NBA Playoffs 2019 (2 Viewers)

[RazorOye]

I love how global this league is....

 

[SaintJ]

I am counting on free agency and its aftermath to get me past July 4, at which point I can hang on until camp opens on July 25; this is my annual three-week sports break.

Meanwhile, this NBA offseason wild.

 

[RazorOye]

I thought it was awesome that Giannis got MVP - his speech was moving. Seeing him in tears, a big vulnerable Superman was a great moment. He talked about his family and how much they mean to him.

Rather than link that speech, though, I thought I'd include my favorite Giannis story, that starts with him going to a Western Union to send money home to his family in Greece, but not having enough money after that for a cab ride in Milwaukee... in late November.... in 20 below weather... to get to a GAME that night.

https://www.brewhoop.com/2014/3/6/5478088/giannis-fan-driver-arena

On Saturday, Nov 23, it was cold in Milwaukee (below 20 degrees in the afternoon). I was shopping in the Brady Street area (the east side of Milwaukee, a few minutes away from the BMO Harris Bradley Center) with my boyfriend of 35 years. We saw a tall black guy running by and he looked familiar. I drove by him again four blocks away and realized it was Giannis. I stopped the car, rolled down the window and asked if he wanted a ride.

"Are you going to the Bradley Center?" he asked and I said yes. He was wearing only a windbreaker.

When he got in the car, I said "you need a winter jacket." He said his credit card didn't work & he'd sent all the money to his family in Greece. He thanked us over and over again for the ride. He was running from where he lives ("on Lake Drive," he said). I got an autograph (in Greek!), but didn't think to get a photo (I'm full of regret). Imagine a photo of all 6'10" of him in the backseat of my Honda Fit (incredibly small back seats)!

We dropped him off at the BMOHBC and he said "Thanks, you really saved me!" I was so excited to have him in my car, that I didn't even think to get a photo. I hope he now has a winter jacket and proper transportation.

cab fare definitely won't be a problem in a couple of summers from now

what a great season

 

[RazorOye]

from Toronto's GM Masai Ujiri... and more about why I love this team, love this game, how Canadian basketball is improving leaps and bounds and how global it is indeed getting

 

[RazorOye]

 

[RazorOye]

Utah, Brooklyn, Milwaukee having a really good day so far....

I assumed Middleton would stay and get paid, but I wasn't expecting this....

 

[BobE]

@Oye if you want to hang with us https://saintsreport.com/threads/2019-nba-off-season-tracker.409359/page-14#post-7617712

 

[DaveXA]

Well, Nets trying to make some moves.

 

[zeetes]

@Oye if you want to hang with us https://saintsreport.com/threads/2019-nba-off-season-tracker.409359/page-14#post-7617712

@Oye sorry non-canadians only. @BobE got it wrong.

 

[RazorOye]

Well, Nets trying to make some moves.

mah bad...

 

[RazorOye]

Now, I want to add something that has happened off the court during this series.

The Raptors have a Superfan in Nav Bhatia. He hasn't missed a single home game since 1995. Arrived in Canada with a mechanical engineering degree from India, but had to work as a landscaper. Then he managed to get a job at a car dealership and worked his way up from there. He's a dedicated fan who is very kind, very gracious. He runs a non-profit to bring basketball all over the world, building courts and running camps.

Everyone who runs into him, spends time around him says that he is the quintessential superfan (most believe he deserves that title more than Drake). Here he is:

He also makes a *lot* of away games, and went to Milwaukee. His appearance prompted one person on twitter to ask:

So, obviously a lot of people responded to this tweet. A Canadian PM was one:



And a bunch of Raptors fans did, too. But so did a *lot* of Bucks fans:





It was really great to see so many people speak out. I know that sometimes sports can be a pretty awful world. But sometimes, it can be pretty amazing, too

inducted into the NBA Superfan Gallery as the first fan so enshrined

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

He seems like an awesome guy and I’m glad that love trumped hate.

 

[RazorOye]

If you weren’t watching the NBA All Star game, you missed out. Easily the best All Star affair of any sport I’ve seen, thanks to the new rules.

it was incredible

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

I actually tried for a moment. Early in the game albeit. Absolutely no defense so I couldn’t stomach it.

 

[gpupil]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in the minority but I just didn't like the 4th quarter. I like the idea of a target score, but it just turned into a free throw contest. The final half of the 4th was all fouls, players arguing with the refs, and replay reviews. I appreciate that both teams played hard and it wasn't a no defense slamfest, but it was just kind of boring. Not to mention completely anticlimactic with the win coming on a free throw.