RealGM

Mundo wrote:Heat Nation and/or intellectual basketball fans have no love for Simmons.

"For the first time in a long time, someone made the sport of basketball feel like a Little League game with one of Those Kids — you know, those oversize five-tool freaks who seem like they're 20 when they're really just 12. I will never forget sitting next to my father during Game 6 of the Celtics series, both of us getting shamed into silence because LeBron couldn't miss, waiting for him to sweat, waiting for him to tire, waiting for any sign that he was human. It just wasn't happening. The last time I felt that helpless during a sporting event, Jordan and Pippen were ripping through a pathetic Celtics team in the mid-'90s — they were playing at such a high level, we couldn't help showing our appreciation by cheering them when they finally came out. What else could you do? When were we going to see something like that again? Two guys covering the whole court? Two guys playing that beautifully together? What if we never saw that again? Didn't we have to acknowledge it? Didn't we have to let them know that we knew?"

TRG wrote:I loved this paragraph:

"For the first time in a long time, someone made the sport of basketball feel like a Little League game with one of Those Kids — you know, those oversize five-tool freaks who seem like they're 20 when they're really just 12. I will never forget sitting next to my father during Game 6 of the Celtics series, both of us getting shamed into silence because LeBron couldn't miss, waiting for him to sweat, waiting for him to tire, waiting for any sign that he was human. It just wasn't happening. The last time I felt that helpless during a sporting event, Jordan and Pippen were ripping through a pathetic Celtics team in the mid-'90s — they were playing at such a high level, we couldn't help showing our appreciation by cheering them when they finally came out. What else could you do? When were we going to see something like that again? Two guys covering the whole court? Two guys playing that beautifully together? What if we never saw that again? Didn't we have to acknowledge it? Didn't we have to let them know that we knew?"

I still have that game etched into my mind. Before the game started my little brother and I were nervous as hell (the most nervous I've ever felt before any sporting event) for the Heat, but as soon as the game tipped off all of that fear turned into complete awe. I felt like I was watching some sort of scripted movie. I'll never forget it.

narmerguy wrote:

TRG wrote:I loved this paragraph:

"For the first time in a long time, someone made the sport of basketball feel like a Little League game with one of Those Kids — you know, those oversize five-tool freaks who seem like they're 20 when they're really just 12. I will never forget sitting next to my father during Game 6 of the Celtics series, both of us getting shamed into silence because LeBron couldn't miss, waiting for him to sweat, waiting for him to tire, waiting for any sign that he was human. It just wasn't happening. The last time I felt that helpless during a sporting event, Jordan and Pippen were ripping through a pathetic Celtics team in the mid-'90s — they were playing at such a high level, we couldn't help showing our appreciation by cheering them when they finally came out. What else could you do? When were we going to see something like that again? Two guys covering the whole court? Two guys playing that beautifully together? What if we never saw that again? Didn't we have to acknowledge it? Didn't we have to let them know that we knew?"

I still have that game etched into my mind. Before the game started my little brother and I were nervous as hell (the most nervous I've ever felt before any sporting event) for the Heat, but as soon as the game tipped off all of that fear turned into complete awe. I felt like I was watching some sort of scripted movie. I'll never forget it.

I will never forget that game either. One of the most remarkable performances I've ever seen, to the point that it was just creepy. I remember players saying that he'd had that look in his eyes since dinner the night before.

ricochet wrote:amazing Read..

also got my Sig..

Finally, a crumbling Carmelo Anthony whipped a pass into the stands — inadvertently, his best play of the Olympics since it allowed LeBron to come back in

Nobymoby wrote:

ricochet wrote:amazing Read..

also got my Sig..

Nice quote.

For the first time, I feel myself starting to waver a little. Maybe Michael Jordan won't remain the greatest basketball player ever. Maybe we were wrong.

Of all the themes that have me excited for this upcoming NBA season, I keep circling back to that one. We love sports for dozens and dozens of reasons, but ultimately, the seasons and teams and championships blend into one blurry mess. You're going to be 80 years old someday and unable to remember 99.7 percent of it. Only a handful of athletes will stand out, and when someone asks if you watched them, your face will start glowing, and you'll start gushing about them, and for a few seconds, you will come to life again. Usually it's someone with unforgettable athletic ability (say, Usain Bolt or Bo Jackson), a supernatural mastery of his craft (Bird, Gretzky and Magic) and/or an indomitable will to conquer everyone else (Jordan, Ali and Russell). But when someone resonates in all three ways at the same time? Those are the ones we defend forever. We sing their praises, recall them on our deathbeds, tell everyone who wants to hear that we were there.

Those are the stakes for LeBron James this season. He already won a championship. Now he's battling for something else.