NBA Playoffs

Some cute guys playing tonight

Kendal Jenner's ex who plays for Sun's is a cutie

I wish they had some naked NBA playoffs

Op, gays don't follow football too closely so you probably won't get many responses.

R4 is this some kind of irony, or are you unwittingly proving your point? The "B" in NBA isn't football.

Jesus Christ, OP, it just went right over your head.

Correction, I am not Jesus Christ.

But you think you are.

Lots of cock on the floor

R9 And that big hot floppy kind

50 points in a seventh game of the playoffs. Steph Curry, who single-handedly changed all of basketball.

He'll beat Lebron and get back to the finals.... small, slender, and the best basketball player still playing.

Steph is incredible, there's no doubt about that. He -- and Kevon Looney -- saved the Warriors' season last night. Nobody else showed up.

But the Warriors are about get a BEATDOWN from Lebron & Anthony Davis. Have you seen what AD has been doing, defensively?

Do those players over 6’5” have enormous cocks?

Kobe was hot . Lebron looks like King Kong 🦍

Also: What makes you think the Warriors will get past the Denver Nuggets, R11? (who are clearly going to win their series vs. the Suns). I'm not a Nuggets-fan, per se, but they have been completely overlooked & disrespected as the #1 seed. They beat the Warriors all four times they played them, this season.

R12 if AD shows up? We win. Lebron will be Lebron. It all rests on AD.

Agreed, R16! It's all about AD. He was dominant vs Memphis, blocking 26 shots, and affecting/changing many more. We need THAT Anthony Davis vs. the Warriors. It will be a great series!

Also, R16: How satisfying was it to see Dillon Brooks eat shit, moping on the bench at the end of Game 6?? He said he wanted to "poke the (old) bear".....oh well, that's what happens, CLOWN. 🤡

R18, it was a smart PR move on his part. (Patterson did the same thing with Kobe two decades ago. He called himself "the Kobe stopper".)

How do you make a name for yourself when you're a middling nobody? Insult the best player in the all the land. It never works, but it might get him an endorsement deal.

That's a perfect comparison. We've never heard from Ruben Patterson again. He was outta the league a couple years after he said "I'm the Kobe Stopper". So will Dillon Brooks.

Where the dick pics at?

R15 Indeed Denver looks strong - but watch the Suns in the next two games - my $ is on Phoenix. Warriors beat the Nuggets 4-1 last year in the playoffs; I think playoff experience is more important than regular season success - Warriors just get better with each round.

Then I want Celtics. I want to beat the Celtics again.

R21 Here, now sit down and be quiet.

Didn't even know that there were any NBA fans here 😆

I'll check in for the hot guys.

Who are the hot NBA men? I lost track after the 2000s.

R25, I like older men, so it's the coaches for me.

Darvin Ham is so ugly-hot that it drives me wild. He just looks like he'll tear you in half and then hold you tenderly after. My favorite.

The Grizzlies just notified Dillon Brooks that he won't be brought back "under any circumstances." Tool.

The Lakers/Warriors series will be insane. Go LA!

Celtics suck. Can't beat 76ers without their best player in their home arena.

R26 I know someone who looks almost exactly like them, and they're mannerisms are similar too. Only difference is the person I know is gay lol

Correcting myself at R29 "their mannerisms"

R25 What's your type, or who were you mainly into back then? That would give me an idea on who to reference lol

Do any of you guys place any bets on the games too or just watch them?

Nope, I just watch. Thankfully, gambling is the one vice which never has appealed me (plenty of others have).

Also: Lakers games are already enough of an emotional rollercoaster for me. Having a financial stake in the outcome (or the little side bets based on stats) would make me positively mental.

Lakers played very well last night - Anthony Davis is the real deal. Warriors should have played better defense.. and still came within one brain fart (Jordan Poole) of pushing the game into overtime.

I am putting real money on the Warriors winning the next game.

As I said, if AD plays as well as his talent dictates? Lakers win.

R29, can you give the Darvin clone my number? Please?

R35 And if AD chokes every other game (as his history indicates) the Lakers won't win.

Last night was a supreme example of the Warrior mystique - Steve Kerr the ultimate chess wizard adjusting to game one. Looney with more than 20 rebounds every game is replaced by JaMichael Green? WTF? And then Steph becomes playmaking point guard and Klay resurfaces as Super Klay.

Davis, as great as he is, just doesn't have the heart.

Warriors in 7.

As a Lakers fan, I had pretty low expectations going into Game 2. I'd seen that crazy stat: the last 15 times (now 16) that the road team won Game 1 in a best-of-seven series, the home team bounced back to win Game 2. And then when you figure in that it's the *Warriors* (and Steve Kerr), who are especially difficult to beat back-to-back, at home...forget it.

I was just hoping the Lakers would make a respectable showing, and no one would get hurt. To that end, I almost had a heart-attack when when Moses Moody fell on Jarred Vanderbilt's leg awkwardly. (in real time, I was certain his knee had buckled).

It was a mistake for Doc to indulge Embiid’s ego to let him play in game 2. That big ass brace should have been a big ass red flag that he needed to sit HIS ass down for one more night. 8 blocked shots is something I guess but he couldn’t hit the hoop for shit. The fake foul call against Williams was down right embarrassing. All the fire and fight from the night before was gone from the Sixers play. The team looked dejected and deflated. Especially Harden. They’ll be lucky if they’re not booed by the fans in Philly during warm-ups.

Hoping Jokic and the Nuggets win it all this year - I always root for guys who don’t care for fame and he really pisses off the media.

Christian was my Hoops Honey. I’m so proud of his progress.

Jokic always looks like he's about to have a heart attack. That'd make for gripping video.

Who's the bigger choke artist? AD or Harden?

R40 I am watching the game and your boy, surprisingly, is getting some minutes. And, as you may have noticed, his butt is rounded, big, and perky.

Harden looked haunted in game 3. Like he was seeing something that no one else could see and it freaked him the fuck out. He wasn’t even playing at a pick up game level. He was missing field goals that a kid could make. I don’t know what Doc said to him at half-time but it sure didn’t help. I really think he suffers from some form of mental illness. And I like the guy. Hope this isn’t some kind of fucked up ruse to get traded. Philly loves him but it doesn’t seem like he loves them enough to want to stay and play for the Sixer’s.

Good AD = Lakers' win.

Next game. Bad AD = Warriors' win.

These blow out games aren't very interesting.

I still predict Warriors in 7.

Wow! The Suns just made that series VERY interesting, when things were looking pretty bleak. I still think the Nuggets will prevail, no matter how GREAT KD & Booker are. Even before CP3's injury, the Nuggets were just so much deeper than the Suns. They should eventually wear down Phoenix in a seven-game series. But who knows, right? Shit happens! That's why they play the games.

R45 I think the Suns are better without CP3. I don't like the Suns, but Booker is playing at an amazing level - who'd a thunk there'd be a team in the playoffs with KD that had a BETTER shooter.

I also think Denver will win, but it's now become a great series to watch. Lakers-Warriors have been "evenly matched", but trading games with total blowouts isn't the most gripping basketball to watch.

R12 here, back for my victory dance. I told ya'll!

Awww Maddog @R47! I loved that Laker team!

It went well tonight, didn't it R48!

Fun fact: My good friend lived in the same building as Madsen during the Lakers 2001 year. Maybe 2002 too? Can't remember. At any rate, they became friends and we all hung out a few times. Super nice guy.

^^^Oops, that was for R47^^^

Congrats to the Lakers.

Well, who'd a thunk that Steph and Klay would shoot 14/47, and that the warriors as a team would shoot 27% from three. Even so the Warriors lost by 21 points.... and the Lakers had 21 more points from free throws. The refs were definitely calling it for the Lakers' style of play.

My money is that Denver wins in 5 games.

I do not follow basketball at all. Thought it boring. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to one, and I said yes. What he did not tell me is that he got the tickets from a friend of the owner. When we got there I was surprised that they were floor tickets!

The experience changed my mind about basketball because when you see them rumbling up and down the court in front of you, doing amazing moves, running into each other, and hearing them yelling, it is an eye-opener. These guys are fucking enormous! The things they do at their size are otherworldly.

R52 Exactly - and basketball more than any other sport let's you see the amazing athleticism - speed, quickness, jumping, feints, passing, shooting, defense - all right there in front of you. You don't need an informed view of strategy etc... you can see the freakish, balletic, skills of the players.

Only thing I hate about in person (and it's true of modern day football too) is the super-loud PA - both announcing and music during breaks. It's like professional wrestling/carnival shit.

Speaking of freakish athleticism - check out Nikola Jokic in the Nuggets series. He's like a mobile, athletic, target shooter who looks like a refrigerator.

Entitled asshole New York " fans" get ripped for their after-game actions.

Whelp, the Warriors are out. I'm out too.

Denver in FIVE, OP/R51???

They're great, but that's seems awfully cocky, considering that we haven't seen the Lakers & Nuggets play each other since January 9th -- when the Lakers were truly abysmal, still mired in the soul-crushing Russell Westbrook-Pat Bev "Experience". Not to mention the dead weight of Kendrick Nunn, Juan Toscano Anderson , Damian Jones & Thomas Bryant (whose butt is now firmly planted on the Nuggets bench).

