Congrats to Pat, Shaq, Wade and rest of Heat

[Vintage]

this series was rigged. just like last year's super bowl, they let the team with the most appealing market win in the finals to gain interest. the league really put the screws to dallas in this series, not to make excuses, but I think the NBA gave Miami more breaks than they deserved.

Well, if the Super Bowl is rigged too, why can't we ever win one anymore? We have a large market.

And should we win this year, I guess it will be bec. it was rigged?

 

[SA_Gunslinger]

this series was rigged. just like last year's super bowl, they let the team with the most appealing market win in the finals to gain interest. the league really put the screws to dallas in this series, not to make excuses, but I think the NBA gave Miami more breaks than they deserved.

this is such a cop out.

miami outplayed dallas, pure and simple.

 

[Yeagermeister]

this is such a cop out.

miami outplayed dallas, pure and simple.

Thank you, instead of look for reason why Miami won they should be looking for the reasons the Mavs lost and it's not the refs or David Stern.

 

[Vintage]

The refs didn't make Dirk pull a choke job this series. Maybe if Nowitzki actually played like he did in the San Antonio game, like a superstar, the Mavs win.

Maybe if the Mavs didn't give up a double digit lead in the final 6 minutes of game three, the Mavs didn't.

Maybe if Nowitzki and the Mavs hit the big shots when needed and STEPPED UP, the Mavs win.

Instead, Wade went big, and the Mavs went home.

The only good news of this is that Wade gets a ring. I'm happy for him.

 

[kev8822]

I'm a Lakers fan and I don't like Kobe. He wants to be Michael Jordan, but he isn't even in Michael's league. He destroyed an amazing Lakers team over his ego. I'm happy for Riles, Shaq (whom I have always liked), and Gary Payton. All former Lakers whom I admire. Riles was the Head Coach during some of the best Lakers basketball ever played. He was also a Cowboys draft pick.

Avery Johnson is a class act and a good young Head Coach. He has a talented team and a motivated owner. The Mavs will be back.

Watch out for the Suns next year if they return their core group and get Amare Stoudamire back healthy. I am not a fan but like the up tempo game they play. Reminds me of Showtime.

Disagree. There was equal blame with Kobe and Shaq and even Shaq has admitted it.

The real problem was with owner Jerry Buss the Laker front office, and Shaq. Every year the front office would ask him to come to training camp in shape and he would never do it. If you watch the 3-peat highlights, every year Shaq guts gets bigger and bigger. The worst was when we waited until training camp after the 3-peat to get a toe operation. Asked why he waited so long to get it done and he responded with "I got hurt on company time, so I'm going to recover on company time." That didn't sit well with Buss. Shaq never got in shape the entire season and the Lakers lost to the Spurs in the semi-finals. Following year Buss offered him a 2 year 50 million extension and Shaq balked at it. Said he wanted the maximum, which would equal 3 years and over 100 million. During a pre-season game Shaq dunked the ball and screamed to Buss in the Stands to "Pay me my $" That sealed his fate. Under no circumstances was Shaq going to be coming back to LA.

 

[txlonghorn14]

Well, if the Super Bowl is rigged too, why can't we ever win one anymore? We have a large market.

And should we win this year, I guess it will be bec. it was rigged?

as far as last year's SB is concerned, everyone knew that "offensive pass interference" call was complete BS against seattle, and big ben never got in the end zone on that questionable goal line call.

i just wish the refs would have used a bit more discretion on that foul call that sent wade to the line to win the game for the heat in gm 5. in a close game like that, that call should not have been made, IMO.

if the cowboys win the SB this year, it won't be because it was rigged, it will be because of the cowboys living up to their consistently high expectations. for once, the cowboys have a high impact WR in the prime of his career (the first one since irvin) and a revamped defense.

i only used the word rigged in light of mark cuban's vociferous remarks in gm 5 because i enjoy his enthusiasm as an owner.
:ref:

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

They are trying to force feed Wade as the next Jordan. No way no how.

Agreed

Jordan never got calls like that.

Do NOT agree.

