CHUTNEY 1. Career-wise, where do you see yourself 5-6 years from now? A year or so ago I probably would’ve said teaching, but lately I’ve been thinking about becoming a clinical psychologist, because A. I really want to do counseling, but in order for that you have to teach a couple of years first B. The pay is better C. Abnormal disorders are really interesting to me (So interesting that I actually didn’t attempt to sell back one of my case study books) D. I could see myself enjoying my career more So 5-6 years from now hopefully I’ll be finishing my masters in Clinical Psych at U of H while working somewhere where they help people with their mental illnesses. 2. If you had to write an autobiography, what would the title be? “Words Speak Louder Than Actions.” I know it’s supposed to be the other way around, but think about it for a second. Guys like MLK, Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, etc. are remembered for their words just as much as their actions if not more. Words are truly infinite, because they live on and can continue to inspire people for years and years. The Bible and The Quran are “words” that guide people on how to “act.” When you’re growing up your parents “words” guide you on how to “act.” Unless you get your ass whooped a lot like I did…then it’s the other way around. 3. Favourite foods? Pepper Steak, Chicken (in all forms), Crab, Rice and Gravy, Pasta (in all forms) and Sweet Potato Pie. _____________________________________________________________ Voodoo Child Did you get paid for appearing on Cold Pizza? No the guy over the rowdies (shouts out to Chris Lord) just thought me and my friend were really crazy and thought that we could play off of one another pretty good so he chose us. THE DREAM... it's all caps... what's up with that? Out of respect for Hakeem, because I still feel that he’s unappreciated for what he did for the game of basketball (and for people in general), it’s sad when ESPN Classic shows U of H losing to North Carolina State more than any other game that Hakeem played in, they don’t do that for Bird, Jordan, or Magic. It brings a lot more attention to the name with it being in all caps. How do you think the Rockets faired in the Gay for Battier trade now that it's a year later? I still like the trade, one of my good “rowdies” friends doesn’t, but Battier is a solid role player who plays excellent defense. Gay is still a raw talent who seems like he hasn’t found a consistent jump shot yet. I also think Shane will have a bigger role under Adleman ________________________________________________________ Umair 1)How does it feel to have gone to all the Rockets games and appearing on TV? A true blessing my man. Before this season (although I’ve been a die hard rockets fan for nearly 15 years) I only had been to a handful of Rocket home games. I hope I can continue next year if not I still thank JVG and Tmac for the tickets, because I’ll never forget being in the arena every night. I also met a lot of good people and made some life long friends while attending. 2) Best experience on JBB? When Dirk choked like I predicted, lol….Nah I’m not that much of an A-Hole, I don’t think my best experience has came yet. 3) Favorite activities/hobbies outside of basketball? Reading books (I’ve been slippin on that lately) about History, Politics, Black Culture, etc., Listening to my CD collection, watching Lost and Law and Order SVU (I love when USA shows the 6 hour marathons), hanging with my friends at sports bars, clubs (occasionally), or the movies. _______________________________________________________ Legacy 1.What are your thoughts on Eminem's career? He’s proving all of his critics right. Even though some in the hip hop community hated on Em when he first came out, because he was “the white dude making goofy songs trying to steal a culture,” I never felt that way. In his prime I think he’s one of the greatest to ever do it and I’m a big fan of his older material. Unfortunately there’s only so much you can say about your daughter, wife, your mom, and the backstreet boys….I wish he’d just quit because this whole fake thug persona just isn’t working for a guy who got picked on in school. 2. How great of an experience was it being a part of the Red Rowdies? Fantastic. Obnoxious, Insane, Beer Drinking Rockets fans….don’t get no better than that. 3. Why haven't you participated in the rap battles we have had in the past? I’ve stopped rapping for about a year now. I used to battle on the net all the time 5 years ago, that’s actually how I developed a talent for writing hip hop lyrics. I love hip hop, but the industry, artists, fans, etc. just piss me off to the point where I said “forget writing” and the music biz. I still wish the best for those hip hop artists (and artists in general) out there trying to make it, but it’s just too much phony ass kissing for me to stomach. Would you want Kobe on the Rockets? Hell yes, lol. As long as we didn’t have to give up Yao or our entire roster I’d make a move to get Kobe here in a heartbeat. Kobe, Yao, and some role players could terrorize the league for years. What made you join Justbball? I was looking for a b-ball board to join because the one I had been going to got really boring