And yet...the Lakers still managed to beat Denver TWICE with that SHITTY-ASS roster! And in one of those victories, AD played only 17 minutes (first half) due to injury. (note: Porter Jr. didn't play in that game either, but otherwise, the Nuggets had their full compliment of players for both losses).

I'm betting on AD disappearing, either with injury, or just the way he does. I think Joker the Frig will dominate him and hurt his feelings and he'll wilt.

Wow! That was quite a beatdown by the Celtics. As a Lakers fan, I have no love for either team, but as just as basketball fan, I was pulling for the Sixers advance to the finals for an Embiid/Joker -- or an Embiid/Davis -- match-up. Oh well....sayonara, Doc! I'm sure someone will hire him as a broadcaster.

Hope you didn't bet the farm (or even a lot) on five games, OP/R51. The Nuggets may well prevail (the home-court advantage in Denver's altitude is REAL), but the Lakers will win more than ONE game. Please. That's just insulting. And you clearly haven't been paying attention. Davis plays Joker straight-up, no double-teams....the Lakers don't allow Joker to shred their defense with double-digit assists. The only game in which he went for double-digit assists against the Lakers was a game in which AD didn't play (nor did Bron, Reaves or Walker), and they were forced to double-team him. Because...he was playing against Thomas Bryant & Juan Toscano Anderson.

R59 Yeah, yeah, Lakers remodeled their family room in midseason and now are much better. I may be wrong, but something tells me AD is going to choke.

The first Nuggets-Lakers game this year: Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. I just think it's his time.

And for the record, although I am now a Warriors fan after 30 years in NorCal, I grew up in LA and was a huge Lakers fan. Back to the days of Baylor and Goodrich. And of course Wilt, Kareem, showtime 80s. I kind finally lost the thread when Kobe retired.

[quote]The first Nuggets-Lakers game this year: Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. I just think it's his time.

Seriously, R60? The FIFTH game of the season? That's what you're basing it on? The Lakers beat the Nuggets just four days later (to go 1- 5). Joker logged 23 pts, 14 rbs, 6 ast, 2 blk....while AD went 23, 15 rbs, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk. Hmm. Oh well, it's your money, fool. 🤷🏻‍♂️

R60 not sure what will happen, but AD dominated the 2020 WCF agains Denver/Joker.

I love Joker and would not be surprised if Denver wins. But AD is a beast when he wants to be.

[quote]But AD disappears when he loses interest.

I'm just going to leave this here:

That is so cool, R16/R49!! How can anyone not love Mad Dog??!! Of all the Lakers player-relationships, his relationship with Shaq is my favorite "bromance". So endearing! I know you know the story, but for the rest of the peanut gallery...

When Mark moved to LA as a rookie, he was driving an old, beat-up Toyota minivan that had been passed down through the Madsen siblings. It had almost 200,000 miles on it and looked it. On the first day of training camp, Shaq walked into the locker room & asked who owned the RAGGEDY-ASS minivan in the parking lot. Mark raised his hand.

At the time, Mark had yet to receive his first Lakers paycheck, which wasn't coming until November 15th. He had some cash from a $10,000 endorsement deal, so he wasn't broke-broke....but a new car was not on his radar. The old Previa got him where he wanted to go, he was fine with it.

Shaq said: "NO, you're a Laker, now. You can't roll up to Staples in that piece of shit!" (the rest of the team drove Mercedes, Ferraris, etc). After practice, Shaq took him car shopping & put a down-payment on a new Tahoe (that's what Mark wanted)...and then dropped $7000 at a Big/Tall store for new threads.

He was also extremely protective of Mark's "virtue" & Mormon beliefs (even though he didn't relate/understand them), telling teammates to respect that. Don't try to "corrupt" this rookie. Don't invite him to clubs, don't bring certain people (hoes) around him, etc. He told the Lakers equipment manager -- or whomever assigned hotel rooms on the road -- to move Mark AWAY from certain guys, put him on a different floor. He didn't want Mark exposed to any of that shit....and he didn't want Mark to think any less of his teammates because of the things that he might see.

R35 😆 well where are you located, and can give you a brief description of yourself? He lives in LA, btw.

Harden apparently got Doc Rivers fired, according to the talking heads at ESPN, especially so he can possibly make room for the coach he wants, Mike D' Antoni

So this year's Eastern and Western Conference Finals are both an exact re-do of the 2020 E/W CF in the bubble. Lakers might get past Nuggets again, however the Joker and Jamal Murray have seemed to elevated their game, so idk if it's going to be as easy for the Lakers as some might think. However, I think the Lakers chances are better than Heat against Celtics, unless Jimmy Butler can go off as much as Jayson Tatum is anticipated to.

Also, apparently the fight between Draymond and Jordan Poole was allegedly exacerbated after JP "disrespected" Coach Steve Kerr. I didn't see any of you guys mention it so just thought to just in case anyone here didn't hear about it

San Antonio Spurs are in line to get Victor Wembanyama, apparently on track to be not only "the best basketball player ever" but also "the best overall athlete ever."

R69 I'm betting Poole is gone. He not only choked in the playoffs.... he choked with an attitude. He's not all that.

Luka Doncic is a cutie pie

R71 Pretty much those are the whispers around the league, except he has that big contract, so they'd have to be able to find a team that's willing to take him on. I think they'll be able to trade for him and it'll possibly humble him- supposedly his attitude changed shortly after he signed that huge contract. There's barely anyone on his team that likes him anymore, a stark contrast to this time last year, when they were ready to gloss him the "The Third Splash Brother."

Jokic is no joke!

Lakers should get a 10 point advantage because they’re playing a mile above sea level. That’s Gotta give the Nuggets a definite advantage.

Well....you're right, R74, Jokic is NO JOKE! I think he deserved to win MVP again this season. He was the BEST player on the BEST team (by record), all season long (or at least since mid-December). Embiid was just "fashionable"....because there's this sense that you can't award the MVP to the same player, three years in a row. I had a feeling Embiid would shrink in the playoffs; he always does.

Having said all that, I'm a little surprised that Game 1 of Nuggets/Lakers was as close as it was. The Lakers would have won that game, if just a few more shots landed. Feeling encouraged.

R75 Well, AD played at his highest level, and they still lost. Denver did NOT play at their highest level in the second half/fourth quarter especially, and they still won. I still say Denver wins in 5 (five, FIVE) games.

James Harden - the weirdest player in the league - he got Rivers fired? He makes $50 million a year, and he absolutely shit the bed in most of the Boston games. Embiid is a great player... sometimes, but he isn't the leader he needs to be. In that seventh game he needed to take the game over, and instead he just whimpered "no one give me the ball!!" while Harden threw up bricks or turned it over.

R76 Not weirdest player in the league 😆 that Cookie Monster ensemble is still in my head lol but yeah, that's what's being said, he apparently informed the front office that he didn't want to have anything to do with Doc Rivers going forward, after being coached by him for 79 games. It was a pretty much me or him type situation, for it was mentioned that Harden was considering returning to Houston if Rivers would've stayed. Rivers still has two years left on his contract and had a pretty good relationship with the execs and Embiid overall, practically everyone sans Harden, who most likely saw Rivers as a 🗑️ coach.

I don't hate James Harden....I just laugh at any team that gets into the "James Harden Business" . It will not end well.

Jayson Tatum is fine

R79 Yeah, he is

R79 Traveling twice in 90 seconds in the fourth quarter of a playoff game you're losing on your own home floor? No one ever gets called for travelling anymore in the NBA, but his hopping around, refs had to call it.

No shots at all in the fourth quarter?

Tatum is in real trouble if the Celtics don't come back to win this series.

R65, I love that story! Hadn't heard it.

Shaq's exploits in LA were legendary. During most of his Lakers run, I was a very young waiter at a fancy restaurant in Santa Monica. Shaq would come in from to time and his tipping prowess was legendary. A hundred bucks for a coffee. That type of thing. I was always so awed by him, but he instantly put me at ease with his charm and wit. He really is a genuinely great human.

And I say all this as the world's biggest Kobe fan.

R78 Did you see his latest stunt? He declined his player option so he's going to opt out and shop around his services as a free agent this summer, for a long-term deal. It'll be downright ruthless if he got Rivers fired only to quit on the team himself, since he just might somehow get a better offer.

R79 R80 Most definitely with a nice ass too 😆

This guy has a nice ass... not sure why he's a pro (haven't seen him do shit for the Nuggets this season) but his ass is fine.

AD goes missing again. Reaves (huh?) leading scorer for Lakers. Jamal Murray shows up. Denver in 5.

Celtics pathetic. Lakers pathetic. Heat v Nuggets - and something tells me this "oh, the Heat culture of hard work, teamwork..!!" and Butler being just too driven... Heat in 6 games.

No way. Nuggets in 6. Maybe 7

does anybody here want to fuck nikola jokic? does being the greatest basketball player in the world make up for looking like an alcoholic plumber?

R89 a big, built, paunchy drunk plumber is 100% my type. (Especially if we make Jokic closer to 50 instead of late 20s).

So yeah. Many men find Jokic and his type hot af.

