💬 Since we're in the NBA finals...just a thought here.

[Max]

I don't follow the sport. Let that be clear. I do follow the news.

This "super team" narrative catches my eye. I don't like it, but it doesn't have to do with being a fan of a specific team.

Remember the teams the Lakers had? The Celtics? Those teams were drafted. Developed.

Today's game hits me as one where you've got a few guys sitting around having a few drinks and saying, "Let's do this."

 

[#80]

Not in the finals yet.

 

[UAgrad93]

Don't watch, don't care!!!!

 

[TUSKtimes]

I suppose if I was to prioritize my top 5 favorite sports it would look something like this:

1 - Alabama and college football
2 - NBA
3 - Yankees and MLB
4 - PGA
5 - Nascar

My list, after my number 1 pick, was based on a guess of how much I watch of each during the season.

 

[Destiny's Child]

I suppose if I was to prioritize my top 5 favorite sports it would look something like this:

1 - Alabama and college football
2 - NBA
3 - Yankees and MLB
4 - PGA
5 - Nascar

My list, after my number 1 pick, was based on a guess of how much I watch of each during the season.

Mine:

1) College Football
2) college Basketball
3) PGA
4) NFL
5) Women's tenniss and women's beach Volleyball

 

[TerryP]

I suppose if I was to prioritize my top 5 favorite sports it would look something like this:

1 - Alabama and college football
2 - NBA
3 - Yankees and MLB
4 - PGA
5 - Nascar

My list, after my number 1 pick, was based on a guess of how much I watch of each during the season.

Mine:

1) College Football
2) college Basketball
3) PGA
4) NFL
5) Women's tenniss and women's beach Volleyball

Gotta throw US Women's Soccer in here...

 

[rick4bama]

Mine:
1) Bama Football
2) Bama sports
3) Colleges Football
4) NFL
5) MLB,NBA, other playoff teams!
6) Soccer (if nothing else is on)
7) PBA Bull riding

 

[UAgrad93]

My Top 5
1) HS football and soccer- my son's teams only
2) BAMA football
3) All other BAMA sports
4) college baseball
5) Summer and Winter Olympics

 

[JoshB]

I suppose if I was to prioritize my top 5 favorite sports it would look something like this:

1 - Alabama and college football
2 - NBA
3 - Yankees and MLB
4 - PGA
5 - Nascar

My list, after my number 1 pick, was based on a guess of how much I watch of each during the season.

1 - College Football
2 - NFL
3 - Boxing
4 - College Basketball
5 - NBA

But back on topic... this "super team" stuff has been REALLY prevalent since Lebron and company came together with the Heat, but if you remember back in the 2000s. The Lakers were the first team in the modern era to try it when they already had Kobe and Shaq and then brought in Gary Patyon, Karl Malone and company. It was a miserable failure but the 07 Celtics did it to a lesser degree and had success. Then the Heat did it, the Cavs tried it, the Warriors did it and the Lakers are trying to do it again.

Probably the first true super team, though, was the 1960s Lakers and in the 60s and 70s several teams tried it. Most of them weren't very successful.

Probably the only team in the 80s or 90s that REALLY tried it was the Rockets. They had already won two titles (during that two-years span of MJ-less NBA play) but decided when MJ came back that they needed more fire power and traded for Charles Barkley (giving away pretty much all of their supporting group) and it just never worked. Then, when MJ retired again and Clyde Drexler retired they traded for Pippen and that was even more of a disaster because Barkley and Pippen hated each other. To me, the 80s and 90s were the golden era of NBA. Yeah Jordan dominated the 90s but you still had a ton of superstars and really, really good teams. The 80s was probably the most competitive decade the NBA ever had, too. I mean Magic vs. Bird, Magic vs. Jordan, Jordan vs. Bird, Jordan vs. Drexler, Jordan vs. Dominique, Magic vs. Dominique, Hakeem vs. Ewing, etc.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

I wouldn't watch the NBA even if they were playing in my garage.

 

[PhillyGirl]

You can tell I'm a northerner because I am the only one who watches hockey!

1. College football (Bama)
2. NFL (Eagles)
3 (tie). College basketball and MLB (Phils)
4. NHL (Flyers)
5. NBA (Sixers)

Also softball (Bama) but I don't have cable so it's tough to watch games.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Probably the first true super team, though, was the 1960s Lakers and in the 60s and 70s several teams tried it. Most of them weren't very successful.

Probably the only team in the 80s or 90s that REALLY tried it was the Rockets. They had already won two titles (during that two-years span of MJ-less NBA play) but decided when MJ came back that they needed more fire power and traded for Charles Barkley (giving away pretty much all of their supporting group) and it just never worked. Then, when MJ retired again and Clyde Drexler retired they traded for Pippen and that was even more of a disaster because Barkley and Pippen hated each other. To me, the 80s and 90s were the golden era of NBA. Yeah Jordan dominated the 90s but you still had a ton of superstars and really, really good teams. The 80s was probably the most competitive decade the NBA ever had, too. I mean Magic vs. Bird, Magic vs. Jordan, Jordan vs. Bird, Jordan vs. Drexler, Jordan vs. Dominique, Magic vs. Dominique, Hakeem vs. Ewing, etc.

You must be calling them super teams predicated on free agency. Boston was a super team but Bill Russell's bunch were gathered in the draft. Regardless of how you paid them, there was no place to go. We had 2 super teams in the 80's. LA and Boston. Even back then it was easy, economically speaking, to keep the nucleus together. I do believe that was the golden age of the NBA. At least it was fun with Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta, Portland, Philadephia, Chicago, Utah.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Ok..top 5 favorite .....
1...Bama football...
2....bama other sports....especially softball....
.. does SEX count?... how bout drinking?
....if they dont count...i only have 2....
Grew up hugh baseball fan....hence all my Mickey mantle stuff...but that was when baseball was for the fans....now its for the players..... no more for me...

