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A Decision Will Finally Be Made

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Sources tell me there’s an announcement special airing tonight and in this program a famous basketball player is going to decide where he wants to play basketball for the foreseeable future.  This was confirmed by me checking my cable box and actually seeing that it will be on tv. 

Honestly, I’ve avoided writing about Lebron because I really don’t have much to say on the matter.  I think he’s a fantastic player who happens to be a highly sought after free agent.  In this regard, he’s no different than Shaq in ’96.  And just like Shaq, his decision is newsworthy as I think Lebron’s decision will have a big impact on the league (hence a post at this site about him).  Again, he’s one of the best players in the world (and arguably the best player if evaluating solely on physical ability and statistical dominance) and whatever team he joins will be vastly improved if only because he’s now on that roster.  He’s one of the few players that instantly makes a team a contender.  You can talk about his playoff flameouts or the limitations in his game, but in the end this is a player that took the Cleveland Cavs from the cellar to a championship level team.  And while James has not reached the peak of the sport, he’s done very well in working his way up the mountain.

So, tonight I’ll be watching where he goes and doing so with interest.  Because whether he joins Wade and Bosh in Miami, Amar’e and D’Antoni in New York, or stays home in Cleveland, some team is getting (or keeping) a fantastic player tonight.  A player that the Lakers may actually see in an NBA Finals in the next year or two.  A player that I like to watch, even if I may not enjoy the circus or the spectacle surrounding his persona. 

And I have a feeling that a lot of you will be watching too.  This should be interesting if only because this has been the biggest NBA story this entire season – outside of the Lakers winning their second consecutive NBA championship (it never gets old typing that) – and tonight it comes to a head with a decision.  On a related note, there have been some very good pieces on Lebron today, but few are better than what David Thorpe told TrueHoop about the potential success of a Heat team with Lebron, Wade, and Bosh or the piece that Andy Kamenetzky wrote at Land O’ Lakers on the focus, after tonight, now shifting from Lebron’s free agency to his success in winning titles.  Give them both a read as they’re both worth your time.  And let me know if you’ll be watching in the comments.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pig MIller says

    Not a chance. I’ll be reading tweets, although I’m sure twitter will fail whale before the announcement.

  2. Joel says

    As an NBA fan and a Laker fan I have to be interested in where LeBron is going – but I don’t have to watch that self-absorbed attention whore announce his decision through a freakin’ 1-hour ESPN special. Gimme a break. Wake me up when it’s over.

  3. needle says

    I’ll just be refreshing sites like FB&G to find out where he goes. More concerned with how it affects the NBA landscape than watching his TV show.

  4. the other Stephen says

    sources tell me it is trendy to say “sources tell me” these days.

  5. Mimsy says

    Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a piece that echoes my opinion on the LeBron farce very nicely: State of LeBron: Live at 9, from his ego

    Or, as Stan Van Gundy put it, Come on, an hour long? It takes 15 seconds to say “I’ve decided to stay in Cleveland,” but we’ve got another 59 minutes and 45 seconds to, what? Promote LeBron James? As if we don’t do that enough.

    Yes, I think LeBron is a gigantic tool and this whole charade is easily one the most narcissistic displays of ego I have ever seen. I will most likely watch, because I want to know where he’s going, and thanks to having been attacked by stomach flu I am nauseous already anyway.

  6. Charles says

    Not a chance that I’ll watch 58 minutes of shameless LeBron self-promotion just for his 2 minute announcement.

    I will not argue he is a fantastic player, but his publicity machine has gone completely out of control this time.

    Half hoping he stays in Cleveland now, just because I would feel extremely sorry for Cavs fans if he and his team decided to publicize that he was leaving Cleveland through a 1-hour ESPN special.

  7. Zephid says

    Let’s do the math guys.

    50% chance this is the lamest proclamation of all-time (Lebron goes back to Cleveland)

    45% chance this is one of the most historic days in NBA history (Lebron goes to Miami)

    5% chance this is the greatest heel-turn of all-time (Lebron goes to New York and tells Cleveland to suck it).

    You’re telling me you’re going to take a chance at missing the greatest collective bitch slap/kick to the balls ever? Even if it’s just 5%.

    I’m giddy with excitement at just that 5% chance that LBJ turns into the ultimate villain, forsaking his hometown for the corrupting city lights, abandoning all those who have been loyal to him for those who only wish to ride his coattails, and becoming the most despised and reviled athlete this side of Tiger Woods. Just that small sliver of hope.

  9. KenSlc says

    @7

    Nope. I am not going to pay Espn and Lebron off with ratings for this fiasco.

  11. Aaron says

    I am still hoping LeBron announces he is going to sign with the Lakers for the minimum. Now that is a Lakers starting PG I would have no problem with 😉

  13. emh101 says

    I am very excited to see how this turns out. And I am ecstatic that the Lakers aren’t involved. It is the most unstressed fun I’ve had with basketball this year. The back-to-back championships were FANTASTIC but oh so stressful.

  14. chearn says

    I’ll care where Lebron is playing next season when the Lakers face his team for the first time!

    So, no I will not watch a 59 1/2 minute narcissistic commercial spectacle!

    I’m more concerned about the Lakers signing D. Fish and filling out the roster. And, oh by the way the Lakers summer league team will play tomorrow for the first look at our draft picks and Gerald Green. That my friends is of more concern to me than LBJ’s infomercial!

  15. harold says

    I hope he signs with Miami.

    I think we can beat them in their first year of playing together, and beating all three of them in one fell scoop in the finals would be worth a ton to Kobe, Phil, Lakers (17th) and every other fan…

    … and we may even enter the finals as the underdog 😉

  16. AusPhil says

    emh101 – So, so true. Just being able to sit back and watch this farcical circus going on, with LBJ taking the role of King Clown… just great to be able to watch it with no vested interest, no stress. Any way it goes, we’ve still won the last 2 titles, and have to be considered pretty decent chances for a 3rd. It’s stress-free viewing, with a high level of humour (as the fawning media starts to realise the sheer level of LBJ’s hubris, and what publicity means to him).

  17. T. Rogers says

    13, 14

    I’m with you guys. I am so glad there are no Lakers involved with whole thing. I am actually feeling it for the Cleveland fans. If he leaves they will be devastated. If he stays the have to feel disrespected and cheapened by the whole ordeal.

    For the record, my money is on a return to Cleveland. Of course, if he actually cared about winning Chicago would be the best option.

  18. cjm says

    have there been other instances of the “best player” in the league not winning a title? he puts up big numbers but that hardly equates to being the best player in the league, especially when the eastern conference is filled with garbage teams (stats bait).

  20. R says

    I’m worried about LBJ, actually.

    He seems to be taking the path of Michael Jackson, ie increasingly delusional behavior constantly reinforced by a mad cadre of hangers on. When does he start in with the “cosmetic” surgery?

  23. Mimsy says

    This is officially the most pathetic thing ESPN has ever agreed to air and promote.

  24. kehntangibles says

    My god, I can’t tell you how much money I would spend to have Kobe’s puppet and cookie commercial air nonstop during the commercial breaks for this farce.

  25. Don says

    I vowed to boycott espn once I found out the spectacle that is tonights show. But I am going to watch it, and the donation to boys and girls club makes me feel better about myself.

    My main reason for watching is to see whether the rest of the NBA has a shot at dethroning us next year. Seriously, if lebron goes anywhere else, we have a great shot at winning it all again, but if he joins Mia ? Now that would be interesting.

  26. R says

    I hope The King joins Miami; PJ owns Riles.

    Don’t see that changing.

    Haha – Reading the comments, I’ve seldom seen us FB&G folks so united.

  28. Zach says

    @26

    I don’t think there’s ever been an NBA player so easy to hate. There’s nothing about him that’s actually redeeming. The LeBron “brand”? Seriously. “Brand”?

  31. R says

    I’m loving all this vitriol!

    Haha – yes, good old KG! Speaking of whom, isn’t taunting a trangression punishable by a tech? If so, why didn’t Garnett get a T after taunting Gasol in Game 7? I mean, I saw it on teevee. How did the refs miss it?

  32. kehntangibles says

    I spent my elementary school years in Cleveland so I do have a soft spot for the city and hope he stays there… and finally gets Cleveland a ring after Kobe and Pau retire.

    Though, I’d really rather see OKC take up the banner after our window closes.

  33. R says

    Yeah, I was originally hoping he would stay in Cleveland becasue they could use a boost.

    However, I’m now thinking they deserve better.

  34. Skyhook33 says

    No. Don’t want to see everyone on ESPN going “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”

  35. Joel says

    28

    For most of his career I’ve been pretty much neutral towards LeBron. Yeah, he was incredibly overhyped, but I generally laid most of the blame at the feet of the media. I never realised he was such an insecure, self-aggrandising poser. This latest debacle is the last straw, even more so if he uses it to kick Cleveland to the curb.

  36. Mimsy says

    Okay, they need to hurry up and announce the decision already so I won’t have to watch this drivel anymore. This coverage makes the plot of a Mortal Combat game look engaging and deep, and Twilight’s dialogue is well written by comparison. I think the image of LeBron in various jerseys has been forever burned into my retina, and if I never ever hear his dull slightly blurry voice talk again for the rest of my life, it’s still too soon. At least I was already nauseous from the stomach flu.

  37. AusPhil says

    At least here in Australia there’s no opportunity for me to actually watch this.

    Although that has led to a fair bit of refreshing on various websites!

  45. Mimsy says

    Did anyone else feel that? A great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in pain and then the pain turned to murderous rage? It sounded like it came from somewhere in Ohio…

  46. Ethan says

    The Big Ego has now become the Big Backstabber. Jordan, Magic, Kobe, and Bird all were loyal to their teams and built and sustained winning teams. Lebron should never again be compared to those greats ever again.