R90 You should move to Balkans many men like him here. Not as big, obviously

Jokic’s big brothers are scary dudes

I love it when the media darlings ( the teams that always get the publicity) fail so blatantly. Now, if the Cowboys have a crap season and the Yankees once again fail to make the World Series, it will be a great year.

Celtics suck so bad. At least no one expected the Lakers to come this far

I thought it was really nice that the first people Jokic thanked when winning the Western Conference MVP was the equipment manager and the crew/staff of the Nuggets. A lot of athletes straight up treat those people like shit if they even acknowledge them at all. He was gracious to Embiid as well - his mindset is so humble and kindly no wonder the American media can't stand him at all.

Lebron might retire.

R96 You really think so? I think he contemplated it, although not too seriously. I think he was moreso talking out of frustration after being swept, so he's trying to send a message to the Lakers that some changes need to be made during the off-season, or he's out. I also think he said it knowing that it would take some of the attention away from the Nuggets victory, which it did. There were more mentions of him flirting with retirement that night and the following day than there were about the Nuggets. He has also stated that he would love to play side by side with his son, which can't happen until the Fall of 2024, and he's now saying that if his son isn't interested in playing together, then he'll have to give up on his dream. Now its being confirmed he's returning to the Lakers next season.

Game 7 Memorial Day 😆 Boston has one more chance to pull it off and can make history as the first team to ever come back and win after a 3-0 deficit. This has happened 150 times already and it never played it out in favor of the down team so we'll just have to see 😆 either 1-150 or 0-151

R97: Nobody seriously thought Lebron was going to retire this summer. Please! The NBA's all-time scoring leader? The guy who brought us "The Decision"? THAT GUY was going to just walk away mid-summer, without a big-ass Farewell/Retirement Tour??? (see: Kareem, Bird, Kobe) C'mon!!!

R99 😆 😆 I know that no one's really buying that lol also, he wouldn't leave on a down note like that one, he'd at least want a farewell tour- he's already having a film crew follow him around like the Last Dance so he knows that he's not ready to throw in the towel just yet. He intends to play one more season with the Lakers then opt out next summer so he can go play with Bronny on whichever team drafts him, then he'll be ready to walk off. He's expected to be out for about two months at the start of next season because of his ankle surgery, and he has already made it clear that he isn't interested in being the primary playmaker next year so that's possibly where Kyrie comes in, especially since D'Angelo is almost out the door, once again.

R99 I also think he'd demand a trade before retiring after that fiasco. He wants to play for Golden State; Draymond is all in, however Steph isn't as enthusiastic about it as Draymond is 😆

As a Lakers fan, I just want to be on-record giving a HARD *FUCKING* NO to Kyrie, or Trae Young (where the hell did that come from??). Kyrie is undeniably talented...but I want no fucking part of that guy! Like the Lakers don't have enough drama? No, no, no....NO!😮

Also: The 2025 All-Star game is scheduled in L.A. Albeit, in the Paper Clips new arena....but still, its L.A. That will be his All-Star swan-song.

R102 Why no to Trae Young? He's great

R104 he's a historically bad defender and has a terrible reputation (arrogant, lazy, antagonistic, toxic).

Kyrie = Russel Westbrook. He'll bring lots of drama and endless analysis of "why isn't it working"...

LeBron will never play for the Warriors. It's Steph's team, and he just isn't on board.

What an amazing choke job by the Heat last night. One game at home to go to the finals, the Celtics not playing well, and they couldn't get it done (yeah, yeah Celtics with an unlikely shot with .02 seconds left). Everything says that the Celtics win game 7 at home... but something tells me the Celtics' central character this postseason is to shit the bed when it counts.

R105 Everyone's a bad defender in today's NBA

R106 Kyrie is a million times a better player than Russel Westbrook

Which Westbrook? Now? sure. The years when he was league MVP? not so much.

R109 Any Westbrook. He padded his stats to get all those triple doubles and make the history. Look at his field goal percentage throughout his entire NBA history. It's terrible.

LeBron knew that the media was not going to turn its attention to him, so he made up that cryptic comment about retiring, so all of the talking heads would be talking about him, instead of the Nuggets. The man is like Trump - everything has to be about him. Anyone who would leave a $10.00 tip for an $800.00 restaurant and bar bill is scum.

[quote]Celebrities are often given special treatment at restaurants, which often either open early or stay open late to accommodate their celebrity clientele. LeBron took advantage of this, keeping the Prime Steaks staff on call until nearly four in the morning. James and his crew racked up a bill of $800 dollars. Though all the staff likely wanted to clock off and head home, at least they had a great tip to look forward to from the superstar worth millions, right? Wrong – apparently LeBron tossed a $10 bill in as a tip and called it a day.

R107 That's a really stupid thing to claim - defense is rated relatively. You must not know anything about basketball at all. You'd value Trae Young over a player like Jrue Holiday? That's laughable

R109 Westbrook has sucked for his entire career. He lowers team FG% by a lot, pushes his own bigs out of position to pad rebounds, has no sense of using the shot clock whatsoever, always been a very poor defender and no intuition for the help side of it either, constantly turns the ball over.

Go Celtics!!

I’m a die hard NBA fan and had no idea this thread existed. Hilarious to read both the Lakers fans and the Nuggets in 5 guy being so wrong. Sweep!! Tomorrow’s Game 7 is going to be epic. The first weekend of the playoffs is my favorite time of the year. I’ve seen games in all 28 NBA cities. I had been to every arena at one point but I haven’t been to the new Chase Center in SF yet. My team is the Portland Trail Blazers. Their logo is tattooed to my leg. I had a dream to be a season ticket holder so I moved from NYC to Portland for the entire 2018-19 season. I picked the right year. We went to the WCF for first time in 19 years. Finally, my NBA podcast is in its 5th season!

Actually, with so much regard for "oh, KD and Booker and Paul, oh no!!" - picking Nuggets in 5 was pretty on spot. You guessed a sweep?

I think although everything is set for a miraculous, historic comeback for the Celtics tonight.... I think the Heat and playoff-Jimmy resurface and win.

I think Heat win too

I just want these two fine mens to make to the finals

Nuggets beat Heat in 6 games.

R102 Looks like you may get your wish, Mark Cuban is prepared to give Kyrie the contract that he wants to keep him in Dallas

R103 Also coinciding with Bronny's first full year in the league. He's already gone on record multiple times stating that he wants to play alongside his son and that his last year will mist likely be his son's first so yeah he's not going anywhere anytime soon lol

R115 Well welcome 😁 hope you make it to the Chase Center soon so you can have that one under your belt with all of the other ones. Congrats on your podcast too, are you Chris or Eric? If you don't want to out yourself I understand 😆

Braun plays basketball and smells cookies, IMHO.

R122- I’m Eric.

I think I said Nuggets in five. Small data set, but watching that first half it may be done in four.

Jokic passing is a work of art. Jokic needs to go to Weightwatchers though.

Can’t judge a series based on one half of basketball. Denver was rested and at home. Miami was coming off an emotionally draining series three days earlier. As you can see, Miami is the best team and proved it last night. Miami in 5 is more likely than Denver in 5 but I say it goes 7. Keep in mind, Miami has WAY more Finals experience than Denver up and down their roster and into the coaching staff.

Often the "rested" team is rusty. I don't have the data, but "they had more time off" isn't really a criterion for predicting victory.

I do give Miami credit, a LOT of credit for winning last night. I think Denver played into their hands - Nuggets win more games when Joker has over 10 assists than when he has 40 points.

And really, who had it on the bingo card that old, fat, slow Kevin Love would have been a difference maker. Miami doesn't win without his starting and playing well.

Denver in... mmm.... ok, seven.

I'm pretty shocked Miami took game two. I thought they might eke out a game one win in game one, with Denver being rusty. But I guess I should be no longer shocked by Miami.

My brains says Denver in 6 - I do love Joker, what a talent, and would love for him to get his ring. Much like Giannis two years ago. That way, his legacy is safe.

But I'm beginning to think Miami might be fated to win. Sometimes the basketball gods have illogical plans.

I should say I am a huge UCLA fan (I'm alumnus, Bill Walton era), and I loved Kevin Love when he was in college and in his early NBA years But he's pretty washed up now... lost a lot of weight when he went into the pros and now, decades later, he's a lard ass.

But what a story if he helped win one more championship before he hands 'em up. Might make decide not to kill himself. (And what thing of beauty his outlet passes still are.) AND he's still handsome as fuck.

R129 Definitely lol Kevin Love is still very attractive. He went from having boyish good looks to young early twenty something type handsome to now more of a rugged daddy type look. I think his mental health issues not only played into his slight premature aging, it played into his inability to become a generational talent, for he had the makings of being a superstar in the league. It's a shame that happened to him, however at least he's still able to play and has managed to maintain given his unfortunate circumstances.

Btw, the Heat could very well be one of, if not the sexiest team in the league. They have something for everybody with Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Tyler Herro, Omer Yurtseven, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus...no matter what's your type, you're at least able to find them on the Miami Heat roster. Golden State and the Hawks have a lot as well lol

R127 "old, fat, slow Kevin Love"

Apart from old, Jokic is all of those things. And 34 isn't that old. If that is old than Jimmy Butler, who's 33, is also old.

