Do you follow the NBA?  I used to shoot granny style as a kid, but apparently it is the best technique to shoot and score on the line.  Did you play as a child?


I don't follow the NBA that much but enjoy it when I do watch. I did play as a child. How about you?


Just a little.  I remember Air Jordan's.  Everyone wanted them in elementary school.  The NBA banned them but Nike paid Jordan's fine to wear them


Speaking of sports brands, Lebron James rejected a $10 million dollar sponsorship offer from Reebok when he was 18. He was right as less than a year later, Nike offered him $90 million.


I wonder if he knew something?  Iverson got quite a bit from Reebok.  $800,000 per year to age 55 then $32,000,000


Sounds like a pretty sweet retirement! Lebron James not only makes millions for himself. He also raises for charity. He raised six million dollars by televising "the decision"


That's great!  I wonder if Judge Judy donates.  She makes $123,000 per episode.


I heard she is the highest paid celebrity after Lebron James.


Did you watch Space Jam?  Cute movie with Jordan.  Now they signed a deal with Lebron James for a sequel.


I did watch it when I was little. I would love to see the sequel, with another basketball great! Lebron is regarded by some as the greatest player of all time. I feel like I used to hear that about Jordan.


Basketball is very popular I'm sure due to both of their accomplishments.


I think the dunk made basketball very popular as well. Kareen Abdul-Jabbar's frequent use of the dunk got it banned for college basketball for more than ten years!


The inventor of basketball actually is the only losing coach in University of Kansas' history.  Luckily he has an invention to be remembered for.


Well, that's odd. Speaking of coaching, it can be quite lucrative. In 39 out of 50 states, the highest paid state employee is a college football or basketball coach.


Even the Supreme Court has a basketball court on their top floor called the "highest court in the land"


I guess some of those who are in Senate a while could really play granny style.


That's funny. I mean, it has been proven to be the best technique to score points constantly. I guess NBA players are just afraid of how they would look.


They might not get million dollar sneaker deals if they do that.


I think it'd be funny. Maybe I'd watch more games. Haha.


High school games at Lebron James' high school actually cost $100-$120.  That sounds extreme.  I wonder if he went to private school?


I hear that Jeff Green is becoming a valuable veteran for his mentorship of younger players on the Wash. Wizards, if not for his own talent.


man, good call on lebron james to reject reebok and wait it out


What do you mean?  Did he make more with someone else?  If he did, it's just another instance of his ability to raise money, like he did when switching teams or even playing in high school.


damn good indeed. rejected $10 million offer from reebok, less than a year later accepts a $90 million offer from nike.


That's pretty good.  James has been a mentor to his teammates too, which is another way he raises his own value: by raising the value of his teammates.  I wish he could have done that longer in Cleveland.


Love for Cleveland is even present in al-qaeda members. a captured al-qaeda member wrote letters expressing his disgust at his decision to go to the miami heat. gotta do something so heinous to be even hated by them, lol


Cleveland felt the same way when he left.  Everything of his was scrubbed from the website, stores, everything.  But NBA players follow the money ... all the way to the highest salaries in all of pro sports.


who wouldnt though? at the end of the day, its their job. When lebron james left cleveland for miami in 2010, his posters were marked down and sold for $17.41 in reference to the year the american traitor benedict arnold was born. that is some serious thought out attack


Yeah, Clevelanders are at least savvy enough to make such a connection.  A star like James needs a good supporting squad.  Most winning teams are able to get all five starters with a good reputation.  How do they do it with a salary cap?


no idea. the fact that the percentage of players that go bankrupt after a few years is telling of the whole industry. Two years after retirement, 78% of nfl players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress. in the nba, five years after retirement 60% of players are broke.


That's a tragedy.  You'd think at least a few of them would take a financial skills class while in college.  Iverson made a good deal with Reebok where he gets paid every year until he's 55.  No way to go bankrupt if you've got a paycheck coming at the end of every year!


you'd be surprised! if your yacht and mansion and your private jet cost you more than your paycheck, you're going down the rabbit hole pretty quick. It's odd that none of them ever decided to just take a financial class, like you said


James seems to have his head on straight, with his charity work.  And my boy Green, too, who has a new outlook on life since his heart surgery.  He doesn't take any game for granted.


yeah its a good thing some of them come out with something out of it. when your career depends on your body, its just a ticking time bomb


I'm glad I'm in a job that doesn't count on my health.  I got a bad infection in my knee last year, and I was unable to walk for a few months.  If I were in basketball, I'd have been out for the season for sure, just like Green was.  I do have a a new appreciation for things now, which is good.


damn thats tough. hope you made it out of it alright!


I've almost got my full flexibility back.  I couldn't bend it at all for a month, and then only progressed about a degree per week.  It was frustrating.  But, I eventually made it so I can play sports again without fear of pain or falling.  I can run a route and make a lay up like I used to.  2 points!


wow, i cant imagine. that must have been frustrating af. but good for you for keeping your spirits up. Im honestly not sure how long this is supposed to go....Coach stan van gundy was fined for saying nba shouldn't be playing games on christmas day - thats just crazy to me


For saying it, or for believing it?  Should players be forced to work on a national holiday?


for being fined.  i'm with him, give them the day off. everyone deserves it


Yeah, and no one needs to give basketball players money on a day when you should be with your family.


agreed. especially given the kind of money they already make


Did you know that the all-star break is the only time when there are no pro sports playing in America?  Right around July 4, too.


no, ive never even heard of it.  i figured there was always a sport playing. they all overlap to an extent


Yeah, but in early july, basket ball is over and football hasn't started, and baseball is on break.  Maybe they just don't count soccer or golf?


LeBron James said that the Lakers have a long way to go to reach the Warriors level.  The results so far this season prove him right.


yes, the warriors have been dominant these last few years. the lakers are rebuilding. lebron is just one player. the warriors are a team.


Exactly,  He knew what he was getting into when he chose the Lakers for 4 years at $153.3 million.


he is a marquee player. he brings in the fans and helps bring back the excitement of the NBA to LA


That he does.  He said it was all basketball and family, but being in LA helps on his movie and TV projects too.


yes, he is getting toward the end of his playing days. he needs to collect what he can while he can.


I think he still hopes to assemble a couple of other star players and make a run in LA  He respects the history of the franchise with it 16 championships.


If they can muster the cash, they can get the team. he knows who he can play with. the owners can hunt around.


Although he wants the 17th championship, he says that nothing causes pressure on him now.


i guess that he has so many successes that he does not need to prove himself. but i think the fans still want to see the old lebron.


He is majestic sometimes.  Do you know how many teams players in the NBA have to pay Canadian income tax for home games?


i have no idea. but the canadian govt is not going to pass up the chance to collect taxes. that is a lot of money.


Only one of the 30 teams is Canadian.  However, all the visiting players have to pay for 1/82 nd of their salary for each game played in Canada.


yeah, that sounds like the canadian govt. i bet the baseball and hockey players have to deal with something similar.


They sure do.  The NBA has its headquarters on Fifth Avenue in New York.  Expensive digs for a financially successful business.  I have a friend who works there.


Interesting work, it sounds like. I wonder how often your friend gets to go to games. A lot?


Yes.  Mainly to the teams in the northeast.  He schedules the referees for the whole season.  The NBA also has TV studios in New Jersey.


The referees? Cool. How many refs are there? Do they make good money?


I don't know how many referee teams there are.  They do get some time off, so there have to be more than 15 which is the largest number of games that can be played on a given day.  He also schedules for the WNBA refs.


The refs must go through a special training program. usually people dream of being players, but the referee role is probably satisfying in its own way. Anyway, great chat!


Not only would they need to be trained, but also to be in good shape. I have enjoyed talking with you also.


Hey, Lebron James is a great guy on and off the court. Do you like sports?


Ya know, Lebron was able to raise 6 million for charity by letting them show his decision for which team on tv.


Nice. Did you hear he signed on with Warner Bros. to do a sequel to Space Jam?!


Yes, I loved the first one too. That will be fun to watch with the kids. Judge Judy is the only highest paid actor after Lebron James, isnt that crazy.


What has LeBron James been paid to act in? That can't be true.


Hmm, I really don't know. One solid fact is the man who crated the basketball had a losing record with his team, ironic really.


That's funny. Did you know Reebok offered LeBron $10 million when he was 18, but he turned them down?


Wow, well he must have had someone giving him advice. I heard his highschool game tickets would go for over $100 bucks.


Yeah, he wanted to hold out because Nike or Adidas would offer more.


Yep, pretty smart. I am liken Jeff Green too. Green was with a Georgetown basketball star and on the cusp of becoming something great.


That's cool. Allen Iverson also had a pretty sweet endorsement deal.


Oh cool, I wonder how much? Ya know Green ended up needing open heart surgery. I am really drawn to stories where people overcome challenges like he did.


They agreed to pay him $800k a year until he reaches 55, then he'll get a big check for $32 million. Pretty smart deal.


Wow, that's is smart and amazing very inspiring and deserved. I learned that physicists have proven the granny shot works.lol


Haha, I wonder why no one will do it then? I don't think it looks too stupid. Whatever works!


Ha, I would do it. I also had heard that the Air Jordans were banned! The NBA wouldnt allow them.


Yeah, but he wore them anyway. Nike just paid the fine every time!


Nike has the money to do it, so whatever works. Kareem Abdul was also banned in college to stop dunking the ball. It was really fun chatting with you today, Thank you.


I think actually that because Abdul used the dunk so frequently, many college players began to do it, so much so that the shot was banned for over a decade. It was nice chatting with you, too. See ya!


Oh, okay. That totally makes sense! Awesome chatting, have a good one.


Hey how is it going? Are you a big fan of LeBron James?


I am, LeBron is the best, what about you? do you like him as a player?


He is so good, I think he is the best player of all time. I could see why he regrets giving his oldest son the same name, too much to live up to.


I agree with you maybe with Michael Jordan but I do think LeBron is better, do you think he will be around untill his oldest son is able to play in the NBA?


I hope he does, that would be really cool to see a father son duo


It would be althout I think LeBron will be too old by then, still really interesting to watch that


For sure, he's only 34 or so which is crazy to think about. That's a lot of miles he's put on his feet. Do you watch The Shop on HBO?


No havent watched that one, whats it about?


