Lebron James

2nd highest payroll in the league, and only $2 million comes off next year.

 

All Cuban does with free agents is he allows them to use him to drive up the bidding price. Then they go elsewhere and get more money.

Cuban never has been able to make the big free-agent splash no matter how hard he tries, and he won't this year. He'll be left with seeds and stems again.

 

I thought this was interesting from Wilbon's column this morning

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/15/AR2010051503143.html

 

And sooner, rather than later, the NBA poisoned him.

 

Dammit, LeBron, for not shaking hands with the Magic. If only you had raped some woman in a Colorado hotel room or gambled so much that you were "suspended" by the league or took a gun into the locker room or ran into the stands to fight fans. You idiot!

 

I don't see how any NBA team can be considered "years" away, when all it takes is one star to become a playoff team and two to become a title favorite.

Celtics went from 24-58 to 66-16 (NBA champions) in ONE season.

 

Lebron isn't going to the Heat to team with Wade. No way he will play on the same team as a guy making $30 million more over the life of the contract.

 

LeBron has been nothing but class since the day he set foot in the league. Even before. Name another super duper star who was anointed as such before he even came into his league who has carried himself without controversy as LeBron has. Maybe Tim Duncan. But ironically, though he has the titles, he doesn't come near the glamour of LeBron.

Many Clevelanders are steadying themselves for a breakup, so they are turning on LeBron. Then they can revise history and say how mad they were all along that he didn't make a commitment. The truth is, we loved this entire season, from the time Shaq signed to the second game of the Celtics series. Suddenly, the entire team around him stinks and the Cavs never should have signed Shaq. Whatever. We all loved it, and this team, from Day 1.

LeBron has never done anythign that would lead me to believe he quit on his team during this playoff series, that he's so mad at his coach that he decided to stop trying hard, that he hates his teammates, anything like that. I truly believe he was playing through an injury that either requires surgery or would have sidelines him for significant time during the season. He tried to play through it, saying all along that he would not use it as an excuse but never denying there's something wrong there. He gave everything he could, and it is getting him labeled a quitter. Ridiculous. All that stuff is the Cleveland complex coming through.

As far as his free agency, I'm just sick of listening to all the talk because no one knows. No matter who says they do, they are full of it. Everyone has an opinion, but none is more valid than the other. It would be nice if LeBron would just say tomorrow that he's staying, but it doesn't work that way. If he does leave, as far as I'm concerned the Cavs are finished. They were third rate in this town to begin with and have been irrelevent their entire existence except for the LeBron era and the Price/Daugherty/Nance years. LeBron leaving after this loss destroys his legacy in Cleveland and costs this city (and especially Dan Gilbert) millions of dollars.

Let's face it -- we're all beholden to one guy and no one wants to admit it. Who cares if you think Dan Gilbert is a great owner. No one will want to watch his team if LeBron leaves, cuz it will stink. Phil Jackson did not win all his rings because he is Phil Jackson, he won them because he coached Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq. People don't go downtown to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers, they go to watch LeBron.

Check this out: Bulls record before/after Jordan -- 1,027-1,318 (.437), 4-14 in playoff series. Cavs record before LeBron -- 1,172-1,502 (.438), 4-13 in playoff series.

The Bulls without Jordan and the Cavs without LeBron are exactly the same franchise. And both are completely irrelevent.

That's why Cleveland fears losing LeBron James so much. Except it's not just the franchise that becomes irrelevent.

 

When did this happen?

And, out curiosity, when Wilbon mentioned the "locker room disharmony between Lebron and a teammate", you guys think that was a reference to the West/Lebron mom rumors?

 

Funny that you are questioning TSP's jab in the exact same post where you are refer to rumors about the West/James thing.

 

C'mon, it's the #1 sports conspiracy of all time. You can either believe it or not.

And for the record, it happened in 1993.