The Last Dance | Page 7 | Syracusefan.com

The Last Dance

Were the early 2000s Pistons and 90s Knicks really like the Bad Boy Pistons in terms of basically trying to hurt people? Maybe they were but I just don't remember it.

I've seen interviews with Larry Bird and Kareem who to this day still hate Bill Laimbeer. Playing physical defense is great, but going out of your way to do things like undercut players when they jump which could destroy their career is above and beyond.
 
I was going by style of play. Have at it. Comparable to Georgetown in the Big East.
 
Were the early 2000s Pistons and 90s Knicks really like the Bad Boy Pistons in terms of basically trying to hurt people? Maybe they were but I just don't remember it.

I've seen interviews with Larry Bird and Kareem who to this day still hate Bill Laimbeer. Playing physical defense is great, but going out of your way to do things like undercut players when they jump which could destroy their career is above and beyond.

I will concede to that. As a Pistons fan who loved those Bad Boy teams, Laimbeer sliding his feet under a players when they jumped so they would roll their ankles was tough to stomach and wrong.
 
Simmons really isn't all that interesting anymore. He tries too hard.

I'll defend him in some respects.

He admits that his writing is crap now. He just doesn't work at it enough and doesn't pretend it's good - hence, no articles (or barely any).

He's crushed it in foreseeing where new media has been going and has one of the best eyes for talent out there and then provides an environment where that talent can thrive.

Ya, he's not the Sportsguy writing his draft diaries anymore (I started following him right when he started on Page 2), but the content he's been driving, whether it be on Page 2, Grantland, 30 for 30 or The Ringer, has been really good and he's been doing it for a while.

Some of his previous takes (and even some now) are cringey (to put it politely).

But, if you look at the roster of people that have come to work for him and how he's given them a platform to thrive, it's incredibly impressive.

Also, while he's not a John Hollinger (or even guys like Nate Duncan or Danny Leroux), he knows basketball. His Book of Basketball is really good. While he clearly has a Cs bias, I think he's pretty balanced and knowledgeable on his takes, for the most part (he still has his old man moments).
 
I loved it
They had guys who could play in Dumars, Zeke, AD, Aguirre, and Rodman. Laimbeer was a classic faux tough guy and he brought the rest of the group down. It would have been interesting if the Bulls still had Oakley on that team how tough Mahorn and Laimbeer would have been.
 
Were the early 2000s Pistons and 90s Knicks really like the Bad Boy Pistons in terms of basically trying to hurt people? Maybe they were but I just don't remember it.

I've seen interviews with Larry Bird and Kareem who to this day still hate Bill Laimbeer. Playing physical defense is great, but going out of your way to do things like undercut players when they jump which could destroy their career is above and beyond.
Funny though in that Rodman - in his need to be accepted was cheaper than any of the Pistons - and yet MJ and Pippen had no trouble embracing him because he could help them win. I know people who have worked with Laimbeer outside of basketball and his jerkiness isn't limited to the court.
 
Laimbeer is pretty underrated as a player. He was a 4 time all star and probably the 3rd best player on those Piston teams after Zeke and Dumars. It's too bad he's remembered just for being a dirty enforcer. Those Pistons teams played a lot of big guys and they certainly used all their fouls.
 
Nobody but Pistons fans like Laimbeer.
Larry Bird respected Rick Mahorn, Isiah Thomas, and all the Detroit players but Bill Laimbeer because Laimbeer wasn’t playing physical he was trying to injure opponents.

There is a difference between the two.
Laimbeer would stick his leg under shooters, always throw elbows.

The guy is hated still now by his opponents.
 
Laimbeer is pretty underrated as a player. He was a 4 time all star and probably the 3rd best player on those Piston teams after Zeke and Dumars. It's too bad he's remembered just for being a dirty enforcer. Those Pistons teams played a lot of big guys and they certainly used all their fouls.
I would go
Isiah, Dumars, Rodman, Laimbeer.

Rodman was why the Pistons beat Celtics and Lakers.
He shut down Bird in 1988 and Worthy in 1989.

