<<{{Official 2019-2020 NBA Thread - the season returns July 31-October 12. }}>
Yeap... Replacing CP3, Melo and Blake with
Zion, Luka and Tatum...
Westbrook still the Official main Jordan endorser...
He's gonna look great in a Heat jersey
Giannis free agency is going to be as crazy as Lebron's before he took his talents to South Beach. Teams are going to break the bank just trying get an audience with his people.
I feel you but that punk ass team got in the playoffs tho
Minnesota was a perennial 30 win team depending on Towns and Wiggins, they became a 45 win team with Jimmy
and he doesn't think that's an improvement.
I hope the Cavs trade Sexton because folks will give Mr. Talc a pass for being lazy on both sides of the ball but kill Sexton for not having enough assists on his stat sheet.
People ignore that the player that receives the ball needs to make the shot,in order for the passer to receive an assist....
I just don't understand the hate he receives from fans.
People ignore that the player that receives the ball needs to make the shot,in order for the passer to receive an assist....
I just don't understand the hate he receives from fans.
Miami Heat: A Pat Riley trifecta should be enough to silence the critics
The Miami Heat are off to a 21-8 record and things are going swimmingly in South Beach. The man responsible for a great part of it though is Pat Riley.
This is so fuckin stupid
Yup horse shit
Not sure ,I dont watch college neither. But the Pels lost 13 in a row and has a black coach so you already know what's gonna happen
45 wins is acceptable to you lol? 30 and 40 win teams don’t do shit lol.Minnesota was a perennial 30 win team depending on Towns and Wiggins, they became a 45 win team with Jimmy
and he doesn't think that's an improvement.
Man that’s a young ass team
The rosters ain’t been whole for a single game yet...(excluding Zion)
Yay we beat the Wizards 
God I hope this won't be another wasted season.
God I hope this won't be another wasted season.
After being up by 20 and letting them back in the game. Only thing that excites me right now is the play of Thybulle. Excellent pick up. I'd play Burke over Neto. He gives you a little more offense.Yay we beat the Wizards
God I hope this won't be another wasted season.
Thybulle has been an unexpected bright spot in a pretty middle of the road season so far. I like Neto coming off the bench because he can heat up quick and drop a couple 3s. He's the closest thing we have to JJ Redick this season.
Hey remember when people thought Burke would be the 1st overall pick?
Just think, there were folks who thought trading that "young core" for AD was too much and would ruin the Lakers.
Since you're a Mavs fans, would you rather have 45 wins this year or the 30 your team has been getting.
Burke can get to the basket though. That's what I like about him. You can never have too much depth though.Thybulle has been an unexpected bright spot in a pretty middle of the road season so far. I like Neto coming off the bench because he can heat up quick and drop a couple 3s. He's the closest thing we have to JJ Redick this season.
Hey remember when people thought Burke would be the 1st overall pick?
The NBA better do something about fans that think talking reckless to a player is cool...
There's been incident after incident yet the NBA won't do anything about it.
There's been incident after incident yet the NBA won't do anything about it.
Fam if Spence don't make the all Star team, it will be a travesty. Three games over 500 and all due to him. Idk when Kyrie will be back but Levert should be playing within the next two weeks which should help us with the schedule getting tougher
Trey can definitely drive to the basket or create his own shot much better than Neto. He could be the difference in a tight playoff game.
I wish Brett Brown ran move pick and pops with Neto and Horford. And MUCH MORE pick and rolls with Simmons and Embiid. But that would require Embiid to drive to the basket and Simmons to become a threat for shooting jumpers.
The NBA allstar selection process is bullshit and has been for years. Spencer not making it wouldn't surprise me at all, but he really should get a spot. He's balling this year and damn near single-handedly keeping the Nets relevant right now.
I also hope that we get new captains this year. No hate on Lebron but it would be nice to see a new captains every year.
It is bullshit but I think Spencer has earned enough respect from his peers that he would get a nod over guys who may have betters numbers but worst records. Winning should matter for something
30 wins got us Luka. 45 wins got us Justin Anderson and some first round exits. Yeah I'd rather be a 30 win team if I'm gonna be honest. 45 wins just leaves you in NBA purgatory. Good enough to say "Oh we got a winning record!!!" but bad enough to get your ass whooped in the 1st round and have a shitty draft pick. 45 wins ain't acceptable. Especially with a team that had Butler, Towns, Teague and Wiggins on it.Since you're a Mavs fans, would you rather have 45 wins this year or the 30 your team has been getting.
