2024-25 NBA Thread

[The Sultan]

Embiid pushed him and said "The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I'm going to do to you and I'm going to have to ... live with the consequences."  That's fine to my subjective ledger. 

But if you needed any more of a measure of this guy, it was this:
Hayes is a troll and is using Embiid's family to get a rise out of him. He deserves a punch in the face.

Nope. Freedom of the press exists. Freedoms to shove a reporter in retaliation does not.

[forgetful]

Nope. Freedom of the press exists. Freedoms to shove a reporter in retaliation does not.

It can be true that freedom of the press exists, and that there is not a legal right to retaliate, and it still be true that Embiid wasn't in the wrong.

You see numerous people congratulating Jason Kelce for the way he reacted to a kid disparaging his brother (no legal right to do so), but attacking Embiid here. Both illegally lashed out at a person, Kelce against a kid, one gets defended and the other condemned?

[The Sultan]

It can be true that freedom of the press exists, and that there is not a legal right to retaliate, and it still be true that Embiid wasn't in the wrong.

You see numerous people congratulating Jason Kelce for the way he reacted to a kid disparaging his brother (no legal right to do so), but attacking Embiid here. Both illegally lashed out at a person, Kelce against a kid, one gets defended and the other condemned?

Did Kelce issue a threat?

[Pakuni]

Did Kelce issue a threat?

A 280+ pound former NFL player ripping a phone from your hands and smashing it on the ground, then getting in your face would seem pretty threatening to most people.

[The Sultan]

A 280+ pound former NFL player ripping a phone from your hands and smashing it on the ground, then getting in your face would seem pretty threatening to most people.

So he didn't expressly issue a threat like Embiid did. Thanks for the confirmation.

[Pakuni]

So he didn't expressly issue a threat like Embiid did. Thanks for the confirmation.

Acting in a threatening manner is fine, as long as you keep your mouth shut?
You're splitting hairs that don't exist.

[forgetful]

So he didn't expressly issue a threat like Embiid did. Thanks for the confirmation.

They both assaulted another person.

The correct response, was both actions were fine, or both were wrong.

I could possibly see someone saying that Kelce's action was more egregious because it involved a kid, whereas the other involved a professional, but I'd prefer not to nitpick details.

Acting in a threatening manner is fine, as long as you keep your mouth shut?
You're splitting hairs that don't exist.

Agreed. But if he didn't split hairs that didn't exist, he couldn't argue.

[The Sultan]

Acting in a threatening manner is fine, as long as you keep your mouth shut?

An immediate action, versus one that was more premeditated and came along with a verbal threat, are different things.

Both may be illegal no doubt, but I'm going to have more sympathy for the former rather than the latter.

The correct response, was both actions were fine, or both were wrong.

No. Because they are different as I outlined above.

I could possibly see someone saying that Kelce's action was more egregious because it involved a kid

I don't believe a child was involved, but I could be wrong.

[forgetful]

An immediate action, versus one that was more premeditated and came along with a verbal threat, are different things.

Both may be illegal no doubt, but I'm going to have more sympathy for the former rather than the latter.


No. Because they are different as I outlined above.


I don't believe a child was involved, but I could be wrong.

It was a young college kid. I call them kids, the other was a full grown adult and professional. But as I already indicated, I don't nitpick on those aspects.

Your stance is frankly not very justifiable. If anything, Kelce's actions were worse (assault, destruction of personal property, and also used the same slur at the kid saying "who's the f----t now" after he smashed the phone). If he wasn't rich and famous he'd be tried and convicted. Embiid would not be tried and convicted of anything.

But you be you.

[The Sultan]

It was a young college kid. I call them kids, the other was a full grown adult and professional. But as I already indicated, I don't nitpick on those aspects.

Your stance is frankly not very justifiable. If anything, Kelce's actions were worse (assault, destruction of personal property, and also used the same slur at the kid saying "who's the f----t now" after he smashed the phone). If he wasn't rich and famous he'd be tried and convicted. Embiid would not be tried and convicted of anything.