R131 For the most part agree - with the exception of Duncan Robinson who mostly looks like a stork.

R133 😆 well body wise he's pretty nice to look at.

Caleb Martin. Young gun YUM. 😋

R125 R132 Kevin Love losing weight derailed his entire career, he was a perennial MVP candidate when he was fat and then when he was going to get more media attention from playing with Bron he got self conscious about that and cut hard. So worse cardio, more injury prone, weaker and easier to move in the post. Jokic doesn't need to cut fat at all, in fact I would like to see him with more muscle and maybe additional 1-2% BF to have the ideal body for what he needs to do. R129 doesn't know shit, Love was fat in Minnesota when he was at his absolute peak was when he was the fattest and then he cut when he went to Cleveland and has declined every year since. He's still way thinner then he was on the T-Wolves. You guys know the players are pieces in a game and not just glamour models and sex objects right ? The hottest body is not the best performing body, and that changes even more depending on the role and kind of actions necessary

R136 Come on, he was never an MVP candidate.

R136 Hon, as I said, I am UCLA born and bred. I saw every minute Love played in college. In college he was FAT, and he lost weight as he became a pro. I follow all the UCLA players closely in the NBA. Walton is my spirit animal. My dad had Wooden's Pyramid of Success on his den wall. Love lost weight. Westbrook shoots too much. Zach LaVine is part eagle. Lonzo's career (and feet) was ruined by his dad (and his shoes). On and on....

While he may not have met all the potential mapped out for him - he was never an MVP candidate, that's nuts. He is one of the best in history with the rebound then outlet pass. He had that superior skill the first day he played as a freshman. Still was doing it last Sunday's game.

R135 😆 two young guns for the price of one with him and Cody. Wonder if they possibly ever had any threeways together

R138 Not Zach's part eagle 😆 out of this year's freshman draft class, who are you expecting to excel? I've seen most saying that Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be the top prosepect, with Tyger Campbell also to a certain extent.

JJJ will be an NBA starter someday, somewhere. Maybe not the first year. In college his body positioning and footwork were always so good you always thought he couldn't jump much. Never playing above the basket, etc. But he showed he can jump just fine in the combine.

Campbell... is too short. Was a warrior in college. But also has a hot n cold shot prolly not enough to compensate for his height.

FYI Check out the Bill Walton documentary on ESPN. Very well done.

R138 I have never watched one dribble of college basketball and I never will but in terms of his NBA career, he lost an incredible amount of weight after leaving MIN for CLE and the general consensus of the NBA media that was constantly talking about his drastic weight loss for several years that this was a big reason behind the decline in his performance. So no you don't know anything about what the fuck you're talking about actually

Go Celtics!

and yes i can remember at least two different seasons in MIN i think Kevin getting legit MVP buzz. Not sure if it ever lasted past the all star break and I know one of those seasons was derailed by the hand issue - but he was at that level, and was a clear top 5 player in the NBA for at least 3 years, top 10 for 4-5. Never the same after he GOT SKINNY for Cleveland after many years of being considered heavy for the NBA even though the fat was clearly beneficial to his performance as it always is for that style of player built around elite posting and boxing

Love isn’t fat, or slow and it was obvious that Miami would start him after how Gordon played early in Game 1. Love started earlier in the playoffs too so not crazy. Love also has what Denver doesn’t have. Finals experience. When you have champions like Love and Lowry out there in the 4th quarter, you can trust them to deliver. They’ve been there. They might not be able to deliver a whole 82 game season but 5 must win minutes in a Finals game they can do. Don’t know why you say Love is fat. He was fat in college: He looks great now.

R136- WTF? Love was never a perennial MVP candidate lol. He wasn’t even a perennial All Star. He didn’t even make the playoffs until he teamed up with LeBron.

R144- WTF are you talking about?? Love was never a Top 5 player in the league. Again, his teams didn’t even make the playoffs. Players better than Love in 2014 (his last year in Minnesota):

Kevin Durant LeBron James Blake Griffin Chris Paul James Harden Steph Curry Paul George Tim Duncan (still) LaMarcus Aldridge

Another Bruin here...I agree with, R141. I love Tyger, he was a great college point guard, but he's just too small for the NBA. I believe he's listed at 5'11", which seems generous, if you ever seen him person. I read that he was invited to the G-League combine... which sounds about right.

Meanwhile, Jaime Jaquez Jr. will absolutely make it in the NBA, as a solid role/bench player (if not a starter, eventually). He's just so fundamentally sound, and has a feel for the game which compensates for his lack of athleticism (he'll figure out the three pointer). If guys like Dylan Brooks can make it to a second NBA contract, then so can Jaime Jaquez. (plus, he looks like a swashbuckler!)

From what I've read, Amari Bailey's play in the combine scrimmages really opened some eyes.

R148 Not to hijack the thread to a UCLA BB thread, but have you been following Bruin recruiting for next year? We lost Bailey (who will be an NBA starter sometime, high ceiling on the kid) and Clark, who was one of the best college defensive players ever... but Bona is back and there is a boatload of stunning Euros coming, and a transfer with needed outside shooting.... one of the Euros is 7'3" and brilliant! Cronin will get back to final four next March. Go Bruins!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread on NBA playoffs....

Game 3! Love with a 3 and now takes a charge! I

First quarter! Joker 10 points and 7 rebounds!

Heat will bounce back next game

The real hero for Denver was Braun.

R153 He played great; real contributions off the bench.

But for the first time in NBA history there were two players on the same team with a triple double with each more than 30 pts, in the same game.

Murray and Joker are a world class pair. What happened last night was pretty special.

R149/OP, I think you'll appreciate this. When Ilane Fibleuil verbally committed in April, I checked out his FIBA U17 tournament highlight reel on YouTube. (obviously, I'd never heard of him). I really liked what I saw....but as the highlight reel wore on, I couldn't stop giggling about the various pronunciations of Fibleuil. No two announcers pronounced it the same, and it was all coming in quick-cuts/clips.

Fib-loo...Fib-lay....Fib-loo-eel....Fib-loo-ill...Fib-lool...Fib-loo-ay...Fib-lee-ay...it kinda reminded me of Joey Tribiani "speaking French" on Friends. One Aussie (or Kiwi?) announcer didn't even try -- just said, "Great drive & an and-one by...#10."

I was already amused by the whole thing, and then a thought popped into my head: Bill Walton! And how Big Red will pronounce it...and that thought just sent me into hysterics. 🤣💖

Adding to what I mentioned at R131 R134 I'd like to add Erik Spoelstra. He was never a bad looking guy imo Coach Spo fits that whole semi-buff Daddy look

R148 Swashbuckler, like those type of guys on the cover of romance novels?

R157

D'Artagnan style.

R155 Yep, I can totally see Walton riffing on the pronunciation and the miracle of his being and his French essence and his glorious arrival in Westwood...

Are you watching the ESPN 30/30 documentary on Walton? In his house he has a Grateful Dead room, and a Bob Dylan room, and... well you gotta see it.

I was at UCLA with Walton, had a class with him, he was pretty taciturn, now I see that he was painfully shy and couldn't/wouldn't speak much because of his stutter.

Then something miraculous happened to turn him into the Glorious Buffoon he is today - one of my favorite broadcasters.

"Playoff Jimmy" is just not getting it done, is he?

Nuggets in 5, as I originally predicted. Whoever has the better game on Monday (Murray or Joker) will be Finals MVP. Though it'd be hard not to give it to the Serbian Manatee.

I think Jokic wins Finals MVP no matter what.

Fourth quarter was all about defense and who wanted it more. Nuggets.

Kroenke answering questions talking into reporter's ear, not mic. Goofball.

Joker was superb. Deserves all the praise.

Waiting for the tweet tonight from egomaniac LeBron James which will cause the sports shows tomorrow to once again wonder whether or not he will retire. anything to call attention to himself and hijack the Nuggets; title.

Congrats to the Nuggets! They were the best team all year long (or at least December), without question. Happy for Joker, happy for Murray after the ACL (been there, twice), happy for KCP (Lakers shouldn't have let him go, period, let alone for Westbrick).

As for R163/Lebron commenting & "stealing" the Nuggets' thunder....I doubt that will happen. There's already so much other NBA-shit happening right now, nobody cares. We're all waiting with baited breath to find out what Ja Morant's punishment will be. And now there's also big fat Zion & his very public hoes/porn stars/baby-mama-drama! And the draft is nine days away.....there's a lot of shit going on!

Yes, R159, I have seen the first two installments, and as Bill would say, it is FAB-U-LOUS!

My father attended UCLA in the late 1940s when Coach Wooden first arrived in Westwood. A close friend of his was on the basketball team,1948-1951, so I grew up hearing stories about Coach Wooden. The most infamous being their very first day of practice. Coach instructed everyone to remove their shoes & socks...so he could teach them how to put them on, *properly*. The guys looked around at each other in confusion. Huh? Teach us how to put on our socks & shoes?? Who is this kook?!

I attended UCLA during the Reggie Miller-Pooh Richardson years....which were decent. I KNEW Reggie was going to make it to the NBA, even though he was a bean-pole. He just had that "dog" in him. And I'd seen him bombing away, from 25-30 feet during pre-game warm-ups.

