Late 80-Early 90 NBA....... (1 Viewer)

[Loose Cannon]

I will cede the aesthetic point
But I prefer post play to long range
But to me the Jordan/Ewing era wins bc it had hard core actual rivalries
Rivalries that seemed fueled by MJ’s competitive streak (which took the torch from magic/bird)
A bulls/Knicks game in December was going to be just as hard fought as may/June games

And tbc I respect and admire the way lebron has brought players together and decided to stand strong and not get exploited by the system - and have no problem with 20 yr olds arguing this is the best b-ball just like we argue the best b-ball was the one played when we were in our 20s

Yeah post play is mostly a relic at this point. But in the era I mentioned it was still a thing, and the post players were mostly very good two way players who could also pass and even shoot a bit. Duncan, Dirk, Howard, Garnett, Stoudamire, Blake Griffin, prime Aldridge, and hell even the tail end of Shaq. That's 5-6 hall of fame post guys and a few almost-HOF guys.

Not sure you can beat the mid-late 90s for post play though. D-Rob, Malone, Ewing, Hakeem, Early Shaq and Timmy, Mutumbo, and whoever I'm forgetting. That's a crazy assortment of big man talent.

 

[LuvNOLA]

'87 playoffs Celtics-Pistons. Bill Laimbeer closelines Larry Bird. Fight and ejections ensue.



Those were the days. Nowadays hockey isn't even this physical.

OMG!!! THAT was exciting!

I will never look at “boring” Larry Bird the same way again

 

[LuvNOLA]

Totally awesome & soooo brave!

 

[DaveXA]

My first impressions of basketball were Magic/Bird. I remember playing a Dr. J vs. Bird basketball game on my dad's old Commodore computer. You could break the glass when you dunked which I thought ruled.

The Jordan era was what made me a basketball fan. I've always been an underdog guy so in addition to the Spurs I always rooted for whoever Jordan was playing, which was usually the Jazz. I might has well have been rooting for the Washington Generals.

I don't agree that the game was better back then, though. It was ugly, poorly officiated, and outside of a few good passers, it lacked any flow or beauty. If you get past highlights and watch full games from that time period, they're really, really ugly. a lot of standing around and doing nothing for long periods of time. Defenses meant to muck up the game. If you want hockey, watch hockey. There were a lot of really bad players in the league back then too. Can you imagine someone like Jeff Hornacek starting for an NBA Finals team in 2010? He would get absolutely ruined by whoever he was guarding.

But the modern NBA has two issues - the complete disappearance of the midrange, and as mentioned upthread, the horrific flopping and the league doing nothing to combat it.

The best period in the NBA of my lifetime was from about 2008 through 2014. It was past the period where the plodding defensive teams were winning NBA Finals that nobody watched (Sorry 03/05/07 Spurs, you're my boys, but you know it's true). But it was before the period where analytics led to nothing but three pointers and dunks and trying to draw fouls.

You had prime Kobe running the iconic triangle offense, the Celtics with Garnett/Pierce/Allen who were a blast and a great team, the emergence of LeBron and the Heat who were also incredible to watch and root against, Dirk finally getting a championship, and the 2014 Spurs who played one of the most aesthetically pleasing styles of basketball in history. There were some 2nd tier teams (GSW, NO, PHX, OKC) that were a blast to watch too. And it was a great period of watchable, fun basketball without the finesse of today. Great players who played great team basketball. A lack of iso hero ball (like you saw in the early 2000s). Big personalities but a pretty significant lack of thugs and morons. The biggest villains in that period were probably the Lebron/Wade/Bosh Heat, Kobe and Dwight Howard, who really aren't that villainous on the villain scale.

It was a great time period.

Damn that went way longer than I meant for it to when I started typing.

Omg, that Commodore Dr. J vs Bird game...lol. I remember playing that. I must have been in 6th or 7th grade. And yeah, shattering the backboard was fun.

Agreed on many of your points. We're pretty similar from a basketball fan experience perspective. Nice post.

 

[DaveXA]

Yeah post play is mostly a relic at this point. But in the era I mentioned it was still a thing, and the post players were mostly very good two way players who could also pass and even shoot a bit. Duncan, Dirk, Howard, Garnett, Stoudamire, Blake Griffin, prime Aldridge, and hell even the tail end of Shaq. That's 5-6 hall of fame post guys and a few almost-HOF guys.

Not sure you can beat the mid-late 90s for post play though. D-Rob, Malone, Ewing, Hakeem, Early Shaq and Timmy, Mutumbo, and whoever I'm forgetting. That's a crazy assortment of big man talent.

You're forgetting Vlade Divac. Possibly the best passing big man of that time period. I always thought he was a very underrated player. And was robbed of a possible title appearance when the Kings lost to the Lakers. I'll go to my grave believing the officials made up their minds about how they were gonna call that series.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I'll go to my grave believing the officials made up their minds about how they were gonna call that series.

100%. It was a travesty.

 

[DaveXA]

OMG!!! THAT was exciting!

