Who is the GOAT

[CrimsonNBlue]

Cue old guy argument about how goat shooter was Pistol Pete or some other dood around before the 3 point line

Reminds me of this 1969 highlight I saw yesterday.

Unfortunately, my Vikes haven't improved much.

[Sparko]

Cue old guy argument about how goat shooter was Pistol Pete or some other dood around before the 3 point line

There is an argument to be made that there is less defense beyond the arc and that is reward enough for not penetrating into the defense. Different game today where inert shooters are rewarded. I was amazed at the mid-to-long ranged accuracy in the 60-70s. The 3-pt line change skewed the stats because there would have been lots more long distance shooting.

[ousdahl]

Would have never happened but for that dime

[CrimsonNBlue]

Cue old guy argument about how goat shooter was Pistol Pete or some other dood around before the 3 point line

There is an argument to be made that there is less defense beyond the arc and that is reward enough for not penetrating into the defense. Different game today where inert shooters are rewarded. I was amazed at the mid-to-long ranged accuracy in the 60-70s. The 3-pt line change skewed the stats because there would have been lots more long distance shooting.

I do think the egregious increase in free throw attempts contributes to higher FG% today. Players are definitely better, but the NBA knows scoring is more entertaining.

[pdub]

But defenders are better.
And there are more athletes across the board, on all rosters.
I think that compensates for the difference in the rules.

Impossible to prove.

[CrimsonNBlue]

COVID is sports.

And LeBron's dumb ass would fit in well here.

https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebr ... id-19-help

Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme
You're Welcome

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality. But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other—one labeled “covid,” one labeled “flu,” one labeled “cold”—with his message: “Help me out folks” was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press. Well, since he asked, let me help him out by explaining the difference—and how knowing that difference might save lives, especially in the Black community.

First, let’s put his meme in context. In September, LeBron stated: “I don’t talk about other people and what they should do. We’re talking about individual bodies. We’re not talking about something political or racism or police brutality. I don’t think I personally should get involved in what other people do for their bodies and livelihoods ... I know what I did for me and my family ... But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities and things they want to do, that’s not my job.”

Here’s the first problem with that statement: With 106 million Instagram followers, making such a post is automatically politically impactful because he questions the validity of the efforts to get the country vaccinated. As is evident by some of the comments that cheer LeBron’s post, he’s given support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of worse by postponing our health and economic recovery. The CDC reports that those who are unvaccinated are 9 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital and 14 times more likely to die from COVID than those vaccinated. The number rises to 20 time more likely when compared to someone who’s gotten a booster shot. By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk.

Here’s the second problem with that statement: He says we’re not talking about racism, but we most definitely are. As of December 2020, about 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans had died from COVID-19, a third higher than that for Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double than that for whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000). According to an article on the U.S. National Library of Medicine site, “The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system.”

A year later, the communities of People of Color are still suffering at a much higher rate than white communities. In November 2021, the CDC stated, “It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.” One study in Atlanta showed 79% of Blacks with COVID-19 were hospitalized versus 13% of whites. COVID-19 has resulted in a drop in life expectancy among whites of 1.2 years. Among the Black and Latinx communities it was more than 3 years.

For those confident that the Omicron variant may not be as harsh as previous variants, it’s important to realize that, while most might come out of it okay, they can still unwittingly infect others along the way—the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, people with respiratory problems—who could end up hospitalized or dead. Also, almost half of those who recover from initial COVID-19 illness have “long-haul COVID,” with persistent symptoms of brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

For those pointing out that there are “breakthrough” cases in which the vaccinated contract COVID-19. Yes, but they also have lighter symptoms and are at a much less risk of dying than the unvaccinated. The crucial statistic here is this: 98-99% of Americans dying of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Vaccine hesitancy is higher in the Black community than in any other. While there are certainly justifiable historical reasons for Blacks to be skeptical of the health care system that has routinely marginalized, ignored, and even illegally experimented on them, that is not enough to justify compromising their health and even losing their lives during the current health crisis.

