All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players
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Best performances I saw in person Dr J 39 points, sat the last 4 mins of 3rd quarter and the entire 4th quarter, in era when there was no three-pointer; and saw MJ pour in 61 and then 59 points in consecutive seasons, all against the Pistons (they sucked hard when Doc faced them, circa ‘80 or ‘81; but were the defending champs when Michael scorched them, ‘87 & ‘88.) Detroit games used to be played at Pontiac Silverdome, where Hulk famously slammed Andre in front of 93,000. For the basketball games they moved the court into the corner of the stadium and ran a huge curtain around the portable stands. Looked cheese. But there was one game against the Celtics in 1988 I attended where they “pulled back the curtain” and drew 62,000 fans or thereabouts and was for a long time the biggest attendance of any game in NBA history. That year was the one (I think?) they won their first championship. The mid-to-late 80s and early 90s my best friend was a season ticket holder and dragged me to about 8 games a season, and the tickets cost $10 a game.
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@Salacious-Crumb said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:
Best performances I saw in person Dr J 39 points, sat the last 4 mins of 3rd quarter and the entire 4th quarter, in era when there was no three-pointer; and saw MJ pour in 61 and then 59 points in conseccutive seasons, all against the Pistons (they sucked hard when Doc faced them, circa ‘80 or ‘81; but were the defending champs when Michael scorched them, ‘87 & ‘88.) Detroit games used to be played at Pontiac Silverdome, where Hulk famously slammed Andre in front of 93,000. For the basketball games they moved the court into the corner of the stadium and ran a huge curtain around the portable stands. Looked cheese. But there was one game against the Celtics in 1988 I attended where they “pulled back the curtain” and drew 62,000 fans or therabots and was for a long time the biggest attendance of any game in NBA history. The mid-to-late 80s and early 90s my best friend was a season ticket holder and dragged me to about 8 games a season, and the tickets cost $10 a game.
No words for how jealous I am of you right now
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I was first introduced to NBA reading a copy of Sports Illustrated flying from Auckland to Los Angeles. The story was about how the owner of the Sixers paid an enormous sum of money to purchase Julius Erving from the rival league ABA (the Nets). Good story. Great Afro. Okay says me, I’ll support them, I supported him, and he’ll always be my No. 1 player.
I might have mentioned before, but it’s hard to believe now. Sometimes NBA Championship Finals games were not televised live. I remember having to watch a Sixers vs Lakers game in the Final series on tape delay broadcast by CBS at midnight in the Eastern time zone. Midnight ffs!!!
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@Salacious-Crumb said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:
I was first introduced to NBA reading a copy of Sports Illustrated flying from Auckland to Los Angeles. The story was about how the owner of the Sixers paid an enormous sum of money to purchase Julius Erving from the rival league ABA (the Nets). Good story. Great Afro. Okay says me, I’ll support them, I supported him, and he’ll always be my No. 1 player.
I might have mentioned before, but it’s hard to believe now. Sometimes NBA Championship Finals games were not televised live. I remember having to watch a Sixers vs Lakers game in the Final series on tape delay broadcast by CBS at midnight in the Eastern time zone. Midnight ffs!!!
Both the NBA finals and the NCAA championship game used to be on tape delay. Crazy to think now
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It’s a bygone era. Those games used to be for the everyman. Affordable. It cost me very little to see those games. Every pro sporting event was reasonably priced. That’s all gone. MLB is the only ticket I can reasonably expect to pay any more, and even those have skyrocketed. Still the best bargain. Best to stay at home and watch on the big screen. I’ve only been to a few NBA games the past decade, and that was when I was comped freebies by a salesman.
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College sports is a different ball of wax, and one I’d recommend as a much-more memorable experience. Go to a NCAA Michigan football game at Ann Arbor on a Saturday and then a NFL Lions game on Sunday, the crowds and energy are completely different. Mostly true of b’ball as well, pro crowds are much more subdued.
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I've only been to two games of the big 4 North American pro sports leagues: Yankees vs Orioles at Yankee Stadium in 2017 and Cowboys vs Eagles at AT&T Stadium last year. Two massively different costs and experiences.
Tickets for the Yankees were from memory around NZD350 which is up there of course but we had great seats (super roomy and cup holders) and they were easy to find which was unexpected because I expected the stadium to be a little daunting. But it was extremely well laid out and directed. Concessions were plentiful and easily accessed, and it helped that the Bombers put on around 14 runs and Aaron Judge hit two homers. Helluva night and well worth it, but coudn't do it regularly. Beer was about NZD18 a cup!
The Cowboys experience was so disappointing. NZD900 for tickets and the stadium is so vast and such a maze that despite arriving with close to half an hour to spare before kick-off, it was almost the end of the first quarter before we finally found our seats! Never again.
My sister wents to a Dodgers game a few years ago and was able to purchase decent tickets at the gate for a fraction of what I paid for the Yankees.
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@Salacious-Crumb said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:
College sports is a different ball of wax, and one I’d recommend as a much-more memorable experience. Go to a NCAA Michigan football game at Ann Arbor on a Saturday and then a NFL Lions game on Sunday, the crowds and energy are completely different. Mostly true of b’ball as well, pro crowds are much more subdued.
College basketball is great. A fantastic atmosphere and experience. I also went to a handful of college football games but didn't enjoy that as much due to the size of the stadiums and distance from the action. I can only imagine what it would be like in Ann Arbor and Columbus with 100K+ stadiums. But season tickets are in huge demand for those teams and many others with a rabid fan base.
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@shark Yankee Stadium is awesome! I thought our tickets were okay actually, especially for the view (i love when you are selecting the seat you can click an image to see what the view is like). Tin holders. 500ml tins of Heinekin brought to your seat. Awesome joint.
Now that Europe is off, maybe if teh world can sort its shit out, i can go to America for christmas and tick off football and NBA
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@mariner4life I've got NHL and NBA to knock off. Could have backed up in Dallas and gone to a Stars game the night after the Cowboys game but it might have been too much for Mrs Shark.
I've missed the NBA season both times I've been to the US mainland by only a matter of a few weeks to just a couple of days!
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@mariner4life Did you try and upload any pics/video to social media at Yankee Stadium and find it got blocked?
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@shark said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:
@mariner4life Did you try and upload any pics/video to social media at Yankee Stadium and find it got blocked?
don't think so? Pretty sure i was only doing that at the Hotel on the wifi? i don't remember though
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@voodoo said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:
@shark I'm the same. Followed the NBA for 37yrs and never seen a live game. Always been to the US out of season or short visits in between games.
That's one regret I have after living there. I could have travelled to a Bulls or Pacers game but neither team was great back then. I had to make do with the WC in Indy.
I did go to a MLB game in Toronto in 2007 on my way to a certain rugby tournament that shall remain nameless.
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@shark You shouldn’t be paying more than $75-100 for excellent seats at most MLB parks. Yankee Stadium has their own luxury gouge tax on tourists and rich celebrities, unfortunately, and just one of many reasons for most baseball supporters and (even many New Yorkers) to hate the Yankees. In the 80s and 90s you could still buy decent seats for a reasonable price; you can still buy cheapies in the bleachers, but that’s the real Yankee experience. Those real fans aren’t crowded around home-plate, they’re in the nose bleeds.
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@Salacious-Crumb I went to the old Yankee stadium on a visit to NYC in 2006. Sat in the lower tier on the first base line. Was a great experience, amongst real NYers talking about the game
