OT: Cavs vs. Warriors (Who Wins the NBA Finals?)

[realtime]

Congrats to the NBA. They seem to have gotten away with blatantly rigging an NBA finals series. I wonder if they'd do it again, if they knew that Bogut would also be lost for the series.

Your husband played his heart out, Ayesha. Sorry it didn't work out this year.

 

[Froob]

Wow just watched JR's postgame press conference, daaamn maybe he's not such a bad dude after all....awesome to see guys like him and Edelman celebrate with their dads after winning it all and getting emotional.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Thats not the perception though from a lot of haters, especially Colts fans (although they're a very special group so i dont take them too seriously). They think Brady is arrogant, whiney, sore loser and a cheater.. and a slew of other things.

I think once you start hating someone because they're winning, you start coming up with reasons for your disdain to the point where you truly believe it

Yea I'm sure it their perception. They are idiots and I know the response will be that I am a blind homer. Whatever.

Actually I would like nothing more to like LeBron. Great talent. Great player. Hes won some titles. He delivered in CLE. Squeaky clean off the court. I don't know much about his personal life but I know his longtime girlfriend have children together and seem to have a nice family unit going so hes not one of those 9 kids 8 women guys. Strong guy with charities. Thats my perception and what has been packaged for the average fan to consume.

All that said I still think hes a whiney, drama-queen, narcissistic diva.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Just saw a little clip of the Cavs arriving in Cleveland with the trophy and a little boy in the crowd said, "this is awesome!" it reminded me of my/our first time and brought a little tear to my eye. I'm not a basketball fan nor a LeBron James fan but remember that feeling and it's fun to see others (when not at Boston's expense) experience it.

Cavaliers memorabilia will begin showing up in cemeteries ... it was that way with the Red Sox.

It's nice for the city so good for them ...

 

[Froob]

Cavaliers memorabilia will begin showing up in cemeteries ... it was that way with the Red Sox.

It's nice for the city so good for them ...

On a semi related note, I don't understand why the NFL championships before the SB don't count for anything to today's fans. Browns have 4 NFL titles. They should count the same. That's like ignoring the 60's Celtics bling dynasty.

 

[letekro]

You can influence results, but you can't outright fix them. If a scrub makes 3 after 3 you can't stop that. But you can make things easier by calling timely fouls or not, and having key players in foul trouble. You can try to extend series but if one team is so much superior than the other (see 14 Heat/Spurs) even the refs can't change that (eg. heat went on a run to start game 5 with some friendly whistle but Spurs clawed back because they're so much better).

The league isnt stupid enough to say anything incriminating on text/email/paper etc. As Donaghy pointed out, when the league wants a desired result they infer things like "you're missing a lot of guys hacking at player X" etc. Once you point out enough examples, the refs get the picture. Its like why do teams down 20 pts get friendly whistles? Because its better for ratings when the games are close (but not so close as to put the desired winning team's lead in jeopardy).

Also Lebron coming back 3-1 (something no Finals team has done) and ending CLE's sports drought is an even better storyline than GSW going b2b. But most importantly, the league got its wish with a game 7 (which as it turns out is the highest rated NBA game since game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals where Jordan hit the shot over Utah).

Surely, game 7 of the 1998 finals would have been even higher rated than game 6. Did those refs not get the memo to get Utah the W in game 6? I mean, that game came down to the last possession, why didn't the refs "influence" that game? Clearly, 1 or 2 calls would've swung it. Maybe the officials are too incompetent to do what the league wants?

 

[Bartmac36]

Surely, game 7 of the 1998 finals would have been even higher rated than game 6. Did those refs not get the memo to get Utah the W in game 6? I mean, that game came down to the last possession, why didn't the refs "influence" that game? Clearly, 1 or 2 calls would've swung it. Maybe the officials are too incompetent to do what the league wants?

It's not worth it man. The tin foil has already begun eating in to their brains. Let them believe in series being rigged, as well as the boogeyman and whatever else helps them sleep at night.

 

[patfanken]

No a big LaBron fan, but respect his game, but I am very happy for the city of Cleveland. The Red Sox championship drought was long, but we had many other championships from the Celtics, Bruins and Pats to tide us over until the Sox finally broke through. Think about it, that was over 50 years with NOTHING but pain.....and you had to live in freakin' Cleveland besides.
,
Golden State was a team I could really like. They played team basketball and had a great team. If they had played any other franchise other than the Celtics and Cleveland, I would have rooted hard for them. I certainly wouldn't have minded it, if they had won it all. It is hard to say that a city or region "deserves" a championship, but Cleveland fans really did.

I'm glad their city now has their title, and their long perseverance has been rewarded.

 

[drewskie]

Surely, game 7 of the 1998 finals would have been even higher rated than game 6. Did those refs not get the memo to get Utah the W in game 6? I mean, that game came down to the last possession, why didn't the refs "influence" that game? Clearly, 1 or 2 calls would've swung it. Maybe the officials are too incompetent to do what the league wants?

Jordan going 6/6 trumps any game 7 where the Jazz could win and spoil the repeat 3peat.

Again people are welcome to believe what they want or not. I had no horse in this race but like Donaghy the nba is so blatant that you can make good change off of their games.

Its like when Miami was up 3-1 on Indy one year in the playoffs, Lebron all of a sudden picks up 5 fouls in that game. Draymond doesnt get suspended down 2-1 vs Okc but is then suspended up 3-1 vs Cle? Bad officiating means it should be random, but it isnt. Otherwise Lebrons teams would have their fair share of screw jobs I mean the Raps have had an apology from the league after the fact when they were screwed in multiple games throughout the years. I cant remember even one time where Lebron got screwed out of a win because of the officials.

