The LeBron James Thread

[jeebs9]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

A few thoughts:

1) LeBron didn't need a title to vindicate himself as one of the greats in my eyes. All the talk of him not showing up when it counts was always bogus in my eyes.

2) I really can't see eye to eye with anyone who doesn't think any Miami title is tainted. Yes, I'm from Cleveland, but I'm also an NBA "purist" in the sense that Jordan, Magic and Bird winning titles for their original team means something to me. To me, a title for Shaq in Orlando would have meant much more than his titles in L.A. Teams built through the draft and trades have a little more validity than ones put together through free agency (when it's your best player). Both LeBron and Shaq could have won titles with their original teams. If you win 60 games in the league, you're capable.

I could see what your saying there. But also understand that free agents is part of the same process. Shaq got sweeped in the finals just like LeBron did at very young age. I don't feel bad when a player leaves his team. But I also feel bad for the players who work on their craft. But don't get the help around them needed to win. But do you truly think LeBron would of won a title in Cleveland. I know we will never know now.

But it's tough. Especially when you want to win so bad. I don't blame any player that leaves his team through free agent process. They do use lose a little when you compare them to players who won rings at their origin team. But winning a ring.. is winning a ring. No one can take from you in my opinion.

[SteelersFreak]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

anyone buying cuban on espn? he's saying it was more what the thunder didn't do than lebron improving and wanting it more? right, cuban. lol

From what I've seen he's more criticizing the Thunder for not making the right kind, or really any kind of, adjustments during the series. Which is absolutely true. The Heat were the better team, and he already said that they were smarter this year and made better adjustments are deserved to win, but to say that OKC's lack of adjustments didn't have an impact is pretty ridiculous.

The idea of wanting it more is a joke, which Cubes already pointed out, Durant wanted it just as much as LeBron did.

[wwharton]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I could see what your saying there. But also understand that free agents is part of the same process. Shaq got sweeped in the finals just like LeBron did at very young age. I don't feel bad when a player leaves his team. But I also feel bad for the players who work on their craft. But don't get the help around them needed to win. But do you truly think LeBron would of won a title in Cleveland. I know we will never know now.

But it's tough. Especially when you want to win so bad. I don't blame any player that leaves his team through free agent process. They do use lose a little when you compare them to players who won rings at their origin team. But winning a ring.. is winning a ring. No one can take from you in my opinion.

I'm positive LBJ "could've" won a title in Cleveland. If we play the what if game, what if James closed out that Celtics series strong? Not sure if they beat the Lakers that year but they're on the court. What if he had the same Cleveland team last year? Not good enough to beat the Bulls or the Mavs? Not sure I can say that with 100% assurance. This year brings even more mystery. Could that Cavs team beat the banged up Celtics (would've had the bigs to limit some of the offensive damage they did and the C's offense with the banged up playoff team was shaky)? Are they losing to the 6ers, Pacers or Rose-less Bulls?

I hate the arguments about not having any help bc it's just a cop out to throw blame somewhere else. Titles aren't given and nobody is entitled. That's why I was happy the Heat lost last year. The James that played in this year's finals is much different than the one from last year, and the one from Cleveland. It's very possible that leaving, creating the mass hatred, the failure when he thought it was going to be so easy, and the situation where despite having Bosh and Wade he realized he needed to carry things... maybe all of that created the James we saw in this year's finals. So if the story is he would've never won in Cleveland bc he needed those life lessons to grow up and get his game to this level, then I'll give you that. But the idea that he's the greatest player on the planet so of course he's going to win a title while blaming everything around him for not winning one every year has got to stop. Yesterday's Lebron James would win almost anywhere.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

From what I've seen he's more criticizing the Thunder for not making the right kind, or really any kind of, adjustments during the series. Which is absolutely true. The Heat were the better team, and he already said that they were smarter this year and made better adjustments are deserved to win, but to say that OKC's lack of adjustments didn't have an impact is pretty ridiculous.

The idea of wanting it more is a joke, which Cubes already pointed out, Durant wanted it just as much as LeBron did.

Sounds like he's been reading OS and some of the posts on here.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Honestly, what more can be said about the past seven weeks of that guy's life? It just felt rewarding as a fan to see him deliver when it mattered most. Look at the biggest moments of LeBron's postseason and each came when Miami had its back against the wall. Down 2-1 at Indiana without Bosh? 40-18-9. Down 3-2 at Boston and facing elimination? 45-15-5. And then with each game in the Finals, it felt like he got better, scary as it may seem. It was everything fans have craved for out of him...the relentlessness in which he attacked the basket, the selflessness in which he made OKC pay dearly for every double team and of course, hitting big shots and making plays when it mattered most. The result was one of the best individual postseason runs in quite some time and a narrative that couldn't have been composed any better en route to LBJ's first title.

"It's about damn time."

