2012 NBA Playoffs: I love this game!

[SteelBlue]

How can people not like this dude?

I've been trying to figure this out for 2 years. I just don't get it. Sure, "the decision was dumb", but that's old news. If the worst mistake a guy makes is getting the eff out of Cleveland, well, he's ok in my book.

[calicoug]

I've been trying to figure this out for 2 years. I just don't get it. Sure, "the decision was dumb", but that's old news. If the worst mistake a guy makes is getting the eff out of Cleveland, well, he's ok in my book.

I agree. I like him.

I actually feel bad for him. He wound up in an unwinnable position through no fault of his own. He is the greatest ball player of our generation who is from Ohio and happened to be up for the draft in the year when Cleveland had the #1 overall pick, guaranteeing he would play in his home state. Fans there were irrational with him. Had he gone anywhere else to start, even The Decision wouldn't have been a big deal. It would have just been good television.

He should have known that he was ripping out Cleveland's heart with The Decision and I'm sure he wouldn't do that again if he could go back, but ESPN was also pushing the program hard and he was a cocky young guy with lots of people heaping attention on him. He chose a path that everyone wanted him to choose and didn't have the maturity to see The Decision for what it was.

I can think of a lot of worse things people can do in life than that.

It's a bit odd to consider how many people hate LeBron for his "actions" and think nothing of cheering for Koby, for example.

[TripletDaddy]

You are probably kidding around. Kobe is even more divisive than LBJ. Most of the Moran jazz fan LBJ supporters on this board latched onto LBJ at least In part because they hate Kobe.

The top players in any sport are always polarizing. LBJ is nothing new in that regard.

[DrumNFeather]

You are probably kidding around. Kobe is even more divisive than LBJ. Most of the Moran jazz fan LBJ supporters on this board latched onto LBJ at least In part because they hate Kobe.

The top players in any sport are always polarizing. LBJ is nothing new in that regard.

Kobe has finally turned into the aging superstar that people will root for to make a run. I think you will find more people rooting for him to get one more as his career winds down.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

You are probably kidding around. Kobe is even more divisive than LBJ. Most of the Moran jazz fan LBJ supporters on this board latched onto LBJ at least In part because they hate Kobe.

The top players in any sport are always polarizing. LBJ is nothing new in that regard.

I wonder if the Kobe polarization had anything to do with him allegedly raping that girl? Seems like he was really popular all over the country (world?) before that. You are probably right though, I imagine being at the top was the polarizing thing.

[TripletDaddy]

I wonder if the Kobe polarization had anything to do with him allegedly raping that girl? Seems like he was really popular all over the country (world?) before that. You are probably right though, I imagine being at the top was the polarizing thing.

Jazz fans hated him way before that, interestingly enough much for the same reasons people now hate LBJ....lots of hype without winning it all. Remember the 3 air balls in the playoffs? People have hated Kobe since he came into the league. His global popularity since the Colorado stuff (not prior to) has never been higher, ironically.

Like Kobe, LBJ will cure many ills with regular winning, but many will still hate him and want him to fail. Ultimately, it won't matter. Winning will be LBJs legacy.

[DrumNFeather]

Dan Gilbert doesn't know when to quit:

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/6/2...mes-miami-heat

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted two years ago, has won an NBA championship.

This was accomplished with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up called the NBA Finals, culminating with a national TV special of his "victory" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

What's next for Skip Bayless?
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS HIS SECOND"

You can take it to the bank. While there, please note that I have deposited renumerations in your account based on a previous guarantee that didn't quite pan out.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of success and hard work by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. I will personally kill these people to show them that's not how it works.


This shocking act of triumph from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become. We want them to become sore losers, not gracious winners.


But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" indeed took the "curse" with him down south. In fall 2011, he imbued a big-faced Rollie with the curse. And he pawned it. And James Harden bought it. Whatever, we don't have it any more. But the curse will rise again, and it will definitely make LeBron lose his toenails or something.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Dan

[CardiacCoug]

Dan Gilbert doesn't know when to quit:

Funny.

[TripletDaddy]

Would have been better in comic sans font.

[The_Douger]

You are probably kidding around. Kobe is even more divisive than LBJ. Most of the Moran jazz fan LBJ supporters on this board latched onto LBJ at least In part because they hate Kobe.

The top players in any sport are always polarizing. LBJ is nothing new in that regard.

I cheer for the Jazz and I actually liked and appreciated Kobe's talent until the whole rape thing.

He quit in deciding games against Phoenix and Boston as well.

He wants to be compared to Jordan, that's fine, but Jordan never would have done that.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Not that it matters but I think Kobe is the best basketball player of my life. He isn't as iconic as Jordan for a myriad of reasons, I don't think LBJ will ever e as good of pure bball player but is possibly the eat athlete in pro sports. I legitimately think LBJ could play in the NFL, MLB or any other pro league.

I also think Karl Malone is awesomer than John Stockton.

[Jacob]

Kobe has finally turned into the aging superstar that people will root for to make a run. I think you will find more people rooting for him to get one more as his career winds down.

Not that it matters but I think Kobe is the best basketball player of my life. He isn't as iconic as Jordan for a myriad of reasons, I don't think LBJ will ever e as good of pure bball player but is possibly the eat athlete in pro sports.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I was looking for other triple-doubles in Finals clinching wins. It was impressive to look at lists of really dominating individual performances in the Finals and specifically in series clinching games.

1969 Game 7 - Jerry West: 42 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, only player to be named MVP from the losing team

1986 Game 6 - Larry Bird: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists

1988 Game 7 - James Worthy: 36 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists

2003 Game 6 - Tim Duncan: 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists (and 8 blocks, tying a playoff record)

There were some crazy big numbers in different Finals appearances. As I was looking through some one thing that stood out was a reminder of how incredibly dominating Shaq was during those runs in LA. In Game 1 against the Sixers he had 44 and 20 in a game where he shot 10/22 from the FT line. But after suffering a shocking loss in that Game 1, Shaq came back with a near quadruple-double: 28 points, 20 boards, 9 assists, and 8 blocks. And that was while being matched up against Mutumbo IIRC.

[MarkGrace]

Shaq was a beast and already seems like he's not going to get the all-time consideration he probably should because of the way he petered out at the end of his career. From Hollinger's article today:

Instead, James' new legacy is one of the most amazing top-to-bottom seasons in NBA annals. Amazingly, virtually nobody discussed this while it was happening; that's how all-consuming the will-he-choke-or-won't-he meme became. In the modern history of the league, the only seasons that can really compare are Shaquille O'Neal's first championship season with the Lakers and Michael Jordan's first three championships with the Bulls. Everything else is orders of magnitude below.

Check it out: James led the league in PER by a wide margin at 30.80, the 10th-best mark of the post-merger era. In the playoffs, he kept it up with a 30.39, which was doubly amazing because the competition in the postseason is so much tougher. It goes without saying that he led the league in both regular-season and playoff PER, and did so by wide margins. He also had the best adjusted plus/minus in the postseason, and nearly the best in the regular season.

He wasn't just the best player in the league; he dominated it from start to finish, in a way only three players had done in the past four decades. Jordan. Shaq. LeBron. That's the list.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playo...-greats-ladder

But despite how good he was, it seems like he'll always be saddled with the "should have done more" tag. The guy could have been the catalyst for another championship or two if he took his career half as seriously as Kobe.

[TripletDaddy]

I dont think Shack ever won a rebounding title even once in his career. how in the world is that possible? laziness.