I dunno…I remember when it was ‘Fantastic’
fuk’n NBA blows…I mean I still watch it but I can’t remember when I watched a whole game to completion…uninterrupted
There was a time when *gasp* I liked Basketball WAY more than I did football (I know…yes me.)
The game has changed….changed for the absolute worst, I cannot think of a single thing better about the way the game is now than ‘back in the day’
The game play
The players
The Teams
The TV production
by comparison is pretty much… for the lack of better term is “wack” compared to the golden years of Basketball (1981-1996)
I dunno…
I remember when you could truly be a fan of a team like …in the off season you could spit out the starting lineup (and most of the bench) for your team at any point…like it was nothing
Like
Lakers:
Kareem
Worthy
Cooper
Scott
Magic
Pistons
Edwards
Laimbeer
Aguire
Dumars
Zeek
Celtics
The Chief
Bird
McHale
Ainge
DJ
…I’m sayin…at this point you’re rootin’ for a jersey…the team name more so than in football; at least in the NFL there’s next to no trades and most teams do EVERYTHING they can to keep as many of their best players as possible.
NBA? They let ’em go like a Love TKO
The players and the game play go together….probably the biggest problem they have
1. The players are too damn young.
The whole High School things is out of hand, granted the kids that didn’t go to college or only spent a year in are probably some of the best players in the league. Or ARE the best players in the league
BUT
If they weren’t in the league SOMEONE would be the best players in the legaue and while they were in school actually learning the game (and maybe JUST maybe getting an education) when they did hit the league the overall game would be better.
2. No one wants to play their postion
There’s NO reason 7 foot ass muhfukas should be gunnin’ three’s at any point in a game unless it’s at the end of a quarter….Centers and Power forwards are shootin Jay’s and guards are tryin to dunk from the foul line every time down the court.
I remember when the guards and small forwards could hit outside shots with regularity and the Centers and power forwards played the blocks for put backs and boards.
…seemed to work for whatever reason, game didn’t look sloppy, and the socring was pretty decent.
Granted; you had Ewing, Mchale, Laimbeer, Olajuwon shootin from outside…but they were the exception
In today’s game it’s layup, dunk or Threes; A basketball player is supposed to LIVE in the middle…mid jumper range; THAT’S how you kill em
when were you going to see Rober Parrish shootin fade-away treys and James Edwards poppin off the 16-footers like it was water?
..just sayin the positions are positions for a reason…least they use to be.
That’s why:
People say College is better than the NBA…and even that sux these days because when you’re checkin out a college basketball game and see someone good…you KNOW he wont be there the next season
…he’ll be making ‘the jump’
People don’t watch or care about the NBA till the playoffs and more times the finals…because the regular season means nothing
…some teams just aren’t going to win…some teams just wont be in the playoffs…from the start of the season
BUT the regular season WOULD mean something if the game play was better….
People say that the season is too long.
82 games…I guess you can make an argument for that, BUT I will say this…back in the day it didn’t seem too long at all…hell, didn’t even notice.
3. There’s no real Superstars
There’s no Magic, Bird, or Jordan any more. I mean Shaq is cool and would be the best but he’s on the tail end of his career.
They are trying their best with LeBron and I dig the new commercials but it’s hard to mask the fact that he’s pretty bland in the personality area…you next to never see the media clamoring for interviews or hear sound clips of him on TV/Radio.
THE ALL STAR WEEKEND
Remember!?
They RUINED All Star Weekend!
I remember the Schick Legends game, The ITT Sheraton Shootout and the Gatorade Slam Dunk Contest
The rookie game isn’t that bad, but the Legends game NOW would probably rock ass..fine though…keep Rookies Vs. Sophomores
THE PROBLEM IS they changed all the rules to the Dunk and 3 Point contest
IT USED to be way more people in it…they had real rounds and they cut them down till there were 2 people left.
The Dunk contest would have like 10 guys…then 8…then 6…then 4…then 2 and the final two would have like 3 -4 dunks each
Same with the Three point contest
People couldn’t WAIT for those two to see Larry Bird vs. whoever…to see Craig Hodges shoot em up
And people you KNOW couldn’t shoot em like that show up in the contest…it was fun
The Dunk contest?! Puhlease
They use to go AT it! Dr. J, ‘Nique Vs. Jordan…Spud, Kenny Smith and that SAME ass Dunk every year!
But it was fun
You had Rivalries…you KNEW it was going to be Jordan and ‘Nique at the end…just wanted to see who was going to do what
1 dunk…then top that…the next and then the next (ESPECIALLY when Wilkins got ROBBED in The Chi)
The ALL Star weekend was like a PPV event
…Speaking of rivalries
That’s another thing the game is missing
Remember:
Celtics Vs. Lakers
Pistons Vs. Bulls
76ers Vs. Celtics
Blazers Vs. the Lakers
You couldn’t WAIT till some teams played each other…you knew it would be something…Teams use to HATE each other…the Fans used to HATE the other teams fans
(now everyone just hates Kobe lol)
At this point people root for players…part of the fun of being a fan is to have ‘a team’ that’s what you’re supposed to have…a team
your friends everyone has a team, your father has a Team…you grow up and your children knows ‘your team’
The rivalries use to be that ish!
AND the individual ones
When Bird played Magic!? Not even the same position but it was heated!
Bird and Chuck person…I remember one time they were guarding each other they went back and forth shooting 3’s and jumpers in 10 consecutive trips down the court…the teams kept feeding it to them while they tried to out do each other
Jordan vs. ‘Nique
Jordan Vs. Drexler
Zeek Vs. Magic
Ewing Vs. Smits
KJ Vs. Tim Hardaway
You don’t have that anymore…and the players use to fill ALL the stat categories
I thought we were going to have McGrady Vs. Vince…nope
Wade Vs. James…nope
Shaq Vs. Yao or Duncan…almost
and nowadays you dont know who anyone is…the new guys.
Who was last year’s #1 pick? does it roll off your tongue? …didn’t think so.
Team had Identities…personalities
The Bad Boys played ruff…The Lakers were Showtime…The Celtics were pure…you have …I dunno what you have now.
The last 2 years I’ve been playing fantasy Basketball…it’s made me actually keep up a LITTLE bit with basketball , I mean I’ve had the NBA League pass on DirectTV for 4 years and never used it
but since I’m a glutton for fantasy sports I’ve been getting into it a little bit….the bad part is I realize how much MORE fun it would be had the game was like it use to be and/ore I played back in the day.
Also it doesn’t help that MY TEAM hasn’t been the model of excellence the last few years
….and if A.I. goes or gets traded they would STILL be my team (besides we’d still have an A.I. left)
I dunno…maybe I’m wrong…just my thoughts! But tell me, are you feeling the NBA these days? Where would YOU rather go? Game 7 of the NBA Finals or The Superbowl?