It's where they have spirited, free-flowing discussions, it's pretty neat to hear. Even though it is 2018, we all know racism still exists and people of color are constantly getting put down or told to shut up, glad he is able to host the show.


Oh so Lebron is the host of the show, I think thats great, I think he was in the Daily Show with Jon Stewart as well


I did not know that, he's had Snoop Dogg, Draymond Green, Candace Park and OBJ on the show too. He's such a great guy.


He is, his also the highest paid celebrity, that came as a suprise to me


True, I heard he is almost a billionaire, I'm sure that drives Trump nuts. LeBron is a self made billionaire, so impressive. Would you rather start a team with LeBron or Jordan?


That is impressive, and thats a hard choice, I would have to say Jordan, his just my favorite not the best but my favorite for sure


That would be a hard pick to have. Reggie Miller was so good too, he never missed a three it seemed. His sister Cheryl was arguably better though, she scored 108 points in a game.


Tbats impressive I would want her in my team, Reggie Miller is a hall of famer and seems like his sister was way better than him


They are both really good. Do you know much about the granny shot? It gets a lot of flack but its been proven that it is the best technique to consistently score points on the free throw line.\


Actually I know the reason behind the shot and why it doesnt get used, its because players think its stupid but its actually the best way to take a shot


It does look quite ridiculous, maybe some players would have a better FT shooting percentage if they did it that way though.


I know I wouldnt mind looking stupid with all the money they get I would just focus on being a great player, the best player if possible


If I could make millions I would definitely shoot granny style haha. I am going to take off though, it was great to chat with you, I hope you have a great rest of the night.


I know right getting a deal for $800,000 a year like Iverson doesnt sounds bad at all, I hope you can have a great rest as well, goodbye and thanks for the chat.


Yes, especially watching the NBA finals.  Cavs. vs. Warriors!


I have no dog in the hunt.  It's fun watching the small ball game, with so much ball movement and action.


No one in particular.  Players like James, Curry and Durant are so good.  I can't imagine playing basketball at their level.


Guy is a beast.  He can play any position on the court, both offense and defense.  He can even play center.


Can't believe he has photographic memory and can replay every game in his mind


Cavs best strategy at this point is to play small quick outside shooters, and let the Warriors try to stay with them.


Who do you think are the respective teams best players?


Both teams are loaded with stars.  Cavs have James and Love.  Warriors have Curry, Durant, Thompson, Iguodala.


Indeed, I wonder how much the team is worth in total


First they have to prove their mettle by winning the NBA championship.  We'll see if the Cavs can exploit Iguodala's injury.


Do you think it would be a different story if Iguodala wasn't injured?


Iguodala's injury gives the Cavs an opportunity to use play a fast paced perimeter game, exploiting potential weakness in the Warrior's defense.


That does make sense since their defense is usually quite solid


Cavs are already down two games to zero.  They have to try something new.


Indeed, I am curious to see how their new strategy will turn out. In any case, thanks for chatting


Lebron James has always managed to rise to the occasion, we'll see if he can do it this time, again.


It is worth looking forward to. Once again thanks for chatting.


Yea but not as much as I used to with the Warriors always winning the title, maybe Houston will be able to beat them soon


It gets old when the same teams win all the time.  Do you remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?


I know who he is but don't think I was born yet when he was on the Lakers, I do now he has a crazy dunk


Yes.  He dunked som much that they banned the shot from college basketball for over a decade.  He was also famous for his hook shot.


That's pretty cool, I know he played before players got major shoe deals like the lifetime deal Allen Iverson got with Rebok


Do you know any details about that Iverson detail by any chance?


I know Iverson gets 800,000 a year until he turns 55 then gets 32,000,000


Sweet!  LeBron James rejected a 10 million offer from Reebok when he was just 18.  Less than a year later, he accepted a $90 million offer from Nike!


Pretty smart move on his part. I know when Air Jordans first came out the NBA banned them but Nike just payed Jordan's fines


Good marketing move for them.  Those shoes exploded because of Jordan.  Do you know who James Naismith is?


Yea, he was the University of Kansas coach with the only losing record


Correct!  The New Zealand basketball team is nicknamed the "tall blacks"  Yikes!


I guess New Zealand like their teams names to be on the nose with a name like Tall Blacks


Crazies. lol  The US supreme court has a basketball court on the top floor.  Any guesses as to what they call it?


"The Highest Court in the Land" which probably has the oldest people to ever play basketball


haha I wonder if they shoot granny style since physicists proved that shooting granny style is the absolute best technique to consistently score points from the free throw line.


I don't think they are throwing down Kareem Abdul-Jabber like dunks, that's for sure


No.  They would be breaking hips and not backboards. lol  Warner Bros. and LeBron James have signed a new deal for a Space Jam sequel.  That should be good.  Thanks for chatting!


A space jam with Lebron James sound like it will disappoint, well have a good day


We'll see. lol  You have a good day too!


Did you remember that play in the NBA finals when J.R. Smith got the rebound with almost no time left and the score tied and he just dribbled out the clock?


Yes, wasn't that something? Well, we all make mistakes.


True, but in that situation all you had to know was the score was tied so if i get the ball i got to shot it.  I don't think many others would have made that mistake in that situation.


Well, what if he would miss the shot? Then the situation would have been the same!


But he didn't even try!  You have to be aware in that situation.  Its forgivable if you miss,but to not even try?


Did you know Kareem's dunks were so dominant that dunks were banned for a decade?


Sorry, I hit the keyboard wrong on the last one. Sorry.  No, I didn't know that about Kareem's dunks. I know that LeBron is supposed to be the best basketball player of all time though. I also heard that the people of the city of Cleveland thought he was a traitor for leaving.


You can make a case for LeBron being the greatest but in my opinion Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time.


LeBron says he's the greatest of all time and is the NBA'S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER four times already.


They are both incredible male players but the greatest woman's player might be Cheryl Miller.  Did you know she scored 105 points in a game?


No, didn't know that one. Did you know that Space Jam was the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time? I saw that back in the day, it was funny!


That was a great movie.  I hear LeBron might make Space Jam 2.


That would be incredible. Did you know that basketball was invented at the YMCA?


No, I didn't.  Can you tell me more about it?


Apparently, the YMCA invented both basketball and volleyball but that's all I know about it.


Nice, that makes sense since both basketball and volleyball can be played on the same court.  Did you know there is a basketball court on the top floor of the Supreme Court known as the highest court in the land?


No, very funny, lol. But did you know that about two years after their retirement, approximately 78% of all NFL players go bankrupt or have financial stresses?  And, add to that, after about five years after retirement, 60% of NBA players are broke? How sad is that?


To be given so much money when you are so young is sometimes a bad thing.  Perhaps athletes should be required to take finance or money management classes while in college.


Yes, then maybe they wouldn't blow it all right away and would think of their futures after basketball.  What were they thinking?  They make bad decisions sometimes. did you hear that Spencer Haywood took $100K upfront rather than a 10% stake in Nike? Wow, what a mistake that was!


True, big mistake.  Hey, nice chatting with you


Hello - basketball is my 3rd favorite sport, but it's all we have right now!


yeah i guess. do you know who invented it?


Someone in middle America that used fruit crates for baskets.  Jim Naismith I think?


Yeah and he was the only losing coach at U of Kansas too


I'd have to assume that no one was really good back then.  One of the things I like about Basketball is there are only 5 players on the court per team - it's a small team sport with big players!


yes that is true actually. do you know kareem abdul-jabbar


I'm old enough to remember him playing in games - he was a great player and changed the game


yeah he became so famous for the dunk shot


I'm sure his dunk was devastating, but I'll always remember his hook shot that was automatic and unblockable.


yeah that is why it was banned for 10 years


Unbelievable! I can't see the NBA banning a shot these days - that would be impossible


yeah me too. do you know who has the highest basketball court on land?


Maybe the Sear's Tower or another tall American building with a gym on the higher floors?


Ha!  I see what you did there!  Highest Basketball Court in the Land!


Great Pacers player for years, he was deadly from 3 point line and took the team against Jordan a few times.  All-time!


Yeah and despite the fact that he was that good, his sister was much better


Right!  His sister Cheryl was one of the best WNBA players of all-time.  She was bigger than Reggie!


Hey there!  I love the NBA!  I am a big basketball fan so I definitely love the premier league in the world!


Yes!  It was known as the BAA for the first three years before they adopted the NBA name in 1949.


Yes, headquartered in New York.  They probably had a lot of street ball before professional.


I am sure!  Street ball makes me think of Allen Iverson.  He was so fun to watch.  He still gets 800k a year from the contract he signed with Reebok in 2001!


An a final lump payment of 32 million at age 55


Must be nice!  Speaking of shoes, it seems insane that Air Jordan's were once banned in the NBA!!


He wore them anyway since Nike paid the fine!


Jordan was offered a contract by Adidas, but eventually took the Nike offer.  Now the Air Jordan brand is worth more than the entire company of Adidas.  So crazy!


I guess it is not all about money, Tim Duncan stayed and in college for 4 years when he could have went direct.


He was a tremendous player for the Spurs.  "The Big Fundamental!"


Not as easy as Kareem!  He actually got the dunk shot banned from college basketball for over a decade!


They could try granny style which is actually the most effective shot.


NBA players refuse to go with granny style because it looks stupid.


Well im sure James naismith would be ok with it, the inventor of the game,


Kind of funny, Naismith is the only losing coach in the history of the Kansas Jayhawks basketball program!


Well he probably got paid though.  In most of the 50 states, a college coach is the highest paid state employee


There is definitely no shortage of money in basketball.  Lebron James is the highest paid celebrity in the world right now.


Dang..I thought it was a soccer player.  Anyway, nice chat take care.


Not as much as the NFL but it is a fascinating sport. Did you know that scientifically granny style is the most accurate method to score points?


Really granny style? I wonder why players dont shoot that way then.


They refuse because they are afraid to look stupid. They can't look cool shooting like that.


That kind of make sense but I wouldnt mind looking like a fool with how much pro player make.


Me either. Are you aware of Reggie Miller? He's a hall of famer?


Yes I am aware with him, he scored a carreer hogh of 40 points right?


He did. Interesting fact, in high school he was constantly overshadowed by his sister who broke 8 national records.


I heard she scored 105 points, I guess that competitive spirti between siblings is part of their success.