Wow. Pooh Richardson. That’s a blast from the past. I think I had his card. Reggie Miller was my favorite player of the mid 90s.

Adding to the UCLA nature of this thread... Peyton Watson (who never started, left after one year, but was drafted first round in 2022) got a ring. Should he have stayed in college? Ummm... he's got a ring.

Of course, the Selfish Bruin within me wishes that Peyton had stayed this season. I think we would have beaten Gonzaga & advanced to the Final Four.

But, no...you can't begrudge anyone for leaving early. If a player is good enough to be drafted (guaranteed contract), they should go! There's just so much money at stake, and it can all come to an end in the blink of an eye. Or rather...the pop of an Achilles tendon, the snap of an ACL, or the thump-da-thump of an irregular heartbeat. (see: Hank Gathers)

Seeing how this is also a gossip site, have you guys heard about the ig model who claims that she had a threesome with a current Miami Heat player and a transsexual? Her name is Hayley, according to her, said player asked Hayley if she wanted to have a threesome with him and his friend. Hayley agreed, they went back to his place, then we they all began to get undressed, that's when Hayley noticed that his friend had a dick. She was initially shocked, said player told her something like she's beautiful and that she's just as much a woman as Hayley. Hayley gave the transsexual a blow job, then started to feel left out when said player and the transsexual seemed to enjoy each other's company more than hers 😆

R169, there’s actually a whole write-up about this.

This slag's story/claim has gotten almost zero on traction on NBA Twitter. Sure, there was some speculation (the name I saw mentioned most often was Max Struss), but not much, and the story died quickly. Could be that there's just so much else going on, between Ja Morant's suspension, Big Fat Zion's messy porn-hoes/baby-mama drama, the Draft, and trade-speculations. But mostly...her story reads like some Nifty, fan-fiction bullshit. (Zion's porn-hoe had receipts)

R170 Thanks for linking it

R171 😆 😆 I just thought it was a funny enough story to bring up here, didn't say I believed all of it

What are you guys thoughts on the draft? R158 should've known your Swashbuckler would go to my opinion of the team with a roster stocked full with some of the hottest guys in the league 😆 I thought Adam Silver would say with the 17th pick, the Lakers choose Jaime Jaquez Jr. except I wasn't 100% sure they'd take him.

R173: I'm SO friggin' happy for Jaime Jaquez!! While I'm always pleased to see my Bruin-guys drafted, Jaime -- as a four-year player -- hit a little different, if you know what I mean. After letting out a big "Whoop!!" upon hearing his name called, I got really choked-up watching him with his family. There may or may not have been a few tears of joy shed as he walked to the stage. (I know, Mary!)

Of course, I would have loved to see the Lakers draft him, but I never really entertained that as a possibility (they didn't even bring him in for a workout). If he couldn't be a Laker, I'm thrilled that the Heat drafted him & he didn't end up on some trash team (or a team I hate). As practically every pundit has pointed out, he's the perfect "Heat Culture" guy. (I hope he doesn't get traded to the Blazers in a Lillard-deal).

I'm happy with the Lakers' picks. I like "Fino" and generally, I trust Jessie Buss/the scouting department. The Lakers have a good track record, over the past five years or so, hitting on guys from mid-to-late first round (see: Kuzma, Josh Hart) and/or undrafted players (Alex Caruso, Austin Reaves).

This was an interesting choice by Gradey Dick. Who wore it best? 🤣

Did you guys start a free agency thread or are we still posting here? Lol there hasn't been much big movement except for Chris Paul going to Golden State, which was pretty much a way for the Warriors to unload Jordan Poole's huge contract with a comparable one that the Wizards picked up from Phoenix in the Bradley Beal deal. No one really expects CP3 to stay with the Warriors; Steph gave a diplomatic response to the signing, while Klay referred to the trading as "weird" 😂 this is also a way for Chris to get that ring he wants so bad he can taste it. The move was also made because the Warriors wanted to do everything they could do keep Draymond and keep him happy, so they had to clean out the Poole.

R174 There are a few family members of mine who teared up and celebrated Jaime's name being called by yelling out with a round of applause and cheering with extreme happiness similar to you lol so I know exactly what you mean. As for him going to the Lakers, I didn't have too much stock in him going, I didn't even know they didn't offer him a chance to workout. I had a glimmer of hope that they had possibly changed their minds when he was still on the draft board when they had their 17th pick, however it's was moreso wishful thinking, for I had a feeling they wouldn't take him. I'm glad he's in, I feel he'll do well. When he was invited to the ceremony by ESPN he pretty much knew it was a weapon and that his dream was coming true.

It looks like Damian Lillard is staying in Portland, at least for now, although I could've seen him possibly being traded in order to obtain Dame. Guess it's not exactly Dame-Time in Miami, however the Lakers now have Gabe Vincent so that's an interesting turn of events. Gabe is a good guy and seems like he'll be a good addition for the Lakers. Ironically, Jeannie and Rob were more interested in Max Struss during the playoffs, however he botched his game in the final stretches of the Nuggets series, which more than likely dissolved any interest they had in him, leading to the Gabe signing. They also had their sights set on Bruce Brown from Denver, yet they couldn't match the offer Indiana made to him. IA Fino seems like a good guy along with the other draft pick they acquired, and looks like they're planning on locking in Austin Reaves after observing offers from other teams for him. They've already committed to Rudy and a couple others; if D. Russell is willing to take a pay cut, word is they're committed to resigning him too. I also agree that they have pretty good judgement when it comes to making decisions, especially as long as too many ppl aren't in Jeannie's ear at one time.

R175 Gradey Dick has a big personality lol

Damian Lillard just requested a trade to either the Heat or the Nets; Philly is not an option and any other team is pretty much off the table.

Gabe Vincent went with the Lakers because Miami was unwilling to give him a good offer; the Lakers are bringing him in since he wasn't able to get what he wanted out of Miami, for he thought they'd keep him. The Heat have been holding out hope for Dame-Time, so that could be a reason why they let Gabe walk, with others to follow if the trade goes thru.

We can trade Dame wherever we want. He doesn’t have no trade clause. Send him to SA or NY. They have assets we’d want.

R179 Nets? Why would he want to go to the Nets? Trading one shitty team for another. Are you sure he said Nets?

R181 Not saying he can't be traded anywhere, he specifically asked to be traded to either the Heat as his first option and the Nets as his second option. For as long as he's been there, he's looking at the Trailblazers to at least grant him the trade to the team of his choice.

R182 😆 yeah he definitively said the Heat or the Nets, because of his friendships with Bam Adebayo and Mikal Bridges, respectively. Some also see the Nets as being on the rise from their most recent modifications and play off appearance. Apparently, he was waiting around to see what the Trailblazers would do in the draft (trade picks for veterans, since he wants help from guys who are already seasoned, instead of having to wait around for fresh ones to grow) and at the start of Free Agency, for he expressed his desire to not be a part of a rebuild. He thought they'd make an interesting trade either around the draft or after and when they didn't, that's when he requested to be traded.

Dame ain’t going to Miami or Brooklyn. He’s under contract for 4 more years. He has no leverage. GM says he’ll do what’s best for Portland.

Blazers gave him a 2 year extension worth $122 million. The team owes him nothing.

R185 Smh you insist on arguing lol I'm not saying he's gonna get what he wants, I'm just saying this is what he wants. I get it you don't want him to leave however he's not happy so he wants to see if he can get a championship elsewhere. For what it's worth, Brooklyn isn't really showing any interest, however Philly and Clippers are. I know how this game works, everyone isn't going to always get what they want or go where they want to go.

R186 Never said that they do owe him anything, I'm saying that he's looking at them to send him where he wants to go after years of "loyalty." Not saying he's going to get what he wants, for besides the Heat, Philly and Clippers are contenders as well, and those aren't on his list. Who knows, the Heat may offer a decent trade package; Bobby Marks threw out a hypothetical trade scenario where the Heat trade Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and draft picks which would still require a three-team trade deal. Tyler and Duncan were just used as examples by BM in regards to their current contracts, since Dame-Time has that big one.

Gorgeous Ginger Donte DiVincenzo didn't get a good offer from Golden State, so he got a four year, $50 mill deal with the Knicks, reuniting him with former Villanova Wildcats teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell both got extensions, Reaves with 4 years, 56 mill and Russell with 2 years, 37 mill

He would be great on Clippers. If Kawhi and George actually played. But doubt that will happen, especially now after they signed Westbrook

R191 What's ironic is that they'd pretty much be each other's rebound since the Clippers are chasing after James Harden while he prefers to take his talents to South Beach. I see what you mean however the Clippers never seem to be able to get over the hump when it comes to the playoffs. And the Western Conference has stiff competition in comparison to the Eastern Conference, so that seems to be another reason why he'd rather try his luck in the East, for adding him might still not be enough to be a contender in the West. Westbrook ironically took the biggest pay cut in league history, going from a 47 million dollar contract to 7.8 million.