I will never look at “boring” Larry Bird the same way again

Oh yeah, I hated the Celtics back then. But there can be no doubt, Bird was one of the toughest, grittiest to ever play the game. His intensity matched Jordans' blow for blow. It's too bad his back gave out on him later in his career, no doubt due to the abuse his body took.

 

[LuvNOLA]

Yeah post play is mostly a relic at this point. But in the era I mentioned it was still a thing, and the post players were mostly very good two way players who could also pass and even shoot a bit. Duncan, Dirk, Howard, Garnett, Stoudamire, Blake Griffin, prime Aldridge, and hell even the tail end of Shaq. That's 5-6 hall of fame post guys and a few almost-HOF guys.

Not sure you can beat the mid-late 90s for post play though. D-Rob, Malone, Ewing, Hakeem, Early Shaq and Timmy, Mutumbo, and whoever I'm forgetting. That's a crazy assortment of big man talent.

I love Tim Duncan........humble, quiet, team player & extremely hard worker.

But the best quote was when they asked Pop what he would do when Tim retired. Pop said, “he has been a thorn in my side for 24 years, and I am going to cry like a baby.”

 

[Loose Cannon]

I love Tim Duncan........humble, quiet, team player & extremely hard worker.

But the best quote was when they asked Pop what he would do when Tim retired. Pop said, “he has been a thorn in my side for 24 years, and I am going to cry like a baby.”

I look at most athletes as transitional, employees making money. For example I don't really feel any personal connection to Drew Brees. He's an outwardly decent enough dude and one of the best QBs ever, and helped us win a Super Bowl; but he's a player on a team. Duncan is one of the few athletes I actually really personally liked and felt like I had personal stake in them and their success. He and David Robinson are probably the only two athletes I'd ever say that about - both of whom I have met (spent extensive time with D-Rob), and both of whom are great guys. Especially Robinson, who is just an unbelievable human being. If I have an idol, he's as close to it as there is.

 

[DaveXA]

I look at most athletes as transitional, employees making money. For example I don't really feel any personal connection to Drew Brees. He's an outwardly decent enough dude and one of the best QBs ever, and helped us win a Super Bowl; but he's a player on a team. Duncan is one of the few athletes I actually really personally liked and felt like I had personal stake in them and their success. He and David Robinson are probably the only two athletes I'd ever say that about - both of whom I have met (spent extensive time with D-Rob), and both of whom are great guys. Especially Robinson, who is just an unbelievable human being. If I have an idol, he's as close to it as there is.

Indeed. I never have had the privilege of meeting him, but he, along with Brees are the 2 players I'd want to meet if given the opportunity. Always thought Robinson was a class act. And naturally, when Duncan came on board, it was easy to continue rooting for the Spurs because Duncan was a player who wasn't full of himself like so many superstars, and no doubt Robinson's influence had something to do with that.

Lucky getting to meet him.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

You're forgetting Vlade Divac. Possibly the best passing big man of that time period. I always thought he was a very underrated player. And was robbed of a possible title appearance when the Kings lost to the Lakers. I'll go to my grave believing the officials made up their minds about how they were gonna call that series.

James Hardin goes to bed in Vlade Divac flopping PJs

 

[Loose Cannon]

Indeed. I never have had the privilege of meeting him, but he, along with Brees are the 2 players I'd want to meet if given the opportunity. Always thought Robinson was a class act. And naturally, when Duncan came on board, it was easy to continue rooting for the Spurs because Duncan was a player who wasn't full of himself like so many superstars, and no doubt Robinson's influence had something to do with that.

Lucky getting to meet him.

I did some work for his charity school for underprivileged kids in SA wayyy back in my early career when I did networking and IT stuff. He came into where I was working, introduced himself (he is intimidatingly enormous even to me at 6'3") and hung around asking me about what I was doing for like 30 minutes. Not to micromanage but because he wanted to know how all of it worked. Later he ordered pizza for me and a couple of his staff and we ate lunch for about an hour in the teacher's lounge just talking. Longhorn football, the school, some stuff about the servers I was putting in. Basketball never even came up. He is beyond proud of his school and is individually invested in every single kid there. Like knows their name, their story, and has interpersonal relationships with them.

Went back several more times over the next year or so. He was there probably half the time. That place was not just his pet project or tax shelter - he is invested in it emotionally and personally. Remembered my name and things about me that I told him one time. Just an incredible, incredible dude. Have a picture of me and him somewhere.

I'm also eskimo brothers with Drew Brees and played football against him in high school. Don't know if he's a cool dude or not. Actually heard he's kind of a prick - but that was back in high school.

 

[superchuck500]

You're forgetting Vlade Divac. Possibly the best passing big man of that time period. I always thought he was a very underrated player. And was robbed of a possible title appearance when the Kings lost to the Lakers. I'll go to my grave believing the officials made up their minds about how they were gonna call that series.

Vlade was a brilliant interior passer. So was Sabonis.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Vlade smoking cigarettes in the locker room at halftime is one of my favorite random NBA factoids.

 

[DaveXA]

Vlade smoking cigarettes in the locker room at halftime is one of my favorite random NBA factoids.

Oh yeah. Some of those Europeans love their cigs.