Does Dallas seem like it should be more of a FA attraction?

[Jonny Blaze]

I’m a 50 year old white dude from the Midwest and Dallas bores me. It’s less boring than where I live, but I have friends and family where I live. I’d never go for fun or non-work related reasons.

I’ve never heard a person say I’m going on vacation and when I ask where, they say Dallas. Never once. LA, Miami, NYC all hundreds of times. Then Vegas and all the other usual suspects. The only two vacation destinations I’ve ever heard in Texas is Austin for a music festival or South Padre back when I was young. It’s fine, but just another big sprawling city without much flavor.

Most free agent destinations are cosmopolitan cities. Nothing in Texas fits that description. Particularly for young multi-millionaires.

I don't really think that's true.

If so....The New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Bullets/Wizards should have been cleaning up all these years in free agency.



JB

[Texas Chuck]

After reading this thread I'm putting my house up for sell and getting the hell out of here....

[Karate Diop]

A lot of dudes in the association just aren't about that Texas lifestyle if you know what I mean. Don't necessarily fit the background if you look at where they came up from and what larger Texas is like...

(The mindset isn't entirely justified but IS understandable...)

[Mr B]

This thread is moving away from what rich Americans like to do. NBA free agents are mostly newly rich Americans. They aren't looking to be surrounded by foreigners. Los Angeles as opposed to Dallas places newly rich Americans around a diverse group of rich Americans that have proven to be more inclusive in business and society. How many pro athletes that played in Dallas have done any business in the oil industry vs pro athletes that played in Los Angeles doing business in the film/media industry?

Wait, do you think oil is the only big business in Texas? There are tons of former athletes and coaches that call Texas home, and many that never played in Texas.

Texas is a great place to raise a family. Typically the type of pro athlete that loves Texas is the guy with a family. The young 20-something multi-millionaire single athlete prefers to play/live where they can be seen. The biggest markets for that type of lifestyle are California , NY, and Miami. No coincidence that those are the states that young single rich athletes prefer to play in. Once the player has gotten married and has a family to raise and their priorities have changed they will typically look to states like Texas to move to.

[Mr B]

I fill you in on something. I like Houston. Houston is one of my favorite cities.
Seriously. I like big dirty cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and even New York.


But Houston sucks. It really does.
I love Los Angeles....but I totally understand why most people hate LA....Houston has a lot of the same issues (pollution, insane traffic, crime) without the fantastic weather.

The air smells horrible, and will give you cancer if you live there too long. Why do you think Big Oil has made MD Anderson the best Cancer Hospital in the World?
Its because all the people that live in Houston, Beaumont and SE Texas that are at risk of getting Cancer because of the proximity to the refineries.

Yes.....Houston has a lower cost of living and lower home prices than Dallas. That's because the city is built off a swamp called the Buffalo Bayou. This is what causes the horrible year round humidity and mosquitos that Houston is known for.
Houston is where you if you want to live in a decent place at a cheap price. That's not really an advantage.

This humidity is why Houston night life isn't really that great. Its very hard to dress up in Houston if you are going to be sweating your ass off all night.

This is what I will give Houston over Dallas:
I think the nicest areas of Houston are superior to their counterparts in Dallas. The problem is that the rest of the city looks like a dump. Especially if you are driving from IAH to downtown Houston from either 59, 45 or the Hardy Toll Road.

Houston has better seafood and Cajun.
Yes...Houston has access to the beach that Dallas does not. I grew up going to Galveston. I was in my 20's before I realized it wasn't normal to not be able to see your feet because the water is so filthy and dark colored from the oil.

In all honesty Dallas and Houston are about the same.....but Dallas is just way better organized than Houston and a much nicer city.
Houston looks very disorganized and haphazard because of the lack of zoning laws.

Who hurt you?

This response doesn't really surprise me.

Houston tends to have a huge inferiority complex to Dallas....due to mainly football.

H-Town is the biggest city in Texas yet its football team is small time and has never won anything.

Dallas is a smaller city than Houston yet its football team is the most valuable sports franchise in the entire world.

There very few Houston Texans fans that you will find in Dallas. Lots of transplants from all over Texas move to Houston because of the oil industry.
The Dallas Cowboys own the whole state of Texas except for the Houston metro area in terms of fandom.