  48. Don says

    Great day to be a Houston fan – two lottery picks from knicks ya!

    Please none of this stuff about backstabbing. Lebron doesn’t owe anybody anything. It’s his life and career and he deserves to do what he sees best. He’s done so much for CLE and while in return, yes Gilbert & Co made moves to show him, the quality of those moves didn’t pan out. E.g. Mike Brown, Jamison instead of Stoudemire, Mo Williams. Since when was ‘intentions’ or “effort’ the ultimate barometer in America? It’s about results. and it’s about freedom. LBJ is not any less of a person in my book.

  49. Mimsy says

    @Ethan
    I could not agree more. What he just did to all his loyal fans in Cleveland is one of the most cruel acts I’ve ever seen on live TV.

  51. AusPhil says

    Not quite the hell turn that NY would’ve been, but definitely in the ballpark.

    Ethan – So true. Before all this free agency hoopla began, I was telling people here that any move from Cleveland would make him “less than”. Single team guys are the ones on a level above. And out of all this, only Wade gets that shot now.

  52. Anonymous says

    good news, with wade and james on same team, kobe favourtie to win MVP next year with Durant!

  55. chownoir says

    Spoelstra will soon have cutlery matching the one SVG has. I wonder if Riley gets a bulk discount on knives? Don’t you usually buy those things in sets?

  56. Andreas G. says

    I really don’t see Miami beating us right now:
    1. Artest defends Bron as well as anyone.
    2. Kobe and Wade are the same – only Kobe is better.
    3. Pau and Bosh are the same – only Pau is better.
    4. Rest of the Laker are by FAR better than the minimum level guys that Miami can sign.

    And oh – PJ is the best coach, so yeah.

  57. bypasser says

    great, hope this signing (can only be possible with a sign and trade?) will make the lakers fill out that roster with an added sense of urgency…just enough for us to show a way better lineup sooner (because as it stands, we do) and not make foolish decisions later.

    interesting how a bunch of minimums (am thinking boston big 3 party) can make them compete and get out of the east, let alone win the chip.

    @Igor…well perhaps leaving cleveland and the not so warm welcome he’s been getting the past days leading to this staging part of that.

    well, someone said miami has their new super-pippen.

    would love to see the eastern playoffs this year. let’s not kid ourselves, the rich got richer and the poor remain to aim for the big one. i also feel better about our chances coming out on top of the west. GO LAKERS!

  58. han says

    for the 2011 finals, imagine the 2006 finals where you can’t even talk badly about wade without getting a foul… now you add lebron’s call-avoiding power to that mix.

  60. Ethan says

    So why did Lebron feel he needed an hour of live TV to make Cleveland feel like losers? Couldn’t he have done it with class like Durant? This guy’s arrogance knows no bounds.

    Still I agree that LA should still have a great chance to beat Miami should they meet in the Finals. But personally, I hope Cleveland makes the playoffs and takes them out in an upset before they even reach the Finals.

  61. JeremyLA24 says

    BTW: is that for real that we can pick up Hedo for Luke and Sasha? I mean, I don’t know about you guys but I think this guy is an all league starter. If we steal him for Sasha and brittle back Luke we will be twice the team we were last year. If that happens we can forget spacing issues or having a weak bench! We’ll be subing out legit starters for legit starters all game every game!

    Sorry if it is complete speculation but if it isn’t… I’m all for it!

  62. JD says

    Can we stop with the Kobe comparisons now? I”m sick of the past 7 years how the hype machine pumped him up as the anti-Kobe. He doesn’t have an ego they said. He’s better all around and doesn’t have players around him. Let’s face it his ego is the size of mars and for my money he can never be compared to Kobe again. The dude crapped all over Ohio on his lonesome and that’s not even the point. The point is the LBJ pedestal has now fallen over. They tried to prop up Stackhouse against Kobe. They tried to prop up Vince Carter and McGrady and Iverson against Kobe. They tried to prop up James against Kobe. He’s outlasted them all. Black Mamba reigns supreme.

  64. kehntangibles says

    Now – next question: Miami and Boston meet in the 2nd round of the playoffs next year. You have to pick one team to win and nuclear holocaust is NOT an option. Who do you pick?

  65. Jim C. says

    This reminds me of those games I used to play at my local YMCA where all the best players would agree to be on the same team. It wasn’t very sporting. It wasn’t a lot of fun. But gosh did that team win a whole bunch.

    I hereby declare this to be the slogan for all true Laker fans for the next five years: “Lebron couldn’t win the big one without Wade…and Bosh!”

  66. Anonymous says

    sorry @60, but that slogan is irrelevant. Miami won’t win the O’Brien! 😀

  67. chownoir says

    The way that Hedo grabbed the money, double crossed Portland and then checked out on Toronto halfway through the first year of his contract, no way I’d want that kind of cancer on the Lakers. Not to mention that ridiculous contract.

    If Buss was willing to spend that kind of money, there’s much better ways to put it to use in upgrading the roster. Certainly not for a guy who’ll be at best the 7th guy.

  68. magic days says

    Does anyone think this changes things for Buss and Mitch in terms of upcoming signings and trades? Will the Lakers make the necessary moves and pay the price to field a team that can compete against the big 3 2.0 and repeat?

    I feel as if they will have to now through some sort of sign and trade.

  69. JD says

    67. I doubt they have to, but its not out of the question. The problem is unless you’re trading Odom, Lakers don’t really have a lot to trade. Teams aren’t exactly clamoring for Sasha and Luke Walton. I like the team as is. Bring back Fisher sign another big for the minimum and roster is set.

  71. lil' pau says

    lebron is the most unintentionally hilarious figure since polonius… and he seems to have borrowed that character’s dramatic constructions as well. Talking about loyalty then needing to ‘make myself happy, that’s all that matters’ in the same sentence. Telling the Cleveland fans to be grateful for all he’s done for them… I’m telling you, this bozo is hysterical, he’s like an Onion article come to life! Can’t wait for his retirement, when he and T.O. become the Burns and Allen of the sports world.

  73. Zephid says

    I love how the world has suddenly turned on Lebron James. Most excellent heel turn I’ve ever seen. Not quite as awesome as it could’ve been, but still awesome nonetheless.

    Now we should get on with the eulogies for Cleveland basketball.

  75. the other Stephen says

    i hope that the lakers don’t take the heat as lightly as many of you are doing..

  76. Pat B says

    Kobe hit the gym 30 minutes ago. All I know is that these three couldn’t even beat Spain until Kobe stepped up.

    Kobe’s hungry again!

  77. Joel says

    74

    The Heat currently have 5 players under contract, and you already have them winning the East? Interesting.

  78. magic days says

    Is Cleveland still on the map? I just checked google maps and there’s a big black hole there. The epicenter that is sucking all matter and life seems to be emanating from the location of Lebron’s residence.

    oh and I meant “via a trade” since the Lakers really have no one that we can sign and trade for that’s worth anything.

  79. Ethan says

    Lakers need to resign Fisher, get a backup bigman like Kurt Thomas, and fill the last wing spot with someone who could defend well (bonus if they can shoot the outside shot). Raja Bell perhaps?

    If LA can do this, no way Miami gets past the Lakers unless key guys on LA get injured.

  80. AusPhil says

    Joel – No, he just means for the 2 regular season games. Post-season flameouts mean that’s the only time we get to see LA take on 9 minimum salary guys…!

  81. Ethan says

    @75 Funny how the guys on ESPN said Lebron and Wade were the two best players in the league. You are spot on…if that’s the case, why was Kobe the one who won the game for the US against Spain in 2008?

  82. Mimsy says

    Dave McMenamin on Twitter: “Carmelo Anthony will pick up a lot of fans by acting on his own rather than joining the Miami sorority”

    Sorority, Dave? Wasn’t that a little low? 🙂

  83. Lakerpassion says

    Just watched one sick circus. The NBA looks like a bunch of creeps tonight. This wasn’t pretty or noble or dignified.

    I am glad I am a Laker fan.

    Thank you Dr. Buss for your sense of purpose and shrewdness.

  84. Igor Avidon says

    74.

    Agreed. No matter who you put around them, LBJ & Wade are complemented by a talented big man. All players in the NBA are NBA players. Even the scrubs are legitimate talents. Surrounding those three with ‘scrubs’ who fill specific needs (rebounding, outside shooting, etc) will be plenty for them to be contenders.

  85. magic days says

    I think Raja is going to sign with Miami especially if all the Lakers can offer is the vet min or somewhere near that. He has family and a home in Miami and he’ll take the vet min there if he thinks that riding the coat-tails of the big 3 will get him a championship at the tail end of his career. Also he and Kobe have a bad history.

    I wouldn’t be surprise if Shaq signed a 2 year vet min to play in Miami too. If he can go out winning 2 more chips, that’s one more than Kobe.

  86. the other Stephen says

    76. did i say the heat are going to win the east? i didn’t think so. interesting.

    if pat riley does some decent work, he might be able to put together a roster in which his big three doesn’t have to play 40+ minutes a night for the whole season. all i’m saying is, these three have what it takes to figure out a way, and that it would do us well not to blindly doubt them.

  87. SAZMD says

    The last time Wade, Bosh and James got together without Kobe, they got a Bronze medal in 2006. The Lakers should take Miami seriously, but I’m not worried just yet.

