NBA Thread

[ulukinatme]

James certainly isn't doing anything to win the hearts of Laker fans.

https://www.si.com/nba/2019/03/07/lebron-james-minutes-restriction-lakers-playoffs

Just one of many differences between him and Kobe, Kobe would ask for more minutes if the team was fighting for a playoff spot, not throw in the towel and let the team struggle through the rest to its inevitable end. Lakers fans know this.

Lakers are effectively out of contention, the team has quit despite Lebron trying to drag them along the last month (Or longer). All through February he was stressing that there needed to be a sense of urgency from the Laker team, but they tanked and kept falling further out of contention. I'm pretty sure he's not the one limiting his minutes here, it's probably a management/coaching decision to keep him healthy and not add any extra wear to his body. When has Lebron ever limited his minutes? Other than one year with the Heat he's always in the Top 10 or Top 15 in minutes played, and last year he led the NBA.

 

[Irish#1]

Lakers are effectively out of contention, the team has quit despite Lebron trying to drag them along the last month (Or longer). All through February he was stressing that there needed to be a sense of urgency from the Laker team, but they tanked and kept falling further out of contention. I'm pretty sure he's not the one limiting his minutes here, it's probably a management/coaching decision to keep him healthy and not add any extra wear to his body. When has Lebron ever limited his minutes? Other than one year with the Heat he's always in the Top 10 or Top 15 in minutes played, and last year he led the NBA.

The article infers that James and his trainer approached management. I heard the same thing on the radio this morning. The Lakers woes aren't all on James, but he's part of it. He had a teammate push him to get in defensive position a couple of games ago. That's why the Laker fans were chanting, "He's not Kobe". Since he arrived, he's not invested himself in the Lakers like he should. He's been as interested in seeing who he can hang out with and parlaying himself into a Hollywood celebrity as he has been in playing basketball.

 

[ulukinatme]

The article infers that James and his trainer approached management. I heard the same thing on the radio this morning. The Lakers woes aren't all on James, but he's part of it. He had a teammate push him to get in defensive position a couple of games ago. That's why the Laker fans were chanting, "He's not Kobe". Since he arrived, he's not invested himself in the Lakers like he should. He's been as interested in seeing who he can hang out with and parlaying himself into a Hollywood celebrity as he has been in playing basketball.

It never explicitly states that they approached management, only that a conversation occurred:

Per Haynes, a conversation was held between James, his trainer and the Lakers front office, and it was determined James would be placed on restriction.

Am I saying he definitely didn't start the conversation? No, but this would certainly be a first for James to limit his minutes. There's precedent here, and that's why I'm betting the big change is the Los Angeles big wigs since Cleveland and Miami had no trouble keeping him on the court for long stretches, even as the post season was coming up. This smells more like Lakers protecting their investment.

 

[koonja]

It never explicitly states that they approached management, only that a conversation occurred:



Am I saying he definitely didn't start the conversation? No, but this would certainly be a first for James to limit his minutes. There's precedent here, and that's why I'm betting the big change is the Los Angeles big wigs since Cleveland and Miami had no trouble keeping him on the court for long stretches, even as the post season was coming up. This smells more like Lakers protecting their investment.

Well he's always been in the awful East and contending for a title in the past, so why would he start to sit. This is different in that they don't have a realistic chance at making the finals.

Which is fine, and I get the strategy.

He's been paraded around by the media, called the king of LA, all the media ever talks about is him, his teammates are only brought up to bring them down, now they're expected to finish while Lebron rests himself. And while he's barely been there, he's done nothing for the Lakers other than be associated with one of their worst seasons ever.

How does that sit with teammates?

MJ/Kobe wouldn't ask to play less. That alone doesn't make them better than Lebron but it's just another way he's not cut from the same cloth.

 

[ulukinatme]

Well he's always been in the awful East and contending for a title in the past, so why would he start to sit. This is different in that they don't have a realistic chance at making the finals.

Which is fine, and I get the strategy.

He's been paraded around by the media, called the king of LA, all the media ever talks about is him, his teammates are only brought up to bring them down, now they're expected to finish while Lebron rests himself. And while he's barely been there, he's done nothing for the Lakers other than be associated with one of their worst seasons ever.

