The Decision

I think it is Cleveland or Chicago, and Lebron is playing the media by having the broadcast nine minutes from the Knick’s facilities and the planned weekend party in Miami.

I’m going Cleveland.

Cleveland is my gut feel as well.

I think it’s Miami.
 
Chicago would be the best basketball decision though.

Agreed on Chicago being the the best basketball decision. Everyone is saying Miami so I guess that’s it or else its a pretty massive and widespread smokescreen. He’s up on stage about to announce.

It’s just not a Jim Gray interview unless there’s an assholish cheap shot. I’m not liking this.

Told you.
 
There may be riots in Cleveland.

I wanted Chicago, but oh well. Jim Gray, suck it.

I genuinely feel bad for Cleveland. They already were leading for most tortured sports city in America.

Just showed footage of people burning James jersey in Cleveland. LeBron looks genuinely upset aout it.

Glad to see Miami added some complimentary players to go with Dex.

How Miami mans the other 9 around Lebron, Bosh, Wade will be the determinant of a title. The idea that you can put nine bodies around those guys and they’ll cruise – as I’ve already been hearing and reading – is totally erroneous.

If those 3 are really interested in stockpiling rings they will take less money and leave a little room for the other 9 to not be league mins.

Hakeem, Barkley and Pippen agree. Although a trio at the peak of their careers joining forces is unprecedented in the NBA.

It shouldn’t be a problem to find the other 9 pieces as people will want to play with those three and its in Miami. Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Vanardo and DeSean Butler are already 5 of those 9. Just like in Boston, I expect to see the complimentary players to play better than they really are due to the lack of attention. They really just need to find a 3pt shooter or two.

I’d be intrigued if this whole thing goes terribly wrong, like a few straight 1st or 2nd round playoff exits over the first few years of this experiment.

LonghornScott,

According to those 3, that is what they did. How much they left remains to be seen.

This is a great decision, and a fantastic opportunity for Lebron, Bosh, and Wade to play alongside Dexter Pittman.

“I’d be intrigued if this whole thing goes terribly wrong, like a few straight 1st or 2nd round playoff exits over the first few years of this experiment.”

Let me try! Let me try!

dick -
 
I think the ‘07 Celtics and the Wilt/Elgin Baylor/Jerry West Lakers are solid precedents.
 
But they weren’t all 25 years old.

Lebron is forever Wade’s bitch now, riding his coattails.

LeRobin.

Wade won it by himself 4 years ago

why is there no talk of collusion? i guess it’s completely legitimate, but again, Wilt/Elgin/Jerry weren’t free agents at the time, colluding to play together.

ive found, especially working in the entertainment industry, that when egos that large, in one setting working toward ONE goal are put together, almost never does it ever go well. that of course is without humility by at least two of said three parties.

Beasley. Trade bait.

Pat Riley probably had to block Allen Iverson’s phone number by now.

Dan Gilbert’s open letter to the fans is worth a read (he’s the majority owner of the Cavs):

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

-Dan Gilbert (LOLz!!!)

I don’t really consider the ‘07 Celts as Garnett and Allen were still fantastic players but on the other side of the peaks of their careers and needing to do something to win a title before it was too late. I also don’t consider anything that happened in the NBA pre-merger or pre 1984 draft for that matter.

The hour long special was pretty tame but the wheels off moments really came during the live interviews with the ESPN correspondents in Cleveland and New York.

BOW,

I saw that on the ESPN ticker. Not good.

Gilbert’s letter really makes others want to play for him. All in comic sans serif.

James: overrated, egomanical and semi-literate thug. The contrast between him and Durant, who quietly signed his contract extension this week and went back to practicing, could not be more striking or telling.

overrated, egomanical and semi-literate thug

Give examples of any of this type of behavior exhibited by Lebron.

He’s none of those things besides egomaniacal, but even his ego is less than most #1 players in the NBA.

Miami just gave away Beasely to Minny for a second round pick. Apparently Miami is targeting Mike Miller which would be a great piece to add to this trio.

He made a smart decision just on the lack of taxes versus playing in those other locales.

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2010/20100708120415.aspx

He may be egomaniacal on the stupid ‘Decision’ show concept, but he is taking less than max to be the second banana in Miami. That is not egomaniacal.

Dan Gilbert “uses” quotation marks “about” as often and “appropriately” as “echeese”.

Let’s see how long being the “second banana” lasts.

I’m hoping for shaq/kobe level fireworks in two or three years.

Ransom,

I could not be less impressed with the way that Lebron handled this in terms of treating the competing teams, and especially his old team and fans, with a modicum of respect. He is certainly one of the most ego maniacal,look at me types of all time (and Dick, what are you talking about that he is less ego maniacial than other players? This is one category where he is the King). But what has he ever done to indicate that he is a “thug?” One wonders how that word, with its many connotations, made it into your rant.

anonymous,

I’m comparing LeBron to the other players who held undisputed “best player in NBA” label for a several year period (Jordan, Shaq and Kobe are the only other guys in the past 20 years). LeBron’s ego is a distant fourth out of that group.

The most striking piece of this story to me was that the Cavs owner said that since the end of the season James didn’t return a single phone message or text from the Cavs. The Cavs weren’t informed of James’ decision until the ESPN special had started. That puts the story in a different context for me. The Cavs owner also said what a lot of others have said (and saw with our own eyes) that Lebron quit during the Celtics series.

Other than his jaw dropping athleticism, why would I give a shit about Lebron? He will be the second best player on his team. Hell… in Beijing he was the 4th best player on the U.S. Olympic team behind Kobe, Wade, and Melo.

Lebron will have to start playing more like Magic for the Heat to win a championship IMO, something I’m not sure he has in him.

The decision on ESPN and letter by “the owner” just add to the perception that NBA=WWF.

Daniel Gibson will now be out of the league in 2 years, Pittman on the other hand just won the lottery.

I think D-Wade and Lebron are complimentary players. Lebron scores big in Cleveland but that’s mostly because his teamates suck. IMO he’s more suited as a Magic Johnson type, scoring when needed but primarily dedicated to setting his teamates up on offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks the single-season assist record in 2012.

Even if Gibson is out of the league in two years, he had a good NBA run.

I can also see LeBron working into the Magic role, he has always been a great distributor. It may not work perfectly in year 1 but I can’t imagine these guys not winning a few titles over the next 5 years. People will want to come play with them and the other players who do come will find it pretty easy to have success there. I agree someone like Chuck Hayes would be perfect and is just the type of player that the Heat needs.

I don’t really know the answer to this but is Pat Riley a good GM?

Now this Jim Gray story sprouts up about being paid.

Boggs hit him here:

http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2010/02/08/the-briefest-of-odes-to-jim-gray/

The perfect setup for Colt to bring an end to their drought in a few years.

Though more likely VY will inflict repeated Elway-esque elimination of the Browns until his retirement, then Colt’s throwing hand will be shredded in a combine accident the week before the Brown’s first Super Bowl.

dick

Do you really think there’s no disputing that LeBron is the best player in the NBA? I think that’s very disputable. I am not even an NBA fan and can name five guys off the top of my head who have done much more to deserve that title.

I don’t know what to tell you Sugarpants. If you started the league from scratch and threw everyone back into the draft, LeBron would be picked #1 by every single GM that cared about saving his job. He goes 30-8-8 with 1.5 steals and a block and lifts an otherwise shitty roster with bad coaching to 60+ wins. He’s 25 years old. Nobody else in the league could get that many wins and/or reach the NBA Finals with that supporting cast so please spare me the hasn’t won a title argument. I’m not sure I even want to know the 5 guys you think are better players than LeBron James.