  89. Glove says

    On another note former Laker Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Randolph along with Kelena Azubuke are heading to the Knicks. David Lee is now a Warrior

  90. Albert Taiwan says

    The Miami Heat is out trying to get a new name for their team…. “according to my source”

    A. Miami Anti-Lakers
    B. Miami Anti-Kobe Alliance
    C. Miami Kobe wannabes

    Last, but not the least….

    D. Circus de Bron

    Which one do you like?

  91. Joel says

    82

    I know you didn’t, but if they don’t then why would it matter how seriously the Lakers take them? 😛

    We can’t doubt them or take them seriously yet, because they are several months and several very shrewd moves from becoming an actual team, let alone a contender.

  92. Drew says

    78.
    Bell has already stated Miami is his number one choice…No doubt he is gonna sign with miami for the minimum now

  93. thisisweaksauce says

    Hmm… maybe the Lakers have just lost one title: most hated team in the NBA. Thoughts?

  94. Jim C. says

    On the plus side LA fans…

    It’s now a two man race for MVP next year between Durant and Kobe. No way Lebron wins on the same team as Bosh and Wade.

    Also, can you imagine the legacy boost Kobe would get for beating that stacked Miami team in the finals?

  95. james says

    i agree with the sentiment that this will be a great motivator to Kobe and the guys

  97. Zephid says

    Let it be known that I absolutely love the fact that the top trending Twitter topic is “Scottie Pippen.” Lebron has gone from Chosen to Douche in the 1.5 seconds it took him to utter “South Beach.”

  98. exhelodrvr says

    65) Jim C,
    “I hereby declare this to be the slogan for all true Laker fans for the next five years: “Lebron couldn’t win the big one without Wade…and Bosh!””

    No, it will be ‘LeBron couldn’t win the big one with Wade … and Bosh!’

  99. Joel says

    It’s easy to have ‘chemistry’ for a couple of weeks at the Olympics. Will they be willing to sacrifice shots, touches, and accolades for 82 games? How well will LeBron and Wade adjust to not monopolising the ball like they have their entire careers? Is Bosh going to be satisfied as a third option?

    Clearly they can’t be dismissed with all that talent, but we’re a long way from knowing just how good they can be next season.

  100. Jake J says

    As much hype as the Miami Heat will get over the summer, I’m really not worried about next season. With Gasol cancelling out Bosh’s contributions, Kobe going shot for shot with Wade, and Artest one of the best players suited to containing Lebron, the Lakers can easily come out on top in a 7 game series. This doesn’t even factor in how Bynum would fare against a minimum salary center (it would not be pretty for the Heat). Assuming the Lakers get Fisher and a decent backup center, I see no reason why the Lakers can’t get the 3 peat next season.

  101. Don says

    Wow everyone is underestimating how good this team will be. Are we seriously talking about minutes? They can play 40+ but play half as hard – these guys carried teams to the playoffs and dominated – now they don’t have to make a play every possession and now we’re talking about minutes?

    And scrubs? Bench? – c’mon, 2/3 will always be on the floor at the same time creating for others. It doesn’t matter who plays with them, if you’re NBA, you’re good enough.

    This year finals, after that championships for a decade. Midlevel + young players developing, Riley + no income tax attracting FA’s.

  103. T. Rogers says

    The season is months away from starting. Let’s not get caught up in this whole thing yet. They are as much a threat as Boston, Orlando, or even Atlanta. You know those teams will be competitive next season, you just don’t how competitive.

    Also, last I checked the Heat are still in the Eastern Conference. I am not concerned about the sure to come Christmas game. The fact is the Heat would have to get out of East before challenging the Lakers. Of course, LA would have to get out of the West as well.

    Right now I am looking at this as pure entertainment. We can worry about defending the title in November.

    And to the poster who said NBA players are still NBA players and therefore implied that any would be difference makers: Adam Morrison thanks you for that comment.

  104. Jeremy says

    I don’t understand how Brussard and other espniots can say Lebron put his ego aside to make this decision when he just got done holding this ridiculous watch me show.

    Think about the complete lack of respect for his fans, his former teammates, his employer, the teams the made offers to him all of whom had to find out their lives, possibly careers are being altered this way.

    Please this was all about ego

  105. Darius says

    I have no doubts that those three guys are going to be tremendous together and have very good chemistry. All three are unselfish players that have typically played the “right” way. They’ve adopted their games to play a style where they were the top players because they were undoubtedly their teams best options. Now, that won’t be the case and I think we’ll see the adjustments.

    The bigger key will be who the role players will be and if they get the “right” role players that can excel in the type of pressure situations that they’ll face as a part of the “super team”. Some players aren’t built for that (we’ve seen some of that first hand with the Lakers) and the Heat will see the same thing with some of their guys.

    But, even the most anti-Heat fan will have to admit that Miami has gathered three of the league’s best players and will have a crunch time line up that consists of 3 guys that are tough covers. And in a way, that’s concerning. I still want to see who the makes up the rest of that roster though.

  106. Don says

    102 exhelodrvr

    And who’s call is it to do the “right” thing? Some fans? The organization? Some armchair moralist?

    This is LeBron’s life. That is sure as hell more of a priority than some fan’s hobby following basketball. Most of them probably weren’t even CLE fans until after LeBron came to the Cavs anyway. So they should be grateful for what he’s done, not feel betrayed because of “loyalty.”

    And the organization’s loyalty? Players don’t always get the ideal situation because organizations look out for their own interests. I see nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong w/ this either.

  108. JD says

    104..Broussard made his career on James’ coattails. He’s the ultimate James mark. These guys will say anything. All year we heard these idiots say LBJ is the best player in the nba. As soon as the Lakers won they championship, they immediately switched back to Kobe as best player. These idiots will say anything. Chad Ford just said if Kobe really wanted to prove he’s better than LBJ, he’d demand a trade to Cleveland and win a title their. Utter blasphemy of Paul Pierce proportions. The one intelligent thing I’ve heard came from the mouth of one Charles Barkley. According to Barkley, “We (the media) didn’t give Kobe his full props until he won the last 2 titles on his own. Lebron will never get that chance.” Point being the two can’t even be in the same breath anymore. I for one am happy that Kobe Bryant has finally been vindicated of the utter crap he’s been subjected to over the course of his career.

  109. james says

    do we forgive fish if he goes to miami for vets minimum? obviously yes but would be abhorent

  110. Ethan says

    Miami might be a great team next year. But imagine if Lebron and Wade ended up together in Chicago? I think Chicago would be a more formidable team than Miami since they have Rose, Noah, and Deng… No way Miami can sign players around the Big 3 that come close to the the guys Chicago has. It’s too early to know for sure, but perhaps LA lucked out that the Chicago scenario didn’t play out.

  111. Mimsy says

    @Don
    I think the complaint here isn’t so much what LeBron decided to do, but how he did it. Did he really need to string the Cavs along for two years, forcing them to do everything in their power to please him, and then stage an hour-long crotch kick to the entire city of Cleveland?

    I am growing fonder of Kevin Durant by the minute…

  112. Ethan says

    @108 Fisher will not go to Miami. First, he has way more class than that. Second, Miami will likely be able to only pay him the vet minimum of $1.35 million. Lakers can offer Fish much more money.

  113. Charles says

    Wow. Still would choose to root for the Heat over the Celts, but it’s getting surprisingly close.

    I think watching Wheelchair Boy or KG do his thing with LeBron looking on in the background wouldn’t even induce vomiting.

    Anyway…my instinct is Riles signs whatever he can scoop up with the minimum and gives Spoelstra one season to try make this work, gambling he’ll fail. Then after another summer of adding cheap pieces/using the midlevel and other exceptions, he fires Spoelstra and tries to ride the gravy train.

    In all seriousness, no one can really fault LeBron for his decisions, but that doesn’t erase the fact that it screams of copout, ego, and callousness.

  114. Jim C. says

    I would NOT forgive Fisher for pulling an Ariza: In other words, signing with another team for the same amount of money.

    I would forgive him for signing elsewhere if somebody else offered him MORE money. I would still love him if he signed elsewhere for the Vet’s minimum, but right now he’s in my top-5 Lakers of all-time. He’d drop a bit if he left for equivalent money.

  115. bluehill says

    Miami is now the only other team where DFish’s intangibles would be valuable.

  116. raymeister says

    It’s going to be quite exciting to watch this Miami Heat squad. They have some work to do, to put the proper guys around the big 3, but if you can imagine Beasley staying on board, and Haslem re-signing, and Bell possibly coming on board….that would be a fantastic bench right there. Yes, they need somebody who can bang and defend at Center, and a point who really just needs to be able to take care of the ball and be an outside threat. I think they are going to be a great club to watch as the pieces fall into place. Darius makes an excellent point about how much of a tough cover it is going to be with those 3 guys on the floor in crunch time. I’m looking forward to watching this Heat team play.

    Can they beat these Lakers? Not just yet. They have some work to do to round out their roster. They will have Orlando, Boston, and Chicago to contend with. And any of those teams is going to be hard pressed to take this Laker squad down, and as constructed and by staying injury-free, I believe we won’t be going down for years to come. Likewise, we have to contend with OKC, SA, the Nuggs, and Rockets. I would actually love to see the Lakers drive another dagger into the hearts of the Leprechauns in the finals again. That never gets old.

    Finally, Kobe’s comments regarding Fish:
    “We need to have him back, it’s as simple as that. It’s not a question of if he will be back; it’s a matter of when. . . . I don’t care what [the cost] is. They need to work that out and get him back because his significance to our ballclub and to me cannot be understated.”

  117. Don says

    @Mimsy –

    The Cavs upgraded the roster because it was in their best interest to keep him, not because they were ‘loyal’ to him. LeBron never said “I’ll stay if you make these moves” – he’s always said “I”m signing a short extension and you’re risking your money if things don’t pan out” – a risk they gladly took. Plus, it can be argued that they could’ve done a lot of things differently. Of course hindsight is 20/20 so I won’t get into it, but basically catering to LeBron might not have been best.

