NBA Free Agency/Offseason

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721

[quote]red04 wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]red04 wrote:

[quote]randman wrote:
He had the belief and will power in himself that he knew he could lead a team on his own[/quote]

No he didn’t, that’s exactly why he ‘put the challenge to the organization.’ You are so far up Kobe’s ass on this point. You and WF can keep saying it all you want, I’ll keep siding with guys like Micheal Wilbon that pointed this out many times over the past few days when the ‘super team’ looked to be all but ink on paper from completion. The only difference is that Kobe was in no position to actually do anything but ‘call out’ his owner/GM because he wasn’t a free agent. What was he going to do, sit out until his contract was over?[/quote]

It wouldn’t have been the first time. Chris Paul just said that if NO can’t put a winning team around him he wants out. Does that make him a quitter? No, it means he knows he can’t do it alone, but he believes in himself and the team enough that if they can get some key pieces they’re right there. James was given those key pieces over and over but couldn’t produce. So, instead of trying again he leaves to go where he thinks it’ll be easier. That is fucking absurd. Great athletes accept challenges and welcome the pressure. James just wilted, and he did it on national T.V. You can continue to defend this classless jackass all you want, but the facts are he folded like a fucking taco and proved he’s nothing more than a shit ton of hype.[/quote]

So am I to assume you hold an equal position of hatred for guys like Shaq, Barry Bonds, A-Rod(already kind of touched on), Randy Moss, etc; that have all done the same thing(left positions of moderate success for chances at the ultimate success)?

You are honestly incapable of looking at the situation with any rational thought because you have so much hate for LeBron because he had the audacity to get hyped by ESPN/Nike/etc. How dare he, having people talk about him on TV while he is off practicing his game.[/quote]

You are really blind to the level of collusion committed by Wade Bosh and LeBron. Starting when they signed their last contracts 5 years ago, they all did so in COLLUSION so that those contracts would expire at the same time, so that they had an opportunity to play TOGETHER. Do you really think a half dozen NBA teams had fire sales and gutted talent just for LeBron? Next, say what you want about Kobe bitching in LA when he didn’t have the squad he wanted. This is a far cry from conspiring with two other superstars in an effort to play on the same team. In addition, a player on the decline (shaq) wanting to go to a team with a chance to win it all, is fairly common now (malone, payton, and others all did it, but these guys are mentioned as goats either). When you think of GOATS, we think MJ, Kobe, etc. Guys where teams were built AROUND THEM. LeBron can no longer make any such claim.

If you cannot see the plain difference in these scenarios, you just don’t get it or you’re lying to yourself in an effort to defend LeBron.

722

City: Anywhere USA
Name: Name Withheld
This is the day he went from being a lovable superstar trying to reach his potential to enemy number one. I want the Knicks to bring back Charles Oakley and Xavier McDaniel on 10-day contracts to injure him. I want Kobe Bryant (yes, Kobe!) to destroy him so badly every time they play that he loses confidence, Rick Ankiel style. I want him to lose in the first round and then break his leg in the offseason, only to see Wade and Bosh win without him (and have him screw up the chemistry when he comes back). I want him to join the French World Cup soccer team. I want him to go into the stands and attack a child in a wheelchair. I want it to come out that he was point-shaving. I want Cleveland fans to throw urine water balloons at him. I want Castro to annex Miami. I want Florida income taxes to spike to 73%. I want the Bulls to beat the Heat by 50 points every time they play. And I want LeBron’s father to come out of the woodwork and say “You’ve brought shame on me and our family.” This has moved me from the NBA fence to a die-hard Premier League fan. Goodbye NBA!

City: New York
Name: Rob
As a Knick fan I’m not even mad, I’m just disappointed. He gave up. He quit. The most gifted basketball player ever said “I can’t do it.” How disheartening is that for sports fans? He had options, and good options, to be the man on a good team with a legitimate second banana (Amare, Rose) or stay with a 60-win team, but he chose to ride the coattails of Wade. Wow. He gave away his shot at being the greatest ever … or even entering the discussion. What competitor does that?

723

[quote]sardines12 wrote:
Nobody wants to got to Cleveland you idiots. You can’t build a team where nobody wants to go. hmmmm lets put on or thinking caps L.A. Cleveland??? Think really hard about that. These guys took less money to win and you guys are dogging them. You must hate basketball or are secretly terrified about how good this team can be. I’m not even a miami fan but the basketball fan in me can’t wait to see this. You guys seem much more about single player dynasties than what ever players goal should be WINNING. [/quote]

They colluded to win. They didn’t build anything…the conspired to go to the same team, take less money, etc. so that they could cherry pick a win. To you, a dunk in a game from cherry picking and laying back at half court instead of playing defense, is the same to you as a guy beating his man off the ball, rising up and dumping over a defenders head. They’re both trying to score right? The result is the same right? Two points. Well, sorry to inform you, one is two point stolen, the other is two points earned.

