NBA Stories: A shout-out to me from Bill Simmons and The Ringer podcast

2020 is a year that started auspicious for Lee Unagi and his YouTube channel. In case you wonder why I am writing this is because...that is me. My actual name is Levy Nagy but Lee Unagi is the version of the name I came up with while I was in Asia teaching English to kids who wanted a more Asian-friendly name for me as they were struggling with my natural Hungarian name in the classroom.

I went to sleep last night getting notifications from YouTube followers and got a bit surprised at the growing numbers of subscribers on my channel in only a few couple of hours. First thing I checked when I woke up was the news. Surprisingly for me, I got a shout-out on Bill Simmons' newest  episode (number 14) of The Book Of Basketball 2.0 podcast on The Ringer network. Even more surprising was that his guest was Steve Nash, my all time favorite NBA player whom me and other knowledgeable NBA fans consider the last pointgod (a point guard who played godlike basketball) in the NBA. 

There was a link to YouTube and a short 7 minute video with Bill and Steve talking face to face while some highlights of the infamous Game 4 of the 2007 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals between Phoenix and San Antonio were rolling in the background. The poster for the podcast with Robert Horry's hip checking Steve Nash into the sideline boards  was exactly the picture I cropped and used as a cover for the same very game I uploaded to YouTube in May 2019. That felt good but...must have felt awful for poor Steve!

Another quite shocking thing for me after listening to Bill Simmon's latest podcast with Steve Nash was to find out Steve never really watched the Suns games over the last years and especially the fact the game I uploaded - which Bill asked him to watch entirely so they can talk about in this episode on his podcast - gave a whole lot of anxiety to Steve Nash because of the way things were handled back then by the referees, David Stern who died only a couple of days ago, and the over aggressive Spurs players including Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry. I am really sorry my upload brought sadness and desperation to Steve Nash who evidently was lost for words a few times on the podcast. Also I couldn't not notice Nash wasn't really prepared to have this conversation with Bill despite he is in general a great spokesman and well informed.

On the same 7 minute short video from the podcast, people commented on YouTube saying that Steve Nash is underrated although him and the Suns revolutionized basketball and shaped it the way it is played nowadays.

• The problem is you bring on a player and it turns into a boring interview. With another NBA writer/historian it’s an awesome back and forth conversation between knowledgeable people. Nash admits he doesn't think about this stuff and can’t remember half of this stuff 👍 but as player interviews go this one isn’t bad.

• This was the best podcast in the series so far. Well done!
• Nash is underrated.
• True but the man did win not one, but TWO MVP’s.
• Yeah. But he still does not get enough credit for it.
• People spent a decade slandering him because a white boy won an MVP over Kobe, sad people!
• He is definitely properly rated.

• ME: He is underrated! Just because you and me appreciate him doesn't mean the majority of the people do the same. He has been underrated all his career starting at the draft and when signed with Phoenix in 1996 (the best draft in the NBA history!) and booed by Phoenix fans (yes, you read it correctly!).

• Nash is underrated because he played on one of the best teams in the NBA, but really was FAR better than the other two of the "big three". Stoudemire and Marion were both fine, but neither had any chops on their own: Nash was the engine and soul of that team. Think abut it: they were mostly even with the Spurs, who had a "big three" who could each create by themselves of play off the ball. Stoudemire and Marion could really create efficiently by themselves. Each brought something. But Nash was the key. Reminds me of Barkley in Phoenix. KJ was never enough as a second fiddle. Same with Nash. Both first ballot HoF-ers.
• Dude would thrive in today’s NBA, was just a little to early.
• Since 2000 I don’t think there is a pointguard that has gotten more people paid than Nash. A lot of players owe him a few steak dinners for what he did to their career.
• Steve Nash is the player that really "changed the game." Everyone else took the league he made to the next level. Congratulations to them, but don't erase what Steve and those Suns did.

• That Horry hip check killed the series. As Simmons wrote in his book "even a washed up Horry could swing a series". LOL

• One of the most controversial plays in NBA history and no one even scored.
• Refs always ruining something.

• Make no mistake, the Suns CRUSHED Cleveland twice that same year. San Antonio went on to sweep them but Phoenix would have as well. David Stern decided the championship when he suspended the Suns' leading scorer and his main back up at the same time.

• Probably one of the greatest teams to never make a finals. Though once or twice they were clearly screwed.
• Thinking about that series just made me sick. The league hated the Suns.

On that last note, let me add this. The now defunct and much praised David Stern by the media people who didn’t really know him, helped the Spurs back then and robbed the Suns of their chance to advance to the next round. Spurs were a great team but they were preferred by Stern as they better fit the NBA's international marketing agenda (which ironically was the biggest achievement of David Stern's career as NBA commissioner). 

When fans discuss the commissioner's decision to penalize the Suns by the book, they all realize the law was applied wrongfully - and Phoenix fans knew it back then already. One of the comments on my Game 4 video clearly states the undeniable facts. The rule IS NOT if you “leave the bench you get suspended” or “step on the court when a foul has occurred”; according to Stu Jackson, VP of officiating, the rule it is: “if you leave the bench DURING AN ALTERCATION, you get suspended.” If you check the tape, the “altercation” (assuming it rises to the level) had not happened yet when Boris and Amare came off the bench. It’s only well after Amare and Boris come to check on Nash and are right by his side that the altercation takes place. So the suspension of Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw was...unlawful but made by David Stern in a "horry" (you get the pun!).

