David Stern Memorial This Month in NBA Thread (January 2020)

[King Kamala]

Former Commissioner David Stern died today at the age of 77. He had a storied and controversial legacy. He did a lot of good and bad things. I can't say if the league would be where it is today if he weren't at the helm during those crucial '80s/'90s years.

All things said, biggest thing he ever did was being indirectly responsible for the start of the Maine Red Claws.

 

[alfdogg]

Not particularly sad to see him go. Just gonna leave it at that.

Darren Collison's devotion to his faith lasted all of about 6 months, and he's now angling to get signed by one of the LA teams.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

https://twitter.com/MickstapeShow/status/1212485674324156425

 

[Master Thrasher]

https://twitter.com/EWest2018/status/1212508276966866944

Found 909's Twitter account.

 

[alfdogg]

Gotta think the Blazers are regretting that Stotts extension right about now.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

For all the good David Stern did, there was a lot of memorably bad things: Probable NBA Draft fixing (Celtics fans are still angry over the Tim Duncan scenario), the referees fixing games/gambling issues that came up in the 90s e.g. Tim Donaghy, the Michael Jordan stuff regarding his retirement, and the overall expansion/relocation of teams in the NBA including Seattle's leaving for Oklahoma, the 2011 lockout, etc.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

is there any proof to the lottery fixing? I love a good conspiracy.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

is there any proof to the lottery fixing? I love a good conspiracy.

No real "proof" although there have been a lot of scenarios which have raised eyebrows. https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2019/5/14/18616630/nba-draft-lottery-rigged-conspiracies covers the bigger ones with 1985 and the 'bent envelope' being the most infamous.

 

[alfdogg]

Yeah, I think 85 has pretty much been accepted as "fact" even though no real proof or admission of guilt has come out. The Duncan thing though, I don't buy that they would fix in favor of small-market San Antonio over one of their model franchises in the Celtics.

 

[alfdogg]

TACKO FALL

 

[MFer]

Heat beat the Raptors with a throwback score of 84-76. Maybe a bit of an unintentional Stern tribute there.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1212832653725978624
Can whoever is driving the Tacko Fall bandwagon pull over and kick this pud off!?

 

[alfdogg]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1213188703897567234

 

[alfdogg]

Vince Carter officially becomes the first player to play in four different decades

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/SI_ExtraMustard/status/1213652551159164930
Welp.

 

[Precious Roy]

I was surprisingly emotional about Stern passing. I had no love lost for the guy (never forgive him for the suspensions v. the Heat in 97), and there was a lot of shadiness on his watch.....but he was the commissioner for 30 years of my life and the NBA grew tremendously under his watch. It's quite possible I wouldn't be the fan I am today if it wasn't for his marketing of the NBA and its stars in the 80's. RIP

 

[strummer]

Yeah pretty much my thoughts as well. The guy was pretty openly biased towards the big stars in the game more than any "impartial" authority figure should ever be but there is no denying his marketing success. He might be the best commissioner in history in any of the 4 major sports

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1214407191467319296
Mike Bibby is early favorite for 2020 Big3 MVP

 

[Hood Rich]

David Stern was the GOAT sports commissioner of our lifetime. Looks like he was finally thrown in the big oven up above.

RIP

 

[King Kamala]

I know it's probably just lethargy from it being the 3rd game in 4 nights but it's still not easy to accept Celtics getting beat by a team whose best player is Ish Smith. Woof.

 

[King Kamala]

Blake Griffin is having knee surgery and will probably be out for the rest of the season.

Why oh why do I keep selecting him for my fantasy team!?

 

[Precious Roy]

I took him on one team because he dropped to like rd 8 but even then I knew I was making a mistake. Dropped him weeks ago

That trade was bad when it happened but this is basically the worst case scenario. They got a relatively healthy season and a half from him and one playoff appearance where he missed a game and probably shouldn't have played at all.

SVG did a shit job as an executive. Overpaid Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer ($10m per for 3 years and out of the league now). First rd picks were Stanley Johnson ( 8 ), Henry Ellenson (18) and Luke Kennard (12). TBF Kennard has been solid but they haven't really developed any young players in the last 5 years. They drafted Spencer Dinwiddie in rd 2 and had him bouncing back and forth to the G league for a few years but let him go. His best trade was Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova for Tobias Harris....who he flipped in the Griffin trade.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/gswchris/status/1214413364962746368

The NBA...it's fantastic?

 

[Gert]

I took him on one team because he dropped to like rd 8 but even then I knew I was making a mistake. Dropped him weeks ago

That trade was bad when it happened but this is basically the worst case scenario. They got a relatively healthy season and a half from him and one playoff appearance where he missed a game and probably shouldn't have played at all.

SVG did a shit job as an executive. Overpaid Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer ($10m per for 3 years and out of the league now). First rd picks were Stanley Johnson ( 8 ), Henry Ellenson (18) and Luke Kennard (12). TBF Kennard has been solid but they haven't really developed any young players in the last 5 years. They drafted Spencer Dinwiddie in rd 2 and had him bouncing back and forth to the G league for a few years but let him go. His best trade was Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova for Tobias Harris....who he flipped in the Griffin trade.

Yeah SVG should probably be the last example of dual job titles being too much for NBA coaches. I think Detroit at that place in time also proves that being in "the middle" is the worst place to be. You have to "go for it" with FA's and trades that probably won't even get you into the Top 4 in the East.

And Johnson & Ellenson being such misses that they didn't get anything beyond their rookie deals is pretty crippling for the franchise. I think they will have to totally bottom out before they get better.

 

[alfdogg]

Oladipo back in 3 weeks barring any setbacks

 

[King Kamala]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28450077/john-beilein-apologizes-cavs-says-meant-call-players-slugs-not-thugs?fbclid=IwAR1t3_bhRxntkhDFJRMFW12SvNcYNsZkdvp09wLXVhMTSxNjjufeIdax09I

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1215124759572148225

 

[Brocklock]

https://twitter.com/BullsGold/status/1215322449514057728

 

[alfdogg]

Boylan bout to get dual power

 

[Brocklock]

Boylan bout to get dual power

Boylen and Doug Collins are The new GarPax.

For real though I can't imagine Jerry Reinsdorf firing John Paxson so I imagine the big change is Gar Forman getting fired. They then pretend all the terrible moves and decisions Pax has been making the last three years were Gar's alone while John Paxton and Doug Collins continue running the team like it's 1981.