Your franchise wins one fucking championship and now 45 wins isn't acceptable.
30 wins also got you DSJ, and a lottery pick isn't a guarantee of a franchise player. How long have the Knicks been bad for? Kings? Suns?
The bigger problem with the allstar selection process is that so much of it is based on popularity. That's how we got Yao in there even when he was hurt and barely playing. Or why we had the same squads and captains. So many casual fans tune in for allstar weekend so the league makes sure to highlight the known popular names instead of letting the newer talents shine through.
Spencer is absolutely balling like an allstar this year, but the league might be more interested in a known name like Melo getting that last spot just for the nostalgia factor or that it might be his last year.
12 months....really
12 months....really
Complete bullshit. The media will barely cover this and it will be forgotten in a week. But if one of the players defend themselves ....
12 months....really
media especially ESPN REALLY trying ot hide this stuff ESPECIALLY with agent orange in office
cause these are NOT isolated incidents.
Legal: Cacs Cacing - Utah Jazz fan who received lifetime ban sues team and Russell Westbrook
Utah Jazz fan who received lifetime ban sues team and Russell Westbrook (AP Photo | Rick Bowmer) Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook gets into a heated verbal altercation with fans in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Monday, March 11, 2019, in Salt Lake...
www.bgol.us
Utah Jazz fan who received lifetime ban sues team and Russell Westbrook
A man who received <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2019/03/12/utah-jazz-ban-fan-who/" target=_blank>a lifetime ban from the Vivint Smart Home Arena</a> in March is suing the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook, claiming he was wrongly accused of shouting racist and...
Utah Jazz fan who received lifetime ban sues team and Russell Westbrook
(AP Photo | Rick Bowmer) Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook gets into a heated verbal altercation with fans in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Monday, March 11, 2019, in Salt Lake City.
43
By Benjamin Wood
By Andy Larsen
· Published: 5 days ago
Updated: 5 days ago
A man who received a lifetime ban from the Vivint Smart Home Arena in March is suing the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook, claiming he was wrongly accused of shouting racist and derogatory remarks at the professional basketball player.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in 4th District Court, attorneys for Shane Keisel argue that Keisel engaged only in typical crowd behavior when he and his girlfriend Jennifer Huff were subjected to a “tirade” from an “irate” Westbrook, who was then playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Mr. Keisel’s heckling was of the same kind and caliber as that of the other audience members in the section,” the lawsuit states.
Keisel was banned from all Vivint Smart Home Arena events in March following a game between the Jazz and Thunder. A video of Westbrook shouting at Keisel and Huff was widely circulated on social media, but Westbrook later said he was provoked by Keisel telling him to “get down on your knees like you used to.”
But in the lawsuit, attorneys for Keisel argue that Westbrook misheard or mischaracterized Keisel’s comments, and that Keisel had told Westbrook to wrap his knees to be better able to play later on in the game.
Keisel participated in an interview with KSL after the game, during which he said that he believed his back-and-forth with Westbrook to be in jest until Westbrook began shouting profanity at and threatening Keisel and Huff.
“The crowd was shocked by the ferocity of Mr. Westbrook’s outburst when he had only been told to take care of his knees,” the lawsuit states, “albeit in a mocking manner that implied he would need to use them extensively to ensure his team’s victory.”
The lawsuit goes on to describe an escalating controversy in which Westbrook described Keisel’s comments as racist, Westbrook’s fans campaigned for Keisel to be fired from his job — which he ultimately was — and the Jazz took punitive action against Keisel based exclusively on Westbrook’s version of events.
But in a prepared statement, Frank Zang, senior vice president of communications for Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment, said there is no legal or factual basis for the lawsuit’s claims against the Jazz.
“The organization investigated the underlying incident and acted in an appropriate and responsible manner,” Zang said. “We intend to vigorously defend [against] the lawsuit.”
The lawsuit states that because of the claims against him, Keisel and members of his family were harassed, and that he had to alter his driving routes, stop using his first name and install new locks and security cameras at his home.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
RELATED ARTICLES
After hectic early schedule, the Utah Jazz finally get some time to practice
Andy Larsen: NBA commentators aren’t great at talking about the NBA, and it’s hurting the game
A tumultuous decade of Utah Jazz basketball is coming to a close. Here are the highs and lows.
