Minnesota Sports Forum

Great players have big egos. That trend goes way, way back in every single major sport. If you don't think you're the shit, chances are you probably aren't. There are way more Kobe Bryant, Deion Sanders, Rickey Henderson ego types in the Hall of Fame than there are Tim Duncan, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter egos. Would you prefer a player to be great on the court and quiet off of it? Sure, but the reality is that most great players know that they're great and aren't afraid to say it.

LaVine's been cocky since the day he stepped on a basketball court. Hell, he wore a Michael Jordan Space Jam jersey for his first dunk in the NBA dunk contest as a rookie. You won't be able to convince me that he doesn't think very, very highly about himself. He's called himself cocky. I won't go too deep on this.

The adjustment for college point guards to the NBA is one of the hardest in all of sports. He's had a fine rookie campaign considering the situation he was placed in. Most rookie guards with the ball in their hands that much don't shoot the three ball that well. He shot 35.4% on 4.7 attempts per game. Your dislike for him is well-documented, but I continue to think it's way off base.

Wait, so Larry Sanders didn't get into a nightclub skirmish? He didn't quit on his teammates? He didn't do those things that affected others? I must be mistaken... Signing Sanders would be like signing Andrew Bynum: useless, potentially damaging to the locker room.

I haven't really seen Russell enough to say what his cockiness is like but Lavine is obviously confident in himself and it shows on the court but there is also a like ability there and a certain odd...aw chucks way he goes about some things too. He seems like a good kid and seems like a kid that is coach able.

I agree with Cam eventually this blows over. Was this a prank gone wrong or something else? Players and fans etc have gotten over teammates doing some actual bad things.

Also I forgot in my post a while back to agree with The piling on of Stephen A Smith. I get what he and Skip Bayless are paid to do but it's embarrassing. I always start wondering about my sanity if I ever agree with anything I happen to here them say.