How does that sit with teammates?

MJ/Kobe wouldn't ask to play less. That alone doesn't make them better than Lebron but it's just another way he's not cut from the same cloth.

They were 4th best team in the West prior to his injury, were they not? What have the Lakers done since Kobe retired?

2018 - 30 games back, and still 12 back from a wildcard spot.
2017 - 2nd to last in the West

How about the last 3 years when Kobe was playing?
2016 - Dead last in the West
2015 - 2nd to last in the West
2014 - 2nd to last in the West

Right now the Lakers are 14 games back from Golden State, and about 7 away from a spot, but the organization is throwing in the towel because the rest of the schedule just doesn't look doable given the current state of the team. So, right now the Lakers are closer to getting back to the playoffs with Lebron than they've been since 2013, which is the last time Kobe got them there. So, I don't buy the "one of the worst seasons ever" argument. Just from a wins/losses perspective this is the best the Lakers have been in several years, which kind of destroys that argument.

I won't disagree that the East can't matchup with the West right now, yet the Cavs were still good enough to win in 2016 and Lebron won two with the Heat within the last decade, so it wasn't always that bad. Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Celtics were pretty dominant too.

 

[IrishLax]

Lakers are effectively out of contention, the team has quit despite Lebron trying to drag them along the last month (Or longer). All through February he was stressing that there needed to be a sense of urgency from the Laker team, but they tanked and kept falling further out of contention.

No. They quit because LeBron not only destroyed team chemistry, but is lazy as hell and does not lead by example. After lashing out at everyone else about their "commitment" he dedicated his time/focus anywhere but basketball. He plays routinely awful defense and has been on a laughable binge of boneheaded, low effort plays.

I'm pretty sure he's not the one limiting his minutes here, it's probably a management/coaching decision to keep him healthy and not add any extra wear to his body. When has Lebron ever limited his minutes? Other than one year with the Heat he's always in the Top 10 or Top 15 in minutes played, and last year he led the NBA.

Last year he was still in Cleveland. I really respect what he did there, I truly do. That ring he got in Cleveland took a Herculean effort and was legendary.

But he has not been putting in that same work in LA. He is sitting games for "load management" while being up until 2 AM the night before working on rap songs. He has always been a total fraud when it comes to being a good teammate that leads by example, and that gets exposed further when he isn't bigger than the organization and when you have media unafraid to pull back the curtain. He is uncoachable, refuses to play defense, refuses to play in any sort of legitimate offensive system, and takes plays off. His talent isn't overcoming that right now because he's in a more difficult conference with a struggling/injured supporting cast.

 

[koonja]

No. They quit because LeBron not only destroyed team chemistry, but is lazy as hell and does not lead by example. After lashing out at everyone else about their "commitment" he dedicated his time/focus anywhere but basketball. He plays routinely awful defense and has been on a laughable binge of boneheaded, low effort plays.



Last year he was still in Cleveland. I really respect what he did there, I truly do. That ring he got in Cleveland took a Herculean effort and was legendary.

But he has not been putting in that same work in LA. He is sitting games for "load management" while being up until 2 AM the night before working on rap songs. He has always been a total fraud when it comes to being a good teammate that leads by example, and that gets exposed further when he isn't bigger than the organization and when you have media unafraid to pull back the curtain. He is uncoachable, refuses to play defense, refuses to play in any sort of legitimate offensive system, and takes plays off. His talent isn't overcoming that right now because he's in a more difficult conference with a struggling/injured supporting cast.

I could absolutely not agree with Lax anymore.

 

[ulukinatme]

They quit because LeBron not only destroyed team chemistry

Hard to have chemistry when the team has been completely awful since 2013. Again, they've been in last place or 2nd to last place in the West until Lebron got there. That was when Kobe was still leading the team. I'm sure the chemistry was great though.

