:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45839560/usa-today-7786184.0.jpg)
I grew up during the Iverson years in Philadelphia. This team is 100000% more fun than those teams were.
— Michael Levin (@Michael_Levin) February 24, 2015
Roy: We NEED to talk about the Levin thing. I love that man like a cousin, but that's the single dumbest thing I've ever read.
In his defense, he's been the conductor of this train for quite some time now. The problem, however, is that the train is like the one in Unstoppable, and neither Denzel Washington nor Captain Kirk are here to save him.
Sure... it's cute that guys like JaKarr Sampson and Ishmael Smith get a chance to play basketball in America (and not Burkina Faso), and no one yells "I'm In Love With The RoCo" louder than me whenever Covington his a 3. But more fun than the Flight Brothers? More enjoyable than a team that came within three games of the NBA title? I know it's hard not to be a prisoner of the moment at times, but this is taking it to the extreme.
There is the off chance that Levin is just trolling us (or me, specifically). Maybe he KNOWS that #thedress is white and gold, but just saying that it's black and blue just to tweak the Interwebs. If he's not trolling, let me know: I have a 4 DVD set of the 1999 Sixers/Magic series that I can mail to him at a moment's notice (as long as I can get to The UPS Store by 5PM).
Dave: What has a better ring to it? Mike Bayless or Skip Levin?
Obviously Iverson was Iverson. But watching that team play was not any real amount of fun. This is hysterical and exciting and stupid.
— Michael Levin (@Michael_Levin) February 24, 2015
"Obviously Iverson was Iverson ..."
What a dismissive line. Iverson had the potential to drop 40 on any given night. That can't be overstated. Who cares if the other eleven guys on team did nothing but set screens and stayed of the way? Even though people only know Stevie Nicks; it doesn't mean Fleetwood Mac wasn't a great band.
Listen, no one cherished the Tim Frazier Era more than me. It ranks right up there with my wedding and the James Nunnally Era. But Levin is so off-base here, Terry Mulholland can walk over to first and pick him off.
Look for his Mike's next editorial this Sunday in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "The 2008 Phillies: Meh ... Give Me the Francona Years."
Dave: The passion you have for those teams, Roy, leapt right off the page. I’m fired up now. I’m about to blast Ultimate Warrior’s entrance music and run through a brick wall.
But before I apply the face paint and tassels, let’s touch on the trade that almost happened. Richard Deitsch of SI.com interviewed Charles Barkley over All-Star weekend, and Chuck said that he briefly was traded to the Lakers.
The trade would have sent Sir Charles and Ron Anderson (#20 in your programs; #1 in your hearts) to LA for James Worthy and Elden Campbell. Worthy scored 19+ a game in '91-'92, but was on the wrong side of 30. Elden Campbell was a young big man with some potential backing-up the venerable Vlade Divac.
My question is this: Why did every offer the Sixers received for one of the top-5 players in the world reek of fantasy football desperateness? There’s always one guy, or like nine guys, who offer three trash players for your stud. Like, I’ve been offered a steaming pile headlined by Lee Evans for a #1 RB more times than I could count.
Although, from a journalistic perspective – and I am a Broadcast Journalist – it would be negligent not to mention this Baltimore Sun article from 1992:
"The 76ers then would send Worthy to the Charlotte Hornets for guards Kendall Gill and Rex Chapman."
This deal would’ve made me felt a little, *a little* better about the Lakers trade. But the Sixers faced a rebuild so monumental; yet couldn’t even finagle a first round draft pick for Barkley? In June of ’92, the late, great Phil Jasner wrote about some of the other trade rumors.
"Barkley going to the Bullets in a trade for Pervis Ellison and other considerations?"
What were those other considerations, Roy? What else was Washington prepared to offer? If the first words out of their mouth weren’t, "Peter Bondra," then I’m hanging up the phone. The Sixers weren’t entering the dark ages. May as well toss the Flyers a bone and shuffle another 30+ goal scorer into the fold.
***Editor’s Note: Dave didn’t realize Roy just wrote about the Barkley trade. Dave needs to stop watching old Gangrel matches on You Tube***
Dave: Was there anything more entertaining than ripping a slap shot from the blue line with Al Iafrate or Al MacInnis in NHL ‘94? Well, besides making Little Wayne’s head bleed.
Random Box Scores from This Day in History
March 8th, 2004: Sixers-97 Bucks-92
Dave: A big win over the Milwaukee Bucks! Now, I know it’s a running joke around these parts to call ourselves a Bucks blog. Both teams are seemingly attached at the hip. But look at the line-up Milwaukee trotted out that night. It’s like looking in the mirror.
Brian Skinner? Keith Van Horn? Joe Smith? Toni Kukoc? Was this an NBA regular season game or an intra-squad scrimmage?
No Iverson on his night, but have no fear, Roy. Greg Bucker and Zendon Hamilton are here! If I gave you a hundred guesses, there’s no way you would have said that Greg Buckner was our leading scorer that night. Hell, I could’ve given you two hundred guesses. You’d have guessed Amal McCaskill six different times before finally coming around on ol’ Buck.