I'm sure it helped. Did you know that Air Jordan's were banned from the NBA when they were first released?


I didnt know that! I wonder why they got bannedmaybe they gaved the player an unfair advantage.


I'm assuming it's because of the endorsement is gave to Jordan. But he wore them anyway and Nike paid his fines. It was good publicity for them.


A company like Nike can definetely afford that, its crazy how this big brands can afford to pay big quantities of money to players.


I agree. Have you heard of Allen Iverson speaking of endorsements?


No I havent, what endorsements does Allen Iverson have?


He signed a lifetime endorsement with Reebok. It paid him $800,000 per year until age 55 and then a lump sum of $32,000,000! That's an amazing deal!


Thats a lot of money, I wouldnt know what do to with that much Money lol, do you know who Tim Duncan is?


Yeah the same one, so he sacrificed being a pro early for college.


Education is important. I'm glad it worked out for him.


I sure do . DO you know who Reggie Miller is?


Yes he is a great player but his sister was always better than him


Yes she once scored 105 points and broke 8 national records


True. Did you hear of that deal Iverson signed with Rebook?


Yes he is getting $800 000 a year till he is 55


Yes and then he gets $32 million after that


Yeah pretty safe to say that the guy is set for life


I do and science says it is the best one to score but the players do not like it


Yes they think it looks funny. DO you know who Kareem Jabbar is?


Yes  he is the guy that made the dunk shot really popular


Yes and then got it banned from the NBA for more than a decade


Yeah. Do you know who invented the game?


that was the U of Kansas coach, James Naismith


Yes and also the only losing coach in their history


Year ironic. The coaches are the highest paid employees in many states


Yeah they are. Do you know where the highest court in the land is?


Yes that is in the US Supreme Court, pretty cool


Yes and on the top floor of it. Nice chat today


Hey there do you ever watch the NBA? NBA stands for National Basketball Association by the way


Yes I do, do you? I enjoy going to the games!


Who's your favorite team? Apparently there is only one team that is in Canada, I think that's the Toronto Raptors right?


Think so, I like a few, Lakers is one of them!


I like the Lakers too! I also like the Pistons because I'm from Detroit haha. Do you like Allen Iverson?


Detroit,  Great! yes, Lebron James raised 6 million for charity!


That's awesome! He was doing the charity for the decision right? I can't wait until they make the Space Jam Sequel and he's starring in it LOL


I know , will be good!  That was great!!


Did you ever see the original? I left it as a kid haha. Didn't know that LeBron James is the highest paid celebrity ever, only Judge Judy comes in a close second apparently


She makes a lot of money! The highest Court in the Land, is an interesting name for the US Supreme Court building! On the top!


Haha I do like that a lot LOL. I can only imagine those old judges playing basketball over court cases haha. Do you think that they actually play?


I don't know, lol! I know alot of professionals play basketball on their breaks at work.


haha do you? Like who? I just know that the inventor of basketball was actually a losing coach, the only losing coach in the course of the University of Kansas history


Very interesting! Where I work out at the YMCA, there is a group of doctors that play basketball on their lunch break. Good daily exercise and good for your heart!


Oh that makes sense. Did they ever dunk the ball by the way? Apparently Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was so good that they banned for dunk for about a decade when he played LOL


lol! I don't know. Did you know that New Zealand has a basketball team?


I did hear about that. I guess they're called the"tall blacks" as a nickname? do you know why that is? I don't think that name would fly in the United States LOL


No, I dont think so either. Highest paid state employees are in college basketball/ football as coaches.


I don't know what to think about that. I think that states should be using money to help people more not to be paying basketball coaches, but that's just me. Did you hear about LeBron turning down 10 million dollars from Reebok back when he was 18?


I feel the same, paid to much! Yes, I saw that, interesting In case of getting hurt, it was smart on Tim Duncan to finish school first. Great chat!!


Yep I agree haha. That's why I like the Spurs, I think that like you said, Tim Duncan is really good and made the right move


Hi there! Do you have a favorite basketball team?


Not really a favorite but I like the Cleveland Cavs.


I like the Bulls. I loved Michael Jordan. I know Air Jordan;s were his thing, but they were banned upon introduction. However Jordan wore them as Nike was willing to pay the league fines.


I like the sport because my son plays it in highschool and thats about as much as I really know about it. I love watching him play.


The basics are that it's a team sport where two teams most commonly made of 5 players per team oppose one another with the goal of shooting baskets.I know Kareem Abdul-Jabar's dominant use of the dunk shot got banned from college BB for over a decade.


Thats awesome. Did you know that the U.S. Supreme Court Building  has a basketball court on the top floor known as "the highest court in the land"


I guess the sport pays great. Lebron James got a $90 million dollar deal from nike when he was only 19


Wow. That's a lot of money. Can you believe that some of Lebron's high school games would attract as many as 1750 attendees with tickets as high as $100-$120.


Yeah I know thats crazy. I guess I should have played basketball.


I guess so. Hard to believe Lebron rejected Reebok's offer of 10 million dollars when he was 18 because he was sure he's get a better deal, and he did.


And he was smart for doing it, because then he got the $90 million dollar Nike deal a year later.


Yes, he did. Very smart of him. Did you know athlete Tim Duncan of the Spurs sacrifices money and stayed in college for four years instead of going directly into the NBA?


He must have valued his education a great deal.


I would agree.  Iverson's got a deal that is from Reebok that pays him 800k a year until age 55 and at that point he gets a 32 million lump sum payment.


Seems like a lot of money, especially from Reebok.


Did you know that physicists proved that shooting "granny style" is the most accurate technique to score points on the line but NBA players refuse to do it because it looks stupid?


I bet that I could even make a basket that way!


It looks like the money is in all sports, in 39 out of the 50 states the highest paid state employee is either a college football or college basketball coach.


Wow. Well, unless you're Judge Judy. She makes 123k per episode! Nice chatting. Bye now.


Yes I do. Do you know who Kareem Jabbar is?


Yeah the guy that used the dunk shot so much that it got banned.


Yeah. Do you know who invented the sport?


Yes it was James Naismith , a coach at U of Kansas


Yes and ironically, the only losing coach there as well


Yes. Coaches are still really highly paid in many of the States


Yeah. Do you know where is the Highest COurt in the Land?


Yes that is in the top floor of the US Supreme Court building


Yeah. Do you know what the NZ basketball team are called?


Yes they are called the tall blacks, so weird


Yes he was a great player but his sister was always better than thim


Yes she once broke 8 national records when she scored 105 points in a game


Yeah. Did you know of the deal that Iverson has with Rebook?


Yes he is getting I think $800 000 per year until he is 55 from them


Yes and then after that he gets $32 million


Yeah the guy is pretty much set for life if you ask me


He sure is. Did you know AIr Jordan were originally banned in the court?


Yes but Nike kept paying the fees and Jordan kept wearing them . Nice chat


Hi!Yes I do! I enjoy watching the Bulls. Do you have a favorite team?


I liked the seattle supersonics, but I'm not too into basketball to be honest. I find it interesting though. The science of it!


I agree, I only watch it if its on TV and I cant change the channel. There is alot of money in it, I think pays better than football. Like Allen Iverson, he gets lifetime time endorsements of 800, 000 a year until he is 55! I wish I had that!


Oh wow! I want that kind of money in my life! Haha! In 39 out of 50 states, the highest paid state employee is either a college football or basketball coach! Maybe it's time I go into sports for my job !


me too! I agree, Im thought the same when I learned that! Since you like Science... there is a physicists that proved best techniques to shot and score.


Its called "Granny Style" haha but NBA players refuse to do it because it looks stupid! ha


Oh wow! I would do it! I have no shame! Haha! Granny style? Bring it on! Did you know that Air Jordans were banned upon introduction by the NBA?


I know right! I wouldn't either if they pay me in the millions or a potential of it haha and I didnt know that about the Jordans, I did know that Nike offered Lebron 90 million, shortly after reebok offered him 10 million that Lebron rejected! Who rejects 10 mil! Oh my Lordy!


Wow! It's a good thing he rejected though. He earned himself 80 million! Yeah I guess Jordan wore his Jordans anyway, because NIKE was willing to pay the fine each time! That worked well for them, I think!


I know!! Its almost like he expected it, but when you are that good I guess you expect it, its good business! I wouldn't have rejected probably unless I was coached into it. It makes sense though


Yeah I definitely wouldn't have rejected the first offer! Haha! $10 million? Okay, I'll do it! Sadly, I'm not like Tim Duncan, who sacrificed money to stay in college instead of going straight to the NBA.


I know right! That's what makes these people like Tim Duncan so amazing! Making mistakes but then also great choices! and in Lebrons case, Im glad he is humble, did you know he raised 6 million dollars for charity?


No I didn't! I admire charitable qualities in people. I only wish I had the resources to be able to be charitable! Woah! Apparently the New Zealand basketball team is nicknamed "the tall blacks". That's pretty crazy, I don't think that's very nice!


me too! Did you ever watch Space Jam? Im a 90's baby so it was my sham!!


Yeah, I have I loved that movie as a kid! I heard there might be a sequel. But I'm not sure if it's really going to happen. Wasn't it Lebron who was going to do the sequel?


Yes, apparently Lebron and Warner Bros signed a deal for a sequel, Itll be interesting to see for sure!


Yeah! I will absolutely be seeing it! Reminds me of my childhood. I see why Lebron is often called :The Best Basketball Player in the World! He is pretty great!


Agreed! Well Ill be thinking of you when I watch it too beautiful stranger! Take care! sending hugs, love and good vibes... Peace!


What team does LeBron James play for now?


He's headed to Los Angeles Lakers it seems although I dont follow basketball that much, Lebron is a great player though


That is true.    He got a huge contract.    Know what his salary will be?


Its like a 154 million contract so Im guessing his salary will be really high, I think he doesnt need the money any more lol he is loaded


Yeah, he is one of the best players if not the best, he has a 24 wins ratio replacement so that should help the team a lot,the Lakers havent made the playoffs in five season


Do you know who the coach of the LA Lakers is?


Yes I think the coach is called Luke Walton, I bet he is happy to have Lebron on the team, what an asset!


True.    Do you know how many teams are in the National Basketball Association?


It has a total of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and theres also a Canadian team


Thanks.     Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs chose not to go to one of those teams directly, instead staying in college for four years.


