The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

I see the Heat and Lakers in unfamiliar positions.  The play-in was a new thing this year and sent the Warriors packing.

This is going to be my year...  Suns are looking good for a run at the title, my Padres are kicking extreme amounts of ass, and my 49ers, now healthy, are ready to get back to the SB.

Lebron James is such a clown. I'm a Knicks fan so naturally I grew up hating Michael Jordan. Now that I am an adult, I see the difference between the two and it's not even close. Jordan would average 45 PPG in today's NBA while Lebron would average 12 PPG at best. Way too soft and no one even tries on defense.

Jordon would also play hurt and try to convince you he wasn’t while LeBron tries to convince you he’s hurt when he really not.... LOL

Lebron would learn what getting hurt really feels like if he played back in the 90s.  Especially prior to 1995 when hand checking was legal.  Some guy asked me if I thought guys like BJ Armstrong or Derek Harper could guard Steph Curry.  I told them that if they were in their prime and playing with early 90s rules, damn right they could.  They would hand check Steph to death and his entire game would be thrown off balance.

It wasn't boring back then either, it was actually more intense. I'm glad the Knicks don't suck this year but watching these 123-117 games is ridiculous and removes a lot of the suspense for me. The Pistons of the 80s would put these kids in the hospital.

You guys are killing me.  Jordan's NBA was terrible compared to the league today.

Jordan has a bunch of rings because all of his competition sucked; during the '80s when the NBA had quality teams, Jordan couldn't do anything.  On his six trips to the Finals, he played against 6 different teams in the Eastern Conference Finals - a testament to how mediocre the East was.  His opponents in those ECFs averaged 1 Hall-of-Famer per team.

Who was the second-best player on Ewing's Knicks?  Reggie's Pacers?  Clyde's Blazers?  The only other legitimately good team during the '90s was Hakeem's Rockets, which Jordan ducked while he was busy quitting.

I think Utah was pretty good in the 90s but I see what you're saying Spider.

The Jazz were the only team Jordan beat that made two Finals during his run.  Every other team was one-and-done.

The NBA was extremely watered-down during the '90s.  Outside of the first title, the Bulls never had to beat another great team; it was a succession of flashes-in-the-pan who couldn't get out of their own way.  (And even that first title was the last gasp of two great teams; neither Isiah nor Magic ever made it out of the first round after that.)

This is pretty funny

Reggie Miller Talked Trash to Michael Jordan Once
https://youtu.be/Vkks7EqWnhU

I don't think it was watered down, there were just no super teams where a bunch of guys agreed to join the same team. If Michael Jordan asked Reggie Miller or Patrick Ewing to join him in Chicago, they would've told him to go fuck himself. Each conference had 2-3 teams that were very much above the rest of the teams in the conference, only the Jordan led Bulls were always on top, the others kind of rotated.

Not sure about Patrick but I remember Reggie saying something along those lines. It wasn't until LeBron joined Miami that it became popular to give up and quit your own thing to join other greats and dominate. Th league hasn't been the same since.

Not to burst your Lebron-hate bubble, but the Celtics trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen beat them to it by at least 5-6 years.

When Jordan returned from baseball and the Bulls lost to Shaq's Magic in the playoffs, their first move was to go get Dennis Rodman; the same Dennis Rodman from the hated Pistons teams that pioneered the strategy of, "Why don't we just throw Michael Jordan to the ground every play?" So I don't want to hear any complaining from Jordan fans about superteams.  He was perfectly fine with recruiting enemies to his team when it served his purpose.

The real difference is that competent GMs apparently died out in the '80s.  That decade had multiple superteams with 4+ HOFers.  Whether it's the players making the moves or  the GMs, at the end of the day, the '90s had the least talented teams of the last 40 years.

And for the record: Shaq and Kobe made a superteam with their Western Conference rivals Malone and Payton 4 years before Boston.  They were just unsuccessful.

Because the Bulls had no good big men that could rebound once Horace Grant left for the Magic.  Dennis Rodman's relationship with San Antonio had soured and he was pissed at Bob Hill, the Spurs coach at the time.  So a trade was orchestrated and it fit in well for the Bulls because if there was one thing Phil Jackson was good at, it's getting superstars to behave themselves. 


