LeBron actually made the right decision...Reasons inside!!!

[TJervey]

I hear all of yall tripping about how Larry and Magic, etc. wouldn't have done this shit, and LeBron isn't a competitor, etc. but the truth is, the only way he would have avoided this is to stay in Cleveland. Cleveland had run his course for him, he gave it his best, and ultimately, they shit on him by not including him in their coaching and personnel decisions, etc. I really think the stray that broke the camels back was bringing Shaq in. NOBODY wants to play for or in Cleveland....and fuck the fairy tale stories about how Air built Chicago! That was a once in a lifetime situation.

Also, once Dude fucked his Moms, shit would never be right with him there on any Level!!!!

Even though he is gonna have to share some of the credit, etc. it will still take a special mentality and talent to mesh all 2 1/2 talents (Bosh's ass is a coat tale riding barely star level player?!?!?) and win. It is not guaranteed they will win, they still have to play 82 games and get through the playoffs, plus, they don't really have a 'team' yet so there is still work to be done.

As far as this legacy shit, Dude knew damn well he wasn't winning shit in Cleveland, D Rose already expressed he didn't want to fuck with LeBron, and no way in hell he is going to NY, which would have been Phoenix lite!?!?!?!

More power to you LB, fuck all this competitive instinct bullshit! When you talk about Ewing, Malone, Barkley, Stockton, Miller....as great as they are, it is always mentioned that NONE of them EVER won a Chip!!!! Do you, fuck loyalty, you don't owe Cleveland Shit!!!!!

 

[RunawaySlave]

Unlike the rest of them you mentioned, Lebron James would have been a GOD in Cleveland for the rest of his life. Even if he never wins a title. Shit ain't that important to me though. I still contend that Miami will NOT win if Riley coaches them from the start of the season. Although it is good that James now has a brain (Wade) to help carry his immense talent to the next level. James and Wade have great chemistry with each other. But I don't think they will able to sustain the breakneck pace that they will set for 82 games plus playoffs. I like Chris Bosh, but I KNOW he can't do it for the 100 games it will take to win the title either. Heat still need a solid big to take the pressure off of him. You can't buy NBA titles.

 

[shaddyvillethug]

Unlike the rest of them you mentioned, Lebron James would have been a GOD in Cleveland for the rest of his life. Even if he never wins a title. Shit ain't that important to me though. I still contend that Miami will NOT win if Riley coaches them from the start of the season. Although it is good that James now has a brain (Wade) to help carry his immense talent to the next level. James and Wade have great chemistry with each other. But I don't think they will able to sustain the breakneck pace that they will set for 82 games plus playoffs. I like Chris Bosh, but I KNOW he can't do it for the 100 games it will take to win the title either. Heat still need a solid big to take the pressure off of him. You can't buy NBA titles.

Dr Buss says hello.

 

[POSTERBOY]

Unlike the rest of them you mentioned, Lebron James would have been a GOD in Cleveland for the rest of his life.

true. let's all stop pretending he didn't blow his chance to have a statue of himself in from of the arena like jordan has. it'll never happen now. he went from all star to co-star/supporting cast. this move should get him the rings, but at the end of the day it does NOTHING for his legacy that's just the facts. had he stayed in cleveland, signed a 2 year contract and MADE them build a team around him he would have been their messiah

 

[RunawaySlave]

Dr Buss says hello.

he might've bought out Shaq from Miami, but he did not buy Kobe. They got Kobe in a trade. But the Lakers were winning titles WAAAAAAAAYYY before Shaq ever got there

 

[TJervey]

Unlike the rest of them you mentioned, Lebron James would have been a GOD in Cleveland for the rest of his life. Even if he never wins a title. Shit ain't that important to me though. I still contend that Miami will NOT win if Riley coaches them from the start of the season. Although it is good that James now has a brain (Wade) to help carry his immense talent to the next level. James and Wade have great chemistry with each other. But I don't think they will able to sustain the breakneck pace that they will set for 82 games plus playoffs. I like Chris Bosh, but I KNOW he can't do it for the 100 games it will take to win the title either. Heat still need a solid big to take the pressure off of him. You can't buy NBA titles.

