The NBA

[doodlebug]

LeBron James has opened a school for at-risk kids in Akron:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/lebron-james-launching-school-for-at-risk-children-one-of-the-greatest-moments-of-my-life/ar-BBLdRwv?OCID=ansmsnnews11

[mojoween]

Welp.  It took what, 15 years?  But finally someone has done something that will make me root for LBJ.

I don’t want to, because he can be such an annoying shit on the court.  But earlier this week, I did have mad props for that school (even if I thought sports media could have take a chill on how much they went over it in excruciating detail).

And now, today.  When someone who is NOT SMART says that someone made LeBron look smart “which isn’t easy to do?”  Yeah, fuck that asshole twice.  I still can’t quite bring myself to root for LeBron to win another title, but I won’t actively root against him any more either.  Go LeBron.  I bet he could be a state rep in either CA or OH when he hangs up the sneaks.

[doodlebug]

39 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Welp.  It took what, 15 years?  But finally someone has done something that will make me root for LBJ.

I don’t want to, because he can be such an annoying shit on the court.  But earlier this week, I did have mad props for that school (even if I thought sports media could have take a chill on how much they went over it in excruciating detail).

And now, today.  When someone who is NOT SMART says that someone made LeBron look smart “which isn’t easy to do?”  Yeah, fuck that asshole twice.  I still can’t quite bring myself to root for LeBron to win another title, but I won’t actively root against him any more either.  Go LeBron.  I bet he could be a state rep in either CA or OH when he hangs up the sneaks.

LeBron and his James Family Foundation have been strong in the Akron area for more than a decade now.  He's done a ton of stuff for the kids there over the years.  One summer, every kid in Akron got a bike courtesy of LeBron.  He and his wife have participated in fundraisers for all sorts of charities and are particularly active in anything that involves kids and education.  The school is not a one off, it's the culmination of a decade of community service.

[rcc]

Not a big Lebron fan on the court but I give him props for his school he just opened. Trump and his Trump University cheated people monetarily while Lebron helped kids.

[Ohwell]

*Somebody* is just burning with envy because LeBron probably has more money than that *somebody* does.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Ohwell

[ganesh]

Y'all hear the micdrop quote in response to the tweet?

Edited August 5, 2018 by ganesh

[Fukui San]

34 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Y'all here the micdrop quote in response to the tweet?

No. Please share. 

[ganesh]

"LeBron puts kids in school. He puts kids in cages."

[Magog]

The NBA Schedule for the 2018-2019 season hasn't came out yet, but the Christmas Day games are pretty much set. 

 Sixers at Celtics  - Yay. 

Bucks at Knicks - Except for watching the Greek Freak (who is probably a future Laker in the making), there is no reason to even watch this game. Matter of fact, I'm pissed off that the Knicks are still even worth a Christmas Day Game.

Lakers at Warriors - Le Bron will be the only person to root for in this game. 2 very loathsome teams & the front-runners rooting for both of them. 

Thunder at Rockets - 2 teams that will get their ass kicked by those Warriors. Maybe this game wouldn't suck like the other games. 

Jazz at Trail Blazers - Meh. A nap may need to be in order.

[topanga]

7 hours ago, Magog said:

The NBA Schedule for the 2018-2019 season hasn't came out yet, but the Christmas Day games are pretty much set. 

Heh. I love that the sports world realizes that people are trapped in their houses on holidays, usually bored and spending time with relatives they hate. So there are ample opportunities all day to tune out and watch a game. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

You can try to convince yourself he's "evil" and that his wife is whatever you think she is, but I love Steph Curry, and this made me love him and his family even more: 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/stephen-curry-womens-equality 

[doodlebug]

15 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

You can try to convince yourself he's "evil" and that his wife is whatever you think she is, but I love Steph Curry, and this made me love him and his family even more: 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/stephen-curry-womens-equality 

Good read, good for him.  I don't think he's evil, I think he's bland.  And his wife is a little thirsty.  But, that's ok, as long as he uses his powers for good.  And running basketball camps for girls is very, very good.

