LeBron James...PROOF that Loyalty DOESN'T MATTER...

[DuderinoN703]

Just a thought...
As I've been watching and keeping up with Nat'l Signing Day,I was thinking
We are all cheering and applauding these 17-18 kids,doing their stupid hat thing,
having news conf.and such to say what college they will attend,
But,we want to bash a All-Star like Lebron for calling a news conf and leaving
Clev. like he did.
Makes you go..."Hmmmmm".
And this is coming from a Celtics fan,..so take it for what it's worth.

I didn't watch the college signing day parade b/c I don't give a damn about college sports. Should it be televised? Why not? ESPN loves being a media whore it's only fitting

 

[DuderinoN703]

You know the only reason they do this is because the fans eat this **** up. Some people will blame ESPN for giving the platform but they're broadcasting it because they know it'll draw the ratings and that's what they're in business to do.

Fans love it. They either love to hate it or just love it, but either way they love it. Just look at how much time this guy has put into trying to convince people on a message board how much he reviles an entertainer's actions.

Jersey Shore is all the proof you need to show how idiotic people are. As long as that show is popular, you're going to continue to get things put on TV that are ridiculous.

 

[nyjunc]

Can't say I understand any of it, but then again this whole celebrity culture is beyond my comprehension. Why anyone would care about the reputation of someone else as defined by the media and fan......I find that more entertaining than the actions that cause all this outrage. The guy is paid to entertain and he delivered. Now everyone has to argue about what his legacy is or how they perceive his actions to be right or wrong. Why do you care?

We all love to watch and discuss sports. it's interesting to watch lebron's career play out and see where he ends up among the all time greats. In reality none of us should care about what these athletes can do that we cannot do but we do care and it's why they are rich and why we have message boards and all these ridiculous shows.

 

[jree]

Orlando had average talent around Howard, Cleveland was the better team b/c Lebron the best player on either side and he came up small.

Jordan didn't get double teamed?

If Orlando had only average players then the Cavs had below average players. Almost half of that roster doesn't even play anymore or is barely an afterthought for their current team.

Of course Jordan got double teamed but he wasn't winning anything until Scottie stepped up his game and they started to implement the triangle offense. You admitted it earlier, you don't win anything alone(Jordan couldn't beat the Pistons or Celts alone). Lebron had absolutley nobody that was his version of Abdul-Jabar, McHale, Dumars, or Pippen. Hell, not even a Gasol. Garnett and Melo couldn't even get outta the first round without help and your expecting Lebron to have several Finals appearances without help. And before you say it, 3 vs 1 always wins. No matter how good you are.

 

[jree]

Just a thought...
As I've been watching and keeping up with Nat'l Signing Day,I was thinking
We are all cheering and applauding these 17-18 kids,doing their stupid hat thing,
having news conf.and such to say what college they will attend,
But,we want to bash a All-Star like Lebron for calling a news conf and leaving
Clev. like he did.
Makes you go..."Hmmmmm".
And this is coming from a Celtics fan,..so take it for what it's worth.

I don't like either one of the methods.

You have seriously become one of my favorite posters b/c of how unbiased your opinions are

 

[PHINATIC13]

He did stick it out though. He played through his 4 year rookie contract and then his 3 year contract. Dan Gilbert is one of the worst owners. The best he could come up with in that time span was Shaq and Mo Williams. Big Z was one of his friends so I'm pretty sure he didn't like the trade Jameson very much. Boston, Orlando, Chicago, and New York all landed big names in FA while Cleveland didn't land any. Nobody wanted to play for the Cavs. Its not a market that big names want to play for.

Nobody on the Cleveland squad holds a candle to anything that surrounded Jordan. The regular season is one thing, playoffs are another. Seriously, if you watch games of Clevelands past playoff appearances, see how many times players just stand around and not want the ball. He was doing everything by himself. It was like all of a sudden basketball was a foreign thing for them and they didn't know how to play.

I don't think it was pressure which made him leave and I don't think it has anything to do with taking an easy way out. All of that is speculation. I think it is a realization that Cleveland wasn't going anywhere and Dan Gilbert was leading them blindly. As a dolphins fan, look at Gilbert like some of our fans would look at Steven Ross. Somebody with a bunch of money but doesn't know what to spend it on. Lebron said it best, something along the lines of him not wanting to be stuck with another long contract and then realize too late that the Cavs weren't going to accomplish anything.

