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John Hammonds

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36 minutes ago, John Hammonds said:

I have a phantasy that I sometimes indulge, in which I somehow got an opportunity to tour the Colts facility during a time when the team was there.  And, somehow, they allowed me to address the team.  This is the speech I give the team --

 

I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite events in Indianapolis sports history.  Not the 2006 Superbowl.  Not even the AFC Championship game, when we finally defeated the Wicked Witch of the New England Patriots.  In fact, this isn't even about the Colts.  It's about the Indiana Pacers.  In 1995, the Pacers had had three consecutive years of playing .500 ball.  Yes, they had some good players.  Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Dave, and more.  But they just couldn't seem to get over that hump.  The sporting press would say of the team, they're just one player away.  Just one player.  One player away.  In 1995, Byron Scott joined the team.  Byron Scott was a reserve guard from the championship Lakers.  And Byron Scott got in front of the team and told them this:  "You are NOT one player away.  You can challenge NOW, with the men that are in this room."  Over four of the next five years, the Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals, including 2000, when they went to the NBA Finals against the Lakers.  Your success is not determined by somebody else who isn't even here yet.  I'm going to write something on the whiteboard,, and I defy your coaches to ever remove it:

 

WITH THE MEN THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM

Then Bird quit and Isaiah brought on the mediocrity.    Those late 90s pacer teams were fun.  Miss hearing Slick yell BOOM BABY 

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32 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Then Bird quit and Isaiah brought on the mediocrity.    Those late 90s pacer teams were fun.  Miss hearing Slick yell BOOM BABY 

Bird is back as a consultant now, as of the last couple weeks. Like that move.

 

Chicago Bulls Sport GIF by Indiana Pacers

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1 hour ago, John Hammonds said:

I have a phantasy that I sometimes indulge, in which I somehow got an opportunity to tour the Colts facility during a time when the team was there.  And, somehow, they allowed me to address the team.  This is the speech I give the team --

 

I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite events in Indianapolis sports history.  Not the 2006 Superbowl.  Not even the AFC Championship game, when we finally defeated the Wicked Witch of the New England Patriots.  In fact, this isn't even about the Colts.  It's about the Indiana Pacers.  In 1995, the Pacers had had three consecutive years of playing .500 ball.  Yes, they had some good players.  Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Dave, and more.  But they just couldn't seem to get over that hump.  The sporting press would say of the team, they're just one player away.  Just one player.  One player away.  In 1995, Byron Scott joined the team.  Byron Scott was a reserve guard from the championship Lakers.  And Byron Scott got in front of the team and told them this:  "You are NOT one player away.  You can challenge NOW, with the men that are in this room."  Over four of the next five years, the Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals, including 2000, when they went to the NBA Finals against the Lakers.  Your success is not determined by somebody else who isn't even here yet.  I'm going to write something on the whiteboard,, and I defy your coaches to ever remove it:

 

WITH THE MEN THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM

 

 There were some very stout hearted men in that lockeroom.

 

  I watched McGinnis have many incredible games.

But nothing equaled the night Smitts destroyed Olajuwon for 40+, pretty sure it was a playoff game. Rick had finally developed moves and counter moves around the basket with great touch. He was also shooting well from deeper outside and mid range. He had become one of the best centers in the league.

 As I recall his physical issues came soon after that season and for all practical purposes he was done. The same happened with Stipanovich. He was playing at a very high level by seasons end and the next season was hurt and never the same.

 Extremely unlucky.

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5 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

But nothing equaled the night Smitts destroyed Olajuwon for 40+, pretty sure it was a playoff game

Definitely wasn't a playoff game, as it would of had to of been in the finals.

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42 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 There were some very stout hearted men in that lockeroom.

 

  I watched McGinnis have many incredible games.

But nothing equaled the night Smitts destroyed Olajuwon for 40+, pretty sure it was a playoff game. Rick had finally developed moves and counter moves around the basket with great touch. He was also shooting well from deeper outside and mid range. He had become one of the best centers in the league.

