Kyrie saying he hopes there won't be racist abuse from Boston fans

[tenn_smoothie]

Because we as fans hate other players, we want our players to hate those players too, to validate our own hate. Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way. They're all ultimately part of the same brotherhood that we will never be part of, that of an NBA player. These guys do public events, charities, media appearances together. They may share the same agent. And even more so these days that everyone has cellphones and social media they're connected in ways that previous players never were.

But that's ok. I personally don't need them to hate the opposition, I just need them to beat the opposition. I'll do the hating from the safety of my couch

NBA players used to hate other NBA players and were not afraid to say so.

Also, back in the 60's, 70's, 80's NBA players may not have hated an opponent, but they didn't choose them as their hug buddy either. Paul Silas talked about never helping an opponent up off the floor because he viewed them as the enemy.. Remember Larry Bird when he and Magic made their famous Converse commercial in French Lick and Johnson assumed they would be a little friendlier the next season. No, said Larry. He just couldn't compete with a mindset like that.

It's not the 60's, 70's and 80's anymore and the game will never return to what it was. It's 2021. You just have to learn to accept that.

Gee, thanks for the patronizing counsel.

[blink]

Because we as fans hate other players, we want our players to hate those players too, to validate our own hate. Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way. They're all ultimately part of the same brotherhood that we will never be part of, that of an NBA player. These guys do public events, charities, media appearances together. They may share the same agent. And even more so these days that everyone has cellphones and social media they're connected in ways that previous players never were.

But that's ok. I personally don't need them to hate the opposition, I just need them to beat the opposition. I'll do the hating from the safety of my couch

NBA players used to hate other NBA players and were not afraid to say so.

Also, back in the 60's, 70's, 80's NBA players may not have hated an opponent, but they didn't choose them as their hug buddy either. Paul Silas talked about never helping an opponent up off the floor because he viewed them as the enemy.. Remember Larry Bird when he and Magic made their famous Converse commercial in French Lick and Johnson assumed they would be a little friendlier the next season. No, said Larry. He just couldn't compete with a mindset like that.

It's not the 60's, 70's and 80's anymore and the game will never return to what it was. It's 2021. You just have to learn to accept that.

Gee, thanks for the patronizing counsel.

haha I don't think it was meant to be patronizing.  I am kind of like you, I don't really like all the players buddy buddy with each other all the time.  But Nick is right, it is just the way it is right now.  I grew up on the big Celtics / Lakers battles of the 80s as well, but the players just aren't like that anymore.

[tenn_smoothie]

Hey Nikki, don't ever walk on my lawn !!

[Kiorrik]

GIT OFF MA PORCH

:')

[nickagneta]

Because we as fans hate other players, we want our players to hate those players too, to validate our own hate. Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way. They're all ultimately part of the same brotherhood that we will never be part of, that of an NBA player. These guys do public events, charities, media appearances together. They may share the same agent. And even more so these days that everyone has cellphones and social media they're connected in ways that previous players never were.

But that's ok. I personally don't need them to hate the opposition, I just need them to beat the opposition. I'll do the hating from the safety of my couch

NBA players used to hate other NBA players and were not afraid to say so.

Also, back in the 60's, 70's, 80's NBA players may not have hated an opponent, but they didn't choose them as their hug buddy either. Paul Silas talked about never helping an opponent up off the floor because he viewed them as the enemy.. Remember Larry Bird when he and Magic made their famous Converse commercial in French Lick and Johnson assumed they would be a little friendlier the next season. No, said Larry. He just couldn't compete with a mindset like that.

It's not the 60's, 70's and 80's anymore and the game will never return to what it was. It's 2021. You just have to learn to accept that.

Gee, thanks for the patronizing counsel.

Wasn't meant as patronizing. Just pointing out that it's kinda old fashioned to expect what you are calling for. The 60's to 80's were 3-6 decades ago. Times have changed. We all(the you in my original statement was plural...probably should have worded it differently) have to accept that.

Today's game is all about the three pointer, in a hands off defensive environment, where big man centers aren't the most important players, where the offenses don't necessarily run through point guards, that has "superstar" calls, where teenagers get to play, where all the players know each other because they were all apart of the same high school/AAU environment and have been friends for years before getting to the NBA and where the players have a huge say in things due to the CBA and their player union.

We all need to accept that because that is the NBA in 2021.

[Big333223]

Because we as fans hate other players, we want our players to hate those players too, to validate our own hate. Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way. They're all ultimately part of the same brotherhood that we will never be part of, that of an NBA player. These guys do public events, charities, media appearances together. They may share the same agent. And even more so these days that everyone has cellphones and social media they're connected in ways that previous players never were.

But that's ok. I personally don't need them to hate the opposition, I just need them to beat the opposition. I'll do the hating from the safety of my couch

NBA players used to hate other NBA players and were not afraid to say so.

Also, back in the 60's, 70's, 80's NBA players may not have hated an opponent, but they didn't choose them as their hug buddy either. Paul Silas talked about never helping an opponent up off the floor because he viewed them as the enemy.. Remember Larry Bird when he and Magic made their famous Converse commercial in French Lick and Johnson assumed they would be a little friendlier the next season. No, said Larry. He just couldn't compete with a mindset like that.

I'm calling shenanigans on this narrative. Every time I hear this I think about Magic and Isiah kissing before games. Russell used to have Wilt over his house for dinner all the time. I know we like to use this to bolster Russell's lore for psychological warfare but it's not like he did the same thing with Bob Pettit and Elgin Baylor. He liked Wilt.

Players were friends in the old days too but they didn't have social media to broadcast their friendships and they weren't all millionaire celebrities like now.

Also, plenty of NBA players hate each other today. Guys like Chris Paul, Rondo, Draymond Green, etc. are as competitive as anyone has ever been and there are plenty of other examples.

[Amonkey]

Anybody watch the USA Mexico game last night? That was one of the craziest games ever! Fans through bottles at American players multiple times, hitting an American player and a Mexican player at one point, a fan ran into the field, game stopped for a few minutes due to homophobic chants! Not much is being talked about it, I assume because it's soccer and it doesn't fit a narrative but still. Security failed big time in this game. By the way, the game was in Denver although an overwhelming amount of fans were Mexicans.