If you are from Midland, Tyler, San Antonio, Austin, or anywhere else in Texas you most likely grew up rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and won't change that even if you moved to Houston.

What ends up happening is that there are a ton of Cowboys fans in Houston (probably 20-33% of the population)...and it drives Houston sports fans crazy.

Houston absolutely has a “little brother complex” when it comes to Dallas.

[Mr B]

This thread is "interesting". The way I view this - Where do tourist go to have a holiday in the states? Memphis? Texas? Not really. Texas has a good international airport to take you to Miami(gateway to some great island locations) or NY if your flying in from the outside. Big finance business or Fasion etc, they put locations on their branding listing cities like LA, NY, Rome, Sydney, London. Not Dallas, Texas.
Texas has a big following by a certain ideological group. Like those upset with democracy and ish like that LOL.

Having evidence of a player in Memphis traveling through Alabama and Texas I find to be a bit humorous as is a lot of posts here. Those locations are not as appealing that some are making it out to be.

Texas isn't for everyone...and it might not be appealing to you...but more people are moving to Texas than anywhere else.

More people moved to, or were born in, Texas last year than in any other state, making it the fastest growing state in the nation.

Texas added the largest number of residents, nearly 374,000 last year on net, according to U.S. Census Bureau 2020 state population estimates.

Florida added the second largest number of residents of 241,000, followed by Arizona’s additional 130,000.

Texas gained an estimated 373,965 people between July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, including migration and births.

As of July 1, Texas’ population was 29,360,759, with a 1.3 percent year-over-year rate of growth.

https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/texas-with-no-income-tax-is-the-fastest-growing-state-in-the-u-s/article_d9f5fb2a-5a95-11eb-a33c-9716e1682530.html

True not very fond of Texas. It is a big trip for me, and been there enough to know its just an airport. Florida, I do enjoy as a layover to the islands. No secret that many people are moving to these locations for financial and political reasons. I just do not think those reasons effect but a certain American subset we have seen rise. I said my piece. Be interesting to see how many pages this goes to . I do not care enough about those reasons to keep engaging on this thread with those that have these issues. I just wish them well in these BS times. Take care.

Why are you just hanging out at the airport when in Dallas? There is actually a great nightlife in Dallas. Maybe not on the level of South Beach, Manhattan, or LA but it’s not exactly a desert in Dallas.

[Mr B]

It should. Cuban knows how to run an organization, and he had the great sense to secure Luka at all costs. Hiring Kidd was a big win, trading Kristaps was a great move. Luka is destined to be a top 5-15 player ever at the rate he's going, and he's only getting better. He did battle with Clips without another star. Got to the conference finals this year. Luka's team won two games without him in the playoffs. KD should be looking squarely at Dallas. It's got basically everything. He just couldn't act like the fickle, pathetic whimp he has been over the years, since it's Luka's squad and Cuban isn't a weak-willed pushover.

Excuse me?

He does have a championship under his belt. How many titles does the Memphis Grizzlies have?

[Mr B]

This thread is "interesting". The way I view this - Where do tourist go to have a holiday in the states? Memphis? Texas? Not really. Texas has a good international airport to take you to Miami(gateway to some great island locations) or NY if your flying in from the outside. Big finance business or Fasion etc, they put locations on their branding listing cities like LA, NY, Rome, Sydney, London. Not Dallas, Texas.
Texas has a big following by a certain ideological group. Like those upset with democracy and ish like that LOL.

Having evidence of a player in Memphis traveling through Alabama and Texas I find to be a bit humorous as is a lot of posts here. Those locations are not as appealing that some are making it out to be.

Texas isn't for everyone...and it might not be appealing to you...but more people are moving to Texas than anywhere else.

More people moved to, or were born in, Texas last year than in any other state, making it the fastest growing state in the nation.

Texas added the largest number of residents, nearly 374,000 last year on net, according to U.S. Census Bureau 2020 state population estimates.

Florida added the second largest number of residents of 241,000, followed by Arizona’s additional 130,000.

Texas gained an estimated 373,965 people between July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, including migration and births.

As of July 1, Texas’ population was 29,360,759, with a 1.3 percent year-over-year rate of growth.

https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/texas-with-no-income-tax-is-the-fastest-growing-state-in-the-u-s/article_d9f5fb2a-5a95-11eb-a33c-9716e1682530.html

Because Texas has a relatively good economy and no income tax. That is going to attract a lot of people. But that doesn't mean it will attract millionaire basketball players. And Texas doesn't have the prestige of New York. No doubt about that. Or the Los Angeles. Especially if you want to be a mega media star.