in the offseason and overall it just wasn’t a good board. I started yahooing basketball forums and came across this one. I liked the layout and members like durvasa really knew their stuff so I decided to make this my home. ________________________________________ Mamba Do you let your love for Hakeem blind you in debates? Do you let Kobe blind you???, lol…nah when I say things like Hakeem’s Mom > Tim Duncan’s future son….yes, but I’m playing around then….but when arguing about his abilities, accomplishments, etc…no I don’t. I’m a HUGE Hakeem fan, but I’m a BIGGER b-ball fan. That’s why I have him ranked behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the all time greatest center list. Fergie, would you tap that? Yes. She’s not attractive at all to me, and her annoying songs don’t help out either, but yeah I’d tap those London Bridges and make em fall down…..she ain’t that damn ugly. Craziest thing you've done that you can talk about on the boards I’m not really one of those people that does a lot of insane things, lol, but I have a crazy story from when I was a kid. I once stuck gum foil so far up my nose to the point I had to go see a couple of doctors before they could get it out. It took about 4 doctors to hold me down while they stuck these long ass scissors up my nose…..yeah I’m a dork. ______________________________________________________________ A.F. Venom I remember you saying Lupe Fiasco can't rap. How much of his material have you heard? Have you heard his mixtapes? (there are some gems in there) I haven’t heard most of or all of his material, but from what I have heard I think he’s talented, but just not someone who I consider great or jaw dropping. He reminds me of a more talented Kanye West. Who is your top 5? (rappers) Okay the top 5 greatest MCs of all time IMO when you consider albums, longevity, creativity, lyrics, influence, impact, talent, consistency, etc. are 1. KRS One 2. Rakim 3. Ice Cube 4. Chuck D 5. Andre 3000, Nas, Common, Kool G. Rap, Black Thought, 2Pac, Ice T, LL Cool J or Scarface (can make a case for anyone of these dudes being a top 5 MC) My favorite 5 are 1. Andre 3000 2. Rakim 3. Ice Cube 4. Nas 5. Big Pun Advice for a young MC? (dont say stay in school either...I got that covered lol) Always ask yourself “how am I different than anyone else out there”. The problem I see today besides a bunch of wack rappers is that everyone wants to be Nas, Jay Z, the King of New York, the King of the South, the King of England. What happened to everyone just doing what they do? Q-Tip never gets credit for being the greatest MC ever, but the guy just had his own style and in turn A Tribe Called Quest made some fantastic music. Don’t try to be the best that’s why I say don’t get caught up in battle rapping, because it can really make you one dimensional. You can be the best battle rapper all you want, but no one’s going to remember you. There are cats on the streets right now that can beat all the rappers I listed in a battle, but none of them can create the classics that they created. Do you and make timeless music. Also reintroduce scratching into your choruses. Scratching brings out the essence of hip hop music. _________________________________________________ Blur Did you ever hook up with that one Rockets cheerleader? Unfortunately, no I didn’t link up with Nicole. At the RPD tryouts the guy I know in the Rockets organization tried to put me down with her, but failed. She thought I was cute and was flattered, but she had a boyfriend. I’ll still be keeping tabs on her during the reg. season though. She’s incredibly gorgeous and seems like an ambitious intelligent sister that I hopefully get to hang out with one day (you’ll be the first to know if it ever happens), I would’ve attempted last season but I was dating that lame ass chick who can’t cook for the majority of it (cheap shot). How come there is no poll for who should appear on the next UTM? (nvm) Because……………………never mind Hakeem or MJ? I know I’m going to sound biased, but I still say Hakeem. People have to remember what Hakeem accomplished early in his career when he had his Scottie Pippen (in Ralph Sampson). For the majority of his career Hakeem played with no true superstar next to him until Clyde got here and by then he was past his prime as well. I’ll put it like this I could see Hakeem winning titles with those bulls teams before I can see Jordan winning a title with Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell, or Kenny Smith. Big men just affect the game in a major way. _____________________________________________________________ Master Shake 1.Second Favorite team other then the Rockets in the NBA? None. The NBA is the only sport where I have one favorite team. The NFL I have the Packers and Cowboys. MLB I have the Yankees and Stros. I have players I root for (Nash, Bron, Wade) but the rockets are the only team I root for. 2. If you were the GM of the 1984 Rockets, would you have picked Jordan knowing what he has done or Hakeem? Hakeem…..but I would’ve traded Sampson for MJ and Drexler (like we could’ve done) and formed the greatest basketball team of all time. 3. Was Hakeem playing for the Raptors during the last season of his career, a heart break for you? A