Dr Buss says hello.

true. let's all stop pretending he didn't blow his chance to have a statue of himself in from of the arena like jordan has. it'll never happen now. he went from all star to co-star/supporting cast. this move should get him the rings, but at the end of the day it does NOTHING for his legacy that's just the facts. had he stayed in cleveland, signed a 2 year contract and MADE them build a team around him he would have been their messiah

he might've bought out Shaq from Miami, but he did not buy Kobe. They got Kobe in a trade. But the Lakers were winning titles WAAAAAAAAYYY before Shaq ever got there

I don't know if you can't buy titles, Boston did!?!?!?!? And nobody was tripping on KG or Ray Allen for forming the BIG THREE in Boston to win a title?!?!?! Say what you want, but fans are fickle...they love you love you love you but at a point, and LeBron was for damn sure not going to win a Title in Cleveland, they will turn on you! Happens all the time when their God doesn't win a Chip. Plus, no matter what he accomplishes, if he never won a chip that would always be a stain on his legacy. The thing is, this was THEIR choice to make!?!?! There are also rumblings about Chris Paul and Carmelo, who have almost similar 'LEGACY' concerns with their cities, conspiring to come to NY next season with Amare!?!?! Let's see how much of a bitchfest we get if that happens! Reggie Miller, Ewing, Barkley, all of those guys while great players, will always be view as second tier greats because they never won a Chip!! Especially Patrick, with all of the 'LOVE' NY felt for him, they won't even consider him for a coaching position in NY?!?!? Yeah, that's a lot of love for a Dude who basically gave his soul to a city!!! Hell with all this Legacy and Loyalty BS! Once you aren't able to give anything else to a city, the bolt on you too! Good for LeBron for taking his future into his own hands in his Prime!!!

 

[TJervey]

true. let's all stop pretending he didn't blow his chance to have a statue of himself in from of the arena like jordan has. it'll never happen now. he went from all star to co-star/supporting cast. this move should get him the rings, but at the end of the day it does NOTHING for his legacy that's just the facts. had he stayed in cleveland, signed a 2 year contract and MADE them build a team around him he would have been their messiah

What happens during that '2' year period if he blows out a knee or something?!??!?! That's just plain dumb logic Fam...

 

[Upgrade Dave]

I don't know if you can't buy titles, Boston did!?!?!?!? And nobody was tripping on KG or Ray Allen for forming the BIG THREE in Boston to win a title?!?!?! Say what you want, but fans are fickle...they love you love you love you but at a point, and LeBron was for damn sure not going to win a Title in Cleveland, they will turn on you! Happens all the time when their God doesn't win a Chip. Plus, no matter what he accomplishes, if he never won a chip that would always be a stain on his legacy. The thing is, this was THEIR choice to make!?!?! There are also rumblings about Chris Paul and Carmelo, who have almost similar 'LEGACY' concerns with their cities, conspiring to come to NY next season with Amare!?!?! Let's see how much of a bitchfest we get if that happens! Reggie Miller, Ewing, Barkley, all of those guys while great players, will always be view as second tier greats because they never won a Chip!! Especially Patrick, with all of the 'LOVE' NY felt for him, they won't even consider him for a coaching position in NY?!?!? Yeah, that's a lot of love for a Dude who basically gave his soul to a city!!! Hell with all this Legacy and Loyalty BS! Once you aren't able to give anything else to a city, the bolt on you too! Good for LeBron for taking his future into his own hands in his Prime!!!

Boston didn't buy a title. It may look like that on the surface but they put together different parts to make a whole. Allen, Pierce, and Garnett all bring different skillsets to the table, similar to what Gasol and Artest bring to Kobe and the Lakers. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are far too similar of players and will need a lot of help to win the title. Signing Mike Miller is a big move in that direction.
Talk of them needed a big man is just not thinking it through. LeBron has always had size in Cleveland, he just never had a consistent high level perimeter scorer to open the floor for him, Big Z or Shaq.

 

[Trump7]

SO, can we stop calling him King James?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

SO, can we stop calling him King James?

Nope. It's his nickname. Karl Malone never took one bill to anyone's address in the entire state of Utah and Julius Erving hadn't performed so much as a physical.