I'm more inclined to believe LA is the problem. Lebron plays with the Cavs, Finals calibur team. Leaves Cavs, they completely tank. Goes to Miami, wins championships. Leaves Miami, they tank. Rejoins Cavs, wins championship and Finals caliber team. Leaves Cavs, they completely tank. Joins LA, they perform better, but you can't expect miracles in year 1 given how far they've fallen off. They had 14 losses prior to Lebron's injury, since then they've had 21 more (11-21 since Christmas) and are basically out of contention. He's still leading the team in points, assists, and rebounds despite missing over a month of action. So, it's Lebron's fault that LA sucks?

 

[Irish#1]

Hard to have chemistry when the team has been completely awful since 2013. Again, they've been in last place or 2nd to last place in the West until Lebron got there. That was when Kobe was still leading the team. I'm sure the chemistry was great though.

I'm more inclined to believe LA is the problem. Lebron plays with the Cavs, Finals calibur team. Leaves Cavs, they completely tank. Goes to Miami, wins championships. Leaves Miami, they tank. Rejoins Cavs, wins championship and Finals caliber team. Leaves Cavs, they completely tank. Joins LA, they perform better, but you can't expect miracles in year 1 given how far they've fallen off. They had 14 losses prior to Lebron's injury, since then they've had 21 more (11-21 since Christmas) and are basically out of contention. He's still leading the team in points, assists, and rebounds despite missing over a month of action. So, it's Lebron's fault that LA sucks?

James had a better supporting cast in Cleveland and Miami when he won titles. With a lesser than stellar group in LA he had the chance to show how great he was, but instead he treats his basketball job as a part time job and complains about his teammates. I won’t argue about what a great player he is but he’s never been a good teammate and it’s really coming to light now.

 

[ulukinatme]

James had a better supporting cast in Cleveland and Miami when he won titles. With a lesser than stellar group in LA he had the chance to show how great he was, but instead he treats his basketball job as a part time job and complains about his teammates. I won’t argue about what a great player he is but he’s never been a good teammate and it’s really coming to light now.

Not going to argue that he's shown some tough love to his teams in the past when they've stunk up the joint. I remember a few years ago when he complained that the Cavs were "top heavy" because it was him, Irving, Love, and that was about it. It was harsh, but fair since the Cavs lacked depth. When Irving went down with his knee problems they only had a scrappy Delladova to back him up. While that Aussie has a giant heart and is tough as nails, he doesn't come close to filling Irving's shoes athletically nor does he have his scoring ability.

Lebron occasionally rubs teammates the wrong way because of his competitive nature, but how many former teammates does he not get along with today? Even Irving has apologized and mended fences. He's far more friendly with fellow colleagues than at odds with them. One guy that played with Lebron and probably doesn't like him is IT, and IT was a mess in Cleveland. I don't even know if they had beef, but for various reasons outside of his control Thomas just seemed like an unhappy guy while he was a Cav. Dion Waiters would probably be another, but he got shipped off pretty quick for Shumpert and JR Smith. Who else? Delonte West? That guy is a mess too, and rumors were that he was screwing Lebrons mom, so he had that going for him.

 

[IrishLax]

Hard to have chemistry when the team has been completely awful since 2013.

They were middle of the pack in the West this year. Look at the team pre-injuries... well above .500 35 games into the season, top 10 in NBA power rankings, definitely headed to the playoffs.

What happened after adversity hit? Did LeBron rally the team and support everyone like a leader should do? No, he tried to get the coach fired and tried to trade all of his teammates for Anthony Davis. Both were disastrous, and it's why the team has utterly stunk down the stretch.

Nobody but LeBron could publicly question his teammates commitment to basketball and competitive drive while sitting out games and staying up late at night work on rap music and not trying on defense and making boneheaded plays seemingly every night and still have some people fooled. He is about as cancerous a teammate as currently exists in the NBA.

 

[Irish YJ]

While I always respected his talent, never really cared for James. Never seemed like the greats I grew up watching. Just didn't seem inspiring or as clutch. I did like it when he went back to Clv, but once again, he left.

 

[ulukinatme]

What happened after adversity hit? Did LeBron rally the team and support everyone like a leader should do? No, he tried to get the coach fired and tried to trade all of his teammates for Anthony Davis. Both were disastrous, and it's why the team has utterly stunk down the stretch.