R185 R186 Had a feeling you were one in the same just wasn't sure lol

The Rockets are really on the rise that should be a team ppl are discussing as a possible contenders. From hiring Ime Udoka to bringing in Fred Vanvleet on a three-year, $130 mill dollar deal to know also adding Dillon " The Villain" Brooks with a four-year $80 mill deal, combined with all of those younger talented guys they have, they seem to be headed in the right direction. It's no wonder Harden expressed interest in going back, however that was before the Vanvleet/Brooks deals; he seemed more interested in them than them in him)

Since this is a gay space, it's only fitting to mention the "prank" video of Rockets players Jalen Green and Josh Christopher bumping their rockets against each other lol some say it's just joking around while others think it's really how they are. Reportedly Josh asked someone to "please remove the video" and it has, from some places, yet it's still making the rounds online.

Honestly, all I really cared about was the Lakers re-signing Austin Reaves -- and they did!!!! YAY!!!! I did a little "happy-dance" & breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when it was announced.

Yes, of course, I wanted them to improve the roster over all....but I was starting to have bad flashbacks to Alex Caruso's restricted free agency a couple years ago (I still cant believe that they let him walk over $2M per year). So that alone made me happy...but Rob Pelinka has exceeded my expectations for this off-season.

Jaime Jacquez Jr. was the breakout star the other night during the summer league game between the Lakers and the Heat. He was labeled the best player on the floor with 22 points, and the Heat prevailed over the Lakers, 107-90. His next game is scheduled for tonight against Sacramento.

R196 Yeah Reaves staying with the Lakers was a good move on the Lakers part, for they were determined to have him locked in (along with Rui Hachimura) with somewhat lengthier contracts. Reaves was so hot during this playoff run that he could've possibly got more elsewhere, however I think he wasn't really interested in leaving.

If Dame HAS to go to Miami, that better result in Jaquez Jr becoming a Blazer

R199 😆 you're the Podcast guy right? I don't think the Heat are willing to let him go; apparently Pat Riley is working on a deal where there might even be multiple teams involved just to get Dame without giving up too much in return from Miami

Chet Holmgren has future league superstar written all over him as well. Any of you guys following his career?

R201 Holmgren will get injured and have operations and disappoint expectations.

It's possible that the greatest (potentially) center was Bill Walton... and he was just too stretched and brittle as a 7 footer. Beginning as a pro he was injured... kept getting injured... had a great career but never as good as it could have been had he not been so "fragile"...

R199 Jaime is going to be a great pro, I believe it now. I loved him as a freshman, always appreciated his work ethic etc., but I had some doubts about the degree of his NBA success. He just keeps getting better. And the idea that's been promoted - that "Miami is just the right culture for him" may actually be true. Miami, the franchise that let's "underrated" players play into their potential. I'd hate to see him languish in the Portland backwaters.

I fear injuries for all those super-tall, super-twiggy guys like Holmgren, Bol Bol, and Wemby. They just look like they'll be snapped in half by guys like Embiid, Joker, or Lopez. To that end, I understand that the Spurs are going to closely monitor Wemby's "load management" this season (as he is still probably growing) and he already does all kinds of exercises with trainers to prevent foot injuries, etc.

R202: I agree with you 100% about Jaime!! I do not want him in languishing in Portland!! (sorry, Portland-guy)

I fucked a 6’10 guy who played pro ball in Japan. He was average sized cock.

R202 Unfortunately you might be right; I actually thought that too when he first got hurt however I then began thinking that he should bounce back without any problems, that it could be just a case of him going too hard, too fast, though that was probably wishful thinking. Hopefully, he'll be able to defy any significant injuries as much as possible, for I want him to do well in the league. Since he's naturally thin, it might be somewhat difficult initially to gain weight, although it's possible if he's on a strict weight gaining regimen, and is committed to bulking up, if that's what he wants to do. He looks like he has a fast metabolism as well.

Bill Walton is the best lol and I've always loved Little Bill, aka Luke 😁 with his lightweight deep-toned Barry White voice.

Jaime is fantastic. Yes he was an exceptional collegiate player and I think he'll be an exceptional NBA player as well. I had somewhat of a slight doubt in regards to his NBA career too, only because he was moderately injury-proned at UCLA, so I was hoping that he won't have that problem in the pros. He seems to determined to be the best player that he can be and that Hear culture of maximizing players strengths and having them play to their potential is definitely accurate.

R203 Wemby's on this huge pedestal with all of these great expectations, of him being "the greatest basketball prospect since LeBron" along with him "being a generational talent" so it would be a shame if an injury derailed his career. They're even calling him not only "the greatest NBA draft pick ever," yet also "the greatest draft pick ever out of all sports" so he has a lot riding on him. Btw, he's embroiled in his first "scandal" lol with the whole Britney Spears being slapped by his security for trying to get too close to him lol

Jaime would definitely waste away in Portland. He'd make the best of it, however he shouldn't even have to be in that position. Miami seems to be committed to him, however it would be ironic if they were to make a trade including him for Dame, resulting in that trade package finally bringing the Blazers that chip.

R204 Usually, on average, taller guys above 6'5 aren't as hung as ppl think; it's typically the shorter guys or guys of average height of 5'9 and up to about 6'5 who have the biggest dicks. You would think the taller the guy, the bigger the dick, but no lol was the guy at least attractive? Do you mind disclosing his ethnicity?

[quote]he's embroiled in his first "scandal" lol with the whole Britney Spears being slapped by his security for trying to get too close to him lol

Man...I can't help but feel a little bad for Wemby over this whole thing. He seems like a genuinely nice, level-headed, humble kid (I've watched a bunch of interviews). He's never had any type of controversy, although he's been in the spotlight for a couple years as the "next big thing".

He was in the U.S. for all of 3-4 weeks, it was all going fabulously, no issues (although he's been mobbed everywhere he goes) and then....Britney Spears saw him/happened. 😆

I see that he's catching some heat on social media, even though he truly had NOTHING to do with it. He didn't hire the guard/security team (the Spurs did), he wasn't even aware of what exactly had happened -- or to whom -- until hours later (as he just kept walking straight ahead).

Oh, well....Welcome to the NBA, young man!

[quote]Did you guys start a free agency thread or are we still posting here? Lol

R176: As there seems to be little *genuine* interest in the NBA on DL, beyond the half-dozen (or so) of us posting on this thread...

I think it would be best (and courteous to the rest of DL) to keep the discussion of free agency/trades/summer league here -- until we fill the thread, or get to the point where it starts getting "glitchy" for people reading on their phones. And then maybe someone can start a general/ "All-things NBA" thread?

I'm not sure why I care about being courteous....but I find multiple threads about the same topic (cough*Harkles*cough) totally fucking obnoxious. I don't want to be one of those people.

Great height department: UCLA is getting a Spanish player next season. Adem Bona. He's 7'3" and, apparently, is still growing.

Adem was on the team last year! He's just coming back (after testing the NBA draft?)....which is GREAT news, R210. 👍 GO BRUINS!!!

Ha, my bad. I'm getting old (UCLA '72). Aday Mara from Spain is 7'3" and growing. Bona is 6'9" and a force of nature (first round in 2024). UCLA also has other Euros, portal, and couple great HS coming in: UCLA is Final Four next year, you heard it here!!

Ah-Ha! I get it now.....Adem, Aday. Totally understandable mis-speak (Uma, Ophrah) . Yah, BABY!!! Bruin LOVE!! 💙💙💙

Oh God, Bill Walton is going to be in overdrive with these names....Adam, Aday, Fliblooeeill. Tee-hee!!! 💙💙💙

[quote] and I've always loved Little Bill, aka Luke 😁 with his lightweight deep-toned Barry White voice.

R205: One of the MANY things I love about Alex Carsuo's nasty put-back dunk on Kevin Durant's head, that never gets mentioned/talked about, as the Lakers bench ERUPTS..... is Luke Walton, sitting crossed-legged, calmly....and then the HUGE smile/laugh that breaks across his face watching the reaction of the Warriors players.

You have to be looking closely, or you'll miss it....

Isn’t Luke Walton gay? Had a relationship with Richard Jefferson?

R216 An internet "rumor" from over a decade ago.

He married his college girlfriend, and was charged with sexual assault (against a woman reporter). There is no evidence he is gay.

R208 Man I agree with everything you said 😆 I've thought practically the same things. What's even weirder than that is how some ppl automatically assumed that Wemby was the one who "struck" Britney; they were immediately calling out for him to be cancelled, until some ppl had to inform them that they were reading everything wrong smh.

Turns out it wasn't even as bad as Britney made it out to be, thanks to the magic of video, it was obvious that the security guy was swatting her hand away. They originally stated that when he realized who he swatted he immediately apologized and Britney accepted, only for her to file charges later, which seems to me like a cash grab on her husband's end.

She also tried to publicly shame Victor for "laughing at the situation, while also lying about grabbing him." I think he was pretty much laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, while also misinterpreting that she grabbed him since it all happened so fast. I think her husband talked her into making that announcement as well.

At least it's over, since the police aren't pressing charges based off of the casino surveillance. The only thing that might continue to be an issue is the whole apology from him that Britney wanted, which again, was most likely from her husband coaching her again to say what he wanted her to say.

