The NBA - basketball talk

As my sports radio has stated several times.

Its not that Sterling was caught once saying this kind of shit. If this was his first offense there would be an apology, a big donation, and a black eye on the franchise itself.

But Sterling has a long and noted record of saying terrible racist shit.

And I quote.

"

• I wanna know why you think you can coach these niggers.

• That's because of all the blacks in this building, they smell, they're not clean.

• And it's because of all of the Mexicans that just sit around and smoke and drink all day.

• I don't like Mexican men because they smoke, drink and just hang around the house.

• Is she one of those black people that stink? [...] Just evict the bitch.

• I'm offering a lot of money for a poor black kid.

• I don't have to spend any more money on them, they will take whatever conditions I give them and still pay the rent.

• look at those beautiful black bodies.

"

Not to mention how demeaning he is to his employees and the housing discrimination scandal.

...makes the question become "Why the hell did they keep him around THIS long?!"

Because the public didn't know or care / NBA has a new commissioner.

Last one likely didn't give a shit.

As cynical as it is, everyone knows this is happening because it caused a public outrage.

edited 29th Apr '14 3:18:39 PM by Thorn14

Indeed, all of those comments, and the federal investigation for discrimination, were made while David Stern was commissioner. The last one was made about 8 years ago, and the last major incident by Sterling was 3 years ago.

I'm actually quite stunned Commissioner Silver wasn't as toothless as we were expecting. Or that he could actually do that.

Inb4 the humorously named Sterling v. Silver lawsuit.

I heard on NPR that the $2.5 million fine will go towards anti-discrimiination organization(s) to be named later, so I don't think the NBA will just be pocketing it.

Named jointly by the NBA and NBPA.

Bulls got eliminated 4-1 at Chicago.

Meanwhile, OKC just lost to Memphis. Down 3-2 heading into Memphis. Fourth straight overtime game.

We could very well see Durant winning the MVP trophy... after he's eliminated from the playoffs. They just cannot beat Memphis.

I really just hope the Heat don't win. That would just be boring.

I'd prefer the Heat to win, actually. Let someone not named LA or Chicago or Boston three-peat, please.

A fourth team three-peating does nothing for historical parity, though. Plus, the Heat have already won a few lately.

If historical parity mattered, the Bulls would only have one a single title. Let Miami make their own history before the city joins Atlantis.

All jokes aside, I'm sad for OKC. I don't like the idea of them losing to the same team twice in as many years, but it's pretty clear Memphis is the better team.

Also, Indiana fucking collapsed. Wow.

edited 29th Apr '14 10:05:00 PM by Sledgesaul

Not really sure how to feel about the Sterling thing (even as a minority)

Yeah he's a racist piece of shit, yeah he got banned but...

Sterling never had much of a presence courtside. I mean when you think of the phrase "influential owners in the NBA", is Sterling one of the first people that comes to your mind? (Honest question).

And even though he's banned for life and that Silver is trying to get him to force the team, he needs 22 owners to agree I'm not sure if other owners will share the same sentiment.

But more importantly I have a problem with two things:

1. As Thorn noted, Stern has had a laundry list of racist shit he's said in the past. Why are people just now getting angry? Where was everyone's outrage when he said those other previous things?

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a good point: whoever was taping Sterling is going to be lauded as an unsung hero and everyone won't wonder why the hell was he taping anyone in the first place considering that it's illegal in California. For "heroic" purposes or not, it's a definite breach of privacy. This is the same kind of thing that made people (rightfully) kick up a storm about the NSA. Why aren't people acting like even a little worried that someone's going around recording private conversations?

Just my $0.02

edited 30th Apr '14 5:23:26 PM by NoChorus

And in more directly basketball related news...man, for a second I thought the Raps were gonna blow it, but I'll take it.

Hope the Raptors keep it up.

The first round is officially over.

Durant win the MVP.

His speech, though.... Holy shit. Anybody have a link?

I am tired of seeing commercials of the "Lebron App". That is the dumbest shit. Who cares?

It's just standard corporate shilling.

edited 8th May '14 3:24:31 AM by NoChorus

The LeBron commercials are child's play compared to the shilling they gave Jordan. Holy fuck.

edited 11th May '14 7:23:24 AM by Sledgesaul

Every time I hear him referred to as "Bron-bron", I want to throw out a child's brown coloring tools.

Donald Sterling claims he's not a racist, and made one mistake over 35 years. I feel like this whole situation is mainly just an insult to my intelligence.

Thunder get manhandled by the Spurs - and Duncan / Parker / Ginobili set a record for most playoff wins by a trio in NBA history.

Scott Brooks isn't really a coach, that's why.

You're giving both Pop and Brooks too little credit.

But yeah, it's like a dude who just made GM rank in chess facing off against a Bobby Fischer in his prime.

edited 22nd May '14 4:14:14 AM by Nitramy

No, against Pop or not, it's irrelevant. Brooks isn't much of a coach. Brooks is essentially what Spoelstra was in the beginning (when it was just Wade and there was no Bosh and Le Bron yet), except nothing really changed because he got Durant/Westbrook/Harden-Ibaka, so there was no impetus to change.

What's worse is that he's already not much of a coach, he's not much of a "manager" either, in a sense that he still can't "manage" Westbrook with regards to Durant.

edited 22nd May '14 6:14:59 AM by entropy13