 As I recall his physical issues came soon after that season and for all practical purposes he was done. The same happened with Stipanovich. He was playing at a very high level by seasons end and the next season was hurt and never the same.

 Extremely unlucky.

You are probably thinking when Smits destroyed Ewing. He did it a couple of times in the 95 playoffs.

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1 hour ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

You are probably thinking when Smits destroyed Ewing. He did it a couple of times in the 95 playoffs.

I remember the game 5 with their backs against the wall and out came Reggie with a Superman shirt. He went off that night for 45 and the pacers won and moved on. I miss Reggie, the Davis boys, Smits, McKey, Mark Jackson, Chris mullins. Those were the days. And they beat the crap out of players. Can’t play physical like that these days, the wimp Lebron would cry tears enough to refill Lake Mead

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3 hours ago, csmopar said:

I remember the game 5 with their backs against the wall and out came Reggie with a Superman shirt. He went off that night for 45 and the pacers won and moved on. I miss Reggie, the Davis boys, Smits, McKey, Mark Jackson, Chris mullins. Those were the days. And they beat the crap out of players. Can’t play physical like that these days, the wimp Lebron would cry tears enough to refill Lake Mead

Era's are so different, it would seem LeBron could play in any era and be dominant but in the 80's and 90's the game was way more physical. How would LeBron do against a team like the 1989 Pistons for example? We don't know?, if they allowed the Pistons play by the rules they played with back then. 

 

Regarding the Pacers their 1998 team was the best IMO. We had the Bulls beat in Game 7, I still believe we got screwed by the REFS. Whether or not we would have beat Utah is a different subject but that would have been a hell of a series. Utah would have had HCA.

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1 hour ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Era's are so different, it would seem LeBron could play in any era and be dominant but in the 80's and 90's the game was way more physical. How would LeBron do against a team like the 1989 Pistons for example? We don't know?, if they allowed the Pistons play by the rules they played with back then. 

 

Regarding the Pacers their 1998 team was the best IMO. We had the Bulls beat in Game 7, I still believe we got screwed by the REFS. Whether or not we would have beat Utah is a different subject but that would have been a hell of a series. Utah would have had HCA.

Yeah but that 2004 team likely would have won it all if it wasn’t for Ron Artest and the pistons fight

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You guys are getting my mind going now... Lol.. Basketball was so great in the 90's. I can't believe I went from someone who watched as much bball as I could in the 90's early 00's to probably 1 or 2 games a year now.

 

There were so many great players. 

I mean we literally had the DREAM TEAM. :D

 

Shaq, penny, Grant Hill, Monster Mash, S Kemp, hakeem, D Wilkins, KJ in the desert, Payton, Mourning, Larry Johnson, C Webb... And so many more, WOW ...

 

You literally had to EARN that title. So many great players playing at one time.

 

 

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3 hours ago, csmopar said:

Yeah but that 2004 team likely would have won it all if it wasn’t for Ron Artest and the pistons fight

I think we would have won it all in 2005 had it not been for the brawl. The league screwed us and the Pistons knew we were better that year, they knew what they were doing at the end of that game. Yeah Ron was in the wrong but Ben Wallace started the whole thing, he and Rasheed Wallace were dirty players plain and simple.

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1 hour ago, IinD said:

You guys are getting my mind going now... Lol.. Basketball was so great in the 90's. I can't believe I went from someone who watched as much bball as I could in the 90's early 00's to probably 1 or 2 games a year now.

 

There were so many great players. 

I mean we literally had the DREAM TEAM. :D

 

Shaq, penny, Grant Hill, Monster Mash, S Kemp, hakeem, D Wilkins, KJ in the desert, Payton, Mourning, Larry Johnson, C Webb... And so many more, WOW ...

 

You literally had to EARN that title. So many great players playing at one time.

 

 

1992 Dream Team:

Magic

Jordan

Bird

Barkley

Robinson

chuckling homer simpson GIF

 

1996 Dream Team:

Stockton

Miller

Pippen

Malone

Shaq

 

 

-What is funny is Stockton and Malone + Barkley were on both 1992 and 1996 Dream Teams.

