General NBA Playoff Discussion

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
The Art of Trash Talking, by Player X

Player X is an NBA player who's anonymously writing articles about the NBA for ESPN. Here are some excerpts from this article. I don't have insider, so if anyone else does, let us know if there are any interesting ones.

Quote:
Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

Quote:
The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

Quote:
Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to piss him off. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
The Art of Trash Talking, by Player X

Player X is an NBA player who's anonymously writing articles about the NBA for ESPN. Here are some excerpts from this article. I don't have insider, so if anyone else does, let us know if there are any interesting ones.

Quote:
Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

Quote:
The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

Quote:
Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to piss him off. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

Originally posted by TheGoldenState:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
The Art of Trash Talking, by Player X

Player X is an NBA player who's anonymously writing articles about the NBA for ESPN. Here are some excerpts from this article. I don't have insider, so if anyone else does, let us know if there are any interesting ones.

Quote:
Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

Quote:
The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

Quote:
Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to piss him off. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

lol

I wonder who player x is

Originally posted by ads_2006:
lol

3 second violation

shot clock shows 22 seconds

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TheGoldenState:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
The Art of Trash Talking, by Player X

Player X is an NBA player who's anonymously writing articles about the NBA for ESPN. Here are some excerpts from this article. I don't have insider, so if anyone else does, let us know if there are any interesting ones.

Quote:
Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

Quote:
The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

Quote:
Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to piss him off. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

lol

I wonder who player x is

I read some of his other articles last night (very entertaining stuff), and you can deduce that he's...

-A Black American player
-Married
-Smaller than KG
-Probably a wing player
-Probably has a ring (he talked too much about how great trash talkers are winners and the guys that don't win don't talk trash)
-Probably a vet (references to "I tell every young player...")

Rip Hamilton is the best guess I've heard so far.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
The Art of Trash Talking, by Player X

Player X is an NBA player who's anonymously writing articles about the NBA for ESPN. Here are some excerpts from this article. I don't have insider, so if anyone else does, let us know if there are any interesting ones.

Quote:
Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

Quote:
The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

Quote:
Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to piss him off. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

Quote:
Tiger, we feel you.

Our marriages are a lot harder to maintain than yours. We’re on the road and in-demand. And when we do come home, we’ve been apart so long, one or both partners’ have changed. After a while, you don’t even know each other anymore. And when you’re on the road as much as we are, our ladies are prone to wander, too. Please note: Tiger’s story isn’t finished. Like George Foreman-whose book was still being written when, at the age of 200, he made that damn grill-Tiger’s book could take a few turns. Why was he cheating on Elin? Maybe she wasn’t making him happy at home, or maybe she was cheating, too. We don’t know that she wasn’t. Just sayin.

In my mind, Woods f- up in only one way: he didn’t sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

I tell every young player who will listen: sign that motherf- pre-nup. If the girl won’t sign, don’t get married, and find a girl who will sign. Elin took Tiger for half his money. I’m sorry, but no girl on this planet is worth $300 million. Sign that pre-nup! You’d be crazy not to. Do everything in your power to protect what you’ve worked so hard for. You may think you’re relationship will last, but it won’t. You may think you’re not going to cheat, but you will.

And look at the leverage a pre-nup gives you. Lets say you cheat. Let’s say you get caught. Well, if she leaves you, she’s not going to get that money. She can’t live the way she wants to or expects to live. In other words, she’ll never leave you.

If I had to guess, 85% of sports marriages fall apart. Some of the biggest names in the league are going through this right now.

Let’s start with Tony and Eva. We all liked that couple. Seemed like they had a good thing. But towards the end there were rumors around the league that some crazy swinging stuff was going on-like the rumor that Tony was messing with Brent Barry’s girl. My goodness. That’s so against the code. Guys are not allowed to mess with a teammates’ partner. Period. Totally against the rules, and Tony isn’t the only one who allegedly broke it. I know a couple of guys who are messing with players’ girls. Now, the ladies have some blame in these situations. To the wife or girlfriend, there is no code. They don’t know what goes on in a locker room, how important trust is among teammates. I’ve seen a couple of wives get out of control, throwing themselves at other players. That’s why a lot of guys keep their ladies far away from the team, which spares everyone from potential headaches.

