Don't look at everything through your own opinion. You are saying it's OK to play good hard defense throughout the game. Fine. You just won't accept Vujacic wasn't playing 'good hard defense throughout the game'. He was playing bullsh** defense through the game and in garbage time he turns up the heat and plays aggressive on Rafer. What was his purpose? He was trying to show up Rafer at the end of the game but someone didn't tell him Rafer has the best handles in the world. Yes, the entire world. Rafer is my favorite (and I think best) streetball and1 baller in the world. Skip 2 My Lou is better than Hot Sauce or anyone else on that tour. He might only be even par with people in terms of NBA handles because of rules, but he is the best on the street, and he does have NBA handles. Vujacic was making something out of nothing and he got owned for it. That wasn't even garbage time, that was "game's over pack up and get ready for the next game Vujacic" time.
Yes I do value the hard noised style of play it how I played in all my sports. I was always running my mouth. However, I never got upset at anything a player did to me because I knew what they wanted was me to react. Rafer reacted to being played hard hence he was in the wrong. Sasha reacted to Rafer's showboating so he was also wrong but the first to break that boundary will always be in the wrong. I have got guys to punch me in the face numerous times while playing but never did I punch back. I would always run up to the ref and show him the fist marks and tell him to watch for it because the guy is crazy.
T-Mac dribbles through the legs all the time. Burn him. You know that Rafer and Vujacic were going at it. It's not like Rafer was dissing some NBA legend. And here's a newsflash for you: The Lakers (of new) haven't done shhht either. Kobe has had as much success as T-Mac/Yao and the Rockets the past few years. Oh and Vujacic is just as scrubby as Rafer (of old, not of new) last time I checked. And yeah RA should have given him an earful. It was not the best thing to do but I dont RA is going to lose sleep at night deciding whether to bench him or not.
If you really watch the video he doesn't stop to avoid a steal. He pulls up and moves over to get in front of him. He also continues to stop in front of him about three times. That is not trying to avoid a steal.
OKay here goes ... T-Mac dribbles between his legs to try and get an opening to drive Rafer obviously did ti to show up Sasha. Why the hell does it matter how good Sasha is. From what you said people can show up any player in the NBA other than the Superstars. It doesn't matter Sasha is a bad player. Who said RA might bench Rafer. To my knowledge no one has said that nor should anyone say it. RA did give Rafer an earful right after it all went down. All that was needed was RA saying never do that again and it seems that is exactly what was said. This isn't really a big deal in the big picture.
amazing. life is good right now. the air smells nice, the sky is bluer, and i like going to work. do i have a problem that my life is intertwined with the fate of the rockets?
And that's why Rafer had to play keep-away by doing his low-to-the-ground dribble while Vujacic was basically walking into him and trying to reach in? See, your argument would have some merit if Vujacic didn't go after him again after Rafer spun him off the first time but he went right back and got up all in his face even though Rafer was clearly just trying to run down the clock. That should be your first clue as to who's instigating here. It's Rafer's prerogative to respond when someone goes after him hard. Basically Vujacic's defense was like in a game of 21 when the other guy is beating you by 10 and you go and knock the ball out of his hands. Don't blame Rafer for getting worked up.
To everyone I have argued with we are just going to have to agree to disagree. You obviously aren't going to change your mind and neither am I. Neither of us can convince each other to go the other way. And with that I am out like a fat kid in dodgeball.
i'm right there with ya (baytown christian school record for charges taken (yeah, we kept the stat, screw the mainstream) this altercation started before the "showboating" (if he really wanted to show him up, he would have). you said before that it doesn't matter what happend before that, but it seems you are resting your entire opinion on who started it. complete incontinuity on your part.
No I am talking about when T-Mac jumps up and down in between and dribbles in between his legs. He does that a lot at the end of games but other guys are cool with it because they know it's just burning clock. It matters how good Sasha is when someone posted about "we haven't done anything yet". Sure we have not, but neither have the Lakers, and it's not like Rafer was dissing a NBA legend or a superstar with success, MVPs, rings, and awards to boot. He was just getting into it a little bit with another guy who hasn't done anything. My point with the RA comment was exactly what you said, that after an earful, it wouldn't even be on his mind. It's not that bad that RA has to be like "damn, why did Rafer do that?". He will just tell Rafer to tone it down a little. We have a difference of opinions. I don't think Rafer was wrong to show up Vujacic like that because Vujacic had been trying to show him up, as well. Problem is, Vujacic can't.
Dude.... levin... Kobe was held in check, Rafer Pwned and the Rockets won. Life is good. Get over it!
Okay I came back after my shower and just before I went to bed and felt compelled to reply. Yes Life is very good right now never said it wasn't. That doesn't mean no Rocket can do wrong or that we can't talk about the wrong committed. T-Mac had a bad game for his standards. We were able to win which makes me feel great we can win without T-Mac dominating but fact remains he struggled mightily today.
Dang, rafer has got into feuds with at least person per team. I don't have a great memory but here's a starting list: hornets - chris paul/chandler lakers - vujacic gsw - davis
In the NBA, there is no such thing as "extra hard" ^_^. Just because there's 50 seconds left doesn't mean you can relax. Hell, if they happened everyone might have just left right after the double digit jumper Jackson shot for the Rockets.
These are the facts: 1.) The Lakers conceded when Kobe was put to the bench. If you've watched any NBA games at all, you'll know that teams stop playing defense with under a minute to go after concession. If, for some reason, the conceded team continues to play physical defense, it's making trouble. 2.) Sasha does not have a reputation of playing physical defense. He is not Bruce Bowen. Rafer does not have a reputation of showing people up. When both act uncharacteristically like that, something happened between them. 3.) Rafer was crazy after the third quarter when it was quite evident that he was destined to have the game of his life. He had this crazy look to his eyes. I'm quite certain he was out of control by the fourth quarter. A player like Rafer isn't used to 30 point performances. How can he be expected to take it calmly like T-Mac who does it so often?
Basketball can be a VERY personal sport. Being that I've played basketball for around 16 years, I know this. When a guy bodies you up hard, especially when there is no reason to that late into the game, you take offense, just as you would when a guy "shows you up" with dribbling. If I was Rafer Alston and I was having to deal with this unnecessarily hard defense at this point the game, I would have returned the favor to him in one way or another. That's how the game is. Once the game is over and you leave the building, if you're still upset over what happened, you are a lost cause. When a guy blocks my shot, next play I for damn sure will be trying to block his. If a guy shoots in my face, I will undoubtedly be looking to return the favor in one form or another. That's how basketball is when it is broken down to a certain level. Now certainly this doesn't hold as true when the game has higher stakes and is played at a more organized level (IE: NBA), however, with 50 seconds to go in a decided game, there was no reason for the excessive defense, so Rafer had every right to counter with his excessive dribbling. The only REAL problem with what Rafer did was after the foul was called, unless of course Sasha hit Rafer in the crotch, in which case anyone would understandably be angry. Without a doubt there were words exchanged between the two prior to this happening, so frustrations were high on both parties. The argument that Rafer's dribbling was unsportsmanlike is nonsense. If you can't have fun every once in awhile, then what good is a sport? A game? Give me a break. Rafer's only fault was what happened after the whistle was blown. Other than that, Sasha brought his embarrassment upon himself.
I think Vujacic did get into it with players from other teams, reading other forums I see a little mention here and there about how he plays sort of annoying defense.