724

I just figured it out. Sardines (aka Drewh) is a millenial. What are you Sardines, 20 years old? This explains it all.

City: Boston
Name: Rene
Was that the ultimate Gen Y move? Pick hanging with your friends as a career instead of kicking their butts and laughing with them in the offseason ala Jordan and Sir Charles? Us Gen Xers will never understand.

725

City: Maynard
Name: Marcus
I waited 27 minutes to hear LeBron say that he was gonna be Dwyane Wade’s lackey? What a joke.

726

City: Detroit
Name: Justin Johnson
The generational shift in the NBA:
Jordan = John McClane
Kobe = Maximus
LBJ = Vincent Chase

727

City: Cleveland
Name: Jared
I never thought I’d reach the day where I could no longer hate Kobe, Joakim Noah, Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, or your beloved Celtics for hope that they dish out to LeBron the punishment he deserves for this charade.

728

City: Bmore
Name: Ethan
Right now, I’m just finishing Chapter Two of your Book of Basketball, and I find it odd that we are having this free-agency spectacle happen right as you reflected on the age-old debate of Chamberlain/Russell. Since the most captivating basketball argument nowadays is LeBron/Kobe, don’t you get the sense LeBron will be remembered as Chamberlain and Kobe as … gulp … Russell?

729

City: Akron, Ohio
Name: Joel
My perspective is simple: there is no way Michael Jordan ever makes this choice. None. It’s sad for Cleveland, that is for sure. But, honestly, I think it’s sadder for basketball because we’re missing the chance to see a basketball specimen come into his own and reach that rarified level of transcendent player. Maybe the Heat play beautiful basketball, but I think no matter what this will be remembered for three things: LeBron’s ego, the realization that he is scared to be great, and that we all know, no matter what, Michael Jordan never would have chosen this path. LeBron will never touch Jordan’s shadow at this point, let alone surpass him. And I think that lack of chase is a sad day for basketball.

730

City: Cleveland
Name: Jeff
I’ve figured out the moral of the story: Stay in school.

Wade: 3 years at Marquette
Bosh: 1 year at Georgia Tech
The kid from Akron: no college

The most educated guy convinced his dumber friends to come play on his team for less money.

731

City: Las Vegas
Name: Duke
The stone-cold assassins that I have witnessed in my life: Tiger, Jordan, Kobe, Federer, Brady. All had what appear to be strong father-figures in their childhoods.

LBJ and his mom agreed that Miami “would make him happy.” Need I say more?

732

City: Minneapolis, Minn.
Name: Joe
Last night may have been the best PR moment for Kobe in his entire career. How many people are, just like me, going to be rooting for Kobe to tear LeBron apart on the court after that disgusting, narcissistic spectacle last night? LeBron really pulled off something to ‘AMAZE’ me last night … he made Kobe 10 times more likable at 10 p.m. last night than 3 weeks ago.

733

City: Ottawa, Ontario
Name: Dave Smyth
The first comparisons people were making last night were that LeBron will now be Magic to Wade’s Kareem, or more accurately Pippen to Wade’s Jordan. Sorry, but the real comparison here is A-Rod.

A-Rod is also the most physically gifted and talented guy in his sport. A-Rod also has the biggest ego in his sport. A-Rod also has no heart and no guts and typically gags in the playoffs. A-Rod blew off a smaller market team (Seattle) that adored him to play in Texas. A-Rod decided to go the Yankees to win rings knowing that they would always be Jeter’s team. A-Rod won a World Series last year but nobody considers him a champion the same way they look at Jeter because he didn’t help build the Yankees. How is any one of those things any different in any way shape or form than LeBron? The Heat will always be D-Wade’s team regardless of how many titles LeBron wins there. Congratulations on your decision LeBron – you have successfully downgraded your career arc to A-Rod. Unbelievable.

734

City: Southampton, Pa.
Name: Steve L
On ESPN last night, they were wondering what the nickname for the new trio of free agents in Miami should be. I vote for …

  1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling That’s Never Called
  2. The Fly Girls 3. The Unholy Trinity 4. Florida’s Second-Best NBA Team and my personal favorite … 5. The Nazgul

The Nazgul were the characters in “Lord of the Rings” that were former kings who turned into demons that were constantly chasing the ring. It completely consumed them and robbed them of their humanity. I think this sums up the situation in Miami.

735

[quote]sardines12 wrote:
Yeah neither of these guys played on good teams. Jordan only had some dude named Pippen and one of the best rebounders of all time in Rodman.[/quote]

They acquired Rodman, drafted Pippen. The three didn’t conspire 5 years ago contractually, and then all decide to head to a certain team. And neither did Jordan decide to run away to Detroit when Detroit kept kicking their ass in the playoffs. They built, and he lead. And then the prospered. And you wouldn’t even remember players like Cartright, Paxon, et als., if not for Jordan and company making them better than they were.

