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

How much of Gilbert's letter is him going off the rails over this, how much is being legitimately hurt by LeBron's decision, and how much is calculated ploy to try and retain some semblance of a fan base?
He comes out with this, Cavaliers fans identify with him and the spurned team. Maybe, just maybe, they don't defect en masse next season and the team can bank some money before the lockout in 2011.

 

I'm confused. Your first paragraph makes it sound like you've never heard of Kareem, then you acknowledge him right there in the second one.

 

That's a fantastic comparison. And of course, all those people who swore A-Rod would choke for the Yankees in the playoffs last year didn't want to admit they were wrong about him, either.

And Jeter wasn't the best player on any of his title teams, and Wade was *maybe* the best on his, but it was close.

 

Did he win them without another HOFer on his team?

 

In 2006, it wasn't very close that Wade was the best player on the Heat. He was by far the best player. Shaq was there but was not the Shaq of 2000, though he was certainly better than the Shaq of 2010 (and radio reports have him going to Miami again, where he'll probably say Chris Bosh is the best teammate he's ever had). The second-best player for the Heat in the 2006 Finals might have been Bennett Salvatore.

 

Was Kareem still there in '88? If so, then no, although he did get to the Finals a couple times without him.

EDIT: Nope, Kareem was there through at least '89. Magic's only trip to the Finals without him was '91 (when they lost to the Bulls), and the only title you could say he won without Kareem was when he crushed the 76ers with his bare hands in 1980.

 

So that makes it okay that he choked? Okay then. On a serious note, people need to shut the hell up about LeBron James' Cleveland supporting cast. For one, it's better than advertised by the LeBron apologists. Secondly, even if it is/was so bad, it's his own damn fault. He just HAD to have his sack tickled in free agency, so Cleveland mortgaged their future to try and win now to appease LeCocksucker and prove that they would do what they could to get him a title. They delivered, LeTaintStain didn't. Now it's suddenly their fault because LePieceofShit wouldn't give them the slightest indication of his plans because he wanted his ego stroked. That's fine, he's earned it, I guess. But it's why he's a Dickhead first, entertainer second, and basketball player third. It's an insult to put him in the same conversation as Michael Jordan or, yes, Kobe Bryant. These guys would never dream of trying to cheap their way to an NBA title. I would bet everything I own right now that Kobe is smiling and thinking "Bring it the fuck on."

 

This story from The Daily News is stunning:



Isiah Thomas is still James Dolan's most trusted NBA expert

Dolan dispatched Thomas, the Knicks' former team president, to Akron on Wednesday to make one last pitch to LeBron James. Radio personality Stephen A. Smith reported news of Thomas' meeting earlier today.

The News has learned that Dolan handpicked Thomas over Mike D'Antoni to make the final plea to James, a decision which only fuels speculation that Thomas may eventually return to work for the organization in some capacity.

Thomas was demoted two years ago and just months after the Garden reached an out of court settlement with a former executive who had accused Thomas of sexual harassment. The Garden was found liable in the lawsuit.

Thomas worked for the club as a consultant for one season but not before being rushed to the hospital in September 2008 for what was called an accidental overdose of prescription medication. Last summer, Thomas accepted the head coaching job at Florida International University in Miami.

At Amar'e Stoudemire's press conference today, Knicks president Donnie Walsh stunned some in the audience by thanking Thomas for his help during the recruitment of Stoudemire. A Knicks official claims that Dolan instructed Walsh to thank Thomas during his brief speech.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks/2010/07/knicks-final-pitch-to-lebron-d.html#ixzz0t9oPcbbO

 

I wonder if his advisers are regretting the ESPN show at all. Probably not. But I'm guessing the vitriol - from fans, media, deranged owners - would be much, much, much less if they hadn't had it and it was just announced in a normal way.

Isiah returns to the Knicks as GM. What will be next? LeBron returning to play for the Cavs in five years? Or maybe McHale back as GM of the Wolves in two years.

 

Cooper WAS on board Magic's rookie year. And, although Scott and Worthy hadn't yet joined, he did have a couple other all star calibur players named Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon in their stead. Nobody can ever claim that Magic was lacking in supporting talent.

 

I just watched Games 3 and 4 from that series. Maddening. Undefeated going into the Finals, then Riley drives them into the ground during the layoff. Lakers had a fourth-quarter lead in the final three games. I'm thinking Magic and Scott might have performed better in those situations than David Frickin Rivers and Tony Campbell. But they were still ridiculously entertaining games. Near-fights, Dumars was brilliant, Worthy was unstoppable and Kareem even had a vintage throwback game in Game 3.