The NBA is a joke.

[the gr8]

small market teams can win you just need to get the right breed of superstar/supporting players to do so. All of you bring up teams that are ran wrong like the Bobcats, Kings, Magic, etc. but what about the Spurs and Thunder? Both teams have done a great job in brining in not only players who are extremely talented and play well with each other, but are content with playing for a small market. Guys like Lebron, Dwight, and Melo just arent like that and that is something for teams to consider when building their teams. It was the same kinda thing back in the day. The Jazz did a great job in bringing a guy along like Karl Malone who had been a small town country bumpkin his entire life and pairing him with John Stockton who played at a small school and wasn't interested in playing for a big city team either.
As for guys like Kidd and Nash joining former rivals the way I see it, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I hated Jason Kidd when he played for the Nets. But he is not on the Nets anymore, we need a PG, and he wants to beat a team like the Nets also because he still holds bitterness from the Nets taking apart the championship-caliber team they had in NJ to move to Brooklyn. So it works. As for Nash, he wants to win a ring, the Suns are rebuilding, and the Lakers need a PG. I see no problem with that... Larry Johnson and Charles Oakley are 2 examples of Knick rivals that became great Knicks, this isnt new. Dennis Rodman was on those Pistons teams that Jordan and the Bulls hated so much, but the Bulls needed a player like him and he was great in Chicago as well. Im sure that there has been plenty of other examples as well

 

[jsindaa]

Originally Posted by DubA169

None of the players were in their prime when they joined up. Good try though

This is pretty much the issue. And it started with the BEST player in basketball. It's like Jordan leaving the Bulls to go to Boston or LA. Fight it all you want but people like to see the best...beat the best. Joining with the best to beat the good will probably be frowned upon by most people....as you see now. A lot of what makes Jordan special is not that he never lost but he went through the best, constantly, in order to do so. That is most people's gripe from what I've seen

 

[fac3 tak30v312]

I think the NBA needs to reduce itself to 24-25 teams. Then expand itself overseas, where it would be the InBA. You would have 20 international teams forming one conference and the 24 US teams forming another conference. You could even split the international system into regions, where lets say China has 1 representative or maybe 2 given the strength of their year but to become that representing team you had to play through the Chinese league, where that league would be further divided into a supportive or tier two league where the winner of the tier two league can challenge the loser of the tier one league to rise to that league for the next season.

That 1 representative team would become part of those 20 international team conference.

So here's the overview

You have your 24 US teams

- This would include Canada, South America and the Caribbean

-  Each team would have their own farm team

You have your 20 International Teams

- Each team would represent a region or country

- Given the strength of that region you would get 1 or two teams to be a part of the 20 international teams

          - Each regional team has to play through a division to determine entry to being one of the 20 International teams

                     - For example for the region of China their top team the XianXio Dragons would have to be the top team of their division to gain entry as one of the top 20 international          teams

 - You would then play a 60 game schedule where 8 -10 of those games has to be against the other conference. This can be split into two road trips

You keep the same playoff format

- Your finals is the US champ vs the International champ

-You have a hard cap and a minimum salary cap

-You have hometown specials meaning players can get special bonuses for playing over X amount of time for the same team

 

[ogbobbyjohnson773]

Originally Posted by Dprociak

Originally Posted by BossBlaze

Hope stern dies in a fiery car crash.

I just want him to "Go missing" forever

I hear he's an avid sailor. What's Bison Dele's brother doing these days?

