NBA 2019-20 NBA Regular Season Thread II

[dahrougem2]

All jokes aside, people can question whether Kyrie is the right messenger or not based on his history and maybe even his reasoning for speaking up but based on some of the reports coming out, it seems there are others who agree with his general message about there being much bigger concerns than basketball right now.

The players will likely suffer if they don't play though. Maybe not Kyrie or CP3 but players who still need to get paid and those on teams actually competing for a championship right now will.

He seems to have a few players in his corner, but I don't believe he has anyone of prominence backing him up.

Unless that happens, I can't see players giving him the time of day, even if he is on the NBPA.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Kyrie continues to prove he's bat-shit crazy.

Came here to say exactly that. How anyone can take this guy seriously is beyond me.

If some of these NBA players want to sit out and continue the protest, then so be it, but don't drag everyone else into it if they want to play. Many players still need to make a living. Whether they like it or not, sports will come back. Trying to hold the NBA hostage when they're the ones that has given these players so much, including this platform to affect change, seems ill-advised.

How? Kyrie actually has a point. More of the double standard from the NBA and their fans. When Kaepernick does it all in and NBA players throw stones at the NFL while never kneeling or doing anything for that matter.

Honestly it makes more sense to just call it and get ready for October. Here's the problem LeChina wanted a chance at a cheap ring and he didn't start the idea of calling the season. So he's in a lose/lose situation. If the season gets called he won't get credit for it.

 

[Voight]

How? Kyrie actually has a point. More of the double standard from the NBA and their fans. When Kaepernick does it all in and NBA players throw stones at the NFL while never kneeling or doing anything for that matter.

Honestly it makes more sense to just call it and get ready for October. Here's the problem LeChina wanted a chance at a cheap ring and he didn't start the idea of calling the season. So he's in a lose/lose situation. If the season gets called he won't get credit for it.

Well for one for the NBA specifically has a rule against kneeling or sitting during the anthem. "LeChina" is a good one but I do give him credit for following the anthem rules the last couple years, cause if anyone is going to escape punishment its going to be him.

The NBA's issue is they would lose out out on all sorts of TV money and could have legal issues for cancelling the season. With no fans in the seats this year and probably next year, they need that TV money more than ever.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

How? Kyrie actually has a point. More of the double standard from the NBA and their fans. When Kaepernick does it all in and NBA players throw stones at the NFL while never kneeling or doing anything for that matter.

Honestly it makes more sense to just call it and get ready for October. Here's the problem LeChina wanted a chance at a cheap ring and he didn't start the idea of calling the season. So he's in a lose/lose situation. If the season gets called he won't get credit for it.

I don't see a double standard. The NBA has always supported its players being open with their players and employees expressing political opinions. Even when the NBA took a hit with the China/Morey situation, Silver remained consistent.

Kyrie has a point about sports serving as a distraction from social issues. But how he arrives there is ridiculous. He critiques the salary discrepancy for players, even though he's the 21st highest paid player in the league. And then on top of that, rallies players to sacrifice the additional income from his position of financial comfort. He's the vice president of the NBAPA, and the league finds out about these concerns after a deal has been ratified? He calls out the plan as fishy, even though just 7 days ago there were reports that he'd join his team in Orlando?

 

[SouthGeorge]

Well for one for the NBA specifically has a rule against kneeling or sitting during the anthem. "LeChina" is a good one but I do give him credit for following the anthem rules the last couple years, cause if anyone is going to escape punishment its going to be him.

The NBA's issue is they would lose out out on all sorts of TV money and could have legal issues for cancelling the season. With no fans in the seats this year and probably next year, they need that TV money more than ever.

And why do they have a rule against it? Because they were first league to blackball an athlete for kneeling. Meanwhile, everybody in the NFL is expected to kneel because social media said so and the NBA gets a pass because???

I don't see a double standard. The NBA has always supported its players being open with their players and employees expressing political opinions. Even when the NBA took a hit with the China/Morey situation, Silver remained consistent.

Kyrie has a point about sports serving as a distraction from social issues. But how he arrives there is ridiculous. He critiques the salary discrepancy for players, even though he's the 21st highest paid player in the league. And then on top of that, rallies players to sacrifice the additional income from his position of financial comfort. He's the vice president of the NBAPA, and the league finds out about these concerns after a deal has been ratified? He calls out the plan as fishy, even though just 7 days ago there were reports that he'd join his team in Orlando?

