thank god stern, joey crawford and dick bavetta are all retired. maybe things will be called on the up and up now

Was there ever any doubt? Why not just skip the regular season? Can't compare eras as the greats stayed on different teams instead of playing on the same ones so that they will win. A mash up of the Lakers and Celtics for instance would have won the Championship for a decade or more.

Even without signing extra superstars, Jordan beats both of these teams.

Go Cavs! (I just can't stand seeing Curry with that mouth guard hanging out of his mouth.)

Was there ever any doubt? Why not just skip the regular season? Can't compare eras as the greats stayed on different teams instead of playing on the same ones so that they will win. A mash up of the Lakers and Celtics for instance would have won the Championship for a decade or more.

Even without signing extra superstars, Jordan beats both of these teams.

Go Cavs! (I just can't stand seeing Curry with that mouth guard hanging out of his mouth.)

yeah just stinks the way free agency and stuff creates these super teams

Even without signing extra superstars, Jordan beats both of these teams.

Total B.S. Name me four Bulls players on the level of these four starters:

Warriors: Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Green.
Cavs: James, Irving, Love and Tristan Thompson.

Then there's the benches of both teams. Warriors: Andre Igoudala (averaged over 20/game early in his career but can still play), Shaun Livingston, rookie Patrick McCaw (likely a future superstar).
Cavs: They've added people like superb three point ace Kyle Korver and Deron Williams, a former franchise type point guard. Both teams are loaded.

Even without signing extra superstars, Jordan beats both of these teams.

Total B.S. Name me four Bulls players on the level of these four starters:

Warriors: Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Green.
Cavs: James, Irving, Love and Tristan Thompson.

Then there's the benches of both teams. Warriors: Andre Igoudala (averaged over 20/game early in his career but can still play), Shaun Livingston, rookie Patrick McCaw (likely a future superstar).
Cavs: They've added people like superb three point ace Kyle Korver and Deron Williams, a former franchise type point guard. Both teams are loaded.

did you forget who was on the bulls at certain times?
pippen, rodman, kukoc, grant, paxon, purdue, levingston, armstong, cartwright, kerr, caffey, salley, longley, harper, etc.

did you forget who was on the bulls at certain times?
pippen, rodman, kukoc, grant, paxon, purdue, levingston, armstong, cartwright, kerr, caffey, salley, longley, harper, etc.

How could I forget Purdue, Levingston, Caffey and Longley? I mean, everyone knows those are household names............

Trying to compare players and/or teams throughout history is a pointless exercise, in my opinion, but you boys have at it.

Just like last night when Lebron surpassed MJ on the all-time playoff scoring charts, when I explained to the missus that MJ did it in far less games played, her reaction was immediately - 'well then it shouldn't be a record for Lebron then.'

I watched MJ absolutely tear up my Cavs during all those years in the playoffs, he is still the greatest in my opinion.

Always remember the one story, probably have told it here before, when a reporter told MJ that Cleveland intended to have Craig Ehlo guard him in the next playoff game, MJ said "shoot, I'll score 70 on him"

When that reporter went back to Ehlo and told him what MJ said, Ehlo says "I take exception to that, I can hold Jordan to under 70 on any given night ! "

Was there ever any doubt? Why not just skip the regular season? Can't compare eras as the greats stayed on different teams instead of playing on the same ones so that they will win. A mash up of the Lakers and Celtics for instance would have won the Championship for a decade or more.

Kind of how I feel. When 2 teams ought to get to the finals, and they both easily do, who cares? This is the first year I basically skipped watching the playoffs, save for a Bucks game or two. The league suffers when it is top heavy on 2 teams (yeah, yeah, the Celtic and the Spurs were good too, but not as good).

This should all at least make for an entertaining Finals, and Golden State has pretty much everything to lose since they added Durant. I like both teams, so it's mostly interesting to see who breaks the Finals "tie".

Even though the Thunder bowed early, I still think Westbrook was the most exciting thing to happen this season.

Trying to compare players and/or teams throughout history is a pointless exercise, in my opinion, but you boys have at it.

Just like last night when Lebron surpassed MJ on the all-time playoff scoring charts, when I explained to the missus that MJ did it in far less games played, her reaction was immediately - 'well then it shouldn't be a record for Lebron then.'

I watched MJ absolutely tear up my Cavs during all those years in the playoffs, he is still the greatest in my opinion.

