Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

[alcoholica]

I did enjoy it much more in those early-mid 90s years than beyond that. I don’t like dynasties and so going from watching the Bulls own the NBA to the Lakers doing so was boring. But I imagine the series would be pretty entertaining even as a non-Lakers fan.

I really started hating the NBA during the Bulls teams. For one the officiating was way too biased toward Jordan. He could get away with anything. Stars always got the benefit of doubt, but Jordan just got the benefit regardless of doubt.

Second, the NBA had just gone thru a 4 team expansion and it was watered down.

The 80's was the last best decade for basketball. Now it's a bunch of overhyped pussies running around calling themselves victims. Hate the quality of talent and hate the politics.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Since I guess this is the closest thing to an NBA thread on here...

Big game for my Miami Heat tonight! 7:30 P.M. on ESPN.

#1 in the East taking on #1 in the West, the Phoenix Suns, in what could be a preview of the NBA Finals.

I expect a Heat win, but got my ready-made excuse all set to go, just in case.

The Heat just got Victor Oladipo back on Monday night after being out since last year, it's only his second game. Some time is needed to adjust to working him into the rotation as the contributor they need him to be. So the chemistry might not be fully developed tonight, but I will not be using that excuse by the time the Playoffs roll around.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

^^ Awww sh*t, now I have a better excuse -- Jimmy Butler is out tonight with an "illness." I guess it's not the 'rona otherwise they'd say, "health and safety protocols." Still, that sucks. Big game, national broadcast. C'mon, man. Wipe your nose or your ass or whatever needs wiped and get out there!

 

[oxrageous]

Keep modern NBA crap out of this thread or face a ban. The league died 20 years ago.

 

[stephenPE]

This guy will tell you about the only real NBA dynasty.

 

[Marine1]

Keep modern NBA crap out of this thread or face a ban. The league died 20 years ago.

The 80’s were dynamic. Jordan and the Bulls kept it going in the 90’s. But the truth is the ultra aggressiveness that began to creep into the league in the latter part of the 80’s and early 90’s was actually heavily criticized but there was no social media. A lot of folks were calling it thug ball and boring. It’s now glorified but it really wasn’t back then. Low scoring and little by way of defensive fundamentals. Lots of 82-75 games. We did enjoy the fights. The phrase “I went to a basketball game and a hockey match broke out” was coined and often repeated. The game was played like us hackers at the park. We may not have had elite skills but we woudnt let those that did have an easy layup. Lots of players that were there to foul. Every team had an enforcer. But let there be no doubt….skilled stars in the 90’s (MJ, Dominique,etc) saved the league.

Today collectively the player are far more skilled, faster, quicker, athleticism. They shoot better and handle the ball a lot better.

Personally… as a fan I loved the confrontations. As a coach I hated the emphasis away from the game and the focus on fouling.

I like the purity of the game. Team oriented, ball movement, player movement, defensive fundamentals, player development…which is why I love the Heat.

 

[oxrageous]

Today collectively the player are far more skilled, faster, quicker, athleticism. They shoot better and handle the ball a lot better.

This is utter nonsense.

 

[Marine1]

This is utter nonsense.

Sit this one out. You haven’t watched an NBA game in 25 years. You wouldn’t know Ja, Donovan, Luka or Giannis if you bumped shoulders with them on the street.

 

[oxrageous]

Sit this one out. You haven’t watched an NBA game in 25 years. You wouldn’t know Ja, Donovan, Luka or Giannis if you bumped shoulders with them on the street.

Every idiot you just named would have been a 6th man in the 80's.

 

[Marine1]

Every idiot you just named would have been a 6th man in the 80's.

You’ve never heard of them. You have not watched a game in over 2 decades.

 

[oxrageous]

You’ve never heard of them. You have not watched a game in over 2 decades.

Yup, and I still know they'd be 6th men. Terrible players.

 

[78]

Just watched video of Donovan Mitchell for the first time. I’ve never seen a ball handler with that skill level. His crossover is sick. You can’t defend that.

 

[oxrageous]

Just watched video of Donovan Mitchell for the first time. I’ve never seen a ball handler with that skill level. His crossover is sick. You can’t defend that.

Sidney Moncrief would hold him to 7 points on 3 of 24 shooting.

 

[78]

Sidney Moncrief would hold him to 7 points on 3 of 24 shooting.

He’s certainly not at BJ Armstrong’s level, but he could make my 1992 practice squad as an alternate.

 

[Marine1]

It’s the life long argument of old timers. The past was always better. I remember years ago being in a hilarious argument. I said Babe Ruth could never get around on a Nolan Ryan 100 mph fastball. Dude blew a gasket.

There’s never been an era of NBA basketball I didn’t love. But look at film of ballhandlers and so many of them could only use their right hand and shoot layups right handed. The kids collectively keep getting more skilled.

I just roll with it. Hit Bayside and the Triple A and watch pure basketball and you’re guaranteed to have a good time. The Heat keep finding guys nobody ever heard of and develop them into contributing assets.

 

[Marine1]

Just watched video of Donovan Mitchell for the first time. I’ve never seen a ball handler with that skill level. His crossover is sick. You can’t defend that.

Lots of good ball out there right now. Teams like Utah, Denver, Memphis and Phoenix to name a few more. Extremely talented and skilled, well coached, disciplined, fundamentally sound and team oriented.

 

[Theologator]

I’ve long thought that NBA players are the best athletes. To move as they do at their size is simply amazing.

But I don’t watch them much anymore. The current game seems too often a jump shooting contest and they seem disinterested. Plus when I lived in the Orlando market for 15 years they talked about the Magic nonstop and they have sucked for most of that time.

[mention]rogdochar [/mention] I sum up my NBA sentiments as “LeBryawn.”

 

[Marine1]

I have not watched this show yet but look forward to it. Kareem, Rambis, Worthy, Scott (after Nixon), Magic, Cooper, McAdoo….a perfectly constructed team…much like the Celtics of that era. That’s why those games were epic.

Magic had 5 titles and Bird had 3. If not for the other …one would have had all 8.

 

[gatordad3]

My favorite quote from the HBO series, 7th episode, (is what Jerry West said in the limo in Boston), "Paul Revere should have slept in, and let the British burn this F*c£ hole to the ground."

 

[Spurffelbow833]

The only NBA game I have ever attended was Larry Bird's personal and Celtics club record 60 point game against Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks in New Orleans in 1985. That was a treat.