NBA fans

[Jaimoe]

The draft is in a few hours. Unfortuately, I'm a huge Raptors fan. We have the #1 pick. Look for the Raps to draft the Italian kid Bargnani or Aldridge from Texas.

[wellfleet]

unfortunately, i will no longer be watching the NBA. i used to be a big fan during the Bulls' Jordan era, and i loved Utah.
recently, i got into the Mavs because of my husband and got very excited about the kind of offense they were running, about coach Avery, and all the great young players they had, their depth... i watched the playoffs for the first time in years...

and even though i have no particular allegiance to the Mavs, or any other team, i thought the officiating and general running of the games this year to be completely shameful (and shameless!)

i can't get over it. i've never seen such blatant bias *against* a team and an owner in my entire life of pro-sports watching. it was ugly and dirty and ridiculous. so my huzz and i vowed to not watch another NBA game. david stern can kiss my ass...

[ratsprayer]

unfortunately, i will no longer be watching the NBA. i used to be a big fan during the Bulls' Jordan era, and i loved Utah.

creepy as fuck.  utah was my team; john stockton was and still is my favourite player, even though i've not watched an entire nba game in probably 6 years.  i think utah was the closest to "real" basketball of any team in the nba, at least during the 90s.  by real i mean they had a diverse line-up and seemed to work on a different work ethic than every other team out there.  sure, malone was the star go to guy, but how many other teams could boast two starting white guys who could shoot the lights out?  

[wellfleet]

i LOVED stockton... also loved steve kerr... i was in the white minority on my high school and city basketball teams and felt like an outsider because i played the game differently. but those shrimpy white dudes gave this shrimpy white girl some hope...

and because in our city's bright, school-bus yellow unis, i looked freakishly pale...

[Ruckus]

Nothing to talk about here

[mjk73]

The NBA is still around?

[kotchishm]

Nothing to talk about here

I'm a Wizards fan so yeah, you're right, nothing to see here move along.....

[Jaimoe]

Nothing to talk about here

I'm a Wizards fan so yeah, you're right, nothing to see here move along.....

Diehard Raptors fan here. At least "we" beat the Pistons last night. Go Orangemen!!

[Ruckus]

Nothing to talk about here

I'm a Wizards fan so yeah, you're right, nothing to see here move along.....

Diehard Raptors fan here. At least "we" beat the Pistons last night. Go Orangemen!!

As an Asian American who played basketball growing up, I was trying to spark a little discussion through silence.  I failed.   Wish I wasn't working tonight for Knicks/Heat.
Knowing that there are Wizards and Raptors fans out there make me feel better for rooting for the Cubbies and O's

[Taterbug]

Thanks  for reminding me bout That NY Miami game. I have yet to see Jeremy Lin play. GO KNICKS.  Actually my favorite team is anyone playing the Heat.  Did they ever get the TV rights mess figured out for NY viewers ?

[kotchishm]

Tentatively yes they figured it out.  The Lin frenzy caused them to get it done pretty quickly haha.

[iLikeBeer]

Thanks  for reminding me bout That NY Miami game. I have yet to see Jeremy Lin play. GO KNICKS. Actually my favorite team is anyone playing the Heat.   Did they ever get the TV rights mess figured out for NY viewers ?

I'm not really all that into the NBA.  The NBA brand of basketball doesn't really do it for me.  Especially after watching them force a lockout because they wanted MORE money?!  College hoops is where it's at for me. 

And, I'm not really going all that crazy over this whole Lin-sanity thing either.  I'm happy for the kid and all and it is a nice story, but to me, this just screams of desperation on the part of the NBA to try and get the lock-out put behind them.  And the fact that Lin just so happens to play for the Knicks just seems a little too convenient for me.  Would this be talked about 24-7 on ESPN if Lin played for Cleveland?

BTW, can you tell I can't stand the NBA???   :D   :P   

[Jaimoe]

Thanks  for reminding me bout That NY Miami game. I have yet to see Jeremy Lin play. GO KNICKS. Actually my favorite team is anyone playing the Heat.   Did they ever get the TV rights mess figured out for NY viewers ?

I'm not really all that into the NBA.  The NBA brand of basketball doesn't really do it for me.  Especially after watching them force a lockout because they wanted MORE money?!  College hoops is where it's at for me. 

And, I'm not really going all that crazy over this whole Lin-sanity thing either.  I'm happy for the kid and all and it is a nice story, but to me, this just screams of desperation on the part of the NBA to try and get the lock-out put behind them.  And the fact that Lin just so happens to play for the Knicks just seems a little too convenient for me.  Would this be talked about 24-7 on ESPN if Lin played for Cleveland?

