Spurs To Open Their Season In Cleveland?

[jonathanlambert33]

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/27/cavaliers-spurs-nba-possible-season-opener-lebron-james

There was speculation a few weeks back that San Antonio would open the NBA season against Cleveland and at the time I was not in favor of that. Now I'm reading the NBA is not only reportedly going to make that the opening matchup but the game will be IN Cleveland? Am I overreacting or is that ultra disrespectful to the Spurs and a heaping pile of bullshit?

 

[elcheato]

The greatest free agent ever just returned back to the team, which happens to be his home town, that he left during a nationally televised event where he stroked his own ego for an hour, and the owner, who is still the owner, publicly trashed him in comic sans after the fact. And he returned. 
 
Probably the biggest story since Jordan abruptly "retired", and then came back. Might as well make the opener as big as possible (facing the league's best team), and his first game has to be in Cleveland. 
 
I'm sure they ran it by the Spurs. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could find the fountain of youth and team up with LeBron on the Cavs and you still couldn't convince me that they should open the leagues schedule at home. That should be reserved for the team that won the title last season. They should open at home, raise their banner, and receive their rings, now and always.

 

[Delirium]

Cleveland AT Spurs would be acceptable, but I don't like the Spurs having to go to Cleveland. Cleveland earns the season opener by signing the guy that lost to the Spurs last season? While the Spurs winning the championship isn't enough to get them the opener for themselves? That doesn't make sense.

 

[elcheato]

The NBA isn't going to open LeBron on the road, and they certainly aren't going to have his home opener be on ESPN instead of TNT, which would 100% be the case if it was Cavs @ Spurs on TNT to start.
 
Fuck tradition, it's the biggest story going for them, they're going to capitalize on it. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Cleveland AT Spurs would be acceptable, but I don't like the Spurs having to go to Cleveland. Cleveland earns the season opener by signing the guy that lost to the Spurs last season? While the Spurs winning the championship isn't enough to get them the opener for themselves? That doesn't make sense.

Exactly. I wouldn't like if Cleveland opened at San Antonio, because there would be absolutely no focus on San Antonio, but I could settle for that. Absolutely no reason for San Antonio to have to go on the road to open their season just because LeBron signed in Cleveland. San Antonio opening the season at home to raise their banner and receive their rings is a better reason to open in San Antonio than Cleveland because LeBron signed their.

If the NBA absolutely must have LeBron returning to Cleveland on opening night than they should have something like Oklahoma City traveling to San Antonio to open the season at 7 pm then Chicago, Indiana, Miami, etc traveling to Cleveland to open their season for the second game of that double header at 9:30 pm.

 

[buzzy]

The NBA isn't going to open LeBron on the road, and they certainly aren't going to have his home opener be on ESPN instead of TNT, which would 100% be the case if it was Cavs @ Spurs on TNT to start.
 
Fuck tradition, it's the biggest story going for them, they're going to capitalize on it. 

 
 
But how are we going to live one year from now when we have forgotten all about it? Impossible.

 

[elcheato]

Starting a game in the East coast at 9:30 local time on a Thursday? What? 
 
You're making a big deal out of something that shouldn't be. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

You're making a big deal out of something that shouldn't be.

It shouldn't be a big deal, you're right. But the NBA is making it a big deal.

Go read reddit, twitter, psd, etc. Out of all the comments I read before posting this you're one of the few who thinks this is the way it should be.

But whatever, that's the way it's going to be. No point in arguing about it.

 

[buzzy]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200010310POR.html
 
nobody died

 

[elcheato]

So because I'm apparently in the minority on this, that automatically makes your line of thinking correct, and it isn't a large group of people that are freaking out about nothing? 
 
The champs always open at home, I get that. This is a unique situation. If you really want the Spurs to open at home, have them be the second game, because they're not starting LeBron's return to Cleveland at 9:30 or 10:30 PM EST. That is absurd if anything is. 
 
LeBron's first game in Cleveland is of bigger intrigue than the Spurs hoisting a banner again. It would be fine if LeBron went to LA or something, but the story is of him going home, not him going to the Cavs. 

 

[Teagz]

Cavs/Heat would be a much better opener imo

 

[Delirium]

It's not a huge deal, it's just that the season opener should generally be with the reigning champions opening up and having their ceremonies since they are the team that is on top. They earned the right to open the season. It's a part of winning the championship. It's not as much tradition as it is just logical. Cheato is just playing devil's advocate since he's unfortunately attached to the Cavaliers. The game itself means really nothing since it's game 1 out of 82, so I'd rather it feature the championship ceremony (something of importance and functionality) than just some storyline that has been addressed to death and will be throughout the season.

 

[elcheato]

I'm attached to the Cavaliers but you are attached to not liking LeBron, and nola was constantly talking about how LeBron was taking forever, holding up the league and was generally pissed about it for a week, and his first post after LeBron signed was that the Cavs have no chance at winning a title. 
 
So who exactly is unbiased here? 
 
I could care less if the game is on national TV or opening the NBA. I'd be just fine listening to the local telecast. Probably will be working that night. Just hilarious that apparently a lot of people are outraged about this. 

 

[Pugz]

id say im unbiased. i really dont care. the league ran this past the spurs, no doubt. if theyre cool with it, we should.

it should go to the champs at home, but that's not always the case in every other sport. the spurs also had enough home ceremonies recently heh.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Stating my opinion makes me biased? Is all the other people who don't think Cleveland will win it biased as well? Come on cheato.

Having an opinion that you disagree with doesn't make me biased. That's idiotic logic on your part.

and for the record the team being Cleveland has zero impact. San Antonio could open in OKC and I'd still feel as strongly.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Yeah the team who wins the title should open the season in their building to unveil the banner.

Just another example of the NBA being all about LeBron

 

[elcheato]

Stating my opinion makes me biased? Is all the other people who don't think Cleveland will win it biased as well? Come on cheato.

Having an opinion that you disagree with doesn't make me biased. That's idiotic logic on your part.

and for the record the team being Cleveland has zero impact. San Antonio could open in OKC and I'd still feel as strongly.

No but I imagine you have some disdain for a player who as was apparently frustrating you during the free agency period. 
 
You could feel as strongly about it if it was OKC, but as I said, this is a unique situation and the only other team that would open the season.
 
And as Buzzy already posted, it's not as if it has never happened. And the Lakers did not host the first game of the season in 2010, either. They were the second game. 
 
The Spurs probably were asked if they prefer to host the second TNT game or play in Cleveland in the first one. I can't imagine what the scene will be like at the Q, I'm sure the Spurs were really interested in being apart of it. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

They aren't going to have a 4 or 5:00 game in LA for the opener haha, to be fair

 

[bosoxlover12]

All openers should be on the East coast, because fuck everyone else