NBA Thread

[FKIM01]

13 hours ago, KoB2011 said:

Unrelated to watching any particular game but this has kind of stood out to me watching the playoffs - the amount of REALLY good NBA players UK has put in the league recently is absurd.

I think the second 5 from UK could beat any other college's first team, with Duke as a possible exception. 

Considering the classes they had?  No shock at all.  No one ever said Cal couldn't recruit.  Until Duke got involved, he pretty much had the pick of the litter every year.

[Hoosier51]

16 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Paul was a part of two or three VERYYYY good teams. One of them was a #1. Idk. Is what it is. I think he's soft.

Yeah he played on some pretty good Pacers teams, they just had the unfortunate luck of having to get through Lebron in his prime. Since he was traded the teams he has been on have failed more then when he was with the Pacers, and that's while playing with two of the best players in the league. I'm like you I think he is soft.

[dgambill]

19 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

Considering the classes they had?  No shock at all.  No one ever said Cal couldn't recruit.  Until Duke got involved, he pretty much had the pick of the litter every year.

Says more about what Cal accomplished with them then anything. He had a long run with the elite talent. A lot of final 4s so he had success just not as many championships as you would think.

[Seeking6]

I had a reminder pop up on calendar this evening. It said post Playoff Paul in HSN NBA Thread in late May.

All the respect in the world to our resident PG fan club President....but after this many years and this many teams....a common denominator isn't hard to find. 

[KoB2011]

2 hours ago, Seeking6 said:

I had a reminder pop up on calendar this evening. It said post Playoff Paul in HSN NBA Thread in late May.

All the respect in the world to our resident PG fan club President....but after this many years and this many teams....a common denominator isn't hard to find. 

I miss our resident PG fan. I understand needing a break after being a mod, but I hope he comes back next season. 

[dgambill]

10 hours ago, KoB2011 said:

I miss our resident PG fan. I understand needing a break after being a mod, but I hope he comes back next season. 

I forget who it was....but with friends like you guys who needs enemies lol!!! so mean!

I joke. No matter what happens PG will do just enough to deflect attention off him to someone else....but not enough to get his team to the promise land I imagine.

[Seeking6]

1 minute ago, dgambill said:

I forget who it was....but with friends like you guys who needs enemies lol!!! so mean!

I joke. No matter what happens PG will do just enough to deflect attention off him to someone else....but not enough to get his team to the promise land I imagine.

I did too. I probably should be better at remembering posters history.

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, dgambill said:

I forget who it was....but with friends like you guys who needs enemies lol!!! so mean!

I joke. No matter what happens PG will do just enough to deflect attention off him to someone else....but not enough to get his team to the promise land I imagine.

@Hoosierhoopster is our resident PG fan. 

[5fouls]

Question for the group..  

Is the world, including Russell Westbrook, overreacting to the popcorn incident? 

I get that you kick the offending fan out of the game. But, people are acting like someone threw a brick at his head.  It was POPCORN.  It doesn't hurt.  Westbrook trying to go into the stands is laughable.  Talk about being too full of yourself.  You are an athlete in an opponent's arena.  Getting taunted as an athlete used to be a badge of honor.  It meant you were good.  Now, we're making a federal offense out of dumping popcorn on someone's head.    

[dgambill]

9 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

Question for the group..  

Is the world, including Russell Westbrook, overreacting to the popcorn incident? 

I get that you kick the offending fan out of the game. But, people are acting like someone threw a brick at his head.  It was POPCORN.  It doesn't hurt.  Westbrook trying to go into the stands is laughable.  Talk about being too full of yourself.  You are an athlete in an opponent's arena.  Getting taunted as an athlete used to be a badge of honor.  It meant you were good.  Now, we're making a federal offense out of dumping popcorn on someone's head.    

Remember when in the NFL they threw batteries at the players...or snow balls....Agreed the guy should have been thrown out...probably should be banned because you don't want to encourage others to do this or worse...but to act like this is a hate crime or something just seems to be a bit much. Too many beers probably. I haven't been following it but I mean popcorn! OMG what's next....cotton balls!! The humanity!

Did the guy that started the malice in the palace get the same hatred for throwing a full beer at Artest? I just remember the Pacers being the villian there. 

Didn't Josh Jackson of the Suns say he was at that game and he threw a water bottle too! Don't remember any outrage about that.

Edited May 27, 2021 by dgambill

[KoB2011]

7 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

Question for the group..  

Is the world, including Russell Westbrook, overreacting to the popcorn incident? 

I get that you kick the offending fan out of the game. But, people are acting like someone threw a brick at his head.  It was POPCORN.  It doesn't hurt.  Westbrook trying to go into the stands is laughable.  Talk about being too full of yourself.  You are an athlete in an opponent's arena.  Getting taunted as an athlete used to be a badge of honor.  It meant you were good.  Now, we're making a federal offense out of dumping popcorn on someone's head.    

