OT: NBA lock out started UPDATE**
Just heard on the radio that the NBA has locked out the players already, the CBA wasn't set to expire until midnight tonight.
**I later heard that the NBA changed the language the used and is now saying they are going to lock out the players at 11:59 tonight. I just was unable to update due to lack of computer and a dead cell phone battery.
Does it mean *controlling excitement* that Darius gets to come back to us?!?!?!
/wishfully thinking
If they don't play the season, do any players get paid?
No players get paid. That's why I think the owners are going to win...they always win.
Billionaires > Millionaires
Players are rich. Owners are wealthy.
I bet if the lockout lasts long enough we'll say NBA players in Europe, especially Lebron James. I bet if LJ goes to Europe for a year he might actually get a ring...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X_Ot0k4XJc
EDIT: sorry, I can't embed at work for some reason.
Here you go
The local radio station up in Boston had Brian Scalabrine on and he was talking about potentially going to the Europe to play ball to finish his career if the NBA locks out. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes out there now. This is unfortunate, because although Scal isn't a big player in the NBA, he's got great insight on the game and is very well spoken.
I definitely see some players going out to Europe.
Ah, yes... the token 'wellspoken' term thrown out for a white NBA player. That term is reserved for 'three point specialists' and Grant Hill. I think I just made a NBA bingo!
Brian Scalabrine could offer a Master's Degree on towel waving and being a good bench guy.
I remember one playoff series where he would not stop hitting threes against the Pistons. Thankfully the Nets coach (Lawrence Frank?) wouldn't play him too many minutes. I was legitimately terrified of Brian Scalabrine in that series though.
Including the epic triple OT game where Scalabrine carried my Nets after K-Mart and several others had fouled out. Won the game, but lost the series to the Pistons unfortunately.
Billups hit a halfcourt 3 after a missed Kittles FT to send the game to OT...it was crazy.
he's screwed. Tall Europeans are clearly his weakness
This isn't an issue that is going to be resolved anytime soon, david stern is an awful commishioner and im not really sure how he still has a job.
This will not be good for Darius Morris' mid range jumper
Yeah, because the lock out will certainly prevent him from entering a gym with teammates....
Please, it takes a special person to have enough motivation to work on your game to the same extent that you would with trainers/coaches/organized practices.
Maybe Darius has the internal motivation to do this. But I can't see this doing anything but hurting his development.
its the longrange J that needs work.
unless thats what you were saying
Thank God.
The ESPN article is here.
Anyone else wondering how may other sports will experience some type of a lock out this year?
I believe another sport will experience some type of lock out this year.
tSIO will be locked out of bowl games and above-average quarterback play.
with the NFL and NBA locked out popularity for sports like hockey and lacrosse should go through the roof. yay!
The NBA had a lockout in the summer of 1995 and another one in the fall of 1998. Neither significantly affected the popularity of the NBA or other leagues.
The NHL needs to get its own house in order if it wants to gain popularity. It can't just root for other leagues to falter.
The NHL didn't start to gain major popularity nationwide until after it's own lockout in 04-05. Those two NBA lockouts were also during one of the best eras in NBA history. 95-96 was the first championship of MJ's second three-peat and 97-98 was the last.
This is going to sound sour but I hope the lockout is long and cripples this league as it did the NHL and MLB. My disdain for this league has grown more and more over the last several years. It really is a poor representation of the game and is very frustrating to watch. Rant over.
Couldn't agree more.
I hope it swallows the next season, in order to allow the NHL a chance to rejuvenate itself...now lets hope GB doesn't spoil this opportunity
If this results in David Stern stepping down it would be a huge gain for the game. Hell, it would be a net gain for humanity in general.
Would you rather watch NCAA basketball? Where teams struggle to shoot 30% from the field...I kid. In all seriousness: Reg. season NBA> Reg season NCAA. NBA playoffs> March Madness. I believe...
