@robslob I don't really see an issue with anything he said.
He doesn't have a problem with playing last season or this season, just specifically questioned the sudden decision to gather numerous players and hold the All-Star Game rather give everyone a break after a short off season.
He's allowed to question his employer's decisions that directly impact him. You can disagree, but I don't understand the "shut up" sentiment.
"[It was a] short offseason for myself and my teammates with 71 days,” James said. “And then coming into the season we were told that we were not having All-Star Games so we had a nice little break. Five days from [March] 5th to the 10th, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season. My teammates as well, some of the guys in the league. Then they throw an All-Star Game on us like this and it just breaks that all the way up. So, pretty much just kind of a slap in the face."
...
"We’re also still dealing with a pandemic, still dealing with everything that’s been going on,” he said. “And we’re going to bring the whole league to one city that’s open, so obviously the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point when it comes to that weekend. Obviously you guys can see I’m not very happy about it, but it’s out of my hands. And I’ll be there if I’m selected. But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.”
@porkchopbob: Great point. I never knew that the players were initially told there was not going to be an All-Star game. That puts everything into a different perspective for sure.
I like the fact that he gave up the spotlight - as much as he can anyway - & let others do the scoring - 170-150, love these All Star wingdings
i woulda had no objections if we’d picked up Griffin - he won’t hurt Bklyn, we see em Thurs, let’s go Celts
Drew Brees’ retirement reminds to appreciate these great veterans while they’re still active
Melo passes Hakeem Olajuwon for 3rd in career scoring - Harden passed Bird on same list
Alex Ovechkin’s next goal will tie him w/Espo for 6th in goals scored
Patrick Marleau is 20 games away from tying Gordie Howe for 1st all time in games played
Carey Price recently made his 700th NHL start
....we’re slipping in both standings, it will be #300 for Tuukka if we win tonite, then a biggie w/Jazz tmrw, Let’s Go Bs & Cs
Damn this is sad to hear.
Former NBA center Shawn Bradley suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed, according to a statement released on his behalf by the Dallas Mavericks.
On Jan. 20, Bradley was struck from behind by an automobile while riding his bicycle a block from his home in St. George, Utah. He underwent neck fusion surgery and has spent the past eight weeks hospitalized and undergoing rehabilitation.
”We are so inconsistent” - coach Stevens “there’s a difference between capable & consistent & we’re not there yet”
Thought we had this inconsistency thing addressed & taken care of
‘lanta is hot & has passed us after 2 losses to bottom teams, & 3 of 4 overall - now we’re back to below .500 & tied w/Char
our full squad is back & healthy - I like how coach varies starting 5 to put best rotation on floor vs a given team
Impossible to put finger on what’s happening, but it’s gotta stop starting this afternoon w/Orl - it’s winning-streak time for Celts
there’s still time tho to vary up the chemistry search before settling up on a permanent starting 5 for stretch run
This team knows winning, it’s getting to urgency time now - Let’s Go Celts
happy birthday Don Chaney - big part of our early-mid 70s teams - hated it when he jumped to the ABA
Fun one going on in Bklyn between triple-double machines/former OKC teammates Harden & Westbrook
& high-scoring teammates Kyrie (Bklyn), Beal & Wash - Wash has really improved - look at Hawks, W8 - we have a lotta ground to make up
KD & AD remain out, now LeBron & Broonz, no not Sox, B’s (4-game “pause”🙄)
Let’s go Celts
KD has missed the last 15 games
& Bklyn has won 15 of 17
sooo, the guys who’ve gotten it done will get shoved outta the rotation when he returns & they figure out how to use he & Griffin....might upset chemistry, not to mention results....fewer touches for Harden & Kyrie -
watta tandem, wouldn’a thunk it, & now Westbrook/Beal are becoming less & less a poor man’s version of them & almost up to their level....Westbrook was brilliant last night
current headline, “Nets become title faves at books following LeBron’s injury”
not in my book
bookies must think his, & AD’s injury are season ending - they’re not - they’ll be back - all roads go thru LA - Bklyn might very well be peaking right now
SO WHAT, we need a win under our belt going into Milwaukee Wed, the heat is on boys, let’s go Celts
Cousy/Russell was the still-unsurpassed prototype re “tandems”
but Jerry West & Elgin Baylor were right there too, & RIP to the great Elgin Baylor -
now it’s 3 games off for Kyrie due to a family matter
as great a player as he is, his unpredictable absences have to wear thin after a certain point
This looks interesting: https://deadline.com/2021/03/bo-burnham-larry-bird-hbos-1980s-l-a-lakers-series-1234721260/
Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade) has been tapped to play Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird in Adam McKay’s Los Angeles Lakers HBO drama series, based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, Deadline has learned. HBO declined comment.