The last thing 20-something multi-millionaires think about is taxes. I can’t think of anyone that has ever signed in Dallas or Houston simply because of no state tax. They think the money stream will always be there (for the most part). It’s not until they have had some life experience, and had a family that a place like Dallas is a great city to live in.

[Texas Chuck]

A lot of dudes in the association just aren't about that Texas lifestyle if you know what I mean. Don't necessarily fit the background if you look at where they came up from and what larger Texas is like...

(The mindset isn't entirely justified but IS understandable...)

Would love to hear more about this Texas lifestyle that every person in huge and populous state share. Do tell more about whatever silly generalization you want to allude to but won't come out and say directly.

I mean you can't be more offensive than this thread already has been lol. It's free reign, let it fly. Then those of us who live in Texas can get a good chuckle at how people still perceive us based on Ted Cruz as if he represents the views of all us.

[Dubs 707]

To hot

[Jonny Blaze]

To hot

Texas summers are horrible.

Texas weather is great from October to June.

[CharityStripe34]

I wonder how much of a role something stupid like social media/instagram celebrities plays in the glamor markets as well. The whole "being seen" and getting a ton of likes/traffic on a player's IG account, or some dumb **** like that.

[jbk1234]

The risk of that KP trade was that Dallas would tie up cap space in the immediate future and have no space to bring in good players who might want to team up with Doncic. They then extended both KP and THJ which prolonged those commitments. KP was then traded for Bertans and DinWiddie. Part of the problem with the we're-not-a-free-agent destination narrative is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you convince yourself that you cannot have nice things, you won't.

[Karate Diop]

A lot of dudes in the association just aren't about that Texas lifestyle if you know what I mean. Don't necessarily fit the background if you look at where they came up from and what larger Texas is like...

(The mindset isn't entirely justified but IS understandable...)

Would love to hear more about this Texas lifestyle that every person in huge and populous state share. Do tell more about whatever silly generalization you want to allude to but won't come out and say directly.

I mean you can't be more offensive than this thread already has been lol. It's free reign, let it fly. Then those of us who live in Texas can get a good chuckle at how people still perceive us based on Ted Cruz as if he represents the views of all us.

I'm not necessarily saying that all the stereotypes are right, just pointing out that they are there and if you came from an urban / east coast / west coast environment it's a major lifestyle shock going to Florida South.

[BallerTalk]

Who hurt you?

This response doesn't really surprise me.

Houston tends to have a huge inferiority complex to Dallas....due to mainly football.

H-Town is the biggest city in Texas yet its football team is small time and has never won anything.

Dallas is a smaller city than Houston yet its football team is the most valuable sports franchise in the entire world.

...
[blather redacted]

What's wrong buddy?!? You've gone completely off the rails

Is your goal to try to get folks to talk sht about Dallas? Well I'm not. There's no need to.
The Metroplex has been very good to me over the years. The rest kind of speaks for itself, considering the original point of this thread.

Hell, my kid sister even when to UTA briefly, although to be fair her appraisal of the Dallas area is not quite as flattering as mine. But of course she had to actually live there, I did not.

You started by trying to convince us that Dallas was on par with several other cities but that quickly devolved into you dumping on other cities, particularly Texas cities.
You made some erroneous statements in regard to Houston and I tried to help you correct them by providing links to more accurate info but instead you just spiraled further into your hate filled tirade.
You're so desperately grasping at straws that now you're even throwing football into the mix...as if I give a damn about the NFL, lol.

Look bud, sorry if someone from Houston broke your heart...or stole your girlfriend...or kicked your dog, whatever the case may be but this bitter little tangent isn't going to help. Neither are your delusions and denials about what Dallas is or is not.

I said I wouldn't get dragged into the muck with you so I'll end here but I'll leave you with some free advice:
If you really want to hide your inferiority complex you might want to avoid inviting comparisons that draw attention to yourself. Your penchant for mudslinging will always give you away.

Be easy.

[Huskies1947]

As a Raptors fan I've decided to act like an ignorant southerner for fun. My first hot take? Texas only cares about football - nothing else matters.