Do you remember what started the Malace at the Palace? It was throwing a beer at Ron Artest. I kind of doubt that a beer really hurt him much like I doubt the popcorn hurt Russ. 

I'm not sure how much overreaction there is. I saw it get covered, I haven't seen any mention of a federal investigation over it. What are you seeing as the overreaction?

 

[5fouls]

5 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

Do you remember what started the Malace at the Palace? It was throwing a beer at Ron Artest. I kind of doubt that a beer really hurt him much like I doubt the popcorn hurt Russ. 

I'm not sure how much overreaction there is. I saw it get covered, I haven't seen any mention of a federal investigation over it. What are you seeing as the overreaction?

 

Here is just one example.  Russ goes ballistic in post-game and Lebron felt the need to chime in.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/27/russell-westbrook-popcorn-fan-wizards-nba-playoffs-lebron-james/

 

All this over POPCORN.  Just smh.

[KoB2011]

1 minute ago, 5fouls said:

Here is just one example.  Russ goes ballistic in post-game and Lebron felt the need to chime in.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/27/russell-westbrook-popcorn-fan-wizards-nba-playoffs-lebron-james/

 

All this over POPCORN.  Just smh.

Yes, Russ was upset. I think most hyper competitive people would be with how that game was going. Overreaction? Maybe, I don't really know. 

I don't really see the issue with the LeBron tweet. He is a spokesman for NBA players, and he wants to make sure there is justice for an player getting something thrown on him as he left with an injury. 

The most actual conversation I've seen about it... Was started by you, @5fouls. 

Let's do an experiment where you get injured at work, on your way to leave the building to get that checked out you have some random person dump popcorn on you and see how you respond? I'm sure it wouldn't just be a laugh it off scenario. I don't really see anyone reaction was over the top here...

[5fouls]

Just now, KoB2011 said:

Yes, Russ was upset. I think most hyper competitive people would be with how that game was going. Overreaction? Maybe, I don't really know. 

I don't really see the issue with the LeBron tweet. He is a spokesman for NBA players, and he wants to make sure there is justice for an player getting something thrown on him as he left with an injury. 

The most actual conversation I've seen about it... Was started by you, @5fouls. 

Let's do an experiment where you get injured at work, on your way to leave the building to get that checked out you have some random person dump popcorn on you and see how you respond? I'm sure it wouldn't just be a laugh it off scenario. I don't really see anyone reaction was over the top here...

Even money says the guy doesn't even get ejected, let alone have his season tickets revoked, had Westbrook not acted the way he did.  But, he did, and we have a case of a prima donna getting his feelings hurt over something silly, and people scrambling to make him feel better.  

It wasn't the act of dumping the popcorn that was over the top here.  It was the reaction.

And, no, I can think of no circumstances where I get popcorn dumped on me and react the way Russ did.  Honestly, I would have probably picked up a few pieces and ate them, just to show the guy and everyone around him that I was a big enough human being to not be offended by it.

[KoB2011]

1 minute ago, 5fouls said:

Even money says the guy doesn't even get ejected, let alone have his season tickets revoked, had Westbrook not acted the way he did.  But, he did, and we have a case of a prima donna getting his feelings hurt over something silly, and people scrambling to make him feel better.  

It wasn't the act of dumping the popcorn that was over the top here.  It was the reaction.

And, no, I can think of no circumstances where I get popcorn dumped on me and react the way Russ did.  Honestly, I would have probably picked up a few pieces and ate them, just to show the guy and everyone around him that I was a big enough human being to not be offended by it.

We will have to agree to disagree. Getting his season tickets revoked absolutely fits the crime here. Fans should not interact with players in that way, and if they do they shouldn't be welcomed back. 

I am not an entitled enough person to think that me, as a fan, should be allowed to act that way. 

[FKIM01]

Here's where we need Allen Iverson talking...just replace "practice" with "popcorn".

[BGleas]

1 hour ago, KoB2011 said:

We will have to agree to disagree. Getting his season tickets revoked absolutely fits the crime here. Fans should not interact with players in that way, and if they do they shouldn't be welcomed back. 

I am not an entitled enough person to think that me, as a fan, should be allowed to act that way. 

I kind of think both you and @5fouls have a point here. There is absolutely no reason for a fan to dump a box of popcorn on any player's head. It shouldn't be done and while it's just popcorn and not a battery or something, it still absolutely crosses the line. From what I hear, the fan has had his season tickets revoked. 

With all of that said, doing something like this to Russell Westbrook is a situation where he is a player that is ultra-sensitive and is going to overreact. If it was another player then the fan is dealt with but the reaction is probably much smaller. Westbrook is a guy that is super emotional and sensitive, and very vocal about his stance that fans should cheer their team and then basically be quiet. Yell at hime, jeer him, etc. and he's going to make a big deal out of it. 

[5fouls]

4 hours ago, Seeking6 said:

I did too. I probably should be better at remembering posters history.

