This is Exhibit fucking A of this stupid phenomenon. Did you seriously just say that Kevin Durant hasn’t accomplished anything? He’s one of the, what, 10 best basketball players in the world? He’s already had a phenomenal career by any reasonable standard. He’s accomplished more in his field than almost anyone on the…

Yeah, bullshit. The great thing about sports is there are a million ways to have a compelling narrative. Last season was great on its terms. Watching the Warriors try to surpass the impossible standards will be compelling as hell. If you don’t see the potential entertainment value of a team like the Warriors adding a…

Well shit, if most sports fans have idiotic opinions, let’s encourage it!

Yeah, there’s a huge fucking gulf between the easiness of playing and not playing.

Taking the easy way out would be retiring. He’s not taking the easy way out, unless you consider playing 100 nights of basketball against the top athletes in the world to win a championship easy.

Yeah, everyone criticizing Durant seemed to be mad that him joining Golden State fucked with some other predetermined narrative they had decided would be more awesome.

This isstupid. Jordan didn’t need to join the Pistons in 1991. He was playing alongside a future Hall of Famer, with a Hall of Fame coach, and a front office that was extremely good at bringing in talent.

What the hell are you talking about? I’m not talking about a criticism of Kobe as a player. I’m talking about Simmons’ criticizing news coverage of a historic scoring run, as opposed to a good regular season game, as if it’s indicative of some flaw in basketball culture.

Are you fucking kidding me? Do you really think a really good regular season game between two really good teams is more notable than a historically great scoring streak? Moron.

But the sport of basketball is headed for a crossroads of sorts, personified by the fact that Kobe Bryant’s recent streak of 50-point games received far more national attention than the incredible Suns-Mavs game two weeks ago.

First, how so? Second, even if so, is that the goal? Seems like an awfully low bar to clear.

Not sure what minor league team you go to, but beer is just as expensive at the minor league games I go to, and I think Dippin’ Dots are like $5? And you can get $10 tickets to the Nats game.

In a post where discussion of home runs figured prominently, it took you until the penultimate paragraph to use “dinger,” “dong,” or a similar variant. And you failed to use “stroke” anywhere near it. Please consult Deadspin Style Guide before future posts.

That’s interesting. Were you responding to something I said, or just wanted to let everyone know those things?

Yes. The potential to be the best player on an NBA championship contender. For example, Anthony Davis has shown that potential. I’ll give you Ben Simmons. But of the other 4 lottery picks that have resulted from the vaunted Process, all of whom COULD HAVE shown that potential on an actual NBA court, none of them have.…

Uhhh...what? How is that an argument?

It doesn’t have to have been in the pros, and I never said it did. But I think it’s telling that of the 5 lottery picks, including 3 top 3 picks, the only answers you can come up with for guys who are potential best players on a championship team just so happen to be two guys who have yet to play a single game in the…

This is why I’m against paying anyone who makes apple pie. Go to Russia with that shit.

I think you’re confused. I didn’t say they should have a championship roster. I didn’t ask whether this roster could currently compete with Cleveland, and never even implied that if they couldn’t currently compete with Cleveland Hinkie was a failure. That is not the standard I have ever purported to hold them to.

Did I say the 2013 Sixers were quality? I said the Sixers roster is not “much much” better than the one the roster inherited. It just has more players who you’ve never seen play, so you can still convince yourself they are future Hall of Famers.