[ken6199]

This is what I will give Houston over Dallas:
I think the nicest areas of Houston are superior to their counterparts in Dallas. The problem is that the rest of the city looks like a dump. Especially if you are driving from IAH to downtown Houston from either 59, 45 or the Hardy Toll Road.

Now this looks pretty offensive to me. Yes every city has rough spots especially the vicinity of their major airports but for every rough spot like Third Ward, you have other nice places like Woodlands, Conroe, Katy, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and we haven't started with River Oaks, Rice, Heights, West U. The majority of Houston suburb are friendly places where I would be happy to raise my family (which I almost did if it wasn't for a job change).

It seems like your definition of "dump" is quite different than most people I know.

[Texas Chuck]

This is what I will give Houston over Dallas:
I think the nicest areas of Houston are superior to their counterparts in Dallas. The problem is that the rest of the city looks like a dump. Especially if you are driving from IAH to downtown Houston from either 59, 45 or the Hardy Toll Road.

Now this looks pretty offensive to me. Yes every city has rough spots especially the vicinity of their major airports but for every rough spot like Third Ward, you have other nice places like Woodlands, Conroe, Katy, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and we haven't started with River Oaks, Rice, Heights, West U. The majority of Houston suburb are friendly places where I would be happy to raise my family (which I almost did if it wasn't for a job change).

It seems like your definition of "dump" is quite different than most people I know.

Trashing anyone else's hometown is just lame. I mean this whole thread is a dumpster fire of disinformation and stereotypes about Dallas and Texas(and now Houston).

And just silly little back and forth bickering between Dallas guys and Houston guys. Honestly who cares?

I've lived in the Dallas area my whole life. There are plenty of positives and plenty of things I don't particularly like. But its home. It's like my friends and family. They aren't ever going to be perfect either but they're mine and I love em.

And none of this utter rubbish itt has anything to do with why free agents don't come. The thread has mostly just become an excuse for the usual suspects to troll and touch on their political beliefs. Yes Texas is a conservative state. It also has more progressives than all but 2, maybe 3 states do. Not sure why this is such a hard concept. Guess which state has more conservatives than anyone else? That's right that coastal elite liberal cesspool of Cali.....

I think overall Dallas is a great place to live and a poor place to visit. Which probably explains a lot of the takes itt.

[Jonny Blaze]

This is what I will give Houston over Dallas:
I think the nicest areas of Houston are superior to their counterparts in Dallas. The problem is that the rest of the city looks like a dump. Especially if you are driving from IAH to downtown Houston from either 59, 45 or the Hardy Toll Road.

Now this looks pretty offensive to me. Yes every city has rough spots especially the vicinity of their major airports but for every rough spot like Third Ward, you have other nice places like Woodlands, Conroe, Katy, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and we haven't started with River Oaks, Rice, Heights, West U. The majority of Houston suburb are friendly places where I would be happy to raise my family (which I almost did if it wasn't for a job change).

It seems like your definition of "dump" is quite different than most people I know.

I don't know what to tell you.....Inside The Loop Houston is probably my favorite part of Texas. I prefer the affluent areas of Houston to their Dallas Counterparts. This gets me in trouble with Dallas homers.

West University/Rice area > University Park/SMU
Tanglewood > Preston Hollow

I think River Oaks is much nicer than Highland Park.
I prefer the Woodlands and Kingwood to Southlake and Colleyville.

You seem to think I'm referring to the bad areas of Houston and that is not really the case. All cities have good parts and bad parts.

Here is what I want you to do. Imagine you are new to Texas and have never been to Dallas or Houston.
I want you to compare the drive from downtown Houston to IAH (or Hobby) on either 45 or 59 going north.

I then want you to compare a similar drive from Downtown Dallas to Collin County using either the North Dallas Toll Road or I-75.

The Dallas freeways look 10x nicer. 45 North looks horrible!

If you fly into Love Field you are going to drive through some of the most affluent areas in Highland Park or Uptown to get to the main city center.

If you fly into Hobby you are going to drive through the ghetto to get to downtown Houston.
This tends to be people's first impression of Houston...and its unorganized and dirty.

This comedian can state this point much better than I can.

Watch on YouTube

[Adam Stern]

Spoiler:

WHO CARES!

Okay, so why have major NBA free agents shunned the Mavs for so long?