Gotta Love Sheed

[dalmations202]

Stern had been briefed about some comments Wallace made after the Pistons' final exhibition Wednesday. Wallace was asked about the Pistons' playoff collapse last season and his ejection from Game 6.

"I still don't think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves," Wallace said. "And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening."

The league's darling, according to Wallace, was LeBron James, and what ended up happening were the worst ratings in the modern history of the NBA Finals.

"This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment," Wallace said. "It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."

Wallace has lodged the same basic complaint in varying but always colorful ways the past few years. Stern has heard him and, although he has yet to fine him for the comments, he doesn't appreciate them.

"We have a great game and it provides a lot of people -- Rasheed and myself included -- a very good living," Stern said. "I think we all need to learn to be respectful of all that this game has brought and know that there are a lot of people who have worked extremely hard to bring us all to this place. I think Rasheed needs to think about that before he starts questioning things and making those kinds of statements."

Stern, though, didn't belabor the point.

----------------------------------

This was taken from the Detroit News - www.detnews.com.

Stern has even stopped denying it. LOL

[Jack.Kerr]

Stern has decided that his policy of muzzling players is outdated, and he's going to let them open up and dialogue with the public.

[skylive321]

spot-head...

[AxdemxO]

Originally Posted by skylive321

spot-head...

Personally I love Sheed and he is one of my favorite players...and he is right

[MavsX]

i hate stern, but in this instance his response was justified and respectful.

[alby]

sheed speaks the truth

[AxdemxO]

Originally Posted by alby

sheed speaks the truth

Same thing i like about Cuban...soo may people feel the same but dont have enough guts to say it and Sheed and Cuban...are not afraid..very few people tht will do tht and Sheed is not a bad player either

[Usually Lurkin]

yeah. Stern knows what it's all about: raking in the dollahs, baby. raking in the dollahs. And Sheed oughta know better than to put the dollahs in jeopardy. Don't question the hand the feeds you, so says Stern.

[Janett_Reno]

He is right, if the nba has anything to do with it, it would be a Kobe/Lebron nba finals every year. If not Lebron then the nba want's Miami and the Suns final every year because it will sell. The fans will watch. We all knew the Cavs was going to be destroyed by the Spurs and they was. What Rasheed is not saying is the Cavs have one man on it's team that can beat the Pistons. I agree it looks impossible for one man to beat one of the best defenses in the nba but someway Lebron beats Detroit all by himself and just like Wade beat our 15 guys.

The Cavs are no better and maybe worse, while some teams in the east have gotten better. I find it odd that Detroit did not get Posey or one player that can guard Lebron because what if they meet the Cavs again? The series with the Pistons/Spurs would have been much better but imo Lebron destroyed the Pistons fair and square. I feel alot of other stuff he said is true.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by Usually Lurkin

yeah. Stern knows what it's all about: raking in the dollahs, baby. raking in the dollahs. And Sheed oughta know better than to put the dollahs in jeopardy. Don't question the hand the feeds you, so says Stern.

I find this more than a little ironic. I don't watch wrestling, but from what I understand it depends a lot on contrived drama. One way to look at Rasheed's quotes and Cuban's actions is that they indeed create drama. Maybe Rasheed and Cuban are just one step ahead of all of us!

After all, I think we do remember Cuban talking about how Kobe's rape case was good for the NBA.

Food for thought, if nothing else. As you say, "raking in the dollahs."

[Usually Lurkin]

I don't understand the irony. We all know that Cuban knows the dollah game. It's all he knows, and he seems to pick up very well whatever knowledge he needs in order to move ahead in that game. As owner/promoter of the Mavs, he knows that the louder he is, the more money he gets. He also knows that the more wins his team gets, the more money he gets. Where he seems to depart from Stern, I think, is that Cuban also has an eye for the integrity of the game - a better product means more fans, as he's talked about. I think Stern would rather have an appearance of integrity than integrity. For his part, Sheed just wants to pop someone.

I just think that it's very funny (and for me, telling) that instead of defending the integrity of the game, or his approach to the game, Stern just points out how much money Sheed is making, basically saying, "keep your place."

[fluid.forty.one]

It wouldn't have mattered if Detroit made the finals.. the Spurs don't lose in odd years.

[dalmations202]

If Lebron would have gotten the foul calls in the SA series that he got in the Det. series.....it would have been a whole lot closer.

Every time LBJ took the ball to the rack in the Det series, it was a foul. He had to get mugged to get that call in the finals. He was treated massively different in one series to the other.

[skylive321]

stop making spot-head look like a messiah.

[rabbitproof]

Originally Posted by Usually Lurkin

I don't understand the irony. We all know that Cuban knows the dollah game. It's all he knows, and he seems to pick up very well whatever knowledge he needs in order to move ahead in that game. As owner/promoter of the Mavs, he knows that the louder he is, the more money he gets. He also knows that the more wins his team gets, the more money he gets. Where he seems to depart from Stern, I think, is that Cuban also has an eye for the integrity of the game - a better product means more fans, as he's talked about. I think Stern would rather have an appearance of integrity than integrity. For his part, Sheed just wants to pop someone.

I just think that it's very funny (and for me, telling) that instead of defending the integrity of the game, or his approach to the game, Stern just points out how much money Sheed is making, basically saying, "keep your place."

Spot-on. That the game is more about entertainment has become the 'unspoken' truth.

[rabbitproof]

I wonder how much of some franchises even value winning it all vs. entertaining.

The Suns and Warriors come to mind, not just for the obvious dollar-saving in KT and JRich, with their style of play. They are so much easier to sell to the mainstream than San Antonio or Detroit. The play ensures some level of regular season success but the style is not conducive to the postseason and these cats aren't winning hardware in the summertime.

[jacktruth]

Originally Posted by AxdemxO

Same thing i like about Cuban...soo may people feel the same but dont have enough guts to say it and Sheed and Cuban...are not afraid..very few people tht will do tht and Sheed is not a bad player either

How much do you think Cuban would get fined for the same comments?

[AxdemxO]

Originally Posted by jacktruth

How much do you think Cuban would get fined for the same comments?

I know and thts why he has been quite the last 2 years or soo...but i am sure he still gets his out there at least with some of those Ts

[Bathouse Bear]

I will always be a rasheed fan after he blasted the refs during the 2006 Finals and called it for the farce that it was.

props to tracy mcgrady for also calling Dwayne Wade's preferential treatment complete crap.