    I agree that the spectacle of the show was too much, and it made it worse, but CLE fans feel betrayed because he’s leaving, not because he made a show out of it. You think when they’re burning his jersey they’re thinking “I hate you for leaving” or “I hate you for making me listen to JB/Wilbon’s incessant droning and Stu’s awful jokes”

    He explained that CLE has meant everything to him. He teared up visibly when he was shown the images of fans burning his jersey. He prefaced his decision with “it’s so hard” not “i’m happy to say” – and he was clearly sad throughout the whole meeting. He’s formed an attachment to CLE and it was not easy for him.

  118. Jayelvee says

    Can’t claim this as my own but thought I’d share…In other news Apple will release a Lebron James commemorative iPhone that will only vibrate because he has no ring. LOL !

    JLV

  119. Musil says

    There are two major pejorative statements (are they really “arguments?”) being made against Lebron’s decision:

    1) He doesn’t deserve the status honor of guys like Magic, Bird, Jordan, and Kobe because he presumably will not win a championship with the team that netted him on draft-day.

    2) He will have betrayed the city of Cleveland, his “hometown,” when he signs with the Heat.
    ———–
    These are dubious points in my opinion.

    Regarding (1). A player cannot choose which team drafts him. That’s outside of his control, as is the acumen of the team’s GM and the surrounding organization. Bird and Magic and Kobe and Jordan were drafted into first-class organizations that were able to assemble fantastic teams. Jordan was drafted into an organization that, for a brilliant stretch, surrounded him with a stellar supporting cast. Do these players deserve *credit* for staying with excellent organizations? If the normative logic of a Hall of Fame caliber player is “be in the winning-est situation possible,” then they just did the logical thing.

    Lebron’s doing the same thing. He’s entering a team situation in which he has a great chance to win. It’s perfectly rational. He wasn’t blessed as Kobe and Jordan and Bird and Magic were. He wasn’t drafted into a great organization. But now he is choosing to enter one. Good for him. No stones should be thrown here.

    Regarding (2). Lebron is from Akron, which is about 40 miles outside of Cleveland. He’s not a “Cleveland” boy. If Kobe was born in Anaheim (which is closer to LA than Akron is to Cleveland) and left the Lakers through free agency, would he have “betrayed” the city of Los Angeles? Of course not. A man is not beholden to the city in which he is born, still less to a city that is nearby the city in which he is born.

  120. Mimsy says

    @Don,
    I have absolutely no problems with him leaving Cleveland. The spectacle is what I’m complaining about, it was nauseating. Make the announcement, take questions, get it over with. Don’t spend months hyping an hour-long infomercial for yourself like this.

    I feel like ESPN should compensate me in some way for making me watch that putridness.

  122. chibi says

    if cleveland wants a little payback, i hope they trade us moon and parker for sasha.

  123. exhelodrvr says

    Don,
    Someone in LeBron’s position should consider the impact his decisions have on his community.

    Yes, it is his life, and yes, he has the right to do that. It still doesn’t make it right.

    Yes, teams/owners also make similar, wrong, decisions. For instance, when the Supersonics left Seattle.

  124. Cdog says

    That team is going to be really, really good. Lakers are going to need to make some upgrades and be healthy, cuz winning next year is not going to be an easy road in any sort of way.

    Dont underestimate just how insanely good DWade is. He hasn’t had a real player around him since Shaq (Haslem was the best guy he had), and now he has Queen and Bosh. Of course, DWade has to stay healthy, but they are not going to be an easy team to defend in any way.

    And I don’t buy that Kobe can just guard DWade, just like DWade can guard Kobe. When you are that good their is no such thing as 1-1 coverage. And we saw last year that Artest struggle with Lebron. IF we get through the West (which would no be easy with Houston and the Thunder next year), that team, even with min players, is going to present a ton of matchup problems.

    Fascinating stuff. Why can’t the season start like… tomorrow.

  127. VoR says

    I am curious to see what this does to James’ popularity. There seems to be a lot of negative sentiment. If they win it is because they are stacked and supposed to. If they lose it is an even greater failure. Should be an interesting year. And I think KD just won the MVP for next year.

  128. Ethan says

    @Musil Not sure your argument holds up regarding home teams and talent. Magic and Bird had great talented teams handed to them no doubt but Jordan built up his team. After the LA Shaq years, Kobe also rebuilt his team. Cleveland had tons of talent the past few years with all-stars in Jamison, Mo Williams, former MVP Shaq, and solid role players like Parker, West, Hendricks, Ilgauskas, and Varejao. The Cavs had more overall talent than Boston and comparable to LA and Orlando, yet still couldn’t get past the 2nd round this past season. Assuming Wade and James will both be alpha type players with Wade doing most of the crunch time scoring (he’s much better than James down the stetch of close games late), James will never be able to say he led a team to a championship, unlike Jordan, Kobe, Duncan, Bird, Magic, etc…

    Also can’t see Lebron leading his team to a championship with a hobbled ankle, knee, and broken index finger on his shooting hand…

  129. Charles says

    I don’t really blame Gilbert if he’s a little pissed, he just saw a large investment drop to a fraction of its value when LeBron announced he was leaving.

    Well what’s done is done. I would find it hilarious though if teams like NJ/NY/LAC/CHI went out and threw money at all but the very bottom rung of the free agent pool, leaving the new Big 3 to play with D-League signings and over-the-hill vets desperate for a ring.

  130. Jim C. says

    Dan Gilbert said what every sane person in the world was thinking…

    If anything, he didn’t go far enough.

  131. JD says

    116: They can’t resign Haslem, unless he wants to sign for minimum. Cap rules don’t render it possible.

    119: Point is Magic, Bird, Jordan, Kobe have all been the guy on the title winning team. The Heat are always going to be Wade’s team no matter what. The Bulls were hardly a first class organization before Jordan got there. There 2 most famous players before than were Jerry Sloan and Van Leare. Him winning a title with not one but 2 other guys essentially props up Kobe and downgrades him in the same breath. Say what you want about LeBron, the main point of contention in all of this for me now is that there really is no knock on Kobe anymore. I as a Laker fan have known that for quite some time. But what can you possibly say negatively about Kobe that is now not applicable to LeBron James? These guys have known for 2 weeks what they wanted and its all been self-promotion. People killed “Kobe Doing Work” when that was actually about basketball. This was all about promotion of a “brand”.

  132. R says

    Mimsy: “I feel like ESPN should compensate me in some way for making me watch that putridness.”

    Let’s get a class action lawsuit going!

  133. Ethan says

    Poor Cleveland. Tormented by The Catch, The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot. But The Decision may be the worst blow yet for this city. I never have been a Cleveland fan, but I truly feel sorry for them.

  134. Joel b says

    I didn’t want lebron to go to the heat because I didn’t want to be forced to hear that they will win the next five championships blah blah and dismiss the rest of the league like espn and the media loves to do.

    Kobe winning the last 2 championships is the sole reason lebron,dwade and bosh are in Miami together. Kobe has 5 and they have to catch up in order to truly be mentioned in kobe/magic/jordans. Now the heat can sign ai and shaq. And and their 4 draft picks and we’ll see what they can do.

    but I think this is the worst possible decision for lebron. He’s in a lose lose situation because he can’t possibly be considered the best as he wants to be if he wins because this will be the Kobe needs shaq but 3 times worse. Because Kobe didn’t fail to win championships with 60 win team then bolt to be shaqs side kick. Kobe was essentially drafted by the lakers and he became a star that formed the best 1-2 puch since mj and pip. And if they don’t win a championship, lebron will be the ultimate failure. People and the media will actually blame lebron because it won’t be any other excuse.

    But this further separates Kobe from the rest of the league, especially if the lakers 3 peat.

    The question is, can this heat team, with a bunch or scrubs, win a championship because it’ll be championship or bust. I don’t think they can. If the lakers are healthy, they don’t match up with l.a.

    Bynum/pau/odom will have a tremendous advantage of bosh/Joel anthony/ and scrub

    Obviously lebron is better then artest bit arrest is a great defender to slow lebron down and that heat team will not be able to afford having one of their big three below great because against a stacked team like l.a Kobe is better then wade on both ends of the court. Playoff fisher will be much better then chalmers and Blake will be better then scrub.

    But if anything haven’t we learned not to be fooled by this superstars = championship. almost every time the te with the most depth, better rebounding and defense will win in a 7 game series.

    And right now there’s no comparison to who is the better defensive team and rebounding team between the lakers and the lewashes

  135. R says

    Um, I think Gilbert may be wrong about the Cavs winning a title before the Heat …

  136. Craig W. says

    Ethan,
    Players don’t sign players on teams, organizations do. Jordan didn’t assemble ‘his’ team or pick his coach. Magic got a coach fired, but didn’t hire his replacement. Lebron has come as close as any player in dictating to his organization — and we all can see just how well that worked out.

    Well Cleveland has a good coach and some decent players so we will see what develops when the organization, not the player, makes the decisions.

  137. Luubi says

    As bill paxson said in Aliens: that’s it, Game over, man, game over!

    I think we should forget the regular season and just have the NBA all stars play against the heat. Call it Team USA vs The Legion of Doom.

    Seriously, the media gave Kobe grief for asking to be traded after seasons of futility. Well Kobe never strung along several cities for months, even years, then did an hour long primetime program to stab his home town fans in the eyeballs. It’s a rare player who can spark a riot without winning or losing a thing.

