The LeBron James Thread

[BlueNGold]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

CBA allowing what to happen?

As far as I know a free agent can go wherever he wants to

People are acting like this is prime shaq and duncan joining forces with prime jordan. They dont even have a roster yet, let alone all of the overreactions to 3 players being on one team as if its some new thing.

These guys took paycuts to play together.. its not something you see happen too often is it?

If anything im seeing more from the fans that they should've just continued trying to be Mr Everythings, especially when people complain about ego's and wanting to be the man. Whats the talk now? Ah its such and such team...

If they hoist a trophy do you really think they are going to give a rats behind? Seriously, whats the point of playing in the NBA..to win a ring not try to chase MJ's legacy in spite of it.

Media ridiculousness aside, its nothing wrong with signing with another team if you're a free agent, despite what some people say...

I dont however agree with the holding things up and all of that espn crap, nor do I agree with owners coming out trashing the products that make them money. Its stupid

That's the biggest point that should be made of all of this. These guys all chose to win by joining forces. All 3 of them (aside from Wade in '06) have had to carry their teams for basically their entire careers. They had a chance to join up and have a shot at being one of the greatest teams of all time and took it, instead of continuing to sit back and suffer in their current situations, hoping eventually they would get a sidekick to help them out. Well now they each have 2 sidekicks to help each other.

And was it not just a few days/weeks/months ago that people were questioning how badly LeBron wants to win? This should show you. Now people are making fun of him saying how he ran to get help and all that. I guess people don't realize the opportunity these guys have created for themselves. They have a chance to make something special here.

Like I said before, the legacy talk is stupid. That will play itself out and like 23 said, what is the point of playing in the league? To win or to surpass MJ's legacy? Right now, these 3 guys have a good chance at being some of the most winning-est players of all time. It's definitely not a sure thing, but it's not out of the question for them to have just laid the foundation for a dynasty for years to come. Who knows how many titles they could rack up with this core?

Besides, look at how hard it is to surpass MJ anyways. Kobe is the closest thing to Mike and might be the closest we ever come to see someone surpass him but even Kobe is still considered miles away from ever doing that. So all this legacy talk, to me, is useless.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I have a hard time believing that man, sorry.

I don't expect you to believe that.

I don't expect anyone who is not a fan of the Cleveland teams to understand it. Nor do I expect them to understand our anger and insults.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

That's the biggest point that should be made of all of this. These guys all chose to win by joining forces. All 3 of them (aside from Wade in '06) have had to carry their teams for basically their entire careers. They had a chance to join up and have a shot at being one of the greatest teams of all time and took it, instead of continuing to sit back and suffer in their current situations, hoping eventually they would get a sidekick to help them out. Well now they each have 2 sidekicks to help each other.

And was it not just a few days/weeks/months ago that people were questioning how badly LeBron wants to win? This should show you. Now people are making fun of him saying how he ran to get help and all that. I guess people don't realize the opportunity these guys have created for themselves. They have a chance to make something special here.

Like I said before, the legacy talk is stupid. That will play itself out and like 23 said, what is the point of playing in the league? To win or to surpass MJ's legacy? Right now, these 3 guys have a good chance at being some of the most winning-est players of all time. It's definitely not a sure thing, but it's not out of the question for them to have just laid the foundation for a dynasty for years to come. Who knows how many titles they could rack up with this core?

Besides, look at how hard it is to surpass MJ anyways. Kobe is the closest thing to Mike and might be the closest we ever come to see someone surpass him but even Kobe is still considered miles away from ever doing that. So all this legacy talk, to me, is useless.

People were moreso questioning his drive, and if he had the ability to win. If he wins in Miami, we still don't know if he has the killer instinct that people want him to show. If anything, he's told everybody he doesn't, but bailing out and taking the easiest route to the championship. Not to say they'll win because I don't think they will this year, but this is certainly the easiest way to do it if he's trying to.