Do you honestly think Walton is a good coach, worthy of coaching a marquee club like the Lakers? He's probably already a dead man walking, I've heard a lot of talking heads speculating that he's done at the end of the year. Lebron knew Cleveland needed a change in leadership too, and that worked pretty well when Lue helped get them the championship that year.

Quite frankly, trading for Anthony David is probably something that needed to happen, but the Pelicans are going to ask for the world to give him up, and the Lakers were probably wise to back off before they lost their shirt. It seems like the Pelicans wanted to wait till summer when they can have a bidding war. Honestly though, giving up Lonzo Ball wouldn't have been a big loss. Aside from unloading the baggage that is his dad, the "greatest player" shoots 41% at the stripe and hasn't lived up to the hype his dad constantly spews. He's young, but he has a long way to go and he certainly hasn't stepped up to the challenge. Lebron has advocated in the past for some trades to fill holes in a roster, this is nothing new. Cleveland brought in Kyle Korver at a discount, and while they failed to beat the Warriors again that season he ended up leading the league in 3P% and ended up being a good fit.

I won't argue that either move didn't do the team any favors from a chemistry perspective, but keep in mind this isn't the first time these things have happened on a Lebron led team and it often yielded good results. That doesn't mean the Lakers shouldn't have tried to make the trade though. If the Lakers want to have any shot of competing against the Rockets and the Warriors they needed another guy like Davis, that roster isn't going to get it done even when healthy. We'll see if they make a big splash during the off season.

 

[Irish#1]

Not going to argue that he's shown some tough love to his teams in the past when they've stunk up the joint. I remember a few years ago when he complained that the Cavs were "top heavy" because it was him, Irving, Love, and that was about it. It was harsh, but fair since the Cavs lacked depth. When Irving went down with his knee problems they only had a scrappy Delladova to back him up. While that Aussie has a giant heart and is tough as nails, he doesn't come close to filling Irving's shoes athletically nor does he have his scoring ability.

Lebron occasionally rubs teammates the wrong way because of his competitive nature, but how many former teammates does he not get along with today? Even Irving has apologized and mended fences. He's far more friendly with fellow colleagues than at odds with them. One guy that played with Lebron and probably doesn't like him is IT, and IT was a mess in Cleveland. I don't even know if they had beef, but for various reasons outside of his control Thomas just seemed like an unhappy guy while he was a Cav. Dion Waiters would probably be another, but he got shipped off pretty quick for Shumpert and JR Smith. Who else? Delonte West? That guy is a mess too, and rumors were that he was screwing Lebrons mom, so he had that going for him.

It’s easy to let bygones be bygones once they’re not around each other every day. I get you’re a James fan and he is one of the best all-time. There’s a reason the better players aren’t flocking to join him. He’s never been a good teammate and it’s all about him.

 

[ulukinatme]

It’s easy to let bygones be bygones once they’re not around each other every day. I get you’re a James fan and he is one of the best all-time. There’s a reason the better players aren’t flocking to join him. He’s never been a good teammate and it’s all about him.

He's put together "Big 3" pairings on two different occasions, who isn't joining him? Anthony Davis? That was kind of out of his control. Lakers offered quite a bit for him, but the Pelicans organization wasn't interested. Davis was interested obviously, LA was one of the destinations he requested. It's not like Durant was in play during his free agency, Cavs were already well into the Luxury tax at the time after overpaying guys like Tristan Thompson.

Love played with Lebron on the USA team, so he obviously had previous experience with him and was more than happy to join the Cavs. It took some time to find their rhythm, but they did. Wade was more than happy to rejoin Lebron in Cleveland having previously played with him, even though his career was winding down.

I'm sure you haven't forgotten about this:

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/artic...bron-james-and-lance-stephenson-is-blossoming

Stephenson is a guy that had beef with Lebron, didn't like the guy, and they get along pretty well on the Lakers together now. If anyone could harbor some resentment, you would think it would be him. I'm not saying everybody loves Lebron and it's all roses and sunshine, but there's not this huge ball of animosity among his former teammates like you perceive. He's certainly capable and can bring team chemistry. No one else has been able to rally their team in the Finals when down 3-1 and come back to win the championship, only James.