[LexieLily]

Mani Ginobili announced his retirement today.

Duncan and Ginobili are gone. Parker is in Charlotte. Kawhi got traded to Toronto. It's going to be strange watching San Antonio basketball this year. And I can't help but wonder how much longer Pop will stay.

[mojoween]

I feel like I'm missing something.  How would a ten game suspension of Mark Cuban help anything?  I’ve heard a couple of analysts say that the fine is just throwing money at the issue and the next two days are going to find a lot of blowback on Adam Silver for not doing more.

Why?  I’m genuinely asking because if you aren’t asking for him to have to lose the team, what is the point of a suspension?

[MVFrostsMyPie]

My mom ran into Ayesha Curry today (they live in the same town) at Rite Aid. She had her son with her and my mom said she was super nice and they had a great conversation. :) I told her that’s even better than when I ran into Steph and Ayesha in the parking lot of Whole Foods while they were putting their groceries in the car. ?

[topanga]

On 9/27/2018 at 3:38 PM, MVFrostsMyPie said:

My mom ran into Ayesha Curry today (they live in the same town) at Rite Aid. She had her son with her and my mom said she was super nice and they had a great conversation. :) I told her that’s even better than when I ran into Steph and Ayesha in the parking lot of Whole Foods while they were putting their groceries in the car. ?

Love Steph Curry’s game. And Ayesha and Steph Curry seem like nice people, and they’re really into each other—glad they’re cool in real life. So why do I find them annoying AF?

[mojoween]

I’ve seen the clip a million times and I’m still baffled why the audience thought Kyrie Irving talking about conspiracy theories was uproariously hilarious.

[Crs97]

I think my main problem with Steph Curry is that he seems to agree with people who think he is the best player in the league, and I don’t think he is even the best player on his team.  Otherwise, he seems like a decent guy.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

11 hours ago, topanga said:

Love Steph Curry’s game. And Ayesha and Steph Curry seem like nice people, and they’re really into each other—glad they’re cool in real life. So why do I find them annoying AF?

Maybe people don't like couples who are successful AND good-natured and friendly. Beats me! Maybe people (who aren't Warriors fans) would like them more if they walked around with permanent RBFs like LeBron and took themselves really seriously. ??‍♀️

6 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’ve seen the clip a million times and I’m still baffled why the audience thought Kyrie Irving talking about conspiracy theories was uproariously hilarious.

Isn't Kyrie one of those folks who thinks the earth is flat? 

[doodlebug]

12 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Maybe people don't like couples who are successful AND good-natured and friendly. Beats me! Maybe people (who aren't Warriors fans) would like them more if they walked around with permanent RBFs like LeBron and took themselves really seriously. ??‍♀️

Isn't Kyrie one of those folks who thinks the earth is flat? 

I think it is more that people don't like couples who seem to be thirsty (her) and bland to the point of boring (him).

LeBron is actually a pretty personable guy, as in, he has a personality.  I can still recall the days when Steph brought his toddler to all his press conferences because she actually had more interesting things to say than he did.

Steph as worked so hard at being inoffensive to heighten his marketability that he is now practically a cardboard cutout.  That's his choice, but some fans would find him more relatable if we ever saw anything resembling real passion and emotion from him.

[twoods]

Kyrie used to think the world was flat but apologized recently for believing conspiracy theories. At least he’s seen the light.

The Currys do seem very personable and the reason why I don’t like them is because I’m a Lakers fan and am salty. Plus, I was put off by them parading around their kid and her having a social media account. That being said, they seem like great people and am glad that they are doing a lot of good in their community.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

11 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Steph as worked so hard at being inoffensive to heighten his marketability that he is now practically a cardboard cutout.  That's his choice, but some fans would find him more relatable if we ever saw anything resembling real passion and emotion from him.