Always remember the one story, probably have told it here before, when a reporter told MJ that Cleveland intended to have Craig Ehlo guard him in the next playoff game, MJ said "shoot, I'll score 70 on him"

When that reporter went back to Ehlo and told him what MJ said, Ehlo says "I take exception to that, I can hold Jordan to under 70 on any given night ! "

LOL - That is a goal to shoot for.

Agree it is hard to debate different eras and is a pointless exercise but that describes pretty much every sports debate/conversation. It is all opinion. Sports and money have changed. Put Magic, Bird and other stars on the same team and they would still be winning.

These are amazing players playing this year and both teams are great. GSW couldn't beat them last year so they spent more money. So then Cleveland spends more. What we are watching is who spent their extra millions better. But everyone in the world knew who would be in the finals. Guess who will be in the Finals next year? LOL

Best of All Time? Both of them? The Odds of the two greatest teams ever playing at the same time?

I will take MJ, the Waterboy, Guy who sells the beer, Chick who dries the court and a Cheerleader over them.

😉

Slight pride thread steal - (sorry Rob)

Basketball Related though. My son (14) finished a very strong season playing above age (16) at the highest level. He just got call up by the team even higher in age (16-18) to finish off their season with them. Extremely proud of him - he plays hard and trains even harder. (I was drinking, smoking dope and playing guitar at his age LOL) He is a rare breed that is a combination of offence and defence. Dishes the ball on a different level than others his age ( and older). Surprised that he was called up because of the height factor with the age difference. Coached laughed at me after a 20 point game packed with assists too.

Scouts have been around their games and tournaments so who knows - maybe someone will pay for education and my wife and I can recoup some of the cash. Fingers crossed. Maybe years from now Rob and I will be agreeing that he is the greatest of all time.

Sorry for the hijack but pretty pumped. Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Whoa, wow CM ! That is awesome and thanks for sharing !

Keep us updated if possible on his progress and what a nice story !

I know exactly what you mean and I am sure many here do - when I try to compare what I was doing at my kids ages, yikes !

Great stuff James -- & I'm sure he's just as proud of having a cool old man who rocks the guitar too

the fact we were out of our league against Cleve, & at other times in these playoffs, doesn't bode well, xclnt season & all -- don't think roster should be torn down, just can't understand being reduced to fodder like that

thank you Isaiah Thomas for your all-world season -- hope that hip heals up & you're back in the fold next season -- now it's the 2 best in the world, let's see how it goes -- hope the Warriyz do great Rob

[Edited on 5/26/2017 by Stephen]

Trying to compare players and/or teams throughout history is a pointless exercise, in my opinion, but you boys have at it.

Just like last night when Lebron surpassed MJ on the all-time playoff scoring charts, when I explained to the missus that MJ did it in far less games played, her reaction was immediately - 'well then it shouldn't be a record for Lebron then.'

I watched MJ absolutely tear up my Cavs during all those years in the playoffs, he is still the greatest in my opinion.

Always remember the one story, probably have told it here before, when a reporter told MJ that Cleveland intended to have Craig Ehlo guard him in the next playoff game, MJ said "shoot, I'll score 70 on him"

When that reporter went back to Ehlo and told him what MJ said, Ehlo says "I take exception to that, I can hold Jordan to under 70 on any given night ! "

Curry may be the best shooter; Bird may have been the best scorer; Lebron may be the most physical force. However, I have never seen any athlete (except perhaps for Secretariat in the Belmont and on occasion Lawrence Taylor) carry a game/race by the sheer force of their will like MJ. He is the GOAT

Yeah for this Thread!!

Some thoughts:
- this is must see sports TV. Clash of the Titans
- Cavs and Warriors are indeed stacked teams, but the best teams in history have also been stacked. LA Lakers teams featured: Johnson, Kareem, Byron Scott, James Worthy, etc. Excellent players. Celtics entire team were all HOFers except for Ainge, who was not too shabby. Bulls: Jordan, Pippen, Rodman - three all timers.

Note on Bulls: Bulls had consistency with their coaching too. Jackson - argued to be one of the greatest coaches, coached them all. James has been coached by multiple coaches, none who will be mentioned as all-time greats (though Spolestra is underrated).