Written by Max Borenstein, the fast-break series chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era both on and off the court.
The Lakers and the Celtics’ rivalry helped define the NBA in the 1980s with their games attracting huge TV audiences, and Bird played a major part in that.
Burnham joins a cast that includes Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr., Spencer Garrett as Chick Hearn, Kirk Bovill as Donald Sterling, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Mariani, Tamera Tomakili as Earletha “Cookie” Kelly and Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen.
McKay’s Hyperobject Industries is producing. Borenstein executive produces with McKay, who is directing the pilot, and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries. Jim Hecht is co-writer of the story and executive produces along with Jason Shuman, Scott Stephens and Rodney Barnes.
Burnham, who started off as a comedian, won the 2019 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in first-time feature film for Eighth Grade, which he also wrote. He most recently appeared in Promising Young Woman, which has been nominated for five Oscars.
Daniel Theis, you’ll be missed -
pressure is squarely on TT now as our lone big man - he’s a good player - still think we’re gonna get hot -
so imo will Prtlnd, their 2 injured starters have returned - Jusuf & Enes Kanter a top big-man tandem - Really wish EK had stayed w/us, he was a steady double-double while Jusuf was out
am a homer of course but Brad Stevens is a great coach - he uses everybody, tries different lineups & goes by what he sees - everybody gets a shot
Bklyn has time on its side now at F w/Blake Griffin & now LaM Aldrich w/Jeff Green & their starting F - they’ve been hot, Where Will/How Does KD Fit Into The Mix - return uncertain, Kyrie sometime this week
The Big O himself, Oscar Robertson, would be envious of James Harden’s level of play in Bklyn -
Andre Drummond would be a very good signing for LA
likely Nets-Lakiz final - LeBron & AD’s returns uncertain
Lets Go Celts
they’ve only played 7 games together as the vaunted power trio known as the Big 3
Yet Bklyn has thrived - last night 4 instance
no Harden, no sweat - Kyrie 15/11R/8A - guards L. Shamet 17, T. Johnson 15, B. Brown 14/6R
no Blake Griffin, same - forwards Jeff Green 21/8R, J. Harris 9/6A/4R, newcomer LaMarcus Aldrich 11/9R
meanwhile no Beal & Wash gets waxed despite a Wstbrk triple double
so there is your evidence re title contention - 6ers too stayed afloat w/out Embiid
——-
....obviously some concern w/Celts - as a CAB member I’m recommending:
*return Marcus to 6th man role
*try Semi & Grant Williams up front w/Jays for starters, getting RW III in regularly
*leave intact for now Jayl/Kemba backcourt, but give the new guy ample chance (Fournier)
a little banged up right now (get back quickly Semi & RW) but no excuse -
it’s gotta start w/Marcus, Jayson T & Jaylen B - it’s a tremendous nucleus surrounded by great players -
that we’re below .500 is a mystery & frustrating for everyone - OK let’s go Celts
PHILA
flyiz 2nite, sixiz tmrw - always big/records never count
....xcpt in standings - like Doc Rivers Dwight Howard has found a home in Phila backing up Embiid - they’ve gone way ahead, we gotta cut into their lead w/a solid win
B’s on the other hand can gain space from them w/a regulation win - many teams banged up like we are, but no Carlo is a rotten deal for us, the other guy should be suspended for as long as Brandon is injured
....Tuukka remains out, no word on why
Phx might surprise people w/Chris Paul joining Booker, Aron Baynes etc
Let’s Go Celts
Aron is in Tor now but you get my drift - Chris Paul has found a home in the sun w/Booker, Ayton, old friend Jae Crowder & reserves/our former top picks E. Moore & A. Nader
....now a fun one tonite w/Jazz - the 2 top teams - will tell plenty - still don’t get why Jazz haven’t been more like this for years
now to the other end of the spectrum, & it ain’t Philly or Billy Cobham - we’re slumping slightly, NY is improving, now we’re tied below .500 w/them & it’s a crucial one tonite for a multitude of reasons
Alex Rodriguez has purchased the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yes, that's an actual NBA team, look it up.