BTW, can you tell I can't stand the NBA???   :D   :P   

You'd still have big Lin coverage if he played for Cleveland, but everything with NYC is blown up. A Harvard kid that bounced around the NBA and DL to finally star, and he is starrring, for one of the storied franchises is compelling. If you want Lin to not get that much press, then have him play for Oklahoma City or the Raptors (even though Toronto is the 5th largest NBA market).

[Ruckus]

Thanks  for reminding me bout That NY Miami game. I have yet to see Jeremy Lin play. GO KNICKS. Actually my favorite team is anyone playing the Heat.   Did they ever get the TV rights mess figured out for NY viewers ?

I'm not really all that into the NBA.  The NBA brand of basketball doesn't really do it for me.  Especially after watching them force a lockout because they wanted MORE money?!  College hoops is where it's at for me. 

And, I'm not really going all that crazy over this whole Lin-sanity thing either.  I'm happy for the kid and all and it is a nice story, but to me, this just screams of desperation on the part of the NBA to try and get the lock-out put behind them.  And the fact that Lin just so happens to play for the Knicks just seems a little too convenient for me.  Would this be talked about 24-7 on ESPN if Lin played for Cleveland?

BTW, can you tell I can't stand the NBA???   :D   :P   

You'd still have big Lin coverage if he played for Cleveland, but everything with NYC is blown up. A Harvard kid that bounced around the NBA and DL to finally star, and he is starrring, for one of the storied franchises is compelling. If you want Lin to not get that much press, then have him play for Oklahoma City or the Raptors (even though Toronto is the 5th largest NBA market).

I agree with you Jaimoe.  The Lin story would be big in any market though obviously not to this extent.  When you add that it is New York and they haven't had a competitive team in well over a decade and the winning streak happened with Carmelo and Stoudamire out and that he is Taiwanese American...yeah it's a big deal.  More than anything, he is appealing because he is identifiable to the viewing public who pay for the seats.  Most are college educated professionals that love the game but don't in any way identify with many of the millionaire athletes that play the game.  I think Lin brings that along with his an incredible combination of humility and swagger.  It's really special stuff.  Who knows where this is going to go but it's been a fun ride and this team will be in the playoffs this year.

It gets awfully tedious to talk about race but it is a big deal.  It breaks down barriers.  There's a reason that Wayne Chrebet and Brian Urlacher jerseys sell so well and Tiger Woods is the most popular golfer ever.  They've made impacts in sports where their race is not predominantly represented.  I'm just happy that the Knicks are relevant again.  Just like last year, the NBA is on its way to another exciting post season.

ILB..Why is the NBA all about money and not the NCAA?  The NCAA collectively makes more money than the NBA in its TV contract with CBS and they don't even pay their players while collecting huge regional revenues as well.  And you are a MAN U fan!  The NBA locked the players out because a significant number of teams were losing money and the system was failing.  I personally think the shortened season is to the league's benefit.

[Jaimoe]

On a related note, media coverage in Canada have also embraced the story, but race doesn't come up other than by commenting when some idiot says something offensive like the guy on ESPN or bringing up past comparisons about Yao Ming via repulsive remarks made by Charles Barkley and Shaq. People here like this rags to riches story, and "rags" is figurative given his educational background (although his Harvard grades certainly weren't anthing to write home about). That being said, the massive Asian communities in Toronto are loving the story, and why not? 

[iLikeBeer]

ILB..Why is the NBA all about money and not the NCAA?  The NCAA collectively makes more money than the NBA in its TV contract with CBS and they don't even pay their players while collecting huge regional revenues as well.  And you are a MAN U fan!  The NBA locked the players out because a significant number of teams were losing money and the system was failing.  I personally think the shortened season is to the league's benefit.

By no means am I saying that the NCAA is perfect.  I'm just saying, nothing really excites me about a league where the players dictate where they want to go play and who they want to play with.  If you are a fan of a small market team, you might as well forget about it unless your franchise happens to hit the jackpot twice like OKC did in not only landing Durant and Westbrook, but locking them up for a while as well.  Miami assembled their team by DWade recruiting his boys LeFraud and RuPaul.  NY tried to do the same thing in joining Mello and Stoudamire.  It's only a matter of time before the Lakers do something to get Dwight out of Orlando and I'm sure the Celtics are figuring out how they will assemble their next group of stars.  Meanwhile, I sit and watch the Cavs try and assemble their next competitive team around Irving, but really, it's only a matter of time and reality until he is recruited by some superstar in a big market town.  Hard to get excited about the revolving door that is small market teams in the NBA...  :-\

As for the NCAA, I like the way the game is played, not necessarily the entity running it.  And if you really want to get down to it, my true enjoyment comes from watching basketball played at what I consider it's purest form and that is at the DIII level.  Something about watching kids play for the love of the game and not because they're on scholarship or aspirations of a pro career.  I have the fortune of living in a DIII college town and the local hoops team is the second winningest basketball program at any level in the history of college basketball.  Last year they came up just short in making a run at a national championship which I was able to attend in Salem VA and let me tell you, they can play!

