OT: NBA Season 2009-2010 & Fantasy Hoops Talk

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 4:41 pm

oh please oh please oh please

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 4:48 pm

Well, to have a televised event to announce his choice, it may be more likely that it's a dramatic decision.

If he were staying in Cleveland, maybe he doesn't make a big splash.

Probably Nike got him to go with this event. Or else he's a colossal egomaniac.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:00 pm

wco81 wrote:Well, to have a televised event to announce his choice, it may be more likely that it's a dramatic decision.

If he were staying in Cleveland, maybe he doesn't make a big splash.

I'm thinking just the opposite, if you're going to f*** over your hometown, that's nothing to be proud of, you're not going to want to make a big deal about it, you'd want to slink away in the middle of the night and hope nobody there notices, ala Art Modell.

I think the bigger a production this becomes, the more likely he's staying. It's the only way to make staying here a big splash.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:14 pm

I hate Lebron more and more each passing day. With him withering in the playoffs and quitting, to this spectacle...I hate that guy. I hope he picks the wrong team, whichever it is. I hope he never gets a ring and he can continue to call himself the King for no reason whatsoever.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:36 pm

Bulls sign Boozer.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:36 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:I hate Lebron more and more each passing day. With him withering in the playoffs and quitting, to this spectacle...I hate that guy. I hope he picks the wrong team, whichever it is. I hope he never gets a ring and he can continue to call himself the King for no reason whatsoever.

I may feel the same way on Friday.

Whether he stays or goes, his image has taken a HUGE hit the past couple months. From his playoff performance to this spectacle, whether it's his idea, ESPN's, or Nike's, he comes across looking like the biggest egomaniac in history. An awful lot of hype for a guy who hasn't won a damn thing.

That being said, I really hope he stays.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:41 pm

RobVarak wrote:Bulls sign Boozer.

Seeing as how he couldn't have signed yet because of the moratorium I wouldn't etch that in stone quite yet. Just ask the Cavs how well that worked out with Boozer previously.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:19 pm

lexbur wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:I hate Lebron more and more each passing day. With him withering in the playoffs and quitting, to this spectacle...I hate that guy. I hope he picks the wrong team, whichever it is. I hope he never gets a ring and he can continue to call himself the King for no reason whatsoever.
I may feel the same way on Friday.

Whether he stays or goes, his image has taken a HUGE hit the past couple months. From his playoff performance to this spectacle, whether it's his idea, ESPN's, or Nike's, he comes across looking like the biggest egomaniac in history. An awful lot of hype for a guy who hasn't won a damn thing.

That being said, I really hope he stays.

It was Lebron that contacted ESPN to do this. I wonder if he is going to throw powder up in the air as he announces his decision

I won't be tuning in....

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:42 pm

lexbur wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:I hate Lebron more and more each passing day. With him withering in the playoffs and quitting, to this spectacle...I hate that guy. I hope he picks the wrong team, whichever it is. I hope he never gets a ring and he can continue to call himself the King for no reason whatsoever.
I may feel the same way on Friday.

Whether he stays or goes, his image has taken a HUGE hit the past couple months. From his playoff performance to this spectacle, whether it's his idea, ESPN's, or Nike's, he comes across looking like the biggest egomaniac in history. An awful lot of hype for a guy who hasn't won a damn thing.

That being said, I really hope he stays.

Here's a great essay that pretty much sums up "the king" and ESPN's handling of all this...

http://deadspin.com/5581889/lebron-jame ... e=true&s=i

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:23 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:I hate Lebron more and more each passing day. With him withering in the playoffs and quitting, to this spectacle...I hate that guy. I hope he picks the wrong team, whichever it is. I hope he never gets a ring and he can continue to call himself the King for no reason whatsoever.

Well said. I love how the guy and his posse are trying to disguise his MASSIVE ego by funneling all the proceeds from advertising sold for this announcement show to Boys and Girls Clubs.

While that's all well and good, it's just a smokescreen to deflect attention from the fact this guy's ego couldn't fit inside the old Houston Astrodome.

A one-hour show to announce your destination in which you're going to reveal that destination in the first 10 minutes? What will be done with the final 50 minutes?

Seriously, LeBron: Get over yourself. You're not as good or as driven as Kobe or MJ, and neither of them ever pulled this kind of megalomaniacal stunt.

And ESPN also is a shameful accessory to this bullsh*t. What balls the "Worldwide Leader" has to report an exclusive earlier this week that LeBron will announce his destination on ... an ESPN show. Considering LeBron's posse called to demand this time, and ESPN kow-towed immediately, damn, that scoop took an incredible amount of shoe-leather reporting. Yet ESPN still ran on its ticker that its NBA reporter Chris Broussard learned about this show from "independent sources."

Are you f*cking sh*tting me? Is America that f*cking naive and stupid? Is this the toilet into which sports journalism in the U.S. has been flushed?

The other sad thing is that ESPN probably has shut down its NBA reporters from digging for LeBron's destination before the show. Lord, I hope and pray that some reporter from a competing outlet scoops the living f*ck out of those knob-slobbering "newsmen" at ESPN about LeBron's destination before the show.

ESPN is all about promoting the brand and its properties. Nothing more. It's a perfect match for LeBron James.

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 6:06 am

Ooh. Maybe he'll do the 17-year old high school football player "hat dance" for us. At 25 I pity the guy; he clearly has the maturity of a teenager. Nothing but a sad, pathetic loser.