I think he shows enough emotion in his social media and other appearances. He's actually pretty funny in some of his videos. Can't please everyone, but that's okay because he has plenty of fans. :) ??‍♀️

 

7 hours ago, twoods said:

Plus, I was put off by them parading around their kid and her having a social media account. 

Legit question, why can't she have a social media account though? She's her own person, not just "wife of ballplayer". She should be allowed to have her own personality and life and ambitions, and hey, more power to her for having had a partner since young adulthood who ended up becoming successful in a professional sport. Heck, if I had a famous husband, I'd use that to my advantage too. At least she's not on a trashy reality TV show with a bunch of other basketball wives, stirring up drama. She's just a woman who drives herself to her local pharmacy with her baby son, with no fanfare and no bodyguards and no entourage and no attitude.

[twoods]

Sorry, I meant the kid (Riley), not his wife. She can do whatever she wants because she is an adult and has a pretty solid life outside of being a basketball star’s wife, but when kids have their own Instagram and Facebook accounts that are likely managed by their parents it gets a side-eye from me. I remember some of my friends would have Facebook accounts of their kids and would wonder who has time to manage more than one account?

Edited October 4, 2018 by twoods

[doodlebug]

Just now, twoods said:

Sorry, I meant the kid, not his wife. She can do whatever she wants but when kids have their own Instagram and Facebook accounts that are likely managed by their parents, it gets a side-eye from me. I remember some of my friends would have Facebook accounts of their kids and would wonder who has time to manage more than one account?

Yes, this.  The shameless pimping of their kids is really unseemly and I can only think they’ve done it in an effort to present a certain image to the public to capitalize on it financially and makes them seem less than genuine; and, quite frankly, not particularly admirable as parents.  Like I’ve said, Ayesha, in particular, seems pretty fame hungry and very phony to me and I feel especially sorry for poor Riley, shoved out in front of the public for profit practically all her life.

[Jx223]

Today is opening season for the NBA. Celtics/76ers and Warriors/Thunder are the games that are going on tonight. I think that the 76ers/Celitcs might end up being a good game.

Russell Westbrook will be sitting out for the Warriors game. 

[Magog]

Quote

1 hour ago, Jx223 said:

Today is opening season for the NBA. Celtics/76ers and Warriors/Thunder are the games that are going on tonight. I think that the 76ers/Celitcs might end up being a good game.

Russell Westbrook will be sitting out for the Warriors game. 

 

I'm only here for the 76ers - Celtics tonight because of Kyrie Irving. 

Thunder - Warriors could be a massacre. We all know that the Thunder have no chance against those Warriors tonight & this season. 

BTW, LeBron's first home game with those Lakers will be on ESPN on Saturday Night. He will be the only person that I will root for on the Lakers. The rest of that team can get bent & are just as loathsome as those Warriors. I'm surprised that ESPN won't have (Mr. Laker fan) Stephen A Smith be a part of this telecast. He is always openly rooting for the Lakers, sucking up to the Lakers, & already he is thinking about what his Lakers should get for Free Agency (Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, etc..) next summer. BTW, they're playing the crummy Rockets.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Magog

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Ah, here comes another season of the Warriors being referred to as “evil” again. ??

[NUguy514]

I hate LeBron James, and I hate the Lakers: it's a match made in hell!

I would continue to hate the Cavs, but I mean, what's the point?  It just seems like bullying now.

[DrSpaceman73]

54 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

I hate LeBron James, and I hate the Lakers: it's a match made in hell!

I would continue to hate the Cavs, but I mean, what's the point?  It just seems like bullying now.

Ditto for me

I have hated the Lakers since birth.  And never a fan of Lebron.  Put them together, I hate them ALMOST as much as Brady and the Patriots.

But not quite. 

I am of the opinion Lebron, maybe a common one, I don't know, Lebron is more focused now on LA and his image, post NBA career than on winning.  Not saying he doesn't want to win and won't play hard.  He will.  But he has to know, the Lakers are a western conference 5-8 seed at best.  And there is no limping through the regular season and into the playoffs, then beating up on the other teams in a seven game series in the West. 