On Laimbeer watch the last 10 seconds of game 6 1988 Finals. Detroit was up 1(that was the Isiah spraining his ankle game and scoring an insane amount of points in the 3rdQ) the foul called on Laimbeer was bullchit and won the Lakers the game and prevented the Pistons from winning another title. Kareem made the FTs but Laimbeer got one of the cheapest fouls of alltime that swung a championship.
 
So MJ didn't like the Pistons, but got along with Chuck Daly? I would like to hear more about that...
 
I'm anti-violence in 99% of situations, but I loved Robert Parish here saying enough is enough.

The best part of that was Parish didn’t even get a flagrant or technical foul for that. It was a common foul and no more. Like the refs were like eh he deserved it so nothing more. That was the game Bird stole the ball from Isiah and the Celtics won by 1.
 
So MJ didn't like the Pistons, but got along with Chuck Daly? I would like to hear more about that...
It was covered in the Dream team documentary.
Chuck shook hands and wished Jordan well after the game 4 walkout by Isiah/Rodman/Laimbeer.

2 people shook hands Chuck Daly and John Salley. Jordan didn’t hate those guys as a result. Daly and Jordan played golf in Monte Carlo before the 1992 Olympics and Daly basically asked for forgiveness and Jordan didn’t hold the Pistons stuff against him and because Chuck didn’t push for Isiah to be on the team Jordan was okay with him.
 
I would go
Isiah, Dumars, Rodman, Laimbeer.

Rodman was why the Pistons beat Celtics and Lakers.
He shut down Bird in 1988 and Worthy in 1989.

On Laimbeer watch the last 10 seconds of game 6 1988 Finals. Detroit was up 1(that was the Isiah spraining his ankle game and scoring an insane amount of points in the 3rdQ) the foul called on Laimbeer was bullchit and won the Lakers the game and prevented the Pistons from winning another title. Kareem made the FTs but Laimbeer got one of the cheapest fouls of alltime that swung a championship.

That was the Lakers last title during that run. The Pistons hadn't won yet. It's probably a tossup between the last two. Rodman was just a pup during that time in Detroit. He really didn't turn into the player we mostly knew him by until Isiah and Laimbeer were mostly washed.
 
What makes Laimbeer even more annoying is that it's not like he had a rough upbringing (like Rodman) which would have naturally resulted in him being rough around the edges. He is from a rich family and grew up in high-end Chicago and LA suburbs.
 
This was my favorite clip.
Laimbeer elbows and gives Pippen a concussion.
He is hurt and Joey Crawford doesn’t stop the play instead he drags Pippen off the court and lets him continue being dazed without blowing the whistle.

 
What makes Laimbeer even more annoying is that it's not like he had a rough upbringing (like Rodman) which would have naturally resulted in him being rough around the edges. He is from a rich family and grew up in high-end Chicago and LA suburbs.
I think that is what motivated him - he wanted to prove he was tough even though he was blessed with a wealthy family.
 
As a fan of the 90s Knicks I'm just gonna sit this conversation out...
If this documentary continues to be about Jordan’s entire Bulls era and not just the ‘Last Dance’...then the Knicks are about to trade a walk on part in the War, for a lead role in a cage

Played them every year...

I had liked him up to this point, then it became really personally frustrating and fluck him.
Played them every year...
 
So MJ didn't like the Pistons, but got along with Chuck Daly? I would like to hear more about that...

Maybe has something to do with Chuck coaching the dream team?
 
Maybe has something to do with Chuck coaching the dream team?

Yeah, but before that. I am about your age and too young to remember the dream team being selected, but I would think Jordan would have had a big part in signing off on the coach? Just interesting it turned out to be the coach from his biggest rival.
 
Yeah, but before that. I am about your age and too young to remember the dream team being selected, but I would think Jordan would have had a big part in signing off on the coach? Just interesting it turned out to be the coach from his biggest rival.

I read the dream team book, watched the doc, and...I don't remember much talk about that, but you have to be right. I do vaguely remember there being talk about them needing to convince Jordan to play, so I am 100% certain he at least had to sign off on Daly. It's even funnier when you think about the rumors of Jordan basically keeping Isiah (the guy Daly won 2 rings with) off the dream team.

I should read the dream team book again. Jack McCallum is a really good writer too.
 

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