Congrats on the championship David West

[Basketball Fan]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

I have no problem with what DWest did. Ring chasers are cute and DWest is one of my favorite NBA players of all-time. The only issue I have is when people think he should get some kind of bump for his legacy from basically being in the right place at the right time. That ring means he happened to be on the team. It does not mean he's necessarily a good player (even if he is). It's irrelevant to his legacy as an NBA player. He earned that the prior decade plus.

Now Durant. Durant bumped his street cred up.

That's the thing who's saying that this is a bump in West's legacy only people here really notice David West's every move most NBA fans barely notice either way he's a role player.

[MnvrChvy]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

West is one of my favorite Pacers of all time and I even appreciate the way he left. No feelings hurt or anything. Honestly though I think I feel the same about it as BlueNGold. I don't think anything less of him for the decisions he made, but when I look back at his career and how awesome he was, the fact that he finally got a ring will be nothing more than an insignificant asterisk on his story. It's just a box to check so he's not on that infamous list of great players that never got one. But I would think just as highly of him had he retired two years ago than I do now that he is a champion. I get that he doesn't see it that way, but that's how I personally view things like this.

I know this is going to come off harsh, but the case could be made that his agent got him this ring. I mean, we all thought the Spurs were a lock the year they picked up Aldridge after already being one of the best teams in the league. Then David joins up. Sweet deal. He could go and contribute behind L.A. and have a shot at really taking on this new powerhouse that had emerged in G.S. I got that move... he still was gonna have to fight and earn it, but his agent put him in a good spot to do so. Then his agent got him a place on the bench of the best team by far that had just had a fluke meltdown to be able to lose to the Cavs. David should be thanking him like crazy.

And of course there is another argument to be made there. David West's agent was able to make those moves because David continued to be a solid pro even past his physical prime. He made sure he was still a valuable commodity so when the opportunity came up, then yes these awesome teams would still jump at a chance to have a guy like him on board. And he was willing to sacrifice one thing (money) to get the other thing he valued more (a championship). We can say he was just a small player in their success, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have stepped up and carried more weight on his shoulders had it been necessary.

Hows that for duplicity? Either way I look at it, I still think he was a great player and had a great career - with or without this championship.

[RyanPelley]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Good for him. He has had a long, good career and was able to top it off with his first championship. Who cares if he was a "ring chaser?" He took less money to play for a championship favorite, did his job when his number was called and got a ring out of it.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

To you but to him it does.

West is a role player at best not a star so I don't get why it bothers people that he did this because that's what he wanted to do in his NBA career that he didn't accomplish anywhere else.

I mean if you think less of him for it so be it but in the end he will still be considered a champion and that's enough for him regardless of what fickle sports fans think.



Its one thing to not be glad for him I really don't care but to act as if he did nothing in these Finals is rather ridiculous even by PD standards. Its not as if he suited up and did nothing on this team like Juwan Howard, Mitch Richmond and John Salley(on the Lakers). That's what I don't agree with.

I have no problem with what DWest did. Ring chasers are cute and DWest is one of my favorite NBA players of all-time. The only issue I have is when people think he should get some kind of bump for his legacy from basically being in the right place at the right time. That ring means he happened to be on the team. It does not mean he's necessarily a good player (even if he is). It's irrelevant to his legacy as an NBA player. He earned that the prior decade plus.

Now Durant. Durant bumped his street cred up.

[Basketball Fan]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Oh, they have meaning alright. Ask any woman about jewelry. You should see how many shoes my wife has chased and caught. But the meaning I'm talking about has more to do with "having one" because he can just about have anything else in the world. There's no problem with that afaic. Only when people start attaching an elevated status to said ring chaser after the fact. West having a ring now means nothing to his legacy afaic.

To you but to him it does.

West is a role player at best not a star so I don't get why it bothers people that he did this because that's what he wanted to do in his NBA career that he didn't accomplish anywhere else.

I mean if you think less of him for it so be it but in the end he will still be considered a champion and that's enough for him regardless of what fickle sports fans think.

Everyone has reasons that they root for or against a team/player. Clearly a lot of people were turned off by the way it ended with West. I don't care one bit if people were glad to see him win a ring, but I think those who aren't glad have a legitimate gripe.

It would have been unreasonable to expect West to average 20 PPG and carry that team on a playoff run without PG. That being said, he didn't have to publicly throw the towel in on the season before it even tipped off. That was a bad "example" for the leader to set to the rest of the team. He pretty much said the season meant nothing before game 1. He was a great leader and player here as long as it was in his best interest to be. But he did give up on the organization as soon as PG went down, then was super smug and pius on the way out.

I just hope we don't have to stomach a Lap dog Kravitz interview article with West where we hear about how amazing "that feeling" of winning the title as a 4 PPG guy is.

Its one thing to not be glad for him I really don't care but to act as if he did nothing in these Finals is rather ridiculous even by PD standards. Its not as if he suited up and did nothing on this team like Juwan Howard, Mitch Richmond and John Salley(on the Lakers). That's what I don't agree with.