But, remember, Tony and Eva’s book hasn’t been written, either. We’ve all heard stories about celebs who fake-cheated-planted a story about cheating-just to get more buzz. Well, I’ll tell you what I heard: Tony wasn’t the only one messing around. Eva was getting hers, too, with a couple of entertainers, who I won’t name.

Not a big surprise to us. Dating a celebrity lady isn’t easy. Their jobs are similar to ours: lots of travel, no shortage of partners to choose from. But athlete-civilian marriages aren’t easy to maintain, either. Take Steve Nash and his wife. She’s no celebrity, and Steve’s probably the most down-to-earth star we have, but they’ve just filed for divorce-a big surprise to guys around the league. Dwayne Wade and his wife are finished, too, and I was really saddened by that. We all feel that those young couples, the ones who pre-date a player’s pro career, have the best shot. She was with him before Dwayne was D-Wade. Didn’t matter. They’re done.

(By the way, we’re all watching with keen interest Dwyane’s custody battle for his kids. It’s a bold move, to fight to be your kids’ caretaker despite the demands of the NBA. But if you feel you’re in a better position than their mom to take care of them, fight for them. Nice work, Dwyane.)

Now, I’m happily married. Wasn’t always this way. We’ve overcome a lot of problems, especially early. And I think we could’ve avoided a lot of our problems had I known what I know now.

Here’s a little secret: There are a couple of NBA families where a different type of marriage is practiced. Like Tiger, the guys are exploring other girls. Unlike Tiger, the guys are respectful of their wives.

Yeah, I’m talking about an open-door policy.

We’re going to cheat anyway. We’re going to experiment. Well, some guys are experimenting out in open, with their spouses knowing. Let me tell how it’s done: I know a player who said to his wife, “Baby, I want to experiment. What do you think about that?” She asked why. “Well, this girl, she’s fine as hell. I just want to see how she tastes.” So, she said, “What don’t you see in me that you see in her?” He explained it, they talked about it, and he got to mess around. The end, on that one, is To Be Determined. But here’s what I’m sayin, ladies: Do you want a husband who cheats and then you get divorced anyway? I say, get it out in the open. Acknowledge it. Let your man experience someone else. See if he likes her more. If he does, well, now you know that you two weren’t meant to be. Free the bird, see if he don’t come back.

And just so you don’t think I’m a chauvinist: Guys, let your wives play, too. Watch her get pounded. See how that makes you feel about her. Maybe you’ll learn some lessons, make some changes. Maybe your relationship will be stronger for it.

I know this sounds crazy. But the world is going crazy. Something has to be done because this stuff-the Tiger thing, the Brett Favre thing-is happening too much. And it’s not just us athletes. You’re all cheating. You’re all getting divorced. And it’s hurting our country. It’s affecting our youth. Think about it. It might just work.

But whatever you decide to do, young fellas, please, for the love of God….

Sign. That. Pre. Nup.

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:
Supposedly this is the unaltered version of a Player X article:

Quote:
Tiger, we feel you.

Our marriages are a lot harder to maintain than yours. We’re on the road and in-demand. And when we do come home, we’ve been apart so long, one or both partners’ have changed. After a while, you don’t even know each other anymore. And when you’re on the road as much as we are, our ladies are prone to wander, too. Please note: Tiger’s story isn’t finished. Like George Foreman-whose book was still being written when, at the age of 200, he made that damn grill-Tiger’s book could take a few turns. Why was he cheating on Elin? Maybe she wasn’t making him happy at home, or maybe she was cheating, too. We don’t know that she wasn’t. Just sayin.

In my mind, Woods f- up in only one way: he didn’t sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

I tell every young player who will listen: sign that motherf- pre-nup. If the girl won’t sign, don’t get married, and find a girl who will sign. Elin took Tiger for half his money. I’m sorry, but no girl on this planet is worth $300 million. Sign that pre-nup! You’d be crazy not to. Do everything in your power to protect what you’ve worked so hard for. You may think you’re relationship will last, but it won’t. You may think you’re not going to cheat, but you will.