I get that you're a James hater since you're from Indy and there's some bad blood there

 

[Irish YJ]

He's put together "Big 3" pairings on two different occasions, who isn't joining him? Anthony Davis? That was kind of out of his control. Lakers offered quite a bit for him, but the Pelicans organization wasn't interested. Davis was interested obviously, LA was one of the destinations he requested. It's not like Durant was in play during his free agency, Cavs were already well into the Luxury tax at the time after overpaying guys like Tristan Thompson.

Love played with Lebron on the USA team, so he obviously had previous experience with him and was more than happy to join the Cavs. It took some time to find their rhythm, but they did. Wade was more than happy to rejoin Lebron in Cleveland having previously played with him, even though his career was winding down.

I'm sure you haven't forgotten about this:

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/artic...bron-james-and-lance-stephenson-is-blossoming

Stephenson is a guy that had beef with Lebron, didn't like the guy, and they get along pretty well on the Lakers together now. If anyone could harbor some resentment, you would think it would be him. I'm not saying everybody loves Lebron and it's all roses and sunshine, but there's not this huge ball of animosity among his former teammates like you perceive. He's certainly capable and can bring team chemistry. No one else has been able to rally their team in the Finals when down 3-1 and come back to win the championship, only James.

I get that you're a James hater since you're from Indy and there's some bad blood there

Not sure Stephenson ever had "beef" with James. He's just a bit of an "off" dude, having fun. Even if he did, he's a journeyman following the $ and isn't going to bitch too much about who he has to play with. Personally, I love Stephenson as a Pacer's fan, and never thought there was any real hate. Just some silly goofing.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

NBA Thread

Heres a 5 alarm hot take:

Evidence: Lebron has been virtually indestructible his entire career, has logged heavy minutes virtually every game his entire career, and has NEVER during that time suffered a significant injury. We are talking for over a decade here. The guy literally spends millions of dollars on his body annually.

Conclusion: Maybe Lebron sat all those games this season so the (obvious to everyone) impending disaster couldnt fully be pinned on him? Seems curious this was the year his body finally breaks.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Irish YJ]

Heres a 5 alarm got take:

Evidence: Lebron has been virtually indestructible his entire career, has logged heavy minutes virtually every game his entire career, and has NEVER during that time suffered a significant injury. We are talking for over a decade here. The guy literally spends millions of dollars on his body annually.

Conclusion: Maybe Lebron sat all those games this season so the (obvious to everyone) impending disaster couldnt fully be pinned on him? Seems curious this was the year his body finally breaks.

Maybe, but doubt it. IMO, Lakers just protecting their investment + improving draft.

 

[ulukinatme]

Maybe, but doubt it. IMO, Lakers just protecting their investment + improving draft.

That's my take. Lakers spent quite a bit to bring him in, makes sense to rest him a bit since they're essentially out of the playoff picture.

 

[Irish#1]

He's put together "Big 3" pairings on two different occasions, who isn't joining him? Anthony Davis? That was kind of out of his control. Lakers offered quite a bit for him, but the Pelicans organization wasn't interested. Davis was interested obviously, LA was one of the destinations he requested. It's not like Durant was in play during his free agency, Cavs were already well into the Luxury tax at the time after overpaying guys like Tristan Thompson.

Love played with Lebron on the USA team, so he obviously had previous experience with him and was more than happy to join the Cavs. It took some time to find their rhythm, but they did. Wade was more than happy to rejoin Lebron in Cleveland having previously played with him, even though his career was winding down.

I'm sure you haven't forgotten about this:

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/artic...bron-james-and-lance-stephenson-is-blossoming

Stephenson is a guy that had beef with Lebron, didn't like the guy, and they get along pretty well on the Lakers together now. If anyone could harbor some resentment, you would think it would be him. I'm not saying everybody loves Lebron and it's all roses and sunshine, but there's not this huge ball of animosity among his former teammates like you perceive. He's certainly capable and can bring team chemistry. No one else has been able to rally their team in the Finals when down 3-1 and come back to win the championship, only James.

