If a tree falls in the forest...

[jimmykc]

Sorry to start this "holiday" with a bitter screed, but for the first time in the past past 70 years I managed to neither see nor hear a single basket of the NBA finals. With no ex- Nebraska players involved, with the Lakers being my traditional least-liked team, and with Heat having no players of interest, I just didn't care. No fans, no superstars without political agendas, and no interesting story lines=no reason to care. I guess I'll just blame it on China and move on to college sports. 

[hhcmatt]

I watched most of it. It was too bad that the Heat lost Gorin Dragic but the Lakers still probably win anyway. Game 5 was a great watch.

I will say that without a crowd it does seem less exciting/impactful however you can't argue with how effective the bubble was.

[Navin R. Johnson]

The Lakers are my team so this year I started watching them, and only them, again. I stopped watching the NBA after the Tim Donaghy point shaving scandal.

[atskooc]

3 hours ago, jimmykc said:

Sorry to start this "holiday" with a bitter screed, but for the first time in the past past 70 years I managed to neither see nor hear a single basket of the NBA finals. With no ex- Nebraska players involved, with the Lakers being my traditional least-liked team, and with Heat having no players of interest, I just didn't care. No fans, no superstars without political agendas, and no interesting story lines=no reason to care. I guess I'll just blame it on China and move on to college sports. 

Ummm...ok.

[hhcmatt]

Seems like Duncan Robinson is having the start to his career you might have expected from Doug McDermott or even Andrew White

[MitchMcGaryMunchies]

9 hours ago, jimmykc said:

Sorry to start this "holiday" with a bitter screed, but for the first time in the past past 70 years I managed to neither see nor hear a single basket of the NBA finals. With no ex- Nebraska players involved, with the Lakers being my traditional least-liked team, and with Heat having no players of interest, I just didn't care. No fans, no superstars without political agendas, and no interesting story lines=no reason to care. I guess I'll just blame it on China and move on to college sports. 

 

No ex-Nebraska players involved?  2020 Finals not exactly an anomaly...

 

No interesting storylines?  The league and players spent the last three months amidst a massively risky logistical nightmare and came out on top.  During a summer of intense political unrest, no less.  The NBA has done more to instill confidence in the populace with regard to our ability to contain and limit spread of the virus than the federal government has.  And that isn't even up for debate lol

 

You could've just given us the abridged version and owned-up to your true feelings.  But maybe you're saving that post for 4chan

[MitchMcGaryMunchies]

3 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

Seems like Duncan Robinson is having the start to his career you might have expected from Doug McDermott or even Andrew White

 

As a whole, was really impressed with how many younger players shined in the bubble.  Incredible to see rookies like Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn playing the minutes they did in the Finals.  And was really cool to see a little older guys like Jimmy Butler, Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell, etc. really show that they are superstars.

 

The league is going to be in good hands when LeBron turns 65 and finally retires.

[jayschool]

41 minutes ago, MitchMcGaryMunchies said:

The league is going to be in good hands when LeBron turns 65 and finally retires.

That's like when, 2025?

[Huskerpapa]

Whaat, wait.  How did I miss the fact that the NBA was playing.  Hmmm.  Must have missed that announcement.  Now I suppose somebody will tell me MLB is playing as well.  Is hockey going to play as well?   

Only thing I know is a great number of great players from my childhood recently passed on...Kaline, Gibson, Seaver, Morgan; et al.

[jimmykc]

Reassessing my post of this morning, I feel somewhat more sanguine tonight about the NBA. It is just the expectation that athletes must make a political stance on everything which rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose I just want to see them play ball and not correct all of the problems we have in the world now.  I have a long and enjoyable history with the NBA and this year has not registered with me. The first team I can remember seeing on tv was the old George Mikan, Slater Martin, Jim Pollard, Vern Mickelson Minneapolis Lakers in the fifties. Later I remember hiding my old am radio underneath the covers and listening to Clyde Lovellette and Bob Petit's St. Louis Hawks go against the Bill Russell Celts . I switched to the Celtics when they got Jojo White and Nate Archibald, both of whom I got to see perform live in college. And finally, the GM of the Celtics (who was Jan Volk after Auerbach) comped my family four seats on the parquet at the old Garden as they beat Rick Pitino's Knicks. Bird was hurt and watched from the bench but I did get to have a few words with Kevin McHale and slipped a quarter between the gaps in the floor. Anyway, I'm sure I will eventually muster some NBA enthusiasm when (maybe) some NU players perform for a team some day. Just not this year.