 

[TJervey]

I definitely see your point about miami needing a lot of help and I certainly won't say they are a definite championship winner this season. One injury or not picking the right teammates or not getting size eliminates that possibility. With this free agent class not bringing the change many thought, LA still has to be considered slight favorites. LB, DWade and Bosh still have to prove they can jell.

My issue is people are bugging on LB for giving up on Cleveland, but no one bitched at KG for basically doing the same thing in going to Boston. He ended up there via a different route but he went there for the same principle. And this loyalty to a city thing annoys the hell out of me. Even my Sixers... when AI was leading them to the finals, with ALL of his faults, they treated him like a God. When he lost a step they shit on him and threw him away! Teams and cities do that to players all the time, but now a player in his prime does it first and there is outrage!

 

[Upgrade Dave]

I definitely see your point about miami needing a lot of help and I certainly won't say they are a definite championship winner this season. One injury or not picking the right teammates or not getting size eliminates that possibility. With this free agent class not bringing the change many thought, LA still has to be considered slight favorites. LB, DWade and Bosh still have to prove they can jell.

My issue is people are bugging on LB for giving up on Cleveland, but no one bitched at KG for basically doing the same thing in going to Boston. He ended up there via a different route but he went there for the same principle. And this loyalty to a city thing annoys the hell out of me. Even my Sixers... when AI was leading them to the finals, with ALL of his faults, they treated him like a God. When he lost a step they shit on him and threw him away! Teams and cities do that to players all the time, but now a player in his prime does it first and there is outrage!

Fa sho. I'm all about a player taking the best opportunities to win as he sees fit.
I can't see the KG comparison, though. Garnett stayed in Minnesota a long time and made one Conference Finals appearance. His time was up and AI in Philly is a lot different than LBJ in Cleveland. I'm sure they would have been some shit thrown his way if the Cavs and LBJ still haven't won a championship in 2-3 yrs but they would put more heat on management than the homegrown boy.
Good luck to him anyway. I'm just glad this shit is over.

 

[FJP]

he might've bought out Shaq from Miami, but he did not buy Kobe. They got Kobe in a trade. But the Lakers were winning titles WAAAAAAAAYYY before Shaq ever got there

Dog the cap is $57 million, the Lakers payroll was just $91 million..

 

[rNubb]

Basketball is about matchups. How many PFs can outmatch Bosh? How many SFs can outmatch James? How many SGs can outmatch Wade? Miami needs a Center that is willing to protect the basket and a PG to bring the ball up the court with a sound assist to turnover ratio. There are plenty of guys to fulfill those role.

Zydrunas and Jason Williams is the first 2 guys that come to mind.

 

[TJervey]

Fa sho. I'm all about a player taking the best opportunities to win as he sees fit.
I can't see the KG comparison, though. Garnett stayed in Minnesota a long time and made one Conference Finals appearance. His time was up and AI in Philly is a lot different than LBJ in Cleveland. I'm sure they would have been some shit thrown his way if the Cavs and LBJ still haven't won a championship in 2-3 yrs but they would put more heat on management than the homegrown boy.
Good luck to him anyway. I'm just glad this shit is over.

Basically... it was a bit over the top...

 

[Upgrade Dave]

he might've bought out Shaq from Miami, but he did not buy Kobe. They got Kobe in a trade. But the Lakers were winning titles WAAAAAAAAYYY before Shaq ever got there

Yeah, when Magic and Kareem were there. That's like saying the Celtics were winning championships way before KG got there. Both statements are true but neither were doing in in the recent past before those acquistions.

 

[Jim_Browski]

Let me begin by saying that Lebron James, being the global icon he is/was had every right to make a move...but so does Jason Williams. The difference is that one's actions impact the league far more than the next one...and they may end up on the same team being the next one to eat after Wade and Bosh.

Lebron James is a fucking joke. Looking back, I have to wonder of the owner was right in saying the nigga quit on the team when they were playing the Celtics. It wasn't Delonte West fucking his mother that broke his focus. It was the simple fact that he is undeserving of the mantle given to him by people (G.O.A.T.)...as evidence by him ALWAYS losing when the rubber met the road. People were comparing him to Micheal Jordan...HA! The nigga is closer to Scotty Pippen than Jordan. Not ready for primetime players.