Not really. They blackballed an athlete for kneeling in the 90s and had rules in place to prevent it. Ooo Lebron wore a shirt during pre-game warm-ups. NFL players were allowed to express themselves with pre-game cleats last season and that wasn't enough. NBA has way bigger issues. They had an owner who was apart of the league for 40+ years saying all types of racial slurs on audio. How many people are apart of the league because of him and decisions he's made over all those years? They had a game broadcaster say ALM. They had somebody who covers the league cheer burning down hoods but call them animals when they came to his gated community. Where was the outrage then? Why no tweets from Lebron? No where did the outrage go? Brees basically saying he thinks nobody should kneel next season. Every NBA player chimed in and they can't even kneel!! Do you see the double standard here? Don't even get me started on China. After Lebron says injustices everywhere are important basically told the HK people it's not my problem it's yours. You know that's the same logic naive people use on the issues in the US today?

 

[kanuck87]

How? Kyrie actually has a point. More of the double standard from the NBA and their fans. When Kaepernick does it all in and NBA players throw stones at the NFL while never kneeling or doing anything for that matter.

Honestly it makes more sense to just call it and get ready for October. Here's the problem LeChina wanted a chance at a cheap ring and he didn't start the idea of calling the season. So he's in a lose/lose situation. If the season gets called he won't get credit for it.

What point does Kyrie have that would make it okay to have the season cancelled and start up again in October? Are the racial issues suddenly going to go away in October? Is it going to go away next year? What about 2022? and FYI, Kaepernick was still playing amidst the kneeling and still wants to play, so your double standard doesn't apply here.

That's why I don't think the players should be trying to have the season cancelled. This isn't something can be fixed quickly. This might not be something that will be fixed within their lifetime.

 

[SouthGeorge]

What point does Kyrie have that would make it okay to have the season cancelled and start up again in October? Are the racial issues suddenly going to go away in October? Is it going to go away next year? What about 2022? and FYI, Kaepernick was still playing amidst the kneeling and still wants to play, so your double standard doesn't apply here.

That's why I don't think the players should be trying to have the season cancelled. This isn't something can be fixed quickly. This might not be something that will be fixed within their lifetime.

Of course the NBA will resume again in October. I think the point is there's more important stuff going on right now then to rush a tournament then turn around and start another season in 1-2 months. You can focus on the important stuff for a few more months.

I think that's a lot easier to understand then I'm kneeling during the anthem. But I'm not disrespecting the anthem/flag. It's to bring awareness to police brutality. Which is tied to a group called BLM which isn't implying only black lives matter. You see the mental gymnastics you have to go thru?

You don't play. There's no coverage and distractions and the narrative stays the same. It's pretty simple.

 

[Voight]

I don't see a double standard. The NBA has always supported its players being open with their players and employees expressing political opinions. Even when the NBA took a hit with the China/Morey situation, Silver remained consistent.

Kyrie has a point about sports serving as a distraction from social issues. But how he arrives there is ridiculous. He critiques the salary discrepancy for players, even though he's the 21st highest paid player in the league. And then on top of that, rallies players to sacrifice the additional income from his position of financial comfort. He's the vice president of the NBAPA, and the league finds out about these concerns after a deal has been ratified? He calls out the plan as fishy, even though just 7 days ago there were reports that he'd join his team in Orlando?

Please, They bowed down to the CCP and as did their players and coaches. NBA and their people are extremely two-faced when it comes to social or political issues. You can talk about domestic things, but beware of China. Just like Kerr's BS excuse of not knowing enough and LeBrons enabling silence.

And why do they have a rule against it? Because they were first league to blackball an athlete for kneeling. Meanwhile, everybody in the NFL is expected to kneel because social media said so and the NBA gets a pass because???



Not really. They blackballed an athlete for kneeling in the 90s and had rules in place to prevent it. Ooo Lebron wore a shirt during pre-game warm-ups. NFL players were allowed to express themselves with pre-game cleats last season and that wasn't enough. NBA has way bigger issues. They had an owner who was apart of the league for 40+ years saying all types of racial slurs on audio. How many people are apart of the league because of him and decisions he's made over all those years? They had a game broadcaster say ALM. They had somebody who covers the league cheer burning down hoods but call them animals when they came to his gated community. Where was the outrage then? Why no tweets from Lebron? No where did the outrage go? Brees basically saying he thinks nobody should kneel next season. Every NBA player chimed in and they can't even kneel!! Do you see the double standard here? Don't even get me started on China. After Lebron says injustices everywhere are important basically told the HK people it's not my problem it's yours. You know that's the same logic naive people use on the issues in the US today?