[BaselineBakes]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I don't expect you to believe that.

I don't expect anyone who is not a fan of the Cleveland teams to understand it. Nor do I expect them to understand our anger and insults.

True but people in Cleveland really would've still been mad if he decided to stay? Dumb question actually it's all hypothetical in the end.

[phenom1990]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

It's just the way of how everything went down that bothered me. It screams to me of someone that just loves attention and will do whatever it takes to get the most attention. I felt that for his global brand/icon thing that Miami was the best move because with Dwayne Wade, the team becomes like rock stars wherever they go. People in places like China aren't as worried like some of us over the issue of legacies, being THAT guy, standing up to a challenge, joining the best because you don't think you can beat the best, etc. They just love watching guys like Dwayne Wade and Lebron playing together regardless of the circumstances because they aren't emotionally attached in the same way as us. But if this was like European soccer and there were guys like Ronaldo, Kaka, etc playing together; I would probably be excited regardless of the circumstances just like them.

I still feel that Lebron best chance at building a dynasty was with Chicago for multiple reasons.

[23]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I think it's realistic to say that at least partially guaranteed contracts wouldn't have handicapped Cleveland and Toronto in their efforts to build around these guys. Also the practice of salary dumping, tanking, and the like gotta be addressed as well.

LOL man, how about the owners stop giving players ridiculous contracts like what just happened to Joe Johnson? Rudy Gay? Drew Gooden, Adonaly Foyle?

All of these things play a factor its not just one thing in itself

[BlueNGold]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

People are saying that James should either have stayed in Cleveland, or if he signed somewhere else, to Chicago. My question is, how would the fans in Cleveland react if he signed in Chicago, or anywhere else other than Miami? Because I've always heard/read, that if he stays in Cleveland=loyalty, Chicago=Winning, and New York=Money. So if he didn't sign with Miami to make the Big Three, but didn't stay in Cleveland, would fans still be burning his jersey?

Yes. It's not about what team he went to or if he decided to stay, it's about how he went about the whole thing. You don't hold a team hostage like what he did and you don't go on national TV to rip out the heart of an entire city that truly, truly loved him....his hometown no less.

You go about it the way Chris Bosh went about his free agency. You thank the fans, make your decision and move on. Not go on ESPN for an entire hour dedicated to yourself, knowing that you're going to break the heart of your own hometown.

Your right. I meant the owners and Stern.

I just thing the CBA in it's current state needs to be tightened up somehow to prevent 3 superstars to teaming up or colluding again.

Agree, the CBA in it's current state couldn't prevent this from happening.

IMO there's nothing really wrong with 3 superstars teaming up like this. It's the tanking, the salary dumping and all that other crap that needs to be fixed.

I mean look at the Knicks. They KNOWINGLY just wasted 2 years, hinging everything on the hope they would get LeBron, and still fell short of getting him. They screwed over their fans and kept telling them "Just wait, just wait. We'll get LeBron and then we'll be competitive again". That is the biggest thing that needs to be fixed, the way these teams are screwing their fans over.

[NovaStar]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

Nice post sir.. amidst alot of irrational posting going on, it does appear you put thorught into this rather than making up silly names and hurling insults

I think the names "king" and "the chosen one" are silly names for someone who has never done anything. It is not irrational to hold someone who has such a high regard for himself responsible for all of his contrary actions, amidst those actions throwing a playoff game your team could have one. He should be insulted by those who put faith in the fact that he would honor his contract and compete. And any name that some come up with, won't be any sillier than what he named himself, "king", "chosen one", now that is silly, and don't right disrespectful.

[utexas]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I still feel that Lebron best chance at building a dynasty was with Chicago for multiple reasons.

Wade is a better Rose Bosh is Noah with an offensive game, I don't see how Chicago is better.

[BlueNGold]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

People were moreso questioning his drive, and if he had the ability to win. If he wins in Miami, we still don't know if he has the killer instinct that people want him to show. If anything, he's told everybody he doesn't, but bailing out and taking the easiest route to the championship. Not to say they'll win because I don't think they will this year, but this is certainly the easiest way to do it if he's trying to.