I'm an oddity...a Laker fan who hates Kobe Bryant, but I will give Kobe's bitch-ass this. He is an alpha type who isn't afraid to be successful and actually understands his place in the league and league history, as one of the Big 3...two now, since Lebron will probably just run his goofy ass up and down the court and collect triple doubles (15-10-10), and how beating out the other one helps enhance his legacy. He could have went to Chicago, where a team is SET, not to mention he would have been following in the footsteps of his idol by bring a chip back to Chicago...when Kobe decided to hang it up.

To people like me, I'm disappointed that he didn't want his own team, and that this smacks of the kid who could fight but is afraid to fight the neighborhood bully...so he joins the bully.

 

[RunawaySlave]

Yeah, when Magic and Kareem were there. That's like saying the Celtics were winning championships way before KG got there. Both statements are true but neither were doing in in the recent past before those acquistions.

you are changing the subject. I am replying to a man saying you can buy championships and he's using the Lakers (presumably when they bought Shaq) as an example. The Lakers did not "buy" Magic Johnson, they drafted him...they did not "buy" Jabbar, they traded for him. They did not buy Worthy, Cooper, Scott or even any of their coaches. Riley was not the (overated) household name he is today. They BUILT a championship team from drafting and trades and then paid the players later. Twenty years later they did buy O'Neal, but they also bought a BUNCH of high priced players (and coaches) before him in the 90's and were not successful at all. A case can be made that they bought Jackson, but Jackson had already left Chicago.


Check out the core players of the championship teams (Spurs, Bulls, Rockets, Pistons I and II, Lakers I) and see if they didn't do it the same damn way. Even the Lakers II only bought Oneal. But in most cases, they all DRAFTED their star players and then built it that way. Or sometimes with trades like Boston TRADED for Garnett. But let's not leave out the role Minnesota President KEVIN MCHALE played in that. I forget how the Celtics got Ray Allen but if it was free agency they did not go spend crazy to get him the way these big market teams go berserk after star players. Ainge just gave him your everyday standard free agent contract. Pierce, Rondo and Perkins were all draft picks. And Doc Rivers was grabbed off the announcers scrap heap

Money is important to sustain your core, but not as essential in building a winning foundation

 

[durham]

this anti lebron shit is a trip to me.....I understand the alpha male shit, but who in there right ming would NOT want to play with three other star players, if they had the chance to?

didnt barkley, hakeem, and drexler do the same shit in houston, or at least try too

Lebron, is a facilitator player, a dominant one, but more magic, than mike, wtf is wrong with that??

shit not everyone gets to play for the lakers or the celtics (if people dont realize history look how often those TWO franchises have won rings over the last 50 years)

do people realize that Kobe FORCED a trade from charlotte to LA, because his family knew that only certain franchises WIN in the nba

Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, those teams are anomalies, and of course Mike was well Mike lol

but also they were built from quality management...Look how the cleveland owner is acting now, his true colors have been put on front street, aint nobody EVER going to cleveland

did anyone ever think that danny ferry was running shit from the management standpoint?

dude gave everything he could to Cleveland and all he got was Mo Williams and antoine jamison

Im a die hard Chicago fan, but I knew he wasnt going to my squad because Noah is an asshole and could play the team role long enough to get lebron in tow, and rose thinks he is the next Isiah (which he is not, since his ass cant shoot) talkin all that shit about joe fuckin Johnson (yes im bitter that these two couldnt see the big picture)

so the next best choice is to play with his boy, and try to win in Miami, people act like that shit is guaranteed or something..they still have to WORK....bosh is a creme puff talent, so all they really have is lebron and wade

I mean damn, if lebron can go and get 20-10-10 a Night, thats crazzzy, folks act like that shit is running down the court every game on some teams, thats Big O, stats


this dude is 25 yrs old, 7 yrs in the league took fucking CLEVELAND to the nba finals, CLEVELAND....did his time...caused no issues, shit even that damn tv show shit netted the boys and girls club over 2.4MILLION and 5 scholarships

lets put that into perspective, what other present day athlete even gives a fuck to generate that kind of cash for children?? AT 25