One could make the joke that Sterling didn't really make many decisions because the Clippers were awful in those 40 years and he had one GM for most of the time who he pretty much let do whatever he wanted. There is also no evidence, or minimal that Sterling had done anything racist until the leaked audio tape.

In a twisted way, his comments were one of the best things that could have happened to the league. Once they forced him to sell the team, Ballmer overpaid for the Clips and franchise valuations shot thru the roof.

 

[kanuck87]

Of course the NBA will resume again in October. I think the point is there's more important stuff going on right now then to rush a tournament then turn around and start another season in 1-2 months. You can focus on the important stuff for a few more months.

I think that's a lot easier to understand then I'm kneeling during the anthem. But I'm not disrespecting the anthem/flag. It's to bring awareness to police brutality. Which is tied to a group called BLM which isn't implying only black lives matter. You see the mental gymnastics you have to go thru?

You don't play. There's no coverage and distractions and the narrative stays the same. It's pretty simple.

All of the other major NA sports league are starting back up. There will be a distraction from sports whether or not the NBA season resumes or it cancels. People will have sports to watch one way or another.

Certainly if there's no NBA season, then there's no distraction, but on the flip side, if there's no season, the players suddenly don't have a platform to voice their opinion for change. Having games means they can put themselves in front of national network and media to talk about this, and this doesn't just apply for the star players. It's even more important for the role players who don't get much screen time and have certainly not gotten much at all since the season stopped.

I don't care if the NBA season resumes or if the players want it cancelled to fight social injustice. My position here is that it would be in the best interests (financially and socially) for the players to get back to playing basketball.

 

[SouthGeorge]

All of the other major NA sports league are starting back up. There will be a distraction from sports whether or not the NBA season resumes or it cancels. People will have sports to watch one way or another.

Certainly if there's no NBA season, then there's no distraction, but on the flip side, if there's no season, the players suddenly don't have a platform to voice their opinion for change. Having games means they can put themselves in front of national network and media to talk about this, and this doesn't just apply for the star players. It's even more important for the role players who don't get much screen time and have certainly not gotten much at all since the season stopped.

I don't care if the NBA season resumes or if the players want it cancelled to fight social injustice. My position here is that it would be in the best interests (financially and socially) for the players to get back to playing basketball.

It's financially better for all leagues and athletes to not get involved in politics yet here we are. I don't see how playing basketball fixes anything socially tbh.

 

[kanuck87]

It's financially better for all leagues and athletes to not get involved in politics yet here we are. I don't see what playing basketball fixes anything socially tbh.

Playing basketball gives players a massive platform (national network and media) to talk about social injustice in front of cameras. The only way I hear about the players now is if I try really hard to look for them on the internet. The assumption here is that the NBA would also expand this platform for them as well if the season were to resume.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Please, They bowed down to the CCP and as did their players and coaches. NBA and their people are extremely two-faced when it comes to social or political issues. You can talk about domestic things, but beware of China. Just like Kerr's BS excuse of not knowing enough and LeBrons enabling silence

I won't touch on selective politics. The point is that an NBA employee made a political statement that had financial implications for the league, and Silver chose not to discipline him in support of free speech. The players may pick and choose when it comes to instigating political stances, but the league doesn't silence their players, at least in the Silver era. That is the major difference with the NFL. He has been very consistent when it comes to this.

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

Please, They bowed down to the CCP and as did their players and coaches. NBA and their people are extremely two-faced when it comes to social or political issues.
...

NA sports/NBA media I follow has completely swept this under the rug, like it never happened. Amazing.

And yes, I'm well aware that Americans are extremely US-centric and all about their specific "communities", but certain human rights are supposed to be universal; I have little respect for selective SJW'ing. The "I don't know China's situation" excuse doesn't cut it, either; if you're willing to do business with China and profit from those business relationships, you ought to know.

 

[Voight]

I won't touch on selective politics. The point is that an NBA employee made a political statement that had financial implications for the league, and Silver chose not to discipline him in support of free speech. The players may pick and choose when it comes to instigating political stances, but the league doesn't silence their players, at least in the Silver era. That is the major difference with the NFL. He has been very consistent when it comes to this.