[Jenrya]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Congrats David West. Too bad he couldn't have gotten it here.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

If rings were so meaningless then guys wouldn't "chase" them as hard as they do during their careers.

Oh, they have meaning alright. Ask any woman about jewelry. You should see how many shoes my wife has chased and caught. But the meaning I'm talking about has more to do with "having one" because he can just about have anything else in the world. There's no problem with that afaic. Only when people start attaching an elevated status to said ring chaser after the fact. West having a ring now means nothing to his legacy afaic.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Oh I'm sure being a part of it is an amazing experience for West. But being a 4 PPG player and having a tough guy moment on national TV for a title team literally means nothing when evaluating his career. He was basically just there. We're not talking about Tyson Chandler on Dallas.

I think older guys do it for just that, the experience. He's essentially playing and travelling with an Olympic roster lol

I dont think he was doing it for career justification. He certainly didnt need to.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

On phone so can't link. Google "David West knows the end is near, but keeps working for the Pacers". It's a 10/1/14 article by Candace Buckner right before that 14-15 season. That's where he said "the light went out" when PG got hurt. We didn't need our leader moping around like that before the season tipped off.

"At that moment, the light went out," West said. "Even with Lance (Stephenson) gone … before he gets hurt, I'm like, Paul's really going to have a chance to grow. So the light was still there. We'll just ride with Paul and see what happens. When he got hurt, I was sorta like 'damn!'"

"What we were looking for, obviously what our goals were as a group the last couple years, the light just went out on that," West continued. "I wouldn't necessarily say I was (declaring) I'm not going to play, but I definitely think about it. Like I said, I don't have a lot of time left in this league. I'm just one of those guys that just never intended to play a long time."

That quote came after West saying he probably would've retired had the Pacers won in 2013. It was obvious that he knew his days of being an impact player were over.

[Sollozzo]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

If rings were so meaningless then guys wouldn't "chase" them as hard as they do during their careers.

Oh I'm sure being a part of it is an amazing experience for West. But being a 4 PPG player and having a tough guy moment on national TV for a title team literally means nothing when evaluating his career. He was basically just there. We're not talking about Tyson Chandler on Dallas.

[Sollozzo]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

From what I remember, he made the comment about the season being over during his interview with Kravitz AFTER he opted out.

On phone so can't link. Google "David West knows the end is near, but keeps working for the Pacers". It's a 10/1/14 article by Candace Buckner right before that 14-15 season. That's where he said "the light went out" when PG got hurt. We didn't need our leader moping around like that before the season tipped off.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Maybe so. My point though is that even James Jones didn't get a bump in his cred. Everyone knows he just road coat tails. Same with West. All I am saying is that it's just a hunk of metal they can wear. It doesn't actually mean anything more than if they bought a ring at the mall.

If rings were so meaningless then guys wouldn't "chase" them as hard as they do during their careers.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Everyone has reasons that they root for or against a team/player. Clearly a lot of people were turned off by the way it ended with West. I don't care one bit if people were glad to see him win a ring, but I think those who aren't glad have a legitimate gripe.

It would have been unreasonable to expect West to average 20 PPG and carry that team on a playoff run without PG. That being said, he didn't have to publicly throw the towel in on the season before it even tipped off. That was a bad "example" for the leader to set to the rest of the team. He pretty much said the season meant nothing before game 1. He was a great leader and player here as long as it was in his best interest to be. But he did give up on the organization as soon as PG went down, then was super smug and pius on the way out.

I just hope we don't have to stomach a Lap dog Kravitz interview article with West where we hear about how amazing "that feeling" of winning the title as a 4 PPG guy is.

From what I remember, he made the comment about the season being over during his interview with Kravitz AFTER he opted out.

[Sollozzo]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

Everyone has reasons that they root for or against a team/player. Clearly a lot of people were turned off by the way it ended with West. I don't care one bit if people were glad to see him win a ring, but I think those who aren't glad have a legitimate gripe.

It would have been unreasonable to expect West to average 20 PPG and carry that team on a playoff run without PG. That being said, he didn't have to publicly throw the towel in on the season before it even tipped off. That was a bad "example" for the leader to set to the rest of the team. He pretty much said the season meant nothing before game 1. He was a great leader and player here as long as it was in his best interest to be. But he did give up on the organization as soon as PG went down, then was super smug and pius on the way out.

I just hope we don't have to stomach a Lap dog Kravitz interview article with West where we hear about how amazing "that feeling" of winning the title as a 4 PPG guy is.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Congrats on the championship David West

I tell you what, James Jones is going to be offered player development, or player relations or maybe even assistant coach when he stops playing. There is a reason LeBron James brought him along to Cleveland with him.

Maybe so. My point though is that even James Jones didn't get a bump in his cred. Everyone knows he just road coat tails. Same with West. All I am saying is that it's just a hunk of metal they can wear. It doesn't actually mean anything more than if they bought a ring at the mall.