe, with no evidence to prove it, admittedly, that the Jordan "retirement" was a ruse to distract from, and disappear, his gambling issues.

 

Nice piece by Woj, although, sorry, I'm not going to feel pity for the Spurs on the Bruce Bowen affair. I'm okay with the league dealing directly with the dirtiest player in the league who went out of his way a few times to try and hurt players. That's one area where the Spurs' martyrdom is undeserving.

 

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA
David Stern has fined the Spurs $250,000.

Ken Berger@KBergCBS
David Stern: "The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game..."

Ken Berger@KBergCBS
Stern notes it was "the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami."

Ken Berger@KBergCBS
Stern: "The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way."

Ken Berger@KBergCBS
Stern: "Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”

 

What I find more interesting is that the Spurs story is stuck on a running thread while prostitution gets its own.

Running threads have completely killed this board.

 

The obvious next move for the Spurs is a lawsuit. Or a suit by the players charging a CBA violation, claiming the league is fining the team for considering their health. Then just start the subpoenas flying for depositions. First stop, Tim Donaghy.

 

This whole story starting to feel like move by the Spurs was premeditated. Looking forward to the back story.

 

It was in fact planned out far in advance:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/11/29/spurs-starry-starry-flight-angers-nba/

The gist being, they were going to pretty much sacrifice the Heat game at the end of a difficult road trip to rest for a division rival in the Memphis Grizzlies the following Saturday, preferring to keep their powder dry for that matchup instead.

 

awesome piece. Can anyone on TNT or ESPN say this on the air?

 

Big league? Hell, Mike couldn't hit Double-A pitching.

 

The Spurs' ownership should, Angelo Drossos-style, send Stern a message reading: "Fuck you. A stronger message will follow."

http://books.google.com/books?id=VrBVzp8aRBYC&pg=PA300&vq=Fuck+you&dq=%22angelo+drossos%22+%22terry+pluto%22&output=html_text&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1