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1 hour ago, IinD said:

You guys are getting my mind going now... Lol.. Basketball was so great in the 90's. I can't believe I went from someone who watched as much bball as I could in the 90's early 00's to probably 1 or 2 games a year now.

 

There were so many great players. 

I mean we literally had the DREAM TEAM. :D

 

Shaq, penny, Grant Hill, Monster Mash, S Kemp, hakeem, D Wilkins, KJ in the desert, Payton, Mourning, Larry Johnson, C Webb... And so many more, WOW ...

 

You literally had to EARN that title. So many great players playing at one time.

 

 

Yep which is why I say Lebron as good as he is, wouldn’t even have started back then. Probably off the bench if that. Really, the league went stupid soft and all the rule changes and such just destroy professional basketball. Can’t play defense now at all without a foul. It’s all 3 balls being lofted. Seen a stat back in January. The league as a whole shot 68 percent more 3 pointer attempts per game per player than it did during the 90s. Absolutely crazy

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1 hour ago, csmopar said:

Yep which is why I say Lebron as good as he is, wouldn’t even have started back then. Probably off the bench if that. Really, the league went stupid soft and all the rule changes and such just destroy professional basketball. Can’t play defense now at all without a foul. It’s all 3 balls being lofted. Seen a stat back in January. The league as a whole shot 68 percent more 3 pointer attempts per game per player than it did during the 90s. Absolutely crazy

It's a different league now, it amazes me at how many average role players are good today just because they can shoot the 3.

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17 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I have a phantasy that I sometimes indulge, in which I somehow got an opportunity to tour the Colts facility during a time when the team was there.  And, somehow, they allowed me to address the team.  This is the speech I give the team --

 

I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite events in Indianapolis sports history.  Not the 2006 Superbowl.  Not even the AFC Championship game, when we finally defeated the Wicked Witch of the New England Patriots.  In fact, this isn't even about the Colts.  It's about the Indiana Pacers.  In 1995, the Pacers had had three consecutive years of playing .500 ball.  Yes, they had some good players.  Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Dave, and more.  But they just couldn't seem to get over that hump.  The sporting press would say of the team, they're just one player away.  Just one player.  One player away.  In 1995, Byron Scott joined the team.  Byron Scott was a reserve guard from the championship Lakers.  And Byron Scott got in front of the team and told them this:  "You are NOT one player away.  You can challenge NOW, with the men that are in this room."  Over four of the next five years, the Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals, including 2000, when they went to the NBA Finals against the Lakers.  Your success is not determined by somebody else who isn't even here yet.  I'm going to write something on the whiteboard,, and I defy your coaches to ever remove it:

 

WITH THE MEN THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM

nice, thanks for sharing that

 

i fulfill my naughty Colts fantasies on Madden. 

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9 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

When you have players like Derrick White - Boston, Caleb Martin - Miami, Gabe Vincent - Miami, and Bruce Brown and Porter from Denver shooting like Reggie Miller in certain games, it is almost comical. 

The difference… Reggie could play defense. 99 percent of todays NBA can’t play defense like they used to teach. 

9 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

It's a different league now, it amazes me at how many average role players are good today just because they can shoot the 3.

That it is and it’s why both attendance and ratings are down for the league. Combine that with no real salary cap and it’s the same story over and over and over

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34 minutes ago, csmopar said:

The difference… Reggie could play defense. 99 percent of todays NBA can’t play defense like they used to teach. 

That it is and it’s why both attendance and ratings are down for the league. Combine that with no real salary cap and it’s the same story over and over and over

And league wide flopping epidemic.

 

Tough to watch

 

 

Wasn't so bad, when Reggie did it, but it is out of control now.

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17 hours ago, csmopar said:

Yeah but that 2004 team likely would have won it all if it wasn’t for Ron Artest and the pistons fight

 

Overall, that might have been the best team they had, but 1994 was probably their best shot to win it, up 3-2 on the Knicks, after the Knicks choked in game 5.  Had they closed it out, they would have beaten the Rockets that year.  