Lastly, forgive me for being a ManU fan.   :-*  I've also been a Cowboys fan all of my life (not a Jerry Jones fan though), but outside of those 2 franchises, not one professional franchise I like has brought home any hardware in over a half century.  Between the Cubs, Indians, Browns and Cavs, it's been a combined 255 years without a championship so forgive me if I will enjoy the successes of Sir Alex and ManU...  :P

[Jaimoe]

ILB..Why is the NBA all about money and not the NCAA?  The NCAA collectively makes more money than the NBA in its TV contract with CBS and they don't even pay their players while collecting huge regional revenues as well.  And you are a MAN U fan!  The NBA locked the players out because a significant number of teams were losing money and the system was failing.  I personally think the shortened season is to the league's benefit.

By no means am I saying that the NCAA is perfect.  I'm just saying, nothing really excites me about a league where the players dictate where they want to go play and who they want to play with.  If you are a fan of a small market team, you might as well forget about it unless your franchise happens to hit the jackpot twice like OKC did in not only landing Durant and Westbrook, but locking them up for a while as well.  Miami assembled their team by DWade recruiting his boys LeFraud and RuPaul.  NY tried to do the same thing in joining Mello and Stoudamire.  It's only a matter of time before the Lakers do something to get Dwight out of Orlando and I'm sure the Celtics are figuring out how they will assemble their next group of stars.  Meanwhile, I sit and watch the Cavs try and assemble their next competitive team around Irving, but really, it's only a matter of time and reality until he is recruited by some superstar in a big market town.  Hard to get excited about the revolving door that is small market teams in the NBA...  :-\

As for the NCAA, I like the way the game is played, not necessarily the entity running it.  And if you really want to get down to it, my true enjoyment comes from watching basketball played at what I consider it's purest form and that is at the DIII level.  Something about watching kids play for the love of the game and not because they're on scholarship or aspirations of a pro career.  I have the fortune of living in a DIII college town and the local hoops team is the second winningest basketball program at any level in the history of college basketball.  Last year they came up just short in making a run at a national championship which I was able to attend in Salem VA and let me tell you, they can play!

Lastly, forgive me for being a ManU fan.   :-*  I've also been a Cowboys fan all of my life (not a Jerry Jones fan though), but outside of those 2 franchises, not one professional franchise I like has brought home any hardware in over a half century.  Between the Cubs, Indians, Browns and Cavs, it's been a combined 255 years without a championship so forgive me if I will enjoy the successes of Sir Alex and ManU...  :P

I agree with most of what you stated, although I can't forgive you for being a ManU and Cowboys fan! Your suffering is impressive, but I live in Toronto and the Leafs haven't drank from the Stanley Cup since 1967 and the Raptors are always "rebuilding". The Blue Jays (my fav sports team) are decent to good every year, but they play in the best league in all of pro sports. My Junior A hockey team, Kingston Frontenacs, has never won the coveted and revered Memorial Cup (the hardest championship to win, IMO), even though they've put hundreds of players into the NHL; they are last in the division this year. At least my Boston Bruins are winning and I'm a NY Giants fan. Ah, but I like CFL's Toronto Argos too and they always suck. I can relate to your suffering somewhat.

As you know, all levels of the NCAA are corrupt as players can dictate where they play when they are recruited. I agree that the lower divisions are "pure", but even then the student athletes are recruited and have full-ride scholarships. I do admire your dedication to D-3 though! If you want pure basketball, tune into Canadian university ball  :) There's no athletics scholorships here, hence US colleges picking off some of our brightest talent across the board, especially hockey, baseball and basketball (with b-ball see current key players that play for Syracuse, Texas, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Marquette etc...). The best Canuck university squads are of a Division II quality, but a couple of our powerhouse teams such as Carleton University out of Ottawa could be competetive in smaller D-I conferences (they occassionally beat some top US schools every summer in pre-season tournaments). There's constant talk that a few of our schools are going to go rogue and join US conferences and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia are a recent addition to D-2's  Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