But why would A-Rod buy a team in Minnesota? Well, the Timberwolves have been mostly awful since they debuted (only four 50+ win seasons in over 30 years, currently back in last place this season). But Rodriguez has ties to Seattle, where he started his MLB career, and Seattle has been pining for a team ever since the Sonics were unceremoniously moved to OKC.
It will be interesting to see if this yields a new winning culture in the twin cities, or if this is the rebirth of Super Sonics.
Daniel Theis, you’ll be missed -
Andre Drummond would be a very good signing for LA
likely Nets-Lakiz final - LeBron & AD’s returns uncertain
Lets Go Celts
LA is only Slightly a dfrnt team w/out LeBron & AD
Wash is only Slightly a dfrnt team w/Bradley Beal on the floor - 23 pts, & Wstbrk a near triple double at halftime of a Doozie in Utah - Beal misses a Lot of games & their record shows it
...but yes the Jazz
that has to be adjusted (Bklyn-LA finals pick) - Phx is definitely the real thing, Prtlnd a sound sleeper pick, LAC great bench now w/addition of Rondo/Cousins, Popovich & Spurs coming on....
Cant overlook GSW either - Stephen Curry passes Wilt The Stilt/becomes all time team scoring leader - when does Klay return
but Jazz have proved it all year, love seeing it....Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson didn’t play & are Real key for Jazz...
In short, even w/their 2 horses it won’t be a walk for LA - but gotta feeling they’ll dig Drummond’s addition...
same East, Mil & Phila are definitely right there w/Bklyn - what about Celts & Wash, both can go off anytime
bleedin’ Green, let’s go Celts
....we’re slipping in both standings, it will be #300 for Tuukka if we win tonite, then a biggie w/Jazz tmrw, Let’s Go Bs & Cs
Tuuk awhile, but 300 it is in his return tonight - Solid end to end win tonite, but we see them again Sat
then Wash after that - they’re the only team that bombed us while Tuukka & Jaroslav were out - Jaro has also been for awhile but will be released shortly from protocol - the subs did pretty well & ups to them
5-Way Deadlock At 60 Points (where did Colo come from)
we’re not in the mix - but need to be - & think we will be - nice going Tuukka, c’mahn Broonz
You can be down in standings while improving - that’s Red Wings, they’ve been playing better & a win over their ancient Midwest rival ChiHawks is always worth more than 2 pts
we had our own rivalry game tonite, but w/an asterisk (no LeBron or AD) - but Jaylen was hot, we smoked em down the stretch & w/no RW III (knee) got a good win to conclude a solid road trip -
Phoenix also won tonite, they visit Thursday, it will tell a lot about what kind of a ballclub we really got
biggest thing, we’re pulling away from the .500 mark - we have no business being around there - waddayasay Celts
They can no longer be ignored
MSG, 2 times
Julius Randle is reminding em of Bernard King, old veterans Taj Gibson, Derrick Rose Alec Burks & Phila ‘Trust The Process’ alum Nerlens Noel have found a home - & at 5 games, NYK is on longest win streak in 7 years & nippin at our heels
Rangiz? Same - they’re going good & only 4 points behind us
Neither are bad apples anymore, good teams have returned to the Big Apple
GSW in tonite, big -
elsewhere, w/most of the regulars out that Jazz-Lakers game is still a doozie - big late rally by Jazz, Lakiz look like they’ll get it in OT
let’s go Celts
Boston 119 Golden State 114
One HELL of a ballgame, Stephen. Even though we lost, this was an extremely fun game to watch, mostly because Steph Curry (47 points) and Jason Tatum (44 points) put on a SHOW. Boston came back from a 16 point deficit. Kemba Walker added 26 for the Celts, Andrew Wiggins 22 for the Warriors.
