The NBA has its most intriguing conference finals matchups in years. Lots of great storylines this season, with young stars and old stars and dynastic shifts bringing the league back to relevance in a way not seen since Jordan left the Bulls.
So of course the N&R banners an NBA Sux! article across the top of its sports section, written by an obscure Colorado columnist and based on the opinions of an obscure former Air Force player.
Warren Buffett recently cited local sports coverage as one of the major strengths of local newspapers. His letter was kind of a big deal in the publishing world. Just not on Market Street.
Hell hath no fury like a liberal scorned.
Posted by: formerly gt | May 29, 2012 at 09:30 AM
Adding...specific stories about these series that might interest local readers include the roles of Tim Duncan, Danny Green, and Shane Battier, and the draft lottery and its implications for pro ball in NC.
Posted by: Ed Cone | May 29, 2012 at 09:39 AM
Regardless of the N&R's decision to run it, that's one odd column. It's all about what some former minor-college/European pro player thinks about the NBA. I'm sure there are people whose opinions I'd value less than this guy's, but there sure are a lot whose opinions I'd value more.
And then there's the N&R's decision to run it, which compounds its weird randomness.
Posted by: Andrew Brod | May 29, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Sports Illustrated just ran a very interesting profile of Duncan, who would seem to embody the kind of basketball the former Falcon is pining for.
More like that, please.
Posted by: Thomas | May 29, 2012 at 11:15 AM
It's also odd that the alleged trend toward dirty play requires a caveat that the writer and his single source are not making a criticism based on race, and that the proof of this color-blindness is that white players were even dirtier long before this alleged trend ruined the NBA.
FWIW, last week some sports talk guys were saying that the NBA is much less rough and tumble than it used to be.
Posted by: Ed Cone | May 29, 2012 at 11:39 AM
That article is really about a former college basketball player coming to grips with the fact that he will never play professional basketball in the United States. Rather than owning up to the fact that he's not that good and no one will remember the heroism he executed in that epic win over DePaul in the NIT quaterfinals back in 2007, he's employing self talk to convince himself and others that the real professional hoopsters ball it up in Germany, not the USA. Sad, really, but at least he's at peace with himself. Why the N&R had the urge to reprint it and why it was written in the first place is beyond me.
Posted by: prell | May 29, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Ed, remember when we used to watch the Celtics/Lakers in the early 80s? Someone would always get clotheslined in the first game or two of those series. In my mind's eye, I can see Rambis doing it and Worthy having it done to him. Now, a player would be suspended for those kinds of fouls.
Posted by: Cunningham | May 29, 2012 at 06:21 PM
You mean like this and this? I skipped the Pistons/Celtics because there are too many to recall.
How about that Larry Bird. I hated him but man he was good.
Posted by: Account Deleted | May 29, 2012 at 06:39 PM
And back to that first sentence about the great conference matchups -- I was thinking of those Sixers-Celtics battles to get out of the East when looking for comparisons.
Posted by: Ed Cone | May 29, 2012 at 07:35 PM
At least no one got bit, love it.
Posted by: Kim | May 29, 2012 at 08:26 PM
Here's a less angry piece about the NBA.
Posted by: Andrew Brod | May 30, 2012 at 06:01 PM