736

Let me reiterate an earlier point; this is the result of putting your childhood friend with no experience in such matters in charge of a global brand. And although I agree with the media in their criticism of his ensuing legacy, I do think they are a bit chickenshit and should have been criticizing the process and the apparent collusion all along. I mean, in case you haven’t been paying attention, the seeds of this conspiracy were planted 5 years ago! I’m just mad at myself that I did not go online and bet the house that LeBron was going to Miami after Bosh signed there. I’m also mad for not making the right stock bets on MSG knowing how the stock would fall in the day after the announcement. DUMB ON MY PART.

737

[quote]randman wrote:
City: Southampton, Pa.
Name: Steve L
On ESPN last night, they were wondering what the nickname for the new trio of free agents in Miami should be. I vote for …

  1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling That’s Never Called
  2. The Fly Girls 3. The Unholy Trinity 4. Florida’s Second-Best NBA Team and my personal favorite … 5. The Nazgul

The Nazgul were the characters in “Lord of the Rings” that were former kings who turned into demons that were constantly chasing the ring. It completely consumed them and robbed them of their humanity. I think this sums up the situation in Miami.[/quote]

#1 is pretty damn funny.

738

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:

[quote]sardines12 wrote:
Yeah neither of these guys played on good teams. Jordan only had some dude named Pippen and one of the best rebounders of all time in Rodman.[/quote]

They acquired Rodman, drafted Pippen. The three didn’t conspire 5 years ago contractually, and then all decide to head to a certain team. And neither did Jordan decide to run away to Detroit when Detroit kept kicking their ass in the playoffs. They built, and he lead. And then the prospered. And you wouldn’t even remember players like Cartright, Paxon, et als., if not for Jordan and company making them better than they were.[/quote]

For all the talk of James being unselfish and his passing and yadayadayada… He didn’t make his teammates better. Like you mentioned, Jordan enhanced careers. Kobe makes those around him better. James turned his teammates into spectators for 20 seconds and last second shooters for the other 4. It’s a little weird that I’m enjoying this so much, but I am legitimately getting a kick out of James being roasted by everyone. No matter what happens, he’ll never be able to fully recover from this.

739

Jesus man, just link to the Simmons article, you don’t have to quote the whole thing.

I think Lebron seems like an egotistical tool, but then again, so are a lot of athletes. I can’t stand the whole Skip Bayless, “I feel the need to tell an athlete what to do and/or cry about how he’s not fitting into what I think he should want his legacy to be.”

The ESPN announcement thing: ridiculous and foolish and I had no interest in watching- I just waited to read where he ended up. I think ESPN should share a fairly equal blame in this because it wouldn’t have happened without their hype machine and let’s also not forget that a substantial amount of money was donated to charity so at least some good came of it.

Wanting to play with two of your best friends for a legendary coach and compete for the Championship for the next 5 years: sounds awesome to me and I’d like to think it’s exactly what I would have done.

I agree that Lebron came out of this looking like an egotistical jack-off. The way he made this choice certainly showed his lack of class. But I don’t get why everybody is killing him for wanting to play in Miami. It’s ridiculous to say, “no way Jordan would have done this.” How do you know? Jordan was gift-wrapped one of the 50 (probably top-30) greatest players of all-time, who may have been the greatest complimentary player in the history of the game, as well as the greatest (or 2nd-greatest) coach of all time, as well as a revolving door of solid supporting pieces. He didn’t need to go anywhere, he had all the pieces he needed to win. I bet if Jordan spent another 3 or 4 years without Pippen, playing for an overmatched coach and weak management, that he would have bounced too. And Russell? He only played on the most ridiculously stacked teams of all-time.

I think most of the backlash stems from the classless Lebron handled the situation. If he had a more low-key announcement that said, “I want to thank all of the Cleveland fans for all of their support, and this decision was agonizing, but ultimately I didn’t think that the Cavs management shared my dedication to winning a title and I thought Miami gave me the best chance to do that,” people would be all over his nuts for sacrificing the money for a desire to win.

Until they put the rest of the pieces together, I’m not sure the Heat are the favorites to win yet, because the Lakers actually have the defensive pieces to guard all three of them. I’m not a Lebron fan by any means and as a (somewhat estranged) Sixers fan, I don’t want the Heat to win, but part of me hopes they go like 78-3 and Lebron averages 40 a game, just to see how fast everybody backpedals and starts fellating him again.

740

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
It’s a little weird that I’m enjoying this so much, but I am legitimately getting a kick out of James being roasted by everyone.[/quote]

I am too. I imagine him and his boys gleefully returning home to watch Sportscenter expecting everybody to praise him and then staring blankly as he is literally burned in effigy.

I am also thoroughly enjoying the “Chris Bosh suddenly thinks he is really, really relevant,” era. He has the same look on his face that Turtle did when the girl told him she’d blow him if he showed her where Vince ate breakfast.