New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

this is what annoys the hell out of all of us.........

FINALS MVP LEBRON: 'I WANT MY DAMN RESPECT'

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30096831

and finally I wondered how long it would take before the pundits make their predictions for next year....which BTW I don't agree with

Los Angeles Lakers betting favorites to win next season's NBA championship
David PurdumESPN Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Lakers went from missing the playoffs in 2019 to winning it all this season, and oddsmakers have installed them as the team to beat again in 2021.

The Lakers, who finished off the Miami Heat on Sunday to win the franchise's 17th NBA championship, are listed at the favorites at +375 to win next season's title at William Hill U.S. sportsbooks. The LA Clippers are next at +400, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at +550 and Golden State Warriors at +800.

After missing last season's playoffs, the Lakers could be found at around 20-1 at some sportsbooks entering the summer. But their odds improved rapidly with the addition of forward Anthony Davis to go along with LeBron James. By time the season tipped off, the Lakers were the consensus favorites, and bettors were on board.

2021 NBA Title Odds
TEAM ODDS
Lakers 15-4
Clippers 4-1
Bucks 6-1
Warriors 8-1
Nets 10-1
Celtics 12-1
Heat 15-1
Nuggets 20-1
Raptors 20-1
Rockets 20-1
Mavericks 25-1
Trail Blazers 30-1
76ers 30-1
Jazz 40-1
Pelicans 50-1
Thunder 50-1
Suns 60-1
Pacers 100-1
Grizzlies 100-1
Hawks 100-1
Wizards 100-1
Bulls 100-1
Magic 200-1
Spurs 200-1
Kings 200-1
T-wolves 200-1
Pistons 300-1
Knicks 300-1
Cavaliers 300-1
Hornets 400-1
-- Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill
At William Hill U.S. sportsbooks, more bets were placed and more money wagered on the Lakers to win the NBA championship than any other team.

"Hats off to the bettors on this one, they bet [the Lakers] from the beginning," said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill U.S. "They identified them, thought [Davis] would be the missing piece and it looks like they were right."

The Lakers were favored in each of their 21 games in the playoffs.

"We had some really big decisions on them through the entire playoffs," Bogdanovich added.

While this offseason is unique, due to the shift in the schedule caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it's not expected to feature as much star-power relocating as last summer did when Davis went to the Lakers, Kawhi Leonard bolted Toronto to join the Clippers and Kevin Durant left Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets.

Durant missed all of the 2019-20 season because of an Achilles injury but is expected back next season to team with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. The Nets are 10-1 to win next year's championship, followed by the Boston Celtics at 12-1.

Golden State guard Klay Thompson is also expected to return from injury after missing all of last season, which has boosted the Warriors into the top tier of oddsboards.

While the Lakers were among the favorites all season, their Finals opponent, the Miami Heat, were not. Miami entered the season a 100-1 to win the title. The Heat are 15-1 to win next year's title.


I noticed GSW is number 4 and MJ's Hornets are last

everything you need to know about next season.........a good read

What we know and don't know ahead of the draft, free agency and the start of the 2020-21 NBA season

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ad-draft-free-agency-start-2020-21-nba-season

It is not clear right now. When the league set the restart calendar for the 2019-20 season, a Dec. 1 start date for 2020-21 was floated. Given that the league has said it would give eight weeks of notice before the scheduled start to next season, Dec. 1 is off the table and Dec. 25 is looking increasingly unlikely. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told CNN last month that his "best guess" was that the season would not start until 2021. January is a possibility, but the start of next season could still be much later, perhaps March. The reality is there are only projections -- nothing is firm.

I like Stan but I like Jeff better but unlikely he will ever coach again. He is a great color commentator

Sources: Stan Van Gundy emerging as one of New Orleans Pelicans' coaching finalists

Stan Van Gundy met with New Orleans Pelicans officials on Tuesday, emerging as one of four expected finalists for the franchise's coaching job, sources told ESPN.

Another New Orleans finalist -- LA Clippers assistant Ty Lue -- has a meeting set for this week, too, sources told ESPN.

NBA rumors: Sixers prevented Western Conference contender from hiring Doc Rivers
Adam Hermann

The Sixers were deep into their head coaching search when Doc Rivers suddenly and unexpectedly became available, and they acted quickly to make him the next head coach of the franchise.

