Basketball Thread!

[dirge]

He can leave cleveland but he could've been traded for another superstar so that the cavs won't be in last place. But he chose to let them think he was staying so that he won't be traded to a team he doesn't want to play for.

I think he promised them a championship.

These reasons sum up why I want to see LeBron miss out on a ring. Wade's the real star in Miami and I'm fine with him getting another ring (and it'd be nice to see Bibby get one).

LeBron was of course perfectly entitled to sign with whoever he wanted to in free agency. But after promising Cleveland a championship, when he left the Cavs hanging on & hoping rather than paying them the respect of indicating that he's going, he left them with nothing. This to a club that gave him everything they could in their quests to win the championship & retain LeBron.

Contrast this with Carmelo Anthony, who plainly told the Nuggets he wasn't going to stick around and wanted to head to the Knicks. Aside from the fact that this actually allowed Denver to plan for life after Melo, it also allowed them to cash him in for some decent assets when they traded him to New York. Sure he wanted out, but he paid some respect to Denver at least.

[Vector Prime]

I'm a big LBJ fan, but I agree that he pretty much represents everything wrong with the NBA nowadays (over-hyped, over-paid, selfish prima donnas).

Whilst he has all the talent and ability to be one of the best players to have ever played the game, he lacks the one key element that made his predecessors (MJ, Dr J, Magic) endearing and perennial fan favourites - humility.

Same with Kobe, these guys know they're good, they know they've got the talent and they know they're got pretty much the NBA and the media in their hands, so they think they can do whatever they want.

I hated that he went to the Heat - even if they win a championship (or multiple ones), he's tarnished and diminished his own legacy by not doing it on his own and joining up with Wade.

What he should have done was joined the Knicks and done it on his own there - he's got an ego bigger than Broadway, so it should only be fitting that he plays there in the presence of one of the biggest markets in pro sport.

LBJ has pretty much disappeared in the past couple of the Finals games and has left it to Wade and Bosh to win the championship - so for that, he doesn't deserve to win it all.

[Fonecrusher]

Wow didn't even know we have basketball fans here, I live, sleep, eat and breath the NBA!

Anyway I see all this LBJ hate and while I think some of it is justified, some of you are taking the "Cleveland judas" stuff a bit too far "he promised them a championship?" I mean really? When LBJ went to Cleveland they were a joke (much like now) he single handedly took them from cellar dwellers to being legit contenders and an Eastern Conference Final. Yes Cleveland had faith in him to select him at no.1 but he repayed that faith by bringing them success all on his own. He did this with with a team full of nobodies. Every season Dan Gilbert promised he would build a good supporting cast around LBJ who did he get? Moe Williams, Antoine Jamison, a washed up Shaq?

Am I the only who doesn't have a problem with what LBJ did? This is an age where small market teams will always struggle to hold onto their superstars, what LBJ did is no worse than what Melo did to Denver or what Chris Paul will do to the Hornets when his contract expires.

There's only one villian in Cleveland and that's Dan Gilbert, what did he do when he knew LBJ would leave? Nothing, absolutely nothing, Cleveland sat with their hands up their ass all off season, signing a bunch of smucks and look at the season they just had. He looks even more foolish for that little promise he made Cleveland fans this season that "the Cavs would win a championship before Lebron does".

Btw I'm a Celtics fan so shoot me!

[jazzcomp]

In a league where you hope that your pick will somehow make your team relevant, you wait for years to get that chance: Tim Duncan, Lebron, Melo, etc....

He's a hometown hero. He's from Ohio. You bend over backwards to give the man what he wants. Cleveland gave the most money for the superstar to stay. If you don't want to play for cleveland, then ask for a trade. If you are leaving, I think it's decent to inform your employer so that they can plan for your departure. I remember when Kobe was complaining and that getting to the playoffs wasn't enough because of the early exits. But Cleveland was #1 and reaches the conference finals and finals and just couldn't get over the hump.

I think you're alone in your view of what lebron did compared to the others like Amare, Melo, etc.

It's not just the team but the fans. The cleveland natives had so much heartbreak from their teams. This was their saving grace so you can understand the hate from them.

He was supposed to be batman and that a good team was enough to support him and doesn't need a robin. Right now, he's not even the robin to Dwade in the finals.

For someone so great that pulls his team from the cellar to contender, he doesn't seem to be the greatest in his new team now. At least in Cleveland, he was superman.

[Fonecrusher]

In a league where you hope that your pick will somehow make your team relevant, you wait for years to get that chance: Tim Duncan, Lebron, Melo, etc....

He's a hometown hero. He's from Ohio. You bend over backwards to give the man what he wants. Cleveland gave the most money for the superstar to stay. If you don't want to play for cleveland, then ask for a trade. If you are leaving, I think it's decent to inform your employer so that they can plan for your departure. I remember when Kobe was complaining and that getting to the playoffs wasn't enough because of the early exits. But Cleveland was #1 and reaches the conference finals and finals and just couldn't get over the hump.

I think you're alone in your view of what lebron did compared to the others like Amare, Melo, etc.

It's not just the team but the fans. The cleveland natives had so much heartbreak from their teams. This was their saving grace so you can understand the hate from them.

He was supposed to be batman and that a good team was enough to support him and doesn't need a robin. Right now, he's not even the robin to Dwade in the finals.

For someone so great that pulls his team from the cellar to contender, he doesn't seem to be the greatest in his new team now. At least in Cleveland, he was superman.

Cleveland gave him everything he wanted but a decent team around him... On a personal level, yes I think his decision was questionnable, but on a professional one?

Like I said I consider Dan Gilbert the real villain here, he basically thought Lebron was his "get out of jail free" card, that somehow one player could carry his entire team, and bring it success and he wouldn't have to lift a finger or contribute anything at all... And it backfired, Lebron left and Gilbert had egg all over his face. IMO his handling of the post Lebron era has only confirmed my opinion of him: LBJ leaves and what does Gilbert do? Nothing absolutely nothing, he expects the team "to win a championship before Lebron does", with Moe Williams and J.J. Hickson.... And Moe's gone already by the way.

He's gonna do the same thing this year when the Cavs draft Irving/Williams, expect them to carry his sorry ass team which he can't be bothered investing in.

[Vector Prime]

Anyway I see all this LBJ hate and while I think some of it is justified, some of you are taking the "Cleveland judas" stuff a bit too far "he promised them a championship?" I mean really? When LBJ went to Cleveland they were a joke (much like now) he single handedly took them from cellar dwellers to being legit contenders and an Eastern Conference Final. Yes Cleveland had faith in him to select him at no.1 but he repayed that faith by bringing them success all on his own. He did this with with a team full of nobodies. Every season Dan Gilbert promised he would build a good supporting cast around LBJ who did he get? Moe Williams, Antoine Jamison, a washed up Shaq?

Am I the only who doesn't have a problem with what LBJ did? This is an age where small market teams will always struggle to hold onto their superstars, what LBJ did is no worse than what Melo did to Denver or what Chris Paul will do to the Hornets when his contract expires.

There's only one villian in Cleveland and that's Dan Gilbert, what did he do when he knew LBJ would leave? Nothing, absolutely nothing, Cleveland sat with their hands up their ass all off season, signing a bunch of smucks and look at the season they just had. He looks even more foolish for that little promise he made Cleveland fans this season that "the Cavs would win a championship before Lebron does".

Btw I'm a Celtics fan so shoot me!

I have no issues with what LBJ did - it was the way he did it.

C'mon, a half hour telecast on ESPN to announce his decision?

Cleveland's a nowhere franchise, always have been, always will be - he brought relevance to a team that nobody cared about.

I agree that's it's not his fault for jumping ship since Dan Gilbert and the Cleveland execs didn't exactly give him a Robin to his Batman.

As previously mentioned, I'm an LBJ fan, but my biggest gripe is the way he did what he did and chose to go to Miami and joining Wade.

He should have gone to the Knicks and built on his legacy further by leading that team to the championship.

Yes, granted the Knicks are also rebuilding, but they would have rebuilt around him quite quickly - James Dolan has very deep pockets and NY is a massive market that would attract other players once they've seen LBJ make the Knicks relevant again.

He's a hometown hero. He's from Ohio. You bend over backwards to give the man what he wants. Cleveland gave the most money for the superstar to stay. If you don't want to play for cleveland, then ask for a trade. If you are leaving, I think it's decent to inform your employer so that they can plan for your departure. I remember when Kobe was complaining and that getting to the playoffs wasn't enough because of the early exits. But Cleveland was #1 and reaches the conference finals and finals and just couldn't get over the hump.

I think you're alone in your view of what lebron did compared to the others like Amare, Melo, etc.

It's not just the team but the fans. The cleveland natives had so much heartbreak from their teams. This was their saving grace so you can understand the hate from them.

He was supposed to be batman and that a good team was enough to support him and doesn't need a robin. Right now, he's not even the robin to Dwade in the finals.