A few more things about me and the passion for basketball and the NBA. I've been listening and reading Bill Simmons analysis and comments about the NBA for about 15 years, never really missing any of his podcasts. Steve Nash is the player I tried to emulate unintentionally during my 13 years of amateur basketball playing. He was my doppelganger in the NBA. I had played football brilliantly until high school when I fell in love with basketball. Technically speaking I turned long 25 meter leg shots on the football field I used to kick (and destroyed a few rusty goal posts!) into later well known long threes on the basketball court opposing teams were afraid of in the 90s because they didn't know how to guard them so far from the basket. I played basketball at semi-pro level until graduating from college when I got my spinal cord injury just like Steve(!), not to mention I am white European and had long hair for years. 

I've watched Steve's career from day 1 and knew right away he would turn out to be THIS good. The rest is just hate and envy coming from low IQ players like Shaq & co. and their so-called "fans" who just jumped on bandwagons like Lakers, Heat and Warriors at the time. Life is unfair but worth living as long as you keep in mind what Steve Nash always said (but not many listened): "Let's have some fun out there!".

15 Years After The Malice at The Palace

     There are a few YouTubers who brought back the story of The Malice at The Palace but I disliked their videos because they always have a quantitative approach (bring a lot of useless information) and sacrifice quality (a clear, easy to follow storyline). They fail  at being consistent because they fall victims to the new millennial trend of entertaining the uneducated masses. In other words they go too far and ruin a story by forgetting  the power of a message lays in its simplicity.

     2004 was still a good year for NBA basketball. Not as great as the 90s but still competitive with players still being loyal to their teams and listening to their coaches. There was some misinformation in the flash news but not as much mainstream media hyping up sports or  social media creating fake news like they are nowadays.

     The team spirit was high back in the days indeed but...1. NBA players should be able to refrain themselves in these situations (and I am sure this is in their signed contract!), 2. the league should have pulled up  6 or 7 digits fines for  the home team organization for not being able to secure the premises. So yeah, the real wrong doers of the brawl were 1. Ron Artest, 2. Detroit Pistons organization, and 3. the NBA. Historically, this went terribly wrong because the league sacrificed the whole Indiana Pacers team only to find a scapegoat.

     Players taking part in this incident were interviewed and everybody knows now the fight was caused by the previous year playoffs elimination of Indiana which might have won that year finals if that didn't happen in the Eastern Conference Finals. So they were still upset about it and took revenge in this game where Ron Artest was hyped up by Jamal Tinsley during that last free throw (Stephen Jackson named it "putting a pack of batteries in his back"). 

     An angry Ron took it out on Ben Wallace who just lost his brother days before so was very fragile mentally. That led to the fight although Ron Artest still denies he cause it but admits it he was suffering of multiple personality disorder ("I was hearing things and had at least 3 personalities at that time").

     And...of course that infamous beer from the stands and the loosen security at the arena. Now the crazy thing is later in his career Ron Artest contacted the disgruntled Detroit fan (John Green) who threw the beer following a $50 bet and...they have become friends simply because Ron "doesn't like to hold grudges". Maybe there is some peace in the world of...Metta after all.  

     The NBA didn't take the blame nor punished the Detroit Pistons organization. Instead they have found their scapegoat in the Indiana Pacers team's players completely ignoring the huge amount of alcohol consumed by the Detroit fans at the game who were basically rioting inside the Detroit arena. 

     This whole ghetto style brawl had several consequences short and long term. It cost the league and its players tens of millions of dollars that year. Indiana Pacers lost their chance to win the league that year although they have come back strong in playoff time. It shaped for what is better - but probably worse - the future of the NBA imposing strict regulations and bringing more hypocrisy to their face (culminating with the  2019 China incident) and contributing to the widespread PC culture we live in.

     YouTube comments about the incident:

• All because some stupid uncivilized low life threw a beer can.

• I still blame the Pistons fan for this entire situation. You throw beer in another mans face, you deserve to get rocked.
• Piston fans throws beer at Artest, Artest fights back, Pistons fans surprised Pikachu face.
• If it never happened then there wouldn't be metta world peace.
• I don't think anyone can control their temper if they got a beer thrown on them.
• That fan in Detroit is literally the reason why the NBA rules went super strict and why the league is so soft now.
• This is why my dad calls them the Detroit Piss.
• I remember watching this on TV and I've never had so much adrenaline pumping while watching a sports game. It was insane!
• 12 year olds commenting today: "I watched it live"...an event that happened 15 years ago.

• I was born that day! No wonder I’m so aggressive sometimes.

     Here is the full game on YouTube if the uploader still has it. 

     And the boxscore for the game: 2004.11.19~IND@DET (The Malice at the Palace)

NBA Stories: The 2018-19 NBA season

Here we are at the end of the 2018-2019 NBA season. Watching it was terribly painful for me... There were only a few teams I was watching in regular season because I tried to save myself from boredom. So I kept an eye on LeBron's Lakers, Kawhi's Toronto and J.J. Reddick's Philadelphia 76ers. I looked at J.J. Reddick as an NBA copy of me when I played basketball because that's the role and style of play I used to have. I also listened to his podcast on Bill Simmons' The Ringer network while customising  NBA2K11 on my computer for months. All my work is acquirable on my blog.