So quickly that they apparently derailed one Western Conference contender's plan to hire Rivers as their next coach.

The Rockets were planning on hiring Rivers to succeed Mike D'Antoni before the Sixers switched gears and started aggressively pursuing Rivers, according to a report Tuesday from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

"Houston had initially wanted to hire Rivers to replace Mike D'Antoni, sources said, but his talks with the 76ers moved quickly to a resolution."

The Rockets are now reportedly taking a long look at Ty Lue, who was Rivers' assistant coach in Los Angeles this past season and also interviewed for the Sixers' head coaching job, to replace D'Antoni. That feels like a win for the Sixers, who have a less-proven but younger star duo in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, compared to James Harden and Russell Westbrook in Houston.

In an ironic twist, D'Antoni, who the Rockets wanted to replace with Rivers, seemed to have the Sixers job locked up before Rivers parted ways with the Clippers after their second-round exit in the NBA Bubble's postseason.

Rivers wasn't available long - he parted ways with the Clippers on Sept. 28, and the Sixers hired him on Oct. 3. - so that five-day window must've been fast-paced and fascinating.

Now, however, Rivers is signed to a five-year deal in Philadelphia, and ideally won't be heading anywhere else anytime soon.

Steve Williams said:

this is what annoys the hell out of all of us.........

FINALS MVP LEBRON: 'I WANT MY DAMN RESPECT'

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30096831

Click to expand...

3:15 to 4:15 mark. Jalen Rose - Rich Paul deserves TWO rings for his influence on the Lakers.

Steve Williams said:

this is what annoys the hell out of all of us.........

FINALS MVP LEBRON: 'I WANT MY DAMN RESPECT'

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30096831

Click to expand...

Tim Duncan has 5 rings and I never heard him say he wants his damn respect.

Apparently LeBron knows that he is not respected.

Brian Windhorst Says The Heat Could Create A Frontcourt With Giannis Antetokounmpo And Bam Adebayo Next Summer

By Orlando Silva

- October 14, 2020

- in NBA Media


https://fadeawayworld.net/2020/10/1...is-antetokounmpo-and-bam-adebayo-next-summer/

So what damn respect does he want?

LeBron James winning for three teams isn't all that special when he chose each destination
"The reality of that feat must be tempered by the fact that with those teams, he had the advantage of surrounding himself with players of his choosing -- in most cases, superstars or even Hall of Famers.
He didn’t just play for Miami, Cleveland (on his second tour there) and the Lakers, he served as a de facto *general manager*.
His moves to different teams were *never because he was randomly traded there*, but because he chose to join them for the opportunity to have a better team than the one he was previously playing for. He was RING JUMPING."

"Then, he went to Los Angeles for the Lakers -- along with Rich Paul, his lifetime friend who created the player agency Klutch Sports, which has guided clients to play alongside James.
Paul (and certainly JAMES, BEHIND THE SCENES) forced the deal that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. And he helped Rob Pelinka bolster his reputation as the architect of the Lakers' success by filling half the roster with Klutch Sports clients."



https://us.yahoo.com/sports/lebron-james-winning-three-teams-163204533.html

Dimfer said:

I can understand the hatred by the fans of opposing teams or the fans of other individual players.. being a winner, he spent most of his career beating other teams or players.

Click to expand...

Imo, that is not the reason why Lebron has many haters. It's because of his antics to opponents that cause fans of the Warriors to revile him - like taking down Steph Curry to the hardwood and walking over with contact over a fallen Draymond Green in game 4 of the Finals when the game was out of reach for a 1-3 deficit in his own home arena. Have Jordan or Duncan ever done those acts? And I do not see how he spent his whole career beating other teams or players when his Finals record was 3-6, with fans there to hoot and shout.

jadis said:

Imo, that is not the reason why Lebron has many haters. It's because of his antics to opponents that cause fans of the Warriors to revile him - like taking down Steph Curry to the hardwood and walking over with contact over a fallen Draymond Green in game 4 of the Finals when the game was out of reach for a 1-3 deficit in his own home arena. Have Jordan or Duncan ever done those acts? And I do not see how he spent his whole career beating other teams or players when his Finals record was 3-6, with fans there to hoot and shout.

Click to expand...

