The NBA thread

[Lee909]

Rodman book is a good read. 

 

2 things I learned about Michael Jordan though. He is deffo the type of guy not to let his kids win a board game, or anything. I you can guarantee he steals from the bank in monopoly when you go get a drink

[Pidge]

20 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

The toughness in those days is overrated. There's just different rules now, there's stuff you can't do anymore in terms of fouling. 

 

The big difference is in style of play. The analytics now say you need to shoot threes and score inside, that's it. Back in the 80's/90's, all the way up to about 2005, the midrange game was huge. Almost every team exclusively played 18 feet in and had a big man with a low post game. That's almost all gone now because it's not as efficient.

 

So if you liked the old style, the game now might not be for you. It is a bit annoying that the game has swung so far in the direction it is in currently. It's not for everyone, although the general skill level of the players has gone up. 

Playing style right now is great in general, fast, end-to-end, perimeter ball movement is incredibly quick and lot's of quality shooters. I agree with Lee that it's frustrating that talents like Harden just have to kick their head back and go to the line, whereas before he would have to head into the post much more. 

 

Also feel the midrange game was a bigger deal because of the allowances, players scrapped over rebounds all game so the long-range game left you at a disadvantage, similarly big men could get away with more so you had to generally find spots in the mid-range - you could still compete for rebounds while forcing big-men to come out of their comfort zone more.

 

I think the league is heading in the right direction. Hopefully one aspect of Zion that will improve the league is that he is an eye-catching future star who plays physically.

[3 Stacks]

1 hour ago, Pidge said:

Playing style right now is great in general, fast, end-to-end, perimeter ball movement is incredibly quick and lot's of quality shooters. I agree with Lee that it's frustrating that talents like Harden just have to kick their head back and go to the line, whereas before he would have to head into the post much more. 

 

Also feel the midrange game was a bigger deal because of the allowances, players scrapped over rebounds all game so the long-range game left you at a disadvantage, similarly big men could get away with more so you had to generally find spots in the mid-range - you could still compete for rebounds while forcing big-men to come out of their comfort zone more.

 

I think the league is heading in the right direction. Hopefully one aspect of Zion that will improve the league is that he is an eye-catching future star who plays physically.

The level of play is higher than it's ever been, no question. 

[Nunavut Patrick]

The Pistons were bastards on the court, closest thing to an ice hockey team. Loved watching them, Chuck Daley looked like a mid-level Teamster Union enforcer.

 

Also love sweary Jordan.

 

And that era had the best nickname s

 

Karl Mail Man Malone

Clyde the glyde Drexler

 

[Bjornebye]

36 minutes ago, Nunavut Patrick said:

 

 

Karl Mail Man Malone

 

 

Ha I read something years ago that another player (Big profile one, I wanna say Shaq) whispered in his ear on a free throw "The mail man don't post on Sundays" and the cunt missed 

[Lario]

That era just seemed incredible with the players around. Seems a whole pile shitter these days. 

 

Kinda like the WWE. 

Where are the likes of Legion Of Doom, Hart Foundation, Superfly, Jake The Snake Roberts, Big Boss Man, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man. Even fucking Ravishing Rick Rude! Or The Bushwhackers!

 

Maybe I'm just getting old and fat, and everything was better when I was young. 

[Lee909]

It's was great, probably just hindsight but so many teams has food players

 

Bulls - Pippen, Jordan, Rodman

Pistons - Thomas, Dumars, Laimbeer

Utah - Stockton, Malone

Seattle - Kemp, Payton

Knicks - Ewing, Larry Johnson, Starks

Magic - Shaq and Penny

Rockets - Olajuwon anf Drexler

 

 

Then other teams had the likes of Barley, Robinson, Reggie Miller loads of older players from the 80s still hanging around. Add the youngsters like McGrady, Carter and Garnett coming along. Lakers just weren't good enough then they traded for Bryant and Shaq

[Kevin D]

Continue to be amazed at how candid Jordan is being. He doesn't care what people think. Everybody claims they don't, but he really doesn't.

[Lee909]

Yeah it's been really good

I think most sportsmen that are as good as he was have the element of being a single minded cunt about them. I guess it's what seoerstes them from everyone else. Also probably comes with the fame and not really trusting anyone anymore. 

 

Don't think I could deal with all the shit that comes from being that famous. 

 

Hope they do more of these, just not sure who they could do it with. 

 

As you say very few people would be as open as he has been. 

 

He still fucking hates Isiah Thomas, I know that much. 

[Em City]

It's hilarious how competitive he is. I'd reckon he'd jab a tile in your eye if you beat him at Scrabble.

[Lario]

I love looking at all the old gear, a lot of which I used to own. Even had the cap he was wearing walking around Barcelona! Not to mention the white #9 Jordan's he wore during the olympics!

 

Would be worth a fortune now if I hadn't wrecked the bloody stuff.

[Lee909]

9 hours ago, Lario said:

I love looking at all the old gear, a lot of which I used to own. Even had the cap he was wearing walking around Barcelona! Not to mention the white #9 Jordan's he wore during the olympics!

 

Would be worth a fortune now if I hadn't wrecked the bloody stuff.

Had a early pair of Reebok can't remember if they were Shaq or Iversons

Looking back they looked like fucking Moonboots snd set me back £80 when I was about 13. Paying for them for ages

 

Used to piss me off a local sports shop used to get loads of trial stuff so you could get stuff that never went into full production but everything was a size smaller than my feet. Missed out on Iversons and Kemps

 

 

 

 

[Scott_M]

Brilliant show. 

