Amare Stoudemire: "Pau Gasol is Soft."

[BballTim]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

[OsirusCeltics]

I can't stand his constant whining and fake yells everytime I person touches him so the refs can call it
 
He'll always be a Llama to me

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

Bird.  He was a much better rebounder than Wilkins.  Look at the numbers.  You really don't have much of an argument.

Wow.. so ur telling me that even tho Wilkins jumped way higher than bird and was way more built than Bird.. that Bird would PHYSICALLY box out and get a rebound over Wilkins? in the words of Tommy Heinson... GIMME A BREAK! And numbers can be misleading buddy, Bird was an oversized SF. and Wilkins was an undersized PF.

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

No im not kidding.. Bird had heart and hustle which is why he got all those rebounds.. he didnt get them because he was physically tougher than his opponents.. Wilkins, although not known for his rebounding stats, was much stronger than larry bird, faster, and jumped way higher.. so i truly believe that if they were in an empty gym battling in a rebounding drill one on one, that because of Wilkins' overpowering physicallity, that he would win that battle against Bird. sorry if that baffles you

[fairweatherfan]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

No im not kidding.. Bird had heart and hustle which is why he got all those rebounds.. he didnt get them because he was physically tougher than his opponents.. Wilkins, although not known for his rebounding stats, was much stronger than larry bird, faster, and jumped way higher.. so i truly believe that if they were in an empty gym battling in a rebounding drill one on one, that because of Wilkins' overpowering physicallity, that he would win that battle against Bird. sorry if that baffles you

I think you're confusing softness with physical strength.  Because most people would say "heart and hustle" are a big part of what makes a player very much NOT soft.  Most fans would say that Kwame Brown is much softer than Chris Paul, for instance, even though Kwame is clearly much stronger physically.  It's about how you use your physical abilities more than what those abilities are.

[BballTim]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

No im not kidding.. Bird had heart and hustle which is why he got all those rebounds.. he didnt get them because he was physically tougher than his opponents.. Wilkins, although not known for his rebounding stats, was much stronger than larry bird, faster, and jumped way higher.. so i truly believe that if they were in an empty gym battling in a rebounding drill one on one, that because of Wilkins' overpowering physicallity, that he would win that battle against Bird. sorry if that baffles you

  I don't think baffles is the right word, amuses is more to the point. Wilkins was faster than Bird and a better leaper. I don't know that he was tremendously stronger, and Bird was probably quicker in terms of reflexes. Wilkins would lose a rebounding drill simply because Bird would get better positioning. If being big and strong made you tough Eddie Curry would be a star in this league. There's a reason Wilkins wasn't known for his rebounding and Bird was, one was great at it and the other wasn't. Again, if you're not a troll I'd wonder if you ever saw them play.

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

No im not kidding.. Bird had heart and hustle which is why he got all those rebounds.. he didnt get them because he was physically tougher than his opponents.. Wilkins, although not known for his rebounding stats, was much stronger than larry bird, faster, and jumped way higher.. so i truly believe that if they were in an empty gym battling in a rebounding drill one on one, that because of Wilkins' overpowering physicallity, that he would win that battle against Bird. sorry if that baffles you

I think you're confusing softness with physical strength.  Because most people would say "heart and hustle" are a big part of what makes a player very much NOT soft.  Most fans would say that Kwame Brown is much softer than Chris Paul, for instance, even though Kwame is clearly much stronger physically.  It's about how you use your physical abilities more than what those abilities are.

Well said, I'm enlightened now. Toughness is a combination of many things.  Mental Toughness, Physical Toughness, Hustle and Heart are all components, and im sure you guys can think of some more. I guess I have to apologize and say that Bird wasnt really soft, he was definitely a tough player, i was just trying really hard to make a point. But I still think Gasol is soft.

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

Umm... Larry Bird is a soft player also... Hes mentally tough... but hes physically soft........ you guys are trying to relate softness to actual basketball ability... You can be soft and be a great player...... no one said softness makes u a terrible player..... and winning a championship doesnt take away from your softness... ur either soft or ur not... but it has nothing to do with your ability to play good basketball. SOMEONE HIT ME WIT MY FIRST TP. PLEASE. JESUS SHUTTLESWORTH... CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE

Bird wasn't physically soft.  He was a tough player mentally and physically.  Bird was a banger under the rim.

I wouldnt exactly call Larry Bird a banger..... To his credit, he was mentally tough, and probably had the biggest heart in the NBA at the time, but to call him a banger isnt very accurate... Dominique Wilkins... was a banger... he was physically tough... mentally tough? probably not so much... but his physicallity was what made him a tough player.. Larry Bird and Dominique are trying to box each other out for a rebound.. whos gonna PHYSICALLY win that battle?

  You're kidding, right? Who wins the battle, the  guy who averaged 6.7 boards a game in his career, or the guy that averaged 10? Bird's rebound rate was about 50% higher than Nique's. Larry wins that battle every time. A "soft" small forward that gets 10 boards a game... wow.