Phil

as Dimfer says “ it’s time to let it go.“. Phil your hatred is starting to get the best of you. you can’t rewrite history. Just out of curiosity and he went to the Celtics and won a title, how would you feel. Gratified for sure but somewhat conflicted as I am. But you have to let it go. It’s eating you up inside.

Steve Williams said:

Phil

as Dimfer says “ it’s time to let it go.“. Phil your hatred is starting to get the best of you. you can’t rewrite history. Just out of curiosity and he went to the Celtics and won a title, how would you feel. Gratified for sure but somewhat conflicted as I am. But you have to let it go. It’s eating you up inside.

Click to expand...

Steve, as strange as it has now evolved, my basketball following for the past few years, actually starting with the Warriors 2015 run (when honestly I was not even a Warriors fan at all), has now been consumed with NOT wanting to see this ring hopper get a crown. It is as simple as that. Last year was an exception because he was not even in the playoffs, and the games were enjoyable, devoid of any antics, drama, self chest beating and now wanting damn respect from the whole basketball world? I have actually evaded the sports pages for the last few days because I cannot stand his gloating face and there it was, holding a trophy and demanding his damn respect. It's hard to let it go when this guy's all over the news instead of new, fresher talents in other teams. Lebron winning a title in a green uniform? Honestly Steve, I wouldn't feel a thing. I have been critical of his 'ways' in that rules have been broken, dinner with a contracted player and he calls it all within the rules. I feel for this league, for all the 30 teams that I believe should get a fair shake of tampering fines, etc. While he had gotten away with traveling, this new antics of his sets an entirely new level, and I do not believe it is fair.

For me this is the news of the day..........

I said yesterday that I like Stan but I like Jeff better. I never thought he would coach again

Reports: Jeff Van Gundy talking with Rockets about coaching job
From NBA Twitter and media reports

https://www.nba.com/article/2020/10/14/reports-jeff-van-gundy-houston-rockets-coach-job

jadis said:

Steve, as strange as it has now evolved, my basketball following for the past few years, actually starting with the Warriors 2015 run (when honestly I was not even a Warriors fan at all), has now been consumed with NOT wanting to see this ring hopper get a crown. It is as simple as that. Last year was an exception because he was not even in the playoffs, and the games were enjoyable, devoid of any antics, drama, self chest beating and now wanting damn respect from the whole basketball world? I have actually evaded the sports pages for the last few days because I cannot stand his gloating face and there it was, holding a trophy and demanding his damn respect. It's hard to let it go when this guy's all over the news instead of new, fresher talents in other teams. Lebron winning a title in a green uniform? Honestly Steve, I wouldn't feel a thing. I have been critical of his 'ways' in that rules have been broken, dinner with a contracted player and he calls it all within the rules. I feel for this league, for all the 30 teams that I believe should get a fair shake of tampering fines, etc. While he had gotten away with traveling, this new antics of his sets an entirely new level, and I do not believe it is fair.

Click to expand...

Phil

IMO the talent in the league has gotten so much better on every team that I don't see the Lakers emerging from the West next year

Steve Williams said:

For me this is the news of the day..........

I said yesterday that I like Stan but I like Jeff better. I never thought he would coach again

Reports: Jeff Van Gundy talking with Rockets about coaching job
From NBA Twitter and media reports

https://www.nba.com/article/2020/10/14/reports-jeff-van-gundy-houston-rockets-coach-job

Click to expand...

Both of them are good analysts. Like them both.

Steve Williams said:

Phil

IMO the talent in the league has gotten so much better on every team that I don't see the Lakers emerging from the West next year

Click to expand...

Yes, Steve, lot's of great new, young talents out there in Luka, Ja Morant, Donavan Mitchell, etc. Looking forward to watch them grow.

Here you go Phil

Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...on-james-everything-need-know-nba-goat-debate

And one more Phil

Stephen A.: There's nothing LeBron can do to be better than Jordan

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30106648

Steve Williams said:

Here you go Phil

Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...on-james-everything-need-know-nba-goat-debate

Click to expand...

Yes, there we go again, with the GOAT stuff. To me, maybe the bottom line is this - MJ did not hop, and Lebron did. The former waiting for his team to form, the other formed his team. I grew up liking basketball as a team game.

I'm sorry to read this as he was such a factor in the team win

Report: Rajon Rondo opting out of Lakers contract

Dan Feldman

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-rajon-rondo-opting-lakers-033511001.html