I guess thats an admirable decision I read that players at the end of their carreers end up in bankruptcy or under financial problems, its a good thing he has a career to back his winnings


True.    Not everyone is Allen Iverson, who earns $800000 a year from Reebok, and will get $32 million at age 55!


I agree, or Lebron James who can sign 90 million dollar deals with companies such as Nike


People will pay to see LeBron James in retirement!    Tickets for his high school games were often over $100!


Wow tickets were worth every penny then, that would be a nice story to tell, watching LeBron play when he was still in highschool and then watching him on TV


I think I would've preferred to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who had a vicious dunk that got the shot banned in college basketball for over a decade!


That sucks! the dunk is one of the greatest moves Basketball has to offer, good thing it isnt banned anymore


True, although the game has changed many times since James Naismath invented the sport!


It has changed a lot indeed, he was also a coach, a terrible one it seems.


He would probably not make it today, where 39 of the 50 states highest paid employees are a college football or basketball coach.


Well I guess pro players are paid better, at least most of them are.


Hello there, are you an NBA fan or fan of basketball in general?


I would say I'm a casual fan. Grew up going to Charlotte Hornet games.


That is very cool, when I was younger the Charlotte Hornets were my favorite team.  I collected Larry Johnson cards, he was my favorite.


I was a Muggsy Bogues fan. Super cool guy did a lot of good things for the area. Very popular among fans.


Hey yeah me too, he was awesome.  I loved watching him, Johnson, and Mourning play together.  They had a few good seasons.


I find it interesting that Lebron James was so hated in 2012 a captured al-qaeda member wrote letters expressing his disgust at his decision to go to the Heat. He told his lawyer that Lebron was a bad man and should apologize to the city of Cleveland.


Wow, that is so over the top.  He can play for whatever team he wants and I know he does a ton of work for charities wherever he plays.


I agree. When he left Cleveland in 2010  of his merchandise was marked down to $17.41 in reference to the year that the American traitor Benedict Arnold was born.


That is so lame, they should be thankful that he played for them.  I wonder how they felt when he came back and won a title for them.


Exactly! Cleveland fans certainly are passionate!


Yeah you are probably right.  Did you know Lebron signed on for a new space jam movie?


I had heard about that. It should be interesting considering that Space Jam is the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time.


Yeah I am curious when it will actually come out.  Did you know he raised 6 million for charity when he hosted that 'the decision' thing a few years ago?


Yeah that is really cool I thought, I bet a lot of people don't know that is what he did after he aired that.


I find it astonishing that with all the money that players make from contracts, sponsors, and endorsement deals that 60% of players are broke within five years after retirement.


Yeah that is astonishing to think about.  You would think they would have mandatory classes or things as part of being drafted that would help them later in life.


Exactly!  I guess they live for the here and now. A lot of them think they are gonna be famous, healthy, and athletic forever.


Right, hey speaking of basketball, did you know the granny style of shooting free throws has been proven to be the best technique?


lol! No I did not know that! My favorite player to watch shoot free throws was Shaq. He had had some ugly releases during his career. Im not surprise he only recorded one 3 pointer during his whole career.


Wow, I never knew that about him with the 3 pointer, that is pretty funny.  Well it was nice talking with you, I hope you have a good night.


I do like it a little bit! LeBron is pretty amazing.


I agree.  He once rejected a $10 million offer from Reebok when he was just 18.  He didn't take it because he thought he would get more from Nike or Adidas.  Less than a year later he took an offer from Nike worth $90 million!


I think Allen Iverson made a much better deal with Reebok.


You don't happen to know any of the details of that do you?  I'm not familiar with it.


Iverson asked for $800k a year until he's 55, then collects a large lump sum.


Whoa.  That's some good cash.  Physicists have discovered that shooting granny style is the absolute best technique to score points on a consistent basis from the free throw line.  I'm going to have to remember that next I play.


Haha, nice. Did you know Air Jordans were originally banned?


I kind of remember something about it but don't remember the details.


Whenever they first came out, the NBA banned them. Michael Jordan wore them anyway because Nike just paid the fee every time! Haha. They have plenty of money to do things like that, I guess.


Nice!  Good marketing on Jordan's part!  Did you know that LeBron signed a new deal for a space jam sequel.  Wonder if his version will be better than Jordan's?


I don't know anything can beat the original. I'm pretty excited for it, though. Space Jam was my jam back in the day! LeBron might be pretty funny. Maybe he'll play baseball next like MJ, too!


I remember that!  He played in the minors for the White Sox!  LeBron raised 6 million dollars for charity when he aired "The Decison" .  That's when he left Cleveland the first time.


Wow. Did you know he could sell out his high school games?


I do know that.  I remember hearing about him when he was in high school.  They already were calling him the best basketball player compared to Jordan.


It's crazy how long ago that was. I didn't realize he was in his mid-30s.


I know.  It makes me feel really old because I remember those high school days of his.  Did you know that in 39 out of 50 states the highest paid state employee is either a college football or basketball coach?


Wow, that's impressive. Maybe more people should strive to coach rather than play! Did you know that Kareem Abdul made the dunk so popular, they had to ban it in college for a while?


I didn't know that.  He must have did it a lot! lol  The New Zealand basketball team is nicknamed the "tall blacks".  How do they get away with that?


I have no idea. It's incredibly offensive. Well, it's been nice chatting with you about sports today!


Do you follow the NBA? My kids do and love it!


I have watched NBA games on TV. It is a fun and interesting sport.


It is! Did you know that tim duncan of the spurs sacrificed money and stayed in college for four years instead of going to the NBA. That says alot.


I would not have done that. I would have gone into the pros. Life is short and there is risk. Get the money when you can. College can wait.


There is something to be said for that. In fact I am an alum from University of Kentucky. A lot of that happening!!


Few players get the endorsement deals of Allen Iverson. The money is going to be there for a few years, then gone.


Yep. Listen, Judge Judy makes 123,000 per episode, making her the highest paid celeb after Lebron


Hm. I wonder if she is dating these days. Does she have a sneaker deal yet?


Probably not. Maybe a robe deal. LOL. Did you know that there is a New Zealand team that have named themselves the "tall blacks"


A play on the All Blacks. Ha ha. I guess rugby is really the main sport there.


Maybe. Did you know that Warner Bros and Lebron have signed a deal for a space jam sequel?


Oh the world was waiting for that! Another basketball film! Oh boy!


Exactly! I am not sure if you have realized but in 39 out of the 50 states, the highest paid employee is either a college football or basketball coach!


That makes sense. Sports are far more important than education or gov't. Civilization will collapse, but entertainment will persist.


Absolutely. Supposedly, the US Supreme Court building has a basketball court called the highest court in the land.


I agree! Did you know that Lebron raised 6 mil for charity by televising "the decision".


The man is a legend. He has done *so* much for charity. He has not forgotten where he came from.


Absolutely! He even rejected a Reebok offer of $10 mil when he was 18. Who has that fortitude?


I bet his agent and mother told him to wait. They knew.


Hi! Hope you're doing well! Did you hear about LeBron telling reporters how mature his two boys are? I was surprised he said both he and his wife share wine with them!


I know that shocked me too!  wow a 11 and 14 year old drinking wine, not my style of parenting, but to each his own, I guess.


Ha! So true! So are you a basketball fan? I am and I also love the movie Space Jam. I can see why it's the highest grossing basketball movie of all time!


Yeah, I do like watching a little basketball every now and then.  I hear that Warner Bros. and Lebron James have signed a deal for a Space Jam sequel.  It'll probably be a moneymaker, as well.


I'm sure it will! But even if it somehow doesn't, I'm sure it wouldn't affect Lebron's bank account. He was wise to reject a $10 million deal from Reebok expecting Nike or Adidas to offer more which they did less than a year later. $90 million in fact!


Yes, he was smart and at such a young age when he signed that deal with Nike.


Indeed.  Now he's regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time by many and has won 4 MVP awards, 3 NBA Finals MVP Awards, 3 All Star MVPs and 2 Olympic Gold Medals!


Yes, he is a valuable player.  Did you know tickets to some of his high school games sold for $100- 120/ apiece?


That doesn't surprise me, honestly! But sadly, he was so hated when he left Cleveland for Miami, his posters were marked down to $17.14 referencing Benedict Arnold's birth year.


Yeah, I had heard that, but I don't think it has affected his pocketbook, much! lol


No kidding! Ha! But him leaving was so bad, a captured Al Qaeda member wrote letters of disgust even telling his lawyers LeBron should apologize to the City of Cleveland!


Boohoo, that man could care less about what a captured Al Qaeda member said.  Lebron has made bank and continues to make bank.  Doesn't matter if you hate or love him, he still makes that money.  He's the highest paid celebrity and makes more than Judge Judy.


So very true! I just hope he doesn't go broke five years after retiring like 60% of all NBA players do, sadly enough.


Nah, King James is smarter than that.  He's not going to end up a statistic!


Let's hope not! I tell you another smart guy was Tim Duncan. He elected to stay in college instead of going directly to the NBA sacrificing money to do so!


Well, now that was probably smart on his part.  On a side not, have you heard about the Supreme Court's basketball court on the top floor?  It's known as the highest court in the land. Lol


That's actually kind of funny! Ha! On a related note, basketball as well as volleyball were both invented at the YMCA! I thought that was interesting!


That is very interesting, I thought James Naismith invented basketball?


I guess he invetend it at the YMCA! Ha! What else is interesting that many people don't realize is Shaq has only recorded one 3 point score in his entire career! That is unbelievable!


Yeah, I hear that physicists have proved that shooting granny style is the most consistent way to score points on the line, but the players won't do it, because it looks so stupid.


I suppose since NBA players are the best paid athletes in the entire world by average annual salary, the last thing they want to do is look stupid. Ha! Well it was great chatting with you! Take care!


I prefer to play - I used to watch a lot. Why ?


Had you heard that the Milwaukee Bucks fired Jason Kidd?


Tensions between Kidd and his team had been building for months.


...so he wasn't a team player ? Or maybe was he so good that intimidated his teammates ?


There were issues between him and Jabari Parker and upper management. Kidd wanted to change the roster constantly and made weird in game decisions.


...well that sounds like he wasn't really a team player... do You agree with that decision ? Firing him ?


