Come on guys, relax. I’m just stating my opinions. If you love basketball and thing the league if FAAAAAAAANtastic, great. I think it’s going down the tubes. It has an image problem. To the casual observer, I THINK the NBA comes off as a league of thugs. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have quit watching the game because they can’t stand the players anymore.
I seriously doubt anyone but a dedicated fan could name 10 active players right now. You want to make excuses for our (Team America) poor performance at the international level, go ahead. I think our poor performance is due to a lack of “team” mentality (and the “show me the money” attitude), and NOT due to an excessive risk of injury.
I’m just saying that people in the offices used to talk about basketball all the time, now they don’t. I DO hear people say they won’t watch anymore because of the criminal atheletes, lack of teamwork, bad attitudes, shit talking, thug mentality, blah, blah, blah…and I bet you have heard the same thing.
I don’t know squat about basketball or today’s players. I quit watching years ago. Dazzle me with the statistics of current players, whatever. But it still doesn’t make up for the lack of personality and SPORTSMENSHIP we all saw back in the 80’s and 90’s.
And again, the NBA does not allow players to go straight from high school into the league. Of course, your 80s frame of reference probably has no idea of that.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
TJN713 wrote:
emdawgz1 wrote:
NBA Basketball is no longer a team sport and it is no longer a skill game.
The nba is allowing H/S players to play. These guys have no concept of team. The nba is allowing the skill to be taken out of the game. The traveling rule is lost, the rule against palming the ball, dribbling above the waist.
All gone in favor of “athleticisim”. The nba has forgotten what the real star is. The GAME.
No matter how big Jordan, or magic, or bird were they all respected and loved the game.
Today, the players could care less about the game. They are to buzy braiding their hair or buying more ice or pimpin out the ride.
The knicks are a microcosm of whats wrong w/ the nba. A group of high paid selfish losers, more concerned w/ their own playing time, and stats than w/ the team winning or losing.
Nate Robinson complaining that Larry brown tried to “change his game” Who the F**k is Nate Robinson!!! Larry Brown is a legend. But he resented LB??? Larry changed his game???
I loved the nba, but i watched less last year than i ever did. And i have no plans to go back.
Its a shame
High School players can no longer play in the NBA.
In response to other posters, in what universe is Shaq the NBA’s only superstar? I’m pretty sure LeBron has better endorsement deals at this point.
And yeah, the new ball looks like ass.
Lebron James isn’t even in the same solar system of stardom as Shaq (or Jordan, or Majic or Byrd…). See, you are equating “endorsement deals” with success. That’s the problem. Show me the money. I bet 50% of the country has never heard of the guy or know which team he plays for. Everyone knows Shaq and what team he plays for.
I bet most people could tell you where he played college ball. The stars of the 80’s and 90’s had personality, style, could speak without using the F-word, and didn’t go around beating the shit out of each other durring games.
And when an 18 or 19 year old can step on to the court and be among the best, that’s an indicator that the skill level of the players is getting worse. Then our “best players” get destroyed by Slovackian or South American no-names…what can you say?
[/quote]
If people haven’t heard of lebron then they must be living under a rock because he gets so much exposure on ESPN as well as in print. You need to get up to date
The international game is very different to the NBA game. You could take the best international teams and play them against a good NBA team under NBA rules and the NBA team would win.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
I’m just saying that people in the offices used to talk about basketball all the time, now they don’t. I DO hear people say they won’t watch anymore because of the criminal atheletes, lack of teamwork, bad attitudes, shit talking, thug mentality, blah, blah, blah…and I bet you have heard the same thing. [/quote]
Ha… yes because everybody was just an angel back in the 80s.
Maybe the fact that the NBA lets black guys be “black” makes you uncomfortable?
Yes, Allen Iverson has tatoos running down him arm so he’s just a no-good thug, nevermind the fact that he’s been putting his long term health on the line for years playing through injuries that would cripple you. Maybe if you bothered to come off your high horse and see what some players are really like. Iverson is known to be a dedicated famiily man who wept when he thought he was being traded because he wanted to stay with the Sixers for his whole career.
Sportsmanship from the 80s and 90s? Oh yeah, because those Isiah Thomas Pistons were reeeeaaaallll sportsmanlike and really played clean basketball. Karl Malone is known for being one of the dirtiest players in the league and the guy is an ass and has made sexist and racist comments that have been caught by the media.
