NBA Playoffs Thread

The postgame celebration was a bit much, especially for a couple guys who've been this far before--James and Wade. Now, Bosh would be a different story....

 

Scribe: "Hey, athlete. We want you to be candid with us and tell us the truth. No bullshit."

Scribe: "Jesus Christ, athlete. You don't say that out loud."

Which do we want? Let's make up our minds once and for all.

 

I'm with you, BTE. James is, to use an outmoded term, gauche. But at least we see it.

 

Re Kareem and dance: I'm convinced dance classes would be an asset to any athlete, particularly a basketball player. There's a big guy in my rec league who has the lightest feet I've ever seen, and can really twist his body for a big guy (wide and tall). I kidded him that he must have been a dancer. Turns out he took Irish dance all his childhood, til age 18.

 

Among his "thousand moves," I'm sure McHale had one that could pass for the Dream Shake. Heck, it wasn't quite a Sky Hook, but his hook shot was pretty deadly too.

 

Keep in mind that Russell's rings were won during an era when there only 8 teams in the entire league and the Celtics had the talent deck stacked firmly in their favor nearly every year. Slight difference between that and championships won in today's 30 team league.

And, of course, the other obvious problem with Russell is that he had almost NO OFFFENSIVE SKILLS at all. Could not shoot, could barely dribble, no reliable hook shot or signature post moves. Not sure how you can label someone the greatest center ever who was SO strikingly unskilled with the ball in his hands.

 

IMO, if James had stayed with Cleveland, and acted the EXACT same way this season and said the EXACT same things throughout the season . . . nobody would have a problem with any of it.

He hasn't changed. Really. Only the perception of him.

In other words, anything he says or does in May 2011 is going to be viewed in a worse light than had he done it in May 2010 . . . simply because of his TV special in July 2010.

And that is, to use one of his terms, retarded.

Call it the Favre effect. Even the way he blinks his eyes will piss off half the people here.

I used to think that. But now it's not as clear. Some of Wilt's teams were loaded with Hall of Famers, too. Chet Walker. BillyC. Hal Greer. West. Baylor. Celtics had the coaching edge and, frankly, a little luck.

 

I thought that at first, too, and it was big talk in Chicago today. But I think that a lot of what fueled it was the 16-0 run to end the game. They were surging with adrenaline after the way they ended the game, and that spilled over.

Also: Bye, bye, Atlanta.

 

I'm sure LeBron appreciates your support. He wanted to make a giant fucking spectacle of himself, so he can deal with the negative perception.

 

Kareem's Sky Hook was pretty well unstoppable.

 

Yeah, that's why he's been so vocal and demonstrative this whole season. :

Heck, Chad Johnson/Ochocinco makes more of a spectacle of himself in one game than James did the entire season.

But the cement has hardened on the perception, and there ain't no cracking it.

 

Your love of petulant, beleaguered athletes who have trouble winning a title is admirable.