I don't disagree with what you're saying... but as far as Gilbert goes...LeBron should've demanded he get the players/coach he needed...like Michael did with Jerry(not to mention a Coach,ask Doug Collins)..Magic did the same in Los Angeles ( got rid of Westhead & Norm Nixon(imo))....I guess,for whatever reason,I just wanted to see LeBron win with Cleveland.The bold type I hightlighted... rings true to me...as good as some of my Lakers role players are...there are times in the regular season and playoffs where Kobe has been left on that same Island...having to do everything himself....and you see the other 4 players on the court just watching him....like they bought a ticket to the game...that's frustrating...

 

[jree]

I don't disagree with what you're saying... but as far as Gilbert goes...LeBron should've demanded he get the players/coach he needed...like Michael did with Jerry(not to mention a Coach,ask Doug Collins)..Magic did the same in Los Angeles ( got rid of Westhead & Norm Nixon(imo))....I guess,for whatever reason,I just wanted to see LeBron win with Cleveland.The bold type I hightlighted... rings true to me...as good as some of my Lakers role players are...there are times in the regular season and playoffs where Kobe has been left on that same Island...having to do everything himself....and you see the other 4 players on the court just watching him....like they bought a ticket to the game...that's frustrating...

Thats what I'm trying to say though. Nobody wanted to go to Cleveland. Its a small market that doesn't have the appeal as places like NY, LA, Dallas, SA, Boston, or MIA. Could you imagine what Kobe would do if he was drafted to play for franchise like Cleveland? How long do you honestly think he would've lasted? Seriously, if your a FA and have a choice of which cities to play out one of your last big contracts, where do you go, LA, Miami, NY, or Cleveland? Keep in mind that FL doesn't have a state tax so your only getting taxed once, LA has a such a grand winning tradition, and NY is the mecca of basketball. And then look at what players were already picked up in FA. Besides Miami, LA made all the best moves, except the Ariza for Artest. That just blows my mind.

 

[PHINATIC13]

Thats what I'm trying to say though. Nobody wanted to go to Cleveland. Its a small market that doesn't have the appeal as places like NY, LA, Dallas, SA, Boston, or MIA. Could you imagine what Kobe would do if he was drafted to play for franchise like Cleveland? How long do you honestly think he would've lasted? Seriously, if your a FA and have a choice of which cities to play out one of your last big contracts, where do you go, LA, Miami, NY, or Cleveland? Keep in mind that FL doesn't have a state tax so your only getting taxed once, LA has a such a grand winning tradition, and NY is the mecca of basketball. And then look at what players were already picked up in FA. Besides Miami, LA made all the best moves, except the Ariza for Artest. That just blows my mind.

...yeah...I miss Trevor too...it's hard for me to go against Ron Ron....he saved my Lakers a**** in game 7...for that alone...he gets a lot of leeway with me..

 

[Ricky_Fan34]

The talent was very similar around Howard as it was around James and that buzzer beater was a great shot but lebron thought he won the title w/ that shot and espn treate it like it was the first buzzer beater in the history of basketball.

Game 3 he shot 11 for 28 including 1 of 8 from 3
Game 4 he shot 13 of 29 in a 2 pt loss in OT
Game 6 he shot 8 of 20 and 2 of 8 from 3 in the clincher

Shaq and kobe were known for playoff failures to that point. obviously Pippen wasn't better than Jordan but if he was as great as people think he would have beena difference maker for that ultra talented Portland team. They lost in the West Finals the year before they got and the West Finals the year they got him.

obviously no players on Cle around Lebron were close to Pippen BUT the NBA isn't as good as it was back then either.



My eyes would tend to give lebron the benfit of the doubt while bing more critical of Kobe since I have rooted for Lebron and against Kobe for most of their careers.



Boston stunk at the time they drafted Bird.

The Lakers moved to LA for the '60-'61 season and had ONE championship from '61-'79.

The Bulls had never been to an NBA Finals before, they were in the midst of 6 out of 7 playoff-less years. How many titles has that great ownership won since Michael left? It's interesting how in 13 years they made and won 6 Finals while in 32 other seasons they have zero title apps.