tad bit. I was actually pissed at him, because he didn’t get paid that much more (considering taxes) in Toronto than he would’ve in Houston. It sucked seeing him wither away on a bad team. But all is forgiven. ______________________________________________ Mr J 1.Briefly, in a paragraph or so, what are your thoughts on Big L? He’s underrated and overrated. When it comes to punchlines, flow, freestyling, mic presence I think he’s one of the greatest…I’d hate to battle the dude, because everything about him says he’ll rip you to shreds. But when it comes to creativity and making music I think he’s overrated. He never strayed away from “I’ll bang ya moms on a subway” that much and while Lifestylez of the Poor and Dangerous is a great album I don’t feel like it’s one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. I’ve been pumping Devil’s Son lately though and I must say that’s one of the most wickedest tracks in hip hop history. 2. If you had to list your top 10 songs of all-time, what would they be? In no order 1. My Melody – Eric B. and Rakim 2. Retrospect For Life – Common feat. Lauryn Hill 3. All Along The Watch Tower – Jimi Hendrix 4. Lyrics of Fury – Eric B. and Rakim 5. A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke (this might actually be my favorite song of all time) 6. Babylon – Outkast 7. ATLiens – Outkast 8. Saturn – Stevie Wonder 9. A Bird in the Hand – Ice Cube 10. Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) – Ice Cube and Chuck D 3. What is your take on Curry/Randolph? If they play to their potential they’d probably be the best one two punch at the Center and the 4 spot in the NBA. But something tells me that they’ll find some way to screw it up, because it's the Knicks (sorry, lol). ________________________________________________ Riot What are some of your favorite rock artists/songs? I’m still trying to learn more and listen to more rock music. One of the rowdies is a Metal Head so he’s been helping me out, but Jimi – All Along the Watch Tower, Voodoo Child, Purple Haze, Castles Made of Sand, When the Wind Cries Mary, Foxy Lady, Fire, Stone Free, Hot Cold Summer, etc. Black Sabbath – War Pigs, Iron Man, Changes, Black Sabbath Led Zeppelin – When the Levees Break Nirvana (still trying to get into them) - Smells Like Teen Spirit Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird ___________________________________________________ C Los What is your All-Rocket team?? C – Moses Malone PF – Hakeem SF – Tmac SG – Clyde Drexler PG – Calvin Murphy Bench Elvin Hayes Charles Barkley Yao Ming Sam Cassell Robert Horry Ralph Sampson Vernon Maxwell Will Yao Ming ever come out of being the "soft player"? I really don’t feel that he’s “soft” his game just doesn’t excel to that next level of dominance. To be honest he’s exceeded what most people thought he could be and I still feel that he can get better. In order for us to win a title he’s fine how he is, Tracy will have to be our “guy” though….and that bothers me a little bit. _____________________________________________ Dark Hero 1.If you were to have any NBA player in the Rockets who would it be? King James. Dude’s as old as me and can still get better 2.The Game or 50 Cent? The Game….I liked his first album, but both of them annoy me for various reasons. 3.Fall out Boy or Taking Back Sunday? Not a big fan of either, don’t even know if I can name you a song lol. _________________________________________________________ Locke Flying or sailing? Flying Durex or Trojan? Why do you wanna know this??, lol…Trojan though Cold or hot weather? Cold…..I HATE when it’s hot outside. You can dress fly in cold weather, you don’t sweat in cold weather, plus it’s cool to blow air out of your mouth and see it in front of you…..it sucks waking up in Cold Weather though. ___________________________________________________ J-Ray 1. What were the Rockets thinking during this year's draft and what were you thinking? I don’t know what the hell they were thinking, all I know is me and some rowdies started to boo the pick at our draft party, lol. All I’ll say is if we can get a good PF in free agency then the pick won’t bother me as much. 2. Who would be the best role player to make the Rockets a champion? I don’t think this one player would make them a “champion” but it would definitely increase our chances. Mikki Moore. Long, athletic, can shoot somewhat, a true PF next to Yao. Barkley was the last good 4 that we had. 3. Craziest weather you've been in? When a tornado touched down near my house when I was younger. It sounded like a train coming into your living room. Luckily our fence was only damaged. But the craziest experience I’ve had because of weather had to be trying to get out of Houston when Hurricane Rita was coming a couple of years back. It took us damn near an entire day to even leave the city limits of Houston (and we didn’t even get out). People were stranded on the side of the road because they had no gas and their cars were overheated, and it took hours just to move a couple of miles. We eventually had to turn around and go back home, because we were running out of gas (gas stations had ran out of gas…way to plan for a major storm Texas) and the storm was coming. When we got back to the