No im not kidding.. Bird had heart and hustle which is why he got all those rebounds.. he didnt get them because he was physically tougher than his opponents.. Wilkins, although not known for his rebounding stats, was much stronger than larry bird, faster, and jumped way higher.. so i truly believe that if they were in an empty gym battling in a rebounding drill one on one, that because of Wilkins' overpowering physicallity, that he would win that battle against Bird. sorry if that baffles you

  I don't think baffles is the right word, amuses is more to the point. Wilkins was faster than Bird and a better leaper. I don't know that he was tremendously stronger, and Bird was probably quicker in terms of reflexes. Wilkins would lose a rebounding drill simply because Bird would get better positioning. If being big and strong made you tough Eddie Curry would be a star in this league. There's a reason Wilkins wasn't known for his rebounding and Bird was, one was great at it and the other wasn't. Again, if you're not a troll I'd wonder if you ever saw them play.

First of all, what makes a troll a troll? Secondly, nah I never saw them play but Im a diehard Celtics and basketball fan and I've probably watched every ESPNClassic program regarding the NBA, so I know my isht.. I kinda wanna apologize for calling Bird soft, cuz he really wasn't, I think I was picking on his physical build moreso than his actual NBA toughness. So for that, I'm sorry. You're right, Bird is NOT soft. But I still think Gasol is.

[BballTim]

First of all, what makes a troll a troll?

  No offense intended, but when you get new posters near playoff time they're often fans of other teams. When someone with 5 total posts (or so) claims that Bird was a soft player there's at least a decent chance it's another team's fan causing trouble. Agree with you about Gasol in any case.

[Assassin70]

Honestly, I think the whole issue of race in the NBA is an overblown topic, so I resent that I need to address is right now. But the fact of the matter is that 90% of Gasol's "soft" reputation stems from him being a white, European player. There's a word for that kind of stereotyping: racism.

  It's because he's a euro, not because he's white. That's not racism.

Why do these conversations always have to go down...



 

[Shamrocker]

Honestly, I think the whole issue of race in the NBA is an overblown topic, so I resent that I need to address is right now. But the fact of the matter is that 90% of Gasol's "soft" reputation stems from him being a white, European player. There's a word for that kind of stereotyping: racism.

  It's because he's a euro, not because he's white. That's not racism.

Why do these conversations always have to go down...



 

I think it’s because he’s got hair like a girly man.

[kozlodoev]

I can't stand his constant whining and fake yells everytime I person touches him so the refs can call it
 
He'll always be a Llama to me

It's funny how people can't take this, but have no issues with Pierce's exaggerated head tilts every time he drives to the basket, or with Rondo sprawling to the floor every time he gets hit. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

[GreenEnvy]

In regards to the first few replies in this thread (not getting into where this thread is at now)....


I actually don't think Gasol is that much of a better player than Amare. Amare can probably carry a team better. Gasol didn't win a game in the playoffs with the Grizz, and now he gets all this love because he has Phil, Kobe, and another 7 footer with him at all times?

Are people acting like Gasol is all of a sudden a premier defender? News to me. He's ok, but let's not make him out to be KG, TD, or D12.

And I think Amare could be every bit as good a defender (but not rebounder) as Gasoft if he didn't have a coach like D'Antoni the majority of his career.

[OsirusCeltics]

I can't stand his constant whining and fake yells everytime I person touches him so the refs can call it
 
He'll always be a Llama to me

It's funny how people can't take this, but have no issues with Pierce's exaggerated head tilts every time he drives to the basket, or with Rondo sprawling to the floor every time he gets hit. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Naw, I don't think you get it
Everyone in the league does those head tilts and gestures to get those calls. I don't like it but its part of the game

But Gasol takes it to another level like when Nene swiped the ball from him the other night against Denver and he threw his arms up and looked at the refs. I looked at him like "dude, seriously". He doesn't expect to be touched at any point of a basketball game, and that's what makes me annoyed

[CaliCeltics]

I can't stand his constant whining and fake yells everytime I person touches him so the refs can call it
 
He'll always be a Llama to me

It's funny how people can't take this, but have no issues with Pierce's exaggerated head tilts every time he drives to the basket, or with Rondo sprawling to the floor every time he gets hit. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Naw, I don't think you get it
Everyone in the league does those head tilts and gestures to get those calls. I don't like it but its part of the game

But Gasol takes it to another level like when Nene swiped the ball from him the other night against Denver and he threw his arms up and looked at the refs. I looked at him like "dude, seriously". He doesn't expect to be touched at any point of a basketball game, and that's what makes me annoyed

Exactly, I hate when he does that. If he even gets touched, he looks at the ref like "where's my call?". Kobe is rubbing off on him as well because Kobe is the EXACT same way, contact, no call? complain.

Even when he does foul someone, he ALWAYS has to say something to the referee. Like bro, man up, and take the foul.