R209 Couldn't agree more with everything you stated lol there's really not a need for any additional NBA threads since there's pretty much only a small circle of us on here discussing the league lol

R210 He's "still growing" where exactly 😏 😏

R212 Bold early prediction nice lol could be. On a scale of 1-10 how sure are you about that lol

R215 Thanks I've never seen that before lol what happened to Caruso btw?

R216 Wow I had never heard that one before 😲 lol I've heard rumors about Richard Jefferson, just never anything about Luke, or the two of them together.

R217 I did hear about that incident with that female reporter too lol I think it was one of those situations where she thought she'd get paid and/or gifts, if not a relationship.

R222: He's with the Bulls, now, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team this past season. Watched a great interview with him over the weekend. I still miss him. The Carushow!

The other great little thing in that clip at R215 (that you don't really see/notice on first viewing):

When the ball swings to AC in the corner, Durant comes out to guard him and says *something* to him (you can see his mouth moving) before the skip pass to Rondo. No idea what Durant said, but I imagine that's what that quick little stare-down at Durant was all about. So satisfying!

R224 Thanks I had lost track of him when he left the Lakers. I know I could've easily looked him up lol appreciate your response with receipts 😆 what do you think about the possible new breakout star for the Lakers, Colin Castleton? I know it's early, seeing how it's just Summer League, however he created a slight buzz around him after his performance last night.

R225: Oh! He's been a very pleasant surprise! (I've watched all their SL games, because I am a junkie). I had no idea he could handle the ball & pass so well. Plays under control, makes good decisions, just seems to have a nose for the ball or where to be -- seems like the kind of guy that isn't going to hurt you with bonehead plays. As you say, it's just Summer League....but considering some of the completely uninspiring names I keep hearing for a free agent big-man off the bench (Wood, Biyombo), why not? It'll be interesting to see what happens when he gets to scrimmage with the "Varsity" in training camp. Maybe it will another Reaves situation, where after one day in camp, Lebron will say: "Forget this two-way stuff, get this guy on the squad."

R226 Absolutely a good surprise lol you sound like an announcer or a sports radio host lol in a good way. Definitely if he keeps playing like this I can see him making the roster. What's funny is that the Lakers were planning on making a play for Dario Saric prior to the Warriors signing him, so I'm wondering if that's why the Warriors swooped in because the Lakers wanted him or if they already had him on their radar as well.

Just will throw this NBA opinion against the wall of this thread:

Background: Although I grew up in LA and was a huge Laker fan over decades : Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt, Goodrich, Riley, Wilkes, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, Magic, Kobe, Shaq.... what a heritage. Moved to NorCal in 90s though, and became a Warriors fan (like, why not?).

Problem: I've always really disliked Chris Paul - smarmy, short, overrated, injured injured injured, and full of himself. How many teams has "the great CP" come to where he's subsequently shit the bed, and caused others to fail too. I don't want him to be on the Warriors. I hope he's just "trade bait" for some other player. I don't think Steph really wants him here either.

Second bowl of sticky pasta: I may need to revise my UCLA March 2024 prediction... Mara (the 7'3", soon to be 7'4") Spaniard may be slipping away from Bruinland.

I feel you, OP/Acid Grandpa. It's really weird when a player that you've always disliked joins your team. I had very mixed feelings when Rajon Rondo joined the Lakers. "If he can help us win a championship, fine. But I'm not going to *like* him!"

Then....he threw a couple punches at Chris Paul -- whom I disliked even more -- and talked shit about him after the game. Said he was a horrible teammate, and something along the lines of: "Everyone thinks he's this great guy... but he's not." From that moment forward, I felt: "Rondo! I LOVE that guy!" 😆 The enemy of my enemy, and all that rot.

In any case, his acquisition by the Warriors was somewhat of a head-scratcher. I think that was probably the last place I envisioned him going? As you said, maybe it's to trade him to another team down the road...but where & for who?

Bummer about Mara.

R220: If he has any hope of staying on his feet, he needs to add some "junk to his trunk", ASAP.

R228 R229 I doubt that they'll keep Chris Paul either; he was just the quickest way for them to unload Jordan Poole's huge contract as a way to show Draymond who's side they were on, seeing how he was out testing the waters of free agency. I also don't think that Steph nor Klay either wants Chris around (especially not for too long). Chris Paul seems to rub a lot of ppl the wrong way; maybe it's a Napoleon complex. I've never seemed to mind him; however several ppl, from players who prefer to speak on the basis of anonymity to fans, have disliked him for years. I think some respect him and like him from afar, just as long as they aren't on the same team as him.

R230 It might be beautiful to watch that junk being added to his trunk 😆

R232: 😆 Perhaps for you, my friend. But as an Elder-Lez...I was thinking more along the lines of big platters of steaks, chased by milkshakes. 😆

[quote] I doubt that they'll keep Chris Paul either; he was just the quickest way for them to unload Jordan Poole's huge contract as a way to show Draymond who's side they were on, seeing how he was out testing the waters of free agency

I've since heard/read that it was more about Steve Kerr wanting Poole gone, than it was about about appeasing Draymond. Kerr had just had enough of Poole's attitude & whining about not being used properly, or appreciated, or whatever. I have to say, it is kind of funny looking at Poole's Wizard publicity photos. He looks totally fucking miserable -- dead inside -- in those photos.

R233 😆 😆 I completely understand. Elder-Lez = female, which I thought of first, or fem guys into others fem guys?

R234 Well the whole Green/Poole debacle was allegedly caused by Poole being disrespectful towards Coach Kerr, resulting in Green defending him by confronting Poole. Poole's attitude changed, along with his work ethic, once he signed that gigantic contract, which reportedly turned alot of ppl in the Warriors camp off, including Kerr, Curry and Thompson. Even though Jordan has stated that he can still "call or text Steph along with Klay whenever he wants" they're apparently ok with him being gone, they're just not jumping for joy over Chris Paul coming in at his expense.

It was pretty obvious that Steve wanted him gone, especially when he went on Draymond's Podcast. I think it was also a matter of preventing anymore distractions with Jordan or a repeat of what initially happened; remember how the Warriors camp were upset that someone leaked the fight to begin with, along with the footage to the media. Draymond seems to like drama so I don't think he personally had a problem with Jordan staying, however with Jordan not being completely on board with Draymond after the incident, I'm saying that they got rid of him since they knew he didn't like Draymond. As soon as Jordan got traded, he unfollowed Draymond while also refusing to answer any questions about him; when he was asked about still being able to contact Steph and Klay, when they asked what about Draymond, he got quiet lol so he sees being traded as Draymond's fault. You're right, he looks miserable as hell in those promotional shots for the Wizards, and they did a side by side of when he did similar ones for the Warriors, and it was like night and day. They're making jokes about it on sm saying that Draymond did this to him lol

I will always love Kyle Kuzma, as one of those late first-round "finds" that helped win the Lakers win a championship. And I'm happy to see him "get his bag". But Good God...It is depressing to see him talking up Jordan Poole & how much he's looking forward to playing with him. He's never going to see the ball again.

R237 Kyle Kuzma is very likeable, I didn't like how he just had to be traded away, nor did I like how Josh Hart had to go either. However, I'm glad that they're both still in the league. Lonzo Ball is another one that I didn't necessarily want to go, yet he's so accident prone that trading him away seemed to work out on that end, and I guess that also meant no more Lavar Ball since Lonzo/Lavar came in a package deal. LaMelo has turned out to be the most talented one, which happens alot with "the baby in the family." Maybe Lavar will get his wish one day to have all of his sons on the same team, it just won't be the Lakers.

I think Lonzo had at least as much potential as LaMelo... just fate/chance/injuries that caused his ...um, demise? 'Cause he's gone forever now, right? Lavar may have "made" LaMelo a star... turning him away from colleges etc.... but Lavar destroyed the dream that was Lonzo. Just research the BS with the Lonzo Ball Shoes. In college he was on a different planet, a thing of beauty. Then the Laker's Cloud of Death and Destruction took over.

Kuzma was erratic. Sometimes he looked like and All Star (if you score over 40 points... etc.), other times he looked like he could use some time in the G-League. I do think the Laker's would have had more success keeping him than going with the continually depressing Westbrook experiment. And, importantly, Kuzma was always pretty.

[quote]Maybe Lavar will get his wish one day to have all of his sons on the same team, it just won't be [bold]in the NBA[/bold].

Fixed that for you, R238. LiAngelo isn't an NBA-caliber player. He just isn't. I remember watching him play in his one game at UCLA (before the China-incident/suspension/dropping out), and thinking: "Nope, that's not happening".

My heart breaks a little bit for Lonzo. He finally fixed that funky shooting form to become a really respectable three-point shooter...and now, no one seems to be able to fix his knee. It's really a shame. Aside from the fact that his basketball career may be over, he's just too young to go through the rest of his life with chronic knee pain. I blame Lavar, the thousands of AAU games, and those janky BBB shoes (which he had to change after every quarter).

[quote]And, importantly, Kuzma was always pretty.

R239, Have you ever seen Bleacher Report's animated "Game of Zones"? This one had me on ROTFL for many reasons, but especially Kuz: "Nay, little me can't be seen in these, c'mon now!"

