2010 NBA offseason draft, FA, etc etc...

My point is....why would ESPN leak something as a trial balloon, as you suggest, when it didn't break it?

 

Oh, no, I meant LeBron's camp would leak it as a trial balloon. Everything I've read makes him and his "team" sound basically like high school kids having a big adventure. I could see them throwing things out there to get a feel of what the general reaction would be. Would people think it damages his legacy to win a title on a star-studded team, etc.

God, only 12 more hours to go.

 

Ah. Gotcha. My bad.

 

Broussard qualified everything 100 different ways on SportsCenter. ESPN is reporting that James is going to Miami, but Broussard had a lot of "If he changes his mind and nothing is set in stone yet."

I'm guessing ESPN knows but Broussard can't confirm it.

 

Dear god tell me you did not just suggest that Bobby Jones was a superstar. Hell, he never even started for those Sixers teams. Frickin Mark Iavaroni started over him on the 83 championship team.

And, while it's true that there have been three star teams before, I'm not sure we've ever seen it done on a level quite like THIS. Not only is Lebron the No. 1 player in the league, Wade might be No. 3. Those two together would probably be more analogous to if Jordan/Hakeem playing together in the mid-90s than the examples you cited. And when you throw in a third big man superstar in Bosh, this is just crazy. Especially considering that all three are still young and on the early side of their prime.

Yeah, we've seen three star teams before (Jordan/Pippin/Rodman, Magic/Kareem/Worthy, Bird/McHale/Parish), but I'm not sure we've ever seen it where all three were simultaneously this highly ranked, still young and on the right side of their prime (remember Kareem was in his late 30s and seriously slowing down by the time Worthy emerged as a star).

 

I kinda hope LeBron does go to Miami.

No pressure, fellas.

 

I don't begrudge LeBron leaving Cleveland, but having a prime time special to to celebrate and justify the decision will leave him looking like a complete douche. I wonder if he's changed his mind in the last 24 hours since the show was announced.

 

I just want to see how Godawful the rest of the Heat roster will be. I'm wondering how many ring-desperate veterans will play for the minimum to get a title.

 

You have to give Broussard credit. It must be tough reporting this type of thing in an environment where the management is more interested in television viewers than journalistic integrity and will try to influence your report to keep viewers interested. A nod is deserved to Broussard, if you ask me.

 

Agreed. If all three sillies go to Miami and if Beasley is traded, that leaves the Heat with Chalmers and whoever they drafted, right? And like $1.8 million in cap room left. Sure, they can go over and pay lux tax, but damn.

 

How did the Celtics work around that? I'm assuming Garnett, Pierce and Allen were all making the max. I guess they just hit the jackpot with Rondo and Perkins and got lucky with some other guys.

 

If it's James/Wade/Bosh to Miami, I hope Erik Spoelstra makes himself ready to "go spend more time with his family" if the New Heat go through a 2-game losing streak. Spoelstra will go the way of a 1980's-era Soviet premier when Pravda would report the guy had a cold.

I'm a Magic fan so, naturally, I am a bit threatened by this move. My major concern (from the Heat's perspective): Can these guys all get along? I just don't see Wade and James sharing the Alpha Dog mantle. I even see LeBron taking a back seat to Wade -- if the Heat wins a title, LeBron will probably be winning it as Pippen to Wade's Jordan.