Arvydas Sabonis: The Original Unicorn

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Mar 3, 2017.

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  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    SlyPokerDog, Mar 3, 2017
    #1
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  2. crandc

    crandc Well-Known Member

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    He's not YOUR vydas, he's not MY vydas, he's Arvydas.
     
    crandc, Mar 3, 2017
    #2
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  3. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    Still one of my favorite sports center things. Was that Kilborne who came up with that?
     
    Mediocre Man, Mar 3, 2017
    #3
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  4. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

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    I associate it with Dan Patrick, but he may have just said it more often. Not completely sure who came up with it.
     
    Minstrel, Mar 3, 2017
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  5. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    Kilborne. I looked it up. Not sure why thats out there, but it is
     
    Mediocre Man, Mar 3, 2017
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  6. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Craig Kilbourne.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Mar 3, 2017
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  7. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    The old wound is aching again.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Mar 3, 2017
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  8. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    Wizard Mentor, Mar 3, 2017
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  9. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    Up to and including George Mikan, good centers were "unicorns" meaning...they played like the other positions. Bill Russell taught the basketball world that centers should specialize in defense and rebounding. There were 4 teammates on the floor who could do the shooting. This was constantly mentioned in the 60s and 70s as a wise revolution in basketball that had recently occurred. Great centers like Walton and Olajuwon could have played like guards (they were better than Sabonis), but centers like that were considered weaklings.

    Then David Stern Europeanized the NBA rules (actually, he Europeanized referee's interpretations of existing rules). The league returned to Mikan-like centers. This article fails to explore why the change was made, and whether it is good.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2017
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
    #9
  10. ripcityboy

    ripcityboy Well-Known Member

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    Whenever I think of jlprk....

     
    ripcityboy, Mar 3, 2017
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  11. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    You have to watch the video to the end, but...I didn't know Marshall McLuhan was tall enough to play basketball.
     
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
    #11
  12. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Sounds like there is a void begging to be filled. As I always tell my kids: if you're not willing to do something about it, you don't have much room to complain about it.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Mar 3, 2017
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  13. ripcityboy

    ripcityboy Well-Known Member

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    I didn't mean you were the jerk in the line. I just meant you were exacting and precise. The final word. I meant it as a compliment.
     
    ripcityboy, Mar 3, 2017
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  14. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    What can fans do about it? Ideas:

    1. Make others aware of it by, on rare occasions in a thread which is already all about this "unicorn" change in the league, mentioning it on a message board (my choice; you apparently oppose this option).

    2. Spend millions of dollars to create a new political party to elect people who will change the NBA.
     
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
    #14
  15. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    Jerk? I just took it as you were saying my paragraph-length posts are too intellectual. But your literate posts often refer to popular cultural phenomena I have never heard of, so I thought that was ironic.
     
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
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  16. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

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    Dedicate your life to coaching, reach the NBA level and play the big guys the way they should be played.
     
    Minstrel, Mar 3, 2017
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  17. ripcityboy

    ripcityboy Well-Known Member

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    Well. I'm a Pop Culture Quisanart, that's for sure.
     
    ripcityboy, Mar 3, 2017
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  18. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    New official policy of this board:
    Do not post opinions. First, become the NBA Commissioner. Then...do not post opinions.

    Wait. Then you shouldn't have posted that.
     
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
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  19. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    You should stop complaining to your kids, and do something about it.
     
    jlprk, Mar 3, 2017
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  20. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Actually, I was referring to the absence of the article/research to which you were referring, not the state of the league over which you have absolutely no influence.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2017
    PtldPlatypus, Mar 3, 2017
    #20
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