Kobe he is not, but hell Kobe wouldnt be shit without these last two rings, and pau gasol (the real mvp of the last finals), who was given to the lakers in some bullshit as manor from Jerry west...they got NOTHING for him in memphis

damn let them throw the ball up first, before ever shits on a 25 yr old dude making far more good decisions than bad imo

 

[TJervey]

this anti lebron shit is a trip to me.....I understand the alpha male shit, but who in there right ming would NOT want to play with three other star players, if they had the chance to?

didnt barkley, hakeem, and drexler do the same shit in houston, or at least try too

Lebron, is a facilitator player, a dominant one, but more magic, than mike, wtf is wrong with that??

shit not everyone gets to play for the lakers or the celtics (if people dont realize history look how often those TWO franchises have won rings over the last 50 years)

do people realize that Kobe FORCED a trade from charlotte to LA, because his family knew that only certain franchises WIN in the nba

Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, those teams are anomalies, and of course Mike was well Mike lol

but also they were built from quality management...Look how the cleveland owner is acting now, his true colors have been put on front street, aint nobody EVER going to cleveland

did anyone ever think that danny ferry was running shit from the management standpoint?

dude gave everything he could to Cleveland and all he got was Mo Williams and antoine jamison

Im a die hard Chicago fan, but I knew he wasnt going to my squad because Noah is an asshole and could play the team role long enough to get lebron in tow, and rose thinks he is the next Isiah (which he is not, since his ass cant shoot) talkin all that shit about joe fuckin Johnson (yes im bitter that these two couldnt see the big picture)

so the next best choice is to play with his boy, and try to win in Miami, people act like that shit is guaranteed or something..they still have to WORK....bosh is a creme puff talent, so all they really have is lebron and wade

I mean damn, if lebron can go and get 20-10-10 a Night, thats crazzzy, folks act like that shit is running down the court every game on some teams, thats Big O, stats


this dude is 25 yrs old, 7 yrs in the league took fucking CLEVELAND to the nba finals, CLEVELAND....did his time...caused no issues, shit even that damn tv show shit netted the boys and girls club over 2.4MILLION and 5 scholarships

lets put that into perspective, what other present day athlete even gives a fuck to generate that kind of cash for children?? AT 25

Kobe he is not, but hell Kobe wouldnt be shit without these last two rings, and pau gasol (the real mvp of the last finals), who was given to the lakers in some bullshit as manor from Jerry west...they got NOTHING for him in memphis

damn let them throw the ball up first, before ever shits on a 25 yr old dude making far more good decisions than bad imo

Gospel right here!!

 

[Upgrade Dave]

you are changing the subject. I am replying to a man saying you can buy championships and he's using the Lakers (presumably when they bought Shaq) as an example. The Lakers did not "buy" Magic Johnson, they drafted him...they did not "buy" Jabbar, they traded for him. They did not buy Worthy, Cooper, Scott or even any of their coaches. Riley was not the (overated) household name he is today. They BUILT a championship team from drafting and trades and then paid the players later. Twenty years later they did buy O'Neal, but they also bought a BUNCH of high priced players (and coaches) before him in the 90's and were not successful at all. A case can be made that they bought Jackson, but Jackson had already left Chicago.


Check out the core players of the championship teams (Spurs, Bulls, Rockets, Pistons I and II, Lakers I) and see if they didn't do it the same damn way. Even the Lakers II only bought Oneal. But in most cases, they all DRAFTED their star players and then built it that way. Or sometimes with trades like Boston TRADED for Garnett. But let's not leave out the role Minnesota President KEVIN MCHALE played in that. I forget how the Celtics got Ray Allen but if it was free agency they did not go spend crazy to get him the way these big market teams go berserk after star players. Ainge just gave him your everyday standard free agent contract. Pierce, Rondo and Perkins were all draft picks. And Doc Rivers was grabbed off the announcers scrap heap

Money is important to sustain your core, but not as essential in building a winning foundation

I'm not necessarily disagreeing (I might be but I'm rushing without reading your post thoroughly) but the Lakers weren't winning with those drafted players until they brought in O'Neal. I, personally, don't see but a thin difference in making trades and acquiring free agents.