Just wish it did not start at 9 pm most every night.

did you forget who was on the bulls at certain times?
pippen, rodman, kukoc, grant, paxon, purdue, levingston, armstong, cartwright, kerr, caffey, salley, longley, harper, etc.

How could I forget Purdue, Levingston, Caffey and Longley? I mean, everyone knows those are household names............

And still you miss Cartwright!!! Arguably the oldest looking and acting person to ever play the game! 😉

Should be a great series. I'm rooting for the Cav's, even though they just took care of my Celtics in easy fashion. Lebron is clearly the best player right now. There isn't anybody even close. It's taken me a while to become a fan of Lebron, but he has won me over. The Celtics have had a great rivalry with the teams that Lebron has been on. Going back to his first stint in Cleveland, then to Miami, and back to Cleveland, the Celtics have met him in the playoffs a lot.He usually has beaten us, except early in his career. Paul Pierce made him better and tougher.
I think the Warriors are good, but Cleveland will win. Playoff basketball is different that regular season games. Let's hope it goes seven.

However, I have never seen any athlete (except perhaps for Secretariat in the Belmont and on occasion Lawrence Taylor) carry a game/race by the sheer force of their will like MJ. He is the GOAT

Exactly. Jordan's Bulls never dropped more than 2 games in a Finals series. In his final 6 full seasons with the Bulls, they won every Finals. The guy would not allow his team to lose. And this is against Magic, Drexler, Barkley, Payton, Stockton/Malone. He denied all-time greats their rings, and had he not retired, he'd have denied Olajuwon his rings as well.

I'm rooting for the cavs...the series will hopefully feature close,exciting games rather than blowouts...that could happen..ugh!

Regarding Jordan or Lebron:

1.i agree it's difficult to compare eras.
2.Jordan played with all stars and hall of famers and no point in degrading his teammates who were excellent...I'd put Scottie up against anybody of any era...he was a dominant defensive player,a team leader for guys who couldn't handle Jordan,and a first rate scorer.Rodman,a hall of farmer was a winner,awesome rebounder,a stellar defensive presence and an underrated passer and as crazy as he acted,a VERY Smart player with incredible court sense.
3.really can't compare Lebron,who is more a Magic type player to Jordan.apples and oranges.
4.this morning I ran into a guy I know who's been coaching d1 ball for close to 50 years...he says to me,forget all the other stuff...which one would you pick to play with you on your team? Suddenly the answer was easy...Jordan!..he will finish the game for us...he is an assasin,a magical scorer...any team that's within 10 points of a Jordan team nearing the 4th will probably lose if you give the ball to Jordan...so that's my pick,but I'd never diminish Lebron...he's tremendous and if Jordan is number 1,Lebron is 1b.

Yeah for this thread

Just wish it did not start at 9 pm most every night.

Indeed...agree 100%...gotta find time for pre game nap each night.

Slight pride thread steal - (sorry Rob)

Basketball Related though. My son (14) finished a very strong season playing above age (16) at the highest level. He just got call up by the team even higher in age (16-18) to finish off their season with them. Extremely proud of him - he plays hard and trains even harder. (I was drinking, smoking dope and playing guitar at his age LOL) He is a rare breed that is a combination of offence and defence. Dishes the ball on a different level than others his age ( and older). Surprised that he was called up because of the height factor with the age difference. Coached laughed at me after a 20 point game packed with assists too.

Scouts have been around their games and tournaments so who knows - maybe someone will pay for education and my wife and I can recoup some of the cash. Fingers crossed. Maybe years from now Rob and I will be agreeing that he is the greatest of all time.

Sorry for the hijack but pretty pumped. Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

No apologies EVER needed for a post like that.............it's easily the best post in this thread!

I hope in 5 years I'm starting a thread here about how awestruck I was at watching your son on the tube last night vs. The Warriors.............or maybe FOR The Warriors?

I would be all for him playing for the GSW. Move Mom and Dad some place warmer and a nice area. I'll gladly take it. You can join me court side and we can wave at everyone here on TV.

Thanks for the support/kind words everyone. Daughter is 26 and boy is 14 and combined they are by far the best thing that I ever accomplished. Luckily my wife was/is around to do the actual parenting stuff. Love seeing my son focused on something healthy and rewarding. Taking kids on that are 4 years older and taller is intimidating for most kids. Mine just thinks that it is even more fun.

Dad's advice is always the same - Have Fun. (I do on occasion drive him insane with my "Be The Ball" hippy theories just for fun.)