The NBA players I have the biggest respect for and watched this season are LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. I said it earlier: LeBron is the last totally dominant player in the NBA therefore I always put him on the same category with Michael Jordan. I give LeBron a slight advantage over MJ because of his superior teamwork (he is an altruist and made all his teammates better players when he played for different team because of his adaptability which MJ never had). And of course LeBron James is that very rare player in NBA history (along with Magic Johnson) who could play all positions on the court because of his outstanding passing skills and also the ability to dominate the paint area.

Kawhi is the only player apart from Michael Jordan who can play equally well in offense and defense. MJ was even better at that but Kawhi's career is only midway through so better brace yourselves for what's about to come! I am against all these "best" scenarios because I only look at individuals and rarely compare them. There is no such thing as "the best" because players do different things on the court, they have different roles. But people forget some players are more complete than other players so it's good to remind them that sometimes.

I stopped watching the 76ers when they had become an annoying bunch of thrash talkers on social media led by Joel 'Big Mouth' Embiid. Not just that their game had flaws but now the players were becoming cocky after bringing Jimmy Butler. I am completely against this macho attitude we see today on social media and in real life. I think this slows down and even stops the natural evolution of a human being and basketball players in particular. Just have a look at Kawhi Leonard who is exactly the opposite of that! He was quiet for years, managed to escape Poppovich 's 'prison' in San Antonio, and now he is the best player in the world. People still argue about that only because Kawhi is...NOT on social media at all so he doesn't fit the profile of the moron millennial posting crap on the internet every 5 minutes.

This season Toronto Raptors were the biggest surprise...of the decade! Their performance is comparable to that of the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 when they shockingly but well deserved beat Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. But Dallas was expected to have a major impact in that season; Toronto wasn't! In fact many didn't even know Toronto were this good this year. They surprised me too with their playoff run but the truth is  I knew they could survive the playoff defensively when they traded for veteran player Marc Gasol who once was the best defensive player in the world. I couldn't bet Toronto's offense would come on top of other's but I should have trusted the power of the defense which can bring down the opposing teams offense like it used to be in the good old 90s NBA. Sadly nowadays nobody is allowed to play defense by the league because...it is "detrimental to the entertaining flow of the game" (quoting NBA commissioner). But with excellent defense in the end Toronto has won the NBA Finals. I am surprised the NBA comish didn't rig the series or Donald 'Duck' Trump didn't bomb Canada to stop a non-American team from winning in the Finals.

There were problems within the Golden State locker room during this season. They translated to awkward moments on the court especially between K. Durant and Draymond Green. Players started blaming each other for lack of interest in playing or even staying  long term with the team. The main player was KD who got injured earlier in the season and missed quite a few games. Bob Myers of Warriors came to the press conference after game 5 faking tears in his eyes while saying KD was misunderstood because nobody knows how hard he wanted to play. He tried to talk people into believing the only one to blame for KD's major injury was...KD because of his ambition to play. In case you didn't get it, the general manager pretended that nobody in his organization pressured KD to come back. We are talking the decisive game of the 2019 NBA Finals here! The one that if Warriors lost, they lost the Finals to Toronto. And with that they lost the opportunity to win 3 championships in a row which would have made them comparable to the 90s Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan. That's also when a team is reasonably called a 'dynasty'.  So for all clueless Warriors fans out there: your team is no dynasty team so now you can stop being delusional!

Now, Kevin Durant is an introvert. If you know anything about introverts...of course nobody understands him! What the GM was trying to hide is that Bob Myers himself contributed to KD's Achilles tendon injury that looks like a career ending injury if we look at the players who's careers were cut short over the years. Bob Myers threw an already injury prone KD in for 46 minutes in the Houston game earlier this year playoffs. That's where the problem started. Kevin Durant played with an injured calf in game 5 versus Toronto - and calf IS RELATED to Achilles. You don't have to be a doctor to know that! A mechanic also knows if there is a rusty or loose piece in the car, something else will be affected and probably brake down. These people are paid tens of millions of dollars to PREVENT this kind of things. The sad part is everybody takes his doe and disappears afterwards without caring too much... So yeah, congratulations for probably destroying KD's career, Golden State Moroniers! YouTubers comments on this topic: 

• Damn, KD risked his career for the warriors to stay alive in this series. RESPECT

• As someone who wants Raptors to beat GSW. It sucks seeing such a great player have to go through this. I had a feeling he was goin to get hurt tonight's. Last game with the Warriors...
• If not for those 11 points Raptors would have won it tonight. He saved the warriors so they can fight for another day. Prayers for KD. Damn Achilles is always a career ending injury.
• GSW training staff fired. Whole team with injuries. Come on man, KD wasn't supposed to be back like that. He didn't reach a full recovery, you could have seen it on his face.
• Not a different injury.   Its a extended injury.  Playing with a injured calf can lead to a Achilles injury.  The GSW should blame themselves.
• You can tell that the staff cleared him to play because Kerr said he was not going to be on a minutes restriction (which as a coach who used to be a player on a championship team, he should've known better than to do this). Restricting minutes is the least he could've done.
• When you realize you’re gonna be paying 31 million for a guy who won’t be playing on your team next season.