To directly address LeBron’s confusion, no one thinks colds and the flu aren’t serious. In the 2019-2020 flu season, 400,000 people were hospitalized and 22,000 people died. In 2020, 385,428 people died of COVID-19, while so far in 2021, 423,558 have died in the U.S., for a total of 808,986 deaths. Experts agree that COVID-19 is at least 10 times more lethal than the flu. As for the common cold, death is extremely rare.

However, LeBron, if you’re concerned about the flu, then help promote the flu vaccination. In the 2019-2020 flu season, only 51.8% in the U.S. were vaccinated, well below the 70% that is the target. Worse, the vaccination rate is 20% lower among Blacks than whites and as a result they have the highest hospitalization rate due to flu of any other group. This is due to vaccination hesitancy that your meme promotes.

One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters. Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.

While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases.

[Cascadia]

COVID is sports.

And LeBron's dumb ass would fit in well here.

https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebr ... id-19-help

Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme
You're Welcome

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality. But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other—one labeled “covid,” one labeled “flu,” one labeled “cold”—with his message: “Help me out folks” was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press. Well, since he asked, let me help him out by explaining the difference—and how knowing that difference might save lives, especially in the Black community.

First, let’s put his meme in context. In September, LeBron stated: “I don’t talk about other people and what they should do. We’re talking about individual bodies. We’re not talking about something political or racism or police brutality. I don’t think I personally should get involved in what other people do for their bodies and livelihoods ... I know what I did for me and my family ... But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities and things they want to do, that’s not my job.”

Here’s the first problem with that statement: With 106 million Instagram followers, making such a post is automatically politically impactful because he questions the validity of the efforts to get the country vaccinated. As is evident by some of the comments that cheer LeBron’s post, he’s given support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of worse by postponing our health and economic recovery. The CDC reports that those who are unvaccinated are 9 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital and 14 times more likely to die from COVID than those vaccinated. The number rises to 20 time more likely when compared to someone who’s gotten a booster shot. By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk.

Here’s the second problem with that statement: He says we’re not talking about racism, but we most definitely are. As of December 2020, about 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans had died from COVID-19, a third higher than that for Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double than that for whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000). According to an article on the U.S. National Library of Medicine site, “The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system.”

A year later, the communities of People of Color are still suffering at a much higher rate than white communities. In November 2021, the CDC stated, “It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.” One study in Atlanta showed 79% of Blacks with COVID-19 were hospitalized versus 13% of whites. COVID-19 has resulted in a drop in life expectancy among whites of 1.2 years. Among the Black and Latinx communities it was more than 3 years.

For those confident that the Omicron variant may not be as harsh as previous variants, it’s important to realize that, while most might come out of it okay, they can still unwittingly infect others along the way—the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, people with respiratory problems—who could end up hospitalized or dead. Also, almost half of those who recover from initial COVID-19 illness have “long-haul COVID,” with persistent symptoms of brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

For those pointing out that there are “breakthrough” cases in which the vaccinated contract COVID-19. Yes, but they also have lighter symptoms and are at a much less risk of dying than the unvaccinated. The crucial statistic here is this: 98-99% of Americans dying of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Vaccine hesitancy is higher in the Black community than in any other. While there are certainly justifiable historical reasons for Blacks to be skeptical of the health care system that has routinely marginalized, ignored, and even illegally experimented on them, that is not enough to justify compromising their health and even losing their lives during the current health crisis.

To directly address LeBron’s confusion, no one thinks colds and the flu aren’t serious. In the 2019-2020 flu season, 400,000 people were hospitalized and 22,000 people died. In 2020, 385,428 people died of COVID-19, while so far in 2021, 423,558 have died in the U.S., for a total of 808,986 deaths. Experts agree that COVID-19 is at least 10 times more lethal than the flu. As for the common cold, death is extremely rare.

However, LeBron, if you’re concerned about the flu, then help promote the flu vaccination. In the 2019-2020 flu season, only 51.8% in the U.S. were vaccinated, well below the 70% that is the target. Worse, the vaccination rate is 20% lower among Blacks than whites and as a result they have the highest hospitalization rate due to flu of any other group. This is due to vaccination hesitancy that your meme promotes.

One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters. Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.

While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases.