 

[AZwildcats]

Originally Posted by toughmoney

Originally Posted by FinallyFamous

If the NBA took away 4 teams I think it'd be better

I wish more teams than 4

 

[doctorshoes]

Originally Posted by JsindaA

Originally Posted by DubA169

None of the players were in their prime when they joined up. Good try though

This is pretty much the issue. And it started with the BEST player in basketball. It's like Jordan leaving the Bulls to go to Boston or LA. Fight it all you want but people like to see the best...beat the best. Joining with the best to beat the good will probably be frowned upon by most people....as you see now. A lot of what makes Jordan special is not that he never lost but he went through the best, constantly, in order to do so. That is most people's gripe from what I've seen

Jordan was going to leave the Bulls if they didn't give him the contract he wanted, Kobe refused to be drafted by the Hornets and was later going to leave the Lakers and even called Bynum a scrub, Shaq left both the Magic and Lakers for more money, Pippen left the Bulls after winning 6 championships with them to form a "super team" with Barkley and Olajuwon, even Wilt Chamberlain went to the Lakers to try and win a championship with Jery West, etc. Players leaving their teams to join better teams is nothing new, and it definitely didn't start with Lebron.

  

 

[pr0phecy718]

Originally Posted by OGbobbyjohnson773

Originally Posted by Dprociak

Originally Posted by BossBlaze

Hope stern dies in a fiery car crash.

I just want him to "Go missing" forever

I hear he's an avid sailor. What's Bison Dele's brother doing these days?

 

[old english]

My biggest issue with the 'teaming up" thing is that didn't Wade Bosh and Bron decide to do this back in 2008 at the Olympics? So at the time they would have been under contract with their respective teams. That just doesn't sit well with me. Essentially any one of the three could have just been mailing it in because they know there is already something set up once they become free agents.

 

[jsindaa]

Originally Posted by doctorshoes

Originally Posted by JsindaA

Originally Posted by DubA169

None of the players were in their prime when they joined up. Good try though

This is pretty much the issue. And it started with the BEST player in basketball. It's like Jordan leaving the Bulls to go to Boston or LA. Fight it all you want but people like to see the best...beat the best. Joining with the best to beat the good will probably be frowned upon by most people....as you see now. A lot of what makes Jordan special is not that he never lost but he went through the best, constantly, in order to do so. That is most people's gripe from what I've seen

Jordan was going to leave the Bulls if they didn't give him the contract he wanted, Kobe refused to be drafted by the Hornets and was later going to leave the Lakers and even called Bynum a scrub, Shaq left both the Magic and Lakers for more money, Pippen left the Bulls after winning 6 championships with them to form a "super team" with Barkley and Olajuwon, even Wilt Chamberlain went to the Lakers to try and win a championship with Jery West, etc. Players leaving their teams to join better teams is nothing new, and it definitely didn't start with Lebron.

  

Stop lying. Jordan was never going to leave the Bulls to join Magic. You are not that stupid I hope. Leaving for a better team is not the same as leaving to join a team with a player who is just as good as you when you are the BEST player in the league. Yall need to stop trying to sugarcoat what happened. No one is upset he left for a better team. Go Bron. He left and joined up with one of his rivals to beat everyone else. Very simple. All of this he can't win alone is not being denied. He did not have to go and join with another top 5 player in order to do so. And yes it did start with Bron since NO ONE else in their prime CHOSE to join up like that.

 

[airthompson]

So what if people choose where they wanna play, and dont stay loyal to one team. Y'all forgetting that these owners dont care about loyalty. They'd trade someone thats been on their squad since their rookie year, and played their heart out for em, for a food stamp.

Coming from a Laker fan, I just think your mad other teams are pulling the same card Lakers have been pulling for decades. Now its an even playing field. Lakers been having superteams, now that everyone is doing it your mad?

 

[jumpman cbt2]

Originally Posted by kalikid23

I been saying this for a while. The whole being able to choose what team you want to play for and asking to be traded to certain teams is just ridiculous. Back then it was about dynamic duos, now you need to form some kind of Big 3 just to have a chance of winning. Its w/e tho, Ill still be watching and always have love for the sport!

And let's remember that Kobe Bryant was picked by the Charlotte Hornets but he insisted to be traded to the LA Lakers
as he always wanted to play there.

But this cannot be blamed on Kobe as the Hornets were not forced to trade with with Vlade Divac.