The Triple Team: The Utah Jazz bench was bad, but the Warriors were worse on Friday
“In public, people have stopped, point out, and taken photographs of Mr. Keisel and his family," the lawsuit states, “causing Mr. Keisel to avoid going out in public except when necessary.”
Keisel and Huff want a public apology and significant financial damages, according to the suit. The attorneys are seeking $68 million in damages for Keisel and $32 million for Huff on claims of defamation and infliction of emotional distress.
In the suit, Keisel is described as an Army veteran and formal law enforcement officer, who once worked on the security detail for a Utah governor. He lost his jobs at Brent Brown Toyota and Skywest Airlines after the incident with Westbrook became major news.
Attorneys for Keisel and Huff could not be reached for comment Monday. The suit portrays Westbrook as a player with a history of negative interactions with fans.
Attempts to reach Westbrook or his representatives on Monday were not immediately successful.
Immediately after the incident, Westbrook told reporters that he felt that Keisel’s comments had racial connotations. "To me, that’s just completely disrespectful, to me, I think it’s racial, and I think it’s inappropriate,” Westbrook said then.
“I just think that there’s gotta be something done, there’s gotta be some consequences for those type of people that come to the game just to say and do whatever they want to say. I don’t think it’s fair to the players, not just to me but I don’t think it’s fair to the players,” Westbrook said.
Jazz players all supported Westbrook. After the game, Donovan Mitchell issued a comment, saying in part, "I am personally hurt by the incident at the game on March 11. As a black man living in a community I love, and playing on a team that gives me the opportunity to live out my dreams, this incident hit close to home. Racism and hate speech hurts us all, and this is not the first time that something like this has happened in our arena. The Utah that I have come to love is welcoming and inclusive and last night’s incident is not indicative of our fanbase.”
The team came together and had lengthy conversations about the incident. One discussion included NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“I spoke directly to the players on that team, as a team... I wanted to make sure they were satisfied with the way it was handled,” Silver said in an NBA Finals news conference. “They seemed to be satisfied, as well."
"I told them that I appreciated the way that they had handled it and that it was not going to be tolerated in the NBA, and that we also appreciated the way they had come together with management and ownership of that team,” Silver said. “I felt their response was spot on.”
One part of that response was Jazz owner Gail Miller’s pregame address to fans that week. “This should never happen. We are not a racist community,” she said. “We believe in treating people with courtesy and respect as human beings.”
Silver lauded Miller’s address. "I thought by her taking the court prior to the following game, speaking directly to the people in that community and saying, ‘This does not represent our community,’ I think that was much more powerful than me issuing a statement from all the way across country in the New York.”
Jazz fans also took action. One Jazz fan from Sandy, Devin Deaton, started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign that collected more than $15,000 to the Human Rights Coalition.
"It is time to change the narrative on citizens of Utah, fans of the Jazz and those that call Utah 'home,’” Deaton said then. “We are not a bunch of redneck, racist, bigots. Most of us are dads, moms, friends, hard-workers, kind-hearted, do right by each other, help our fellow man, good neighbors and welcoming to all.”
Local and national media outlets covered the campaign, which Deaton said meant the campaign was a success. “Mission accomplished,” he wrote. “We have let the world know that those of us that call Utah home are good people.”
To try to prevent further interactions like Keisel’s, the Jazz created the “Lead Together” campaign, with support from nearly every major sporting organization in the state of Utah. That video, played at sporting events across the state and in television commercials, tells fans “don’t stand for hate of any kind.”
NBA Commissioner Silver thought that the situation has improved in his time in charge. "Over my tenure in the league, things have gotten much, much better in arena than they were in the old days, but there’s always room for improvement,” Silver said.
And thanks to arena renovations and high-definition security cameras, fans are less likely to get away with bad behavior than ever before.
"There aren’t many incidents now when a player points something out and says somebody did something, where we’re not going to be able to get tape and see exactly what happened and ban that fan from the arena, if necessary,” Silver said.
12 months....really
All they said was fuck you and threw up their middle fingers, right?
What do you want to happen?
These fuckin crakkkas get out of hand thinking they can say whatever they want to players. 
Well the NBA change the process a few years ago to prevent a "Melo" from getting voted in with the Fans/Media/Players split votes...
Wade had millions of votes to be a starter... Silver made a "special" spot of 13 with Wade and Dirk to not take away from the deserved players...
And the coach's picks balance out the teams....
Spencer should have a good change of making the team...
The Nets are 1 of 7 teams with winning a record in the East...
Last edited: