LeBron James Discussion Thread

[Mooche]

http://www.youtube.com/v/feG1ZYIo4Qg&amp

HAHA.

"<Censored> you".

Classic.

 

[playmaker7]

My final thought about this topic...

I hope Lebron uses vagisil before he steps on the court

No one wants to smell a <Censored>

<Censored>in <Censored>

 

[A.E]

From Scoop Jackson:

One: This has been done before in other sports. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Two: We've seen this happen before in the NBA. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Three: Michael Jordan might have done the exact same thing. (But we'll never know.)

When Alex Rodriguez was playing in Texas (or, for that matter, in Seattle), he was considered the best player in baseball. He was very much the LeBron James of his game. He had lived up to and surpassed expectations. Still, he eventually realized he couldn't do solo all the things he wanted to get done, so he went to a team that wasn't his. He went to a place where he wouldn't be "The Man," at least not at first. He "took his talents" to New York. He became a Yankee, on Derek Jeter's team.

So the question is this: What's the difference with LeBron? Where is the profound difference between what A-Rod did in 2004 and what LeBron did Thursday night?

Here's the answer: Other than LeBron's personal connection to the city he left, nothing.

Again, this has been done before.

In 1982, Moses Malone was considered by many to be the best player in basketball, certainly one of the best of his generation, and he was still in his prime. But just after he collected the second of his three MVP awards and only one year removed from playing in the NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets, he became a restricted free agent. With his team apparently regressing (the Rockets went from their Finals appearance in '81 to out in the first round the next season), Moses decided to leave Houston and go play for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that already had one of the other best players in the game and of his generation. A guy named Julius Erving.

See where this is going?

Dwyane Wade is Dr. J, LeBron is Moses and Chris Bosh is Andrew Toney in this analogy. The Sixers went on to win the chip the season Moses joined them, going down in history as one of the greatest teams of all time. And no one said anything about damage to Malone's legacy.

Again, we've seen this happen before.

Too many times since Thursday night, I've heard people express some form of the following sentiment about LeBron: Real ballers don't join the best; they try to beat the best. More than that, I've heard people (including on "SportsCenter") use MJ as an analogy, suggesting LeBron just did what MJ would never do: leave the Bulls back in the day to play for the Pistons because, at least before 1990, he couldn't beat Detroit. They are calling LeBron's decision a "punk" move.

That notion needs to be squashed right here. Fact is, Jordan never had the opportunity to test the free-agent market the way LeBron did. Jordan signed his rookie contract; then, three years into it, the Bulls put an eight-year, $25 million deal on the table that Jordan signed and rode out until well after he'd been stacking rings on his fingers.

Bottom line: Jordan was never in the same position LeBron was. Never. And if MJ's long career in Chicago is going to be used to make a point about LeBron's decision to leave Cleveland, that not-so-little factor can't be ignored.

We'll never really know.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

That article is so dumb. Of course no one can do it by themselves in baseball. Scoop Jackson just lost so much credibility. Using that article to try and prove your point, AE? LMAO.

 

[A.E]

That article is so dumb. Of course no one can do it by themselves in baseball. Scoop Jackson just lost so much credibility. Using that article to try and prove your point, AE? LMAO.

Consider Scoop Jackson as "works cited" in me supporting my thesis.

And it's only "dumb" because you don't agree with it. Funny thing is...it's a 90% factual article.

 

[cruzg24]

I disagree with that article, because basketball and baseball are two completely different sports. The team concept cant be stressed enough in baseball, basketball is a different story. In that situation A-rod didnt have as much power in the situation as Lebron did because Lebron could go to wherever he wanted to. Next, A-rod took steroids in 2003 when he won the MVP award so he wasnt the best player in baseball. And finally, unlike A-rod, Lebron flirted and tempted with almost every team in basketball as to where he was going. A-rod's choices were clear between the Yankees and Red Sox.

 

[The Guid]

There's no difference between A-Rod and LeBron's decisions, correct. No one outside of Miami (and a select few in other places) liked the move. How many people were fans of A-Rod's move to NY? No one outside of New York (and a select few in other places).