And look at the leverage a pre-nup gives you. Lets say you cheat. Let’s say you get caught. Well, if she leaves you, she’s not going to get that money. She can’t live the way she wants to or expects to live. In other words, she’ll never leave you.

If I had to guess, 85% of sports marriages fall apart. Some of the biggest names in the league are going through this right now.

Let’s start with Tony and Eva. We all liked that couple. Seemed like they had a good thing. But towards the end there were rumors around the league that some crazy swinging stuff was going on-like the rumor that Tony was messing with Brent Barry’s girl. My goodness. That’s so against the code. Guys are not allowed to mess with a teammates’ partner. Period. Totally against the rules, and Tony isn’t the only one who allegedly broke it. I know a couple of guys who are messing with players’ girls. Now, the ladies have some blame in these situations. To the wife or girlfriend, there is no code. They don’t know what goes on in a locker room, how important trust is among teammates. I’ve seen a couple of wives get out of control, throwing themselves at other players. That’s why a lot of guys keep their ladies far away from the team, which spares everyone from potential headaches.

But, remember, Tony and Eva’s book hasn’t been written, either. We’ve all heard stories about celebs who fake-cheated-planted a story about cheating-just to get more buzz. Well, I’ll tell you what I heard: Tony wasn’t the only one messing around. Eva was getting hers, too, with a couple of entertainers, who I won’t name.

Not a big surprise to us. Dating a celebrity lady isn’t easy. Their jobs are similar to ours: lots of travel, no shortage of partners to choose from. But athlete-civilian marriages aren’t easy to maintain, either. Take Steve Nash and his wife. She’s no celebrity, and Steve’s probably the most down-to-earth star we have, but they’ve just filed for divorce-a big surprise to guys around the league. Dwayne Wade and his wife are finished, too, and I was really saddened by that. We all feel that those young couples, the ones who pre-date a player’s pro career, have the best shot. She was with him before Dwayne was D-Wade. Didn’t matter. They’re done.

(By the way, we’re all watching with keen interest Dwyane’s custody battle for his kids. It’s a bold move, to fight to be your kids’ caretaker despite the demands of the NBA. But if you feel you’re in a better position than their mom to take care of them, fight for them. Nice work, Dwyane.)

Now, I’m happily married. Wasn’t always this way. We’ve overcome a lot of problems, especially early. And I think we could’ve avoided a lot of our problems had I known what I know now.

Here’s a little secret: There are a couple of NBA families where a different type of marriage is practiced. Like Tiger, the guys are exploring other girls. Unlike Tiger, the guys are respectful of their wives.

Yeah, I’m talking about an open-door policy.

We’re going to cheat anyway. We’re going to experiment. Well, some guys are experimenting out in open, with their spouses knowing. Let me tell how it’s done: I know a player who said to his wife, “Baby, I want to experiment. What do you think about that?” She asked why. “Well, this girl, she’s fine as hell. I just want to see how she tastes.” So, she said, “What don’t you see in me that you see in her?” He explained it, they talked about it, and he got to mess around. The end, on that one, is To Be Determined. But here’s what I’m sayin, ladies: Do you want a husband who cheats and then you get divorced anyway? I say, get it out in the open. Acknowledge it. Let your man experience someone else. See if he likes her more. If he does, well, now you know that you two weren’t meant to be. Free the bird, see if he don’t come back.

And just so you don’t think I’m a chauvinist: Guys, let your wives play, too. Watch her get pounded. See how that makes you feel about her. Maybe you’ll learn some lessons, make some changes. Maybe your relationship will be stronger for it.

I know this sounds crazy. But the world is going crazy. Something has to be done because this stuff-the Tiger thing, the Brett Favre thing-is happening too much. And it’s not just us athletes. You’re all cheating. You’re all getting divorced. And it’s hurting our country. It’s affecting our youth. Think about it. It might just work.

But whatever you decide to do, young fellas, please, for the love of God….

Sign. That. Pre. Nup.

linkage

I found this whole series to be fascinating.

-9fA