He will stick around to get the all time scoring title and try to play with his son in the league, but I don't think he seriously thinks he can win a title in LA.  Not until someone leaves GS at the very least, and even then at least 3 other teams would be favorites before the Lakers. 

[prican58]

I do believe I'm in love with this team. I grew up on Long Island when the Nets had Dr J and won some ABA championships. So I have always carried a torch for them. They have always been 2nd class citizens in this town but they gave me much pleasure when they were good. 

https://www.nba.com/nets/video/2018/thebridge/ep2

[Jx223]

6 hours ago, Magog said:

I'm only here for the 76ers - Celtics tonight because of Kyrie Irving. 

Thunder - Warriors could be a massacre. We all know that the Thunder have no chance against those Warriors tonight & this season. 

BTW, LeBron's first home game with those Lakers will be on ESPN on Saturday Night. He will be the only person that I will root for on the Lakers. The rest of that team can get bent & are just as loathsome as those Warriors. I'm surprised that ESPN won't have (Mr. Laker fan) Stephen A Smith be a part of this telecast. He is always openly rooting for the Lakers, sucking up to the Lakers, & already he is thinking about what his Lakers should get for Free Agency (Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, etc..) next summer. BTW, they're playing the crummy Rockets.

OKC has some new players, but I could them losing most (if not all of their matchups) against the Warriors this season. 

Also, I wonder how the Lakers will fare. They definitely have an interesting lineup. They didn't look bad in preseason and did beat the Warriors, but I wonder how they will fare and gel as a team during the regular season (and possibly the playoffs). They will have a lot of games on National Television this year. 

And speaking of the Rockets, I want to see how Melo fits with them this season. He didn't fit well with OKC, but maybe things will be better for him in Houston. And I also want to see how the Cavs fare now that LeBron has left. It would be interesting if they actually were decent without him. 

[Jx223]

NBA League pass is having a free trial from today until October 23. If you don't have a cable or satellite package with these channels you can watch it free at this website:

http://www.nba.com/leaguepass

You have to create an NBA account if you don't have one to watch it on your electronic devices. (I believe that creating a NBA account is also free.)

There are a lot of games going on tonight. Some of the games I am looking forward to checking out are the Raptors/Cavs game and the Minnesota/Spurs game (especially with all of the drama the T-Wolves are having going on lately regarding Jimmy Butler.)

Edited October 17, 2018 by Jx223

[twoods]

I have missed Inside the NBA. I laughed for a good 10 minutes at Charles’s comment on how all the mean internet people are “probably guys sitting in their grandma’s basement with their draws on.” Shaq couldn’t stop laughing. They have such good chemistry. 

Lakers looked better than I thought they would be. 119 points and still lost, so they have to learn to play defense and cut the turnovers (and enough with the threes). The Blazers played great and were actually favored to win. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by twoods

[mojoween]

That is an impressive feat by the media to make me more tired of LeBron than I have ever been after one game.

Seriously...salivating after his first bucket? Gross.

[Magog]

Quote

Ah, here comes another season of the Warriors being referred to as “evil” again. ??

You should be used to this by now. You should be relishing about your Warriors being currently the evil empire of the NBA. 

Besides, next to their coach, the only player that is very classy & makes me laugh on that team is Draymond Green. For some reason, I can never show any anger towards Draymond Green like I do on a daily basis towards Stephen Curry (especially), Klay Thompson, & (definitely) Kevin Durant. When Swaggy P (Nick Young) was with the Dark Side last season, he was another player who was classy & I can never get mad at him. I think DeMarcus Cousins will be the complete opposite of Swaggy P & Draymond Green. 

Quote

That is an impressive feat by the media to make me more tired of LeBron than I have ever been after one game.

Seriously...salivating after his first bucket? Gross.