Pats fans of all people should know this when we faced Peyton in the AFCC game earlier this year. Talib has gotten away with blatant DPI in every playoff game this year vs Pit/us/Car.

 

[drewskie]

Yea I'm sure it their perception. They are idiots and I know the response will be that I am a blind homer. Whatever.

Actually I would like nothing more to like LeBron. Great talent. Great player. Hes won some titles. He delivered in CLE. Squeaky clean off the court. I don't know much about his personal life but I know his longtime girlfriend have children together and seem to have a nice family unit going so hes not one of those 9 kids 8 women guys. Strong guy with charities. Thats my perception and what has been packaged for the average fan to consume.

All that said I still think hes a whiney, drama-queen, narcissistic diva.

Hes got a good PR team for the most part. Not many people know about the Cleveland female anchor he impregnated and then all of a sudden shes no longer employed yet has more than enough money to support her kid and herself? Im not judging Lebron but at the end of the day, players care about tbeir brand and will do anything to protect a "squeaky clean" image.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Hes got a good PR team for the most part. Not many people know about the Cleveland female anchor he impregnated and then all of a sudden shes no longer employed yet has more than enough money to support her kid and herself? Im not judging Lebron but at the end of the day, players care about tbeir brand and will do anything to protect a "squeaky clean" image.

I heard that rumor. Didn't know she was off the air.

Gawd.

 

[letekro]

Jordan going 6/6 trumps any game 7 where the Jazz could win and spoil the repeat 3peat.

Again people are welcome to believe what they want or not. I had no horse in this race but like Donaghy the nba is so blatant that you can make good change off of their games.

Its like when Miami was up 3-1 on Indy one year in the playoffs, Lebron all of a sudden picks up 5 fouls in that game. Draymond doesnt get suspended down 2-1 vs Okc but is then suspended up 3-1 vs Cle? Bad officiating means it should be random, but it isnt. Otherwise Lebrons teams would have their fair share of screw jobs I mean the Raps have had an apology from the league after the fact when they were screwed in multiple games throughout the years. I cant remember even one time where Lebron got screwed out of a win because of the officials.

Pats fans of all people should know this when we faced Peyton in the AFCC game earlier this year. Talib has gotten away with blatant DPI in every playoff game this year vs Pit/us/Car.

I guess I now have an answer to my question about how the NBA knows which storyline to pick. This has been informative. Thanks.

 

[Froob]

I heard that rumor. Didn't know she was off the air.

Gawd.

I still want to know if Delonte actually did it or not. Wouldn't put it past either of them based on what I know about them individually. LeBron had been friendly to him afterwards, perhaps to make us think he wouldn't do that if his teammate actually banged his mom?

 

[IcyPatriot]

He did bang her:

Delonte West Confirms He Slept With LeBron James’ Mother?

 

[Froob]

He did bang her:

Delonte West Confirms He Slept With LeBron James’ Mother?

Dang, should retire his number. Delonte was definitely something else. Wish his life didn't take such an unfortunate turn with his mental illness.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He did bang her:

Delonte West Confirms He Slept With LeBron James’ Mother?

Everytime I hear the Delonte West/LBJ's mom story I think of American Pie. ****brick Finchy and Stiffler's Mom. ..

Allegedly he was the only one getting a ride on Queen James either.

 

[Froob]

Everytime I hear the Delonte West/LBJ's mom story I think of American Pie. ****brick Finchy and Stiffler's Mom. ..

Allegedly he was the only one getting a ride on Queen James either.

On another semi related note, LeBron's dad must feel like a real dumbass for bailing on him after impregnating LeBron's mom. LeBron has never actually met him. Props to LeBron for telling his dad gtfo once he become rich and famous and his dad tried to get a piece of it.

 

[condon84]

One of the greatest endings to a championship ever.

Nobody gave the Cavs a chance especially down 1-3

Kyrie's and Lebron's heroic performances the last 3 games were EPIC.

Doing it in someone else's building in a game 7 setting, with the game tied with two minutes left and all that tension was amazing.

Lebron's block and Kyrie's 3 elicited the kind of crowd reaction that's only found in a game 7 when you collectively hear the souls of 30K+ fans leaving their bodies.

Don't care for Cleveland, not really a Lebron fan, but last night was an example of what's great about sports.

 

[theone12]

The NBA did not rig game 6 of the 98 finals. The Jazz had a 3 point lead with 41 seconds and choked it away. They allowed Jordan to score within 4 seconds off the timeout. Then Karl Malone pulled his typical finals/playoff chokejob by holding onto the ball and allowing Jordan to blindside him with a strip. After that the rest was history. Utah would have won game 7 if they had forced it. Pippen had a herinated disc in his back, Jordan was on fumes as was the rest of that team, and it was at the Delta Center. That 98 Bulls team was very very vulnerable. Utah had them on the ropes. Win game 6 and you basically win the series but they screwed that up from the final 41 seconds to the final 17 seconds of the game.

 

[theone12]

I also would take the 96-97 Bulls over the 95-96 squad. That team would have at least tied/if not broken that 72-10 record if they weren't resting half of their roster in the final month of the season to gear up for the postseason. They were amazing/dominant most of that season when healthy, but also came through under real adversity in a title defense. They won some close games and showed alot of grit that year.