  138. Charles says

    @130:

    Unfortunately people aren’t particularly logical, though I expect that most of those holding up LeBron as the great paragon of goodness and right in the NBA as opposed to the Great Devil Kobe will quietly be transferring their support elsewhere *coughDurantcough*

    We’re still going to be seeing the inevitable stats arguments though.

  139. Anand says

    Don’s comments are well-founded, if a bit too Roarkian. The point is teams and individuals who comprise the team are seldom, if ever thought of, objectively. And that’s great, cos as fans who invest our time, money and interest in something that pays us no tangible reward, we have every right to be angry/sad/disgusted with perceived “betrayal”. Hell we’re considered the most self-absorbed fan base on Earth and I see a lot of us empathizing w/ the Cavs. Bottomline if Lebron wanted to be treated as a private citizen who made his choice of employer and workplace based on his personal criteria he should not have made it a three ring circus.

  141. harold says

    Now, anyone worried about Fisher signing with the Heat?

    That would be something, and I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility now that I’ve seen the Class of 2003 in one team.

    Maybe that’s why Darko got such a big deal, somebody knew and wanted to prevent a real reunion 😉

    Aside from Fisher, how about Shaq(hah), Bell, Miller and T-Mac?

    Shaq – Bosh – LeBron – Wade – T-Mac lineup would be quite something.

  142. maxnyc says

    dan gilbert’s reaction is absolutely OVER THE FREAKING top….crazy….will be talked about for years.

    if the celtics had won this year’s title, no way would LBJ have moved to the heat. but he cannot bear to see Kobe hoist another one…but oh how sweet number 17 will be next june! take that LBJ, D-Wade, Riley and oh yeah Shaq–please go to Miami Shaq so baby boi Bynum can manhandle you!

  143. Anand says

    Re: Gilbert’s letter. Man the guy’s is raging. “Apoplectic” I believe is the word. Very bold proclamation that Cleveland will a ‘chip before Miami. What he should so is send Varejao and Mo Williams to contenders for pennies on the dollar just to spite the Troika.

  144. Gr8dunk says

    It’s like Cleveland just lost to Miami on the final shot at the buzzer.

    now King Of The Beach .. wow

  145. AusPhil says

    Dan Gilbert just blew Cuban out of the water for the crazy owner title. Just an amazing rant. Anand – you are on the mark with apoplectic.

  147. Everclear says

    How can someone call himself “The King” when he’s not even the #1 on his own team?

    Here’s where LeBron is going: Home, every June.

  148. beyondblue28 says

    5 points

    1. I really liked what Jeff Van Gundy said. Whatever happened to competing against the best? I know winning is everything, but how will “Queen Lebron” (loved those chants in NY) feel knowing he won a championship and wasn’t the best player on his team (its conceivable Wade is better)? It would have been more meaningful if he could beat Wade and Bosh, rather than joining him.

    2. With the end of the CBA coming, its very risky for vets to take short term minimum deals. What recent low-cost vets have really contributed to a title? PJ Brown? It will be very interesting to see how the Heat fill out the roster.

    3. Some media types were scolding cleveland fans for burning lbj’s jersey! I think that’s total within their right – this one-hour special was absolutely cruel to those cleveland fans who supported him and bought those jerseys.

    4. LeBron as the villian? I like it. I wonder how he is going to like it. Some players love that (we all know Kobe loves to quiet down opposing crowds), but how will LeBron react being hated so vehemently, and being criticized so often? He was always a sympathetic figure with that roster in cleveland. No excuses now. I’ll love rooting against this team

    5. Don’t let anyone fool you, the Heat will be great next year. I loved the Blake signing this three headed monster is scary. Is Chris Paul available?

  149. sT says

    As far as Fisher’s salary goes, everything he signs for is doubled because of the lux tax, correct? So if he gets $10m a year, Buss is paying $20m a year. I am fine with the big 3 in Miami, btw.

  150. busboys4me says

    You all are forgetting my motto.

    “Great players win games. Great teams win championships.”

    Miami has to fill its roster just like we do. Orlando is stacked, Boston is stacked, and we are two players (one being Fisher) from being stacked. If we get T-Mac or Mike Miller and Kwame (yes that Kwame) we will be unstoppable. PERIOD.

  151. GR8Scott says

    I can’t wait to see our Lakers Beat the Heat on Christmas and MLK Day. I have also copyrighted the Miami Hate. Let the Hate have the attention and media lovefest. This is all just added motivation for our guys as they prepare for a third straight championship run. LeGone, D Paid and chris Botch can have their fun, but the title is out west in LA and it ain’t going anywhere. Let’s fill out our roster with Shaq (just kidding), TMac and others and get #17.

  154. R says

    Jim C. wrote on July 8, 2010 at 8:36 pm
    “Dan Gilbert said what every sane person in the world was thinking…
    If anything, he didn’t go far enough.”

    heh heh – How about now? Did he go far enough yet?

  155. HummHemm says

    Lol.. I think 80% of all friends on Facebook just updated their statuses to something along the lines of “MIAMI > LAKERS! SUCK IT!”.

    And to think these guys were “hardcore” Cavs/Celtics fans a few months ago. Wow.. I REALLY hate bandwagon fans now =\

  156. busboys4me says

    OK OK no more Kwame Brown talk. The player that I really want is Luis Scola from Houston. The talk is him going to Phoenix using their trade exception, but having him would mean we could keep Fisher and Brown and just murder the field.

  158. Lakers8884 says

    The Heat just traded Beasley for nothing basically (where were you on that one Mitch), but let’s all be honest there is no way a Heat team with those 3 guys and a weak supporting cast can beat the Lakers. Size and length matter in this league in the frontcourt and the Lakers hold the biggest threats in league down low. Say Bosh gets in foul trouble, you’re telling me your okay with some scrub guarding Pau or Bynum down low? You need a TEAM to win in this league and 3 players does not make a team. Let’s not forget Bosh has never played in a big game his entire career so we have no idea how he would perform at a championship level (plus hes not a great defender, decent but not great). If the Lakers play defense like they did in game 6 and 7 against the Celtics there is no team in this league that beats them.

  159. Palani says

    at least tons of cleveland fans will cheer for lakers in the next year final, if it is between lakers and Miami.

  160. harold says

    Maybe it’s because I’m a Laker fan and spoiled, but I do seem to be in the minority when it comes to thinking that LeBron didn’t really ‘wrong’ anyone, other than being a tad bit too engulfed in this self promoting thing.

    But even that, I can understand since he really is a brand and a business.

    Not everyone can be wired like Jordan or Kobe, some actually enjoy sharing the burden and like having challenges becoming easier to overcome.

    And this loyalty BS is really BS. He did his share. He put in 7 years of work, just like Jacob, and so what if he just took Leah and left Rachel in the dust. 😉

    I still feel for Cleveland, but in the end, it’s just a business decision. Nothing personal. Business.

  161. Snoopy2006 says

    Here’s the worst part of all of this, and why I feel sicker and sicker – if Lebron had gone back to Cleveland, that’s it. It’s done. Now? ESPN will be milking this from now until next May. We’ll see nothing but articles dissecting every acquisition, every aspect of this team. The real circus is just starting.

    I think this team will be a lot better than people are giving them credit for. Vets/role player will probably flock to the team to hitch on for a chance to play. That’s why I really want to scoop up a guy like Kurt Thomas now, while we have the chance.

    With Lebron and Wade, you now have 2 perimeter players that are virtually unguardable 1-on-1. The key to beating us will be if they can pick up a big 5. Otherwise Bynum gives us a big edge.

    Chalmers will have a resurgent year. He had a sophomore slump when he was asked to do too much, but now he won’t have to initiate offense with 2 ball-handlers flanking him. 3 and D, and he’s a ball hawk. If they can get a guy like Jason Williams to push the pace, they can be a great fastbreak and half-court team.

    I feel like, unfortunately, this team will win a championship in the next few years. Right away? Maybe not. But eventually, through trades and attracting vets, Riley will surround this team with the right pieces. I hope I’m very wrong.

  162. dxbravo says

    This isn’t that different than two years ago when the Celtics big three were a little younger and Garnett was more dominant. I know, Lebron is a different kind of player. But, who were the guys that always seemed to beat you? James Posey and Eddie House. Who will the Heat have in that role?

  163. AusPhil says

    harold – I’m a little more anti-LBJ than you overall (although it really is just business, as fans it’s not just business for us), but major props on your Biblical analogy. Gold!

  164. ab says

    Cleveland Cavaliers became by second favorite team. Cavaliers might have become more popular than by having Lebron there 🙂

  165. The Dude Abides says

    Wow…Minny got Beasley by trading next year’s 2nd round pick to Miami. There’s also a swap of 1st round picks in which Minny has seven years of protection. Minny was able to do this trade because they are well under the cap, and Miami didn’t want to take any salary back…so the standard dollar amount rules on trades didn’t apply.

    So this leaves Miami with Wade, Bosh, and the Regent, plus Chalmers. It’s pretty likely that three or even all four of their 2nd round draftees will make the team. Also, if we want Kurt Thomas, we might have to fight the Heat for him, although they can only offer about $1.35-$1.5 million.

  166. sean from dc says

    157., Lakers8884, Mitch was probably handling his business? Lakers or any other team without cap space could not have acquired Beasley. The only reason MIA “gave away” the former number 2 pick was to create more cap space, you know for players like Lebron, Wade and Bosh (maybe you’ve heard of them?); hence, MIN, who had enough cap space to absorb Beasley’s contract to its roster without MIA having to take any of MIN’s players back. Please get to know these simple facts, before you berate someone that is actually doing his job, which is probably more than anyone could say for you.