How about Curry's off-balance, left-handed three pointer while being fouled? Honestly, I have NEVER seen a basketball player who is so in tune with the basket as Curry is right now. I never thought it was possible, but he has taken his game to yet another level. Wanna run down his stats over the last 10 games? 38 points per game, 55% field goal percentage, 47% 3 point percentage, 92% from the line. And in the shape he is in at 33 years old I could see him being a force for another 4 or 5 years. Now I know the Warriors are only playing .500 ball, but take into account Thompson being out (again) for the entire season and all the other injuries they've had. If Curry doesn't get a slew of MVP votes there is something wrong. I'm not saying he will necessarily win it, but he should be in the top 2 or 3 for sure.
That it was robslob - yep, Stephen Curry is playing Fantastic this season, & good to see Jays starting to light it up too - Great ballgame
as you say, mayb Curry’s best season - he’s been top dog recently, no doubt about that (also Wstbrk I’d say) - & been that for a lotta years
Can’t overlook da Bulls, will be weird to see Daniel Theis in their uniform but we gotta have a W7 going into Phx game
Jaylen & Kemba both have balky knees - every team has injuries - Evan Fournier will help - let’s go Celts, good luck to Warriyz, both will be in postseason
Fun ones tonight w/Phx-Phila & GSW-Wash - hopefully Beal plays, no rooting interest but to make for best game
but for sure, didn’t know how rarified the air where Stephen C is - broke Kobe’s record for consecutive 30 point games, also MJ’s record for 40 point games in a month by a player 33 or older
& He’a Still Gottanother 10 Days
what bull - we beat the better teams, lose to the lessers - NY got its 7th in a row, can’t believe we didn’t, Jays triple double & all
it was his 1st-ever, the 1st of many, he’ll still get better, so will we
But It’s Gotta Start Tmrw Night - we’ll be well rested, they’ll be finishing a back to back
NY & Wash had their win streaks snapped tonite, but they are comers & NY is our main competition now - our season finale is w/them & we have to kick butt down the stretch to have it mean something
Beal & Wstbrk have been going at an Elvin Hayes-Wes Unseld clip - Beal 45 pts, Wstbrk 22/14A/13Reb tonite - he’s become the MVP front runner at the right time - their surrounding cast has stepped up & did again tonite, a wild one, 146-143 loss in OT
Boiled Down...let’s see what we can do w/out Jays & Kemba vs lowly OKC - Rob’t Williams III might be back
....we got hot b4, but too many of our guys have injuries that look like will nick them the rest of the season to really sustain anything consistent
But I Still Believe!!!😁🤙
it’s all green - let’s go boys, we’ll show em
North Stars
Quietly they’ve compiled the best winning %age in the league - a Wild squad that has gone from ‘could’ to ‘will’ surprise people
yar it’s Wild in the Streets of MN, & at the rink too - too bad no one can go
we gotta be in Wash’s face for the season finale w/them to mean anything - only a clean sweep of the next 2 back to backs w/Buff & NJ will do, these are 8 should-have points.....yarIknow, BROONZ
Russell Westbrook has a good shot at breaking Wilt’s record for triple doubles in one season - he’s singlehandedly willed Wash into contention
prtlnd’s twin towers, Jusuf & Enes, each had double doubles while an unknown, A. Simons led them w/27 - many top-tier teams, they’re one of em
we take it game by game going w/the personnel on hand & the best game plan we can cobble together - let’s go Celts
Wstbrk fell short of Wilt’s record but is still the MVP front runner
but it’s close
hate to say it, but Julius Randle deserves strong consideration - he’s been amazing, so has NYK - old ex-Bulls veterans Taj Gibson, 35, & Derrick Rose, 32, had more minutes off the bench last nite than 4 of the 5 starters
Nikola jocik (Denver) & Stephen Curry also deserve MVP mention, along w/Giannis, Embiid...