I get that you're a James hater since you're from Indy and there's some bad blood there

I've never questioned James basketball skills and TBH, I don't hate James. I don't think Lance hated James. Lance goes to the beat of a different drummer. He was looking for anyway he could to get James off his game to help the Pacers. What Pacer fan doesn't remember that little escapade? lol James smile was priceless.

George had two chances to join James and didn't. Irving wanted out as fast as he arrived. Wade wanted a ring and then turned down a chance to play with James again. We can go back and forth. I will close with this. James believes he has earned the right to do whatever he wants whenever he wants and thinks everyone believes that, when in reality, basketball fans and current Laker fans believe he should focus strictly on basketball and be a better leader given the amount of money he's getting paid. Want to rap or star in movies? Go ahead, just do it in the offseason or after you retire.

 

[ulukinatme]

I've never questioned James basketball skills and TBH, I don't hate James. I don't think Lance hated James. Lance goes to the beat of a different drummer. He was looking for anyway he could to get James off his game to help the Pacers. What Pacer fan doesn't remember that little escapade? lol James smile was priceless.

George had two chances to join James and didn't. Irving wanted out as fast as he arrived. Wade wanted a ring and then turned down a chance to play with James again. We can go back and forth. I will close with this. James believes he has earned the right to do whatever he wants whenever he wants and thinks everyone believes that, when in reality, basketball fans and current Laker fans believe he should focus strictly on basketball and be a better leader given the amount of money he's getting paid. Want to rap or star in movies? Go ahead, just do it in the offseason or after you retire.

Except Wade DID rejoin Lebron and play for Cleveland for a short while before he was traded again because he was starting to struggle at the end of his career.
Yeah, Irving wanted out, after 3 years though. It was more about wanting to be the star of the team though. He was living in Lebron's shadow and he wanted to "be the man" again, which is more of a personal desire and didn't have anything directly to do with James' personality. It's obvious given the fact they've remained friends and you can see their camaraderie when they face each other this year and when they paired back up during the All Star game. Given the fact Irving has backtracked on his comments regarding staying with the Celtics after his contract is up, and how he mended fences with Lebron, I wonder if he isn't trying to setup a situation to return as his teammate.
I won't comment on George, you're obviously closer to that situation as a Pacer fan and know it better than I.

 

[Irish#1]

Westbrook went off at a fan last night and threatened the guys wife. Per an article on ESPN.com the guy told Westbrook to ice his knees. Somewhere along the line Westbrook took that as get on your knees and said it was a racial comment. Racial? Seems more homophobic than racial.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26234619/westbrook-threatens-courtside-fan-fan-wife

 

[irishff1014]

Westbrook went off at a fan last night and threatened the guys wife. Per an article on ESPN.com the guy told Westbrook to ice his knees. Somewhere along the line Westbrook took that as get on your knees and said it was a racial comment. Racial? Seems more homophobic than racial.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26234619/westbrook-threatens-courtside-fan-fan-wife

The problem isn’t this one time. ESPN just showed 4 or 5 incidents he has had with fans. He is the issue.

 

[ulukinatme]

The problem isn’t this one time. ESPN just showed 4 or 5 incidents he has had with fans. He is the issue.

I didn't realize Westbrook had a past with this, quite surprising. Given his history, I'm more inclined to believe the fan's story, but it seems like Westbrook and a teammate are doubling down and calling for more protection for players. Not buying the victim card now, and when was the last time a player was actually injured by a fan? We've really become weak as a society when the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is no longer true.

I actually went to look to see when the last time a player was injured by a fan, and a Google search brought this up, also involving Westbrook!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russ had to have a chat with the Nuggets fan real quick... <a href="https://t.co/5D9RzfK0Jt">pic.twitter.com/5D9RzfK0Jt</a></p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1100626921828700160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Westbrook said the kid hit him? Those were his words according to the article https://bleacherreport.com/articles...y-young-nuggets-fan-fans-have-too-much-leeway. At best it looks like a tap, like he's trying to get his attention. I agree that a fan shouldn't be interacting with a player in such a way, but to call it a hit? It's a kid, and it's not like he wound up or anything. Talk about ridiculous.