  169. pw says

    I do not understand why Minnesota would take Beasley. He is not worth his salary. They could have somebody better with the 5m$ they would spend on Beasley’s contract.

    Also, doesn’t it seem strange that the NBA Salary Cap came out so high, making it possible Heat to sign both Bosh and Lebron? Was this scenario possible with the expected salary cap (54m or so)?

  170. muddywood says

    I never liked King Ego.
    I never liked the choreographed pregame BS.
    I didn’t like the dancing on the sideline.
    I wasn’t impressed with the “girlfriend” passes.

    Bring it on.

  171. Jeremy says

    Really can’t overestimate how much the espn commentators have revealed themselves to be marketing agents more than reporters.

    Case in point (oh how quickly we forget) go back to just before the playoffs or pretty much the entire last half of the season and all of them were favoring the Cavaliers to win it all. They were ranked #1 in both of their power rankings and all of the articles were positive. There was absolutely no talk about how the rest of the team was not good enough or how weak the supporting cast was or basically anything we are hearing tonight.

    And don’t even get me started about after the Jamison trade (go ahead and go back and read it)

    It’s completely unreal! But now we are supposed to believe that Lebron had to do this in order to win? WTF happened to real journalism and accountability.

    This whole spectacle was absolutely disgusting! As a NBA fan I cannot believe that one individual was proactively enabled by a news organization.

    How in the hell is Lebron allowed to go through an hour long interview and never once asked about why he conducted this decision in the manner he did? How does justify making people (you know actual people with jobs & families and pride) who worked hard to hire him sit there and find out like that. Why couldn’t he make a few 5 minute phone calls? Or release a statement to the Cleveland fans, his former teammates and organization, first about how much they meant to him and THEY DID GREAT things for him? Am I supposed to go back to hearing about how unselfish Lebron is and how he is team first now?

    Again does any of these so called journalist actually ask one tough question? Nope instead we sit through a bunch of soft ball enabling. I can assume Jim Gray, Wilbon and Jackson have seen actual press conferences right?

    Absolutely disgusting by everyone involved.

  172. wsying says

    I’d kept the season 1 in my computer for a long time before I started to watch it. When I finally come to it, I found It really sucked

  173. Zach says

    @170

    I agree with you completely, but even the ESPN fanboys concede this Miami team is a good 2 years (and 2 MLE signings) away from being a contender.

    Though, I have to say, this does mean the Heat get Raja Bell, which kind of sucks for the Lakers. I guess that’s one roll player Pat Riley can count on.

  174. harold says

    AusPhil, glad you liked it, wasn’t sure if anyone read the bible anymore 😉

    Anyway, I think I’m geeked the more I think about this. I mean, really really excited. Excited such that only Heat fans can be more excited than I am.

    Why? Well, many reasons, but mostly because I think we’ll prevail if we do meet in the finals, but also because it will be just funny to watch the new big 3 duke it out with the old big 3 (matching positions to boot), and serve the Cs a real cold hard reminder that they’re done.

    Once they get past the C’s, they’ll meet Howard’s Magic, and Vince Carter triumphing over the new big 3 would be enjoyable in a sadistic way that I feel guilty just thinking about it.

    Now the other aspect of this? Shaq joining them for the minimum. For all the talk about Bosh being Wade’s lapdog, what if Shaq follows LeBron to Miami? woo woo woo!

    And if Nike signs Bosh and Wade (not sure if it has already), we’ll see a 1 on 3 puppet show, which has got to rank up there in comedy value regardless of their intentions.

    Oh man, can’t wait for the season to start!

  175. Charles says

    I’m actually not convinced that the Heat will be able to attract enough good free agents this summer to give them a decent rotation outside of the Big 3. Let’s not forget that a lockout is looming after next season and many players, especially the younger ones, are going to be interested in locking in a decent salary. Winning a ring is all well and good, but facing the uncertainty of not having a contract as the new CBA is being worked out will factor in to player decisions.

    Also, with so many teams left with cap space (and inflated fan expectations and the general situation of the market), I expect most of these guys will have little problem finding a new home.

    The only players I see who might be willing to latch on in Miami are guys in the twilight of their careers, who may be thinking about only playing one more year before retirement.

    Naturally this will depend on a degree to how much of a paycut the three stars are willing to take but I don’t think they’ll reduce their contract demands to the point that they’ll be able to afford much more than one more decent pickup before they’re just trying to find takers for the veteran minimum.

  176. Zach says

    @161

    It’s actually incredibly different. For one thing, Mario Chalmers is not Rajon Rondo. Secondly, they don’t have a Kendrick Perkins already on the roster. Those two guys were major parts of their title team, and both weren’t being paid very much which allowed Boston to take on those two max deals.

  178. needle says

    Wow indeed. Also… how? How could they afford to sign Mike Miller? 5 years, $30 MM.

  179. harold says

    Looks like these guys wanted to win fast, by any means necessary.

    5 years and 30 m won’t be possible unless all of them took a pay cut in the millions.

    Unless of course they did some fancy calculations and took the taxes they saved into account… but still. Wow.

  180. maxnyc says

    what the hell must byron scott be thinking now?
    he has to live in cleveland! Rebuilding program!
    for Dan Gilbert! So sad Byron. Who lied to you.

    heard that Byron was brought on by cavs brass to teach his highness LBJ how to be a winner…lol…

    why didnt u stay at espn and wait out phil jackson?? unless shaw has been promised the job

  184. Igor Avidon says

    It’s quite surreal to even imagine those three players on the court together.. I really hope Spoelstra lets them run, should be a fun spectacle.

    What’s this Fish to Miami dead link? Better be a joke..

  185. chibi says

    177/needle…the big 3 would have to give a $1M discount on the first year of their salaries. so instead of starting at $16.6M, they’d start at $15M

  186. Snoopy2006 says

    Interesting note – if you check out the Heat blogs, there’s a sizeable part of the fan base (~50%) that was hoping Lebron wouldn’t go there. As Wade-lovers, they’ve been ripping up Lebron’s game as much as Kobe fans have for the last few years. A lot of them absolutely hated James, like many on this site. And so it’s bittersweet for them.

    Fish can’t go to Miami. Only a vindictive person would do that, and Fish isn’t that. Even if these guys are sacrificing a ton of money, Riley would spend it on guys like Miller and better free agents. I think.
    I’m not one to judge, but it doesn’t seem like Miami really deserves this. It’s a football city. When the Heat were bad, I’d never seen so many empty seats. Talk about fairweather fans. Compare that to Chicago fans, who sold out the United Center for years after MJ left, when Reinsdorf trotted out a sh***y lineup year after year.

    Dexter Pittman and Butler were hot names around here at draft time, guys us fans wanted as potential steals. Pittman’s a project, no doubt, but this is interesting – both are on the Heat. Pittman especially is following an interesting trajectory. Kendrick Perkins was also an out of shape high school player. Pittman has size and good hands, and I think he’ll make the team.

    The one thing this Big 3 (gag) lacks that Boston’s had was a true fire. KG turned Perkins into a beast. KG held players accountable. KG was also a major a-hole. But KG and Thibodeau worked some magic. It’ll be interesting to see what a (fairly) young, talented team with a young coach ends up doing. Which style will they play? Up-tempo makes sense, but how many up-tempo teams have won titles? Who will be their defensive anchor?

    It’s intriguing, no doubt, if you shelve your dislike of James. Lots of question marks. It’s like a basketball experiment. D-Wade was my favorite non-Laker, and sadly, now that James has joined him, I’ll have to turn my back on Mr. Wade.

  187. Reuben says

    Actually LeBron chose his buddies and the good life over immediate winning. He should have chosen the Bulls and brought one of the “new” Big 3 with him.

    With Rose, Noah and — most importantly — a defensive scheme by Tom Thibodeau Chicago would have been scary. They’re still scary with Boozer’s addition. The East is gonna be tough next season . . .

  188. gxs says

    Going back to high school, Carmelo has always gotten the best of LeBron James. (head to head victories, etc.). Even last season he beat the cavs with some nice buzzer beaters.

    How cool would it be if the Lake Show somehow signed Carmelo Next summer?

    Err sry, was day dreaming for a bit. DAMMIT! I was really hoping to quit my NBA addiction this year. Oh well, there’s always next, next season.

  189. JH says

    Miami Heat Lineup

    PG – Mario / AI (or Vet Min)
    SG – Wade / Bell (or Vet Min)
    SF – James / Tmac (or Vet Min) – M.Miller confirmed?
    PF – Bosh / Vet Min
    C – Shaq / Vet Min

    That would actually be fun to watch whether the team becomes the most feared team or when it totally disintegrates…..

  190. BurningBalls says

    One thing I’m taking out of all this chaos: The Lakers would probably see this as extra motivation to get that three-peat next season. Or at least.. their fans would, since I don’t really think they care all that much at this point in time, what with all the problems they’re dealing with their own free agent chasing.

    It’s unbelievable how many people are already hitched on the bandwagon already this early.

    That said though, I live in the Philippines, a HUGE basketball country, and people here probably don’t have any motivation on rooting for an NBA team other than it being the flavor of the year (e.g. Detroit in 2004, the Celtics, the Cavs during Lebron’s stay). Most of them also have an irrational hatred of the Lakers and Kobe just because of the reason that “they’re tired of seeing them in the Finals all the time”.

    Me and my friend are probably the only guys who have never switched teams ever since we started watching the NBA (I’ve followed the Lakers first during the Van Exel-Jones-Ceballos-Campbell-Divac days, and have never looked back since then)… and it’s true what they say about how lonely it is being at the top.