BTW, Albom has a story on this - http://www.freep.com/article/20100708/C ... ow--please

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 7:32 am

Dan Le Batard wrote a great piece in the Miami Herald:
NBA kingpins: LeBron and free agent game more exciting than actual games

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/07/1 ... agent.html

According to the Herald, LJ is heading to Miami. If he does wind up in Miami, Pat Riley's ego is too big, not to coach Wade, Bosh and LeBron.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:47 am

Can someone explain how a team manages one ball, LBJ, and Wade? I can't see LBJ coming in and playing second banana. Meanwhile, Wade is selling his "Wade" County t-shirts through his twitter account, and basically owns the town.

Who is stepping aside to let the other one be top dog? I don't see it.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:01 am

LeBron reportedly said something about being 31 at the end of a 6-year contract with wrecked knees and no titles.

He is on a trajectory to break a lot of records but to win, he may have to reduce his scoring.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:14 am

Ugh... the idea of the South Beach Yankees and Pat Riley slithering out of his serpent-hole to lead them would turn me off the NBA even further, which I did not think possible!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:29 am

Rumour has it Lebron is going to show us how to shoot free throws with your left hand tonite

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:36 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:
RobVarak wrote:Bulls sign Boozer.
Seeing as how he couldn't have signed yet because of the moratorium I wouldn't etch that in stone quite yet. Just ask the Cavs how well that worked out with Boozer previously.

It'll be a done deal. Money is right and it's a great spot for Boozer to land. Bosh would obviously be better but Boozer is a solid plan-B. If the Bulls can fill the 2 with a good shooter they should be a good, well-rounded team next year.

At this point I don't even want LeBron on the Bulls. I normally don't get overly worked up about free agency because sports is a business and athletes need to get what they can while they can get it. But LeBron is like the Bruce Jenner of the Doosh Olympics. Just when you think he can't possibly win another gold, he does. I don't think I could root for him, and I'm a guy who was sorry to see Ron Artest leave.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:40 am

I know some of you hate him, but Jim Rome tweeted it best:

If this is Lebron's act BEFORE he wins a ring, think how insufferable he'll be after he gets 1. And he'll need 10 to justify this act.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:01 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:I know some of you hate him, but Jim Rome tweeted it best:

If this is Lebron's act BEFORE he wins a ring, think how insufferable he'll be after he gets 1. And he'll need 10 to justify this act.

You're en fuego about this situation, DB. Appreciate your NBA knowledge and insight.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:07 pm

It's very interesting to compare the way in which LeBron has dragged out this process and is announcing his destination with the way MJ announced his return to the Bulls after "retirement" -- a two-word press release that simply said: "I'm back."

I remember some media called MJ's press release arrogant back in the day. But it looks like the Mount Everest of humility and simplicity compared to the big top known as the LeBron Relocation Circus.

Jack McCallum of SI also made a very good point in a video today: What does it say about the NBA that LeBron, Wade and Bosh are getting more worldwide and mainstream media attention in July 2010 than they will at any time between October 2010 and June 2011, when they're actually performing their jobs?

The NBA is becoming more and more about celebrity than it is about basketball. Not exactly a news flash, but still worth a mention.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:23 pm

Also an interesting contrast how the league's top scorer from last season, Kevin Durant, announced his new deal with Okie City. This simple tweet:

"Exstension for 5 more years wit the #thunder … God is Great, me and my family came a long way … I love yall man forreal, this is a blessing!"

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:28 pm

I have a hard time ginning up any real animosity toward LeBron. He's been the most corporate of athletes since he was in H.S., building impressively on the MJ foundation in that respect. I can't fault him for being surrounded by people savvy enough to P.T. Barnum this situation to the hilt.

In a salary-cap sport, the only way to fully leverage an athlete's image is through off-court activity that will maximize off-court revenue.

Sure Kevin Durant seems classy, but he's leaving a lot of money on the table by quietly going about his business.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:34 pm

Again, this may be something Nike is driving, just as the sponsors made Tiger do the public apology.

When you get tens of millions in endorsements a year, the flip side is you have to make a spectacle of yourself, stoke the media frenzy.

Miami wouldn't be the South Beach Yankees. The Bronx Yankees have no salary cap and are playing on an unlevel playing field and they have the best territory.

I'd rather see athletes exercise self-determination, as opposed to pleasing fans in one city over fans elsewhere or conforming to what the NBA might want. They paid their dues --especially Bosh -- until they gained free agency. If they want to make a splash and the media and the fans want to pay attention, more power to them.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:41 pm

As much as I don't care about this situation, let's not pretend for a minute that MJ didn't love attention and have a diva attitude.

I've been on commercial shoots with MJ and that guy was the biggest egomaniac in the world. His simple press release "back in the day" was just that back in the day. There was no twitter, face book or instant deluge of information at every turn.

The guy did a McDonald's commercial with Reggie Miller where he refused to be on the same set with him, imagine how hard that was to shoot. I guess everyone who saw his hall of fame speech thought to themselves "what a class act"

Sorry back to your LJ lynching (which is deserved) but I can't stand when people use MJ as the pillar of class.

vinny-b · Post by **vinny-b** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:43 pm

I hope LeBron knows he will now never be like Michael Jordan.

if he wins in Miami he will not be like MJ. Anyone can win with Wade, Bosh, LeBron in tow. Big deal

it is time to cut off the LeBron & MJ comparisons. With the selection of Miami, LeBron is no longer MJ part 2. And will likely never be.

_