2022-2023 Toronto Raptors/NBA season thread

[Paulie Walnuts]

That certain other hospitality industries flew over my head.

Harden is officially a certified bum

[mile]

It's always a great day when the 76ers and Embiid lose


Oilers next pls

[bluejays]

On the Raps coach search they certainly seem to be interviewing a ton of people. Really seems like it’s a blank slate with nobody in particular catching their eye or that they’re focused on. One person I remember Masai mentoring was Kenny Smith. He was gunning for a front office role but part of me wonders if he’d be a good coach with young guys.

[Kasi]

So I was talking to a friend and this final four is so weird. Can anyone remember a time when the final four three years apart were the same four teams and the top two players on each team were the same? Don’t recall that in modern day sports.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Rumours about Harden returning to Houston might start to get intense in the coming weeks... Stay in Philly where the expectations are high, the fans and media are angry, and the roster is maxed out, or go to Houston where the expectations are low, the fans would love to have him back, the roster has loads of room to improve, the food is amazing, and certain other hospitality industries are supposedly also amazing.

Lol, well done.

I don’t know about the fans part though.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by mile

It's always a great day when the 76ers and Embiid lose


Oilers next pls

Ask and you shall receive.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

LeBron's unlikability is driven by his desperate desire to be liked. Kobe was a bad person, but that was basically his image. Same as Jordan, Brady and others. Even someone like Kawhi, who is sort of an anti-social weirdo, you respect far more than LeBron. Guys who are real are more commendable because they simply don't care what others think. Embiid is another guy right now who is so desperate to have people like him that it just renders him far more unlikeable. Compare that to Jokic, who clearly couldn't give a ####, and is far more likeable.

LeBron's image is so contrived, driven by the media lackeys who protect him in exchange for access, that it renders him extremely unlikeable. And he tries so hard to appear to be sincere that he comes off even more phony. I suspect he's just as much of a jerk as guys like Kobe and Jordan, but instead of owning it he is desperate for the image of being a good guy.

I have a close childhood friend whose dad works as a producer for ESPN, he says Lebron was one of the nicest people he’s worked with.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Lebron is a genuinely good dude. Yeah the flopping and playing GM stuff is bad. But outside of that he’s never gotten into any scandals off the court like Kobe did or Ja is currently

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Lebron is a genuinely good dude. Yeah the flopping and playing GM stuff is bad. But outside of that he’s never gotten into any scandals off the court like Kobe did or Ja is currently

I'm not completely refuting it but I think extra marital stuff off court is taboo and not reported by media. It may not be illegal, but it's certainly not alright in most of society. Again, he's done a lot of good as well...it's like most people having positives and negatives.

[Kasi]

Lol that stuff sure got mentioned about Kobe. If it was there it would be leaked. Dead spin for one would be all over it. Yes he has a giant chip on his shoulder and he’s arrogant. What person in his position wouldn’t be? That’s part of what got him to be what he is. Anyway until you can actually show something stop fishing for hypotheticals because you don’t like him. We’re not saying he’s an every day normal nice guy but as far as sports stars go he’s pretty nice and doesn’t do stupid ####.

[Paulie Walnuts]

He's been exposed for sliding in the DMs. News is hard to get because his image so protected by his team to create that fake brand around him.

He's just so fake that's the issue he needs to be liked so bad.

Reminds me of when Draymond yelled at Paul Pierce chasing that retirement tour they don't love you like Kobe.

[Kasi]

Exposed for sliding? Not even sure what that’s supposed to mean.

Edit: ahh found what you were referring to. Hmm tmyk I suppose. Still not exactly that’s much of anything. Compared to what other stars have gone through.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Kasi

Exposed for sliding? Not even sure what that’s supposed to mean.

Edit: ahh found what you were referring to. Hmm tmyk I suppose. Still not exactly that’s much of anything. Compared to what other stars have gone through.

It's not illegal like I said but he's certainly not the saint he makes himself out to be. I wasn't fishing. You can see online. All pro sports that aspect is protected. I had a family member working at the Ritz in Toronto and he said every team that came in had hired guns come in, so it's not exclusive to him or even the sport (athletes in general). Doesn't mean I have to respect him.

[Kasi]

Sure by that argument you won’t respect any sports stars. But it’s grading on a curve and if you had to grade personalities of superstar nba athletes James grades out better than most.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Kasi

Sure by that argument you won’t respect any sports stars. But it’s grading on a curve and if you had to grade personalities of superstar nba athletes James grades out better than most.

I'm skeptical of sports guys in general because of that particular aspect. They're hypocrites when it comes to what they say about family and what they do (every team sport). But by the same token if Kobe's rape allegation or Ja's gun touting are your gauges of where to gauge good, I don't think that's right either. The casual drug use by so many people is extensive in hockey as well. I wouldn't be looking for a saint, as it'd be pretty rare in sports in general, but I really can't support most who don't put their family interests first and do that.

[Paulie Walnuts]

It's not just Basketball I know of a few hockey players who have new families that have indulged in Calgary and have had a taste or two.

If you are an athlete you get women 30 for 30 has a great documentary on players going broke. Offensive lineman said women threw the delves at them at the club and they would spend the money.

[Strange Brew]

An NBA championship is about to get decided in next few minutes.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Come on Raptors miracle...

[Senator Clay Davis]

Lol Pistons though, might as well tank again next year.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Spurs win it.