Can’t help it. Born at Alta Bates, grew up on the Oakland/Berkeley line, always wanted Nate Thurmond to be better than Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, and never got over the unfairness that he wasn’t. And this team is such a joy to watch.
So for all that I’d wish Cleveland well against almost any other team…
Go Dubs!
Image: Pieter de Hooch, Interior with a woman reading and and a child with a hoop, 1662-1666
Davebo
Break out the brooms. As a Rockets fan I can at least take solace in winning one game in the series.
Gin & Tonic
Well, now we don’t have to wait until halfway through the 4th quarter for Cole to post one.
FlipYrWhig
Hey, I was born at Alta Bates too!
Mark B
For fans of competitive sports, this finals has been a snoozer. I hope the NBA can do something about all the good teams having to play on one side of the bracket to play the best of the weak sisters from the other side. Either reseed the tournament or move some teams around.
MobiusKlein
Kaiser on Piedmont Ave, homie
laura
I’m looking forward to Riley joining her dad at the after presser. That girls got game too!
SiubhanDuinne
If for no other reason than that the better the Cavs do at home, the longer the Quicken Loans Arena is tied up and the more it fucks with preparations for the Republican National Convention.
lollipopguild
Thurmond, Russell, Chamberlain? You are showing your age Tom.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: I saw Gordie Howe play for the Whalers. Does that count?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Omnes Omnibus:
I’m 54, so I can recall seeing the likes of Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, and big Frank Howard.
George Mikan? Damn, he was retired before I was born… Thank you for making me feel less old. Doesn’t happen often much these days.
Bruuuuce
Not quite old enough to have seen Russell, but saw Wilt and Kareem and West and Oscar, getting into basketball with the 1970 champion Knicks, not to mention the ABA and the Nets (oh, the pain of selling Doctor J to Philly for territorial rights!). Lots of changes since then, but the game is still (perhaps even more) fun
Omnes Omnibus
@West of the Rockies (been a while): It was in ’77 or ’78.
Gin & Tonic
I don’t think this game is following the script.
raven
My best buddy has lived on Prince for 35 years!
raven
Bob “Butterbean” Love, Chet “the Jet ” Walker and Jerry Sloan!
Gin & Tonic
@efgoldman: I have friends in Chicago who’d make a point of yelling impolite things at him in Ukrainian when he came there.
TaMara (HFG)
Love basketball. Loved watching the 86 Celtics play – and actually get to see two games – tickets were almost impossible then.
dr. bloor
The sports acumen of a boy destined to teach at MIT.
Exurban Mom
Long-suffering Cleveland-area fan here. Does no one have any mercy for us? Does no one feel our collective sports failure pain? The one-two punch of losing the NBA finals and having to host a bunch of sleazy Republicans in our town is almost too much to bear.
Did you know that they ran some trainings on human trafficking in town in advance of the convention? Seems when you let loose a bunch of Republican men, they tend to do bad things.
It is to weep.
redshirt
@SiubhanDuinne: I like the way you think!
redshirt
@efgoldman: Do you remember Ted Williams bread commercials?
r€nato
@Exurban Mom: I sure hope there are some left-wing O’Keefe’s coming to Cleveland, to capture embarrassing video of Republicans gone wild.
SiubhanDuinne
@redshirt:
Cannot claim full credit, it was Rachel Maddow who put it into my head a week or so ago.
PhoenixRising
I just want it to be over. Came from the 216, went to school in Oakland and lived there 10 years, my wife had her cancer treated at Alta Bates…can both of my home cities win? Let’s say they’re two really great teams and leave it at that.
cckids
@SiubhanDuinne:
This. Basketball is soooo not my game, but I’ve been cheering for Cleveland just for the lulz a win by them would bring.
SiubhanDuinne
@r€nato:
Didn’t we take up a collection in 2012 so Jean-sans-culottes and ABL could go to the Dem Convention in Charlotte? Any reason we couldn’t send, say, Kay and maybe one other FPer to Cleveland this summer to report on the experience? I’d throw in a few quatloos.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: Adam and John. Imagine the road movie/buddy flick possibilities. John’s need to find some pants conflicting with Adam’s need to get to a dojo….
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Oh maaaaan……
redshirt
@efgoldman: JJ Nissen bread.
Did you know Ted is also in the fishing hall of fame?
Can you imagine an all star athlete not only leaving the sport to go fly fighter planes, but doing it twice, and returning as a star each time?
Ted Williams is the GOAT.
jl
No more BJ basketball threads. They are bad luck. I ban them.
redshirt
@efgoldman: Zoinks! That is alot of bread!
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: Gordie Howe played for some team after the Red Wings?
Miss Bianca
What was it that I said that put me into moderation? Was it “Red Wings”?
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: Yes. He and his two sons played for the Hartford Whalers. He was my age then, and I watched opposing players almost hurt themselves trying not to check him too hard and kill him. He was a legend to them too. Fucking all non-Blackhawks.
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: Wow. He was a legend in Detroit. Him, Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull. I was aware of them before I even started watching hockey. I should have known he couldn’t stay off the ice!
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: Don’t you connect Bobby Hull with Detroit. He is a Blackhawk.
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: Yeah, so…that means we weren’t allowed to admire him? Bobby Orr played for the Bruins – you going to get bent out of shape about *that*?
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: No, they were all great players. Sorry, I just reacted to what I saw as an implied Detroit connection. The Chelios trade still burns me.
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: Well, if I were a total asshole, I could just say “Chicago’s loss was Detroit’s gain”. And how.
Wait, I just did. So…*that* must mean…
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: We got Probie. End of his career and all. But Probie.
James E Powell
@Omnes Omnibus:
I saw him with the Houston Aeros. Playing against the Cleveland Crusaders in the old Arena, Chicken wire. Gordie Howe went up into the stands to get in a fight with a woman who was riding him all game.
There was a bit of Slap Shot in the WHA.
James E Powell
@Exurban Mom:
No.
patrick II
@Exurban Mom:
The dubs did tonight.
Bitter Scribe
@Omnes Omnibus: Technically, so was Orr, at the end of his career.
So was Phil Esposito, until they got rid of him in Chicago’s most boneheaded trade until the Lou Brock deal.
Mark Shaffer
Nate Thurmond’s jersey #42 was retired – by the Cavs.