I don't see how that point is relevant to what the rest of the article is about.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Consider Scoop Jackson as "works cited" in me supporting my thesis.

And it's only "dumb" because you don't agree with it. Funny thing is...it's a 90% factual article.

You're coming off as so unintelligent. Anybody who says they support LeBron, you agree with (i.e. this article). Sad thing is, that article makes a 100% irrelevant comparison between two sports that are nowhere near alike.

 

[A.E]

You're coming off as so unintelligent. Anybody who says they support LeBron, you agree with (i.e. this article). Sad thing is, that article makes a 100% irrelevant comparison between two sports that are nowhere near alike.

You're coming off as unintelligent and extremely ignorant. You yahoo's that keep mentioning how different baseball and basketball are...need to read the rest of the article. Even if you don't agree with the A-Rod comparison, then the Moses Malone comparison should leave you struggling to think up more antagonistic bullsh-t to add to this thread.

 

[A.E]

I disagree with that article, because basketball and baseball are two completely different sports. The team concept cant be stressed enough in baseball, basketball is a different story. In that situation A-rod didnt have as much power in the situation as Lebron did because Lebron could go to wherever he wanted to. Next, A-rod took steroids in 2003 when he won the MVP award so he wasnt the best player in baseball. And finally, unlike A-rod, Lebron flirted and tempted with almost every team in basketball as to where he was going. A-rod's choices were clear between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Like I just told CC, the article is more about just a baseball comparison for 1. Secondly, A-Rod's move was so similar and met with so much distaste from the public, it's uncanny. Why are you bringing up a steroid incident that was totally unheard of and unknown when A-Rod made the jump to New York? And since when does 5 NBA teams equal "flirting and tempting" the entire league?

A-Rod's choices weren't clear, the Yankees were the only other destination outside of Texas. Boston had already tried to acquire him and MLB shot down the deal. After that happened, the Yankees were the ONLY team with the money and the assets to make his trade from Texas a reasonable deal. A-Rod could of remained the mainstay in Texas and continued to enjoy personal success/team mediocrity...however he choose to enter Jeter's house and chase a chip.

 

[The Guid]

But that still doesn't explain why it's in an article about similar scenarios that have not caught the ire of the public...A-Rod and LeBron clearly did.

 

[A.E]

But that still doesn't explain why it's in an article about similar scenarios that have not caught the ire of the public...A-Rod and LeBron clearly did.

You're missing the point of the article...which Jackson is basically saying, "calm down people, we've experienced things like this before". The A-Rod situation was brought in to compare motives behind changing teams, as was the example of Moses Malone.

 

[cruzg24]

The situations are just not the same, its not like A-rod had a press conference to select where he wanted to go, its not like A-rod took less money, its not like A-rod was from Texas. I dont see a legitimate comparison between both situations, now the Moses Malone is more fitting, but still not the same hype and intrigue as this situation.

 

[NY King]

All of this is going to being forgotten in a couple weeks or months. Especially once championships roll in people will forget. The only people that will not are the Cleveland Cavs fans. I'm sure most people forgot about Kobe begging to be traded 3 years ago. Championships make people forget. This will all blow over soon.

I agree with the Moses Malone thing, not so much as A-Rod. Just my opinion on that.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

You're coming off as unintelligent and extremely ignorant. You yahoo's that keep mentioning how different baseball and basketball are...need to read the rest of the article. Even if you don't agree with the A-Rod comparison, then the Moses Malone comparison should leave you struggling to think up more antagonistic bullsh-t to add to this thread.

Lol I'm the antagonist? You seem to be one of about three people who don't think LeBron is the bad guy in this entire situation. What's worse is you can't even come up with a solid argument to defend it. The Moses Malone comparison is different for several reasons. Moses Malone was not drafted by the Houston Rockets. Moses Malone did not have the impact on Houston that LeBron had on Cleveland. Moses Malone is not from anywhere near Houston. Moses Malone didn't come out and say that his goal was to bring a championship to Cleveland. Moses Malone didn't hold an ESPN special conference to announce where he was going to go. The list goes on and on.