 

Those Pacers teams were fun, because given their comparative talent, they overachieved practically every year in the playoffs.  Reggie wasn't playing with Shaq or other HOFers.

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59 minutes ago, #12. said:

 

Overall, that might have been the best team they had, but 1994 was probably their best shot to win it, up 3-2 on the Knicks, after the Knicks choked in game 5.  Had they closed it out, they would have beaten the Rockets that year.  

 

Those Pacers teams were fun, because given their comparative talent, they overachieved practically every year in the playoffs.  Reggie wasn't playing with Shaq or other HOFers.

The 1994 team was outstanding, I have them as a close a 2nd behind the 1998 team. In 94 we were rolling and undefeated at home in the playoffs but lost game 6 to NY at home, then game 7 barely at NY. To me those 2 Pacers teams were better than the team that made the Finals in 2000. The 1998 team were a hair away from ending the Bulls dynasty in the ECFinals in game 7. If we win that, I think we beat Utah in 6 as well.

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On 6/4/2023 at 8:25 AM, John Hammonds said:

I have a phantasy that I sometimes indulge, in which I somehow got an opportunity to tour the Colts facility during a time when the team was there.  And, somehow, they allowed me to address the team.  This is the speech I give the team --

 

I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite events in Indianapolis sports history.  Not the 2006 Superbowl.  Not even the AFC Championship game, when we finally defeated the Wicked Witch of the New England Patriots.  In fact, this isn't even about the Colts.  It's about the Indiana Pacers.  In 1995, the Pacers had had three consecutive years of playing .500 ball.  Yes, they had some good players.  Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Dave, and more.  But they just couldn't seem to get over that hump.  The sporting press would say of the team, they're just one player away.  Just one player.  One player away.  In 1995, Byron Scott joined the team.  Byron Scott was a reserve guard from the championship Lakers.  And Byron Scott got in front of the team and told them this:  "You are NOT one player away.  You can challenge NOW, with the men that are in this room."  Over four of the next five years, the Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals, including 2000, when they went to the NBA Finals against the Lakers.  Your success is not determined by somebody else who isn't even here yet.  I'm going to write something on the whiteboard,, and I defy your coaches to ever remove it:

 

WITH THE MEN THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM

Scott his a huge shot from the corner on way to beating the Magic. He changed the culture of the team that led to the NBA championship in 2000. Game 4 was stolen from us. Miller was shooting a three and was obviously fouled in the process and no call. We won game 5 in a blowout but having to face the final two games in L.A. was too much, Had we won game 4 it could have been a different story. Great thing to tell the guys  

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22 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

When you have players like Derrick White - Boston, Caleb Martin - Miami, Gabe Vincent - Miami, and Bruce Brown and Porter from Denver shooting like Reggie Miller in certain games, it is almost comical. 

I’m a truck driver. I delivered to Michael Porter Sr when he was an Assistant at U of Missouri. His kids were there (Jr was probably about 12?) passing a football. I picked up the ball and told Jr to go deep (I USED to have an arm!).  Wound up, ball slipped and I threw it straight into the ground…..

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On 6/4/2023 at 10:19 PM, csmopar said:

Yep which is why I say Lebron as good as he is, wouldn’t even have started back then.

 

That's comical. He would not have started? SMH 

 

On 6/4/2023 at 8:25 AM, John Hammonds said:

Your success is not determined by somebody else who isn't even here yet. 

 

Well said!

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2 hours ago, NFLfan said:

 

That's comical. He would not have started? SMH 

 

 

Well said!