Present, meet PGJ. PGJ, try to come live in the present.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
Come on guys, relax. I’m just stating my opinions. If you love basketball and thing the league if FAAAAAAAANtastic, great. I think it’s going down the tubes. It has an image problem. To the casual observer, I THINK the NBA comes off as a league of thugs. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have quit watching the game because they can’t stand the players anymore.
I seriously doubt anyone but a dedicated fan could name 10 active players right now. You want to make excuses for our (Team America) poor performance at the international level, go ahead. I think our poor performance is due to a lack of “team” mentality (and the “show me the money” attitude), and NOT due to an excessive risk of injury.
I’m just saying that people in the offices used to talk about basketball all the time, now they don’t. I DO hear people say they won’t watch anymore because of the criminal atheletes, lack of teamwork, bad attitudes, shit talking, thug mentality, blah, blah, blah…and I bet you have heard the same thing.
I don’t know squat about basketball or today’s players. I quit watching years ago. Dazzle me with the statistics of current players, whatever. But it still doesn’t make up for the lack of personality and SPORTSMENSHIP we all saw back in the 80’s and 90’s.
Just my humble opinions. [/quote]
You just sound like an ignorant troll. Bullshit that anyone but a dedicated fan could name 10 active players. I know plenty of sports enthusiasts of other sports who know plenty of basketball players.
Sportsmanship in the 80’s and 90’s? Now we really know that you haven’t watched basketball. You must be ignorant to not know that the Bad Boys were the dirtiest team to ever grace the league. Jordan himself said that Larry Bird was one of the dirtiest players he had ever played with.
It is apparent that you’re just envious of the fact that the league enables so many black atheletes to be very successful. Perhaps you just envy their atheletic ability since you realise it is a quality you will never have?
Nothing you kids do now compares to the excitement of the old school NBA.
1972-73 Knicks, best team ever. I sat in the bleachers next to Grandma Jenkins.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
I’m just saying that people in the offices used to talk about basketball all the time, now they don’t. I DO hear people say they won’t watch anymore because of the criminal atheletes, lack of teamwork, bad attitudes, shit talking, thug mentality, blah, blah, blah…and I bet you have heard the same thing.
I don’t know squat about basketball or today’s players. I quit watching years ago. Dazzle me with the statistics of current players, whatever. But it still doesn’t make up for the lack of personality and SPORTSMENSHIP we all saw back in the 80’s and 90’s.
Just my humble opinions. [/quote]
I am beginning to get the same vibe as others are getting. What makes these athletes “thugs” to you? The tattoos? The hairstyles? I don’t see anymore criminals in sports than there have always been. If someone claims they have stopped watching basketball because of “thuggish” players they are full of shit. There was a time, before people like Jordan made it cool, that bald heads were related by ‘some’ as being thuggish. Now they are accepted in all social circles. These same stereotypes are what many of us have to deal with daily. I will be glad when these labels die which will only happen when many with those same styles are also holding powerful positions in society as far as status.
[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
Nothing you kids do now compares to the excitement of the old school NBA.
1972-73 Knicks, best team ever. I sat in the bleachers next to Grandma Jenkins.[/quote]
Sorry Momma, the 2nd three-peat (do I have to pay Pat Riley since I used that term) Bulls were the best basketball team of all time. There has never been and never will be a professional sports team that got the notoriaty that they received. What they dealt with where ever they went was nothing short of amazing.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
There was a time, before people like Jordan made it cool, that bald heads were related by ‘some’ as being thuggish. Now they are accepted in all social circles. These same stereotypes are what many of us have to deal with daily. I will be glad when these labels die which will only happen when many with those same styles are also holding powerful positions in society as far as status.[/quote]
You mean I shouldnt automatically think you carry a gun and will jack me for my ride if I see you walking down the street?
Fine, they you dont think just because I have a shaved head that I’m a serial killer who chops up hookers and feeds them to diner patrons.
[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
Nothing you kids do now compares to the excitement of the old school NBA.
1972-73 Knicks, best team ever. I sat in the bleachers next to Grandma Jenkins.[/quote]
How is she doing by the way. Her buttermilk buscuits are the shiznit.
Sorry Momma, the 2nd three-peat (do I have to pay Pat Riley since I used that term) Bulls were the best basketball team of all time. There has never been and never will be a professional sports team that got the notoriaty that they received. What they dealt with where ever they went was nothing short of amazing.
[/quote]
OK, so Riley led the Knicks in a great regular season in 93 and got coach of the year. But Mr. Threepeat says you owe him for using his validated trademark, and he’s sending me to collect.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yo Momma wrote:
Nothing you kids do now compares to the excitement of the old school NBA.
