Shaq calls Nash's MVPs "tainted"

[bleedinpurple]

Obviously Nash ain't on their level. But how many times must it be said, YOU'RE NOT COMPETING WITH THE PAST, you're judged on how you do THIS season against other players...of the same season.


With that said Nash didn't deserve either one of his MVPs. But not because of that idiotic argument of bringing up past names, but because there were players who played better than him NOW.

totally agree with your 1st paragraph.
and as much as I hate to say it, completely disagree with your second.
Nash lead the league in assists and carried his team to a GREAT record, all without their second best player (Amare). VERY impressive, even though I hate the Suns.

[Who'sKobe]

The NBA is marketing towards the wrong market segment. Apparently NASCAR is richer and starting to entertain black people (not the hood mentality ones of course) and they are making money. The NBA continues with this Kobe, LeBron thing, the players will make their cash but no where close to other sports who show players with class. Pac Man Jones should join the NBA because he fits the persona.

I don't think it should be about who's more marketable or not, although stern is trying to clean up the hip hop image from the nba. The NBA is still a business and will be run like one by Stern, which is why they need the Lebron's, the Wade's, etc to be the face of the NBA to bring in new fans. And why not? they are respectable guys.

[PMshooter]

I don't think it should be about who's more marketable or not, although stern is trying to clean up the hip hop image from the nba. The NBA is still a business and will be run like one by Stern, which is why they need the Lebron's, the Wade's, etc to be the face of the NBA to bring in new fans. And why not? they are respectable guys.

Stern's problem (and it's really his only problem as a commish) is that he thinks that a clean image is mutually exclusive from hip-hop culture. He's dead wrong about that. The NBA could be a huge force in cultivating a hip-hop image that is cool, but clean. Wade and LeBron are perfect candidates.

I mean, the entertainment and singers at the All Star game were atrociously bad. Why not get guys like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Kayne West, and the other leaders of the new hip hop into the NBA brand instead of a quartet of freaking Rat Pack impersonators. Or the freakin' pussycat dolls.

[Who'sKobe]

Stern's problem (and it's really his only problem as a commish) is that he thinks that a clean image is mutually exclusive from hip-hop culture. He's dead wrong about that. The NBA could be a huge force in cultivating a hip-hop image that is cool, but clean. Wade and LeBron are perfect candidates.

I mean, the entertainment and singers at the All Star game were atrociously bad. Why not get guys like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Kayne West, and the other leaders of the new hip hop into the NBA brand instead of a quartet of freaking Rat Pack impersonators. Or the freakin' pussycat dolls.

The entertainment at the ASG was supposed to be clean and family friendly fun, I guess. Mary J. Blige, and Wayne Newton? I failed to be entertained, by any means. I'm not a big hop-hop/rap fan, but I wouldn't mind Kanye West or those other guys.

[bleedinpurple]

Stern's problem (and it's really his only problem as a commish) is that he thinks that a clean image is mutually exclusive from hip-hop culture. He's dead wrong about that. The NBA could be a huge force in cultivating a hip-hop image that is cool, but clean. Wade and LeBron are perfect candidates.

I mean, the entertainment and singers at the All Star game were atrociously bad. Why not get guys like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Kayne West, and the other leaders of the new hip hop into the NBA brand instead of a quartet of freaking Rat Pack impersonators. Or the freakin' pussycat dolls.

why? because of who buys the tickets to games...corps and monied folks who can spend $200 for an evening out.
why else? TV sponsors....they try to target the money, which is baby boomers and/or their children. Hip hop does not represent any of the above. Hip hop does represent young and, to some extent, hip...but that ain't the money.

[PMshooter]

why? because of who buys the tickets to games...corps and monied folks who can spend $200 for an evening out.
why else? TV sponsors....they try to target the money, which is baby boomers and/or their children. Hip hop does not represent any of the above. Hip hop does represent young and, to some extent, hip...but that ain't the money.

Well, you can make a hell of a lot more money advertising to 18-24 year olds than you can actually selling tickets. I'm not sure how the TV deals with Disney and Turner are structured but if they share in advertising revenue, getting the NBA image away from this lame whitey crap would help a lot. Besides, all the baby boomers I talk to tell me the only part of a basketball game they watch is the last four minutes. Then I try as hard as I can not to punch them in the face.

