OT: I Don’t Recognize The Game Anymore

No its not...

I was a BIG "Showtime" fan in the day. Bulls never captured my heart like LA did - probably cause they're from Chicago. I did appreciate Pippen, Jordan and their D though.

Always have disliked the Bears and Blackhawks.

1972 we move from Chicago to Milwaukee. Dad, a man of few words, tells me I have to back at least one local team.

I wasn’t giving up the Vikings.
Brewers were a no go because at that time the American League just seemed inferior to me.
No NHL team.
So, yeah. I gave up Bulls fandom for the Bucks.

Thanks, dad.

Definitely loved Showtime, but the Celtics were the bomb. Just loved the way they played. Bird was otherworldly to me. Hondo. Chief. McHale.

Not to derail....

LeBron James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025-26, AP source says

LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025-26, further confirming that he will become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday.

Life-long Celtics fan since the days of Jo Jo White and John Havlicek. When Bird came on board that was peak NBA for me. But at the time I had no idea what a cocky bastard Bird was. How he'd tell an opponent he was going to put up 40 points on them, and then go out and do it. Or "you put a white guy on ME?" LOL. Having that knowledge make his 80s highlights even more fun to watch.

MaroonBells wrote:
Life-long Celtics fan since the days of Jo Jo White and John Havlicek. When Bird came on board that was peak NBA for me. But at the time I had no idea what a cocky bastard Bird was. How he'd tell an opponent he was going to put up 40 points on them, and then go out and do it. Or "you put a white guy on ME?" LOL. Having that knowledge make his 80s highlights even more fun to watch.

Agreed! My sports "reels" on various sites have NBA players from the 80s talking about just how blatantly Bird would chirp, and then dominate, the opposition. That was a great time to be watching basketball.

Still a Celtics fan, but the league-wide flopping and posturing sucks a lot of fun out of the game.

MaroonBells wrote:
Life-long Celtics fan since the days of Jo Jo White and John Havlicek. When Bird came on board that was peak NBA for me. But at the time I had no idea what a cocky bastard Bird was. How he'd tell an opponent he was going to put up 40 points on them, and then go out and do it. Or "you put a white guy on ME?" LOL. Having that knowledge make his 80s highlights even more fun to watch.

Probably the most tragic “what if” in all of sports was the death of Len Bias. I loved his game. Maryland was must watch basketball back in the day. Bias was also a prolific trash talker. 

Imagine the Celtics with Bias. Bird and McHale don’t play as many minutes and probably get their careers extended. Celtics easily win a couple more championships.

JustInTime wrote:

Probably the most tragic “what if” in all of sports was the death of Len Bias. I loved his game. Maryland was must watch basketball back in the day. Bias was also a prolific trash talker. 

Imagine the Celtics with Bias. Bird and McHale don’t play as many minutes and probably get their careers extended. Celtics easily win a couple more championships.

At the time that hit me like a shovel to the face, but I'd completely forgotten about that. Yeah, what might've been....

Grew up obsessed with 90s Bulls, then followed Phil/bandwagon-hopped my way over to the Lakers. Have remained an NBA and Laker fan throughout (the fact they're the only team I root for that ever wins anything helps) but yeah, the game has changed.

3 point buzzer beaters and big comebacks on the back of great shooting are electric, but many of the more methodical aspects of the game have been lost to time it seems like. Similar thing happened in men's tennis and is currently happening in pro golf.

todays NBA is just unwatchable, Leflop is the biggest joke and it sounds like he will be back for another unwatchable year.

This is crazy....

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breakdown

Including his current and new extension, $364M in salary over the next 6 years. pic.twitter.com/OCwBu2aOYK

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 1, 2025

As a kid I was a huge Bullets fan.  Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Chenier, Mike Riordan, Grevey and Porter.
   Became a Bulls fan when Michael played.  Played HS (Laney) and college (UNC)with him.   Game has changed considerably and not for the better.
   BTW the GOAT is Michael and not LeBron!

MaroonBells wrote:
Life-long Celtics fan since the days of Jo Jo White and John Havlicek. When Bird came on board that was peak NBA for me. But at the time I had no idea what a cocky bastard Bird was. How he'd tell an opponent he was going to put up 40 points on them, and then go out and do it. Or "you put a white guy on ME?" LOL. Having that knowledge make his 80s highlights even more fun to watch.

I got hooked on watching some of his highlight reels. Yeah he was cocky, ruthless and like you said, backed it up.