the following needs to be required reading for all our players & they all need to take it to heart:

Pat Riley talks about the '92 playoffs vs. the Bulls in his own book, "The Winner Within", and tells this anecdote where he gathered all the players in the training room before the series... Just out of the blue, he says, "some shoe company's marketing executives will hold a conference... I'm wondering any of you will be there". All the players are puzzled, trying to understand what this means.

Riley then continues, "You might be there... in the form of a photoghraph. Every game the Bulls play, photographers wait for Jordan to come hard to the hole, flying in with the ball over his head, tongue hanging out, eyes riveted on the rim, going for a monster dunk. Now, somebody's always underneath Michael in these pictures. they might be bent back, getting out of his way, or they might be standing flat, totally faked out. The marketing experts will review dozens of photos, and print eight million copies. If your photo comes out real nice, if Michael looks like a god while you look like you don't even belong in the same gym, then you could be Michael Jordan's newest poster boy"

"One thing a New York Knick will not be is anybody's poster boy, even if the camera makes us like one. We ain't one. It's an attitude more than anything. Who wants to be the guy that's going to open up the lane? Who want to make it convey for some superstar to kick your ass? Because if that's how you're going to play, you should leave right now."

Knicks players took the message and that was the start of the no lay-up rule which meant doing almost anything to prevent it from happening.

Yeah, I said it.

It ain't happening with the personel we have.

jimimou wrote:you need players w pride in order for that to be possible.

what u talkin' about willis?!?

Marv wrote:

jimimou wrote:you need players w pride in order for that to be possible.

what u talkin' about willis?!?

hey chris, are those bugle boy jeans you're wearing....

sebstar wrote:

jimimou wrote:you need players w pride in order for that to be possible.

NBA too "wussy" tho. Everything is a flagrant and/or suspension worthy. After the Indiana/Detroit fight Stern has removed any semblance of rough, hard nosed play. Get all the NBA "thugs" in line...

i don't mean hack whoever's penetrating into the paint... i just mean put a hand in the guy's face, step outside the restricted & draw a charge, do something, anything to impede the guy's path to the hole... but jimi's probably right, u need players with pride for this to be possible... for his part Fishlips is at least willing to throw his body in front of a guy to draw a charge... i think Al, Hughes, Hill & TD could buy into that type of mentality too... i've seen Al & Hughes draw charges in the lane at times... if u could just get D Lee, Nate & Duhon to buy into this we might actually start playing decent team defense.

I mean, why were fans so easily able to access the court and fight with players? Why were NBA players able to get into the stands, in an environment thats fairly controllable compared to other sports?

There were larger issues of security and fan conduct that were buried in the zeal to attack the rich, spoiled thugs. The NBA has always been, by far, the least violent of the major sports.

That said, even though the intensions may have been less than pure, I'm glad Stern has adjusted the NBA to more of an international style of play. I want to see plays and athleticism, not fouls.

We pine for the Knicks of the '90s because that was the last good team we've seen. They're like comfort food. But those teams were hard to watch, and I cant imagine causal fans being at all interested in seeing 75-69 games.

K22 wrote:

Nalod wrote:I remember the drunk guy in Detroit who Jermain O'neal went after just mouthing off and when he slipped about to hit him he should have just thanked god for it.

Well, to be fair, that slide punch might have been one of, if not, THE greatest NBA brawl punch ever. It was straight out of Street Fighter.

sebstar wrote:Yeah, Nalod. I thought that was an underplayed angle concerning the brawl at Auburn Hills. The brawl's intensity grew from the involvement of the fans. The fight between Wallace and Artest was already broken up. But the media and the NBA collective chose to put the players under the microscope.

I mean, why were fans so easily able to access the court and fight with players? Why were NBA players able to get into the stands, in an environment thats fairly controllable compared to other sports?

There were larger issues of security and fan conduct that were buried in the zeal to attack the rich, spoiled thugs. The NBA has always been, by far, the least violent of the major sports.

That said, even though the intensions may have been less than pure, I'm glad Stern has adjusted the NBA to more of an international style of play. I want to see plays and athleticism, not fouls.

We pine for the Knicks of the '90s because that was the last good team we've seen. They're like comfort food. But those teams were hard to watch, and I cant imagine causal fans being at all interested in seeing 75-69 games.

yo i hear u bro, but for real that was ridiculous how Artest was laying on the table at courtside all relaxed & peaceful when Ben Wallace wanted to kick his ass & almost took off his head w/that face chump under the basket when they squared off, but then he got all into a sudden rage & rushed into the stands as soon as a fan threw a beer at him... to top it off he rushes after the wimpiest looking white dude he sees that's standing next to do the big truck driver lookin' fugger who actually threw the beer... that was some funny sheit & pretty ridiculous, u gotta admit.

every fan who threw beer at the players shoulda been brought up on assault & disorderly conduct charges, & Artest should not have gone into the stands regardless of the fact he got beer thrown at him... there's just no justification for that broham.

K22 wrote:

Nalod wrote:I remember the drunk guy in Detroit who Jermain O'neal went after just mouthing off and when he slipped about to hit him he should have just thanked god for it.

Well, to be fair, that slide punch might have been one of, if not, THE greatest NBA brawl punch ever. It was straight out of Street Fighter.

That slide punch and his miss was like some kind of devine intervention. It was like an angel had that dudes back cuz Jermaine could have killed him. At the same time, an angel Had Jermaine's back cuz he could have lost his contract over that punch and landed in jail.

I agree with Sebby that the opening the game up is a better game to watch than watching sluggo basketball and lots of foul shots.

But watching Antonio Davis run in the stands to save that poor little dude from his wife killing him was a good moment!