The NBA . . . . . gone and forgotten

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

That's what is kind of ironic about the Heat winning...it renders them so much less relevant to so many people. I honestly think at least a third of the TV audience is watching to see LeBron lose (myself included). Once LeBron wins a title, I honestly don't have any reason to watch Heat games anymore, and I'm guessing there are many who share my opinion. I mean there's no fun to watching them win. LeBron is highly unlikeable, Wade is arguably just as unlikeable now (and I think more so myself) and Bosh is your typical hanger on. Outside their fans, no one wants to see them succeed, and people don't want to watch it either.

Which why it makes no sense that people are accusing Stern of wanting them to win the title. Make the Finals? Absolutely, but the longer Heat go without winning not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, the better it is for the league. If this was Chicago/San Antonio I probably wouldn't be watching.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Thats the thing. Stern doesn't care about them winning the Finals, he cares about who's playing in the Finals. Once a desired team (Lakers, Heat, Bulls, Celtics, Knicks) makes the Finals, a high rating is essentially assured. He manipulates the results to get the matchup that will maximize viewership, but as to the Finals, I think his only preferrence is it goes 7 games, but once they have a team or teams they want, the league office is content. The Lakers in 04 being a perfect example, the NBA wants them in the Finals, but could care less if they win because they have the rating locked in. In fact Dallas winning last year likely helped make this Finals an even bigger ratings success.

[calumniate]

Wow I saw on tsn some harsh tweets by Winnipeg's Wheeler and another NHL player about Lebron's leg cramps. No class imo, I've seen this in other sports where lots of jumping is involved. Once you cramp up there's no recovery for you for at least 24 hours. NHL athletes should know better!

[HOOT]

If the Heat pull this off and Tiger finds a way to win a major this year 90% of the sports world will be blowing out their brains. LeBron could never do anything to please most people. He could give a million dollars to a charity and people would find something to complain about it. "he paid by cheque, not cash" or "it should be two millions".

I'm not sure if I want LeBron to win more because he is an amazing athlete or just so ESPN can shut up about it.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Again, LeBron is in this position because he did it to himself. The Decision was essentially the single most narcissistic move in sports history, and his (and the whole Heats) reaction afterwards, that 7-8 championships was a given just by showing up made this team and LeBron specifically the most detestable, arrogant team in sports history. It has nothing to do with LeBron being a great player, but an egotistical prick who we'd all rather see suffer through the losses. LeBron fans better pray they close the deal, cause blowing a 3-1 lead in the Finals (would be the first team ever to do so), even if LeBron scored 60 a game, would get him biggest choker of all time label. Is it fair? Absolutely not. But life isn't fair, and he did this to himself.

I'd also like to add that should LeBron close the deal, the only thing that changes in most people's minds is they care substantially less about watching Heat games. I'll say it, once he wins I have no incentive to watch them play anymore. If they win it's because they are supposed to, and if they lose I don't care either. LeBron fans think this is somehow going to wipe the slate clean and put him on the path to Jordan. Unless he wins 6+ championships, it isn't going to ever happen. Remember when Mike was almost dying from the flu? He played and dominated. Remember when LeBron got cramps? He looked for the bench ASAP.

[Gozer]

The entire league spent two years building their teams and making roster/salary moves to prepare themselves for the start of free agency. The teams made a handful of players more important than competitive balance, team success, and maybe even franchise integrity. LeBron acted like he was bigger than the game, which I don't like, but it was true. Entire franchises and their fan-bases spent years strategizing for him to sign as a free agent. That's not his fault.

I won't say LeBron isn't arrogant or that the teams (including NYK, CHI, MIA) were wrong to act the way the did - but fans take out these frustrations on three players and I think their contempt is misdirected. I stopped being a fan of the NBA around this time, but it wasn't because three players fulfilled their contracts and then decided to play together in one of the planet's best cities.

[Senator Clay Davis]

See the strangest thing about being angry at LeBron and Wade is they actually took less money than they could have made (somehow, someway Chris Bosh makes more than both of them.). That said, what makes sports so great are villains, and there are two types of villains: The succesful ones (Yankees, Lakers, Cowboys/Steelers) and the hateable ones (Heat, Canucks). Regardless of why they're hated, the hatred towards them is irrational but thats what makes it fun. See I think as long as you respect the opponent (excluding the Cowboys and Canucks) then its all good and just silly fun.

I also think choosing Miami made it worse. It's right there with LA as the worst sports city in America, hell they don't even sell out some regular season games (and to be fair the economy down there is garbage). Fans from real sports cities are obviously a bit envious such a front running bandwagon town gets this incredibly talented top 3.

[flames_1987]

Agreed with Senator that Lebron picked the biggest d-bag city in the world to go to in Miami. That has a ton to do with it.

I also have to mention how much I hate watching Wilbon on the pre-game. My girlfriend celebrated her birthday in Miami last year, we flew down with a bunch of her friends from Toronto and were drinking at the same bar as him. He tried to step in front of me at the bar when me and my girlfriend were talking and actually dropped the line to her"Pardon the Interruption" Miami brings out the d-bag in everyone

[nik-]

this is awful

edit: I must qualify that I was in another room listening to that ... was that like a 10 year old kid or something?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Refs off to just a flying start. By my count 2 carries missed, 3 travels missed and 3 phantom calls so far.

[flames_1987]

Refs have been awful both ways at least, so far. The Heat are on another level tonight though.

[Senator Clay Davis]

But see when it's Mario Chalmers making the carry, then we call it! Its the same with Kendrick Perkins, at least once a game they call travelling on him as if to say "See, we still call it!"

[Get-Iggy-With-It]

I'm usually a pretty big NBA fan but when the Heat win this year, after seeing how atrocious and biased the refs were in favor of Miami, I'm definitely going to tune out the NBA next year. Its turned into such a bush-league organization.

Just read the book "The Whore of Akron" and it made me despise LeBron James that much more. What a tool.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Haha Harden might have broken his neck with that head snap

[OILFAN #81]

59-49 Heat at the half. 15 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds for Lebron. Mike Miller has gone 4/4 on 3's.

3rd quarter will determine if we have a game or if the Heat win it all. OKC plays such loose defense. They don't guard the 3 very well.

[Senator Clay Davis]

OKC played much better defensively in the San Antonio series. And Harden continues to just be non-existent. OKC needs Westbrook and Durant to go off in the second half.

[Drake]

That's a shocker that OKC are getting to the line a lot and making them but their defense needs to quit leaving guys wide open for 3's.

[flames_1987]

This reminds me a lot of Celtics/Lakers Game 6 from 5 years ago. Not sure the Thunder have the mental toughness to stick with the gameplan with the lack of stops they're getting and the Heat's energy right now. I really hope they keep battling though.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Durant has to start getting the ball inside the arc. He's so long and strides big so with two steps he can get any shot he wants. They need stops to get out in transition where Westbrook can pick his poison with the pull-up or drive it to the rim.

[flames_1987]

Lebron is just on another level. The Heat are one run away from this and they can sense it.