RBHoya
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Post by RBHoya on Jun 25, 2010 9:22:00 GMT -5
Can't turn on ESPN these days without several minutes of discussion about the race for LeBron this summer. If you're an NBA fan it's tough not to care because it would seem like whichever team lands LeBron has a pretty good chance to be the favorite to win NBA titles for the next several years, especially if he brings another star or two with him. Here's a pretty good article on how the James derby has turned the league upside down: sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ahx05R6mrU.UO4lbWSbWenc5nYcB?slug=aw-lebronfreeagent062510Pretty scathing in parts, critical of LeBron and his posse, and I'm increasingly agreeing. These guys seem to be doing everything they can to ensure that they dominate every headline, and teams left and right are gambling everything trying to land LeBron. It's as if they have complete control of the league right now. Combine that with their ties to Calipari and the fact that LeBron is basically recruiting for Calipari at this point, and the fact that Calipari coincidentally has locked up the top recruiting class (by far) in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and they're more or less controlling college hoops too. Therefore, they're pretty much controlling the basketball world at this point. You've got James, a couple of college dropouts from his hood (LRMR), and a "mortgage broker"/former sneaker salesman turned "runner"/agent, and the entire multi-billion dollar basketball industry is in their hands right now. On the one hand I give them credit for being smart enough businessmen to leverage what they have into such a position of power, which will inevitably make them ridiculous money, even more than they've got. On the other hand, I find myself increasingly rooting against them, and if by some chance LBJ does end up on the Knicks, I'd find it pretty hard to root for him. They basically disregard all NBA tampering rules, they could care less about NCAA recruiting rules, they are just playing the puppet masters in order to continue getting their money, and the entire basketball world is bending over for them. The Kentucky thing is particularly annoying to me, because I hate Calipari and I hate the whole process of LeBron/Wes basically funneling top kids to him for a year in order to make money off of them at the end of that year. Just shouldn't be what hoops is about, IMO. Anyway, the entire league is hostage right now. Bulls and Heat both have cleared more cap space and are looking like pretty good options right now. Knicks have basically bet their entire future on James. Nets have a lot of pieces to throw around, lot of money to throw around, and a billionaire owner who is going all out. Any thoughts on how it all shakes out?
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Post by HometownHoya on Jun 25, 2010 10:55:21 GMT -5
Why not any talk about the Wizards? Obviously they dont have the $$ and supporting cast to get Lebron but they have the 6? highest cap space. Wall was a great pick-up...Hopefully Gilbert will be back and will actually play for a season of his contract. I think that we have the cap room to pick up at least 1 more super-star and depending on Wall's contract, either 1 more super-star or 1 very good role player (maybe an older shooter).
PS Lets see the Wizards pick up AI and play JWall (ha!), AI, Gilbert, Rudy Gay/Amare Stoudemire/Cris Bosh (idk about him though), and a center.
Not many Centers available through free agency so maybe we can get a good one somehow. Key is if Gilbert is returning or not, would allow them to get a shooter and a banger to go with their two playmakers (Gil & Wall). Center is kinda a joke in today's NBA so thats not the biggest urgency for this year but we still need someone.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Jun 25, 2010 10:58:57 GMT -5
Why not any talk about the Wizards? Because they're awful??
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Jun 25, 2010 14:00:40 GMT -5
I'm not quite sure why he has so much power -- it'd be nice if he'd win something before half the world worshipped him.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jun 25, 2010 20:26:38 GMT -5
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Jun 30, 2010 13:08:36 GMT -5
I don't watch a lot of NBA ball, but if Lebron James chooses to go to Miami and play with Wade, he should be forced to admit publicly that he knows he can not lead a team to a title alone and prefers to play second fiddle to Wade who has already won. how can he continue to do his "Jesus clap" with the talcum powder if he can't even be the man on his own team? Just asking.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jun 30, 2010 13:43:22 GMT -5
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jun 30, 2010 16:32:15 GMT -5
Elvado, while I wouldn't necessarily argue that point, I'm not sure that is a fair assessment. Lebron has made it quite clear that what he wants to do is to win. I don't think that you should hold that against him. And saying that he can't win on his own doesn't really mean a heck of a lot. Kobe has won ... but only with another marquee player, whether it be Shaq or Gasol. Jordan was probably the best ever, but he had a damn good sidekick in Scottie Pippin. Magic-Kareem, Bird-McHale, Duncan-Ginobli/Parker etc. In fact, off the top of my head, D Wade's team was probably the best example of a "team" championship in recent memory, and arguably, he didn't really have a marquee stablemate. Shaq wasn't the same. Mourning was great but not really a marquee player at that point in his career. Haslem had a surprising and great season, but not an elite player. Gary Payton certainly wasn't the same player in the twilight of his career as he was with Seatle and Shawn Kemp.