 

[Jim_Browski]

didnt barkley, hakeem, and drexler do the same shit in houston, or at least try too.

Facts:

(1.) Hakeem was a cornerstone of the Rockets organization since he stepped on the court.

(2.) Barkley was at the END of his career when he went to the Rockets to accept being a second/third/fourth wheel. Everywhere else, once he established his presence, he was the dominant force who wanted to compete against another dominant force (Jordan).

(3.) Drexler...read (2.).

With that being said, I would like to see how this dynamic plays out. Chris Bosh came there to be second fiddle. Wade and Lebron are supposed to be "The Man"...and I know from years of playing ball that two niggas who think they are the shit cannot happily exist for long...unless one really doesn't think he's the shit and if that's true he should rename himself from "The King" to "The Prince".

Lebron, is a facilitator player, a dominant one, but more magic, than mike, wtf is wrong with that??

Magic, Mike, West, Robertson...it doesn't matter.

You would never have seen West chomping at the bit to play with Robertson...the same with Chamberlain and Russell...same with Magic and Bird...Jordan and Drexler, Barkley, Hakeem, Isiah, Magic, Bird...Kobe and anyone else who would interrupt him being called the best player in the league.

do people realize that Kobe FORCED a trade from charlotte to LA, because his family knew that only certain franchises WIN in the nba

The point that is escaping you is that Kobe Bryant did it as a 17 year old high school graduate...not a 25 year old global icon. Now when you say that only certain NBA franchise win...explain yourself, and keep in mind the Bulls, Pistons, Rockets, Supersonics, Bullets...before you start saying the Celtics (who just started winning again) and the Showtime/Lake Show.

I don't think you understand the Alpha male thing...I'm just saying.

 

[Spectrum]

Magic, Mike, West, Robertson...it doesn't matter.

You would never have seen West chomping at the bit to play with Robertson...the same with Chamberlain and Russell....

West played with Baylor AND WILT... are you serious

That was the ORIGINAL three-headed monster and any of those three >>>>> Bosh...Bosh is an all-star...wilt, west, and baylor were all all-time greats

And dude was right.... it is no coincidence that only a few franchises own 90 percent of all the titles. Shit...Boston and LA owns a majority of them just between those two teams... and you have the remaining all amongst 4-5 other teams.... that is 7 teams with all the titles...and there are fucking 30 NBA teams.

The reality of the matter is that, statistically, you have a better chance winning a title by going to a team like the Lakers or being drafted by the lakers, that consistently competes for a title, than going to Toronto for instance.

A player like Durant will be lucky to win 1 or 2 titles over his career..if that.... but if he had been drafted by LA or traded to LA...almost a gaurantee that he would be winning multiple titles because he will almost always be on a competitive team with two superstars.

Look at the history of the Lakers... they almost always have two superstars on that team.. over the last 40 years, you can literally cound on your hands the amount of years they havent had two legitimate stars..

 

[RunawaySlave]

I, personally, don't see but a thin difference in making trades and acquiring free agents.

the difference is that with Free Agency the player is selling himself (usually to the highest bidder), whereas with a trade the TEAM is looking for a piece to a championship puzzle. Doesn't take alot brains to buy a player, but it does to put one together piece by piece

having said that, I have no doubts Wade, Lebron and Bosh can play together. As long as Wade is in charge. They are all very unselfish players. All I am saying is that Mr. James should have stayed where he was. Even if he never wins, he could have written his own ticket for life. And there will be life after he retires at 38 years old

 

[Winchesta Heat]

To people like me, I'm disappointed that he didn't want his own team, and that this smacks of the kid who could fight but is afraid to fight the neighborhood bully...so he joins the bully.

I'd agree with that assessment if LeBron went to the Lakers. I don't see Miami as the 'Bully'..... in their entire existence (since '88) they have ONE gold trophy (in '06 w/Shaq).

