2023-2024 NBA Season Thread

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Bill Walton gets underrated in the great player debate because he lost so much time to foot injuries.
But he was a truly great big man, maybe a Jokic level passer as well as a scorer, rebounder and defender.


I am guessing based on your age and NC connections, that you were a big David Thompson fan?
He is another that gets lost a bit to history.
He was an incredible scorer and athlete.

But a foot injury and cocaine addiction ended his career pretty early.

At that age I pulled for anyone from NC. Thompson, Catfish Hunter, Gaylord Perry, Sonny Jurgensen, Jethro Pugh, Pete Maravich, Richard Petty. The state had zero pro teams then so any pro who had NC roots I liked. Life is so simple at 4 or 5.

[Cobra Mgr]

Am I the only one who think LeMelo needs to sue the pants off the NBA for this?

[thehef]

I don't see what any fuss is about:

In a statement to ESPN, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said: "Per the [collective bargaining agreement], players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games. We try to enforce the rule reasonably, in accordance with its purpose, and taking into account players' efforts to express themselves in a non-commercial manner. But LaMelo Ball's neck tattoo is in obvious violation of the rule and, accordingly, he's required to cover it."

It's in the CBA...

[Cobra Mgr]

Multiple ex-NBA players found guilty of medical fraud.

[Cobra Mgr]

SNL - Draymond Green

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I'm sorry but my memory isn't great. When has Draymond been a dirty player? He may complain & hurl the expletives like rain, but I don't remember him being dirty. I may just be forgetting some plays here.

There was a stomp on someone's chest (I forget who), and a couple of times when he kicked an opposing player in the itlog. Those are just the ones that I can recall just now.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Antonin

There was a stomp on someone's chest (I forget who), and a couple of times when he kicked an opposing player in the itlog. Those are just the ones that I can recall just now.

There are a few compilations on Youtube that show a bunch of his dirty play. On some of these *high*lights, it'd be a fair point where it's not actually dirty play but just Draymond being an idiot. Neither case - dirty & idiot - is a difficult one to make

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Antonin

There was a stomp on someone's chest (I forget who), and a couple of times when he kicked an opposing player in the itlog. Those are just the ones that I can recall just now.

He stomped on Sabonis.
He did shove Lebron while Lebron was in the air, that is one of the dirtiest moves in basketball because that can cause serous injury.
He has also struck Steven Adams in the groin 2 times now.
And he also famously struck Lebron in the Finals and got ejected and suspended for a game and may of cost the Warriors a championship.

This is why he got the longest suspension for an on the court act in like two decades.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

He stomped on Sabonis.
He did shove Lebron while Lebron was in the air, that is one of the dirtiest moves in basketball because that can cause serous injury.
He has also struck Steven Adams in the groin 2 times now.
And he also famously struck Lebron in the Finals and got ejected and suspended for a game and may of cost the Warriors a championship.

This is why he got the longest suspension for an on the court act in like two decades.

These are all examples of how Draymond gets viewed differently because people don't like him.

The 1st incident w/Adams was clearly an accident.

The 2nd he wasn't trying to kick Adams, but trying to flop & flail to make sure he got the whistle.

The James incident, they both got physical with each other, Green went to the floor (By James or again a flop, whichever side of the coin your bias lies on) & then Bron steps over him. A HUGE NO-NO in basketball circles that is the equivalent of saying your mama to anybody you are angry with in the streets. So ya, Green swung upwards @ James while on the ground intending to get James off from above him. Something any other player would be likely to do. I still maintain LeBron goaded Green into that T & Draymond w/his hot temper, easily fell into the trap.

The Sabonis incident...Sabonis fell into Green & then held his leg. Ya'll want Green to just let an opponent hold him down like that when he is trying to sprint up the court?

Neither incident was dirty basketball. The ones w/Adams were accidents. The other 2 were Draymond's temper in reaction to an opponent's unsportsmanlike play.

Draymond has anger management problems. But I still haven't seen evidence of him being a dirty player.

[Cobra Mgr]

No defense in Atl tonight.