[iLikeBeer]

I agree that the lower divisions are "pure", but even then the student athletes are recruited and have full-ride scholarships. I do admire your dedication to D-3 though! If you want pure basketball, tune into Canadian university ball  :) There's no athletics scholorships here, hence US colleges picking off some of our brightest talent across the board, especially hockey, baseball and basketball (with b-ball see current key players that play for Syracuse, Texas, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Marquette etc...). The best Canuck university squads are of a Division II quality, but a couple of our powerhouse teams such as Carleton University out of Ottawa could be competetive in smaller D-I conferences (they occassionally beat some top US schools every summer in pre-season tournaments). There's constant talk that a few of our schools are going to go rogue and join US conferences and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia are a recent addition to D-2's  Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Thanks.  I graduated from a D3 school in PA so that probably expains my continuing interest to follow D3 athletics.  Also, there are no athletic scholarships in D3 sports.  I've  known several basketball players over the years who have played for the College of Wooster that have turned down atheltic scholarships at the D2 level to come to Wooster for the quality education they get there.

[Jaimoe]

I agree that the lower divisions are "pure", but even then the student athletes are recruited and have full-ride scholarships. I do admire your dedication to D-3 though! If you want pure basketball, tune into Canadian university ball  :) There's no athletics scholorships here, hence US colleges picking off some of our brightest talent across the board, especially hockey, baseball and basketball (with b-ball see current key players that play for Syracuse, Texas, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Marquette etc...). The best Canuck university squads are of a Division II quality, but a couple of our powerhouse teams such as Carleton University out of Ottawa could be competetive in smaller D-I conferences (they occassionally beat some top US schools every summer in pre-season tournaments). There's constant talk that a few of our schools are going to go rogue and join US conferences and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia are a recent addition to D-2's  Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Thanks.  I graduated from a D3 school in PA so that probably expains my continuing interest to follow D3 athletics.  Also, there are no athletic scholarships in D3 sports.  I've  known several basketball players over the years who have played for the College of Wooster that have turned down atheltic scholarships at the D2 level to come to Wooster for the quality education they get there.

Thanks for the correction! There's probably perks in agreeing to go to a D-3 school for student athletes, but it's good that free-rides are not in the equation. There's always debate about allowing athletic scholorships in Canada, but I can't see it happening; the reason why there's constant debate is that we lose the cream of the crop to the US in every sport, including good lower profile ones such as golf, track, tennis, gymnastics etc...

I gotta say I do love rooting for teams stocked with Canucks in NCAA D-1 basketball, especially during March Madness. Keep an eye on freshman Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos (aka Steve Nash 2.0) and centre Robert Sacre. I'm an Orangeman fan and love their leading scorer from Montreal, Kris Joseph. Also, I hope Texas Longhorns star freshman guard from Toronto, Myck Kabongo, stays for another year. One thing is certain is that the Canadian National Basketball Team has a promising future, especially with the further maturing of still green NBA rookies via Texas Longhorns, Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson.

One of the best US highschoolers in the class of 2014 that everyone will know when he declares is Andrew Wiggins from Toronto, currently starring for Huntington Prep in West Virginia. He's already received offers from Kentucky, Virginia Tech, UNC and Florida State and he's just 16. Bleecher Report ranks him #1 of all the sophmores in the US and say he's a can't miss star NBAer.

[Ruckus]

I gotcha Beer.  By no means am I arguing that the NBA is a polished product but it has improved.  There are a number of teams competing this year with great young talent.  Let's not forget the San Antonio Spurs as an example of a team in a small market competing for a long time.  Who knows?  Maybe the T'Wolves are headed in that direction as well.  Also, unlike in baseball, you can make the most contract money by staying with your current team as you well know.  In the case of Lebron, cowardice or not, you can't take away the fact that he didn't even sign for a max deal right?  Bosh is making more than him? ;D  Also, there is still a cap in the NBA.  Your beloved EPL is the greatest disgrace for fairness across the board.  Ahh, yes.  Every year all 20 sides have a shot at the Premiership ;D ;)  I'm an Everton fan so I guess that's the same as being a Cavs fan, but with more history. ;D

As Jaimoe said, I do applaud your appreciation of DIII basketball.  It must be nice to have the option to go DIII and turn down a scholarship to pay for schooling while still playing ball. ;)

So in the meanwhile, enjoy the turnaround of the Michigan basketball for this year and the next before the two bumper crops of the Illini coming in begin to mature by 2014-2015.