2010 NBA Off-Season Thread

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Dagger

It really adds nothing to the conversation.

OK, last thing I'll add is that I have no problem with the Cav's owner throwing a fit about it. He's appealing to traditional sensibilities, LeBron is playing the part of modern diva.

Superstars can't be the face forever, sometimes they need to be the heel.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gi...er_100708.html

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

I highly doubt that. Furthermore, I can't take anything seriously if it's written in Comic Sans MS.

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Even now that he's lost a step, KG would still own Chris Bosh in a 7 game series. Guy has more hunger and desire to win in his pinky finger then Bosh has all together.

Careful, you're starting to sound like an Oilers fan.

[GirlySports]

Ok getting back to the issue, why is everyone against this move?
Wade is staying where he is. Bosh is leaving a useless Craptors team.
Lebron is really the only iffy one and I can see both sides of the argument of him leaving or staying.

But why the hate? I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys play together and what the Heat will do to surround them with decent players in the next few years. And I'm looking forward to the rest of the league try to knock them off.

I think this is fine. I would be more upset if they all left to go to NY or Chicago or something.

[Cowperson]

Well, now I know who LeBron James is.

As a non-basketball fan, I'd heard the name only occasionally in passing before this morning but see there's a lot of hoopla about this transition from one team to another.

He's being skewered in every paper I've read this morning.

For the NBA, maybe there's no such thing as bad publicity because even a guy like me had to take notice.

Cowperson

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Ok getting back to the issue, why is everyone against this move?

I'm not so much against all of them joining the Heat to play together; that is their right. My issue is with the decision to do the following things:

- put together a one-hour TV special to announce that you are leaving without any consideration to how that may make fans of your old team feel
- calling himself 'loyal' during said TV special
- completely ignoring/disregarding the city of Cleveland (his "home") during the TV special

Here's what I liken it to. It's like if he broke up with this girl that was madly, head over heels, 100% invested in him, and did it right in front of her entire group of friends. He did this after (if not overtly saying so) hinting very strongly that she was the one for him. Then, immediately after dumping the girl (and he didn't even do it's not you, it's me; he did "it's you"), he turns around, and grabs the girl immediately to his side and begins all-out making out with her, telling her how much he loves her and wants to be with her forever, she's so pretty, etc. I thought it was a disgusting, disgusting display, and in my opinion, it only goes to show what a complete egomaniac he is.

Not to mention, I thought it was REALLY low how he didn't call the other teams to say "thanks for your interest, I enjoyed your presentation, but I won't be signing with you." Fata - he didn't even call the Cavs! That's horrible. A complete F- all around from LBJ. Sickening.

[GirlySports]

I think it was a PR stunt gone wrong. ESPN and his 'people' must have gotten together and thought up this plan to hold out as long as possible, get everyone to talk about it this week leading up to a spectacular 1 hour show with the BIG DECISION! It wasn't an entirely bad idea because advertisers jumped on it and a tonne of money was made which went to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

But in the end perhaps they miscalculated how stale the show would be and the reaction of the fans against Lebron. Looking back they probably would have done it a bit differently.

What do you think would have been a better way? LeBron tell the Cavs he's not coming back but not let the other teams know? Gilbert's letter might have come out last week instead of this week and it would ruin everything. I don't believe that LeBron decided in the morning, I think he's known for awhile.

The show was so stupid but I think of the millions going to kids and it makes me feel a little better

[troutman]

LeBron is only 25 years old. He didn't handle this very well.

Cleveland reacts:

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index....ron_james.html

LBJ DID NOT SPECIFICALLY THANK THE FANS OF THE CLEVELAND CAVELIERS OR FOR THAT MATTER, THE PEOPLE OF NORTHEAST OHIO

Apparently the people of Cleveland and Akron, and all of the dedicated Cavalier fans, had more belief in you than you had in yourself.

Thanks Lebron... We now hate you more than Art Modell

You showed no loyalty to the two cities Akron/Cleveland that built you up to where you are today. To handcuff the Cavs and then slap them on national tv was flat out wrong.

For what you did to Cleveland and NE Ohio - LeBron- you are classless,
clueless, disloyal, and dishonest.

[the_professsor]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Ok getting back to the issue, why is everyone against this move?
Wade is staying where he is. Bosh is leaving a useless Craptors team.
Lebron is really the only iffy one and I can see both sides of the argument of him leaving or staying.

But why the hate? I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys play together and what the Heat will do to surround them with decent players in the next few years. And I'm looking forward to the rest of the league try to knock them off.

I'm not a huge basket ball fan, but from my knowledge, they could surround these guys with 2 Matt Bonners and be just fine.

[socalwingfan]

Very good article on the subject at hand

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...hp&xid=shareFB

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by socalwingfan

Very good article on the subject at hand

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...hp&xid=shareFB

It's a very good article. But it also shows that perhaps the media shouldn't be so quick to judge and cast someone as the greatest best player ever when he really isn't and really doesn't want to be.