Bravo Kareem, it’s too bad Xing James won’t listen

[Sparko]

Bron is about gauging the temperature of the audience rather than leadership. It markets better than straight out being a positive mentor.

[Cascadia]

Xing James pulls the illy. Double down!

https://sports.yahoo.com/kareem-abdul-j ... 24341.html

'No, I don't have a response to Kareem at all. And if you saw the post and you read the tag, you know that I'm literally, honestly asking, 'help me out.' Help me kind of figure it all out, like we're all trying to figure this pandemic out. We're all trying to figure out COVID and the new strain. And the flu, I think people forgot about the flu. People like literally forgot about the flu during these times, like that's still going around. It's flu season, so people have forgot about the flu. People have forgot about common colds. That happens, especially with a lot of our kids that's in school. My daughter is in first grade, so a lot of these kids are getting like common colds and getting the flu. But no, I don't have any response to Kareem. No. At all.'

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

As I have stated, if the man truly gave a shit, perhaps he should have asked one of his team doctors and/or his own personal internist/primary care physician and not random dumbfuck people on Instagram or Twitter.

[Deleted User 863]

It could happen. Bronny is good.

[Cascadia]

This is exactly the kind of shit move GM Xing James would make. Can't wait to see this dumpster fire.

[Deleted User 863]

This is exactly the kind of shit move GM Xing James would make. Can't wait to see this dumpster fire.

LOL he would have to go through the Draft. He's only 17 years old. We are at least 3 or 4 years away from this being a reality.

I can't wait to see your reaction if he ends up at Kansas for a few years.

[NDballer13]

I could definitely see 40-41 yr old LeBron signing a 1 yr deal with whoever drafts Bronny then not so quietly retiring and riding off into the not so distant sunset.

[ousdahl]

Could it go so far as Lebron still being in GM mode enough to draft Bronny with whatever franchise he’s with at the time?

[Deleted User 863]

Could it go so far as Lebron still being in GM mode enough to draft Bronny with whatever franchise he’s with at the time?

LOL

Do you think the 76ers work closely with Embiid when evaluating draftable players or when they are discussing trades and free agent signings? Does that bother you in a similar way as it seems to when Lebron does it?


And you guys use it as some sort of negative. If Lebron truly gets to play GM (hint: he doesn't anymore so than other players his caliber) then he's a freaking HOF GM. He has taken multiple franchises to the NBA finals and won multiple titles. Hell of a GM.

[ousdahl]

I meant that question more matter of factly.

[Deleted User 863]

I meant that question more matter of factly.

I knew you wouldn't touch the Embiid portion of that question.

Depends how good Bronny is. LeBron doesn't just automatically get to pick whatever players from the draft class that he wants on his team. Everyone gets a fair shot at players in the draft.

Like someone said above, more likely LeBron goes to whichever team drafts him than it is he gets drafted by LeBrons team imo. LeBron may be retired before he even makes it. He then may come out of retirement for a season or 2 to play with his kid.

I don't care if you hate LeBron, as a parent that'd be pretty freaking cool.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Could it go so far as Lebron still being in GM mode enough to draft Bronny with whatever franchise he’s with at the time?

Bronny doesn't need to be drafted. GM Xing can sign anyone.

[ousdahl]

I stopped hating Lebron a while ago. It’s harder to hate him when he’s starting to look mortal after all.

But, Embiid is nowhere near Lebron in terms of overall stardom, career success, front office influence, etc. and Embiid isn’t chirping to the press about how much he wants to play hoops with his kid, either. And besides, Embiid is a much more likable dood who seems to have much more fun with being a celebrity, even if his celebrity is dwarfed by lebron’s. So, not a great comparison on a number of levels.

And after all the stunts that GM Lebron has pulled, it doesn’t seem outta the question. Whether it’s him playing GM within some franchise, or playing GM by bouncing to whatever other franchise he’d like, he very well could use his pull to create some Hallmark TV moment in which he checks into a game with his son too on the court.

Lots of applause, hugs and back patting, Lebron all teary-eyed, stopping to adjust his headband mid-embrace cuz he started wearing it again after he heard that rug of his even makes Self blush.