Cleveland is nto a great franchise, they are similar to the Bulls. if Michael never goes to Chicgao they are the same franchise as the Cavs, Michael willed them to 6 titles- that is what was expected in Cle w/ Lebron.

KC Jones was not a great coach, The lakers won titles w/ 2 different HCs while Magic was there. What did Riley do w/o Magic? he was failing w/ the Knicks and the heat until he sbaotaged Van Gundy and took over a ready made team to win a title w/ Shaq.

Brad Daugherty was a great player, he would have ben a HOFer if his career wasn't cut short due to injuries.


You are comparing Jason Taylor to Lebron? Lebron is in his prime, taylor was at the end and taylor was never considered the best player in the sport in a game where one guy can make all the difference. Taylor was trying to do it the Alonzo Mourning way by hopping on the backs of others but it didn't work.



I think I said they would be a playoff contender but i might have said they'd be an 8 seed. To be fair that was based on the talent they had around lebron which isn't the same now and they have had tons of injuries.

It's easy for me to say this now, but I never thought they would even compete for a playoff spot. And valid, injuries have played a large role in their colossal failure of a season. However, they never really did have enough talent on that roster to make the playoffs without Lebron.

 

[nyjunc]

If Orlando had only average players then the Cavs had below average players. Almost half of that roster doesn't even play anymore or is barely an afterthought for their current team.

Of course Jordan got double teamed but he wasn't winning anything until Scottie stepped up his game and they started to implement the triangle offense. You admitted it earlier, you don't win anything alone(Jordan couldn't beat the Pistons or Celts alone). Lebron had absolutley nobody that was his version of Abdul-Jabar, McHale, Dumars, or Pippen. Hell, not even a Gasol. Garnett and Melo couldn't even get outta the first round without help and your expecting Lebron to have several Finals appearances without help. And before you say it, 3 vs 1 always wins. No matter how good you are.

He was a young player in an era w/ a bunch of truly great teams- very different than Lebron's era.

You don't need a Kareem, McHale, etc...- Who ahs Duncan had around him? Who did Howard have around him when they beat Cle? There is nto an equivalent of the 80s lakers or celtics in the NBA. I guess the closest thing would be the early 00s Lakers and even they weren't as talented as those 80s teams. He had enough talent to win in a watered down NBA. They won 60+ games each of the last 2 seasons and couldn't even get to the Finals. If they had talent good enough to win 60 games, they should have been able to make a Finals run.

I don't disagree with what you're saying... but as far as Gilbert goes...LeBron should've demanded he get the players/coach he needed...like Michael did with Jerry(not to mention a Coach,ask Doug Collins)..Magic did the same in Los Angeles ( got rid of Westhead & Norm Nixon(imo))....I guess,for whatever reason,I just wanted to see LeBron win with Cleveland.The bold type I hightlighted... rings true to me...as good as some of my Lakers role players are...there are times in the regular season and playoffs where Kobe has been left on that same Island...having to do everything himself....and you see the other 4 players on the court just watching him....like they bought a ticket to the game...that's frustrating...

Lebron did make demands, that was part of the problem. he was demanding the wrong players. The owner and FO was listening to him.

 

[JCane]

So Kobe Bryant and the Lakers aren't the title contenders we all thought they would be. Phil Jackson is frustrated. Artest wants a trade. And Kobe Bryant has publically vented, cried, whined, or whatever you want to call it in the media.

And what happens? Less than a week later, everyone is on the trade block and the Lakers are looking to land superstar Carmelo Anthony from Denver.

You see, nyjunk, this is what I was talking about with Cleveland and LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Los Angeles, Larry Bird and Boston, and Michael Jordan and Chicago.

Kobe Bryant is a superstar. Kobe isn't happy, the organization does whatever it takes to make him happy because the organization TAKES CARE of their superstars. Chicago took care of Jordan. Los Angeles took care of Magic Johnson. Boston took care of Larry Bird.

Cleveland didn't take care of LeBron James by getting him Antwan Jamison, Mo Williams, and a washed up Shaquille O'Neal. Seven years...Cleveland never gave LeBron what he needed to get it done. They never put another star beside him the way Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston did for their stars.

