Thread: NBA Finals

Originally Posted by BeefStew25

Wade's flop at the end was gay as Atwater27.

Leave Wade alone. He is out MVPing Lebron if they win the series.

Originally Posted by atwater27

Leave Wade alone. He is out MVPing Lebron if they win the series.

If my aunt had balls they would be on your chin.

Originally Posted by BeefStew25

If my aunt had balls they would be on your chin.

That was witty. Napoleon Dynamite would be proud.

This has been a very competitive series. And entertaining.

the mavs just won't stay down. . . apparently, the only way to kill them is with fire. . .

Originally Posted by dogfish

the mavs just won't stay down. . . apparently, the only way to kill them is with fire. . .

Meth.

I have been completely enthralled with this series. Every game. Which is weird, considering I couldn't stand watching the Mavs all year. The competition is just fantastic. Not to mention the ridiculous storylines, now coming perfectly to fruition.

-Finally seeing the genius of the 2-3-2 game format. Dallas has the lead, but really, how much of a lead is it when home court advantage returns to Miami? That's some pressure right there for both teams, and no other combination would be quite as dramatic. Because it goes down in one of two ways: (1) Dallas has to take the championship from Miami in Miami, or (2) Miami comes from a 3-2 deficit to take it.

-The ownership of Miami: Wade has been an axe murderer out there, doing everything with a Kobe-esque sneer. But we all know that LeBron is one of the most talented players to ever dress for a game. How are we going to define this team? Who is Batman, who is Robin, and who is Alfred?

-The Hall of Fame push for Dirk, and how the next two games might define if he ever gets in. That's a lot on two shoulders right there. Win it all, and not only are you a champion, but you're immortalized among basketball's greatest forever. Lose it, and you're immortalized as nothing but a legend of an era that almost was. Almost, but not enough.

-LeBron's definition and refinement. Who is LeBron? What is he after? Chide me all you want for referencing Bill Simmons (or for reading his work period), but he made a pretty poignant comparison that I always seem to come back to when describing LeBron's innate desires: Jordan wanted to win; LeBron wants to amaze. If there was an ultimatum to murder Scottie Pippen to take a Game 7 in the Finals, Jordan would take it. If LeBron was put in that same scenario (with Wade), I'm not so sure he would take it. He would rather throw up half court shots before the game, make impossible dunks look easy, flick a no look pass, or shatter an opponent's fast break with a Herculean block.

-And finally, something that runs parallel, especially if Miami pulls this deficit into a title: should Wade start receiving Jordan comparisons as well? What is his legacy with two titles (and probably two Finals MVPs) while being drafted in the same class as LeBron. He's been the underdog forever: from Marquette to being the third pick to losing his throne in Miami to LeBron.

This whole thing has me foaming at the mouth. So many perfect angles. And it's closing perfectly, no matter who finally triumphs.

fantastic post, other than the part where you asked if wade should get jordan comparisons if they win. . .


no. . .

Originally Posted by dogfish

fantastic post, other than the part where you asked if wade should get jordan comparisons if they win. . .


no. . .

Obviously, but I wrote that more on the merit of who "deserves" the consistent comparisons. More and more this series, it seemed like Wade was the one who would strap the whole squad on his back to get a W. Perhaps I put it incorrectly -- not who should get the Jordan comparisons, but who should leave a more lasting legacy on their own. Yeah, I'll stick with that.

The weirdest thing about this series for me is that I actually respect LeBron MORE since it started. I never really gave him a thought before. I know, people are capping on him for lacking the killer instinct, but I am impressed with his team ability, his assists, his defense and his overrall game. I honestly think Miami's problem is they are getting vastly outcoached. I still want Wade to get MVP if they win though.

Originally Posted by Broncospsycho77

Obviously, but I wrote that more on the merit of who "deserves" the consistent comparisons. More and more this series, it seemed like Wade was the one who would strap the whole squad on his back to get a W. Perhaps I put it incorrectly -- not who should get the Jordan comparisons, but who should leave a more lasting legacy on their own. Yeah, I'll stick with that.

i find the latter statement VERY much more palatable. . .


sorry, not trying to be a jerk about it or anything-- i'm just really picky about hearing guys with a ring or two compared to the GOAT. . . i just don't think jordan comparison are ever justified, even as hyperbole. . . that rapist POS kobe is the only one that really even belongs in the same zip code, IMO-- and when you compare the major awards as well as the rings, there really is no comparison. . .

