The Prudential Halftime Report June 4, 1987 - Isiah Thomas scandal

The Prudential Halftime Report from game 2 of the 1987 NBA Finals. isiah Thomas explains his words on Larry Bird ("If he were white, he'd be just another good guy").

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• nba
• basketball
• the
• prudential
• halftime
• report
• isiah
• thomas
• scandal
• 1987
• eastern
• conference
• finals
• boston
• celtics
• larry
• bird
• just
• another
• good
• guy

[DaCaptain924]

Bingo.  There's a lotta Bad Boy behing that choir boy face. He and Rodman made a real boo-boo talking smack @ Bird.

[lpayne5001]

I look at this whole circumstance from two angles.

1) I hate the fucking media for this whole, "we're gonna be magnanimous and let you have an opportunity to retract and apologize for your remarks. Aren't we kind?" Not only is it condescending, it's pointless. Why is the media conditioning society to CARE about something ONE PERSON says?! Isiah is an individual, and he made a statement. Why does the media act like it's their (and our) duty to police and judge opinions? They're just words! Damn!

[BigTimePride]

Isiah was just mad because he became another victim on Bird's highlight reel!

[Flipper79able]

@lpayne5001 Wow, You wrote a lot to me. I'll try to answer back without spending too much time on Youtube. I think your right. I don't think it's anyones business what two different people say to each other. I was just trying to challenge you to see it from another angle...but if your answer is the same....as it seems to be....fair enough.

[lpayne5001]

@Flipper79able Let me make it clear that this is not about agreeing or disagreeing with Bill Laimbeer. It's about not acting as though a stranger--someone I've never met and will never meet--has to apologize to me and the rest of the country because he says something most of us disagree with. That's not a healthy way to go thru life.

But really, you couldn't have picked some other play than Laimbeer? That guy was such a dick. It's been very hard defending his right to free speech.

[lpayne5001]

@Flipper79able Our country's obsession with celebrity (and the belief that celebrities "owe" the public something, and can only have a certain, narrow set of opinions) is why Keeping Up with the Kardashians is so popular, and why no one will bother electing a president who's not a total fraud. We care about the wrong things.

But, of course, it's not an ideal world. Laimbeer would get raked over the coals for saying something like that. And he'd be forced to apologize on national TV.

[lpayne5001]

@Flipper79able Secondly, in an ideal world? No, their wouldn't be a firestorm about Laimbeer's comments. Not because his quote isn't racially charged (and perhaps offensive), but because society simply wouldn't operate under the "somebody-said-something-offen­sive-so-now-I-have-to-make-it-­MY-business" paradigm. It's one thing to ingest the news; it's another to react so dramatically when someone else expresses their own opinion.

[lpayne5001]

@Flipper79able Well, first off, I don't think the media should be "calling out" anyone. This is the problem with our shitty news corps: they do less objective reporting and more judging, editorializing, and ranting. It's not CBS' job to get on Isiah's ass because of his Bird comments. Their only job is to, I guess, print Isiah's quote. I hate media members for thinking it's their damn duty to right all the "wrongs" they hear and see.

[Flipper79able]

@jascha1978 I think it's true what you said about Dirk. Actually, I think Dirk and Dominique are similar in their over all play. They are both All-Stars but really only one dimensional players...they are incredible scorers and team captains but that's about it. Bird has the 5th highest career triple doubles and 3rd in playoff triple doubles...not to mention his incredible free throw % and 3 point field goal %. Bird was an amazing all around player and deserved the hype and awards he got.

[Flipper79able]

@lpayne5001 I agree with you....but let's look at it from another angle. Let's say Laimbeer said Jordan is a typical black player.....a lot of flash and style but he would rather look good and lose than look bad and win. I'm saying that because that was a common stereotype of black basketball players back then while the common stereotype for white basketball players was that they were overrated. Do you think the media should've called out Laimbeer if that actually happened? Answer Honestly.

[dickliscious]

Isiah once again kept it real. He was A.I. before A.I.

[JayGatsbyOdysseus]

Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird are the only two NBA players who completely turned around their teams. Each the Detroit Piston and the Boston Celtics were like 20-50 before Thomas and Bird were drafted. Their rookies years, their teams went like 50-20. One player to turn the team around. Magic and MIchael did not do this.