house all the stress, fatigue, pressure, arguments I had that day and fear got to me so much to the point where I actually broke down and shedded a tear. Our city was like a ghost town and I felt miserable. ______________________________________________________________ Huevonkiller Where do you rank T-Mac right now? In the NBA currently I’d put him in the top 15. If he could ever have some success in the playoffs I’d put him in the top 10 easily, because he’s one of the most gifted stars this league has ever seen. Where does T-Mac's prime rank historically? His prime??? Hmmm. A couple of years ago during his first season here in Houston was probably his last year in his “prime”. If you take in account his statistics I’d probably say top 70 or 80, but just like now he never won anything so that might bump him down some. ___________________________________________________________ Brian 1.Nas vs Jay-Z, who wins in a battle. Jay Z in a freestyle, he’s just more of a witty type of dude….Nas on wax (like he did with Ether) because he’s a much better MC when it comes to writing and thinking out a verse. 2. Explain how Latrell Sprewell is feeding his kids Daddy keeps us well fed…..stop being so damn nosey. 3. If you had to choose between Yao or T-Mac, who would it be? Yao…..Tmac is past his prime and he’s a lot easier to replace. Yao can still get better and currently he’s argubably the best Center in the League (if Duncan’s at the 4) ________________________________________ Thedude9990 1.Did Jeff really inspire you to go bald?? Yes and in a past life I was also inspired by A.C. Green when I went with the Jheri Curl look. Here’s a picture. 2. What do you think the Rockets are missing from being in the championship? One more superstar. A couple of years ago before the back injury I really thought we’d win a title or two with Tmac and Yao, but Tracy just can’t do the things that he used to. Ron Artest would be nice. 3. Don't you just hate Alica Key's haters (like the chest hair comments)? Nah not really. I don’t like calling anyone a hater, because I hate when people call me one. I just ignore it, because Alicia is beautiful, talented, intelligent, and seems like a very humble and giving human being. You can’t really ask for much more out of a woman. If you let a couple of photo shopped chest hair pics turn you off that much then in the words of Phundamentalz “you need your penis revoked” ___________________________________________________ Will637 1.Top 5 favorite movies? Silence of the Lambs The Fugitive What Lies Beneath Malcolm X Chris Rock Bigger and Blacker 2. What's it like to be a red rowdy? What's the experience like all game long at a normal day? Is it being a duke student at a duke game or just any other college student at high fan base team? Well if you don’t know by now Houston sports fans suck. Most of the time the rowdies will be the only people cheering, standing, or hollering in our dead arena. During game 7 against Utah me and some friends actually went down the aisles telling people to get up and start cheering. Most of them looked at us like we were stupid and stayed seated. Our section would probably be even rowdier if others around us wouldn’t complain about us standing, shouting, yelling obscenities, etc. and instead joined in on the festivities. 3. Do you guys get to meet the Rockets players? Yes. A lot of the rowdies met players during commercial shoots, but I didn’t make any of those so if I met a player it was most likely, because I saw him during a night out on the town. I do know of a place where the team goes to “bond” though, lol. Let’s just say….ahh nevermind just use your imaginations. ________________________________________________________ Mag 1.Who (realistically) do you want at the PF position for the Rockets? Anderson Varejo or Mikki Moore….but from the looks of it neither of those guys are coming here….a rockets insider did tell me we’re trying to get Marcus Camby over here from Denver…..I could live with that. 2. Most heart-breaking moment as a Rocket fan? God….that’s a tough one……but I’ll say John Stockton hitting the game winning 3 in game 6 of the ’97 WCF……Karl Malone literally held Clyde Drexler so he couldn’t move around the pick and Stockton was left wide open for a 3, and the rest is history…..I’m so glad both of those dudes didn’t retire with a ring, makes me sleep better at night. 3. Most beautiful woman alive is. . ? I really don’t like doing things like “Most” attractive or rating chicks on a scale from 1 to 10 because I’m one of those types of dudes that finds certain unique qualities about females that I like, having a specific type or an ideal for what “beauty” is keeps you in a box….the word beautiful imo is something that shines from the inside anyways (as corny as that sounds)…I’ll put it like this beauty for me = good morals, confidence, sweetness, creative, analytical, intelligent, empathetic, a little attitude, and honest……until I meet my wife the most beautiful women in the world are my mom, big mama and my sisters. ____________________________________________ Igotask8board Forget about salaries, Mobley or Head? Mobley all day every day….he can create his own shot, is an underrated defender, is longer and more athletic, etc….if we could have one player back from the tmac trade I’d want Mobley (and most rockets fans agree with that) ________________________________________________________ Iggy 1)Favorite fast food joint? Man I tried staying away from fast food and I was doing good for a month, but now I’m back at it……I’ll say Sonic. 