NBA

[bodiddley]

Bo, what all-time great wasn't the man on his own team?

Kareem?  Stockton?  Kobe, until recently.

But who's to say that it won't become LeBron's team and he won't be da man.
LBJ might be the man by dint of excellence or by default.
Wade is reckless and injury prone.

If you play great and set incredible records, you are an all-time great.
Who knows how this will play out?
LeBJ's leg might fall off before Christmas for all we know.

[rembee]

Kareem?  Stockton?  Kobe, until recently.

Kareem won a chip (or two?) in Milwaukee and was already considered a great before joining the Lake show (where I don't think he won a championship before Magic.  Could be wrong).  Would have been the equivalent of James winning a ring in Cleveland first before going to Miami, which I think would have changed the view of his legacy considerably.

Stockton was great, one of the all time great point-guards, but no one would consider him on a list of Best Ever.

Kobe, of course, has two championships minus Shaq. 

But who's to say that it won't become LeBron's team and he won't be da man.

Well, that’s what I'm saying.  I think it will still be Wade's team. 

But I've been wrong before.

[Gintaras]

Stockton was great, one of the all time great point-guards, but no one would consider him on a list of Best Ever.

http://www.nba.com/history/50greatest.html

[bodiddley]

Kareem got a title in his 2nd season with Oscar.
Otherwise his team did very well, lost one other Final appearance.
In his 6th and final year, the Bucks finished under .500.
Left town at 28.
Not too different than LBJ, except 2 finals appearances and one win.
Of course, LBJ started at 19, so wasn't as dominant as Kareem from Year 1.

Dr. J lost in 3 NBA Finals as the Man.
Then won one title with Moses Malone as the Man.

I just don't think there is only one path to glory.
Maybe we have a new paradigm.
I think it's interesting that players are calling the shots and no longer pawns of the owners.

[Gintaras]

More recently, the teaming of Shaq (at his peak) and Kobe was a rather blatant power play, as was enticing Shaq to Miami, Phoenix and Cleveland, but alas the big guy seems at the end of his rope.  These kinds of pairings, or in Miami's case trippling, are not unusual.  Again, it was the big song and dance LBJ made out of his free agency that called so much attention to his decision.

[Kam]

Shaq didnt come to LA to play w Kobe.

Having a big 2 or big 3 isn't unusual.

Colluding to create one is.

[whiskeypriest]

Boy, it looks like Lorenzen Wright has decided to go swimming with Bison Dele.  Hope not.

[vookaleer]

Shaq to the Celtics should be entertaining.

[MrUtley]

A nice move by the Sixers:

 http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sixerville/Thorn_.html

[connectivity999]

Boston all the way!  Garnett should be better this year. Delonte West is a good plyr nice boston pickup.  Shaq+JOniel should give the celts nice depth

[Kam]

the ideal NBA ref would be deaf.  Or should at least wear ear plugs so they don't hear all the nasty things coaches and players say about them.  I don't want a coach or player to get a technical foul because some zebra's feelings got hurt.  who's with me?

[Kam]

Magic Johnson sells Lakers ownership stake, believed to be about 5%, to Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, team announces. Price undisclosed.

[bodiddley]

It probably means that Magic will be the next Knick GM.

[Kam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ1vD3sJ7jY&feature=player_embedded

[bodiddley]

Portland was the sexy young team with depth all around.
Now they've shed most of that.

Why did they just give away Bayless for a pick?
Might be a decent pick from NO, but probably protected so they don't get it for a few years.

Andre Miller, Roy and ........
Who are their backup guards now?
Rudy wants out, can Mills play PG 15+ a night.
Why not develop Bayless?

Obviously Oden was a mistake, but they could have saved things by dealing him the last time he was healthy, as I strongly suggested.
Cunningham and Pendergraph were nice PF pickups of the type Houston tends to find.  They dropped Webster and Outlaw in order to overpay Matthews.
Their only healthy C is ironically an ancient Camby.

I really like Roy and Batum, and their starting lineup (with Dre Miller, Aldridge and Camby) is formidable, but their bench and especially guard depth looks very suspect.
So they drop Bayless?
Odd.

Apparently it's due to a roster crunch, but they should have dumped Rudy for a 1st (or Wilson, if he was offered) while they could have.Bayless just 22, still a lot of room to develop.  His old assistant coach now helming No wanted him.