Regular season NBA games are terrible -- it seems as if the players are sleep-walking through the first three quarters and don't even get serious until the fourth. It also appears at times as if their more concerned with figuring out where they are going to go out after the game than actually playing the game.
Maybe it's just me, but I really can't watch a regular season NBA game on tv anymore. I've been to a couple in person and even that doesn't make it much better...
If I had to rank them, I would put it:
1) College football
2) Pro football
3) Pro baseball
4) College basketball
5) College hockey
6) Pro hockey
7) College baseball
8) Pro basketball
Not a bad list, but hockey deserves to be ranked higher. They don't sleepwalk like the bball players do.
you're right. I would amend it so hockey is higher... was just a spur of the moment thing.
The point still being that pro basketball is clearly on the bottom of the list.
you lost all credibility in my mind by putting baseball 3rd.
and as much as i love michigan hockey, college hockey in general is pretty painful to watch with all the sloppy play. there's so much talent in the nhl that it has just set the bar too high.
I know it's pretty rough to watch on tv, but I really love going to games. Call me nostalgic, but I just get a great feeling when I'm at the ballpark -- not quite like being in the Big House, but close.
Great list....But I agree...college hockey is painful to watch (unless it is in a college rink)
7: NBA
I like you.
<br>
<br>Go soccer.
I'd rather watch Penn State - Wisconsin than NBA basketball ;)
Seriously those games end up like 40-38 final
uhhh no
How about this Spoiled athletes and hearing about LBJ<<<<<<<Watching March madness and unselfish play
My disdain for this league has grown more and more over the last several years.
Which has nothing to do with the Pistons' poor performance the past three years, I'm sure.
You just assume I live in Michigan and I was once a Pistons fan? Do I have to give you certain number of years I have disliked the league? Call me a hater if you must but I'm no longer a teenager who I believe this league is geared towards.
If you've disliked the league for years, you probably haven't been watching the renaissance in NBA basketball. I too have gone through phases where I thought the NBA was a poor representation of basketball and preferred the college game, but right now that opinion wouldn't be based in reality. I don't watch a ton of regular season basketball, but every time I've turned in, I've been pleasently surprised with the quality of play, which far exceedes any other level of basketball. The amount of young superstars and the depth of overall talent has taken the quality of play to a point where it hasn't been since Jordan was taking over from Magic and Bird.
Your point is based on you not watching regular season bball....Its horrible. It is always the hardest working team that wins bc both teams barely even scratch effort at parts of games. If a team actually tries (excuding Cleveland)they almost always win
I watch a lot of regular season basketball and you are just flat out wrong.
This perception that NBA guys dont give a crap and dont give full effort really has to stop.
Its completely false.
No, I'm admitting I don't watch a lot of regular season basketball (the only pro sport I frequently watch during the regular season is football), but when I do watch, I don't find any of your "lack of effort" points to be remotely accurate. Better teams win basketball games, both in the regular season and the playoffs. I know this because upsets are farily uncommon in the playoffs. Under your theory, there should be more teams that sneak into the playoffs and then make a run at a championship. It doesn't happen because it's just not true.
NBA players work hard, play hard, and try to win. To say otherwise is to display ignorance.
Thats great that you enjoy the NBA game. I'd rather watch teams play both ends of the floor.
And that's the thing, they DO play both ends of the floor. Yes, there are teams/players that are better defensively than others, but just because a team/player is struggling defensively doesn't mean that because they aren't giving effort. It's not that simple.
You're just spouting tired cliches. NBA teams play defense. It's just difficult when you're going up against supremely talented offensive players. Chicago had the best record in the NBA almost entirely due to great defense. They fell in the playoffs to an extremely talented offensive team that happened to also play great defense.
Edit: To add to my point. The NBA lost popularity primarily because the teams got too good at defense. Officiating was forced to change to make it more difficult to be phyisical and thus more difficult on the defensive players.