But you be you.

There is zero chance that Kelce would ever be "tried and convicted" of anything regardless of his wealth or status.  Neither would Embiid. But cases could certainly be made for both.

Again, I have more sympathy for Kelce than I do Embiid. If that's me being me, that's fine.

[JWags85]

I truly don't have an issue with either.  I think if Embiid hadn't had a rocky PR presence as of late (load management, effort, etc...) support would almost unanimously be in his favor, for myriad reasons.

The Kelce situation seems pretty cut and dried as well. College students are adults.  They can get the "kid" label if they do something immature that is apologized for and the genuine remorse can chalk it up to a dumb lesson.  But not shield the from the consequences of hurling slurs at a giant of a man and attempting to play the victim when he reacts.

Also, FWIW, in terms of Kelce returning the slur, I've seen pretty unanimous support from gay men in various social media channels because it in some ways flipped the insulting nature of the term on its head as Kelce took offense to it and returned in a power position.

[CreightonWarrior]

Bucks up 8 with 6 minutes left. Cavs close the game on 18-5 run (outside of irrelevant buzzer beater).

[The Sultan]

$40 million for Doc Rivers. Incredible.

[wadesworld]

Bucks have been playing for a month and MU is getting the first win in Fiserv Forum this basketball season.

[MuggsyB]

Bucks up 8 with 6 minutes left. Cavs close the game on 18-5 run (outside of irrelevant buzzer beater).

Dismiss him immediately?

[The Sultan]

Dismiss him immediately?

Doc? Do the owners want to write him an eight figure check?

[wadesworld]

Doc? Do the owners want to write him an eight figure check?

To 3 different coaches at the same time, no less. Not sure how it works with coaches who take a new job, but maybe even 4 with Bud still.

[MuggsyB]

Is Giannnis hurt?

[rocket surgeon]

i just golfed with a guy down here in phoenix who thanked me for freeing up budenholzer...i guess when ya got a few pesos to throw around, head coaches no matta.  three's a charm??

[MurphysTillClose]

no you didn't

[MU82]

Cool factoid from Yahoo Sports:

53 years ago today, the Lakers won their first of 33 consecutive games, which remains the longest winning streak across all four major North American sports leagues.

Anatomy of the streak: The Lakers played 17 games at home and 16 on the road, and won 23 of them by double digits. Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich played every game of the streak, averaging 65.1 points, 28.4 rebounds and 19.1 assists a night.‌

Elgin Baylor, one of five future Hall of Famers on the roster, retired nine games into the season. The streak began the first game after his retirement.

"[It's] the greatest team I've ever been on," said West. "We had a lot of different [personalities]. But when you watch this team on the floor, it was like one mind thinking alike."

The aftermath: On Jan. 9, 1972, the Lakers finally lost to the Bucks, led by that season's eventual MVP (and future Laker) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They went on to finish with a 69-13 record (third-best ever) and won their sixth championship — and first since moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles.

That streak pre-dated me becoming an NBA fan, so I don't remember it, but I obviously have read about it. Pretty amazing that Baylor retired right before the streak started.

[BM1090]

Some promising signs for the Bucks the last two games against an undefeated Cleveland team. Schedule is lighter over the next ten besides games against Boston and NY. Keep playing better and get 7-8 wins over the next 10 and all may be okay.

Keep tanking and none of this matters.

[wadesworld]

Some promising signs for the Bucks the last two games against an undefeated Cleveland team. Schedule is lighter over the next ten besides games against Boston and NY. Keep playing better and get 7-8 wins over the next 10 and all may be okay.

Keep tanking and all is forgotten.

But if they tank they can get Cooper Flagg!  Oh wait...

[MuggsyB]

Jokic had a decent game last night. 

[rocket surgeon]

no you didn't

  umm, what?  yes i did, but whatever...sleep it off