This right here.  After the Heat won their second title, Larry Bird was quoted as saying, "I woke up every morning thinking about beating Magic, not joining him."

So the Bulls were forced to add the best rebounder of all time (and, um, create a superteam) because they had a lack of talent with their existing roster?  Well, when you put it that way...

Oops ... my bad.

Very slightly on topic, but why do you guys think Jordan first retired to play baseball? Does anyone actually buy that story?

Gambling

Same here. Pretty certain that David Stern had him take a break for awhile as a pseudo suspension due to his gambling habits. I am not so certain that his Father was killed in relation to his gambling but that rumor has been around for a long time.

I realize as a Trump supporter I'm probably considered to be a conspiracy theorist but I don't buy that at all. I've always thought it was just people saying dumb stuff to see if it sticks.

The Father angle I have never seen evidence for, just a terrible tragedy. The other one would make sense. Michael was a known gambler, pretty much a degenerate who couldn't stop. He even stayed up all night in Atlantic City one night and played the next day. Mike being Mike, he did well but that's a problem. Leaving in your prime to play baseball? That just doesn't pass the smell test.

I pretty much agree with the consensus.  Jordan had a serious gambling problem and had run up some gambling debts.   He owed money to loan sharks and when he didn't pay them on time, they killed his father.  When Stern found out about it, he told Jordan to go away until this whole thing blew over.  The guy who owns the Bulls also owns the White Sox, which made it easy for Jordan to go into baseball.

Now tell me about the frozen envelope and Patrick Ewing!

The problem with the gambling angle is that Jordan was still a famously compulsive gambler even after he returned.  So what changed?  Did David Stern "force" him to retire again (for three years) in '98?

I think the answer is much more simple: Jordan was obsessed with being considered the best (as opposed to being the best), and retiring right after he did something that Magic and Bird couldn't do - win three in a row - was a lot easier than trying to win 6 (to pass Magic).  I do also think the (coincidental and non-gambling-related) death of his father also weighed on his desire to keep playing.

The problem I have with this is that Michael is a wealthy guy, even if he ran up $10 Million in gambling debts at the time, he had it in the bank or could've gotten it elsewhere. It really may just be a tragic coincidence.

Well, the Heat bowed out pretty quick.  Guess they just got lucky last year with the play in.

Last year was a weird year, but there is a clear hierachy in the East this season. 1-3 are legit contenders, 4-6 are solid teams missing a piece and 7-10 are just filler. 4-6 had the exact same record, so if not due to tiebreakers, then the Knicks get bounced by the Bucks or the Hawks.

The Suns are America's team right now.

^^^ All it took was for us to face LeBron to paint the country in purple and orange?

OK, I'll take it.

Hopefully on their way to another 30 point win, they legit injure the crybaby.

Not to discount any of your reasons, but I thought I saw on some ESPN 30/30 that a big part of Jordan leaving was because of the GM and Phil being forced out as Coach.

To be somewhat fair to the Chicago GM, Jackson has never won without all-time great teams. Look at what he did with the Knicks for a few years recently and that shows you he can't do anything without some of the greatest players ever on his roster.

That being said, you don't mess with 6 titles in 8 years. I don't care if the Coach literally shits himself on the sidelines, don't mess with the results.

That was why he left the second time around (after the 97-98 season).  He did not get along with the GM at all and would talk so much shit about him on the team bus after games.  Granted, he would drink an entire six pack of beer and fire up a cigar after games.  When you get a buzz going, your tongue tends to loosen.

Suns up by 16 with 9 minutes left in the 4th.  Ain't no party like a Laker Hater party cuz a Laker Hater party don't stop.

^^^^^ Pistols at Dawn.

About a minute into the game, I saw Anthony Davis hobbling around and thought "We're winning this thing..."

No playoff victory short of an NBA Finals victory could possibly feel as good as knocking out the hated Lakers.

