Blakey Down Under

[riverman]

You don't think it's rough on kids to leave their friends, be pulled out of school for a few months at a time, and then reinserted later?

no....my son went to school in 2 different countries and benefited from it in my view...he goes back to visit every couple of years..nothing wrong with making friends in different places

 

[riverman]

With Skype....you can see and talk with family everyday...my son and wife went overseas for a couple of months last winter and we probably talked more on Skype than we would if she stayed home.

 

[Natebishop3]

no....my son went to school in 2 different countries and benefited from it in my view...he goes back to visit every couple of years..nothing wrong with making friends in different places

As I said before, Blake has played for 8 different teams during his career. Maybe e_blazer can set the record straight, but unless his family was staying here the whole time, that's a LOT of moving for young kids.

 

[riverman]

As I said before, Blake has played for 8 different teams during his career. Maybe e_blazer can set the record straight, but unless his family was staying here the whole time, that's a LOT of moving for young kids.

I understand Blake's family is rooted in Portland....I don't think he moved them to Detroit

 

[SlyPokerDog]

TIL Blake is a terrible father and human being.

 

[jlprk]

You don't think it's rough on kids to leave their friends, be pulled out of school for a few months at a time, and then reinserted later?

When I was 8, I started 3rd grade at my 4th school (5th if you include nursery school when I was 4). Yet I turned into an All-American message board poster, first team Sporting News. Moving around and not depending on people is healthy. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and a leader, say we antisocial loners. We meet while you socialites sleep.

 

[Natebishop3]

With Skype....you can see and talk with family everyday...my son and wife went overseas for a couple of months last winter and we probably talked more on Skype than we would if she stayed home.

Unless the family stays in one place, the life of an NBA player isn't that much unlike the life of a military family. Constantly moving around, dad gone for significant chunks of time. Blake's career looks like this:

5 seasons in Portland
4 seasons in LA with the Lakers
2 seasons in Washington
1 season in Detroit
1 season in Denver
1 season in Milwaukee
1 season in LA with the Clippers
1 season in San Francisco with the Warriors.

If his oldest kid is 10, that means he was born in 2006. So in those 10 years, he has seen his dad go from:

Portland to Denver.

Denver to Portland.

Portland to LAC.

LAC to LA Lakers.

LAL to GSW.

GSW to Portland.

Portland to Detroit.

And now, Detroit to Australia.

That's a lot of change for a kid.

 

[riverman]

Unless the family stays in one place, the life of an NBA player isn't that much unlike the life of a military family. Constantly moving around, dad gone for significant chunks of time. Blake's career looks like this:

5 seasons in Portland
4 seasons in LA with the Lakers
2 seasons in Washington
1 season in Detroit
1 season in Denver
1 season in Milwaukee
1 season in LA with the Clippers
1 season in San Francisco with the Warriors.

If his oldest kid is 10, that means he was born in 2006. So in those 10 years, he has seen his dad go from:

Portland to Denver.

Denver to Portland.

Portland to LAC.

LAC to LA Lakers.

LAL to GSW.

GSW to Portland.

Portland to Detroit.

And now, Detroit to Australia.

That's a lot of change for a kid.

Almost all those cities are on the West coast...like I said, I think my son benefited from his childhood of traveling. I think it can stunt you to stay in the same place all your formative years but that's a personal choice

 

[SlyPokerDog]

"Steve, we're going to trade you."

"Noooooo.... think of my children! Don't destroy my family!"

 

[Natebishop3]

Almost all those cities are on the West coast...like I said, I think my son benefited from his childhood of traveling. I think it can stunt you to stay in the same place all your formative years but that's a personal choice

Well, as someone who did kindergarten at one school, did first grade at another school, and then 2nd grade back at the first school, it was very hard bouncing back and forth. I lost most of my friends and I felt like an outsider when I returned to the first school. It wasn't a personal choice. It was made for me by my parents.

 

[Natebishop3]

"Steve, we're going to trade you."

"Noooooo.... think of my children! Don't destroy my family!"

Sure, it's part of the NBA life, and it's easy to justify when you're pulling down big money and you're still playing, but when the NBA discards you and you're now seeking employment outside the United States, it might be time to think about your family, no?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Sure, it's part of the NBA life, and it's easy to justify when you're pulling down big money and you're still playing, but when the NBA discards you and you're now seeking employment outside the United States, it might be time to think about your family, no?

Have you not been paying attention to what's going on the world? He now has a work permit and the ability to move his family to Australia. That's a giant get of jail free card if Trump or Hillary is elected president.

 

[Natebishop3]

Have you not been paying attention to what's going on the world? He now has a work permit and the ability to move his family to Australia. That's a giant get of jail free card if Trump or Hillary is elected president.

The way that you phrased that, you make it sound like someone other than Trump or Hillary will be President. We're screwed either way man.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

The way that you phrased that, you make it sound like someone other than Trump or Hillary will be President. We're screwed either way man.

And Blake now has the ability to remove his family from the screwing.

 

[Natebishop3]

And Blake now has the ability to remove his family from the screwing.

You think Australia will be safe from the nuclear fallout when we go to war with Russia?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

You think Australia will be safe from the nuclear fallout when we go to war with Russia?

