When we decided to flush out the five best NBA Finals games of the David Stern Era, we didn’t think we would have so much trouble with Game 3. Since Stern became commissioner in 1984, no Finals game number has had more duds than Game 3. While other games had seven and eight candidates for our top five list, we had issues coming up with five truly great Game 3 showdowns. Three of the games making our list took place in the
Hubbard: 20 years later, we’re still talking about Isiah Thomas & the Dream Team?
Perhaps the most amazing part of the NBA’s documentary of the Dream Team that aired Wednesday night was that Isiah Thomas has now become a sympathetic figure. Thomas actually released a statement after the show aired and addressed not making the Dream Team in 1992. Now I have to say my first reaction was pretty straightforward: A statement in 2012 about not making a team in 1992? Are we still talking about this? Beyond that, I kind of felt sorry for the guy. The fact
SH Blog: Wednesday’s news: Jim Rome is burned by David Stern
Today’s topic of discussion was largely centered around David Stern’s controversial comment towards Jim Rome for asking a question no one else dared to ask the commissioner, with good reason. You can find the story on that and much more in today’s news. Jim Rome asked David Stern if the lottery was fixed. “No,” Stern replied. “Shame on you for asking”. Rome continued to push the topic and clearly fed up, Stern used a classic rhetorial device used by lawyers: “Have you
SH Blog: Tuesday’s news:Stephen Jackson does not respect Scott Skiles
The main story heading into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals is whether Chris Bosh will suit up for the Miami Heat. That, of course, wasn’t the only news item on Tuesday, as you will see below. Chris Bosh is officially listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game, but Brian Windhorst believes Bosh will play: Heat All-Star Chris Bosh has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Tuesday’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. All indications are that Bosh
SH Blog: Friday’s News: Coaches, executives, free agents
While four teams are still left to battle for a championship, the rest of the league looks to shore up for next season with coaches, executives and free agents. Here’s what’s going on around the league today. A couple of things stood out in the Thunder’s victory over the Spurs in Game 3: a change in defensive scheme with Thabo Sefolosha handling Tony Parker, and a bigger emphasis on sharing the ball. An excerpt from J.A. Adande of ESPN: They found an
Bernucca: Stop complaining; Early draft entry has been good for the NBA
Anyone have a problem with all five of Kentucky’s starters declaring for the draft? I don’t. And if you do, you need to join all of us in the 21st century. The decisions by UK freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague and sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb to leave school early and enter the NBA may seem somewhat striking. Among purists, fuddy-duddies and others trying to stand in front of the tidal wave of progress, there was some sense that the
Perkins: Let’s face facts, LeBron is a second-tier closer
MIAMI – OK, he did it again. LeBron James, the talented and tormented Miami Heat forward, declined to take a late-game shot Friday at Utah. He saw a double-team coming and passed to forward Udonis Haslem, who missed a jumper. The Heat lost, 99-98. You’d be tempted to think it was the All-Star game all over again. It wasn’t. This wasn’t some made-for-TV pickup game. It was a regular-season game. It mattered. Now, the LeBron debate can continue. “At the end of the
Bernucca: Thunder may have a toughness complex
Do the Oklahoma City Thunder have a toughness complex? One of the reasons the Thunder have the NBA’s second-best record is because they have three young, explosive players – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden – who simply cannot be contained off the dribble. When defensive schemes cannot prevent a player from getting to the basket, teams usually resort to rough stuff as discouragement. Michael Jordan went through it. So did Allen Iverson. Tony Parker still gets thrown to the floor