2) Favorite family home cooked meal? My mom or sisters rice and gravy and porkchops. 3) Do you play any instruments? If not which instrument would you like to learn? No I don’t. I really want to learn how to play the guitar though. I could see myself playing acoustic more than anything……ladies dig dudes with some sort of musical talent. I actually used to play the drums when I was younger, but I was never that great at it. __________________________________________________ M Two One 1.If the Rockets had the opportunity to pick up Luol Deng from the Bulls, who would you be willing to give up if anyone at all? Anyone not named McGrady or Ming….Luol Deng is going to be scary good before it’s all said and done with. 2. Which athlete do you have the most respect for? Your selection doesn't actually have to be about his or her sporting achievements. I’ll give you a few a. Dikembe Mutumbo – I wish more black athletes would follow in his footsteps and really “give” back instead of taking part in Read to Achieve photo ops, lol…..this guy took money straight from his pocket to do something that will help his people over a long period of time…Deke’s a good brother and human being. b. Jim Brown – Always spoke his mind and still speaks his mind today. The black community and society could use someone like him in our modern era of sports. c. Muhammad Ali – Dude just made it cool to be black. He showed his pride and arrogance in a grown man type of way. He was extremely influential in black America. d. Hakeem – Always humble and always thought of others. I love how he priced his shoes at a low price so kids that looked up to him could afford them. e. Jackie Robinson – had to endure so much…you have to be a strong person to do what he did f. Bill Russell – he seems like the grandfather figure you go to for advice, lol g. Dennis Rodman – yes it might shock some, but Dennis did some good things for people over his career (like paying for James Bird Juniors funeral) and he brought flashiness to hard work. 3. Do you look up to sports athletes or people you actually know such as your parents? When I was younger I looked up to both. We can say “kids should look up to their parents” all we want, but in our society that’s just not true. I looked up to my parents, but certain qualities that athletes shared with my parents were usually the ones I looked up to as a youngin. I looked up to Hakeem because he was a giving person like my parents, but I also looked up to Jordan, because I saw that he was a hard worker, which my parents were also. _________________________________________________________ Bobcats 1)Out of these choices, what is your favorite rap duo: Mobb Deep/Gang Starr/Dead Prez Mobb Deep…..Dead Prez has one great album, I like Gang Starr mainly because of Premo being my favorite producer but Guru can be a tad bit monotone sometimes to listen to….before they fell off Mobb Deep was on course to be possibly the greatest hip hop duo/group of all time….The Infamous is one of my top 10 albums and gives a solid definition of the word “grimey” too bad they suck now. 2) NWA or Public Enemy? Public Enemy very easily……better albums, have more longevity, etc. 3) Black girls or Latino Girls? LOL….I don’t really like questions like this, because I don’t like putting one group of females of a particular race over the other….I’ll just say that I prefer black girls cause that’s the only thing I ever dated. I’ve actually talked to a few latino girls, but for some reason or another it never got passed talking. So I’ll say black girls. _________________________________________________________ Karma Shaq in his prime or Hakeem in his prime? Come on I think you know the answer…Hakeem gets the edge, because of his defense, ability to actually make freethrows, and the competition he dominated against. When Hakeem dominated Shaq he was just as good as he was ever going to be, and I mean that from a statistical and actual skill set point of view. He might not have “tortured” him like he did to D-Rob, but he did outplay him. Why is Jessica Alba more sexier/beautiful than Alicia Keys? I’m going to be honest and say that some people overrate Alba. She’s a cute girl, but ahhhhhhhhhhh you know the rest….. What's the ideal job you wanna be doing when you're older? Clinical Psychologist. I would like to actually help people from a treatment aspect, because I believe I’d have the patience and people skills to do it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">3.Fall out Boy or Taking Back Sunday?</div> Both should die already. They're the worst emo trash to ever reach the airwaves. Nice to see DREAM's got good taste in music, even in rock. Andre 3000 > * Man, where were you last year though DREAM in the Battier-Gay trade threads? I was really ganged up on in the Rockets forum with people telling me what a horrible deal it was for the Rockets and how lame Battier was. I coulda used your help.