Then don't watch the Rockets - Lakers on Saturday Night on ESPN. You will get a boatload of that. Stephen A Smith was doing that on First Take today. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

6 hours ago, Magog said:

You should be used to this by now. You should be relishing about your Warriors being currently the evil empire of the NBA. 

Besides, next to their coach, the only player that is very classy & makes me laugh on that team is Draymond Green. For some reason, I can never show any anger towards Draymond Green like I do on a daily basis towards Stephen Curry (especially), Klay Thompson, & (definitely) Kevin Durant. When Swaggy P (Nick Young) was with the Dark Side last season, he was another player who was classy & I can never get mad at him. I think DeMarcus Cousins will be the complete opposite of Swaggy P & Draymond Green.  

You show anger on a daily basis toward players on the Warriors? That sounds... unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that!

Edited October 19, 2018 by MVFrostsMyPie

[isalicat]

Oh that Warrior victory over the Jazz last night *in Utah* was so sweet! Let us all sing: "There is only one Jonas Jerebko!"

I'm so glad basketball is back. The Raptors/Celtics game was also a thrillah! Should be an outstanding season, don't you all think?

[AnnieBeez]

On 10/19/2018 at 8:23 AM, Magog said:

You should be used to this by now. You should be relishing about your Warriors being currently the evil empire of the NBA. 

Besides, next to their coach, the only player that is very classy & makes me laugh on that team is Draymond Green. For some reason, I can never show any anger towards Draymond Green like I do on a daily basis towards Stephen Curry (especially), Klay Thompson, & (definitely) Kevin Durant. When Swaggy P (Nick Young) was with the Dark Side last season, he was another player who was classy & I can never get mad at him. I think DeMarcus Cousins will be the complete opposite of Swaggy P & Draymond Green. 

Then don't watch the Rockets - Lakers on Saturday Night on ESPN. You will get a boatload of that. Stephen A Smith was doing that on First Take today. 

Magog, I think we have a different definition of classy. Draymond “Natural Shooting Motion” Green is classy? He’s a brat  

I don’t think Swaggy P is classy, but he did make me laugh. And I’m surprised he’s not been picked up this season. 

I like Boogie and hope he plays well enough to get paid and a new team next season. 

I HATE the Lakers. Their fans are even more obnoxious than Warriors fans.  Ugh, and now with LeWhine on the team? Yuck. 

Go Blazers!

[Jx223]

Toronto has been doing a nice job so far this season. I am really impressed with Kawhi Leonard and the energy he has brought to the Raptors team. Danny Green is also doing a nice job with the team. I enjoyed that double block that him and Kawhi did the other day against Jayson Tatum, that was fun to watch. 

Also, I wonder what type of discipline may be dealt out from the altercations from last night's Lakers/Rockets game. Chris Paul claimed that Rondo spit on him which lead to them fighting, but Rondo and people from the Lakers organization said that didn't happen. They could both end up facing suspensions for their altercation in addition to Brandon Ingram who also threw a punch during that scuffle. 

The Lakers have lost their first couple of games and face the Spurs next.  I wonder how they will adjust as the season goes on.

Edited October 21, 2018 by Jx223

[twoods]

The Lakers may get an 8th seed but need to play better defense if they are going to beat the top teams. They are scoring a lot of points but their opponents are scoring more points, and this will continue as the season comes along. Lebron is clearly here to brand his name and image, not to win, but at least they are better than they were the past few years.

I was surprised that Brandon Ingram lost his cool since he’s usually mellow. 

[Jx223]

1 hour ago, twoods said:

The Lakers may get an 8th seed but need to play better defense if they are going to beat the top teams. They are scoring a lot of points but their opponents are scoring more points, and this will continue as the season comes along. Lebron is clearly here to brand his name and image, not to win, but at least they are better than they were the past few years.

I was surprised that Brandon Ingram lost his cool since he’s usually mellow. 