And this is the problem I have the most with all of this. The fact that this LeBron is what fans have craved for his entire career and while he was in Cleveland. Throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs the Miami Heat were the Miami Cavaliers and LeBron did what he had to do to get his team to the Finals. Guys were walking corpses through three rounds of the playoffs just like the Cavs and LeBron put them on his back playing more minutes per game than he did in his 60 win seasons in Cleveland. He played his *** off and literally carried them to the Finals. That Game 6 against the Celtics LeBron won pretty much single handedly.

Mike Miller came in last night after literally doing nothing but stealing money for two years and was hitting threes even with hands in his face two feet behind the three point line and guys are talking about Mo Williams wouldn't have ever helped LeBron? Guys are talking like matching up against the Lakers none of those guys would have ever been able to do anything to contribute? Don't buy it.

Nobody can take away what LeBron has accomplished here. He's a champion, period and he put on a helluva show en route to doing it. His perfomance in the playoffs and Finals was amazing and just as a pure basktball fan a joy to watch. But let's leave it at just that a joy to watch. This wasn't redemption. This wasn't deserved or none of this other stuff that we're trying to classify this as. This isn't a case of some unfortunate series of events just randomly befalling LeBron that knocked him down and he got back up from. This is a self inflicted gunshot wound that LeBron did to himself and the fact that he had the opportunity to do what he did last night three years ago and he flushed it down the toliet by quitting on his team cannot in my mind be stressed enough.

I know the Star Wars analogy has been used before but it is soooo very much fitting of this situation it's not even funny. LeBron was seduced by Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade into turning his back on everybody that believed and supported him through everything. Through every Skip Bayless tirade, through every sideline dancing controversy, every handshake ducking debate, confiscated dunk tape misstep and further he was supported and he let a guy swoop in just like a predator and prey on his biggest fear. Not winning a ring in his career. Just like Palpatine was able to prey on Anakin's fear to seduce him to the dark side, Riles and Wade preyed on Bron. Congrats LeBron, you're a champion. You cheated yourself a much greater reward had you done it in Cleveland like you promised them, but you're a champion. You won it for a group of people that will discard you just as quickly as they discarded Dwyane Wade in favor of you if you're not repeating this in a few years. I hope it was worth it.

/end rant

[Tyrant8RDFL]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

A few thoughts:

1) LeBron didn't need a title to vindicate himself as one of the greats in my eyes. All the talk of him not showing up when it counts was always bogus in my eyes.

But it was not bogus in his eyes. He stated to himself and the media that he needed to play better, and even went on to say that he needed to be much more aggressive in the 4th qtr. He said watching tapes of how he played in the playoffs/championships and seeing how he played bother him a lot becuase he knew he could play better. It was bogus to you, but to him it was validated.

If Lebron played the same way he did last year. He would have easily lost again. There was a huge difference on the Lebron we saw this year over last year.

[TMagic]

[wwharton]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Sounds like he's been reading OS and some of the posts on here.

Might want to get ready for the zombie apocalypse then. Anybody that wants to pull out a one liner today will be crucified but the jokes are far from over, lol.

[The Big Squeezy]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I think that when you go to buy an OS shirt there should be an option to have OSU's post printed on the back of your shirt.

[jcern23]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Classic I definitely think the jokes are over as well.

[Sam Marlowe]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Some of you seem to have lost perspective here. I'm seeing alot people say that "this" LBJ should have been here all along. Stop for a second and think. How many people learn all the life lessons (and lessons on the floor) they need to learn and hone their craft to to a level equal to their talent by age 25? How many NBA players have done it. The CLE where exposed for for what they were. A team with second class talent led by a guy who wasnt prepared to take them any further than where they got because he hadn't developed the skill (both physical and mental) to do so at the point. And lets be frank, how many truly big time free agents have ever gone the state of Ohio of their own free will? Players sign different places for more than just basketball reasons. LBJ was going any further than he went in CLE. Sometime you gotta leave home to grow up.

[Sam Marlowe]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I've read alot further back here and I've seen a ton BS being posted. I really wanna get into this when I get home..

[TDAWG89]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I've always found it silly that Cleveland fans turned on him so quickly. They were ready to embrace him for the next 10 years but in a split second they hate him and now hope he burns in hell. Seems like they have a good reason to not like Lebron but then they take it way past the line just because they can and say he abandoned them and made the entire city worse or something ridiculous as their reason

Dan Gilbert is as much to blame for The Decision as Lebron is, maybe even more. Like others have said Lebron accomplished everything possible in Cleveland, and that wasn't enough, so he did what anyone with common sense would have done and went somewhere else

[jeebs9]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Anyone catch this right after the game last night?

How does Nike give it the go? Or did they have one both ready for Kevin Durant?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hjvn0oR5uEY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[hioh631]

Re: The LeBron James Thread



I'm happy for him.