SPURS advance to the Western Conference Finals

[air gordon]

the game's still going on but it's been already decided...

great series. got to give the spurs a lot of credit here. duncan's game 6 had to one of the all time best playoff performances

lakers gave the spurs a good run.. sorry- time to see shaq and #8 with kenny smith fishing

so how do you like your CROW, lakers fans?

[Legin]

This is probably the happiest moment I've had in a very long time *sheds a tear*

[Shep]

This is probably the happiest moment I've had in a very long time

yeh i hear ya

[air gordon]

apartment rent: $400 a month
flat screen dvd/tv: $150
6pack of heineken: $5.00
watching the spurs whip the lakers to advance to the western conference finals & and seeing big country bryant CRY: PRICELESS

[toni kukoc]

THE BEST THING THAT HAPPEND SINCE THE BULLS

[Andrew]

Outstanding victory for San Antonio. I had a feeling the Lakers' overconfidence and disrespect for their opponents would be their downfall. The Spurs have been strangely motivated and focused for most of the series, and it paid off.

Has to be a huge confidence boost for the Spurs to advance past the defending champions. I didn't expect the 28 point victory though.

[Bill Russell]

LOL! I cried too... I laughed too much in front of the TV set!

Go Lakers! Go to the locker room!!!

[Wall St. Peon]

Asterick THIS, Phil Jackson

[BIG GREEN]

(y)(y)ME AM HAPPY!!(y)(y)(y)

[Brave Sir Rubin]

words can't describe the satisfaction i feel right now...

[Shep]

I had a feeling the Lakers' overconfidence and disrespect for their opponents would be their downfall

they didn't lose because they were overconfident or because they had a lack of respect for San Antonio, they lost because as Kobe Bryant said 'they played better than us this series'.

[Brave Sir Rubin]

'they played better than us this series'.

lol...the words of a wise man...

i wonder what would happen of this series in Horry's shot last game wouldn't have bounced out...

[Bill Russell]

Kobe cryin'... priceless (Y)(Y)(Y)

[Brave Sir Rubin]

Tales spamming...PRICELESS

[The Big Racist]

lakers eat shi* go spurs! this is for eliminating sixers in 2001 finals!!!!!!!! robert horry is falming faggot of the series. damn i dont go to school because of lakers lost now! im so happy! lakers are whiped!

[Eugene]

Hey guys, it's been a while.

So, I watched the Lakers lose tonight. Needless to say, I was not happy. I would liked to have seen Kobe Bryant play more. On a personal note, I would've liked to see the Lakers advance (because I enjoy watching Kobe play), but as a fan of the game, I am happy for the San Antonio Spurs. They did play much better basketball than the Lakers did.

There are several explanations for why the Lakers lost, starting with injuries and ending with injuries and poor execution inbetween. But there are no excuses. It is simply too late in the season for the defending champs to be making excuses.

There is a positive in every situation, even in the most bleak ones, and the positive here might be that this loss could have been the thing to motivate the Lakers and wake them up to the fact that they simply cannot coast through the first three quarters and trust in "flipping the switch" in the fourth. I think (I hope) we'll see a much more motivated Lakers squad.

The Lakers cannot be successful with the team they have. Robert Horry can be effective as a veteran role player coming off the bench. Likewise for Fox, Fisher, and Shaw. They are valuable, key players for the next run. However, nearly everyone else is expendable. Slava Medvendenko has shown some impressive offensive capabilities, but not much else. Samaki Walker can be a gifted defender when the mood strikes him. Mark Madsen took their playing time on heart alone. As the Lakers coaching staff said, if you were to put those three players together (Slava's offense, Samaki's shot-blocking, Mad Dog's heart), you'd have one heck of a player. Devean George is the only player with trade value, but I believe he can pan out to be a legitimate 16 and 6 player. There is no reason to trade him unless an offer comes for a solid power forward.

The Lakers have a mid-level exception, but right now, they can't afford to get older by adding Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen. However, it is their only option. They have a relatively low pick in a very weak draft. Ideally, they'd be able to add Gary Payton to their roster, a point guard who could provide size and defense in the backcourt. Since Payton and Bryant can both play back to the basket, the triple-post offense will be that much more threatening when Shaq sits down. The best we can do now is grab 2 of those three players and hope that they can hold out until Devean George and the other young guys break out.