 

[Orion Bailey]

You think Australia will be safe from the nuclear fallout when we go to war with Russia?

And I keep coming back to this....



Cause it sure feels like it really is...

Now, back to your unicorns and rainbows sitting on cloud nine with a martini in hand

 

[riverman]

Cold War paranoia is a Trump trick.....there will be no war with Russia folks

 

[BBert]

To see if I can turn a few tricks.

 

[BBert]

Have you not been paying attention to what's going on the world? He now has a work permit and the ability to move his family to Australia. That's a giant get of jail free card if Trump or Hillary is elected president.

He may be safe from the nuclear fallout, but what about the petrol hungry marauder gangs?

 

[Natebishop3]

He may be safe from the nuclear fallout, but what about the petrol hungry marauder gangs?

And since he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, I think he'd be toast.

 

[THE HCP]

1 post in all my years on S2 actually got me mad. From whichever one of you guys it is that lives in Bend and talks about beautiful central Oregon all the time.
In a thread, he called me out about my traveling and questioned me as a father and husband. I fucking came unglued and not only went off in the thread, I believe I put him on blast in a private message. What a man does to make sure he provides for his family is on him, nobody else's business.
I would make minimum wage if I stayed in Portland and worked a 9-5 M-F. I travel and am away from my family quite a bit and am rewarded with easily over 3 figures income. It's a tough tradeoff that I struggle with every road trip.
Nate is entitled to his own decision, but Steve is a very frugal business minded guy.....he is also a fierce competitor. Whatever reason for his decision, I'm sure his family and there well being was definitely in the forefront.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

1 post in all my years on S2 actually got me mad. From whichever one of you guys it is that lives in Bend and talks about beautiful central Oregon all the time.
In a thread, he called me out about my traveling and questioned me as a father and husband. I fucking came unglued and not only went off in the thread, I believe I put him on blast in a private message. What a man does to make sure he provides for his family is on him, nobody else's business.
I would make minimum wage if I stayed in Portland and worked a 9-5 M-F. I travel and am away from my family quite a bit and am rewarded with easily over 3 figures income. It's a tough tradeoff that I struggle with every road trip.
Nate is entitled to his own decision, but Steve is a very frugal business minded guy.....he is also a fierce competitor. Whatever reason for his decision, I'm sure his family and there well being was definitely in the forefront.

I like when the real HCP posts.

 

[riverman]

I always liked the guy...I also like Australia...win win move in my book...I have family there and in New Zealand....great place if you love the outdoors

 

[riverman]

1 post in all my years on S2 actually got me mad. From whichever one of you guys it is that lives in Bend and talks about beautiful central Oregon all the time.
In a thread, he called me out about my traveling and questioned me as a father and husband. I fucking came unglued and not only went off in the thread, I believe I put him on blast in a private message. What a man does to make sure he provides for his family is on him, nobody else's business.
I would make minimum wage if I stayed in Portland and worked a 9-5 M-F. I travel and am away from my family quite a bit and am rewarded with easily over 3 figures income. It's a tough tradeoff that I struggle with every road trip.
Nate is entitled to his own decision, but Steve is a very frugal business minded guy.....he is also a fierce competitor. Whatever reason for his decision, I'm sure his family and there well being was definitely in the forefront.

great post...so many folks don't understand what it means to provide...if I hadn't moved overseas for work, I wouldn't have been able to live the life I want here at home and it helped put my kid through college and in many ways empowered him...I have mad respect for folks that I know who worked 2 jobs and took night courses to get through school while raising kids...my dad bought his first pub after 8 years of working on fighter jets in Scotland....whatever it takes..but some guys never leave mom's basement so they are probably terrified at the idea to begin with.....I worked multiple gigs and traveled a lot when my son was young...we had quality time regularly...he loved my gig...still talks about those days

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Steve Blake has made 37 million dollars for his family. His kids...are rich as shit. Thanks to him.

There is just no sense in assuming negative reasons for him doing this. Him and his family are living a fairy tale. He gets to make a boatload of money for working a few hours a day. Compared to us regular folk, he probably spends way more time with his kids. He's probably going to retire before he's 40, not many dads get to do that.

And even on the small chance that he is being "selfish" he has earned the right to be selfish if this is the extent. He has already set his children up for life. He did the whole provider thing, maybe he wants to play 28 games in Australia. Big whoop.

 

[Dougnsalem]

I would make minimum wage if I stayed in Portland and worked a 9-5 M-F. I travel and am away from my family quite a bit and am rewarded with easily over 3 figures income. It's a tough tradeoff that I struggle with every road trip.

I hope that was a typo. I make way over 3 figures, just picking up pop cans. I do have to put a lot of miles traveling on my bicycle though....

 

[DUB]

 

[DUB]

Blake isn't playing in Australia for the money. The league has a $1.1 million AUD soft cap. But as the saying goes "you're a long time retired". So he plays a season here and either gets noticed by NBA scouts, or adjusts to the reality of retirement. He's better off playing competitively in Australia, than pickup games in Portland. NBA scouts watch the NBL, especially any games involving predicted 2017 first round draft pick Terrance Ferguson (see my avatar).

 

[Shaboid]

2002 NCAA Champion. I don't care what anyone says, Steve Blake loves basketball. I also don't know him personally, but I will venture a guess that he loves his family more.