• Dumb move. This could ruin his career. I blame GSW coach, management and medical staff. All of them. They should have protect their player.

• Let KD rest until his full recovery. Don't end one great player's career over one championship. There will be another championships in the future.
• Kinda too late isn't it? Warriors were just thinking about now. They didn't want to get eliminated.
• Probably a partial tear the first time that went full rupture. The Warriors fucked KD. They lied about the initial injury and forced him back. If I was him, I would leave at the earliest point.
• ME: Basically it's the Kawhi scenario at Spurs one year ago.
• That's why Leonard sat out that season with the Spurs. He knew his body though they said other wise.
• Just reading through the comments you can see how screwed up people are in this world.
• ME: At least they are saying something and are passionate as opposed to bandwagonners who just get on board with the winning team every year. I would take the first ones over the second ANY DAY.
• You should see what doesn't even go In the comments. The world always been like this. We just have the internet now. It's a lot worse.

So GSW had won game 5 because of Raptors' coach mistake who called a time out with 3 minutes left to play when his team was on fire. It was another J.R. Smith but this time coming from a coach.

• Coach Nurse calling a Timeout when Klaw was on a run. WTF?
• Kerr: Oh crap Kawhi is on fire, he just scored 10 points in a row, Raptors have a 6 point lead 3 mins to go, next possession I'm going to call time out to see if it will stem the tide.
• Nurse: Don't worry coach I got your back, I will call timeout and place Kawhi on ice!
• Kerr couldn’t even call one, they were down to their last timeout at that point (3+ mins left)
• Nick Nurse > JR Smith
• Nurse had a brain freeze and cost his team a potential championship.
• He did EXACTLY what was in his nature to do... he ‘Nursed’ the Warriors back to health!
• I would like to flush Nurse's head down the toilet. When he should've called a timeout with 15 sec left he chose not to! You have to make sure the ball is in Kawhis hands at the end.
• Nick should be sacked that was possible one of the worst time out calls ever when they were flowing and had them on their heels.
• Don't y'all know 7 games is more lucrative for the NBA than 5...?

Next, game 6 and...the Canadian Toronto Raptors  wins the American NBA title! Surprised? Hell, yeah. It was Klay Thompson's turn to break his leg (literally!) when he torn his ACL at the end of the game. All Warriors fans are now crying on the internet. Well, not all of them because some of them already left the sinking ship like rats and are becoming Raptors fans overnight. These millennials have no gratitude nor honor; they want instant gratification and be on the winning side every time they feel like losers in private. On Facebook people started sharing thoughts:

• Congrats TORONTO RAPTORS for winning the 2019 NBA Finals! What you did was a historic run! Kudos to the Warriors for fighting valiantly despite injuries.

• Warriors indeed!

• ME: Losers nevertheless. Their bandwagonners too. Even BIGGER losers.
• No one's asking for your opinion.
• ME: It's not an opinion, they actually lost! You are using the wrong cliché here. You delusional kids can't differentiate between reality and your fantasy anymore, FFS.
• You don't get to tell people how to look or how they should look on Warriors, you just don't. Not because you hate them means we have to hate them too.
• ME: Another cliché: if you don't love what the moronic masses love, it means you hate... Typical Asian "logic" (these guys are from the Philippines)! If you really want to understand me or anything in life look up the word PITY in the English dictionary. That's how I feel about your bandwagon: I pity the fool(s)!

Praising Jeremy Lin for winning  the NBA titles after playing…1 minute in the whole playoff sounds crazy even if it's been made sarcastically. Patrick McCaw who played for the Warriors and won 2 titles there and now winning another one to become the only NBA player after Kobe to get 3 in a row...after only sitting on the bench most of the year!

• Congrats my man Linsanity for winning a championship ring. Thank you for your great contribution, Averaging 300 claps, 250 high fives, 55 buttock slaps and 15 hugs per game. Just kidding. You deserve it.
• Jeremy took a nap courtside and woke up with a ring on his finger.
• Jeremy Lin getting a $100m endorsement deal in China after this!
• But deep inside, Jeremy Lin's mom wants him to be a doctor.
• When You Get An A+ For A Class Project To Pass The Year And Didn’t Do A Single Thing
• Congrats to Patrick McCaw for being a 3peat Champ in his first 3 years.
• The lucky charm if McCaw got trade on other teams. and and became a champion for sure some of the teams will hire him.
• Confirmed: Lebron calls McCaw few seconds after Game 6.

• "Three peat for Dummies", author: Patrick Mccaw. Available in bookstores.

• If Patrick McGraw goes somewhere next year and they win a championship they going to be bidding him max contracts for his luck.
• Be scared when Patrick McCaw unleashes his special ability: sitting. He'll get you 3 championships in a row.

• ME: He should change his name (like Ron Artest did with his) to Holy Cow so when we say 'holy cow' we know we refer to him as the luckiest guy in NBA history. Everybody envying him now. Or "hating" as you love to say it. "Toxic!"

