There's no crying in basketball!

Adam Morrison wants to know why this is a big deal.

For some reason I picture it being Dampier.

The fact it's an early March game makes it strange and of course Spoelstra's gleeful (I know he sounded morose but I think he knew what he was doing) squealing about it.

Kobe bawled on the bench in the 2003 playoffs when the Spurs crushed the Lakers in Game 6. Magic bawled after Game 7 of the 1984 Finals, a series he helped choke away.

Crying's okay in the NBA. In fact, there were probably a lot of fans and players crying on Sunday after the Heat game, albeit tears of joy.

I also predict that Wojo will have the name of the weeper within two days.

 

"LeBron! Hey, LeBron. Come over here a minute."

"Uh, yes Coach?"

"What team do you play for?"

"Uh, I'ma Heat."

"Good, cause I was just wondering why, when we're down by one, you drove down the lane and put up that shitty shot when you had Dwyane wide open in the corner? You missed the fucking shot, and Dwyane couldn't make it at the end, and we lost the fucking game because of you. Now you use your head. That's that lump that you haven't used since Cleveland!"

"Sniffle, sob."

"Are you crying?"

"No!"

"Are you crying? You're crying! There's no crying! There's no crying in basketball!"

"Now you listen to me. Pat Riley is my team president, and my parents came all the way down from Evanston, Illinois to see me coach against the Knicks. And while we lost, Riley called me a fucking loser who was lucky to have a job. Did I cry? Did I cry?"

"No!"

"No! No!. Why? Because there's no crying in basketball. There's no crying in basketball!"

 

Love it, Baron!

 

If Spoelstra was being coy, I'm not sure how that helps his own cause or why he would be crowing about it. Either he was was throwing his guys under the bus to deflect attention from his own deficiencies, or he was being baldly manipulative with guys who aren't going to respond to that type of motivational ploy, anyway. Or he just fucked up. Nowadays, you never know.

Nice work, Baron.

 

I don't buy either scenario. To me, it sounds like he's trying to defend his players against what he assumes will be charges that they are mailing it in and don't care. That could tie in to your first scenario ("throwing his guys under the bus to deflect attention from his own deficiencies") but I don't know if he'd necessarily look at it as "throwing them under the bus." He may honestly think it makes them look better to reveal that they care enough to emote after a difficult loss.

Of course, the above observation doesn't touch on the natural skepticism towards the notion that professionals would cry over a game that in no way seals the fates of their season/self-perception/public image in the long term/next contract/sponsorship deals
/etc., etc. They may be pissed off that things aren't going as planned and I'd buy him saying that they are fighting mad at each other over the outcome and that they are angry shows they care and it's his job to take that anger and the fact that they do care and turn it into something constructive, etc., etc.

But telling me they are CRYING over a loss in early March, even during a tough losing streak? I don't buy it. These guys have been around long enough to know better than overreacting to shit like this.

 

I buy it. Wade was trying to buy whining points in the presser when he noted in so many words that the whole world was overjoyed because the Heat were eating shit. That's correct, kid. You're getting the idea. With rare, isolated exceptions, spoiled-bratdom doesn't attract a lot of new fans.

 

It's Riley time!

 

This just made me snort out loud. Did you ever know that you're my hero?

 

I guess Wade thought everyone loves the Yankess and Man U as well.

 

My hunch is he justed wanted to explain that his guys are giving their all and not coasting to the playoffs, but he picked a really bad choice to illustrate that. Would have been much better off to say there were some pissed off people in the locker room, choice language flying etc.

A really bad move by Spoelstra.

I still think the Heat are going to make it through the East when all is said and done--just too much talent that will carry them over the Celts, Bulls, Magic in 7 game showdowns. But, their continuing failure to beat these top teams and to find ways to lose close games, is building up some self doubt and lack of confidence within that locker room that is making the postseason an even tougher chore for them.

 

To your last point, how so? They are 1-16 in game-winning situations at end of games. They still have no clue who will take the last shot when it matters. The Bulls, Celtics, Magic can beat them in a 7-game series with their size. Heat have no presence inside. Dampier? Ilgauskas? Laughable.

And for the coach to say they are crying, it makes them sound like a 4th grade girls team. They have no mental toughness, not the kind to win a title right now.

 

Nothing more than a hunch at this point. Just a feeling that the Wade/James combo will take control. I don't see the Magic or Bulls taking them out; the Celtics, now that's another matter. And if Dampier can play D like he did on Boozer (made him look really bad several times yesterday) that's all they need from their inside guy.