LOL yeah I a lot of people were mad over that trade, but I don't see why (even now)....I don't see Gay turning into that all-star caliber player. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Both should die already. They're the worst emo trash to ever reach the airwaves. </div> Yeah I kind of knew those Fall Out Boys were Emos, I just haven't heard any of their music...and chances are I never will, because I can't stand that Emo crap.
If Luther could ever gain more confidence in his ball handling skills he could be a good 3rd option on a contending team.
hmmm.....I'll say top 30 at least.....his first 4 albums were all really good and he was one of the most talented lyricists the game has ever seen.
Very nice answers DREAM (especially the one to my second question). I always like hearing your opinion on music. Got to your musical tastes a lot of credit, because I'd never heard of Rakim until you'd posted about him and now he's like my favourite rapper.
Great answers, I especially liked this one. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">2. If you had to write an autobiography, what would the title be? “Words Speak Louder Than Actions.” I know it’s supposed to be the other way around, but think about it for a second. Guys like MLK, Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, etc. are remembered for their words just as much as their actions if not more. Words are truly infinite, because they live on and can continue to inspire people for years and years. The Bible and The Quran are “words” that guide people on how to “act.” When you’re growing up your parents “words” guide you on how to “act.” Unless you get your ass whooped a lot like I did…then it’s the other way around.</div> Unfortunately, I forgot to submit mine to you.
1. What do you think of Richard Jefferson? Do you feel Carter's play overshadows his abilities? Do you sorely regret handing him over for Eddie Griffin? 2. When Yao was drafted, did you see great potential in him? I remember he was labeled the next Shawn Bradley, and constantly put down by Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Were you on the same boat as them? I had another question concerning religion, but I can't remember it.
Nice answers DREAM, but when I asked you about T-Mac's prime, I was referring to his 2002-2003 season in Orlando. And yes I agree, you are pretty biased (it's ok).
^^^yeah I was thinking of those great 3 or 4 years that he had for a stretch when thinking of my answer....Tmac is so talented and I wanted to rank him higher, but you have to get out the first round. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">1. What do you think of Richard Jefferson? Do you feel Carter's play overshadows his abilities? Do you sorely regret handing him over for Eddie Griffin? 2. When Yao was drafted, did you see great potential in him? I remember he was labeled the next Shawn Bradley, and constantly put down by Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Were you on the same boat as them? </div> 1. I think "damn" everytime I see richard jefferson play, because I know what we got in return for him. I think in the media his play is overshadowed by Carter, but fans who watch the game know his importance to that New Jersey team. 2. No, I always thought Yao could be a great player in this league. The fact that he was 7'6 and had skill made me think he could do it. I had little doubt in his abilities.
<div class="quote_poster">THE DREAM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">^^^yeah I was thinking of those great 3 or 4 years that he had for a stretch when thinking of my answer....Tmac is so talented and I wanted to rank him higher, but you have to get out the first round. </div> I think you're letting this year's chokejob affect your opinion of T-Mac in his prime too much. At that time, him losing to the Pistons was not nearly as egregious as what occurred with Utah in 2007.
^^^that's true, but his team did have a 3-1 lead, and his first year in Houston we had a 2-0 lead on Dallas...I always felt that if T-mac would've put his mind to it he could've easily been the best player in the NBA and one of the greatest of all time.