Watching this year's finals and playoffs was painful. First it was the new style of officiating giving players more freedom of movement to the point commentators started laughing at Giannis taking double eurosteps! Then the players tendency to shoot threes. For example in game 3 of the Eastern final the two teams combined had 89 three point shot attempt, a record for a game in the NBA! At least 10 of them were...bricks! Those who should have never done it - mainly centers - obviously missed them by a mile with the ball literally going into the stands a few times. If that happened at a semi-pro level in the 90s when I played, coaches would have benched you for the next game while at the pro level player were forced to pack their gear and leave the team! Then comes the bad lines from the commentators who are paid to hype this new kind of non-competitive basketball. Yes, even in the playoff some players forgot to stay close to their opponent or run back in defense after losing the ball at the other end, something they did consistently over 82 games in the season.

I find it hard to listen to the game commentary of great 3 point shooter but nevertheless punk Reggie Miller, whinny Chris Webber who's voice always sounds apologetic perhaps because of lying under the oath and destroying his college team's coach career and life a few years before, Marv Albert who now sounds like he ate a whole cookie jar so he has to shout ten times louder so he can hear himself while chewing. I want Doug Collins back! Kevin McHale! Hubie Brown!  Jeff Van Gundy but maybe without his nemesis Mark Jackson who still sounds like a possessed preacher sometimes which was the reason why back in the day the Warriors got rid of him as headcoach.

Game Of Thrones was basically what the NBA is today: lowering the standards to a point where there are no rules so non-skilled players can get a pay check. A lame show to entertain the incapable who of course believe this is the biggest show on Earth. I love it how everybody comes out the closet now. I am expecting a big wave of Toronto Raptors bandwagoners the next couple of years because that's what the 'heard' aka 90% of the people do. 

Kawhi Leonard was phenomenal this playoff! He is the player I rooted for from the beginning of the season when I said he is the only player who shows similarity to Michael Jordan because of his both outstanding offensive and defensive skills. I watched the NBA since 1991 and here is my opinion. Kawhi has surpassed Kobe already (better passer, better defender etc.) and is the ONLY player who comes close to MJ (tenacity, competitive but without hurting his team like Kobe, better teamplayer than MJ and same defensive skills if not better!). If he was a sociopath like MJ and Kobe, everybody would acknowledge him. History proves you have to be a serial killer to be remembered. Kawhi is not. And that's why he is the only player I follow in this millennial era.

After winning in the 2019 Finals Kawhi basically said "FUCK YOU MEDIA, ALL OF YOU!" for spreading rumours about him faking the injury when he was in San Antonio, and trying to destroy the game of basketball. Of course nobody listens, ever... He is he only player in the NBA I like since Steve Nash retired (who's career I followed from day 1).

• This surely makes Popovich, the Spurs' medical staff and their fans look like fools. I wonder what is Gregg Popovich thinking right now what did I just do? LOL stupid!

• What I hate with the system is they thought these athletes are robots or superhumans. If they say they're in pain, believe it. How can you even doubt an athlete who's refusing to play because of an injury when his life is all about playing? TRUST IS SIGNIFICANT.
• Nick Wright was completely wrong about the Raptors. This is why you shouldn't believe what these so call analysts have to say. I bet FS1 management mandates that no on on the network calls out Skip Bayless on his Kawhi hating. That's right. Keep dancing on that hater Skip Payless!
• There is so much BS in the world. Kawhi proved it.
• Kawhi is like a video game character, the more you win with him, the more abilities and features you unlock.
• Kawhi, you live. Talk to the people, bro. Kawhi: baaahh that shows he's the G.O.A.T.
• What I didn't expect this season: Jeremy Lin wins a ring. Raptors getting the cup. Kawhi being happy.
• The longer he's apart from Pop the more emotions he regains.
• Very classy of Masai to give appreciation to Casey and DeRozan for their role in getting the team close to championship position.
• Lets remember one of these guys was undrafted and one was a late first rounder. The highest pick on the raptors was 15th Kawhi Leonard. Take that in! Tanking is for losers. These guys used to share peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Now they share a championship.
• What I'm really impressed is on how each Raptor player respond to interviewers in such humble ways. Love the whole teams humbleness as opposed to the Warriors Cocky attitude! A humble and deserving team as 2019 NBA CHAMPS! The NBA not only won a city. They made a whole nation feeling good about themselves.
• The fact that these guys are only 25 and are so self-aware and poised is great to see. They'll only get better.

Now after winning it, there are two moments that for me are a turn off and a downgrade of this moment: 1. the locker room celebration with hundreds(!) of champagne bottles showing the destroyed facilities at Oracle Arena despite covering the walls in plastic, and 2. the championship parade with the hyped speeches and a weird Kawhi and a gay, annoying Drake. The title of the video is 'Kawhi Leonard SHOCKS Canada After His Speech & ROBOTIC LAUGH'. 

• ME: There's NOTHING shocking here! Also faking that laugh this time was 1 billion times worse than the genuine original and funny one. Click bait shit!
• Did they really have to start this video with...Drake?! Btw get those Golden State tattoos removed, you bandwagon fan! You cant convince me Drake isn't a full-blown woman.
• There's 12-15 players on the Raptors roster and they interview Drake!? WTF... Interview the team, the men who put all the hard work in!

Serge Ibaka celebrating in the locker room after the game was a hilarious character. There were hundreds, yes hundreds of bottles of champagne in that room! It makes you think back in the 90s the winning team got one big bottle and they passed it from one player to another in the name of teamwork. Anyway, Ibaka had no clue how to drink from his bottle.