Well, they might have made the right decision after his weird decisions. They didn't cause the Bucks to lose but Kidd unsuccessfully tried to explain his rationale.


I wonder if there was any sense behind those explanations...  Do You know what he is doing now ?


I'm not sure how exactly he explained making a player lose a free throw on purpose or making a foul, both things during the last few seconds of a game. And I'm not sure what he's doing now.


That's really weird.... maybe somebody should look into that...  another NBA fact - When lebron james left cleveland for miami in 2010, his posters were marked down and sold for $17.41 in reference to the year the american traitor benedict arnold was born.


That's interesting. Did you know that granny style is the best technique to consistently score points? But  NBA players don't use it because it looks dumb.


I mean... I heard about it, but isn't it easy to block a shot like that ?


I'm not sure but physicists supposedly proved it was true.


I would actually want to see some celebrity player to do that in the middle of the game ! :) imagine the media coverage ! lol


That would be hilarious! Going back to shoes, Air Jordans were banned when they were first introduced by the NBA but Jordan kept wearing them because Nike paid the fine.


Why were those banned ? They were making him higher or something ?


I'm not exactly sure why they were banned.


Lebron james has a photographic memory and is able to remember exact in-game scenarios in basketball games he has played throughout his career over the years; growing up he was able to memorize moves in fighting games so well that his friends thought he was cheating - sounds like a miracle child  lol


Wow, that must be part of the reason why he is so good.


I love it.Do you know who Kareem Jabbar is?


Yes the guy that used the dunk shot so much that it got banned for a while


Yeah. Do you know who invented the game?


Yes that was James Naismith who was a coach at the U of Kansas


Yes and he was also the only losing coach there


Yeah pretty ironic. Did you know coaches are really well paid?


Yes in 39 our of 50 states in the US they are the highest paid employees


Yes. Do you know where the highest court in the land is?


yes that is on the top floor of the US Supreme Court


Yes. DO you know what the NZ basketball team is nicknamed?


Yes the tall blacks. Do you know how many teams are in the NBA?


Yes there are 30 teams and only one of them is Canadian


Yeah. Did you know Reggie Miller was never able to get out of the shadow of his sister?


Yes she was a star, scored 105 points once and broke 8 national records


Yeah. Did you hear what deal Iverson signed with Rebook back in 2001?


Yes he is making $800 000 per year until he is 55


Yes and then he gets a sum of $32 million


Yes he is good for life. Nice chatting with you


Yes same here, keep on eye on those games


Yes, I do. I find it crazy that there are 30 teams in North America.


Do you recall the name of the basketball team in Canada is?


I wish I could remember, but talking about players, Le Bron James is thought to be the best player ever!


He had a new deal with "Space Jam" which was such a great movie!


That is pretty cool!! I remember the one with Michael Jordan. did you know Le Bron raised 6 million for charity?


He is such a generous man. No wonder everybody looks up to him as a legendary. He accepted a $90,000,000 offer from Nike.


Wow, and he had rejected a $10 million offer from reebok before, he thought he could get more, and yes he did!


And he was pretty young by then, he was just 18


Maybe he thought it was either or for his choosing. Anyways, Judge Judy makes way more money!


I remember when Lebron played for Miami Heat, now the LA Lakers are so lucky to have him!


Lebron definitely deserves to be in the LA Lakers! He's doing well!


He has won many awards , even two olympic gold medals, and he is only 34 years old!


Also, he received 3 All-Star Game MVP awards and an NBA scoring title. Now, he definitely deserves to be in the Lakers. I bet his teammates from the Heats respect him.


back when he was in high school people were already paying between $100 to $120 to see him!


Do you think he was a senior when this happened? I thought about it since he accepted a deal with nike that time.


He must have been and more that 1750 people attended, that is crazy, he was just a kid.


He is living his life and still to this very day.


It was cool that the NBA was funded on June 6 1946, we are now able to enjoy the competition! It was nice talking to you.


It's not my favorite sport, but I hear things about it from time to time. Do you like it?


I watch it ocassionally.  Just mostly when the warriors are playing.


I've heard a lot about them. I remember when LeBron was the only player I would hear much about


In 39 out of 50 states the highest paid employee is the college or football coach lol


Of course. Basketball was invented at the YMCA, along with volleyball, so those coaches can be grateful for that


Nice.  Did you know Lebron james is going to be in the new space jam?


The first one was the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time, so hopefully he doesn't mess up the sequel. That would be disappointing


I should watch it again,  I dont really remember it lol


Basketball is still a big sport though, so much that men purposely try to get vasectomies near March Madness so they can stay home and watch


Wow that is extreme,  there are no other less painful excuses? lol


If their wives already wanted them to get the procedure, why not? Are you familiar with the Harlem Globetrotters?


They're a well-known basketball team. They've played against the American team over 13,000 times and only lost to them 6 times


Wow.  Did you know Lebron James raised 6 mil for charity by airing "the decision"?


That's really cool! I've heard he has a photographic memory, which is what helps him in game scenarios


It didn't help him when he left the Cleveland team for Miami though. Even Al-Qaeda didn't like him for that move


some of lebrons high school games would attract like almost 2000 attendees!


Some think he's the greatest player of all time, though I'm still biased toward Michael Jordan


Hey its been great chatting!  I have to go.


Hi! How are you today? I'm home watching TV, hoping to watch a little basketball later.


I am great! How are you? I plan on watching basketball as well. LeBron James is my favorite player.


I know he's really popular. Warner Bros. have signed him for a new Space Jam deal.


Yeah that's great. He's a cool person. He raised 6 million dollars for charity.


Well, he sure has the bucks. He has a $90 million contract with Nike that he got after declining a $10 million offer from Reebok.


That was definitely a smart move. He knew he would be worth more. People paid a lot of money just to attend his high school games.


I have heard that tickets for some games were selling for $100-$120!


Yeah that's crazy! Reggie miller was a good player in high school as well.


I heard he and his sister Cheryl had quite the rivalry going.


I heard his sister crushed his spirit when he found out she scored 140 points compared to his 40.


Wow! That must have been when she broke 8 national records.


Yeah, that was an amazing accomplishment. Do you like player Allen Iverson?


I think he's a good player. He was also offered an endorsement with Reebok. He took it.


Really, I wonder if it paid as good as the one Lebron got?


Not at all. He will receive $800,000 a year until he's 55 years old.


Yeah! in total it'll equal to 32 million. Not half as good as LeBron's deal though.


Still a lot. Speaking of huge salaries, Judge Judy makes $123k per episode. Now THAT is crazy.


Me too! It was nice chatting! Take care.


Hi! I am a little I suppose.  I'm not sure that I like knowing he lets his kids drink wine though.


Yeah, if that's how you judge whether or not your kids are "mature" by whether or not they drink wine, I think he needs a reality check. You think social services would be alerted by that statement?


i think if it were a non celebrity they would be all over it but because it is Lebron James they will ignore it.  I know he says his kids are mature but drinking is not necessarily due to mental maturity. There are physical effects too.


Yeah, I agree. If they drink at that young of an age, I wonder whether or not they'll think Trader Joes cheap wines are disgusting or I wonder whether that statement will come back to bite them for when his kids want to play for the NBA


Oh that's a good point.  Coaches may think the kids are alcoholics and not draft them.  I wonder too if he'll have his daughter drinking.  She's only three right now.


Oh my goodness, well there definitely would be some mental issues if he lets them drink at that young of an age! Seems like he's an avid drinker because he gave up wine for two weeks in preparation for the Lakers but commented that it made him want wine even more. Or did the article misspell whine


I've heard he has a growing interest in drinking wine.  i hope he knows that there are studies that show that early age drinking can lead to binge drinking.


Yeah maybe it's his plan to emulate his knowledge about wines and that he has a wine brand in the works and so is trying to create an image but considering that he makes $90 million from endorsements with nike, I don't think he needs it.


I agree.  I think he needs to learn more about damaging effects of alcohol before promoting it like that.  Some studies show it can affect the brain and organs in children.


So when is a good time to introduce alcohol to children? Do the studies suggest a optimal time to expose children to alcohol so that they'll learn to be responsible drinkers?


i think some studies say 15 years old for small amounts of drinking with parents but then you've got those studies talking about physical damage so I guess it's just not really clear. It seems to me that the best thing to do is not to do it at all while a child is developing.


Yeah, I agree that that's the best approach. You think maybe if players were drunk when they played, they'd just might deploy the "granny style" of shooting the basketball? It is the best technique to consistently score points, according to physicists.


Is it really?  That would look so odd, especially if they were drunk lol!  I wonder if that would still work in a game though. The other team could block those type of shots pretty easily I think.


Oh that's true, that's the reason NBA players refuse to shoot like that because it looks stupid. If they wore Air Jordan's, they'd probably still look funny, but Nike just might be willing to pay the players for that just like they agreed to pay the fine each time they were worn during the ban upon their introduction.


I heard about the air jordan thing. I bet nike did that because it was great publicity. The fines were most likely way less than the profits they made off of sales of those shoes.


Yeah, otherwise they'd be spending much more for marketing. Probably also because of this ban and players wore them, they got even more free publicity!


Exactly!  Basketball players are great publicity for shoes. Just look at Reebok. They paid Allen Iverson $800,000 per year until the age of 55 and then a lump sum of $32,000,000.


That's amazing retirement planning! You hear about athletes mismanaging their money or fortune but Iverson and Lebron James are breaking that "trend".


They are so far but i still think that holding out to get your education like Tim Duncan did is the best policy.


Yeah, didn't he postpone joining the NBA until he finished getting his bachelors? Wondered if they paid for his tuition.


He's amazing! Some consider him the best player in the game, and he would probably agree...


I think he's the best player, maybe with Jordan, the Lakers have a sweet team this season, a lot of talented players added to the team


They have a history of attracting some of the greats, and the history continues.  LeBron made history with the Cavaliers, bringing them to their first NBA championship, so, you know he is capable of a lot!


And also the other great players like Rajon Rondo, seems like the Lakers are going all in


Warner Bros are going all in too!  They signed a deal with LeBron for a "Space Jam" sequel!


Did you watch Space Jam with Michael Jordan? I think LeBron is the perfect replacement, its going to be a great movie


Yeah. Success and money seem to follow LeBron... Did you know that his old high school used to charge upwards of $120 per ticket to see him play? Amazing.