That makes no sense though. So he should be looked down upon because he took the easiest road to the championship....on paper? There is no easy road to a championship, no matter how good your team is.

And what would be the reasoning for him to not take the easiest road to the title? The guy has just carried a team for 7 years, even bringing that Hughes/Pavlovic/LeBron/Varejao/Z starting 5 to the Finals. He has a right to take the easiest road to a title after nearly taking the hardest road of all time to one.

[utexas]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

So where is the anger that the Yankees tried to trade for Cliff Lee? Shouldn't we all boycott Yankees games because their ownership tries to put top flight talent at every on field position?
Teams and players are loyal to the hunt for a ring, thats it, thats all it has been. There wasn't a CBA that allowed for true free agency like it does now in any sport. The owners really owned the rights to all of their players, this is a different day and age.

Nobody has answered my question about whether a player has won a ring w/o at least one other HOF'er on the roster, but the expectation was for Lebron to do it.

[23]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I think the names "king" and "the chosen one" are silly names for someone who has never done anything. It is not irrational to hold someone who has such a high regard for himself responsible for all of his contrary actions, amidst those actions throwing a playoff game your team could have one. He should be insulted by those who put faith in the fact that he would honor his contract and compete. And any name that some come up with, won't be any sillier than what he named himself, "king", "chosen one", now that is silly, and don't right disrespectful.

Nicknames mean nothing in the scheme of basketball..

Im not even sure why someone would use that as a point to bash a player.

[BlueNGold]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

I think the names "king" and "the chosen one" are silly names for someone who has never done anything. It is not irrational to hold someone who has such a high regard for himself responsible for all of his contrary actions, amidst those actions throwing a playoff game your team could have one. He should be insulted by those who put faith in the fact that he would honor his contract and compete. And any name that some come up with, won't be any sillier than what he named himself, "king", "chosen one", now that is silly, and don't right disrespectful.

Never done anything? He's done everything BUT win a title and he's only 25.

[utexas]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

Nicknames mean nothing in the scheme of basketball..

Im not even sure why someone would use that as a point to bash a player.

jealousy causes us to act with thinking at times.

[Murkurial]

Re: LeBron James Signs With Miami Heat

Wade is a better Rose Bosh is Noah with an offensive game, I don't see how Chicago is better.

As most Bulls fans who hold Rose in high regard will tell you, we felt like Rose could be the man in Chicago only if neither of Wade or Bron came here. If they had, Rose would be the sidekick, the number 2. Wade is a number 1. Lebron is a number 1. They are on the same team. If they are REALLY ready to check their egos at the door and one of them can relinquish that "number 1" role (Lebron's television show says differently), then perhaps it'll work out.

Bosh has a better offensive game but is gonna get his *** eaten up in post on defense.

Then there's the other issue, the issue that people have been discussing in here AD NAUSEUM (and yet the question keeps being asked...followed or preceded by the "I don't really understand..."), is that people thought that Bron wanted to have his own team. NOT be the ONLY guy. But have a team that he would be THE MAN on. I guess he doesn't. If he's looking to ride coattails then yeah, Wade and Bosh are a cool fit. Then there's the small matter of continuing the formation of an actual team.

Nobody has answered my question about whether a player has won a ring w/o at least one other HOF'er on the roster, but the expectation was for Lebron to do it.

Just saw this post and I kind of answered the question a bit above but, I think the expectation was that Lebron would do it on a team where when people look at it, and look at him, they will say, w/o question, that it is Lebron's squad. If that isn't the case anymore then so be it. But no longer will Lebron be winning a title with another HOF'er on HIS roster. He will be the future HOF'er helping Wade to win more.

If on that last point you, or anyone else for that matter, completely disagrees, then, at least for me, this conversation can't really be had.