• Ibaka has absolutely no idea how to drink champagne.
• Lol...he eats it.
• I'm surprised he didn't sprinkle black pepper in it and tell everyone it taste like filet mignon.
• Nothing like leaving a mess at somebody else's house…

• ME: Especially when not the "hard-working Americans" will have to clean it up but Filipinos and Venezuela and the rest of the...(il)legal immigrants.

Steph Curry doing advertising for his shoe brand in every each way showed how much greed there is in the world and especially how the game of pro basketball has become a business shifting from fun to despair simply because wanting more money is the norm now.

First there was this little story of him being contacted by a teen girl who complained there were no Curry shoes for her age which the documentary inadvertently used to prove how rich people always find ways to become richer. Curry took the hint and allegedly teamed up with the teenager to expand his business. First he promised he will do this to help the youngsters but as the story goes on he ends up adding a new branch to his business instead selling shoes for the teens at the same price as for adults! The irony is he put that teenage girl and her family to work instead of giving them...let's say a $100 million for the idea. Really there is no end when it comes to greed...

In a different video by ESPN at the end of the 2019 season, they show Curry going to Japan to pump up his shoe brand while getting a vary warm - you might call it 'traditional' - welcome at a high school where they organized a brief basketball shootout for him involving kids.

• ME: Advertising much, former bankrupt ESPN? Everybody getting their dough these days feeding off the game of basketball. Shiiiet!
• Curry's shoes trying to get in Japan before *Rui Hachimura’s shoe [*who is a 2019 NBA draftee with Japanese ancestry]
• Imagine Rui going back after his first season. He's going to get an emperor's welcome.
• ME: Too bad you didn't know for the first time in Japan's history the emperor stepped down. Ignorance is bliss indeed.

At the 2019 NBA Awards, Shaquille O'Neal 's opening monologue was quite funny but somehow the audience didn't get the jokes or perhaps they weren't educated enough. And then finally someone got the chance to make fun of Shaq, who by general consent is the most annoying character at ESPN. 

Some YouTubers got the same impression after watching it.

• The crowd got some money and think they too cool to laugh.
• Athletes don't know how to cheer because they're so used to other people cheering for them.
• At least the LOGO, Giannis and Chuck were laughing, everyone else so damn serious.
• Crowd is ass but this was really good.
• These young guys need to really pay respects & homage to these legends of entertainment, instead over there looking like Simon Cowell judging American Idol.

Giannis getting the season MVP trophy and crying got me thinking… I wish NBA kids nowadays - yes, I am talking about the players! - pretended less to be macho assholes and become more respectful towards everybody so we can get rid of the idiotic hypes and the brainwashing media. Bring back the real competitive NBA so we can forget the last decade of shameful soap opera basketball league! BTW this is the first time in NBA history when the MVP award goes to a player who can't shoot the ball. He doesn't have a jump shot, shoots bricks from three, airballed several free throw attempts against Toronto. Shameful! But yeah, for somebody who can only score if he drives to the basket and dunks the ball(!), he is quite good in the new money-hungry NBA. I remember the story at the beginning of the 2018-19 NBA season when Giannis was trying to organize a yard sale for pennies at his hundreds of thousand dollar rented house with his tens of million dollar salary. That tells you he is a first generation rich guy. Not very bright either.

Driven by a similar story, we have Joel 'Big Mouth' Embiid and his nasty personality because of talking shit to everyone and unintentionally competing with president Trump at posting crap on social media all year long. At the end when his team Philadelphia lost in the playoffs, he was giving this tantrum with a hysterical crying like a freaking caged alligator. By the way, I wrote this 3 weeks before Shaq made fun of him at the 2019 NBA Awards! As for Embiid, he has to learn to defend and use the paint area properly. Right now he is very slow and does stupid fouls. He looks like an 18 wheeler truck with a couple of flat tires. He should also stop jacking up 3s. His team is losing because of him. No wonder on July the 1st, half of his teammates left Philadelphia and got traded to other teams.

As a final thought I have to say these players don't understand that they choose a lifestyle and an attitude and with that come consequences. They all like to pose as immortals but when the day comes they all turn into financial and emotional ashes. Vince Carter and his NBA players guests on his 'Wing It' podcast were complaining about the media and fans forgetting the players are humans too. That's fair but I would add NBA players are the first benefiting from the demigod status when they pose on social media as celebrities. Of course they hit the bottom hard because they fall from high! Just to give you an idea, 70% of the former NBA players lost all their money and most of them had become criminals with many of them being imprisoned for life for their crimes like tax evasion, money laundering, drug dealing, murder! 

The problem is nobody cares about education - and this is obvious when we deal with wealthy people. Of course they have diplomas bought with big money but sadly institutions don't teach how to live only how to be pretentious so people can show off with a title and their stamped piece of paper. The future is...NOT bright despite all the glamour and the spotlights nowadays  you see live and online.

NBA Rant: An open letter to the 2018-19 NBA 'fans'

I kept my mouth shut for weeks but now I am gonna talk. Oh yeah! You ALL talked shit all year long. Just like the so called fans in Cleveland did before and after LeBron's stint with them. This year you all licked his balls with the Lakers. Then when it went down you turned against LeBron. You immediately switched to another potential 'winner' Embiid and supported Philly who were the most arrogant team this year but as soon as they lost to Toronto you switched to Giannis and predicted he will make the Finals this year against the team with the most bandwagonners (= people who don't know shit about basketball and they are losers in life so they always pick the best team so they can win in sports).