 

[Irishnuke]

I didn't realize Westbrook had a past with this, quite surprising. Given his history, I'm more inclined to believe the fan's story, but it seems like Westbrook and a teammate are doubling down and calling for more protection for players. Not buying the victim card now, and when was the last time a player was actually injured by a fan? We've really become weak as a society when the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is no longer true.

I actually went to look to see when the last time a player was injured by a fan, and a Google search brought this up, also involving Westbrook!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russ had to have a chat with the Nuggets fan real quick... <a href="https://t.co/5D9RzfK0Jt">pic.twitter.com/5D9RzfK0Jt</a></p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1100626921828700160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Westbrook said the kid hit him? Those were his words according to the article https://bleacherreport.com/articles...y-young-nuggets-fan-fans-have-too-much-leeway. At best it looks like a tap, like he's trying to get his attention. I agree that a fan shouldn't be interacting with a player in such a way, but to call it a hit? It's a kid, and it's not like he wound up or anything. Talk about ridiculous.

It's not like he cussed that kid out. He probably just told him it's not cool to touch the players, which it isn't. This one wasn't a big deal. What he said to the Jazz fan and his wife is a big deal. He crossed a line. I will say that fans should really stfu and just cheer or boo instead of making personal taunts at players. Westbrook is one of the best in the game and some fat ass fan is talking shit to him? I think situations like this encourage douche bag fans to step up their trash talking because they see they can get away with it. Plus what's going to happen if the player puts his hands on a fan? The fan will sue and get money out of it. I'm not defending Westbrook by any means. I think he's a sensitive prick. I also think that fans need to be held more accountable and given the boot much quicker as well.

 

[Irish#1]

The problem isn’t this one time. ESPN just showed 4 or 5 incidents he has had with fans. He is the issue.

Yep, not the first time. I think this one is grabbing more headlines because he threatened the guys wife as well.

 

[Irish#1]

It's not like he cussed that kid out. He probably just told him it's not cool to touch the players, which it isn't. This one wasn't a big deal. What he said to the Jazz fan and his wife is a big deal. He crossed a line. I will say that fans should really stfu and just cheer or boo instead of making personal taunts at players. Westbrook is one of the best in the game and some fat ass fan is talking shit to him? I think situations like this encourage douche bag fans to step up their trash talking because they see they can get away with it. Plus what's going to happen if the player puts his hands on a fan? The fan will sue and get money out of it. I'm not defending Westbrook by any means. I think he's a sensitive prick. I also think that fans need to be held more accountable and given the boot much quicker as well.

Fans have been yelling at players since sports began. It's part of the home field advantage. I don't have a problem with a fan yelling at a specific player as long as it doesn't get too personal. Telling a guy to ice his legs is acceptable.

Back when Sydney Moncreif played for the Bucks they were playing the Pacers at Market Square Arena. We were seated right behind the scorers table. He was at the free throw line and it was pretty quiet. I yelled out "Hey Sydney, how 'bout them Hogs, suey". His busted out laughing and bricked the free throw.

 

[DONTH8]

The problem isn’t this one time. ESPN just showed 4 or 5 incidents he has had with fans. He is the issue.

Utah fans are pretty ruthless in my opinion. Idk if it's because they are trying harder to break the mold of the religious bias that people have about them, or if they are so out of touch of what is ok and not ok to say because they live in a bubble; but they absolutely will say very personal things about people. Racist comments, are a norm because there aren't many races around. I don't think that they understand exactly how inappropriate what they are saying is, because they never had a friend or learned through life of what is ok and not ok to say in situations.

You may think I'm exaggerating, but at BYU the kids will literally stare at the few black kids around and quickly dart their eyes away when the black kid looks at them. They look at them like they're spectacles. They then will say really inappropriate things, not on purpose, but really out of sheer curiosity or because they don't know better, and it just comes off completely wrong. And when I talk to them after or bring it up on the spot, they say "Well you're taking it the wrong way", or "I love everyone, they know that, they shouldn't take it personally, I wouldn't really disrespect them like that."

