***2012-13 NBA THREAD!!! New Season/New Thread - LET'S GO!!!!!***

[DM72]

People don't want a Dunk Contest. They want to see Lebron and Blake dunk. I don't know how you make it happen, but if you announced that next year at 8PM on Saturday night Lebron and Blake were each going to get 7 dunks and the cumulative score wins, you would have ratings that eclipse the Finals.

Having John Wall in it would be nice because at least he has a bit of a name.

But there is a line from the Don King movie on HBO that I think applies here. In the movie, King said, "People would rather watch Muhammad Ali watch Larry Holmes fight than watch Larry Holmes fight." I was more intrigued by Lebron's reaction to the dunks than to the dunks.

Want to know the biggest problem with the modern NBA? Players have their priorities right. Nique was a legitimate MVP candidate most years but I think he cared more about the dunk contest than he did the playoffs. And Jordan didn't care that much about the dunk contest. He just cared about taking away the one thing in basketball that Nique cared about. Because Jordan was a sociopath.

I disagree with your last point. I believe Jordan truely cared about winning the slam dunk contest. Even that year he didn't compete, he was right there on the sidelines with the fellas.

As for the reason guys like LeBron and Kevin Durant (who gets a pass for some reason) don't compete in the slam dunk contest, it's simple. It's these guys generation. These guys are afraid of losing. Like Floyd Mayweather, a lose would tarnish their cred and rep.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

RIP Jerry Buss.

Hookers all over Southern California are flying their pushup bras at half-mast today.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'd watch the NBA if every game was played like the All-Star game.

[pjfootballer]

I'd watch it if the same 6 teams would stop winning it all the time and the Wizards would actually win 50 games and be competitive.

[DM72]

I'd watch it if the same 6 teams would stop winning it all the time and the Wizards would actually win 50 games and be competitive.

It is amazing how MLB used to get killed for having a few haves and a bunch of have nots over the years while the NBA got a pass for years even though they were worst than MLB.

[Bubble Screen]

MJ could come back and probably drop 30-5-5 against any NBA team at age 50--for one game.

1 on 1 is all about craftiness and skill.

I hope you don't actually believe this. And yeah, I realized you said for just one game. But, no.

---------- Post added February-18th-2013 at 05:45 PM ----------

I'd watch the NBA if every game was played like the All-Star game.

You like watching a game resembling the Pro Bowl? Because that's all it is. Other than Kobe locking down Lebron a few times in the 4th, there was basically little effort at all on defense.

[deejaydana]

He was definitely one of the better owners. RIP Jerry Buss.

Perhaps THE best in the NBA. He built the Lakers into a global brand (buying them RIGHT before Magic came didn't hurt any).

[Kosher Ham]

The Lakers have history before Buss took over ownership.

But sad to lose one of, if not the best owner of an NBA franchise.

He was smart enough to turn over the franchise...maybe.

[Bubble Screen]

The Lakers have history before Buss took over ownership.

But sad to lose one of, if not the best owner of an NBA franchise.

He was smart enough to turn over the franchise...maybe.

The Lakers won most of their titles with Buss. So while they had history, he was definitely their best owner ever. It's not even close. And, as much as I despise the Lakers, I will say he's probably one of the top NBA owners of all time. I don't think anyone can even argue that.

[deejaydana]

During his ownership Jerry Buss and the Lakers averaged a World Title every 3.4 years. Wow. R.I.P.

[Kosher Ham]

The Lakers won most of their titles with Buss. So while they had history, he was definitely their best owner ever. It's not even close. And, as much as I despise the Lakers, I will say he's probably one of the top NBA owners of all time. I don't think anyone can even argue that.

He was the best. Not Red.

My point was that the Lakers did not just arrive on the scene with Buss paying the bills. They have history.

I think you are taking my point out of context.

[SAli457180]

During his ownership Jerry Buss and the Lakers averaged a World Title every 3.4 years. Wow. R.I.P.

Now that is impressive. Guys like Magic, Kareem, Shaq, and Kobe may have been "Showtime" on the court, but IMO, Buss helped to build that off the court. RIP Jerry Buss

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

The Lakers have history before Buss took over ownership.

But sad to lose one of, if not the best owner of an NBA franchise.

He was smart enough to turn over the franchise...maybe.

He turned it over to his idiot son instead of his bright daughter. This is going to end in madness and lawsuits.

---------- Post added February-18th-2013 at 10:20 PM ----------

He was the best. Not Red.

My point was that the Lakers did not just arrive on the scene with Buss paying the bills. They have history.

I think you are taking my point out of context.

Red was never the owner of the Celtics. The Celtics ownership history has actually been kind of a comedy show over the years.

Buss pretty much invented the modern NBA, won titles, made a fortune, and slept with 2000 blondes with implants.

And, yes, he had the advantage of the name and the market but so have the Knicks. No one in sports has ever capitalized on the advantages of his market like Buss did. Not even Steinbrenner who had to be suspended in order for his team to be a dynasty.

---------- Post added February-18th-2013 at 10:21 PM ----------

The Lakers won most of their titles with Buss. So while they had history, he was definitely their best owner ever. It's not even close. And, as much as I despise the Lakers, I will say he's probably one of the top NBA owners of all time. I don't think anyone can even argue that.

Unless I am missing something, the LA Lakers won one title without Buss. The rest of the titles were won when the team was in Minneapolis.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I hope you don't actually believe this. And yeah, I realized you said for just one game. But, no.

---------- Post added February-18th-2013 at 05:45 PM ----------

You like watching a game resembling the Pro Bowl? Because that's all it is. Other than Kobe locking down Lebron a few times in the 4th, there was basically little effort at all on defense.

I don't really care about watching defense in the NBA. There's nothing exciting about it, unlike football where you can see a big hit or a momentum changing play like a big interception, forced fumble. You can get a big block in basketball, but that's about it. A hustle steal or a block doesn't compare to a big hit, a quarterback sack, a pick 6, etc.

I'd much rather see a game with the final score 130-125 instead of a snorefest 82-78 game. More street/playground style.

[deejaydana]

The Lakers DID win one other title in Los Angeles: 1972 (that team amazingly won 33 straight games). They have 17 Titles and Buss was owner for more than half of them (10). The OC Register had an interesting write up about what would likely happen to the team upon Jerry's death and none of it sounded like it's gonna be a smooth transition to his kids. On a related Skins note: Jack Kent Cooke was the previous owner who sold the Lakers to Buss. That move seemed to work out well for both parties where timing is considered.