Now that Bucks lost and Raptors went to the Finals you will start talking about Kawhi after you laughed about him all year long not knowing he is the ONLY player with offensive AND defensive skills close to Michael Jordan (I've been watching NBA since 1991).

I know you actually rooting for Warriors but please don't you dare starting mentioning Kawhi's name because you have NO RIGHT to do that so soon. Keep quiet for a few years and then come back humble and acknowledge greatness when you have the maturity. Until then enjoy your boring Warriors "sponsored" by the NBA because morons need to be entertained.

Signed,
Not your casual NBA "fan"

NBA Stories: Dirk Nowitzki, not your usual retired basketball player

Another NBA legend came to the end of his career... This time is someone greater than usually. It's Dirk Nowitzki who is the European basketball player with the longest career - even if not the most successful career compared to Tony Kukoc. I watched them both from start till end, and I am more pleased with what Dirk achieved. Tony was a fantastic player and 3 time NBA champion with Chicago Bulls but Dirk was a humble guy who happened to be unguardable in game due to  his size and one leg fadeaway jumpshot. Something that now is forbidden by the soft NBA system just because the 'punk' Reggie Miller abused it with the extra kick he flexed that leg to create space for his three pointer jumpshot.

I remember Dirk Nowitzki from day one he entered the NBA. Because I am a lifetime Phoenix Suns I noticed the trades my team used to make with Dallas Mavericks. So I ended up watching Dallas sometimes because one third of their roster was full with ex-Suns players. A.C. Green, Cedric Ceballos, Michael Finley, Steve Nash are only the most notorious players on that list. But one day this skinny, tall white guy with blond hair was substituted in and life for real basketball fans in Dallas was never the same.

Dirk was an amazing shooter. In case you didn't know the story he destroyed the NBA All Star team when he was only 18 by scoring 42 in one game. That's when Charles Barkley tried to convince him to skip army and go to play college hoops at his Auburn University. Anyway, here comes Dirk straight to the NBA one year later and now everybody is watching him showcasing that typical German precision we all know about if you lived in Europe long enough. What people don't know his humbleness is not German at all. That is only his! I always said Dirk is the nicest German guy you will ever meet.

The time I cheered the most for a player and even a team apart from the Suns was the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. I remember clearly my childhood friends writing me back to my posts on social media about the NBA playoffs and the Finals that year and everybody I talked to agreeing Dallas deserved to win. Some were saying if god existed he would have allowed that to happen. I still have the Dallas 2011 playoffs run along with hundreds of other NBA games in my archives, and watching both the 2006 and the 2011 Finals bring back wonderful memories. All that thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

The following paragraphs are from the official retirement ceremony reported by the NBA media.

Nowitzki never shared his retirement plans because he didn't want a farewell tour, but he also said he only began serious deliberations on retirement when his lower body gave him issues late in the season. The 14-time All-Star got the farewell treatment on the road anyway, with opposing fans chanting "We want Dirk" and giving him standing ovations, and LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers stopping a game, grabbing a public address microphone and honoring Nowitzki. But the league's 2007 MVP and 2011 NBA Finals MVP also knew how difficult the past two seasons had been physically, including missing the first 26 games of his final campaign after a longer-than-expected recovery from ankle surgery last April. Nowitzki was experiencing flare-ups in his feet and ankles late this season. "It takes a lot at 40 to get ready every night and then with the foot pain," Nowitzki said. "It just took a little bit of the fun away from the sport I love. I think that actually made the decision easier for me." [Yes, the same was the case with Steve Nash and his lower back pain - Me].

Just like that, the best player in Mavericks history officially ended a 21-year, future Hall-of-Fame career. Nowitzki rose from an unknown foreign Draft prospect to a league MVP and NBA champion while revolutionizing the game with his combination of height and shooting touch. In doing so, he lifted Dallas from its doldrums to perennial contention and league-wide respect.

For that and much more, Mavericks fans serenaded Nowitzki with one chant just as heartfelt as the one before: "THANK YOU DIRK." That followed messages of admiration and appreciation NBA legends in attendance. Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp and countryman Detlef Schrempf spoke in honor of the player who was shown in an old video listing each of them as among those he idolized growing up in Germany. "The only guy that was missing was MJ," Nowitzki said, referring to Michael Jordan - the player he passed to become the oldest to score at least 30 in a game. "That was my No. 1. They brought Larry Legend. I mean, it's, that was an emotional moment when I saw all five of them and I was in shock really."

"This is obviously super, super emotional. Just too many people to really thank. I put you guys on a helluva ride with a lot of ups and downs, and you guys always stuck with me and supported me, so I appreciate it." This is how the NBA report ends.

Well, true fans will support their favorite players no matter what. At least this is what it used to be. Luckily for Dirk, Mavericks fans always had the patience and passion to cheer for their stars. And they deserved to get and keep Dirk Nowitzki until the end. 21 seasons! Basketball players and their so-called fans of this new millennial era will never understand this kind of loyalty. I am so glad I had the chance to witness greatness of the golden era of NBA and international basketball.

Here is the video with the somewhat ad-hoc retirement ceremony that took place on April 9th, 2019.