[Lario]

Had these early Shaq's too. Think I shoulda been born tall, black and 'Merican. Instead of short, fat and Irish.

 

[Elite]

24 minutes ago, Lario said:

Had these early Shaq's too. Think I shoulda been born tall, black and 'Merican. Instead of short, fat and Irish.

 

Basketball shoes worn by anyone under 6'2 instantly make them look like a cunt.

[3 Stacks]

On 01/05/2020 at 20:58, Lee909 said:

It's was great, probably just hindsight but so many teams has food players

 

Bulls - Pippen, Jordan, Rodman

Pistons - Thomas, Dumars, Laimbeer

Utah - Stockton, Malone

Seattle - Kemp, Payton

Knicks - Ewing, Larry Johnson, Starks

Magic - Shaq and Penny

Rockets - Olajuwon anf Drexler

 

 

Then other teams had the likes of Barley, Robinson, Reggie Miller loads of older players from the 80s still hanging around. Add the youngsters like McGrady, Carter and Garnett coming along. Lakers just weren't good enough then they traded for Bryant and Shaq

It is hindsight how good the 90's were, especially mid to late because a bunch of expansion teams came in and the talent got diluted. Some of the players there, notably Starks, Johnson, Penny, Kemp and Reggie Miller weren't that good. 

 

The mid-late 80's with the first couple years of the 90's was the golden era. The only period where you could argue there was a greater depth of talent than now. The first title(s) Jordan Bulls, Magic Lakers, Bird Celtics, Bad Boy Pistons all have arguments as top 5-10 greatest teams ever. 

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

The league now is a joke, no teams just groups of individuals and star players rocking up to whatever city they fancy this season.

 

Early to mid 80's was easily the best time.

[3 Stacks]

3 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

The league now is a joke, no teams just groups of individuals and star players rocking up to whatever city they fancy this season.

 

Early to mid 80's was easily the best time.

Sure, but the talent level has never been higher, except as I said, arguably the mid-late 80's. 

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Sure, but the talent level has never been higher, except as I said, arguably the mid-late 80's. 

It is the same argument as made over modern footballers - the idea that somehow the best of the best of the past would not be the same in the current era is bunk. They would be, in fact they would probably stand out even more.

 

Moses Malone walked out of high school 45 years ago.

 

[3 Stacks]

9 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

It is the same argument as made over modern footballers - the idea that somehow the best of the best of the past would not be the same in the current era is bunk. They would be, in fact they would probably stand out even more.

 

Moses Malone walked out of high school 45 years ago.

 

No, I'm not making that argument. I just think there were fewer good players/teams in the 90's than now. Mostly as I said due to league expansion. Some guys from that era and the early 2000's also flamed out because of ridiculous contracts/expectations they couldn't live up to. Guys like Kemp, for example. 

 

You can't discount the talent of the true greats from about 1980 on. The best, notably Jordan, Kareem, Bird, Magic, Isiah, Moses and Olajuwon would have figured it out nowadays as they are too good. Basketball from 1980 on is pretty timeless even though styles change. 

[TheHowieLama]

1 minute ago, 3 Stacks said:

No, I'm not making that argument. I just think there were fewer good players/teams in the 90's than now. Mostly as I said due to league expansion. 

 

Yea, expansion diluted the talent in the late 80's. I am not talking about the 90's.

 

The NBA and ABA merger increased the talent in the late 70's.

 

IMO the quality of players and teams in the early to mid 80's was higher than it is now.

 

 

[lifetime fan]

On 07/05/2020 at 19:34, Lario said:

Had these early Shaq's too. Think I shoulda been born tall, black and 'Merican. Instead of short, fat and Irish.

 

I was working in NY in 1998 and went to the Reebok store in town. 
 

They had a pair of Shaq’s boots on display, they were a size 20 or something and fucking enormous. 

[Lee909]

Saying Shawn didn't live up to anything is nuts. The man was a force for nearly a decade in the league. The only knock on him would be once he fell away he did it quick and hard. No hanging around playing well into his mid 30s. 

 

In his 8 years in Seattle they had the 3rd best record in the league behind zutah and Chicago. 

 

6-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA Second Team

[3 Stacks]

2 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Yea, expansion diluted the talent in the late 80's. I am not talking about the 90's.

 

The NBA and ABA merger increased the talent in the late 70's.

 

IMO the quality of players and teams in the early to mid 80's was higher than it is now.

 

 

The late 80's were still phenomenal. Expansion had a knock on effect in the 90's. 

 

And the late 70's to early 80's were plagued by guys doing lots of coke. Like the late 90's and early 2000's, off the court stuff really ruined lots of guys. David Thompson, for example. 

 

To me, you can only say late 80's vs. late 2010's for most talented era. 

[3 Stacks]

4 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

Saying Shawn didn't live up to anything is nuts. The man was a force for nearly a decade in the league. The only knock on him would be once he fell away he did it quick and hard. No hanging around playing well into his mid 30s. 

 

In his 8 years in Seattle they had the 3rd best record in the league behind zutah and Chicago. 

 

6-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA Second Team

He averaged over 20ppg once in his career. The talent and athleticism was there for him to be way better than that.