The A-Rod comparison is even worse. A-Rod never even sniffed the playoffs in Texas. A-Rod never took the Rangers to the World Series. A-Rod never played for the best regular season team in the league that choked in the playoffs (let alone two years in a row). The fact that anyone is trying to make that comparison is 100% foolish. LeBron had a team that, although they weren't a great supporting cast, he's had a chance to win a championship the past two years. And it has been HIM that has come up short. And basically what he's saying is "I can't do it". Why should anyone support that?

 

[NY King]

^^ Well I don't really think you can call LeBron a bad guy, after all its a decision he has to live with. So he chose what he want. Not everyone is going to be happy with his choice which is obvious. You guys speak like you own the guy. Lol I think he's property Gloria James. It's all good. LeBron decided to go South but Gloria decided to go WEST (JK).

In all fairness James did put on "show", but honestly how many people actually thought he was going to stay in Cleveland?

 

[Dorado]

^^ Well I don't really think you can call LeBron a bad guy, after all its a decision he has to live with. So he chose what he want. Not everyone is going to be happy with his choice which is obvious. You guys speak like you own the guy. Lol I think he's property Gloria James. It's all good. LeBron decided to go South but Gloria decided to go WEST (JK).

In all fairness James did put on "show", but honestly how many people actually thought he was going to stay in Cleveland?

win! lol

 

[A.E]

Lol I'm the antagonist? You seem to be one of about three people who don't think LeBron is the bad guy in this entire situation. What's worse is you can't even come up with a solid argument to defend it. The Moses Malone comparison is different for several reasons. Moses Malone was not drafted by the Houston Rockets. Moses Malone did not have the impact on Houston that LeBron had on Cleveland. Moses Malone is not from anywhere near Houston. Moses Malone didn't come out and say that his goal was to bring a championship to Cleveland. Moses Malone didn't hold an ESPN special conference to announce where he was going to go. The list goes on and on.

The A-Rod comparison is even worse. A-Rod never even sniffed the playoffs in Texas. A-Rod never took the Rangers to the World Series. A-Rod never played for the best regular season team in the league that choked in the playoffs (let alone two years in a row). The fact that anyone is trying to make that comparison is 100% foolish. LeBron had a team that, although they weren't a great supporting cast, he's had a chance to win a championship the past two years. And it has been HIM that has come up short. And basically what he's saying is "I can't do it". Why should anyone support that?

Biotch please, I have put more into my argument over the 48 hours than you've put into all of your SI activity, P E R I O D.

I am one of the few people here that doesn't view LeBron as a bad guy b/c...

1. I'm not a baby.

2. I'm not from Cleveland, nor a Cavs fan

3. It's only basketball, not a f-cking life & death matter

4. I know what real problems in the real world are all about (this ain't one of them)

and ...

5. I can think for myself. I don't need to follow what everyone else thinks around here, in order to be accepted and feel "cool". Half of you are too afraid to say what you really think b/c you don't want to get into it or your just afraid of ruffling anyone's feathers.

F-ck that...support free thinking. Sorry to disrupt the "core of SI" but I'm not here to sugarcoat nothing.

Your opinon is dogsh*t CC and you've done absolutely NOTHING to support your f-cked up theories. Keep thinking LeBron is the bad guy in all this b/c you bought some jersey as a kid and....just STFU. Duke sucks, you're a tool, end of story.

 

[.GR]

Didn't A-Rod get traded to NY???

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Your opinon is dogsh*t CC and you've done absolutely NOTHING to support your f-cked up theories. Keep thinking LeBron is the bad guy in all this b/c you bought some jersey as a kid and....just STFU. Duke sucks, you're a tool, end of story.

Personal attacks - the #1 sign that someone has mentally lost an argument/debate and has nothing left to say. You're a 26 year old on a message board attacking someone years younger than you. Grow up. What's worse is you can't beat said person in a debate.

PS - I'm pretty sure Duke won the championship this year? Yeah... how could they suck and do that?