Wow, so people were crazy about him even before he got to the NBA, I heard he rejected a $10 million deal from Reebok once


Yeah, imagine, passing up $10 million with confidence that another better deal was on the horizon...and he was right!  Nike paid him $90 milllion just a year later!


I would have taken the money lol, he was only 18 back then I guess his confidence paid off in the end, now he has better deals than those


I liked how he returned to Cleveland. Remember when he first left Cleveland and everyone was so dissapointed that championship expectations were not met? Then, after LeBron wins two NBA titles with the Heat, he returns to Cleveland and brings them the gold too!  It's a great story!


It is a great story indeed, just like how James Naismith, the inventor of the game was actually a terrible coach


You can't make this stuff up!  I like the story about Reggie Miller...the one where he tries to brag to his family about his most excellent 40-point scoring performance, only to find out that his sister had scored over 100-pts that day for her basketball team.  Humility...


He is a hall of famer and one of the best players I have ever seen, did you hear about the kid that got the dunk shot banned from college basketball for more than a decade


Kareem!  A gifted athlete. And he also studied martial arts under Bruce Lee too. He was so dominant on the boards, the NCAA had to ban his dunk. But can you imagine a 7-footer throwing kicks at you like Bruce Lee?  Scary!


That sounds scary, Bruce Lee was like the best martial artists in the history of fighters,


Here's another scary thought: Ruth Bader Ginsberg hanging from the rim after she jams one home!  The Supreme court building has a basketball court on the top floor. They call it "The highest court in the land"...  I'd pay money to see the justices playing against one another!


I bet all kinds of interesting games are played at that court, the highest court on land what a name.


You like that name? Then you'll love this one: The New Zealand basketball team has a nickname...the Tall Blacks... You gotta love it!


That sounds like a really racist name lol, someone would get punched in America for sure lol


Hi there ! Looking forward to chat with You ! ;)


Hi, do you follow NBA?  Did you hear that physicists proved shooting "granny style" is the best technique to score points on the line?


I heard something like that ;) if that would be true, all players would be grannies on the field ;) lol


Funny, huh.  Air Jordan's were banned when introduced to the NBA but Nike payed the fine to have them worn by Jordan.


Banned ? Why ? What was the reason.... was MJ to tall wearing those ?lol


Not sure but Tim Duncan of the Spurs sacrificed money and stayed in college for 4 years instead of going to the NBA.  I wonder what impacted his decision.


I mean - so many of those players doesn't have high school finished, so great for that guy... he knows his priorities... I don't know if I would do that... would You ? would You pick school instead making a career and big money ?


If my mom said to I would.  NBA player Iverson singed a lifetime endorsement with Reebok in 2001 paying him $800,000 a year until age 55 then he would receive $32,000,000.  I hope the shoes are comfy for him


...but if nobody would force You and You would get an offer like that - what would You do ?


I would do it.  I'm wearing Reeboks right now.  Reggie Miller nba hall of famer couldn't escape his sisters shadow while in high school because she outscored him 105-40


Nice chat... . Great. me too btw.  Well he should give her a hard time for doing that ;) lol, kidding...


Did you see space jam?  Lebron James signed a new deal for a sequel.


I did see Space Jam, I loved it - what do YOU think about the movie ?


I didn't see it, but always am tempted to rent it at the library.  I'd like to be Judge Judy for just a day because she makes $123,000 per episode.


...well I'm sure she is an educated woman and as we can see - she can make a show out of it. I'm not sure if I would want to be a part of that show, would You ?


Did you hear that people couldn't use the dunk shot in college basketball for over a decade?


It was banned after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's dominant use of it.  Did you know that 39/50 states pay a college football or basketball coach the highest state paid salary?


I guess it's up to them to show the performance of their youth... there is always big money behind entertainment like that.


Still speaking of basketball, Lebron James was offered $10 million from Reebok and rejected it at age 18!  Less than a year later he accepted $90 million from Nike


lol... Do you think he knew what he was doing or maybe had somebody like an agent who recommended him to do that ?


You would think he knew something, or he knew he was that good!


I am good, what do you think about the NBA? Do you ever watch it?


I think it's ok, I have friends in Canada to watch the Toronto Raptors, they're the only Canadian NBA team actually


There used to be the Vancouver Grizzies but they moved to Memphis. I remember a lot of that squad, starting with Bryant: big country reeves.


Whatever happened to that team? Also how did Allen Iverson get to be so rich by signing with Reebok LOL.


They moved to memphis. AI has a great reebok deal. He's getting rich off of them!


He definitely is! He's going to get a 32 million dollar payout when he turns 55, that's crazy!


I know, right? Did you read about reggie miller and his sister Cheryl?


Yes his sister was really talented, he thought you broke a record one day and she actually broke more on the same day LOL


I know! I listen to him on the dan patrick show and he is funny! He told that story a few months back. So good!


Yeah I love that story! I also love how Allen Iverson makes like 800 grand a year from Reebok too, he's just loaded in general


He does have an off-the-court-history with alcohol though. It's really kind of sad. The typical story about an athlete trying to hide their pain...


Oh I didn't know that. That is sad. What do you think about Tim Duncan staying In college for four years instead of just going right into the draft?


I am for it. It worked for him at wake forest and I am not sure he would have been as successful had he not stayed. David robinson got injured so they won the lottery and got duncan.


You seem to know a lot about the NBA. Did you know that Air Jordans were initially banned and that Nike had to pay a fine each time they were used on the court?


I did. David stern was afraid of the new shoes... It was a lot like luther campbell and 2live Crew in the 80s going against the government. It heped sales.


Did you also know that granny style is the best way to shoot a basketball? You think that top players will ever use it in actual game snow?


I hope so! That would be fun to watch. Like eating popcorn with chopsticks...


That sounds interesting actually, kind of like the basketball court on top of the Supreme Court building haha


It's a pretty lucrative position, evidently. Even a college basketball coach is one of the highest paid state employees of 39 out of 50 states.


That's crazy.  LeBron isnt doing too bad either.  90 million dollar deal from Nike.


Haha, yeah. He was right not to take that deal Reebok made him when he was 18 for only $10 million.


I would jump at that now.  But I wouldnt be gettin 90 mil from Nike either.


Reebok offered Allen Iverson a pretty sweet deal. He got $800k a year until he's 55, then he gets $32 million.


Man these stars getting all these crazy deals.  Lebrons high school games tickets would go for $100


He does some good, too, though. He was able to raise $6 mil for charity.


I believe so, though I don't know what that means. I didn't realize Warner Bros. signed a contract with James to make a Space Jam sequel! That will make a lot of millenials and Gen Xers very happy.


I do remember that first version with MJ


Yeah, Michael Jordan is a legend. He regularly wore his Air Jordans, despite them being banned by the NBA.


That's because Nike paid the fines.  Id say theyve got their money back from that,


Definitely. I wonder if Tim Duncan has made back the money he lost by staying in college instead of going directly to the NBA?


Probably over time he has, he was a pretty successful player.


Even without shooting "granny style", which physicists have proved is the best way to consistently shoot a free throw.


I wish some players would use that method.  Theyd be more succesful.  Like Shaq


Yeah, but most players refuse to do it because it looks stupid.


Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dunked so often, it got the shot banned in college basketball for over a decade.


Do you follow the NBA?  I guess Draymond Green got suspended after a heated argument with Kevin Durant.  The NBA is more and more like Pro wrestling.


Yeah, I do follow the NBA. Durant should have kept his cool, but he's right, Green cost the team the game when it mattered.


Ii can't believe Klay Thomas spoke out in the name of unity.


Yeah, that was surprising. He's not normally one to speak up. Do you think the issue was about the game, or is Green just upset about Durant's pending contract?


Probably a little of both.  According to ESPN it was pretty intense.


Seems like it! I'm not too surprised, Green's kind of a loose cannon.


Yeah, I guess coach Kerr made the final decision to suspend Green which probably is the right thing to do.


I agree. You don't want that affecting the rest of the season. I can see why some teammates are upset about Durant, though. You don't want to lose a star player, like Cleveland did with LeBron.


Yep.  On to shoe issues.  Did you know Air Jordan's were banned when they were introduced?


I never heard that they were, that's crazy! Do you know why?


I suppose they thought they would give an unfair advantage. Jordan didn't obey them and wore them anyway.


Huh, I guess that makes sense since Nike's always ahead of the game. Reminds me of when LeBron turned down the Reebok deal for 10 million dollars, and then Nike offered him 90 million. They're good at attracting the superstars.


I'm not a big fan of LeBron. He didn't live up to the Lakers hopes.


Haha, you're not the only one. Apparently even members of al-qaeda spoke out against his move to Miami. He seems to be losing support everywhere.


Wow, if you lose the support of a terrorist group -- doesn't get much lower than that.


Very true. Hopefully LeBron is saving his money for when everyone turns on him. I've heard that most NBA players end up broke five years after retirement.


Yeah, that's some poor money management.  Right now he's beating Judge Judy who gets $123K per episode.


Woah, he's making better decisions than Spencer Haywood. Did you hear about the time he chose $100k in cash upfront instead of a stake in Nike, which would have been worth billions today?


Doh! Bet he wishes he had that back.  Money, money... In 39 of 50 states, the highest state employee is a college football or basketball coach.


Seriously?! It's crazy that college coaches get paid so much, while the athletes don't make any money. Before Tim Duncan joined the Spurs for guaranteed income, he chose to keep playing all 4 years in college despite an NBA offer. Pretty risky move!


I went into the wrong like of work.  I could do free throws "Granny Style" and maybe get an edge.  Physicists proved it has a higher percentage -- just looks goofy.


I think Shaq could have made more than one 3 pointer in his entire career if he had adopted the granny style! Might not be worth the ridicule, though.


I used to laugh at his bricks as he missed another freethrow... Great chatting with you - excellent


I am, I like the mid 90s players. Jordan, Iverson, Reggie Miller.


He's such an iconic player! Did you know Air Jordan's were banned when he first started wearing them?


I did, apparently Nike paid the fines too. Good marketing effort.


Yeah that was a good investment there. Unlike Reebok and Allen Iverson's deal. I wonder who came out ahead on that?


They're paying him $800,000 a year until he's 55, then paying him a lump sum of $32,000,000. I don't see Iverson's selling that much.