 

[TJervey]

the difference is that with Free Agency the player is selling himself (usually to the highest bidder), whereas with a trade the TEAM is looking for a piece to a championship puzzle. Doesn't take alot brains to buy a player, but it does to put one together piece by piece

having said that, I have no doubts Wade, Lebron and Bosh can play together. As long as Wade is in charge. They are all very unselfish players. All I am saying is that Mr. James should have stayed where he was. Even if he never wins, he could have written his own ticket for life. And there will be life after he retires at 38 years old

I feel you but there is a big difference in winning titles and not winning titles... As much as everyone is saying he should have stayed in Cleveland, eventual maybe's don't fly when you have the reality of winning now! Baylor, West, Wilt, even though the circumstances of that union are much difference than Bosh/Wade/LB conspiring to play together, nobody discounts their greatness because they played together. West is the Logo image for the League for Christ's sake! And as far as writing his own ticket for life and life after 38, the only difference is.... he may have a few championships as opposed to none. Dude is still gonna be sitting on a 2-3 hundred million dollar empire when he is done!!! At the end of the day, it is what it is...

 

[Jim_Browski]

West played with Baylor AND WILT... are you serious

Are you serious?

This is the Lakers roster for most of the time pre-Chamberlain:

http://www.lakersuniverse.com/seasons/1964_1965_roster.htm

When did Wilt Chamberlain come to play with the Lakers?

I'll give you three choices...the first two don't count.

(a.) At the beginning
(b.) In the middle
(c.) At the end

*He came in '68 and left in '73...stopped playing soon thereafter. Make the connection?

You would have a leg to stand on had he came when he was averaging 50 points and 25 rebounds...but he didn't, and I guarantee you that he would not have played for the Celtics as long as Bill Russell was on that team.

Why, you ask?

Because the league revolved around him vs. Bill Russell....

Maybe it's just me...when I was younger, it was five dudes who could BALL from different parts of town. I was a "Robin" type. Right below them. Whomever team I was on had the advantage. When it was time for rec, they each had their own team...and they guarded each other.

 

[Jim_Browski]

I'd agree with that assessment if LeBron went to the Lakers. I don't see Miami as the 'Bully'..... in their entire existence (since '88) they have ONE gold trophy (in '06 w/Shaq).

They may not literally be the "Bully" because they haven't played a game together. But if they pick up Brad Miller and Mike Miller for the minimum...they have a great chance at being the "Bully.

Vegas odds have them at 8-5 to win it all...and they only have four people on their roster (excluding their picks), while they have the defending champs at 11-5.

Yet you can't see Miami as the "Bully"?

 

[Spectrum]

Are you serious?

This is the Lakers roster for most of the time pre-Chamberlain:

When did Wilt Chamberlain come to play with the Lakers?

Fucka outta here with that bullshit manipulation of the data. You used west as an example and he played with the ORIGINAL 3 headed monster. Wilt, West and Baylor >>>>>>>>> Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. Wilt was still the most dominant big man in the game.

Those 3, when they played together, were three of the 5 best players in the league. Shit equates 100 percent.

Noone talks shit about West and they always come up short in the Finals to the Celtics.


Magic played with two other first ballot Hall of Famers.

Your entire list was fucked up. The reality of the matter is that every NBA team typically consists of two great players at least, and a hall of fame coach (with the exception of rare teams like the 2004 Pistons).

Lebron did the smart thing. Chicago was another option but he choose the BETTER star (wade over Rose).

If he really cared about winning, Miami was the best choice. Those cats have a chance to make history down there... when you have a chance at history..You take it....especially after wasting your first 7 years playing with bums.

the league is different now as well.... Zeke, Bird, etc couldnt even do the shit that just happened back then even if they wanted to.... apples and oranges playa...apples and oranges... this type of unrestricted free-agency market didnt even exists... cats are looking at this too myopically...

 

[Gloom]

He better get a ring, or he will be just like the rest. Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, etc...great players with no rings. Everyone talks about how great they were, BUT everyone brings up the fact that they don't have a ring. LB made the right move.

 

[lazarus]

Unlike the rest of them you mentioned, Lebron James would have been a GOD in Cleveland for the rest of his life. Even if he never wins a title. Shit ain't that important to me though. I still contend that Miami will NOT win if Riley coaches them from the start of the season. Although it is good that James now has a brain (Wade) to help carry his immense talent to the next level. James and Wade have great chemistry with each other. But I don't think they will able to sustain the breakneck pace that they will set for 82 games plus playoffs. I like Chris Bosh, but I KNOW he can't do it for the 100 games it will take to win the title either. Heat still need a solid big to take the pressure off of him. You can't buy NBA titles.

what? you a hater. riley is not coaching them, you can buy titles for any sport, just common sense the more good pieces you put on a team, the better your chances. Dude wanted rings, and this was the best choice.