So I'm a Boston based Lakers fan. So I understand the hate here, but I  didn't know that there were so many jealous fans,  I mean, haters out there. Are the Lakers pretty much despised everywhere because of their greatness and mystique?

It's just knocking out Lebron to me. I stopped hating the Lakers whenthe referees stopped giving them all the calls and going to prison for it.

I hate the Lakers for one reason...I'm a Suns fan. 

That means that the two teams I cheer for the most are the Suns...and whoever is playing against the Lakers.

Laker are bubble frauds

Same here.  Ever since he left the Heat, I've wanted him to get what's coming to him.  He got lucky his last two rings. 

I've always hated the Lakers.

I actually hate them less now that they have Lebron and everyone hates him, so it makes me like them a little more.  And the fact that Kobe died in a crash made it hard to be a hater for a while.

Still, fuck the Lakers, though.

Been a Laker fan since they drafted James Worthy. The jealousy I read between the lines of these posts makes me smile.

This is what us Laker Haters feel like right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDqgJye7hyc

^^^ Niiiiice

There has been a great disturbance in the NBA Force.  As if millions of Laker fans cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. 

I guess I get it. I suppose that when someday  the Heat or Suns, become THE most successful franchise in NBA history you'll have haters too.

Since page 2, jealousy. Almost feels as good as another championship. Enjoy now guys, history teaches us one thing in the NBA. The Lakers will be back.

Suns looked pretty good in game 1 against Denver last night...keeping fingers crossed.

Aside from 1 or 2 people, I don't think anyone hates the Lakers, it's just Lebron. If they traded Lebron this summer and they won the title next year, I wouldn't care as long as they didn't beat the Knicks for it.

As a Suns fan for my entire life, I actually DO hate the Lakers.  >:D

Yeah, that piece of shit is a cancer. King James my ass, that pussy always crying about something.

^^^ A piece of shit, a cancer and a pussy.  Yeah, but tell us how you really feel about the rich black celebrity who doesn't agree with your politics...and dares to speak publicly about it.

And I'm daring to speak publicly about that pussy piece of shit. What's the difference? Nothing.

Also, WTF does black have to do with it? Are you implying that a black person can't be any of those things? Hell, you're a poor white nobody and you probably fit the same description. Just like a racist liberal, always bringing race into shit.

It's kind of hypocritical of you when you have said shit about Trump. A rich white celebrity/politician who doesn't agree with your politics. Just more liberal double standards, ignorance, and stupidity.

Speaking for just about all Celtics fans, we HATE the Lakers.

Well, that's a classic rivalry. Totally understand that, I just don't think many casual fans with no rooting interests hate the Lakers, just Lebron. The Lakers aren't on the level of the Cowboys in terms of universal hatred.

Right back atcha green boy. Picture this. 2010. Lakers beat the Celtics for the title. Some suicidal lakers fan poses for a picture with the Red Auerbach statue at Quincy Market right in downtown Boston borrowing said suicidal Lakers fan’s hat. ;D

Hey Stroke, your Suns pulled off the sweep.   Now they get to rest while watching the Clippers and Jazz battle it out.

The Suns are looking really good right now...keeping my fingers crossed the rest of the way.

I'm totally cool with the Suns winning it all. Seems like a good team and realistically, as long as it isn't the Nets or Hawks I am fine with the rest of the field.

I have never seen so many collapses in one playoff in my entire life. The Sixers and Bucks should be eliminated right now for that level of choking.

I'd be fine with any Eastern team winning. I don't want a Western team to win.I will do anything in my power to prevent that other LA team from winning.

I was bummed about the Nuggets of course but reality finally set in.

I’m going for Phoenix now but as long as the Nets don’t win itI’m happy. It’a good to see smaller market teams and not the usual suspects as much this year.

Thankfully, the Western Conference team that is going to win it all isn't in LA, no need to waste that power...