But what I want to know is why everyone hates the Lakers? It's not that they play terrible basketball. When they play the Triangle offense, it is some of the best basketball in the league. It can't be because they have won the past 3 championships because it is unfair to blame a team for their success. So why all the animosity?

"watching the spurs whip the lakers to advance to the western conference finals & and seeing big country bryant CRY: PRICELESS"

This doesn't seem like outright hatred, but limp is very smug about this Lakers loss.

Andrew makes a good point--the Lakers at times seem to be lackadaisical and overconfident. I don't think we'll see much of that anymore.

"Kobe cryin'... priceless"

I may be taking this the wrong way, but why do you derive pleasure from Kobe's suffering? Is your heart made of stone? I kind of expected this from Kobe because of his competitive nature. At least he wasn't laughing in the last four minutes of a blow-out after a certain Detroit team came back from 3-1 deficit in the series against them.

And let's say this right now. There is nothing wrong with a man crying. To deny our emotions is to deny the very reason that we play basketball and sports in general. To be an athlete is to be passionate.

But my favorite...

"Lakers eat sh*... go spurs... robert horry is [flaming] faggot of the series..."

other than the horribly inappropriate remark about homosexuality (that's what I assumed "flaming faggot" meant, if I'm wrong, I apologize for misunderstanding), why the put downs? Because the Lakers beat the sixers a couple years ago? Are you just as mad at Boston for beating them last playoffs?

The Spurs have a very good team, which a legitimate MVP, solid role players and a couple of players who'll one day be very special (Parker and Ginobili). And, they played a much better series than the Lakers did. This doesn't make the Lakers a bad team. Just like the Timberwolves and the Suns were not bad teams for losing their series. Just like Boston was not a bad team for getting swept (knock on wood).

Will there be such reaction if the Spurs lose? If the Nets lose? Detroit? Philly? Mavs? Why are the Lakers the target of such animosity?

To quote Forrest Gump, "and that's all I have to say about that."

All the best,

Eugene

[Matthew]

Good to see you back Eugene

I have to agree with you. The Spurs played great, and I have never been a big laker fan lol, but fuck i never realised how bad or how deep some of this hate ran with nba fans of the lakers and kobe. I was devasted after the knicks lost in 99 to the spurs, but I never hated Duncan or Robinson or the rest of them.

I dont know. Maybe the Spurs will be hated after they win the championship? And these same fans who are cheering now becuase of the Lakers demise will be going for la next season?

I wonder if there is a term for Bandwagon-Hating?

[Steve04]

The reason why people hate the Lakers is the same reason they hated the Bulls, if their team cannot win they hate the team that has continued success, and is cocky about it
The Spurs are impossible to hate and for the very same reason will never win 3 straight titles, they are too weak, but were strong enough Mentally this game to beat the Lakers.

Hats off to the Spurs as Tim Duncan was awesome for the Spurs down the stretch.

Hopefully the Lakers can get a good player in FA.

And Eugene, if the Pistons got lucky with Tayshuan Prince at #21!
Cant the Lakers get lucky also?

[Matthew]

The reason why people hate the Lakers is the same reason they hated the Bulls, if their team cannot win they hate the team that has continued success, and is cocky about it

Thats why i wanted to know if there is a term for bandwagon hating.

The Lakers should get Karl Malone and either pippen or payton, but probably pippen (like Eugene said). I know they're old, but they will fill the holes and Lakers will have depth again.

To be honest I'm still in shock the Lakers lost. I guess its like if the Knicks would've beaten MJ and the bulls. Amazing, and hats off to Duncan and the Spurs, It's their title to lose now.

This is a true rivalry, the Spurs and Lakers. They have split the last 4 playoff series against each other.

[bishibashiboy]

I was about to reply a/b all the reactions to Kobe crying, but Eugene beat me to it. I completely agree with him though. I don't see anything wrong with Kobe crying. He was the one consistent Laker all season long, and probably one of the few that trained hard in the off-season. To see that his best work was not enough to help lift his team to victory had to be disappointing. He may be cocky, but he's still human and he has every right to cry w/o feeling ashamed.