I think LeBron is a Top 5 player of all-time, I actually have him 4th and I am not fan of him at all. To me Jordan, Magic, Kareem are clear cut 1-2-3. Magic didn't have the longevity that LeBron has had but still won more Championships 5-4. Magic also was a more efficient player, his FG% was better at 52% to 51%, his FT% was much better at 85% to 74% career wise. LeBron just beat Kareem's record for most points scored in NBA history but Kareem has won 6 MVP's and 6 Championships. Jordan is the best to ever play and I don't think it is close. Magic would have a slight argument because he could play all 5 positions, LeBron can't play Center, Magic has and dominated in some games doing so. Magic played Center in the Finals as a rookie (he won Finals MVP that season in 1980) and was destroying legit 7 footers. Kobe is the closest thing to Jordan style wise but wasn't as great but his work ethic, killer mentality, and winning 5 Championships gets him in the top 5. He won 2 without Shaq, so people can't even say he could not win without Shaq.

 

I know the NBA didn't start in the 80's but that was the best decade regarding how many great teams there were and the players that were drafted in the 80's like Magic, Bird, Isiah, Jordan, Olajuwon, K. Malone, Stockton, Barkley, and even Reggie's rookie year was in 1988.

 

I could make an argument that the best teams in NBA history were all from the 80's = 1983 Sixers, 1986 Celtics, 1987 Lakers, and 1989 Pistons.

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2 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

@2006Coltsbestever What do you think of @John Hammonds's point: Have the mindset to "Win with the team you have"?

 

It takes leaders to do so and great coaching. Miami Heat are doing that right now which is very impressive with Butler and Spo. When the Pacers acquired Byron Scott it turned our franchise into a winning culture. Scott had Championship experience and was a vocal leader. I agree with John.

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13 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

It takes leaders to do so and great coaching. Miami Heat are doing that right now which is very impressive with Butler and Spo. When the Pacers acquired Byron Scott it turned our franchise into a winning culture. Scott had Championship experience and was a vocal leader. I agree with John.

 

What about in reference to the Colts? I think @John Hammonds meant that he wants the Colts to have the mindset: "Win with the guys in the room (on the field)". (Don't wait for Tom Brady to win it...:))

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16 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

What about in reference to the Colts? I think @John Hammonds meant that he wants the Colts to have the mindset: "Win with the guys in the room (on the field)". (Don't wait for Tom Brady to win it...:))

You have to have that mindset as a team otherwise your team would have a losers mentality. Unfortunately most of the games that the Pats played, they had the same mindset and had better teams against most their opponents. Brady was just better than everyone else other than Peyton and that was a wash and Peyton didn't have Belichick. You can only do so much with the roster you have. When we had Luck, we never had the runing game to beat the Pats. Luck needed to play perfect and the defense needed to create turnovers in order for us to win in the playoffs.

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On 6/4/2023 at 3:39 PM, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Era's are so different, it would seem LeBron could play in any era and be dominant but in the 80's and 90's the game was way more physical. How would LeBron do against a team like the 1989 Pistons for example? We don't know?, if they allowed the Pistons play by the rules they played with back then. 

 

Regarding the Pacers their 1998 team was the best IMO. We had the Bulls beat in Game 7, I still believe we got screwed by the REFS. Whether or not we would have beat Utah is a different subject but that would have been a hell of a series. Utah would have had HCA.

 

Lebron is physical enough to adapt, IMO. Steph Curry on the other hand, would have had a lot of issues.

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Sucks I can't be apart of these conversations.. in about 10 years I'll be schooling the young bucks. 

 

But when I watch highlights from back then, to me, it looks like the "skill" level in today's game is a lot better. 

 

As far as the original post. That is a great line for the bulletin board!

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Speeches only go so far.  Then you get out on the gridiron and the other team hits you in the mouth and you gotta beat that other dude for an hour.  This isn't a Hollywood movie it's a league of grown men who are serious about their craft.

 

And we're a team that has a career backup QB and a rookie QB on our depth chart as our options.  So save the speech and use it next year when maybe something good can come of it.

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On 6/4/2023 at 9:05 AM, jvan1973 said:

Then Bird quit and Isaiah brought on the mediocrity.    Those late 90s pacer teams were fun.  Miss hearing Slick yell BOOM BABY 

Yeah, even boom boom boom when Reggie hit a three against Jordan and we won the game in the playoffs now that was exciting. 

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