[Cobra Mgr]

What are we doing here? Giddey turned 21 frikin' last month. The girl is 16-17. I mean really?

[thehef]

Anyone catch the end of Suns/Lakers tonight? If so, you saw an NBA ref showing - again - why, of the major sports' refs/officials/umpires, they are the absolute worst...

Suns force a needed steal with about 7 seconds left, but referee Tom Washington gives LeBron James the timeout call despite the ball already being loose. The only mystery here is whether Washington is a terrible ref because a) it was a "LeBron" call, or b) he's just incompetent.

What's just as bad is that the NBA has no mechanism to address it. Something like that should've sent the refs directly to video review where - based upon history - there would've only been about 50/50 chance they'd get the call right...

Why does Adam Silver put up with this when the answers are so clear?

[thehef]

Originally Posted by thehef

Anyone catch the end of Suns/Lakers tonight? If so, you saw an NBA ref showing - again - why, of the major sports' refs/officials/umpires, they are the absolute worst...

Suns force a needed steal with about 7 seconds left, but referee Tom Washington gives LeBron James the timeout call despite the ball already being loose. The only mystery here is whether Washington is a terrible ref because a) it was a "LeBron" call, or b) he's just incompetent.

What's just as bad is that the NBA has no mechanism to address it. Something like that should've sent the refs directly to video review where - based upon history - there would've only been about 50/50 chance they'd get the call right...

Why does Adam Silver put up with this when the answers are so clear?

The crew chief from the game, Josh Tiven, made this worse. After reviewing replays of the play, he said, "we did see that Austin Reeves had his left hand on teh ball while it's pinned against his left leg, which does constitute control." Perhaps that is true, per se. However, replay also clearly shows that James did not turn to ref Washington and signal for the timeout until after the ball was knocked loose and was several feet away from Reeves.

The right comment here by Tiven would've been, "after reviewing the replay, a timeout should not have been granted," maybe along with something like "Washington was screened from the play and did not see that the ball was loose when James called for the timeout."

Still, the main problem here was that the technology was there to quickly address this. Not that the NFL's refs and replay system are beacons of excellence, but a similar situation in the NFL would've been fixed by replay assist. Get a clue, Adam Silver!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Am I the only one who think LeMelo needs to sue the pants off the NBA for this?

Why? He is in direct violation of the contract HIS union signed.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Why? He is in direct violation of the contract HIS union signed.

No he isn't. The man can have a tattoo of his frikkin' name!

[thehef]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Why? He is in direct violation of the contract HIS union signed.

Yup. It's pretty clear...

Originally Posted by thehef

In a statement to ESPN, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said: "Per the [collective bargaining agreement], players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games. We try to enforce the rule reasonably, in accordance with its purpose, and taking into account players' efforts to express themselves in a non-commercial manner. But LaMelo Ball's neck tattoo is in obvious violation of the rule and, accordingly, he's required to cover it."

It's in the CBA...

There's no wording (that I'm aware of) in the CBA that makes an exception for a corporate logo or insignia tattoo if it happens to be the same as the player's name.

If LaMelo is trying to say that he merely wants his name as a tattoo and it's just a coincidence that it's also his brand's logo and there's no intention to market that, I suppose there are a few who - in the midst of their attempts to purchase bridges - might buy that tale

But hey, nice try, LaMelo!

[rudel.dietrich]

The rule has been unevenly enforced to date

[Cobra Mgr]

When it comes to the NBA, I really can't watch a whole game w/LBJ anymore. The lopsided officiating just ruins the entertainment value.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

No he isn't. The man can have a tattoo of his frikkin' name!

Dude. Yes he is. Jesus...

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by thehef

Yup. It's pretty clear...



There's no wording (that I'm aware of) in the CBA that makes an exception for a corporate logo or insignia tattoo if it happens to be the same as the player's name.

If LaMelo is trying to say that he merely wants his name as a tattoo and it's just a coincidence that it's also his brand's logo and there's no intention to market that, I suppose there are a few who - in the midst of their attempts to purchase bridges - might buy that tale

But hey, nice try, LaMelo!

I thought it was pretty amusing...and no, he isn't going to get away with it.