Yeah, and LeBron will see first hand how much harder it is to compete in the west. 9 of 10 of the Lakers next games are against Western Conference opponents, including multiple meetings with the Spurs, meetings with the Nuggets, Trailblazers, etc. The first eastern team they play is the Raptors who have been playing well so far. They could have a slow/rough start.

Also, the NBA has suspended Brandon Ingram for 4 games, Rondo for 3 games and Chris Paul for 2 for their roles in the altercation last night.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25047465/multiple-suspensions-lakers-rockets-scuffle

[Jx223]

The Lakers Spurs game tonight ended up being an entertaining game. Kyle Kuzma played very well and helped keep the Lakers competitive against the Spurs. But the Lakers did not play well defensively and that helped cost them this game. Their lack of defensive effort was on display in particular in the last couple of minutes of regulation, where they basically stood around looking nonchalant while the Spurs got multiple offensive rebounds.

They were able to get the game into OT after a big 3pt shot that LeBron made and they played better in the OT period. They were hustling much better as a team. Really liked the moment where several players made plays that helped LeBron make a shot that put them up by like 5 or 6 points. However, even that hustle offensively wasn't enough to overcome their defensive woes and get them the win.

Their next game is against the Suns, which they should win but I do believe that the Suns have improved as a team, and that might not be as easy of game as they'd like. Especially if they don't play better defensively.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Jx223

[roamyn]

As much as I respect LeBron as a player (and a a God for bringing us our 1st championship in 52 yrs), I must say that I was glad his home opener as a Laker was over shadowed by the scrum.  I was so sick of hearing the hype abt “LeBron’s home opener” blah blah blah...

Though it burns me he was wearing a Dodgers cap.

[topanga]

On 10/23/2018 at 7:17 AM, roamyn said:

Though it burns me he was wearing a Dodgers cap.

That’s weird. I understand that he changed cities for his job. But wasn’t he rooting hard for Cleveland’s baseball team a few years ago during the World Series? Or was that pure PR?

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, topanga said:

That’s weird. I understand that he changed cities for his job. But wasn’t he rooting hard for Cleveland’s baseball team a few years ago during the World Series? Or was that pure PR?

Yes, but, when he first played for the Cavs back in his early days, he once attended a Cleveland-Yankees playoff game in Cleveland wearing a Yankees cap.  I was there and it did not go over well.  LeBron's explanation was that he was from Akron, not Cleveland, and that he grew up rooting for the Yankees because they were winners and the Indians weren't.  Not his finest moment.  He grew up (and probably got better PR advice) when he went to Miami and, when he returned, he was all-Cleveland all the time.

As far as the Dodgers cap, he is playing there, they are in the World Series.  I've got no problem with him showing support for the baseball team where he is currently working and I don't think most of Cleveland cares one way or the other either.  Now, if he were playing for the Celtics and had worn a Red Sox cap; Cleveland would not be so forgiving.

[Magog]

The Lakers finally won their first game against the lousy Suns last night. Maybe, people will shut up about their 0-3 start like their season is going down the toilet. They haven't meet those Warriors yet to even know if their season is going down the drain or not. This season is a week old & already, some people on ESPN & Undisputed (FS1) are already thinking the wheels are falling off. 

Speaking of teams that suck, the not worth a damn Wizards (especially John Wall & that sad excuse of an NBA Player, Austin Rivers) got massacred by those Warriors with ESPN's favorite Golden Boy scoring 51 points on them in 3 Quarters & mocking them in the process. ESPN was most certainly very thrilled about that.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Magog

[Ohwell]

I didn't hate the Lakers before LeWhine joined them.  Now, I do.

[NUguy514]

ESPN's favorite Golden Boy?  I didn't realize Bron-Bron had joined the Warriors.  I must have missed that memo.

[Jx223]

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are offering 4 future first round picks for Jimmy Butler:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25083858/houston-rockets-offer-wolves-four-first-round-draft-picks-jimmy-butler

[twoods]

That is insane. Is he worth that? Is ANYONE worth that?