so much is in Brad Stevens’ lap right now - Jayl got the worst of that collision it looked like - he & Kemba have been in & out of the lineup all year - this won’t help
semi & grant both got DNP-CDs last night - desperate times...measures - admire the fact that they’re not standing pat, the coaches are trying everything
still think we’ll get hot, so much depends on Kemba at the offensive end of the floor tho - let’s go Celts
Russell Westbrook has a good shot at breaking Wilt’s record for triple doubles in one season - he’s singlehandedly willed Wash into contention
I think you mean in one month ( https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-on-breaking-wilt-chamberlains-record-for-triple-doubles-in-a-month-this-s-aint-easy/ ). Westbrook set the single-season triple-double record back in his 2016-17 MVP season, previously held by Oscar Robertson. Westbrook is also #3 and #4 on the list, Chamberlain is #5. What's more amazing is that Westbrook has done it in far fewer games this season.
Nice win by the Bucks over the Nets, the Freak dropped 49. It's all about when you peak.
Too bad about this stupid play-in nonsense. As if the playoffs weren't long enough already.
Yes that was indeed a misspeak, thanks for the pointout & info PCBob -
he had 24 rebs & 21 assists last night, which if I read it right is something only he & Wilt have done
another article is headlined (paraphrasing) about his ‘amazing & inefficient play’
inefficient? a one man wrecking crew involving his teammates??
am not an expert, I understand little or less about modern sports - further evidence😮🤨
...unless it was a typo mayb, or I misread it - or mayb a lack of D given the 154-141 score...I do not know
yeah why they felt they had to reformat beyond recognition the playoffs.....$$ of course but I’m no fan of it
playoffs mean little, Wash & NY are burnin & the most improved - that wouldn’t change if they were bounced early
they mean little to 1 Celts fan too, if we get hot then, great, if not, we left it all on the floor & good luck
Yeah, the Knicks - who saw that coming?
we gotta be in Wash’s face for the season finale w/them to mean anything - only a clean sweep of the next 2 back to backs w/Buff & NJ will do, these are 8 should-have points.....yarIknow, BROONZ
OK we secured 7 of the 8 pts - now we’re 4 pts behind Pitts w/4 games left & 2 games in hand
...Point Being - if we won the div on the last day vs Wash.....& if someone Pounded The Snot out of their goon Tom Wilson in the process
....no *Asterisked* abbreviated-season SCup could top it
Carlo just returned tonight from Wilson’s cheap shot - Wilson has done this to other players too & it’s good to see the espn article on why the league is doing nothing about it
Zdeno was always 1st in line for something like this - now he’s a teammate - yep we miss the big guy alright - they’re 2 pts ahead of us but we’ll beat em out, also Pitts
have no idea of the playoff format
NYR has nothing to lose, they’ve shut down a few players & will have kids out there skating w/adrenaline & abandon😜 - 2 w/them, then NYI>Wash
in short our playoff is Now - there’s no tellin, just let’s go Brooonz