Jordan got all kind of no calls on him. While at the same time Rodman could just look at someone and get a foul called on him.

I loved the bulls when they were not able to get past Detroit and then finally started winning it all. Yet the way the officials treated jordan, which was so obvious, along with some other things completely turned me away from basketball.

Until this seasons playoff matchup between Dallas and San Antonio I had not watched a NBA basketball game since the next to last championship the bulls won.

 

[Danny White]

Do NOT agree.

Jordan got all kind of no calls on him. While at the same time Rodman could just look at someone and get a foul called on him.

I loved the bulls when they were not able to get past Detroit and then finally started winning it all. Yet the way the officials treated jordan, which was so obvious, along with some other things completely turned me away from basketball.

Until this seasons playoff matchup between Dallas and San Antonio I had not watched a NBA basketball game since the next to last championship the bulls won.

You're absolutely right. His favorite-son treatment was legendary.

It was assumed any time Jordan drove, he either made the shot or missed only because he was fouled.

And any foul Jordan committed was either ignored (see Bryon Russell) or attributed to some other more expendable Bull like Will Purdue. I remember a ref even admitting to this.

 

[peplaw06]

You're absolutely right. His favorite-son treatment was legendary.

It was assumed any time Jordan drove, he either made the shot or missed only because he was fouled.

And any foul Jordan committed was either ignored (see Bryon Russell) or attributed to some other more expendable Bull like Will Purdue. I remember a ref even admitting to this.

I think the NBA loves the Wade-Jordan comparisons too. Jordan was the heyday for many NBA fans. What most people consider the greatest player ever, you loved the Bulls or hated them, but you watched because it was Jordan.

Wade compares favorably early in his career too. I have nothing against him, there's nothing to hate really. He's a similar "squeaky-clean" off the court, fiery on the court kind of superstar.

There's no doubt Jordan was the benefactor of many a bad call. And while I don't think the series was "rigged," I do believe that Wade benefitted from a lot of bad calls in this series. And Wade just finished his THIRD season. He may not end up being Jordan's equal, that's a tall task... but I think we've only seen the beginning of favorable calls toward him.

 

[Hostile]

i don't really.

but as a mod, i would think you guys would want to keep the board a focused one to make it better for the participants. that's all.

just my 2 cents.


now back to congratulating the heat.

Sometimes big threads reduce the number of participants. This forum can use the traffic. No big deal.

 

[Hostile]

this is such a cop out.

miami outplayed dallas, pure and simple.

I totally agree.

 

[Hostile]

Disagree. There was equal blame with Kobe and Shaq and even Shaq has admitted it.

The real problem was with owner Jerry Buss the Laker front office, and Shaq. Every year the front office would ask him to come to training camp in shape and he would never do it. If you watch the 3-peat highlights, every year Shaq guts gets bigger and bigger. The worst was when we waited until training camp after the 3-peat to get a toe operation. Asked why he waited so long to get it done and he responded with "I got hurt on company time, so I'm going to recover on company time." That didn't sit well with Buss. Shaq never got in shape the entire season and the Lakers lost to the Spurs in the semi-finals. Following year Buss offered him a 2 year 50 million extension and Shaq balked at it. Said he wanted the maximum, which would equal 3 years and over 100 million. During a pre-season game Shaq dunked the ball and screamed to Buss in the Stands to "Pay me my $" That sealed his fate. Under no circumstances was Shaq going to be coming back to LA.

Yeah because he and Phil were fed up with Kobe.

 

[kev8822]

Yeah because he and Phil were fed up with Kobe.

Right..... and that is why when Buss told him his services were no longer needed he got upset and left the meeting. And that is why he came back again too. He bashed Shaq plenty in his book too.

 

[GTaylor]

Give Pat credit, he built the Lakers into champions, same with the Heat and came very close several times with the Knicks. Imagine how they would have done in the 90s had Michael stayed retired after 93

This series burned me, but props to Riley and especially Zo/Payton. After over 15 years in the league they finally learned what it feels like to win a ring and what a way for them to ride off into the sunset.

The one bright side of this series - it wasn't Antoine Walker that beat us, that would have really killed me.