Fans are terrible at Jazz games. And if you get a reaction out of someone like Westbrook, it's only going to be worse. I went to a Cavs game and sat behind the bench last year, and the stuff they would say to LeBron was horrible. Much worse than what they apparently said to Westbrook. Talked about slavery, his family, kids, anything and everything they could. LeBron, to his credit, never flinched. But I felt horrible being surrounded by people that go to church on Sunday, then turn around and do that with little understanding of what is appropriate when taunting, and what's not.

Unfortunately, a lot of people out here are clueless, but I promise they aren't all bad.

 

[Luckylucci]

Westbrook creates a lot of this by his actions over the years and fans remember it. I'm not speaking to this specific situation, necessarily, since I don't know what was said to him. But he gets a lot of boos when he comes to Portland because how he's acted in the past. Last week he walked off the court, at the end of the game, yelling "F$ck yall, F$ck every single one of yall." repeatedly. The dude is crazy.

 

[ulukinatme]

It's not like he cussed that kid out. He probably just told him it's not cool to touch the players, which it isn't. This one wasn't a big deal. What he said to the Jazz fan and his wife is a big deal. He crossed a line. I will say that fans should really stfu and just cheer or boo instead of making personal taunts at players. Westbrook is one of the best in the game and some fat ass fan is talking shit to him? I think situations like this encourage douche bag fans to step up their trash talking because they see they can get away with it. Plus what's going to happen if the player puts his hands on a fan? The fan will sue and get money out of it. I'm not defending Westbrook by any means. I think he's a sensitive prick. I also think that fans need to be held more accountable and given the boot much quicker as well.

I completely agree that it's not cool to touch the players. I'm guessing the kid was a bit star-struck, because it looks like he just tapped him like to say "Hey," which doesn't make it right, but I think the intention was innocent. So yeah, the kid screwed up, but then Westbrook played it off like the kid hit him? No way, that's quite an exaggeration after watching the video. I've got nothing wrong with Westbrook talking to the kid, but playing it up as the kid hit him afterwards is just silly and a lie.

Fans have been yelling at players since sports began. It's part of the home field advantage. I don't have a problem with a fan yelling at a specific player as long as it doesn't get too personal. Telling a guy to ice his legs is acceptable.

Back when Sydney Moncreif played for the Bucks they were playing the Pacers at Market Square Arena. We were seated right behind the scorers table. He was at the free throw line and it was pretty quiet. I yelled out "Hey Sydney, how 'bout them Hogs, suey". His busted out laughing and bricked the free throw.

Reminds me of the Utah game back in 2010. I'm not a trash talker personally, but that was the season where Crist got hurt and the team had been tanking. Utah was coming off a loss, but they were actually ranked 14th and undefeated prior to the last game. Needless to say there wasn't a lot of optimism and a lot of fans in the gold seats headed south early for the winter, giving up their tickets to family and friends.

Utah came in and they looked completely shell shocked. I don't know if it was the previous week's loss to TCU, or the fact ND's stadium was almost twice as large as any venue the Utes had previously played in that year, but they weren't playing well. This guy with a thick New York accent was sitting in the 3rd row in front of us, right behind the Utah bench. His catchphrase the whole game was directed to "Shaky" Smithson, and he used it over and over "Hey Shaky....WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Every once in awhile he'd throw in a "What are we gonna do, coach?!" He'd use the Shaky line every time the RB came off the field though. Pretty soon the whole gold seat section started joining in with him, which was odd for them, but remember all the blue hairs gave up their tickets for that game. Near the end of the 4th quarter they finally got a reaction from Shaky. He took his helmet off, turned to our section, then just gave a smile and shrugged. Everyone got a big kick out of that and clapped.

On a related note, it seems like Shaky Smithson is a real upstanding guy. While at Utah he took custody of his 15 year old brother so he could get out of the rough Baltimore neighborhood he was living in with their mother. He moved in to an apartment with Shaky at college, which is pretty cool. Shaky originally transferred to Utah from an LA Junior college and chose Utah because it was the nicest place available, turning down Pitt and Rutgers. Pretty cool story.