However, this is not taking anything away from S.A. The Spurs were simply the better team and outplayed the Lakers all series long. Tim Duncan was amazing tonight. He hit shots I didn't think he had possessed. And for all you ppl that think Phil would never give credit where it's due:
"They left no doubt about the fact that they were the better team in this series."
True many of you will say that there's nothing better he could say to explain his position. But the point is that he said this phrase. He didn't have to do so, but he did. He may still be arrogant, but he knows when his team got their asses kicked and gives the appropriate kudos in the end; NOT in the middle of the series.

[Clinton]

Great post as always Eugene. Love your work. Exactly what I would have said if I could be bothered writing a post that long.

[air gordon]

i don't want to turn this into a 'why do people hate the lakers/why all the anymosity?" thread. perhaps someone should create one if a lot of people are interested in chiming in....this is after all a thread about the SPURS ADVANCING TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.

i'll just say this:

first off, take what you want from what i say. i could care less if people think i'm some slime ball that lives off other people's misery or whatever...

i'm a big bulls fan, if anyone didn't notice already. but it's like not i can't uncontrollably help myself from telling everybody this in every post i make. or believe, act, and make posts about the bulls are the greatest team assembled, that jordan is the greatest, and that neither he nor the bulls can do no wrong. the bulls championship teams were one of the best but i'm also quick to admit that the team/jordan had flaws and what not.

on the other hand, there are certain laker fans that are opposite of what i have mentioned. not all, but there are a good number. i have some friends like this and there are a few people like this that post in this forum. it appears their lakermania has clouded their judgement and make them refuse to listen to reasoning. people like this make the anti- laker sentiment grow and are quite annoying.

why do many people hate lakers? i have no clue. i'm not a laker hater but i'll admit i do have anti laker sentiment. being a bulls fan, i didn't want to see the lakers equal/do better then what the bulls championship teams accomplished. or see bryant do likewise to what jordan has accomplished. i'll acknowledge that the lakers championship teams were good and that kobe bryant has great skill. but yeh- i want to see them lose but it's not like i'm wishing harm on them.

i could go on with this anti laker sentiment thing but you get the point.


to those certain lakers i'm talking about, these are for you:

lakers gave the spurs a good run.. sorry- time to see shaq and #8 with kenny smith fishing

so how do you like your CROW, lakers fans?

apartment rent: $400 a month
flat screen dvd/tv: $150
6pack of heineken: $5.00
watching the spurs whip the lakers to advance to the western conference finals & and seeing big country bryant CRY: PRICELESS

i'm out like the Lakers are in the playoffs...

[Rens]

I guess people don't like the Lakers because they (used to) win. Simple as that. Why is the boy in elementary school that always gets A's teased? Because he gets those A's and others don't.

However there is a substantial difference between the Lakers and the boy from elementary school (besides the obvious ones ) which is that the Lakers have fans, and this boy probably doesn't. And it's these fans who actually in a way encourage the hating/disliking of the Lakers.
The Lakers' own arrogance spreads on 14 year olds and when they start spreading their words on message boards, reactions will come. And since they are having trouble forming a well formed sentence, yet act like their opinion is THE one, and how the Lakers will win it all anyway, Kobe is god, Shaq is god, and so on, this continues.

[Boyk]

yet act like their opinion is THE one

Sounds a lot like you Dan

about the crying, yous are all telling me you wouldnt???
3 straight championships, on top of the world then it comes crashing down onya getting blown out at home by a team you've dominated the last 3 years???

i had a few tears in my eyes, and i dont care wotya say, coz im a true laker fan.

and anyway, why aint ya all baggin derek fisher.......he was crying

oh well the reign as champs has to come to an end sooner or later

[Matthew]

Yeh, Allen Iverson cried his eyes out after the 2001 finals. To me, the tears show he cares alot. Its not like someone called him a flaming faggot (hehe MJ ). Kobe cops alot of backlash no matter what he does.