The writer probably thought the world of LeBron and took a kick to the nads. Alot of media took a hit last night.

[CaptainCrunch]

Cleveland will probably have to buy carbon offsets to cover for all of the James jersey's.

[OILFAN #81]

Delonte West is getting slaughtered in the media as well. I wonder how he feels right now.

[fundmark19]

As someone who does not like the nba because it is full of players who don't like to leave their hearts on the floor and hustle. I will watch this year just to see if this dream team can win championships. And will watch for the next 2 years to see if Paul joins them in Miami like he said they would when they all made a pact at the Olympics to play with eachother on the same team in the NBA.

To me this is just as good as the steroid barry bonds sammy sosa home run battles!

[I wanna be like Miikka]

Originally Posted by socalwingfan

Very good article on the subject at hand

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...hp&xid=shareFB

Yep great article. He brings up some really interesting points about Jordan when he was 27 and really breaks down the interview. It is sad that Lebron gave up on trying to lead his hometown team to a Championship, then rejected them on national tv to announce he is going to play with his friends in Miami.

Generational talents are supposed to be leaders. Lebron basically just admitted he doesn't think he can do it with "his" team and instead needs to use Wade and Bosh to help him. Every star needs a supporting cast, but like the article said, no one every expects Jordan or athletes of that caliber to go join forces behind someone because they can't get over the hump.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Best part of last night:

Bron Bron calling the whole free agency process "humbling" during "The Decision," a prime time, 1 hour broadcast event contrived in a Boys and Girls club.

[Bertuzzied]

This is pretty good article from Yahoo too.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...decision070910

As the worst idea in the history of marketing unfolded, James looked trapped somewhere between despondence and defiance. His bumbling buddy Maverick Carter had walked him into the public execution of his legacy, his image, and there was a part of James that clearly wished he could turn back through the doors and hide. Only, it was too late. No going back now. James goes to the Miami Heat, Cleveland goes into a basketball Hades and LeBron’s legacy becomes that of a callous carpetbagger.

“His brand is [bleep] now,” one high-level NBA official said late Thursday. “He’s destroyed everything.”

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

This is pretty good article from Yahoo too.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...decision070910

As the worst idea in the history of marketing unfolded, James looked trapped somewhere between despondence and defiance. His bumbling buddy Maverick Carter had walked him into the public execution of his legacy, his image, and there was a part of James that clearly wished he could turn back through the doors and hide. Only, it was too late. No going back now. James goes to the Miami Heat, Cleveland goes into a basketball Hades and LeBron’s legacy becomes that of a callous carpetbagger.

“His brand is [bleep] now,” one high-level NBA official said late Thursday. “He’s destroyed everything.”

Yeah this is basically what I keep thinking as well.

I'm a huge fan of Stan Van Gundy (coach of the orlando magic) calling him and bosh out a couple days ago for this farce of a free agency.

It was so clear what was going to happen, and basically I feel that the FA's wasted NY, Chicago and NJ's time trying to get them back. When the biggest concern during a meeting with reps was whether or not the film crew could sit in, it's very obvious basketball is not their concern. Finally the contrived 1 hour special was unbelievable for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread.

The NBA has a real villain now. I hope the other teams are up to the challenge because nothing would please me more than to see that team implode and crumble.

[Igottago]

Not a basetball fan, but I found this pretty interesting. I think sports fans by and large have accepted the business side of things, and know they could lose their favourite players in free agency.

But I have to agree this was a complete bitch slap to the face of the Cavalier supporters. The tv special was a bad idea from the beginning. All it did was build up James as having some sort of god complex and then make Cleveland seem like they weren't worth his presence there. I don't blame those fans for their anger.

Everyone is going to be cheering against the Heat now, I hope they end up having personality conflicts and it ends up tearing the team apart. But they could well win a few championships. Who knows.

Anyways, the day of the sports hero/icon is long gone. Other than Jarome Iginla there is barely anyone worthy of that old fashion fan/player mutual respect.

[Cheerio]

Wow this is such a joke. I refuse to watch another NBA game until Bosh Wade and James retire (not that I would watch any anyways). This pretty much proves that the NBA salary cap is pretty much useless from what I understand. I get that they all want to win a championship but couldn't they have waited until later in their careers to pull off a stunt like this? This is essentially like Crosby Ovechkin and Datsyuk all saying fata the credibility of the league we want a championship.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Not a basetball fan, but I found this pretty interesting. I think sports fans by and large have accepted the business side of things, and know they could lose their favourite players in free agency.

But I have to agree this was a complete bitch slap to the face of the Cavalier supporters. The tv special was a bad idea from the beginning. All it did was build up James as having some sort of god complex and then make Cleveland seem like they weren't worth his presence there. I don't blame those fans for their anger.

The media builds you up and the media tears you down. Media gave him the god complex, he bought into it. Now he's doing something the media didn't want (not being his own man and joining others) they will tear him down.

But of course the Miami media will love him.

Re-a-tard's article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/dan...521/index.html