Hilarious, he has to be close to 55 already, right?


He's got a quite a few years left to go. He's 43 and will be 44 in June.


Really? I didn't realize he was that young. So funny.


Yeah it is. I guess they were expecting him to be bigger and didn't want him running off to Nike.


Yeah, that is pretty funny. He was good at one point wasn't he?


Yeah he was a dominating player, he was just on a subpar team in a tough conference.


That's too bad. Are you a fan of LeBron ?


I am. I really want to see this new "Space Jam" sequel.


It sounds pretty cool, but I'm not so sure that I would want to watch it.


I really liked the original so I want to see how it compares. I'd be amazing if Bill Murray is in this one.


Yeah, I like Bill Murray, he was good in Groundhog day. Well, nice chatting with you.


Nice chatting with you. We got done pretty reasonably quick. I hope you have a good day!


I sure do he is a good player. What do you think of Reggie Miller?


Yes he is decent. Duncan finished college and then went into the NBA


Smart. Reggie Miller was good but his sister was always better than him


So good she once scored 105 points and broke 8 national records in a game


WOw that is some talent right there in that family, amazing


Yeah. Did you know Iverson signed a contract with Rebook back in 2001?


Did not know that. I hear though that NFL players go bankrupt a lot after retirement


That is so sad. Iverson is making $800 000 till he is 55 with Rebook


Wow I guess the guy is pretty much set for life then


I sure do. He rejected an offer from Rebook for $10 million when he was 18


Well he said that Nike or Adidas would offer him more


WOw I guess he knew his self worth back then too. Did they?


Yes they sure did, Nike offered him $90 million a year after


WOw that is amazing. He will be in the next Space Jam movie


How's it going, do you like horror film? Many were inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, Stroker, and Mary Shelley


Yes, I just found out about the latest one that I want to see call "A Quiet Place". It's a silent thriller starring real-life married couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt and is the No. 1 movie in the country.  I liked that horror movie called


Yea I heard A Quiet Place got great reviews and Kraniski did a great job writing it


What I meant to say earlier was that I liked that movie called "Get Out", it was really suspenseful and full of outrageous surprises. I like Stephen Spielberg's sci-fi dramas as well.


Get Out got good review too. Apparently Steven King considers Bambi the first horror movie he's ever seen


Actually, I totally agree with him, as a child I was horrified when the hunter shot Bambi's mother. . Did you know that watching horror movies can burn up more than 180 calories?


No, that's pretty amazing, maybe I should try a horror movie diet to burn calories


Also, did you know that you watch a horror movie before you look at abstract art, you will enjoy the art more?


I heard that before, I wonder how that works. I might have to google abstract are after watching a horror movie


The sub-genres of horror films are so numerous and include low-budget horror, action horror, comedy horror (my favorite), body horror, disaster horror, found footage, holiday horror, horror drama, gothic horror , natural horror, zombie horror, first-person horror, and finally teen horror and that's probably not all of them.


I prefer the macarbe and supernatural themed horror, movies, I'm not too much into slashers


Remember the Shining? Danny, who played the boy, did not know he was acting in a horror film until several years later (although he was really little in that movie).


Yea, that's a pretty scarry movie, I wonder how the actor who played the movie had no idea it was a horror movie when filming a lot of his scenes


Well if you remember that movie, the plot was centered on the father who was stricken with the intrusion of an evil force who make him a murdering slasher dude.


Yea but wasn't there a scene with danny and the dead twins and the elevator full of blood or am I misremembering?


Yes, that too so all of them were overtaken by an evil force out of their control, lol.  Did you know that the majority of creepy metallic noises in sci-fi or horror movies are made by an instrument called a waterphone?


No but even the instrument name sounds creepy. Did you know Bill Murray thinks Kung Fu Hustle was a supreme achievement in comedy?


Yes, I even actually remember watching that on SNL. It was really funny but so was most of it back in those days. How about 3rd Rock from the Sun winning the Golden Glob for best comedy series in 1997?


That's pretty surprising 3rd Rock was able to beat out Friends and Seinfeld during their primes


Yes, and did you know that the creator the python programming language named it partly to honor the B


Nope, that's pretty cool. Well I got to go, nice chatting with you


Yes.Remember old ones with fins, two-tone '57 Chevys, 1st SUVs...you name it. How about you?


chevys from the 50s? beautiful vehicles. what a 57 t-bird ? weighed about 5000 pounds. beautiful car.


You got that right. My grandpa had a Model A Ford with a real wooden trunk in back - about 1920 model, I think...


that is classic! with the original actual trunk. in the UK they call it the boot. i wonder why...


Yes, a boot. Don't know why it's called that. Some folks forget just how basic cars used to be, in the early 20th century, when most cars weren't financed. You either had the cash, or didn't get that "ride", you know?


yes. the car was great for working folks. they could get around, it was simple enough for a farmer to fix with basic tools. now the cars are so complex.


Right. My grandpa had a farm. He did the maintenance himself. No parking fees or taxes then. No roads in a lot of places! Wasn'


yeah, those cars had to deal with all kinds of conditions. bad roads, bad weather. no flamethrowers needed. LOL


Yes. Odd fact that they're legal in South Africa to prevent carjacking, or, maybe, elephant/lion attacks! What's your fav. brand of vehicle?


i have driven fords. i guess i would love to own a porsche.


Let me guess: A 911? Classy cars. Grandparents other status symbol was the player piano in the parlor. Remember those?


yeah, i remember. the ones with the player roll with the holes in it. interesting invention. like a jukebox before recording tech.


Exactly! Today they're electronic devices. Sometimes would like to re-visit time, like in 1930, when the BBC decided there was no news worth reporting, so broadcast piano music instead. Better than some of today's "talk radio", don't you think?


yeah, i dont like to listen to editorializing. usually they have an agenda and i dont want to be preached at.


Right. Fun story: recently a Detroit pizza delivery boy saw piano in family's living room, asked if he could play while they dined, and treated them to a movement from Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." Even the kids put down their cell phones and video game controllers to come closer and listen! The boy was 18, mostly self-taught. Great or what?


yes, that is great. i think that the electronics are dominating the attention spans of too many kids. they dont experience anything else.


Well said. Hopefully many will still experience playing a musical instrument, not just listen to the Freddy Mercurys or Paul McCartneys on the air/onlline...


Yes, true. Anyway, great chat! I have to eat now.


You bet, Enjoyed Car Talk and more! Cheers!


Yes, car talk! you reminded me of the show! click and clack! have a great day!


Hey there! How much do you like Star Wars? I know that I like the first three movies, not too crazy about the rest though


Hello, I like Star Wars. Excited about the new land at Walt Disney World opening soon.


Is that what the new land is going to be? It's going to be Star Wars? That sounds awesome! Also, do you understand Navajo? I guess that Star Wars has been translated into that language


Really, interesting I didn't know James Earl Jones was the voice of darth vadar. Sounds just like him.


I did know that. I also know that the only made about $8,000 for the first movie, that sounds like he got ripped off lol


yes he is! I think he made a lot more money in future star wars movies, do you know who marcia lucas is?


yup, she had a lot of great advice, like obi wan dying and re-editing the trench run, without her I don't think those movies would have been as good


Agree, Do you like Drama? Michael Caine had a good excuse to take classes. lol


haha yes I do like drama! Ya I love him in Austin Powers 3 btw, do you ever wath the show the office?


Yeah, I saw him in an interview once. says his secret is he never blinks. lol


haha thats awesome! maybe I should blink less, but yes Jon Hamm was a former drama teacher and taught Erin from the office in his class


Yes, I have watched the office. Pretty funny! makes me laugh!


Yep I agree with you. I also think that Jim Carrey is funny and he makes me laugh. did you know he's never going to make a drama movie ever again?


I saw that, because of his positive beliefs. lol


Haha yep that is true. Do you ever watch the show called house? I watched it a lot, I really like doctor shows like that. But anyway, Hugh Laurie makes a ton per episode, have you heard about that?


I have heard of that. i haven't watched it. I don't watch TV much. Will look up on the internet. 7% of people read the full terms in service contracts.


That is shocking! I know that I never read it LOL I'm shocked it is even that high haha. Did you know that there is 3-g service up on Mount Everest?


Yes, at least theres one up there. How about that free classic drama radio? Good chat!!


Yeah I need to check those out. I can't believe there are thousands of them online. And also free on that website. That's a good deal!


How many Star Wars films have you seen in the theater?


I don't remember which ones I saw in theater, and some of them came out before I was born. It's the first major movie to be dubbed in a Native American language, and that didn't happen until 2013


I am old enough I have seen them all in the theater.  However, I did not see Solo;  from the reviews I read, Solo was a dud.  Its amazing its longevity and freshness considering the series started in 1977.


Maria Lucas is actually responsible for a lot of the changes in the original movie. She ended up getting an academy award for her editing, though her husband's name is the one everyone knows


I heard that somewhere,  Very few remember her but George Lucas is a household name.  Since starting in 1977, the franchise has grossed 65 billion!  That makes it the 5th highest grossing media franchise!


It also holds a title in the Guinness World Records. "Most successful film merchandising franchise" is definitely accurate of Star Wars


What I always find amazing is missed opportunities.  20th Century Fox thought Star Wars was going to flop, so they passed on Lucas's proposal to sell them the licensing and merchandising rights for an extra 500,000 directing fee.  Their mistake made the Lucas's billionaires.


Mistakes like that are common with some of those companies. I'm surprised James Earl Jones was only paid $7,500 for spending 2.5 hours on Darth Vadar's lines


In some ways I can understand that.  He was a voice actor and not someone readily recognizable onscreen.   If memory serves me correctly, the Star War's equivalent to the internet was the holonet.  What are your primary uses for the internet?


I use it for just about everything. It might be an addition since constant clicking on links is actually measurable in the brain


I do almost all as well, except social media.  I have my server hosted on the Microsoft cloud.  My work relies on access to a lot of government regulations and information and academic and industry research  Having that information online has changed how I work considering I started doing this in 1986.  What is amazing is how it has expanded from basic file sharing and email to telephone, streaming media, and social networking!


Wow. Are you part of the 7% of people who actually read the terms when you buy something online?