[hhcmatt]

34 minutes ago, Huskerpapa said:

Whaat, wait.  How did I miss the fact that the NBA was playing.  Hmmm.  Must have missed that announcement.  Now I suppose somebody will tell me MLB is playing as well.  Is hockey going to play as well?   

Only thing I know is a great number of great players from my childhood recently passed on...Kaline, Gibson, Seaver, Morgan; et al.

 

You missed out on the one sport that traditionally has been beloved in a bubble

[aphilso1]

NBA players wearing a social justice phrase on their backs, and getting political in post-game interviews, seems like the correct way to raise awareness for an issue.  You don't have to look too hard to find people that are doing it wrong...such as the neckbeards of ANTIFA.

[jimmykc]

I don't have any problems with people having strong opinions regarding social justice or politics, I just don't think athletes have any more credence than any other group and I tune into sports for recreation and not social education. I would feel the same way if our plumber or cable guy showed up at the door in a political tee shirt and began to tell me about his views on our society. How about we all just continue to do our best to perform our jobs to the best of our abilities and confine our opinions to the ballot box?

[aphilso1]

2 hours ago, jimmykc said:

I don't have any problems with people having strong opinions regarding social justice or politics, I just don't think athletes have any more credence than any other group and I tune into sports for recreation and not social education. I would feel the same way if our plumber or cable guy showed up at the door in a political tee shirt and began to tell me about his views on our society. How about we all just continue to do our best to perform our jobs to the best of our abilities and confine our opinions to the ballot box?

 

I think it's natural for people who have strong opinions, plus a platform to shout them from, to feel compelled to make their opinions known.  They likely think they are doing their part to "change the world."  I'd probably do the same thing if millions of people actually cared what I had to say. 

[jimmykc]

Ah, but I do, aphilso, at least as much as I care about what any of the Lakers think.  

[cornfed24-7]

8 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

I'd probably do the same thing if millions of people actually cared what I had to say. 

I don't even need millions of people

[HuskerFever]

2 hours ago, jimmykc said:

How about we all just continue to do our best to perform our jobs to the best of our abilities and confine our opinions to the ballot box?

 

Unfortunately, we're in an environment where voter suppression is a real thing, regardless of party. Not everyone has the opportunity, or have to jump through many more hoops or bottlenecks to even express their opinion at the ballot box.

[The Polish Rifle]

13 hours ago, jimmykc said:

It is just the expectation that athletes must make a political stance on everything which rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose I just want to see them play ball and not correct all of the problems we have in the world now.  I have a long and enjoyable history with the NBA and this year has not registered with me.

 

13 hours ago, jimmykc said:

Later I remember hiding my old am radio underneath the covers and listening to Clyde Lovellette and Bob Petit's St. Louis Hawks go against the Bill Russell Celts

Just a reminder that Bill Russell was a bad ass mother, who had a major impact as a civil rights activist. Very happy he decided to not "just play ball". 

[atskooc]

1 minute ago, The Polish Rifle said:

 

Just a reminder that Bill Russell was a bad ass mother, who had a major impact as a civil rights activist. Very happy he decided to not "just play ball". 

Jim Brown and Kareem as well. 

[jimmykc]

Let's not forget Bill Walton, one of the biggest activists in the NBA. My point is that the winds of change often blow very softly and despite the loudness of protests and the perceived impact of celebrities, I don't believe they have much impact on the improvement of society. I am old enough to remember when the SEC and the SWC were both segregated and my father served in a segregated US Army. I have seen these and countless other injustices corrected by the inevitability of time and doing the right thing. When I first followed the NBA two of my favorite players were the Knicks' Nat Clifton and Willie Naulls. Oscar Robertson wanted to play for Indiana but the the Hoosiers already had filled their "quota" of one black player so he ended up at Cincinnati. Although they were obviously more talented than paler teammates they didn't stage any protests and the recognition of their skills eventually led to our present NBA. Celebrity endorsement had nothing to do with any of the changes I have witnessed.

[Fullbacksympathy]

Lebron is putting thousands of kids who come from nothing—like he did—through college.

 

He is simultaneously helping register thousands of people across the country to participate in our democratic process while managing to be arguably the greatest player ever and winning championships.  

 

All things considered, I think his demonstrated empathy for those less fortunate lends itself to a place at the political table.  It’s been quite interesting to see Black athletes uncensored and taking over the voice of the organization they continue to revolutionize.  
 

More kids are being educated.

 

More voters are being registered.  

 

I’ve rather enjoyed it.  

 

 

[jason2486]

What I find rather ironic is that lots (not all) of the "shut up and play, keep politics out of it" crowd who think players shouldn't voice their opinions are the SAME people who voted for a president who bitches and voices his opinion like a high school girl, and they have no problem with that.