NBA Playoffs thread

[sandiego17]

I get that people that don't watch the game don't get it. That's fine. It's like saying that soccer is boring because the end score might be 1-0. Same with hockey. But there is so much more to all .

I hear that all the time in regards to soccer, and I get all the arguments against the various sports (even those against football from non Americans (3 hours, 10 minutes of action...), there is a ton to each sport. I don't, however, give a rats ass about hockey!

[oneinchpunch]

I hear that all the time in regards to soccer, and I get all the arguments against the various sports (even those against football from non Americans (3 hours, 10 minutes of action...), there is a ton to each sport. I don't, however, give a rats ass about hockey!

I didn't like hockey until I went to games. It is a different experience in person. And once you watch it live it changes the way you view it on TV. It's much faster live.

[oneinchpunch]

How many years? 5? 10?

Report: Donald Sterling shopping for law firm to help him sue NBA


San Antonio Spurs v Los Angeles Clippers
Donald Sterling uses the courts to bully. He’s not afraid to litigate, he’s not afraid to bury people in paper and think it’s not worth the fight/money so they back off. It has worked more often than not for him.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stood at the podium and suspended Sterling from the NBA for life and saying he would push to force a sale of the team, all the while sounding like a guy ready for a fight.
TMZ says Sterling is gearing up for the fight (hat tip to SI’s The Point Forward).

Donald Sterling is on the hunt to hire a major L.A. law firm to sue the NBA for suspending him and attempting to strip him of ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers … TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us … Sterling’s people were in touch with several law firms last week, including the powerhouse firm Glaser Weil. Patty Glaser is one of the top litigators in the country and has repped scores of celebs, including Conan O’Brien and Keith Olbermann…. We’ve also learned Sterling’s people have been in touch with the mega-law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, a 650-member law firm specializing in business litigation.

The argument, made in federal court, would be that the NBA is violating its own constitution, as Sterling has run his business professionally and not gambled on the game. The league will counter that it has cause because Sterling was bad for business (the players were ready to boycott games and sponsors did pull out). There is no “morals” clause but there are business ethics and other clauses. How solid the footing is for the league depends on what lawyer you ask, Sec. 13 of the constitution is vague enough that Sterling can fight it.

He will want to see if the NBA and Silver have the stomach for an ugly fight (David Stern did not in the past). There will injunctions, and he will drag it out. Complicating matters is Sterling’s wife Shelly owns half the team. (For capital gains tax reasons Sterling will fight for a transfer to a family member as well.)

You can note that Sterling is battling cancer and might at this point just want to walk away. But that’s not who he is as a person. As long as he can, he will fight.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

The argument, made in federal court, would be that the NBA is violating its own constitution, as Sterling has run his business professionally

Haha. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahaha. Ha. Hahahahaha.

[sandiego17]

I didn't like hockey until I went to games. It is a different experience in person. And once you watch it live it changes the way you view it on TV. It's much faster live.

Been to a few games, including playoffs, much, much better experience. Still, not for me.

[sandiego17]

Haha. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahaha. Ha. Hahahahaha.

Serious question, do you agree he should be forced to sell? That's a tough position to take, IMO.

[oneinchpunch]

Been to a few games, including playoffs, much, much better experience. Still, not for me.

Not for me either but I can understand how a person can watch it now that ive been to a game.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Serious question, do you agree he should be forced to sell? That's a tough position to take, IMO.

Does it touch on important issues of property rights? Of course.

But this is like any other franchise business in which an outlet violates terms of the franchise agreement and is determined to threaten the brand. If he was allowed to continue or hangs on he threatens everyone else's business. It's effectively a private club and the NBA sets the terms for membership. This should have been addressed many many years ago as he was the equivalent of Ted Stepien, who was bad enough that he has a rule named after him. The difference is that Sterling did it for far longer and is a far shittier human being. The NBA "stripping him" of the franchise may not actually be what happens. I think it is a lot of informal persuasion that is actually attempted to start with. He will hang on because he is a clueless, vindictive, litigious bastard. But he'll never regain access, so what's he really fighting for? Financial rewards but none of the other benefits of being an owner? Yes. Well, that's all you need to know. The bottom line, however, is that the league does have the option of terminating the franchise. he can fight it, but at the end of the day they can destroy all of the value and let him retain ownership of it. So this'll play out for awhile, but he'd have to be a total scorched-earther to play it out. At the end of the day, he's done. He's better off taking his money and finding a new chick to "suck him all night."

[oneinchpunch]

Serious question, do you agree he should be forced to sell? That's a tough position to take, IMO.

I think he'll drag it out through the courts and probably win. Once every other owner is under the microscope they might not want those findings made public.

[Mister Hoarse]

Haha. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahaha. Ha. Hahahahaha.

Easy there, Son.

[Coachmarkos]

Ouch... I took it in the shorts last night. 0 for 2.

Tonight, I'm going the same way... both home teams... Miami and San Antonio.

And anyone who doesn't enjoy basketball is just crazy. And I agree with OIP about Hockey and Soccer too... I just don't have time to follow them, honestly. I will cheer for the USA at the World Cup this summer...and I enjoy watching the European Cup too (which is held 2 years after the world cup).

Actually...the sport I've lost the most interest in is baseball. I used to watch it quite a bit in the spring and summer. Now, I pretty much just catch some highlights...and hear about it, and that's enough for me. Of course, I'm a Cubs fan...so there's that.

Of Course Sterling is going to sue. And he's going to drag it out as long as he can...probably until he dies...and AS a potential Billionaire with a pretty treatable type of cancer... this could take a while.

[sandiego17]

Does it touch on important issues of property rights? Of course.

But this is like any other franchise business in which an outlet violates terms of the franchise agreement and is determined to threaten the brand. If he was allowed to continue or hangs on he threatens everyone else's business. It's effectively a private club and the NBA sets the terms for membership. This should have been addressed many many years ago as he was the equivalent of Ted Stepien, who was bad enough that he has a rule named after him. The difference is that Sterling did it for far longer and is a far shittier human being. The NBA "stripping him" of the franchise may not actually be what happens. I think it is a lot of informal persuasion that is actually attempted to start with. He will hang on because he is a clueless, vindictive, litigious bastard. But he'll never regain access, so what's he really fighting for? Financial rewards but none of the other benefits of being an owner? Yes. Well, that's all you need to know. The bottom line, however, is that the league does have the option of terminating the franchise. he can fight it, but at the end of the day they can destroy all of the value and let him retain ownership of it. So this'll play out for awhile, but he'd have to be a total scorched-earther to play it out. At the end of the day, he's done. He's better off taking his money and finding a new chick to "suck him all night."

The franchise bit is what makes this a bit murky, but I have a real problem with any individual being stripped of an asset because of their thoughts, no matter how disgusting. I think that addresses your first sentence, and not the second paragraph. I get all the arguments pro NBA action and against Stern, but still, tend to side with individual property rights.

As far as Sterling goes, obviously he will fight this, and I believe he fights the suspension as well. From everything I've ever read about him, I would be shocked if he didn't fight this.