Its a star driven league so they have no choice. Even if Silver was against speaking out, the top players know there isn't really anything he can or will do. Silver's main issue is he does not rule with an Iron Fist like Stern did, he tries to be "friends" with the players a little too much. & I'm not saying that because he lets them speak out about things, its just something thats been noticed.

 

[dahrougem2]

I don't think any of the players will actually listen to Kyrie, but at the end of the day I also don't get how some of these players, like Ed Davis, are using the "we need to get paid" reasoning to play.

Really? I get it they don't want to lose money but damn, you really struggling that bad after making millions? You really not going to survive?

That line of thinking, to me, is just as strange as Kyrie's, if not more.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

I don't think any of the players will actually listen to Kyrie, but at the end of the day I also don't get how some of these players, like Ed Davis, are using the "we need to get paid" reasoning to play.

Really? I get it they don't want to lose money but damn, you really struggling that bad after making millions? You really not going to survive?

That line of thinking, to me, is just as strange as Kyrie's, if not more.

Financial issues with athletes have been well documented in the past, but there are unique challenges with this situation. There is a strong possibility that there is no gate revenue next year. If you're a fringe player trying to make as much as you can the next few seasons, then return to play is vital.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Its a star driven league so they have no choice. Even if Silver was against speaking out, the top players know there isn't really anything he can or will do. Silver's main issue is he does not rule with an Iron Fist like Stern did, he tries to be "friends" with the players a little too much. & I'm not saying that because he lets them speak out about things, its just something thats been noticed.

Agreed, he appeases the players too much for my liking. I think he was too soft on the whole tampering issue last season.

 

[dahrougem2]

Agreed, he appeases the players too much for my liking. I think he was too soft on the whole tampering issue last season.

He doesn't just appease the players. They straight up control how that dude acts.

He wants too much to be the "cool" commissioner in pro sports. Pro sports don't need cool commissioners.

 

[kanuck87]

Who cares if Silver appeases the players too much? As long as he does it while the owners continue to make boatloads of money, the owners are far too happy to let him do it. Frankly, I'd rather be in his position than to be in Rob Manfred's or Roger Goodell's positions as the commissioners of their respective sports.

 

[Avs_19]

"What I heard was Kyrie wanted to go to Orlando to support his team but they didn't let him so then he flipped the script and said I'm gonna give up everything......"

More than that though, he's absolutely right about them needing to get on the same page.

 

[kanuck87]

New NBA coalition voicing concerns of players

In a statement to ESPN shared by leaders of the coalition of players, the group described itself as a movement working to unite NBA players and those well beyond the limits of the league's structure

Yes, a small group of players forming a coalition to unite NBA players, which of a overwhelming majority actually want to play basketball. Just dumb. There's a reason each team has a union representative

 

[Ben Grimm]

• Silver confident return concerns will be addressed
• New NBA coalition voicing concerns of players
• Nuggets coach Malone says he had coronavirus
• Durant buys 5% stake in MLS' Philadelphia Union
• NBPA: Players discussing restart's impact on BLM
• 'No divide' among Lakers as restart talk ramps up

 

[Voight]

He doesn't just appease the players. They straight up control how that dude acts.

He wants too much to be the "cool" commissioner in pro sports. Pro sports don't need cool commissioners.

Exactly. Stern ruled like a dictator but it worked out very well. He didn't care if the players liked him or not; his job was to make the owners money and he made them billions.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Kyrie exposing all the fake woke activist. I knew what it was from Day 1. Protesting and blm until some basketball games get cancelled.

It honestly doesn't even make sense. You'd think LeLoadmanagement wouldn't even want to do it. Going to cram some janky tournament in then turn around and play a full season like 50-60 days later?

 

[kanuck87]

Kyrie exposing all the fake woke activist. I knew what it was from Day 1. Protesting and blm until some basketball games get cancelled.

It honestly doesn't even make sense. You'd think LeLoadmanagement wouldn't even want to do it. Going to cram some janky tournament in then turn around and play a full season like 50-60 days later?

Taking Kyrie's side is certainly interesting here, considering the flip-flopping he's done and the lack of transparency regarding his motives. Not to mention his general nature of being a headcase.

All the other major sports are doing a condensed season as well. Not sure why you're only going after the NBA.