The point is I don't think you can really knock Lebron for wanting to win nor should you knock him for admitting that he can't do it alone. If anything, such an attitude is to be commended. But I can do without the never-ending talk, hype and parade of possibilities.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Jun 30, 2010 17:53:34 GMT -5
Elvado, while I wouldn't necessarily argue that point, I'm not sure that is a fair assessment. Assuming the NBA is a topic of interest to you, which it clearly is, I'm curious why you wouldn't argue a point if you don't think it's a fair assessment. Or are you just tossing phrases around willy-nilly?
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Jun 30, 2010 19:29:50 GMT -5
Elvado, while I wouldn't necessarily argue that point, I'm not sure that is a fair assessment. Lebron has made it quite clear that what he wants to do is to win. I don't think that you should hold that against him. And saying that he can't win on his own doesn't really mean a heck of a lot. Kobe has won ... but only with another marquee player, whether it be Shaq or Gasol. Jordan was probably the best ever, but he had a damn good sidekick in Scottie Pippin. Magic-Kareem, Bird-McHale, Duncan-Ginobli/Parker etc. In fact, off the top of my head, D Wade's team was probably the best example of a "team" championship in recent memory, and arguably, he didn't really have a marquee stablemate. Shaq wasn't the same. Mourning was great but not really a marquee player at that point in his career. Haslem had a surprising and great season, but not an elite player. Gary Payton certainly wasn't the same player in the twilight of his career as he was with Seatle and Shawn Kemp. The point is I don't think you can really knock Lebron for wanting to win nor should you knock him for admitting that he can't do it alone. If anything, such an attitude is to be commended. But I can do without the never-ending talk, hype and parade of possibilities. Did you read my post? I'm not knocking him for wanting to win and recognizing he can't do it alone. I'm asking him to 'fess up to it. I'm also seeking an injunction against his insipid "Jesus clap" inasmuch as he is clearly not a god, let alone the God.
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Post by HometownHoya on Jul 1, 2010 13:32:57 GMT -5
well today is day number 1 of the LeBron show
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jul 1, 2010 15:21:26 GMT -5
To clarify, when I said I wouldn't necessarily argue the point, what I was talking about was Lebron ability to win a title "by himself." When I said though that I didn't think it was a fair assessment, what I meant was that Elvado seemed to be somehow implicitly "blaming" Lebron for the inability to not win a title "by himself." That's what I don't think is necessarily fair. As I pointed out, almost all of the elite players who led their teams to a titles, did so with the assitstance of a damn good, complimenting elite player. In any case, no big deal.
As for the clap thing, I just try to not pay too much attention to it.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 2, 2010 15:37:14 GMT -5
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 2, 2010 18:40:10 GMT -5
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Jul 6, 2010 7:55:08 GMT -5
New York GM says LEBRON will be a KNICK! sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5356628Not sure how reliable a forecaster the Yankee GM is, but that's what he said. Excerpt The New York sports executive who has signed free agents to contracts totaling more than a billion dollars doesn't believe the New York Knicks have any shot to land LeBron James.
Brian Cashman believes they have the only shot.
"LeBron James is going to be a Knick," the New York Yankees' general manager said Monday after hearing the news that Amare Stoudemire had agreed in principle to play his home games at Madison Square Garden.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Jul 6, 2010 10:47:20 GMT -5
Good to see that Cashman has a "feel" for what the Knicks/Lebron are doing--since he's done such a wonderful job this offseason for the team he is employed by.
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on Jul 6, 2010 11:07:04 GMT -5
Good to see that Cashman has a "feel" for what the Knicks/Lebron are doing--since he's done such a wonderful job this offseason for the team he is employed by. And I'm sure Cashman's experience as GM of a team that is always able to outbid its competitors translates well to a league where the New York franchise can't offer the biggest contract.
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jul 6, 2010 11:10:13 GMT -5
If Lebron doesn't go to the Knicks, and their key roster changes end up being the arrival of Stoudamire and the departure of David Lee, are the Knicks really that much better off or just a lot poorer?
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Jul 6, 2010 13:04:57 GMT -5
If Lebron doesn't go to the Knicks, and their key roster changes end up being the arrival of Stoudamire and the departure of David Lee, are the Knicks really that much better off or just a lot poorer? No; yes.
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tlphoya
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Post by tlphoya on Jul 6, 2010 14:38:42 GMT -5
This whole free agent watch thing is beyond annoying, and I'm an NBA fan. At this point I hope Lebron goes to play in China so I don't have to hear about it every 3 minutes.
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