The Westbrook trade is easily the biggest shocker of them all for me. Wow.

Jens wrote:

The Westbrook trade is easily the biggest shocker of them all for me. Wow.

Meatwad wrote:

mr. steal your rebound's effective field goal percentage is 44. damn that's awful. now paul george is the man.

Yo Nipsey, you gon root for mr steal your rebounds now or what?

4 days later

More creative...he'll flop while traveling.

Gotta say - I’m intrigued by this ‘it will look like a travel but isn’t’ move. 🙂

7 days later
17 days later

These guys can't catch a break, man.

8 days later

Harden now trying to incorporate a one leg step back three.

:-/

16 days later

https://outline.com/YLT8rm

KD gives an extensive interview with the WSJ. Details his anger towards OKC:

”Such a venomous toxic feeling when I walked into that arena. And just the organization, the trainers and equipment managers, those dudes is pissed off at me? Ain't talking to me? I'm like, Yo, this is where we going with this? Because I left a team and went to play with another team?

His mother recalls one particularly appalling piece of video: a Thunder fan firing bullets into a No. 35 jersey. Bullets—after she and Durant and half his extended family relocated to Oklahoma, after they embraced the community, after Durant gave a million dollars to tornado victims.

”I'll never be attached to that city again because of that. I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don't trust nobody there. That s--t must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain't talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left."

Not NBA, but Team USA has been knocked out of the basketball World Cup by France.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/11/fiba-world-cup-france-usa-basketball

The USA usually fields a significantly weakened team but has still managed to win 58 games in a row at the Olympics and World Cups.

Semi finals will be France v Argentina and Australia v Spain. The Aussies had a narrow win over France in the group games, but Spain will be tough.

18 days later

This has been the hot discussion on social media recently:

What do you guys think? Seems the author ranked them heavily based on analytics.

From the "honourable omissions" list, you can tell that there is nothing conclusive and there will always be arguments about value so I just scrolled to the bottom and as soon as I saw MJ at number one, I felt no need to read the rest.

Bryant wrote:

https://outline.com/YLT8rm

KD gives an extensive interview with the WSJ. Details his anger towards OKC:

”Such a venomous toxic feeling when I walked into that arena. And just the organization, the trainers and equipment managers, those dudes is pissed off at me? Ain't talking to me? I'm like, Yo, this is where we going with this? Because I left a team and went to play with another team?

His mother recalls one particularly appalling piece of video: a Thunder fan firing bullets into a No. 35 jersey. Bullets—after she and Durant and half his extended family relocated to Oklahoma, after they embraced the community, after Durant gave a million dollars to tornado victims.

”I'll never be attached to that city again because of that. I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don't trust nobody there. That s--t must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain't talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left."

these athletes really are sheltered and clueless socially. you actually think those people who wouldn't want you in their neighborhood if you didn't play ball love you like that? to be so detached from reality. they love what you can do for their team, not you.

fuckin bullshit. i stand with morey.

He isn't standing for himself much either, it appears.

Any particular reason this guy has something to say about HK? Not like this is clearcut like apartheid or Gaza and it sure as shit doesn't seem like he has any actual insight if all he has to say is muh freedom.

an interesting twitter thread:

Dwight Howard is back with the Lakers? Que? Not sure how you feel Bryant but that roster is certainly an odd collection of players, through granted with some dominating qualities.

I haven't watched too much of the pre-season but I'm getting the feeling this upcoming NBA season will be the most competitive I will have ever seen.

KingslandBarge wrote:

Dwight Howard is back with the Lakers? Que? Not sure how you feel Bryant but that roster is certainly an odd collection of players, through granted with some dominating qualities.

I haven't watched too much of the pre-season but I'm getting the feeling this upcoming NBA season will be the most competitive I will have ever seen.

I have some optimism that it's a better collection of players this year, at least they got more shooting. I've seen the highlights and Howard's looked a shell of himself, definitely has lost much of that athleticism that made him famous. But he's here to be a backup and to play a defined role. 

I'd like to see how Vogel wants to play more before I make a judgement. It could go south if the results don't come early this season. 

arsedoc md wrote:

😆

Perfectly reasonable response. What's so funny?

I think it's funny as well how everyone wants to backtrack on that tweet.

jones wrote:
arsedoc md wrote:


😆

Perfectly reasonable response. What's so funny?

Agreed.
That's why I posted Daryl Morey's tweet in reply which is, more or less, what Lebron said.

Bron is upset Morey did not think about his nike deal, and space jam 2. What if China ban space jam 2? What then ??

How many NBA stars are giving their views on the Hong Kong situation right now?

Muswell Hill Gooner wrote:

How many NBA stars are giving their views on the Hong Kong situation right now?

I don't follow many on twitter and stuff so don't know really. Not many anyways, in fact probably just Kanter? they all plead ignorance and say nothing.

Bold Tone wrote:

I'm guessing, Zero?
How many of them exist?
https://stats.nba.com/players/list/
How many have got films they need to sell in China?
One, two, three?
Why is the opinion of one player who never even made college more relevant than the CEOs of Google and Apple who have done worse as they are far more influential and affect a bigger slice of society?

Well I'm guessing the backlash Lebron is getting from all over is beacuse he went to greate lenghts to be "More than an Athlete" and all that. And that he did not take the no comment stance, but he responded and called Morey out. Remember the whole scandal with "shut up and dribble" ? and now Lebron is coming out and saying the same thing, "shut up an do your job".
You can't have it both ways. You can't post inspirational quotes and talk about free speech on one issue and then shut up or speak against on a different issue.

But yeah, you are right, they are all in the wrong, and money rulz. The NBA as a whole, the players, CEO's of big companys, Hollywood who like to talk about anything but are not saying shit right now. They are not talking so they won't lose money.

He did not say or imply that Daryl Morey should “shut up and do your job”. That’s such a strange take on his view and an unnecessary twist of his words. He explicitly stated that he did not believe the man was educated enough on the issue before he spoke. And he granted that the man had the right to speak, but should have been conscious of the possible ramifications and repercussions.

How is this a shut up and dribble / do your job parallel?

flobaba wrote:

He did not say or imply that Daryl Morey should “shut up and do your job”. That’s such a strange take on his view and an unnecessary twist of his words. He explicitly stated that he did not believe the man was educated enough on the issue before he spoke. And he granted that the man had the right to speak, but should have been conscious of the possible ramifications and repercussions.

How is this a shut up and dribble / do your job parallel?

It's just how I see it. And by the looks of it, I'm not the only one that sees it that way.

He has the right to speak but should be carfuel what he says if it affects their income - that's what I get from that. Let's be honest is not like he posted something super controversial or wrong. Be carfuel what you speak or twitt? Come on, his new nike campaign "invites wearers to share their voice"(launched this week, funny that). That's what the guy thinks, so is it ok or not to share his voice?

Isnt it so that free speech means being able to say what you think, even if it's not right ? So in Bron's view the problem here is what he posted and not how the Chinese gouverment reacts to any tiny thing that people say that might not be in line with the views that they have?

I deleted my post as I'm at work and wanted to post when I could respond immediately.
LeBron did not say "shut up and dribble".
That was some Trump stooge.
What LeBron defended was his right to choose to speak when he felt the need to.
Big difference.
He does not have to comment on every issue.

@ Homesteak. There is nothing wrong with what Morey said. Whether right or wrong. What is “wrong” is he obviously didn’t have the conviction to stand by what he said and wasn’t ready to deal with the fall out. That is what LeBron is critical of.