The long knives were out in Atlanta tonight, but what's a funeral without a corpse?  In a classic gut check, Philly took one on the road to force a Game 7

I wouldn't be so sure of that.  The Clippers match up very well against the Suns.   It's going to be a helluva battle for the Western Conference Title to say the least

And game 1 went just as I expected.  The Cliipers went toe to toe with the Suns only to run out of gas in the 4th due to the Suns having nearly a week off

Milwaukee and Atlanta in the ECF.  Doubt anyone would have called this!

The Sixers lost on purpose for years only to now lose unintentionally. Ben Simmons is an abomination, a max contract who is afraid to shoot in the 4th quarter. He only ATTEMPTED 3 4th quarter shots in the whole series. ATTEMPTED.

Good luck trading that guy when even the head coach says he doesn't have what it takes to win a championship. Too bad the Knicks aren't run by imbeciles anymore, he would've been the perfect player for them.

I'm sure the extra rest is part of it, but so is the basic talent levels.

Suns in 5... (and Bucks in 6)

To think that both #1 seeds have been knocked out.  When was the last time that ever happened?

This is definitely more of a real season than last year's nonsense, but it's still a pretty weird year so I'm not surprised some weird things are happening. Hell, the Knicks were the #4 seed, all bets are off. Very entertaining basketball though. Nice that the super teams aren't dominating.

I am still in shock over the way last night's game ended. What an insanely accurate alley-oops out of bounds pass by Crowder...and what a great slam by Ayton.

Wow...just...wow!!

That's the type of play you do with your little brother in your room with the hoop on the back of your door.

^^^ My passes were never that pretty...

Looks like a change of venue really made the difference.  Even with Chris Paul coming back for the Suns, the Clippers won easily.  I say the Clips will win game 4, making game 5 extremely crucial.  It all depends if Kwahi can come back for the Clips.

^^^ Game 3 was a temporary speedbump... Suns in 5.

You were saying?   ;D

Yeah...that one was rough.

Hopefully they can't do that 3 games in a row...  :o

It's always tough to close out a series deep in the playoffs, especially for teams who haven't gotten this far in a long time.  Last time the Suns made it this far was 1993 I believe.

^^^ Well...it hasn't been quite that long for us... ;)

The Suns made the WC Finals in 2010 before losing to the more Evil LA squad
" "  in 2006 before losing to Dirk and the Mavs
" "  in 2005 before losing to Timmy and the Spurs

Congratulations Stroke.  I thought this series was gonna go seven games.   

^^^ I am relieved that it didn't. Last thing in the world I would want to see is Kawhi showing up for a game 7...

Hopefully, the Hawks-Bucks will go 7...a long, hard, grueling, wear-your-ass-out 7.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Good start for Phoenix...  GO SUNS!!

That game 5 battle was EPIC.  Sorry for your boys, Stroke.  Let's hope they can pull off the classic gut check and take game 6 in Milwaukee

LOL at the SUNS.

Bucs were champs, now the Bucks are champs.

You smell funny...and not a ha-ha funny.

Ohhh. I'm sorry. I forgot that you were a huge Suns fan. Nothing personal man.

Giannis could not be stopped and Booker was not where he needed to be. Still, great season and if they resign Paul they could be back.

Of course, I'd rather the Knicks sign Paul but free agents are allergic to NY so that's unlikely.

If only the Heat could find a way to get the Greek Freak down to Miami without losing Jimmy Butler.....

not happening .. but word is we'll pick up a Lowry

He just signed a max extension and won a championship, he isn't going anywhere.

Giannis is an absolute beast...no doubt about it.

Phoenix has a young core, so I feel confident that we'll be chasing that title in next year's playoffs.

Don't apologize. The Laker hate didn't get any.

^^^^ You're right. Forgot about that too. Stroke, apology is rescinded. GO LAKERS!!

Who are they going to buy next season?  >:D

Your whole squad. Lakers need some new dancers.

Yeah, but how embarrassing would it be to take the entire Phoenix team and have Lebron not make it out of the first round.

Hmmmm....   ;)

Got me there ‘Stroke lol. Truth is shhh... I don’t even like Lebron. But he’s a good player so I’m happy to have him just for that. But don’t you worry, the Suns will be dancing for the Lakers at their victory parade next season.

Panties in a bunch?