I have read the terms, but I should read them more frequently because they can change from time to time.  As someone who abhors the mall, ecommerce for me is a winner!  I also like the fact the internet is practically everywhere you have cell reception.  That has come in handy working at remote client sites.  They even have internet and cell service at the top of Everest!


That's impressive! Not many people were be up there to use it. I heard that there's a saved copy of the internet at the Library of Alexandria in case the current one burns down


For me that is incomprehensible.  How do you save a copy of the internet?  Another thing I really like on the internet are streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.  I get to watch TV without the commercials!  I recently streamed the "House" series on Amazon Prime.  Did you know that Hugh Laurie is the highest paid TV drama actor at $750,000 per episode?  That really makes James Earl Jone's Star Wars pay seem like a pittance!


Exactly! I'm a fan of Netflix too. Sometimes I like to watch the movies Jim Carrey used to do before his belief system meant he would no longer film movies that didn't project positivity. He's such a good actor


He has a unique style of humor in his earlier works that I miss.  Did you know that Michael Caine became an actor because the prettiest girls in school were in drama class?  When I decided to study engineering in the 1980s, that was not something I considered!


There are certain fields that seem to have an abundance of women compared to others. Back  in the days of the Greek, men typically played all the roles in the theatrical dramas


Today, some of my favorite drama actors are female, such as Dames Judy Dench and Helen Mirren.  Did you know that radio drama, before the spread of TV, are online and available for free?  I need to check that out and see if they have Orson Wells "War of the Worlds".


I like that we have so much access to the classics via the internet. One show that will likely be a classic of my generation is The Office. Ellie Kemper who plays Ellie on the show was actually taught by Jon Hamm in high school


Well, its been good chatting with you.  I think I will use up some internet bandwidth by firing up Amazon Prime and stream an episode of "Corner Gas".  You should check it out!


Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check it out sometime!


I used to as a child but not now. It Is such a beautiful instrument. Invented back in 1700.


Its an ancient instrument that is really popular to this day, Bartolomeo Cristofori was a genius to invent an instrument like that one


Yes he definitely was. I never knew it was Italian in origin also.


Yeah never knew that as well, did you hear about the group of climbers that found a piano on top of a mountain?


Yes how the heck together? At the top of Britain's highest speak no less.


I know right who would go through all that trouble just to get a piano up there.


My question exactly! It must have been aluminum because that way it would be lighter.


Yeah like that 356 pound grand piano, still really heavy and whats the point?


Yes it is still very heavy but I believe it allowed the piano to be taken on an airship.


Yeah I guess so, so changing the subject a bit, do you like cars?


Yeah cars are awesome. I think the 1908 model T being the first American car was really cool.


I bet it was, its been more than 100 years. The Benz model was the first car ever made


That is really cool no wonder it's so prestigious and expensive. I'm thankful that McDonald's created the drive-through in 1975.


I am thankful as well that is one of the biggest creations in the history of mankind lol did you know how they got the idea?


It looks like they developed them to accommodate soldiers who were not allowed to get out of the cars while wearing their fatigues. So patriotic.


It is, i'm getting kind of hungry in fact, not a bad idea to eat McDonalds for lunch


I would love McDonald's for lunch. Good idea. The brand Cadillac was named after the French explorer who founded Detroit.


It was? I loved those cars, really nice models and expensive cars.


Yes they are. And in South Africa it is legal to equip your car with flamethrowers. Thanks for talking with me today I enjoyed it.


Is it really legal? woah that is crazy, I also enjoyed out chat have a nice day.


Hi. I thought it is awesome that you are allowed to put flame-throwers on your car in South Africa. What do you think about that?


Ah, that's sound crazy. What do you think about the pizza guy that plays beethoven on the piano where he delivered a pizza.


I think it was sweet. Did you hear about the Alabama man who got a car from his boss because he had to walk 20 miles to work?


That story sound familiar.  Where did he work?


Somewhere in Alabama. I think this story made it on the nightly news. What did you think about the piano story?


Oh okay yeah I remember that, and also the piano story awesome.  I love beethoven music. Do you remember what song it was?


It was Moonlight Sonata. I will have to google that as I only vaguely remember it.  Do you remember ever hearing it before?


Yeah Moonlight is one of his  most popular song. Hey how old was the  delivery guy?


His name was Bryce and he was 18. Do you know what date he played that piece on the piano?


Oh okay thanks.  Yeah I think it was July 25.


Awesome. I think he used 'Youtube' videos to learn the piano. Do you happen to know what video game the child stopped playing to listen to Bryce play the piano?


Haha yeah  Fortnite...   I'm going to be playing that later on.


Lol. I bet that was hard for him to give up playing. I think that had to be some piano playing. Was Bryce a low income student?


I'm not sure... but I don't mean to cut you off but that story about south africa letting ppl equip flamethrowers is wow. You think they would let us do that here? Haha


I wish. I will move to South Africa if they don't let me.


lmao I know right.   I mean thank god I never been carjack before, but I would use it if I was.


It is good that there are not 'wooden trunks' on cars anymore. Then what would we do! Lol.


Yeah that would be a nightmare.  Back to the  beethoven delivery guy. What  cartoon theme song did he taught himself?


I think it was Scooby-Doo (love that cartoon). Hey it is has been wonderful. Thanks.


Sure. Rock on and remember your flame-throwers!


Hi, how are you? Are you a baseball fan at all?


Good afternoon, I'm afraid not.  I know a little but would quickly run out of things to talk about.


I'm not that behind, bat ball, bases and such.  I just can't tell you about who is good and much history.


Ah okay I see, you understand scoring of runs, the 9 innings and all that?


Yep, I eevn been to a few games.  My wife is from the Cleveland area, we used to go to games at Camden Yards when they were in town in the 90's.  I even know they had a decent team then.


Cool, I'm a Yankee fan. Cleveland is still good today. Crazy that baseball is huge in Japan too.


You'd think they'd be aware of it's status in America, I thought a few players had come and played here.


Yes, the Yankee's have had quite a few over the years, most recently Tanaka. The L.A. Angels have this guy Ohtani who is supposed to be like the Japanese Babe Ruth because he can hit and pitch at an elite level.


I also here managers are, to some extent, considered players.  I'd like to see some of those old guys going up to bat, or even pitching.


I actually wonder if that's still true. They never ever mention that in the broadcast when a team is running out of pitchers that a manager could go out there and pitch. That would be hilarious to see.


It's also amusing when they have that ceremonial pitch, especially when it's someone who can't throw.


Changing track slightly, I see that guy won an Oscar for playing Freddie Mercury in that Queen film, I wonder if he had to learn to play the piano for it.


Sorry, I misread your last message. I saw that last night actually, the guy from Mr. Robot. That's a good question, there's a large piano portion in that song. I would guess he did, what do you think?


They fake so much in movies that he might not have had to.  But if you want to do Bohemian Rhapsody right you should learn.


If I played piano, that would definitely be up there on top songs to learn. Maybe Hey Jude and Piano Man as well.


My son is learning the piano, he loves learning all the John Williams music, he does Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  It amazes me how he does it when I look at all those keys.


Awesome! John Williams is great. I listen to the Jurassic Park album sometimes on Spotify. How difficult is it to learn that to play that type of music?


You can find simplified version for the less accomplished.  Did you hear about the piano found on top of a mountain in Britain?  Now that is taking a practical joke a long way.


You have to wonder how it got up there. Is that even possible to do without a helicopter? And who would use a helicopter to do that? lol


Even if it were the one on the Hindenburg that is still some effort.


Could be some billionaire who just loves to play piano on top of the mountain.


I wish I had the money to just leave pianos laying around, have a good day.  Bye.


Hello!  I am definitely a fan of the original series and the prequels, but can't say I've been thrilled with the movies since Disney took over.  What about you?


I actually like them all! but I just realized it is a nine movie saga, i had not realized there were that many


It does have a Guinness World Record for it's film merchandising, so it's definitely been doing something right!


A total success, with a total value calculated at $65 million for the star wars franchise


Wow!  I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  It's so popular, it was the first film that has a native american language dub!


And did you know there was a lot of influence from george Lucas's wife,she even got an award for editing!


Do you happen to know of any specific edits she performed that led to that award?


Well she had to do with changes like obi wan's death and leias good luck kiss


Those are some pretty good ones!  Maybe had 20th Century Fox known about her editing skills they wouldn't have allowed Lucas to keep the license and merchandise rights to the movie.  They were convinced the movie would be bad, boy were they wrong.


Good for him, he had to forgo $500k but he managed to keep all merchandising right for himself!


In the process, he earned billions for himself and along the way, the franchise earned Academy Awards for it's first eight movies!


Did you know some scenes of "The force awakens"were filmed in guatemala?


I think that was Yavin 4 from the original Star Wars, but it had a lasting impact on the guy that played Poe Dameron in "The Force Awakens" because he is actually from Guatemala so said his character was from Yavin 4.


Exactly! It is interesting that Dart Vaders voice was recorded in two hours and a half and Earl Jones got paid $7500


Such an iconic role.  I wonder if he gets royalties or something.  To think how it has permeated almost everything -- books, tv, video games, even has it's own amusement park rides and shows.


He is too famous! I did not know the 2018 film  Solo: A star wars story was the second best grossing movie of all times!!


I think that movie actually flopped, but the whole Star Wars franchise fits what you are saying.  Even a little flop, may not hurt the series in the box office too much.


I think everything is also being famous today because of the internet. did yo know the library f alexandria has a copy of the internet in case internet burns down?


Probably not a bad idea.  I can't do much without it.  I wouldn't be surprised if I am addicted, which can occur by just clicking links while on the internet.


all right! It was nice talking to you today. Have a good one!


Hi, how are you doing this fine evening?


I am doing good, do you like to the radio?


I used to listen to the radio when I was younger. Not so much now. You?


I listen to the radio only when I am riding and boring.


Boring, as in the Boring Company that Elon has? Or bored? LOL.


Bored, what you do in place of listening to a radio, watch TV?


I usually go on the Internet, probably Youtube. I listen to talk shows there. I haven't looked for the shows in Latin that is broadcast in Finland. Boy, I bet that's a rockin' good time.


Yes, I do that a lot listen to songs and movies on the Internet. It's so much easier when using my computer.


The computer is universal. Do you use Spotify at all? I don't really know the site.


I have heard of the site, I have viewed it, but never signed up to use the site.