 

[lazarus]

true. let's all stop pretending he didn't blow his chance to have a statue of himself in from of the arena like jordan has. it'll never happen now. he went from all star to co-star/supporting cast. this move should get him the rings, but at the end of the day it does NOTHING for his legacy that's just the facts. had he stayed in cleveland, signed a 2 year contract and MADE them build a team around him he would have been their messiah

yeah it looked like rings and winning it all was more important than being a messiah in cleveland with nothing to show for it.

 

[lazarus]

Let me begin by saying that Lebron James, being the global icon he is/was had every right to make a move...but so does Jason Williams. The difference is that one's actions impact the league far more than the next one...and they may end up on the same team being the next one to eat after Wade and Bosh.

Lebron James is a fucking joke. Looking back, I have to wonder of the owner was right in saying the nigga quit on the team when they were playing the Celtics. It wasn't Delonte West fucking his mother that broke his focus. It was the simple fact that he is undeserving of the mantle given to him by people (G.O.A.T.)...as evidence by him ALWAYS losing when the rubber met the road. People were comparing him to Micheal Jordan...HA! The nigga is closer to Scotty Pippen than Jordan. Not ready for primetime players.


I'm an oddity...a Laker fan who hates Kobe Bryant, but I will give Kobe's bitch-ass this. He is an alpha type who isn't afraid to be successful and actually understands his place in the league and league history, as one of the Big 3...two now, since Lebron will probably just run his goofy ass up and down the court and collect triple doubles (15-10-10), and how beating out the other one helps enhance his legacy. He could have went to Chicago, where a team is SET, not to mention he would have been following in the footsteps of his idol by bring a chip back to Chicago...when Kobe decided to hang it up.

To people like me, I'm disappointed that he didn't want his own team, and that this smacks of the kid who could fight but is afraid to fight the neighborhood bully...so he joins the bully.

everything you said was complete bullshit, and you sallty that you lakers arent going to win next year.

 

[RunawaySlave]

what? you a hater. riley is not coaching them, you can buy titles for any sport, just common sense the more good pieces you put on a team, the better your chances. Dude wanted rings, and this was the best choice.

this is why I don't make many comments...respond to one thing and somebody comes out of left field with some other shit

my comments are in reply to the notion that the Lakers (or in the case of this thread, the Cleveland Cavaliers) have to BUY players as opposed to drafting their own. As opposed to some high priced free agent that's going to make them an instant champion overnight as opposed to doing it the more conventional way...the way ALL the last few champions have done it (with the exception of the Shaquille O'Neal lead Lakers squads). It has nothing to do with "hate" as you put it, it has to do with building something REAL rather than some imagined shit. Something that lasts like with the Spurs or the Bulls. Throwing MONEY at the problem ain't going to fix shit. You gotta BUILD. Just ask whoever is doing it in OKC

 

[TJervey]

this is why I don't make many comments...respond to one thing and somebody comes out of left field with some other shit

my comments are in reply to the notion that the Lakers (or in the case of this thread, the Cleveland Cavaliers) have to BUY players as opposed to drafting their own. As opposed to some high priced free agent that's going to make them an instant champion overnight as opposed to doing it the more conventional way...the way ALL the last few champions have done it (with the exception of the Shaquille O'Neal lead Lakers squads). It has nothing to do with "hate" as you put it, it has to do with building something REAL rather than some imagined shit. Something that lasts like with the Spurs or the Bulls. Throwing MONEY at the problem ain't going to fix shit. You gotta BUILD. Just ask whoever is doing it in OKC

What's with all this BUY championships nonsense!?!?! It is a job where the best players make the highest salaries right? And the teams that can afford to pay them pay them right? So....what is the problem, should NBA teams start farm systems to develop players like baseball, then eliminate the opportunity to trade or draft players? Nonsense! Sure teams buy players...Duh?