And because basketball wouldn't exist without fans, I will share some of the most interesting comments I've read on YouTube where the people commented about the ceremony and the legacy of Dirk Nowitzki. I also added a few of my replies to their comments.

JS: I could not believe that Larry bird and chuck actually came. Chuck was just in Minneapolis the night before😂😂and when was the last time Scottie Pippen was social like that

Me@JS: Scottie is very active lately. Check his appearances on ESPN. He even taught NBA teams how to defend James Harden in 2019.

RG: I still dream of mavericks with nash and dirk and what would have happened if they didn't go separate ways

Me@RG: I am the biggest fan of Nash since he was drafted by PHX (and everyone else was booing him!) but I wonder the same.

Mavs got lots of faces that shaped the franchise, and Dirk certainly stood out among the rest. He could have left and joined other teams for multiple rings, but he stayed for 21 years in the franchise that drafted him. Man, humble.

Dirk is one of the best, most loyal player in NBA history. A true role model.

All time great!! Nice and humble guy.. had a great career...  mavs fan are lucky to have had him.

You can't spell DALLAS MAVERICKS without D-I-R-K

More than 31.000 Points, 11.000 Rebounds, 3.000 Assists, 1.000 Blocks, 1.000 Steals und 1.500 3-points. All for the Mavericks.

The perfect example that you don't need to be an asshole to be a great and competitive player. think about it, he came as a young, lanky guy from Würzburg who only had played in the 2. league in Germany. then he won every major award in the NBA, revolutionised his position and by doing so, he kept the same goofy, loveable and most importantly humble human being. that's beyond greatness!

My son now is 4 months old. That's why I name him Dirk because of you Dirk Nowitzki. My Favourite Nba Player Of all Time. #LivingLegend 41/21/1

I flew twice from Germany to Dallas on my own just to see him. It was worth every dollar and every hour of flight time. He is a legend to me because he's one of a kind. I don't know any other athlete who is so successful and at the same time so down-to-earth like Dirk. A role model on every imaginable level. Take care, Dirty and thank you for 21 years!

GV: Mark Cuban should pay Dirk all the paycuts he have made for his entire career. Enjoy your retirement Mr. MVP!

Me@GV: $80M?! Mark Cuban promised to give him a job for life and to build him the biggest statue. I'd say that's not bad.

I am a laker fan and my feelings towards dirk were not positive, but watching this tears come to my eyes...legend

It feels like a part of my childhood is gone

Greatest fade away jump shooter of all time hands down!!!

yo daddy: Lmao in his fade-aways he barely puts his leg up

Me@yo daddy: It's not legal anymore! It's the (NBA) PC era now... You can travel but not compete.

Fan of you from 2006. You are humble and hard-working and talented. Thanks for your guide in my life

Got your jersey hanging in my room right next to the bed to remind me everytime I see it before sleeping why I love the game of basketball so much. Thank you for all the memories and inspiration Dirk. A true loyal legend to the very end.

HH: The first time I watched NBA was during the 2011 NBA finals ... Damn that series ... The mavs and dirk were the reason I started to follow NBA afterwards 😌😌 #MyGOAT #Legend

Me@HH: My first NBA game was...in 1991 but the 2011 Finals were the best and the 2006 Finals the craziest because of Dirk. ;)

I'm Japanese but your are my favorite. Your Championship is the most meaningful of the NBA history I've seen ever. Thank you Dirk.

Hats off to the legend, think about all that money he gave up in order to help the team.

Dirk and Wade both scored 30 on last game and retired the same time!

Comparing to Wade’s circus “last dance”, this is certainly more respectable

H: Dirk will mean more to Dallas fans than Kobe or D-Wade mean to their fans. Only Dirk could do what he did, take PAY CUTS (Kobe) and stay with one team like Dirk did.

Me@H: This is the best comment to all those LAL and MIA fans who hate on DAL and Dirk. Hats off to you, sir! :)

Such a super underrated and humble player... RESPECT THE LEGENDARY DIRK

I will not forget that Dirk destroyed the Super team by D. Wade and L. James(denying he has never been in Super team)

Real champion.. didn't ask for superstar teammates. Won a championship the right way.

Goodbye to the last honest player in NBA history! Not a Mavs fan but this dude is legend!

And now the real test starts for Dirk, good luck

Will gonna miss some legends next year

This new generation of basketball better be good with all these iconic superstars fading away from this league

How can anyone dislike this? I mean srsly... Even if you hate the mavs u gotta respect the man...

It is hard to find negative comment about my man Dirk, this restore my faith in people.

Well, there is always something negative in the comments. Even if not pointed straight to Dirk... Once someone brings up another successful player, the haters come out of their closet. And if it wasn't redundant enough to associate god with a moron's username it would be all swell... I will end with this.

Coin Roll Hunting and Basketball: What the hell, they're not giving credit to Jamal Crawford [from Phoenix]? He had 51 points [against Dallas in Dirk's last home game]. Who was the oldest player ever to score 50+ got 39, and no one's given him credit.

Lolll Jdd: Jamal Crawford as oldest player to score 50+ points.

Swag God: unfortunately no one will give a fuck, dirks career> jamals entire ancestry

jamexxxxxxxx: @Swag God he scored 50 at 39 years old, IDIOT

Hood Rats Unknown accomplice: Swag God why can’t u just be happy for both of them you asshole

Yeah, why can't we all just get along?!...