1972-73 Knicks, best team ever. I sat in the bleachers next to Grandma Jenkins.
How is she doing by the way. Her buttermilk buscuits are the shiznit.[/quote]
[quote]iscariot wrote:
dom815 wrote:
Sorry. I don’t care who played in the world championship, they were pros and we lost at our own game.
See, this is B/S. The players on the other teams these days are all professionals too - and top level professionals in the NBA for that matter too. Nowitski, Ginobli, Parker to name but three…
One thing the NBA has achieved is the international popularisation of basketball and concomitant with that a universal raising of the international standard: so it’s a bit rich to complain about losing at your own game…or would you prefer it if the World Champs was like Baseball’s ‘world series?’ (lower case intentional)
The other thing with international ball is that the [a]rules are slightly different and [b]the international teams play those rules in their hoem comps so they’re sued to playing them in a team situation…
Who plays defense in the NBA?
San Antonio
Utah (Jerry Sloan routinely bawls out players that don’t play defense)
Detroit
You [generally] tend to find that the teams that have crap defense have one dominant scorer: Philadelphia, LA Lakers (although the return of Phil is ameliorating that somewhat), Golden State…
----[/quote]
Ummmm.
The Greek team that wooped our ass at the World Champ. has all of 0 NBA players, 1 German pro league player 2 Italian pro league players and that’s it.
We got beat because the rest of the world took our game and perfected it, while we have allowed the basic principles that made it great to slide away.
[quote]UtahLama wrote:
iscariot wrote:
dom815 wrote:
Sorry. I don’t care who played in the world championship, they were pros and we lost at our own game.
See, this is B/S. The players on the other teams these days are all professionals too - and top level professionals in the NBA for that matter too. Nowitski, Ginobli, Parker to name but three…
One thing the NBA has achieved is the international popularisation of basketball and concomitant with that a universal raising of the international standard: so it’s a bit rich to complain about losing at your own game…or would you prefer it if the World Champs was like Baseball’s ‘world series?’ (lower case intentional)
The other thing with international ball is that the [a]rules are slightly different and [b]the international teams play those rules in their hoem comps so they’re sued to playing them in a team situation…
Who plays defense in the NBA?
San Antonio
Utah (Jerry Sloan routinely bawls out players that don’t play defense)
Detroit
You [generally] tend to find that the teams that have crap defense have one dominant scorer: Philadelphia, LA Lakers (although the return of Phil is ameliorating that somewhat), Golden State…
Ummmm.
The Greek team that wooped our ass at the World Champ. has all of 0 NBA players, 1 German pro league player 2 Italian pro league players and that’s it.
We got beat because the rest of the world took our game and perfected it, while we have allowed the basic principles that made it great to slide away.
[/quote]
BINGO! While our guys ignore traveling and double-dribble rules and instead focus on 360 dunks and ally-oops, the European players were perfecting the game.
How did this turn into a race issue? Do you disagree that the NBA has an image problem? The NBA sure thinks it does.
Before anyone else suggests I’m a racist (and you have no idea how offensive that is to me), please read this article from the Washington Post:
Here’s part of it:
“Recent public opinion polls, as well as some of the NBA’s own focus groups, ranked basketball players as the least popular athletes among the major professional sports leagues, according to NBA officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Television ratings for June’s NBA Finals plunged 29 percent from the year before.”
Guys, I couldn’t care less about the NBA. I don’t play basketball and I don’t watch basketball anymore. But, I love sports. I’m one of those guys who used to watch, but don’t anymore because I don’t care for the players. I’m not alone. Ratings are down 29%. How do you argue with that? People are loosing interest. I think the new ball is a way of generating interest.
Please don’t throw the race card at me. It’s weak, cheap, and offensive. My comment regarding the ability of the players can be argued, but I haven’t said one thing that rates the race card or anything that hasn’t been confirmed by the league itself.
I use to watch basketball alot, however now it is rarely on t.v, at least where I live anyways(ontario). Basketball is pretty much dead in canada for 2 reasons: 1, We only have one canadian team, and the raptors have been terrible for a few years now. 2, its almost impossible to watch more than the odd game every month.
Someone mentioned the dunk competition and how its shit now. The dunk competition is only open to players in there first 3 years in the league. Dumbest idea as far as I’m concerned because the best dunkers in the league have been in the league for more than 3 yrs.
The NBA has too many sloppy turn-overs. I"m not saying the players aren’t as good, I just think they aren’t as court smart as the players before them. Which makes a big difference in the quality of the game. I found college basketball much more interesting to watch
