June 6, 2014

If you can't stand the heat...

... don't call yourself "Heat."
“[The heat] was significant. It was definitely a factor,” San Antonio big man Tim Duncan told ABC after the game. “I don’t know about what happened to LeBron, but all of us feeling the heat were dehydrated.”

... James asked out of the game multiple times and ultimately left for good with 3:59 remaining and the Heat trailing 94-92. After James’ departure, San Antonio finished the game on a 16-3 run to win the opener of the Finals rematch....

“I’m [going to need] some colder water,” a mic’d-up James was heard saying on the ABC broadcast. “They’re trying to smoke us out of here.”

16 comments:

Tank said...

Home field advantage. Now that they know James' weakness, they should let the AC remain broken until after the series is over.

I'll watch at home.

Ann Althouse said...

It's like the old Ice Bowl, except with heat, and the Packers didn't have a way to control the weather.

Anonymous said...

Commenting on the Wrong Post Drunk Guy says:

Sure, I'm a little drunk, but that doesn't mean I don't have a point to make. Today was my first day going into the office dressed as a woman. Sure the men laughed behind my back, but I expected that: some of them have their own secrets and seeing someone Living Their Truth makes them nervous and insecure in themselves. Me, I knew I was a marvelous flower.

Like clockwork, at 10:00am Elena -- the woman at the corner desk -- took the banana from her bag and gave me a glance. I caught her by surprise and pulled a banana from MY bag: I understood it now, the power of a Woman and a Banana in public, and she knew I finally understood. We looked deep into each other's eyes as we both slowly ate our bananas with glistening lipsticked lips; I could feel the eyes of the men in the office upon me, and it gave me power.

This banana moment with Elena left me wondering if there would be more: maybe we would sit together at lunch and she would tell me the troubles with the men in her life, her fears, her dreams. Perhaps we would go out for cappuccinos or light-heartedly shop for girlie things together, then go back to her place and have glasses of red wine and giggle and laugh and insert rubber penises into each other's ass. I think it is wrong for you to comment on things you really don’t know about.

Big Mike said...

Hillary can't take the heat either. But she just sends a flunky over to tell people to turn off the heat.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

left for good with 3:59 remaining and the Heat trailing 94-92

This is why I don't like pro basketball. The players don't really care so why should I?

Henry said...

In the commentary various readers mention the importance of endurance as a factor in various sports. It takes a while, but finally someone mentions tennis.

Tennis requires extraordinary endurance and conditioning. Five Thirty Eight actually has a non-obvious article on this topic:

In tennis, however, many legends were done winning Grand Slam events by their mid-20s — Boris Becker’s last of six was at age 28. Mats Wilander won his seventh and final major at 24. John McEnroe (7) and Björn Borg (11) were done at 25. Even Jimmy Connors (8), famed for his longevity — he made his famous run to the semis at the U.S. Open in 1991 at age 39 — won his final major, the 1983 U.S. Open, at 31..

Another sport requiring extraordinary conditioning is hockey, but hockey rosters are formed around this knowledge, which hides its importance. A single player like Lebron can dominate an NBA game (except when he doesn't) because he is on the court for 40+ minutes a game (except when he's not).

In hockey, the absolutely very best (non-goalie) defensive players clock no more than 25-30 minutes of ice time a game. Offensive players even less. Each team utilizes various specialists for penalty situations. But mostly a team is utilizing three or even four offensive lines to protect players from exhaustion.

The NBA has a sixth man award for a non-starting player that actually contributes something to his team. This very concept would be ludicrous in hockey.

traditionalguy said...

South Florida was known for setting air conditioners in lounges and stores at a cold 65 to attract nearly heat stroked old Yankee tourists to come inside to recover. Southerners found it too cold.

Tank said...

Bill, Republic of Texas said...
left for good with 3:59 remaining and the Heat trailing 94-92

This is why I don't like pro basketball. The players don't really care so why should I?


Have you ever had a cramp in your leg? James did. It has nothing to do with caring.

Anonymous said...

Commenting on the Wrong Post Drunk Guy says:

Sure, I'm a little drunk, but that doesn't mean I don't have a point to make. Last night I dreamt that Elena and I went shopping together for rubber penises at a sex shop down by the airport. There were some seedy men with greasy hair in there giving us leering looks and it smelled of ammonia and desperation but we didn't mind, we were two proud women in proud charge of our sexuality.

I was amazed at the selection: there were rubber penises, plastic penises, metal penises, there were short and thick ones, some long and curved, some nubbly, some not, they were translucent and pink and blue and black and orange, it was like a giant selection of colorful lollipops.

After much deliberation Elena preferred a long plastic yellow one that flexed impressively, while I was drawn to a stubby black one of considerable girth. We made our purchases and then headed back to her place, but when we entered the door with our treasures I woke up.

For a brief moment I teared up at this beautiful vision so quickly snatched from me, but then I wondered if Elena shared the same dream: I do believe there is a bond we now share, and I know there will be more. I think it is wrong for you to comment on things you really don’t know about.

tim maguire said...

It's June! What are they doing still playing basketball?

As for James, most seasons his weakness is playoffs. He's masterful in games that aren't that important. Games that are, well, cross your fingers and hope the good Lebron shows up.

David53 said...

"They’re trying to smoke us out of here.”

Indeed, the Spurs smoked the Heat.

At the end of this series, regardless of who wins, this game will be a footnote in sports history just as the Ice Bowl is.

Enjoying Spurs' excellence since 1997.

Shawn Levasseur said...

It's not the Heat, it's the humility.

mccullough said...

No one in the league plays harder than Lebron. Unfortunate that the AC went out since he's the one most affected by it. Brilliant move by the Spurs organization. Sell more drinks and knock Lebron out of the game.

traditionalguy said...

It is a fact that LeBron James' body type is comparatively thick and exceedingly muscled. Most players his height are long and thinner with half the muscles.

The result is LeBron's body type must sweat profusely trying to cool itself down from more muscle heat generated per skin area than the other players.

LeBron's body will shut itself down before it dies, and that is called Muscle cramps. They are as painful as it gets and always immobilize any man.

furious_a said...

Spurs best the Heat by 15 and the thermostat by 20.

The Spurs went the second half of the closeout OKC game without their quarterback, Tony Parker. The bench stepped up and finished the Thunder.

So much for the "best player not on the floor" excuse.

Unknown said...

The Celtics used to turn off the AC on purpose during championship games in the old Boston Garden.