And forget about the stars for just a moment and focus on Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. These are premier franchises who know what they're doing and know how to win without Magic, Bird, and Jordan.

Say what you want about LeBron needing to piggy back with the Heat to get a ring. Magic, Bird, and Jordan needed it to do it also...it just wasn't as obvious because their franchises and their owners did what LeBron needed Dan Gilbert to do all of these years and never did.

 

[JCane]

Now wait just a damn minute here...

Something has to be wrong here...

Antwan Jamison didn't make the All-Star team this season??? Da **** is this ****?

http://www.nba.com/allstar2011/players/index.html

 

[nyjunc]

So Kobe Bryant and the Lakers aren't the title contenders we all thought they would be. Phil Jackson is frustrated. Artest wants a trade. And Kobe Bryant has publically vented, cried, whined, or whatever you want to call it in the media.

And what happens? Less than a week later, everyone is on the trade block and the Lakers are looking to land superstar Carmelo Anthony from Denver.

You see, nyjunk, this is what I was talking about with Cleveland and LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Los Angeles, Larry Bird and Boston, and Michael Jordan and Chicago.

Kobe Bryant is a superstar. Kobe isn't happy, the organization does whatever it takes to make him happy because the organization TAKES CARE of their superstars. Chicago took care of Jordan. Los Angeles took care of Magic Johnson. Boston took care of Larry Bird.

Cleveland didn't take care of LeBron James by getting him Antwan Jamison, Mo Williams, and a washed up Shaquille O'Neal. Seven years...Cleveland never gave LeBron what he needed to get it done. They never put another star beside him the way Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston did for their stars.

And forget about the stars for just a moment and focus on Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. These are premier franchises who know what they're doing and know how to win without Magic, Bird, and Jordan.

Say what you want about LeBron needing to piggy back with the Heat to get a ring. Magic, Bird, and Jordan needed it to do it also...it just wasn't as obvious because their franchises and their owners did what LeBron needed Dan Gilbert to do all of these years and never did.

Kobe won 2 titles w/ average talent around him. They are in a funk and looking for answers, they will be fine w/ no moves.

Cleveland took care of lebron, they made every move he wanted to make. That was part of the problem. They let him basically run the franchise.

Now wait just a damn minute here...

Something has to be wrong here...

Antwan Jamison didn't make the All-Star team this season??? Da **** is this ****?

http://www.nba.com/allstar2011/players/index.html

Antawn is having a bad year, he's getting old. Antawn last year was much better as was the talent on the Cleveland roster around Lebron.

 

[tylerdolphin]

Kobe won 2 titles w/ average talent around him.

This HAS to be a troll post. The Lakers the last few years were loaded. Gasol is one of the best PFs in the game. Odom, Bynum, Ariza/Artest were all really good players. Fisher is good in the playoffs.

If you put those Laker teams minus Kobe up against those Cavs teams minus Lebron, it really isnt even a contest. The Cavs minus Lebron were terrible and I cant see how anyone could argue otherwise.

Antawn is having a bad year, he's getting old. Antawn last year was much better as was the talent on the Cleveland roster around Lebron.

Antwan was better last year because Lebron was on that team. He was old last year. Nobody was the least bit scared of him.

 

[nyjunc]

This HAS to be a troll post. The Lakers the last few years were loaded. Gasol is one of the best PFs in the game. Odom, Bynum, Ariza/Artest were all really good players. Fisher is good in the playoffs.

If you put those Laker teams minus Kobe up against those Cavs teams minus Lebron, it really isnt even a contest. The Cavs minus Lebron were terrible and I cant see how anyone could argue otherwise.


Antwan was better last year because Lebron was on that team. He was old last year. Nobody was the least bit scared of him.

Some guys get overrate db/c they won but gasol is nto nearly as good as he is perceived. he's a good player, people act like he's one of the best players in the league and he is not. What did he do w/o Kobe and Lakers?

of course, the talent around kobe is better now than the talent around Lebron in Cle BUT the games would be closer than you think. The team in Cle is not the same talent that was around Lebron.

Antwan was a good complimentary player, a guy lebron could have won w/ if he was as great as people think. he didn't need a ready made all star team to win but he chose the easy way out to try to Alonzo Mourning his way to a title.