Prediction- Warriors in seven, coming back from a 3-1 deficit, as Andre Iguodala blocks a potentially game-winning, last-second Lebron James drive to the hoop after Stephen Curry had put the Warriors ahead by one with an off-balance 3 pointer seconds earlier. Now that's revenge!

[Edited on 5/26/2017 by dzobo]

(I do on occasion drive him insane with my "Be The Ball" hippy theories just for fun.)

Ha, ha - YES !

Sit him down and force him to watch this:

LOL - That is exactly what I do to him. "Be The Ball" "Feel Yourself rotating with the energy" Type thing.

Gives me that look that kids give their parents and tells me to "be serious".

He is an OKC fan so he took the whole Durant thing personally. He is cheering for the Cavs as a result.

Trying to compare players and/or teams throughout history is a pointless exercise, in my opinion, but you boys have at it.

Just like last night when Lebron surpassed MJ on the all-time playoff scoring charts, when I explained to the missus that MJ did it in far less games played, her reaction was immediately - 'well then it shouldn't be a record for Lebron then.'

I watched MJ absolutely tear up my Cavs during all those years in the playoffs, he is still the greatest in my opinion.

Always remember the one story, probably have told it here before, when a reporter told MJ that Cleveland intended to have Craig Ehlo guard him in the next playoff game, MJ said "shoot, I'll score 70 on him"

When that reporter went back to Ehlo and told him what MJ said, Ehlo says "I take exception to that, I can hold Jordan to under 70 on any given night ! "

LOL - That is a goal to shoot for.

Agree it is hard to debate different eras and is a pointless exercise but that describes pretty much every sports debate/conversation. It is all opinion. Sports and money have changed. Put Magic, Bird and other stars on the same team and they would still be winning.

These are amazing players playing this year and both teams are great. GSW couldn't beat them last year so they spent more money. So then Cleveland spends more. What we are watching is who spent their extra millions better. But everyone in the world knew who would be in the finals. Guess who will be in the Finals next year? LOL

Best of All Time? Both of them? The Odds of the two greatest teams ever playing at the same time?

I will take MJ, the Waterboy, Guy who sells the beer, Chick who dries the court and a Cheerleader over them.

😉

exactly. which team has more money

did you forget who was on the bulls at certain times?
pippen, rodman, kukoc, grant, paxon, purdue, levingston, armstong, cartwright, kerr, caffey, salley, longley, harper, etc.

How could I forget Purdue, Levingston, Caffey and Longley? I mean, everyone knows those are household names............

longley is better than any center on the warriors right now

Was there ever any doubt? Why not just skip the regular season? Can't compare eras as the greats stayed on different teams instead of playing on the same ones so that they will win. A mash up of the Lakers and Celtics for instance would have won the Championship for a decade or more.

Kind of how I feel. When 2 teams ought to get to the finals, and they both easily do, who cares? This is the first year I basically skipped watching the playoffs, save for a Bucks game or two. The league suffers when it is top heavy on 2 teams (yeah, yeah, the Celtic and the Spurs were good too, but not as good).

This should all at least make for an entertaining Finals, and Golden State has pretty much everything to lose since they added Durant. I like both teams, so it's mostly interesting to see who breaks the Finals "tie".

Even though the Thunder bowed early, I still think Westbrook was the most exciting thing to happen this season.

if not for the warriors center undercutting kawhi the spurs looked like they were going to win the series based on game 1

longley is better than any center on the warriors right now

Since the Warriors' "Center by Committee" consists of three guys who all average around 15 minutes per game, I wouldn't say that's much of a compliment to Luc Longley.

longley is better than any center on the warriors right now

Since the Warriors' "Center by Committee" consists of three guys who all average around 15 minutes per game, I wouldn't say that's much of a compliment to Luc Longley.

doesn't matter. his years with the bulls he is better than any of those 3 guys ever were. the bulls had guys out there for specific reasons. that was jacksons system. the late 90's bulls would make the warriors look like little sissies, which they do most of the time anyways. rodman would get draymond greene suspened for the rest of the playoffs after 1 game. who would curry guard? he already gets yanked from games because he can't guard kyrie irving. klay or curry can't guard Jordan. I guess durant on Jordan? pippen is too strong for the the guards and too fast for draymond. draymond would have to guard rodman.