Is it acceptable for a true Rockets fan to root for Dallas?

Ok, I think we just approach the sport fundamentally differently. I think you are completely wrong about LeBron's future standing because you are living in the moment only. Right now it looks bad for him because he (most likely) won't win Finals MVP but, should the Heat win the title, it's still better for his "legacy" than if he had stayed in Cleveland. Also, he will get many more opportunities to win as the top guy (since he's a better player than Wade AND is younger). Maybe in your eyes he is the same as Worthy, Pippen etc. but that is not how history will remember him because he is so statistically superior to those guys. Legacies are based on two things and two things only:
1) Stats
2) Winning
No one cares about how these things are done. If a guy puts up big stats and doesn't win (Malone), his legacy takes a hit. If he wins and puts up small stats, he's called a role player (Horry).

But that all said, I don't really care. It doesn't make a lick of differnce to me how LeBron goes down in history, and I've never understood the attitude of people who worship individual players. That kind of mentality didn't exist when I first started watching basketball. Sure, people had favorites, but it was about the team. It was the MJ era that seemed to bring in the idea that the individual is more important.

I just want to see good basketball. So far, the first year of the Heat dynasty has produced as much. Let's see what happens.

 

Two very different diverging topics. I need to quote them seperately...

WRONG.

Legacies are based on doing what they can under the circumstances given. An athlete is defined by challenge and their facing of that challenge. Dominique Wilkins and Charles Barkley have very good legacy; they will continue to have a better legacy than Lebron even if Lebron wins 5 championships behind Wade's sweat and guts. If the Heat win these Finals and Dirk never gets a championship, Dirk will have a better legacy than Lebron. Every single championship the Heat win will only add to WADE's legacy. Wade will become legendary and Lebron will help get him there.

People do care about how things are done. Glenn Robinson and Mitch Richmond have a championship. Do anybody call them winners?

The reality is, people watch the NBA for the stars. It is our soap opera. If we wanted to watch good basketball, we'll watch the college game. The NBA form of basketball isn't the best pure basketball you can watch. The rules were designed to cater to star power...whether you like it or not, this how the NBA works. And that's what most fans care about.

The irony is that the Heat play atrocious basketball on the offensive side as a team. They usually just try to barrel over people or iso. Occasionally, there's a pretty fast break generated by their defense, but in no way is the Heat's style a pretty version of basketball. Meanwhile, the Mavs are playing really good basketball because they have a pecking order. This happens when we don't have superteams that are put together over night, who celebrate championships before they win them, and who focus on actual plays on their offense.

 

I'm going to sleep.

 

I'm sorry, you make some valid points elsewhere but you are completely wrong about how people are perceived. 'Nique wasn't even put on the all-time 50 greatest list when it came out a number of years ago, which is a complete slight. The only reason is that he wasn't a winner. If LeBron wins 5 championships and keeps up his ridiculous production, he'll go down as one of the top 5 players ever. Unless Dirk wins a few titles, he's not going to be treated well by history. Heck, he's not even treated well in the current time despite having been one of the best players for a number of years. He was at the very worst the 2nd best MVP candidate this year going by the traditional metric and he finished 6th!

I think these are both good points, although I do find the basketball played in the NBA to be far more interesting than that played in college or in Europe, for a variety of reasons (mostly due to pace).

 

by acting like it should be unconditional hate. It really brings the game 7 40 pt loss back to yesterday. If you want to be stuck in the moment where the rockets were embarrassed and want pity I can't say I agree with you.

Move on.

 

never liked the mavs, don't like them now, and will never like this stupid team as long as cuban is there.

but i respect dirk, Kidd, not so much

 

It's not a rivalry, so rooting for Dallas or rooting against them doesn't really make a difference.

 

jazz-rockets is a rivalry. It goes beyond the players all the way to their fans.

 

Is it acceptable for a true NBA fan who doesn't live in Miami to root for the Heat?

 

I guess I'm a fan of all NBA teams then except the Spazz, Spurs, Heat, and Lakers.

Does that make me any less of a Rockets fan? Who even cares?

 

My Teams: A Hierachy
1) Rockets
2) Any team who's winning would affect the Rockets positively

Other than that, I root for the underdog.

 

I have found myself rooting for the Mavs. I don't know why, I guess it is because I have grown to respect Dirk in these playoffs for his hard work and monster 4th quarters.

Lebron and Wade acting immaturely just made me want the Heat to lose even more....

I don't think it makes me any less of a Rockets fan. Just picking the lesser of two evils.

 

That's not true. If the Mavericks weren't in Dallas, you'd find a lot less haters of them.

 

The Mavs were the 10th team I wanted to win before the playoffs started. But they beat the 15th and the 16th (Heat and Lakers) for me. So I'm kinda fine with it.