For someone so great that pulls his team from the cellar to contender, he doesn't seem to be the greatest in his new team now. At least in Cleveland, he was superman.

LBJ's from Akron, not Cleveland - that's like the equivalent of Sydney Vs Newcastle or Wollongong.

Akron has always been considered a lower class city than Cleveland with many residents of Cleveland looking down upon the people and the town - so no, Cleveland's not his hometown and he had no firm allegiance to them.

While it's not widely reported, after announcing his decision to take his talents to South Beach, LeBron accepted less money than what Cleveland had on the table.

He also agreed to a sign and trade so that Cleveland was not left without anything to show for losing him - it's just the media and Dan Gilbert who has made it out that he left them high and dry without anything.

I think it was quite obvious and Cleveland should have been bracing themselves that he was intending on leaving anyway, even before 'The Decision' - I mean, if he planned on staying, would he not have bothered to entertain the idea of a contract extension (which they offered)?

It's ignorant to blame him or hate him for leaving when the obvious signs were there that he was going to depart.

If you're going to hate on him, hate on him for the way he did it ('The Decision' show) not what he did (leaving).

As for the Batman/Robin/Superman comparisons - every team that has won championships in recent history has a Batman & Robin(s).

In Cleveland, he had nothing - Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, past-his-prime Shaq were definitely not anywhere near being Robin or Robins.

MJ had Pippen, Duncan had Ginobili/Parker (multiple Robins), Kobe and Shaq, Garnett/Pierce/Allen, Kobe and Gasol/Odom/Zen-Master Phil Jackson, etc

Dan Gilbert and Cleveland weren't exactly putting the right pieces around him in order for them to win a championship - LBJ still had to carry the entire team pretty much unsupported, no wonder he left.

[jazzcomp]

LBJ's from Akron, not Cleveland - that's like the equivalent of Sydney Vs Newcastle or Wollongong.

Akron has always been considered a lower class city than Cleveland with many residents of Cleveland looking down upon the people and the town - so no, Cleveland's not his hometown and he had no firm allegiance to them.

It's still Ohio. It's not like Ohio had another team. It's the closest to a hometown hero that you can get.

While it's not widely reported, after announcing his decision to take his talents to South Beach, LeBron accepted less money than what Cleveland had on the table.

He also agreed to a sign and trade so that Cleveland was not left without anything to show for losing him - it's just the media and Dan Gilbert who has made it out that he left them high and dry without anything.

I think it was quite obvious and Cleveland should have been bracing themselves that he was intending on leaving anyway, even before 'The Decision' - I mean, if he planned on staying, would he not have bothered to entertain the idea of a contract extension (which they offered)?

It's ignorant to blame him or hate him for leaving when the obvious signs were there that he was going to depart.

If you're going to hate on him, hate on him for the way he did it ('The Decision' show) not what he did (leaving).

I don't know about the sign and trade. Well, it's up to the media on what they want to do. Signs? - if the signs were clear, then they should've just traded him. I know about the less money. If money wasn't the biggest thing, then get the other players so that he would sign.

As for the Batman/Robin/Superman comparisons - every team that has won championships in recent history has a Batman & Robin(s).
In Cleveland, he had nothing - Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, past-his-prime Shaq were definitely not anywhere near being Robin or Robins.
MJ had Pippen, Duncan had Ginobili/Parker (multiple Robins), Kobe and Shaq, Garnett/Pierce/Allen, Kobe and Gasol/Odom/Zen-Master Phil Jackson, etc

Dan Gilbert and Cleveland weren't exactly putting the right pieces around him in order for them to win a championship - LBJ still had to carry the entire team pretty much unsupported, no wonder he left.

HE had the coach he wanted and every year they added pieces. It's not like this team was seeded 8th every playoff run. It shows on their record. I can understand if this team was struggling to get to the playoffs but they were considered top seeds. It's just that during the playoffs/finals, the team doesn't perform. I remember when the laker bench was called the bench mob and everyone had high praises except for some players. But when they don't play well, they're scrubs.

Look at Dallas/Phoenix, they revamp/rebuilt the teams they had just trying to get over the hump. They were perennial contenders who were trying to get the formula they wanted.

How much did they pay to get Shaq? I don't remember. He wasn't the savior but just another piece.

The Cavs look pretty much unbeatable during the regular season. But somehow is a different team in the post season.

[jazzcomp]

3-2 Dallas, back to south beach.

[k.wong23]

Poor Miami heat lol

Jason Terry pulling off some ridiculous 3 pointers!!

[bassbot]

darn. miami down... I've been a fan since Alonzo was there back in the day...