I've always enjoyed Mama Kuz (Karri); she seems pretty cool. I guess someone from Washington Sports (NBC) stuck a mic in her hand & had her interview Kyle following the announcement of his new contract. She's better than many of the local yahoos I've seen interviewing players. Sign her up! The parting line is pretty funny.

R239 Oh I agree 100% that Lonzo had as much potential as LaMelo at first, being drafted second overall and everything. I'm saying that somehow he got lost in the sauce, for his NBA career took a nose dive once he became beleaguered with injuries. Combined with fate and chance as you mentioned. his career stalled and isn't on the same trajectory as LaMelo's.

You could be on to something though, it could be possible that Lavar learned from his mistakes with Lonzo, therefore he had a better understanding of LaMelo's situation, in a never make the same mistake twice type of way?

Kuzma's game was somewhat sporadic, however he seemed to know what he was doing when he was having a good run. Of course that's not good enough for the Lakers lol with the whole Hollywood backdrop, you're expected to be able to stay on the same path practically every night, so in the end he wasn't reliable enough for them. Especially after he was there for awhile, they felt that they had got as much out of him as they were gonna get. On the bright side, he's definitely something nice to look at lol

R239 Oh btw Lonzo's out for the entire next season

R240 Thanks 😆 well LiAngelo was technically on the Charlotte Hornets, twice lol so I still have hope for him. It could be a case of wishful thinking, with more of LaMelo's influence mixed in lol so who knows? He's currently still in Charlotte on their G-League team, so is that somewhat of a consolation, that they're still holding onto him slightly in a sense, possibly enough to give him a third try? And the third time's the charm right?

Lavar could very well have worked Lonzo too hard, like he was some type of show horse or something. Lavar is that classic case of a parent living vicariously through their child in response to their shortcomings.

I remember Lavar calling out Kyle Kuzma during Kuz & Lonzo's rookie season. He said that Lonzo "made" Kuz with his great outlet passes in Summer League & during their rookie season. Nobody would know who Kuzma was, otherwise.

That was total crap!! (if one actually *watched* Pac-12, you knew who Kyle was). Kuz surely benefitted from playing with Lonzo, an d knowing that if he ran-out Lonzo was going to hit him with a long pass -- but Lonzo did not "make" him....as evidenced by his recent contract.

The guy who was "made" by Lonzo -- and should be sending Zo "thank you" cards every year on his birthday -- is TJ Leaf. Lonzo made TJ look like a LEGIT NBA player during their season together at UCLA. TJ was drafted 17th or 18th? He lasted the length of his rookie contract & is out of the league, now. Look at the list of guys taken after TJ Leaf (or were undrafted): Kuz, Josh Hart, John Collins, Derrick White, Jarret Allen, Dillon Brooks, OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, the list goes on.

Eh, R245... If Gelo didn't make it out of the Swarm onto the Hornets in 2021-22, when there were SO MANY players missing games due to injury & Covid-protocols...I don't think he's going to make it now. JMO. The last picture I saw of him (Instragram), he looked a little tubby. And he wasn't all that quick to begin with.

R246 Right, it wasn't Lonzo who "made" Kyle lol not surprised that Lavar said that though, for he always has the most outrageous things coming out of his mouth. And right TJ Leaf was drafted 18th overall by the Pacers, now he's playing for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. He's still cute though 😆 if that means anything.

R247 I know, I know lol I was trying to look on the bright side. The Hornets have already cut him from the team twice and yes, if they didn't think he was good enough to replace any injured guys or ones restricted by COVID, for whatever reason, then they're not going to all of a sudden show any interest in him now. It would take a miracle lol like he'd have to absolutely shine in there to get back into the league. Is it possible the weight gain is sympathy weight? Isn't his reality star gf Nikki still pregnant? 😆

Steph Curry could very well have a career on the PGA tour after he retires from the NBA, seeing how good his golf game is. It would be interesting if that turned out to be his second act.

Don't you bash my boy TJ! He was a knock-em-dead shooter in college, His college career field goal stat was 62%. And that was a sweet mid-range to 3-point jump shot, not just in the paint. One of the deadliest shots in UCLA history - and that's some history. Yes, Lonzo found him open a lot to shoot... but getting the ball in your hands doesn't guarantee 62%

And it happens... lots of great college players don't have a career in NBA.

And he was so pretty:

Draymond got into a Twitter spat with Anthony Poole (Jordan's dad) after Draymond addressed the situation he had with Jordan on The PatBev Podcast.

Long story short, Pat Bev asked Draymond about the incident, to which Draymond gave a lengthy response. He pretty much responded with: "I don't just hit people. Dialogue happens over time and you usually ain't triggered by something that fast...We know stuff you don't say amongst men. We know things that you have to stand on."

Anthony Poole said, "I'm standing on this, that's some BS. JP was his guy and he avoided me all last year. He is a soft ass bitch and he didn't apologize to me and my wife. So he's lake and me and him can meet anytime he want."

Jordan responded by playing snippets of a song, accusing Draymond of being obsessed with him.

Draymond responded to Anthony with, "That's so cute...it's impossible to avoid you in an arena for a year champ. I gotta get my family from that family room every game. And stop using those words, they usually don't go over well amongst men."

Should be an interesting year in Warrior World. Anthony Poole's nonsense shows where his son may have got his messy Ego from.

Draymond also talked this week about how he never liked Chris Paul, won't pretend to now just because they are teammates, and they will talk it out... or something like that.

I still can't believe Paul will suit up as a Warrior this season. He just takes all the air out of the (locker)room.

[quote]Anthony Poole's nonsense shows where his son may have got his messy Ego from.

Yup, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all that jazz. Why on earth would Draymond owe Jordan's *parents* an apology for punching him?? This isn't high school basketball. Jordan is a grown-ass man...supposedly.

Yes, r205, Curry has God-given hand eye coordination. It can't just be praticing hard.

practicing

Well, it's both. In addition to great hand-eye coordination, you need "muscle-memory". Following his retirement in 2020, J.R. Smith (who went straight to the NBA from high school) enrolled at North Carolina A&T to earn a degree, and joined their golf team as a walk-on. In this interview, he talks about how being a great shooter translates to golf. (and obviously, Steph is a much better shooter than J.R. ever was)

R253 Not liking Chris Paul 😆 saw that part too

R255 Right. He's even better than Jordan at his golf game, no?

OP is a rapist. He raped a girl who told him “No.” He didn’t care. He raped her and took her virginity.

He brags about it in that other NBA thread.

R260 What are you talking about?

Read r90 in the linked thread, which is the OP of this thread.

Oh damn. Last thing I've expected to find in here was a rape reference woww well that definitely derails this thread

That rapist is who you’ve been chatting away with throughout this thread.

R263: Yeah...wow! That was shocking to read, given what I thought I knew about the OP from his posts on this thread (basically: a cool, old GAY hippie). To be sure, his violation of that young woman (whom he described as a "friend") was disturbing, disgusting & reprehensible. It was rape. Period. Having said that....I didn't get the sense that he was "bragging" about it at all, as R260/R264 asserts. (Bragging would sound very different)

Nonetheless...it was pretty fucking stupid to admit such a thing (or "unburden his soul") on DL, to make a point about the importance of consent. Even if it is anonymous. Guy will never be able to post on DL again, without someone chiming in that he's the rapist from Dwight Howard thread.

[quote]a cool, old GAY hippie

Not GAY. A bisexual RAPIST.

He wasn't unburdening his soul. He wasn't having a sudden breakthrough after all these years. He wanted the gay men on that thread to know what he did with his cock.

He typed very deliberately what he meant to say. He was hard and fucked the girl despite her protests, raping her.

That IS bragging.

Okay, R266..... re-read what I wrote and stop fucking screaming at me/or scolding me. Note the phrase: "what I *thought* I knew about him, from his posts to this thread". Do you have reading comprehension problems?? Or do you just want to SCREAM & slam anyone who ever engaged in conversation with this guy! That's all I knew about him; how he "presented" on this thread (as an older gay man). I said I was shocked & agreed that it was rape...and it was disgusting, disturbing & reprehensible (I'm a woman, for fuck's sake!). Why the fuck are you screaming at me?

This isn't 1998. BOLD is for emphasis, not shouting/screaming. Sorry.

[bold]BOLD test[/bold]

Now I know how to make letters [bold]bold,[/bold] I can stop screaming in all caps. Thanks for the encouragement!

You do like to to "like" your own posts, don't you??

[bold]Yes.[/bold]

Now that you've mastered that, R271, does it make you feel better about your major reading comprehension problems?

Sicko OP's erotic description of his rape of a girl on the Dwight Howard thread:

[quote]I had a pair of sisters over to my house (parents out of town). We smoked a little weed... and decided to take off our clothes and play hide and seek. The older sister (20?) was intelligent and thin. The younger sister (19) was luscious... long dark hair, full breasts, thin waist, ample ass. Beautiful eyes. I was "it" and eventually found her hiding in my parents' bedroom. I held her, we kissed, I felt her breasts and vagina... she was breathing hard. I had an erection. I held her close.. put the head of my dick against. She grabbed my arms, and whispered "no", I pressed into her.... all the way in... she was a virgin and I felt her open. She shook her head, "no"...

Your rapist buddy here at DL, LARPing as a gay man.