Layups: NBA Feuds!
Posted by Neil Paine on April 21, 2010
Okay, this is awesome... It's a post from Andrew Sharp of SBNation about the greatest feuds in NBA history, and while the current Pierce-Richardson dustup (which apparently stems from Q-Rich's recruiting visit to Kansas almost 15 years ago) leads the way, he also delves deep into Rodman-Malone, LeBron-Deshawn, Randolph-Patterson, and more. My personal favorite, though? Ha Seung Jin vs. Nenad Sinanovic, hands down.
Let's play the feud!
(Hat tip: TrueHoop.)
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
I think Bird had a large problem with Kent Benson that dated back to his failed half year at Indiana when Benson apparently humiliated him for several reasons and then in the pros Bird made it a point to chat it up and torch him every time they met...
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm
I read this today, and I think he glossed over the importance of the Isiah feud in Jordan's development. I've got to think that the deep-seated hatred of losing to Isiah's Pistons is part of what motivated Jordan into working so hard on his game and buying into the triangle offense and working so hard to build up Scottie Pippen's game in practice. He admits that the pounding they gave him is what inspired him to start lifting weights.
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Overcoming the Bad Boys was definitely a huge factor in preparing the Bulls to dominate over the next three years, but don't you think Jordan would have been that ferocious regardless? The man was a relentless worker and could find motivation in anything, so if the Bad Boys weren't there, he probably would have just found something else to stoke that fire, you know?
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Oh I'm sure, but he might have developed differently. I remember an interview where he said he worked on the mid-range post game as a way of getting shots up over Joe D before the double came. That move eventually became his calling card.
April 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
That's a good point. MJ 2.0 used the midrange post-up turnaround jumper as his bread-and-butter, especially toward the end.