 

[#80]

1. College Football -Bama
2. College basketball - Bama
3. Boxing
4. MLB - Cardinals
5. Tennis

 

[JoshB]

Probably the first true super team, though, was the 1960s Lakers and in the 60s and 70s several teams tried it. Most of them weren't very successful.

Probably the only team in the 80s or 90s that REALLY tried it was the Rockets. They had already won two titles (during that two-years span of MJ-less NBA play) but decided when MJ came back that they needed more fire power and traded for Charles Barkley (giving away pretty much all of their supporting group) and it just never worked. Then, when MJ retired again and Clyde Drexler retired they traded for Pippen and that was even more of a disaster because Barkley and Pippen hated each other. To me, the 80s and 90s were the golden era of NBA. Yeah Jordan dominated the 90s but you still had a ton of superstars and really, really good teams. The 80s was probably the most competitive decade the NBA ever had, too. I mean Magic vs. Bird, Magic vs. Jordan, Jordan vs. Bird, Jordan vs. Drexler, Jordan vs. Dominique, Magic vs. Dominique, Hakeem vs. Ewing, etc.

You must be calling them super teams predicated on free agency. Boston was a super team but Bill Russell's bunch were gathered in the draft. Regardless of how you paid them, there was no place to go. We had 2 super teams in the 80's. LA and Boston. Even back then it was easy, economically speaking, to keep the nucleus together. I do believe that was the golden age of the NBA. At least it was fun with Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta, Portland, Philadephia, Chicago, Utah.

To me, yeah that's what a "super team" is. A team that just uses trades and free agents rather than building a team through the drafts and solid trades or free agents here and there. The days of a team like the Bulls drafting a nucleus of legends and then signing quality free agents here and there is long gone.

 

[TUSKtimes]

To me, yeah that's what a "super team" is. A team that just uses trades and free agents rather than building a team through the drafts and solid trades or free agents here and there. The days of a team like the Bulls drafting a nucleus of legends and then signing quality free agents here and there is long gone.

Curry, Thompson, Green, came through the draft. Can be done, but it is a combination of things. It was the salary cap that kept teams from over-recruiting the best players and keeping superstar teams at the Big "3" level. So what is Kevin Durant doing over at Golden State, I mean, other than he wimped out with the Thunder? For one the salary gap has changed dramatically. Enough so if the elite want to sacrifice just a little they can now afford the big "4." Dangerous territory with Lebron James seriously challenging the free agent market this season. Who gets the next Big "4"?

 

[rick4bama]

You can tell I'm a northerner because I am the only one who watches hockey!

1. College football (Bama)
2. NFL (Eagles)
3 (tie). College basketball and MLB (Phils)
4. NHL (Flyers)
5. NBA (Sixers)

Also softball (Bama) but I don't have cable so it's tough to watch games.

You right , I got most of my love for the Pro team when I lived in New Jersey. Being that Philly was just right across river, Flyer was one of them, Phillies, Sixers. Sorry PillyGirl those Eagles come close but not Packers are the best!

 

[PhillyGirl]

You can tell I'm a northerner because I am the only one who watches hockey!

1. College football (Bama)
2. NFL (Eagles)
3 (tie). College basketball and MLB (Phils)
4. NHL (Flyers)
5. NBA (Sixers)

Also softball (Bama) but I don't have cable so it's tough to watch games.

You right , I got most of my love for the Pro team when I lived in New Jersey. Being that Philly was just right across river, Flyer was one of them, Phillies, Sixers. Sorry PillyGirl those Eagles come close but not Packers are the best!

Three outta four ain't bad! Plus any team that wears green (and cheese heads) is all right by me

 

[bama alum]

You can tell I'm a northerner because I am the only one who watches hockey!

1. College football (Bama)
2. NFL (Eagles)
3 (tie). College basketball and MLB (Phils)
4. NHL (Flyers)
5. NBA (Sixers)

Also softball (Bama) but I don't have cable so it's tough to watch games.

You're not the only one. GO PENS!

1A. UA Sports, especially football, hockey, softball, and basketball.
1B. Pittsburgh Penguins hockey
1C. Chelsea FC
2. ANY professional soccer (not too much emphasis on MLS) as well as USMNT (sad...) and USWNT
3. PGA
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. I...I can't think of a 5th.

 

[bama alum]

I don't follow the sport. Let that be clear. I do follow the news.

This "super team" narrative catches my eye. I don't like it, but it doesn't have to do with being a fan of a specific team.

Remember the teams the Lakers had? The Celtics? Those teams were drafted. Developed.

Today's game hits me as one where you've got a few guys sitting around having a few drinks and saying, "Let's do this."

Your line here reminds me of Kurt Russell's ending monologue in Miracle when he was lamenting how the Olympics started using professional athletes instead of the college players. Back in the 80s, I LOVED the Celtics like I do Chelsea. Couldn't get enough of them. Drafted. Developed. (At least Bird, McHale, and Ainge were) My beloved Penguins...Sid, Geno, Flower, LeTang...drafted and developed. At the hockey and baseball trade deadlines, teams bulk up and bulk up. Half the time that works; half the time...not so much (Pens' trade for Brassard ultimately killed them in the playoffs this year).

But those super teams that are crafted all have one goal in mind: $$$. Trophies are nice; their huge contracts are better. Owners go right along with them because those caliber teams will at least go far in the playoffs, which means they're easily selling triple-digit price tickets...and then they're making money.

I don't know. I guess I'm an old curmudgeon, but sometimes the short term doesn't connect as well with me as the long term.