    Nevertheless, I hope the Lakers stick it HARD to these new bandwagon fans proclaiming their “demise” already next year. Here’s to another hard fought campaign and three-peat!

  191. dxbravo says

    Lebron showing his true colors? How ’bout Mike Miller’s true colors? He is now my least favorite player. Even though he played his high school games in the Corn Palace. I am seething.

  192. busboys4me says

    First, I can’t find the Mike Miller signing with anyone anywhere, so until I do, I can’t comment. Cleveland is offering $27 to $30 million over 5 and New York is offering $30 to $42 million over 5. Leaving $12 million on the table is hard to believe for a player at his level.

    Secondly, I don’t blame LeBrawn. He is a Dallas Cowboy and New York Yankee fan. Those are two ownerships that believe in buying what you want. Him giving up money and leaving Cleveland means he wants to win multiple championships. To him (though I don’t know or pretend to know him) winning on the best team ever assembled may be more important than being the G.O.A.T. He would be known more like Bill Russell as the greatest winner of all times though D-Wade would have more championships but you get the jist. That team has a chance to be something special for the next 10 years depending on health and other (read financial) factors.

    All I want is two more championships before our Lakers are done. We will pass the Celts (for overall championships) and MJ (Kobe and Fisher) for individual championships. That will be enough to keep me happy through the Miami years.

  193. chibi says

    185, i expect them to try to control the tempo in much the same way okc and boston do.

    they’ll want their centers and bigs to set screens up top, keeping the middle and paint unclogged, and opening up driving lanes. this also allows their bigs to get back faster and set up their defense.

    one potential weakness here is their center’s lack of range, which will allow opposing 5s to drop back and defend the paint.

    they have tremendous athleticism, and they’ll want to take advantage of it by controlling the defensive glass and getting out on the break.

    their weakness will be allowing opponents to dictate tempo and grind the game out. the problem is they have three go-to-guys, and they won’t tire out as easily because they can share the burden.

    another weakness is defending an inside-out attack. bosh isn’t exactly a great defender, and the same may be said of their other big men.

    anyway, against the lakers, they will need to help, which means they can be hurt badly by a 3pt attack. it is crucial for the lakers to improve in this area.

    they’re going to be very, very tough. few teams will match-up very well with them. that will probably mean an excellent record and HCA.

  194. MdT says

    is ilgauskas still available? we should try to get our hands on him. he is a stud for 15 – 20 mpg! good mid range jumper, rebounds the ball, very big body. he wants to win a title, so he would be fine with the vet´s min I guess.

  195. drrayeye says

    Let me confess to being an outlier concerning Labron James. He’s never been close to a King for me. While I recognize a freakish sort of athleticism in his game, I’ve never seen him as a great player–maybe because he’s never really decided who he is–pg, sg, sf, pf–he flits from role to role–expecting teammates to fill in seamlessly–going for the steals in the passing lanes followed by dunks rather than exhibiting the exhausting defensive man for man fanaticism of a Ron Artest

    Lebron’s decision to join Wade and Bosh and whoever else Pat Riley can scrape up, willing to become an entity–not necessarily a star–on a team to be created from scratch–in a beach town far from home–is an interesting gamble–in part because Lebron himself, almost certainly, hasn’t any clue what he’s gotten himself into.

    It reminds me how big a risk it is to take any 18 year old boy with a very limited understanding of the world unto a world stage that he does not understand. It appears to me that Lebron has been hyped up to be torn down for commercial profit. He will no longer be the home town boy adored and supported unconditionally, but rather is an element in a unit whose only reason for existence is an NBA championship.

    I don’t think it has much of a chance of working–in part because of the many complementary players around him that are missing (especially the “bigs”)–in part because Lebron has grown so accustomed to being a superstar that he can’t learn how to be a role playing teammate. We’ll find out quite soon.

    If I’m right, Lebron will go from being worshipped to being booed and abused, sometimes by his new fans, and challenged over and over by his teammates, coach, and general manager–as his teams fail in Miami much as they failed in Cleveland–reshuffled every year.

  196. jnnybravo says

    Beating Shaq, Raja and Lebron sounds too good to be true. I’ll bet kobe cant wait for the finals next year.

  197. Pato says

    Does anybody know if another team (like Cavs-Bron) won twice in a row the Regular Season and couldn’t make it to the Finals?

    You had the team LBJ, you couldn’t make it

  198. Ethan says

    A lot of people are comparing Miami to Boston 3 years ago. Snoopy2006 hit on a good point that Miami doesn’t have the same fire (KG) as Boston did. Also, the reason it worked in Boston is because they were an amazing defensive team and they complimented each other well. They had the inside presence (KG), the slasher (Pierce), and the outside shooter (Ray Allen).

    In Miami, they will probably be decent at D, but Riley’s teams have yet to play the kind of D similar to Phil’s teams or Thibideau’s teams. They also have a soft inside guy (Bosh) and two slashers (Wade and Lebron). I also think Lebron is overrated as a defender–excellent help defender, not great at 1-on-1.

    As a basketball fan, their brand of playing will be fun to watch. But like most NBA fans now, it’ll be fun to root against them.

  199. DY says

    My heart goes out to Cleveland (forget Dan Gilbert’s antics). LBJ is a free agent, and I understand the “free” part, but did he have to do this on live national television and rip Cleveland’s heart out? And don’t even talk about the whole “it was for charity” angle. It was his way of paying pennance for the sin he was about to committ.

    I have lost all respect for ESPN (sorry, I know FB&G is affiliated with this sorry network). Where is their journalistic soul? Where are the tough questions? Why didn’t they have Bill Simmons on that show to make LBJ’s “throne” more of an interrogation chair? When the reporters are the ones creating the news, that is a true conflict of interest. Also, it is in Wilbon’s and Stuart Scott’s interest to be “cool” with LBJ so they can hang out with him, have access to him, etc.

    Let’s stand in solidarity with Cleveland today. I will be cheering for the Cavs from now on. Today, we are all Cleveland Cavaliers.

  200. Rich says

    Cavs fan here. I hope Gilbert puts every good piece on the block (save for cheap contract guys like Hickson) and specifically trades them to ONLY contenders. I would love to basically gift wrap Varejao or Mo Williams to the Lakers. WOuld love to send Jamison to the Celtics so he can come off the bench and single-handedly be better than the 7 scrubs on the bench for Miami. I just want to see the massive failure that is Miami if they can’t win a title next year. It will be epic.

  201. Sean P. says

    “Riley’s teams have yet to play the kind of D similar to Phil’s teams or Thibideau’s teams”

    Uh, did you entirely miss the 1990’s?

  202. chownoir says

    I think there’s a real possibility this super team won’t win more than 1 maybe 2 rings tops. If we’re looking at a 5 year window and most everyone is accepting that they won’t do it next year, that only leaves 4 years.

    I’d argue, you knock out the last year of that window too because Wade will be 33 at that point and I’m not sure his athleticism and body holds up all the way through all those long seasons of banging especially for his style of play.

    That leaves only a 3 year window. If they slip up even one of those years, that only leaves 2. Sure they get their rings, but it isn’t going to be like there’s going to be a decade of dominance.

  203. 3ThreeIII says

    I am presuming the NBA doesn’t have any anti-collusion regulations regarding players?

    It is obvious now that the rumors from the Olympic team in 2008 were actually true, and that Wade, James, and Bosh all made a pact for the 2010 free agency period.

    In fairness, Artest and Kobe had a similar (if FAR more surreal) conversation in the showers… but that is Artest. Hard to collude with someone who shares your reality only sporadically…

  204. DY says

    Man, am I glad we didn’t get Bosh. Here’s a guy who claims that he should merit that Alpha Dog status for the team he signs with. Now he is the clear # 3 option, and as SVG put it, Dwade’s “lap dog.” (there is another dog reference that could be used but I abstain).

    LBJ has conceded that his time in Clev. was a wanton failure. Clev. fans, like Obi Wan Kenobi, view their “Anakin” now as “Darth Vader.” He was “supposed to be the Chosen one…” and was preordained to bring that championship to Clev. I’m waiting for Pres. Obama to immediately declare greater Ohio as a federal emergency zone, appoint a new “Czar” (the “czar” Fratello would be a good start) to revitalize the franchise. Keep your head up Clev. fans, at least you have the Browns. Actually, strike that last statement.

  205. needle says

    I’m pretty sure Bosh realized he wasn’t an Alpha Dog at some point this free agency.

  206. Ethan says

    @Sean P – I did see the 1990s Knicks. They played good D, but it didn’t compare with that of the Detroit Pistons, 90s Bulls, Thibideau’s Celtics, or even that of the Lakers such as this last title run. The year they made it to the Finals, they had more talent than Houston but still managed to lose. And Riley’s Lakers in the 80s were great offensively but not known for their defense. It was LA’s offense vs. Boston’s defense.

    @Needle – What’s funny is that Bosh said just a week or two ago that he wanted to go to a team where he’d be “the man”. Now, he’ll have to play the role of third wheel.

    Also, interesting how Miller turns down a $30 million offer to play for LA and looks like he’ll take the same offer from the Heat. Not much playing time at the SG/SF spots behind Wade and Lebron there. Plus, it’s obvious which team Miller would have had a better chance to win a ring.

  207. emh101 says

    DY, LOVE the Star Wars analogy! LeBron’s image has certainly taken a beating during this free agency period, but winning does heal all. I’m very happy to see the vitriol against the Heat already building. I checked out a few blogs from other teams and it’s shocking to see Celtics blogs and Blazer blogs even have the conversation that they may hate the Heat worse than the Lakers. I LOVE it!