[bleedinpurple]

Well, you can make a hell of a lot more money advertising to 18-24 year olds than you can actually selling tickets. I'm not sure how the TV deals with Disney and Turner are structured but if they share in advertising revenue, getting the NBA image away from this lame whitey crap would help a lot. Besides, all the baby boomers I talk to tell me the only part of a basketball game they watch is the last four minutes. Then I try as hard as I can not to punch them in the face.

good one.
Corps buy the tickets, yet also dictate advertising.
the 18-24 year olds don't drive revenue as much as the boomers, but they are a large segment (actually it's about 22-30). However, hip hop only appeals to about 0% of boomers and a relatively small subset of the 22-30 year olds.
...and that's enuf socio-demographic chat.

[JtotheIzzo]

Shaq's last ring is tainted so he needs to STFU and go make another rap album

[gts]

did anyone read whitlocks column on aol.com? i'm hesitent to post it here, not really sure if it's my place...but it's fairly powerful and thought provoking stuff...

[Free]

did anyone read whitlocks column on aol.com? i'm hesitent to post it here, not really sure if it's my place...but it's fairly powerful and thought provoking stuff...

I'd like to read it.

[EricForman]

Shaq is a hypocrite and a moron that speaks without thinking.

Remember when he first found out he finished second to Nash back in 05? That's not what he said, he said something about Nash deserving it at the time.

This is a guy that once said kobe was the greatest player in the league, kobe was HIS HERO, that he has slept with Cindy Crawford, that he has "killed Jordan in the playoffs", that Iverson was what, one of the top five greatest ever?

Guy speaks without thinking, and is constantly contradicting himself.

Would you be surprised, if say, 6 years later, he comes out and says "actually Penny was better than both Dwyane and Kobe" or "Glen Rice was my greatest teammate ever"?

[bleedinpurple]

Stern's problem (and it's really his only problem as a commish) is that he thinks that a clean image is mutually exclusive from hip-hop culture. He's dead wrong about that. The NBA could be a huge force in cultivating a hip-hop image that is cool, but clean. Wade and LeBron are perfect candidates.

I mean, the entertainment and singers at the All Star game were atrociously bad. Why not get guys like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Kayne West, and the other leaders of the new hip hop into the NBA brand instead of a quartet of freaking Rat Pack impersonators. Or the freakin' pussycat dolls.

for a better explanation of "why not", see Jason Whitlock's article on aol.com entitled "Mayhem main event at all-star game".

[EricForman]

wow, this Jason Whitlock guy writes good stuff

this article paticularly, is dead on

http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/ti...22104609990001

like i always say, I find it annoying the way minority always pulls the race card. If a WHITE MAN had written this same article, black people would call it racist. But it's the facts, man.

Vegas during the weekend, every legit or wannabe gangsta rapper, with 20 people entourage, walking around looking angry, all over the strip..... Bill Simmons was right, most "normal" people chose to wait in line and pay to ride taxis than walk half a block to the next casino.

[0ne50]

So why is he calling out Nash? Why wouldn't he call out the people who got MVP's in the years he dominated the league? AI, TD, KG?

Or if you wanna go even before that, MJ, Karl Malone?

Shaq did make a comment about AI winning the MVP. It's hard to argue that TD did not deserve MVP honors. I don't recall him saying anything about KG but if he did I would'nt mind. For all of the years making it to the NBA finals, winning championships, dominating the entire league, and effecting how other teams build there rosters, it's shameful that he only has one MVP.

[JtotheIzzo]

Didn't Whitlock get fired in part from ESPN for dissing Stu Scott saying he was always "Bojangling" too much and it was bad.

that is 540' racism right there, a black man fired for dissing another black man for acting how he thought was too stereotypically black, and an embarassment to upstanding black people and the black community.

dizzy yet?

I wondered if I (a white man) would get disciplined for calling Keith Olberman a 'cracker ass cracker'?

probably not

race in America is f'ed up any way you slice it and political correctness has made things a thousand times worse.