I'm kind of the same way.  Used to be a guy on here with the screen name of @Seeking6that posted quite a bit.  Haven't seen him around here the last 6 months or so.  

[Seeking6]

2 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

I'm kind of the same way.  Used to be a guy on here with the screen name of @Seeking6that posted quite a bit.  Haven't seen him around here the last 6 months or so.  

Haha. I hang out in the less traffic threads. 

[IUFLA]

2 hours ago, KoB2011 said:

Yes, Russ was upset. I think most hyper competitive people would be with how that game was going. Overreaction? Maybe, I don't really know. 

I don't really see the issue with the LeBron tweet. He is a spokesman for NBA players, and he wants to make sure there is justice for an player getting something thrown on him as he left with an injury. 

The most actual conversation I've seen about it... Was started by you, @5fouls. 

Let's do an experiment where you get injured at work, on your way to leave the building to get that checked out you have some random person dump popcorn on you and see how you respond? I'm sure it wouldn't just be a laugh it off scenario. I don't really see anyone reaction was over the top here...

LeBron said, "what if the shoe was on the other foot?"

Yes, let's examine that...

What kind of punishment would a player deserve if he did that to a fan?

[5fouls]

Compare and contrast gentlemen.  Compare and contrast.  Popcorn versus bodily fluid.  

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31521702/new-york-knicks-ban-fan-madison-square-garden-spitting-atlanta-hawks-trae-young

Young, however, has declined to press charges against the fan who spit on him.

"We appreciate the Garden's response to the incident, and Trae's focus remains on his teammates and Game 3," Young's agent, Omar Wilkes, said.

"Like I said, I take that as a compliment, to be honest with you," Young said following the Hawks' Game 1 win. "Obviously I'm doing something right if you hate me that much. I embrace it and try to focus on my team and trying to help my team win. At the end of the day, we'll get the last laugh if we do that."

Edited May 27, 2021 by 5fouls

[BGleas]

13 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

Compare and contrast gentlemen.  Compare and contrast.  Popcorn versus bodily fluid.  

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31521702/new-york-knicks-ban-fan-madison-square-garden-spitting-atlanta-hawks-trae-young

Young, however, has declined to press charges against the fan who spit on him.

"We appreciate the Garden's response to the incident, and Trae's focus remains on his teammates and Game 3," Young's agent, Omar Wilkes, said.

"Like I said, I take that as a compliment, to be honest with you," Young said following the Hawks' Game 1 win. "Obviously I'm doing something right if you hate me that much. I embrace it and try to focus on my team and trying to help my team win. At the end of the day, we'll get the last laugh if we do that."

That's kind of what I was getting at. Dumping popcorn on a player is unacceptable and the fan should and is being dealt with, but the player who it happened too is what makes this a bigger story. Russell Westbrook seems like an overly-emotional, overly-sensitive guy who is going to make a mountain out of a anthill. 

That doesn't mean throwing popcorn at a player is ok, just that how the recipient handles it determines how big of a story it's going to be. 

While Westbrook is certainly the "victim" in this interaction with the fan, as well as a few other fan interactions, he's a guy that often seems to find himself in these situations and doesn't necessarily handle them really well. I think opposing fans know they're going to get a big reaction out of him so they target him a bit. 

[5fouls]

4 minutes ago, BGleas said:

That's kind of what I was getting at. Dumping popcorn on a player is unacceptable and the fan should and is being dealt with, but the player who it happened too is what makes this a bigger story. Russell Westbrook seems like an overly-emotional, overly-sensitive guy who is going to make a mountain out of a anthill. 

That doesn't mean throwing popcorn at a player is ok, just that how the recipient handles it determines how big of a story it's going to be. 

While Westbrook is certainly the "victim" in this interaction with the fan, as well as a few other fan interactions, he's a guy that often seems to find himself in these situations and doesn't necessarily handle them really well. I think opposing fans know they're going to get a big reaction out of him so they target him a bit. 

I agree with what you are saying, and was kind of my original point, which was Westbrook's crying about this made it seem like a much bigger crime than it really was.

As far as punishments are concerned, I agree that both the [popcorn guy and the spitter should have been ejected.  However, while the spitter should be banned for life (really, what grown person does that), the popcorn guy should be given a second chance.  What he did was simply not worthy of a long term ban.  

[dgambill]

55 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

LeBron said, "what if the shoe was on the other foot?"

Yes, let's examine that...

What kind of punishment would a player deserve if he did that to a fan?

Have you been to a sporting event without having beer, nachos, or popcorn spilt on you lol!? I haven't lol

[IUFLA]

3 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Have you been to a sporting event without having beer, nachos, or popcorn spilt on you lol!? I haven't lol

I am a Cubs fan that lived just across the river from St Louis...had Cardinal season tickets (2 years, 1981 and 1982) and probably went to well over 200 games in the 7 years I lived there...when the Cubs came to town, I wore a Cubs jersey and hat...

So yeah, I've been intentionally hit with everything from hot dogs to peanuts...😁