  208. Rich says

    If rumors are true Miller could very likely be starting. LeBron is supposed to run the point.

    I’m predicting this Miami things blows up. Name me another time when two, true, 1A alpha dogs teamed up in their prime..and it worked out. When Kobe finally became an alpha dog in L.A. the ego’s were to much to handle between he and Shaq. In Boston, it took three guys who were in their 30s to admit they needed help. How long before Lebron wishes for the days when the fans worshipped him and he was the go-to player? How long before he wishes he was the lone top dog and leader? I say 1, 2 years tops before the egos can’t handle it anymore.

  209. DY says

    We have seen this played out before. Sorry for the Star Wars analogy, but I can’t see anything more apt than this analogy.

    Anakin Skywalker is noticed from a young age as someone with spectacular skills. He is regarded as the “Chosen One” who will be some sort of saviour. Anakin has certain flaws, that are noticed when he is young: fear of loss, attachment to his mother, and later, his forbidden romance with Padme. All this is known but the Jedi condone it, simply because of Anakin’s great abilities and “Chosen One” status. Fast forward and we see that these flaws have consumed Anakin to the point where he joins the reviled enemies of the Jedi, who not only condone Anakin’s previous “flaws” but allow him to tap into it for greater power.

    That in a nutshell is Lebron. At a young age, he was already groomed the King, the Chosen One, etc. Cavs’ owner Gilbert knew of LBJ’s sadistic narcissim, yet condoned it. When push came to shove, LBJ wanted something greater since he could not get what we wanted in Cleveland. He was the chosen one who was supposed to break the Clev. curse, but now, he is joining Miami’s soon-to-be-reviled empire. We have now witnessed the transformation of him from lovable Anakin to the hated Darth Vader. Sorry for the nerdy and lengthy analogy but I can’t think of any other example.

  210. FAQ says

    It was all a SCAM!!! Lebron was lying through his teeth!!!

    The whole deal was decided many months ago between Wade, Bosh and Lebron. His story about only making a decision after waking up yesterday is a total lie and it showed on his face!!! Sooo obvious.

    When Bosh went with the Heat after posting twitters which amounted to taunts, that should have tipped everybody that the fix was in.

    The fact that all three players are getting less than max money is another tip off, because that doesn’t happen overnight. Negotiations were aimed to achieve this arrangement and contracts had many pages of detail. It was all done well ahead of yesterday. Believe it!!!

    NBA fans were just strung along in an attempt to make it look like it was a difficult decision for Lebron. It was a total, cynical SCAM!!!!

  211. Charles says

    @207

    If anything, I think LeBron’s willingness to go to Cleveland signifies that he is willing to acknowledge that he’s not #1. Miami is Dwyane’s team period and he has to know it.

    Regardless of how successful these three are, “King” James is gone for good IMHO.

  212. bluehill says

    This is funny – jadande LeBron in 07 Finals got a 6.2 RT @slmandel LeBron’s decision got a higher TV rating (7.3) than 95% of actual NBA games (via @chengelis)

    I don’t like the way LBJ handled his business, but looking at this team objectively, it’s going to be very good. They have two top 5 players and 1 top 10 (?) top 20 (?). Realistically, that’s a great foundation that any rebuilding team would want to start with.

    They may not win it this year, because they don’t have any other players or a system, but Riley and the Heat are making a long-term investment. They’ll be good this year even with scrubs. They will have the MLE next year and if there’s a lockout, they may be able to get even more for their money. Supposedly LBJ, Wade, Bosh are willing to take even less in order to enable Miami to sign some other players (e.g. Mike Miller), but we’ll see about that.

    We’ll see how their deals ultimately workout, but LBJ and Bosh left significant money on the table because they didn’t do a S&T deals.

    In terms of who is the alpha dog, it’s Wade and I don’t think LBJ or Bosh has a problem with that. Bosh doesn’t have it and he doesn’t want it. I think LeBron experienced what it’s like to be the Man and realized that it’s nothing without a title.

    This isn’t Kobe vs. Shaq where both clearly wanted to be the alpha. LBJ would never have gone there if that was the case. He had it in CLE and would have gotten more money too.

    The LBJ spectacle was revolting, but the reaction now is funny. The Heat have become the most hated team overnight. Most pundits are skeptical that they win it all.

    Dan Gilbert, WTF? I sort of get it, but you’re acting like a high school QB who got dumped by the head cheerleader. I can’t ever imagine Dr. Buss acting like that in public. Even when Shaq pulled his “pay me!” BS, I imagine Buss was PO’d, but he didn’t act like an 18yo.

    I don’t think anyone would care about this team if they didn’t feel like the Heat are a huge threat to dominate the league for some time. Look at the reaction when we traded for Pau. Everyone outside of the Lakers hated that trade. Popovich couldn’t contain himself because he knew what that trade meant for the Lakers.

    The Heat haven’t won anything yet, but they are the biggest threat out there.

  213. Sean P. says

    “I did see the 1990s Knicks. They played good D, but it didn’t compare with that of the Detroit Pistons, 90s Bulls, Thibideau’s Celtics, or even that of the Lakers such as this last title run. The year they made it to the Finals, they had more talent than Houston but still managed to lose. And Riley’s Lakers in the 80s were great offensively but not known for their defense. It was LA’s offense vs. Boston’s defense”

    Riley’s Knicks led the league in defensive efficiency (per Basketball Reference’s DRtg) for 3 straight years and finished tied for 2nd in his only other year there (his first).

    The Knicks may have held a talent edge but let’s not go overboard. Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry, Sam Cassell, Mario Elie, & Kenny Smith could all play. More importantly, Houston had home court and Hakeem, who killed Ewing in the series outscoring Ewing by a full 8 ppg and holding Ewing to a horrendous .363 fg%.

    Showtime could play some D too, finishing in the top 10 in defensive efficiency in all but Riley’s first year. People forget, but those fast breaks were fueled by stops.

  214. Paul says

    Going back to that one remark above re all the Heat needing is a PG that can handle the ball and shoot the jumper, the good news then is that until the Heat add a truly worthy PG via the MLE, the Lakers won’t have to worry about DFish and Blake getting torched. And the ball handler/jump shooter otherwise won’t be Ray Allen. Thank God for small miracles.

  215. beyondblue28 says

    I am fascinated by the idea that LeBron quit against the Celtics this year. That evisceration in game 5 was mind-boggling. LBJ posted for a corner three for like half the game!
    Now I am wondering: Was that a setup? Was he afraid to win and not have an easy out of cleveland?
    His team had the best record in the nba for two straight yeas and lost, so he gives up? It’s not cool to play armchair psychologist, but as someone who has competed for national championships in an individual sport, I can say: I never forgot the people who beat me, and exacting revenge was the best part about winning. LBJ doesn’t seem to have that mentality

  216. bluehill says

    @beyondblue28

    I’m skeptical if he purposely tanked the game to get out of CLE. He may have given up, but it’s hard to take Gilbert seriously right now. Why would Gilbert push so hard to sign some guy to a max deal if he thought he was a quitter?

    However, your point about LeBron’s mentality is interesting. Maybe he doesn’t have that type of mentality that Kobe and MJ have. I think DWade has it. Perhaps he realizes it and that’s part of why he’s willing to be a sidekick to DWade.

  218. kswagger says

    Whatever respect I had for the guy as a player, is all gone now. He just proved in 60 minutes on ESPN how much of a coward he is. Kobe, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Isaiah, Duncan and the REAL greats would never have chickened from a challenge. As they have all shown, they worked harder when they got knocked down at one time or another in their careers. They persevered, and earned their stripes to become “True champions”.

    James just proved he’s no leader, not a #1 guy, a real quitter, a self centered person who can’t believe in himself and his abilities. He was presented with a challenge, and he ran away as far as he could. Even if he wins 10 titles with Wade and Bosh, he might just be ranked with Kerr, Horry, and Fish…

  219. Rich says

    It’s just not going to work in Miami. Two alpha-dogs in their primes who love attention aren’t going to co-exist. I’m sure they TALKED about it, great. Wonderful. They even played a few Olympic games too, awesome.

    82 games, a couple of season in, it will fall apart. Ether LeBron steals the spotlight in Wade’s city, or LeBon starts to miss the spotlight that he had in Cleveland. Promise. Go watch the LBJ reaction video on youtube after Wade won the All-star game MVP. LeBron was very, very clearly upset and jealous. Plz tell me how over the course of a couple of seasons he’s gonna manage to keep that hidden. He won’t.

    This isn’t KG going to the Celtics…because none of those players were 2 of the 3 most popular players in the league. And unless you truly believe a couple of 20 somethings are ready to share the spotlight, then this thing will end in failure.

  220. kswagger says

    If I’m not mistaken, the Heat have only Mario Chalmers under contract (aside from the impending signings of Wade Bosh and James). Now, with those four players, I think they will be left with 2-3Mil under the cap (or if not capped out). Aside from the MLE $6M, and Bi-annual Exception $2M, (which will be worth3-4 players max. Do you think they’ll be able to lure 6-7 players for the league minimum? They still need a starting center and PG, a 6th man, and 3-4 role players. Maybe bring Mourning, Malone, Stockton, Barkley out of retirement while they’re at it!

  221. Charles says

    As I understand the Heat do not have any exceptions as they are currently under the cap.

    All they have is whatever space the Big 3 don’t take up and then minimum contracts all around.

  222. Jim says

    Looks like LeBron took the easy way out to me. Taking on the challenge of winning a title for his hometown in Cleveland would have been worth several championships with the new, stacked “Big Three” in Miami. He should have stayed the course in Cleveland, and his popularity would continue to soar, which automatically increases his income with more endorsements!