IF the heat turn it around and win this thing with wade as the finals MVP, at that point maybe you can compare him to a player like isiah thomas-- maaaybe akeem olajuwon or larry bird, although it's still a stretch at this point IMO. . . but never jordan, and it's not just the rings-- jordan won finals MVP all six times his team won the title, and he has five league MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a defensive player of the year award. . .

we have to project just to get wade to two rings, two finals MVPs, one scoring title and zero league MVPs or DPOY. . . i think it's a huge insult to his airness to compare a player like wade or lebron to him, when they don't have even a fraction of his accomplishments. . .

as far as i'm concerned, comparing gretzky to jordan for the most dominant individual player in the history of team sports is more the level that MJ comparisons should be made on. . . JMO, obviously. . .

Originally Posted by dogfish

i find the latter statement VERY much more palatable. . .


sorry, not trying to be a jerk about it or anything-- i'm just really picky about hearing guys with a ring or two compared to the GOAT. . . i just don't think jordan comparison are ever justified, even as hyperbole. . . that rapist POS kobe is the only one that really even belongs in the same zip code, IMO-- and when you compare the major awards as well as the rings, there really is no comparison. . .

IF the heat turn it around and win this thing with wade as the finals MVP, at that point maybe you can compare him to a player like isiah thomas-- maaaybe akeem olajuwon or larry bird, although it's still a stretch at this point IMO. . . but never jordan, and it's not just the rings-- jordan won finals MVP all six times his team won the title, and he has five league MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a defensive player of the year award. . .

we have to project just to get wade to two rings, two finals MVPs, one scoring title and zero league MVPs or DPOY. . . i think it's a huge insult to his airness to compare a player like wade or lebron to him, when they don't have even a fraction of his accomplishments. . .

as far as i'm concerned, comparing gretzky to jordan for the most dominant individual player in the history of team sports is more the level that MJ comparisons should be made on. . . JMO, obviously. . .

I agree. I will have to say, though, Wade does nothing but prove people wrong and perform when it matters. And he does it selflessly. Classy dude. I got an interesting comparison of Lebron, though. Skillwise and physical freak wise, he reminds me of an NBA version of Bo Jackson.

Go Mavs!

Could anything be sweeter than the Heat losing and Lebron being labeled the goat of the series????...WoooHooo!

Originally Posted by dogfish

i find the latter statement VERY much more palatable. . .


sorry, not trying to be a jerk about it or anything-- i'm just really picky about hearing guys with a ring or two compared to the GOAT. . . i just don't think jordan comparison are ever justified, even as hyperbole. . . that rapist POS kobe is the only one that really even belongs in the same zip code, IMO-- and when you compare the major awards as well as the rings, there really is no comparison. . .

IF the heat turn it around and win this thing with wade as the finals MVP, at that point maybe you can compare him to a player like isiah thomas-- maaaybe akeem olajuwon or larry bird, although it's still a stretch at this point IMO. . . but never jordan, and it's not just the rings-- jordan won finals MVP all six times his team won the title, and he has five league MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a defensive player of the year award. . .

we have to project just to get wade to two rings, two finals MVPs, one scoring title and zero league MVPs or DPOY. . . i think it's a huge insult to his airness to compare a player like wade or lebron to him, when they don't have even a fraction of his accomplishments. . .

as far as i'm concerned, comparing gretzky to jordan for the most dominant individual player in the history of team sports is more the level that MJ comparisons should be made on. . . JMO, obviously. . .

Fully agreed. But to add, it wasn't just the awards or the breadth of talent... It was how he did it. How he viewed it. "Snarling" comes to mind. If I had to pick one entity that hated losing the most at anything... It's Jordan. This group also includes Cold War-era Afghanistan, 2000 Al Gore, and both participants in the Hundred Year War.