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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Sports Discussion Boards => Topic started by: Dos Equis on October 23, 2013, 01:20:19 PM
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Opening day right around the corner. Going to be another long season for my Lakers. But I like this change.
Vote unanimous to change Finals
Updated: October 23, 2013
By Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com
NEW YORK -- NBA owners voted unanimously Wednesday to change the Finals format to 2-2-1-1-1 after nearly 30 years of a 2-3-2 format. The change will take place effective for the 2014 Finals next June.
Commissioner David Stern called it an "easy sell" to owners to help add competitive balance and align the Finals schedule with the rest of the playoffs. To ease the transition, an extra day off will be added to between Games 6 and 7.
LeBron James and the Heat won their second straight title after rallying in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7, both on their home court -- a scenario that won't be taking place again thanks to the owners' vote.
"There's been a sense among our teams that in a 2-2 series, it's not fair for a team with the better record to be away [for Game 5]," Stern said after the league's Board of Governors annual preseason meeting. "It's not fair for the better team in terms of record to spend as many as eight days away from home."
Stern said that one of the first conversations he had as commissioner in 1984 was with Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach, who complained about the demands of travel after several Finals between his team and the Los Angeles Lakers. Stern led the change to the 2-3-2 by 1985, which was also done to encourage more media coverage of the Finals.
As a bit of symbolism of the changing arc of the league during his tenure, he oversaw the change back in his last owners' meeting as commissioner. Stern is set to hand over the reigns to deputy commissioner Adam Silver on Feb. 1, 30 years to the day he became commissioner.
"It made sense to do it now," Silver said. "Events came together over many years and it reached a crescendo. The basketball people thought it was important and the business people stood down and said it was no longer necessary."
After several years of tense proceedings with collective bargaining that led to a lockout and a protracted struggle for the future of the Sacramento Kings that dominated league business last year, this owners meeting was generally lighthearted and used largely as an ode to Stern.
Tuesday night there was a dinner dedicated to him where several owners including the San Antonio Spurs' Peter Holt and the Indiana Pacers' Herb Simon toasted Stern. There was also a video tribute that featured messages from stars Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Stern was also presented with his own bobblehead.
"It was a warm and good evening, there were embarrassing photos from the last 36 years," Stern said. "What flowed over me that this was a great run."
There were several other pieces of league business covered:
• The enhanced revenue sharing system, including a more penal luxury tax, is working as far as the teams' finances are concerned. Stern said he projected 24 of 25 teams would be profitable by the end of the 2014-15 season. Even with some teams choosing not to focus on profit.
"I haven't looked at the Nets balance sheet but my guess is they're not necessarily going to be profitable," said Stern, referring to owner Mikhail Prokhorov's decision to pay an estimated $80 million in luxury taxes alone this upcoming season.
• Stern said a new arena in Sacramento was "going swimmingly" and is on schedule to be opened in three years for the start of the 2016-17 season. Stern is planning to attend the Kings' opener next week.
The commissioner said the Minnesota Timberwolves are in final negotiations on terms of a planned overhaul of the Target Center in the near future. Recently, Silver visited Milwaukee to make the point that the Bucks need a new facility and the owners reviewed the situation there. The Bucks have four years left on their lease at the Bradley Center.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9867672/nba-owners-unanimously-vote-change-finals-format
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The Lakers have the best record in the NBA. Can we end the season today? :D
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76' ers 3-0 beat the heat who would have funk it mcw making fans forget jrue holiday in a hurry. ;D ;D ;D
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sixers beat my bulls last night wadda mess fucken sixers ::)
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The Sixers and Suns are supposed to be tanking this season. They're doing it wrong.
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One of the few highlights I'll enjoy this season. :'(
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sick
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two teams in the east are above .500 terriblllleeeee. :'( :'( :'( heat and pacers.
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One of the few highlights I'll enjoy this season. :'(
thx rot the stuff - very funny!
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Anyone think LeCramp will not resign with Miami? I doubt he leaves.
Have no idea how this will play out for my Lakers. Slim pickings on the FA wire. At this point, I'd take Carmelo and whomever else they can get. I'd also resign Pau and play him at the 5. But I'm on the couch. Mitch should do okay.
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Surprised LeCramp is going back home. It's the right thing the to do.
Looks like my Lakers will swing and miss on all big name free agents this offseason.
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Surprised LeCramp is going back home. It's the right thing the to do.
Looks like my Lakers will swing and miss on all big name free agents this offseason.
Wonder why?
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Surprised LeCramp is going back home. It's the right thing the to do.
Looks like my Lakers will swing and miss on all big name free agents this offseason.
lecramp?
what is your problem with him? he's much better than that rapist "he jalen rosed me" ever once
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lecramp?
what is your problem with him? he's much better than that rapist "he jalen rosed me" ever once
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I don't have a problem with LeCramp. As I said, I think he made the right decision. And as much as I'd like to take credit for the nickname, it came from Skip Bayless.
Who is "that rapist 'he jalen roses me'"? Ben Rapelesberger? Kind of difficult to compare a basketball player with a football player.
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hahaha good old rapesy, hi earl!!!
on another note the rockets went from possible contenders to rebuilding all within the course of 3 days. LOL I know we Houston sports fans are used to the contenders to rebuilding but thats fast, even for us...
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Wonder why?
Why LeCramp is going home or why LA struck out in free agency?
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hahaha good old rapesy, hi earl!!!
on another note the rockets went from possible contenders to rebuilding all within the course of 3 days. LOL I know we Houston sports fans are used to the contenders to rebuilding but thats fast, even for us...
I'd actually take Ariza over Chandler. Will not score as much, but better defender.
And thanks for giving my Lakers Jeremy Lin. I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. :-\
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I don't have a problem with LeCramp. As I said, I think he made the right decision. And as much as I'd like to take credit for the nickname, it came from Skip Bayless.
Who is "that rapist 'he jalen roses me'"? Ben Rapelesberger? Kind of difficult to compare a basketball player with a football player.
Kobe was on trial for rape and was charged, Ben was accused so big difference which you conveniently ignore
Kobe whined about his knee injury saying the guy that hurt him "jalen rosed" him because jalen hurt him years ago
Skip is the biggest troll in the world, you quote a guy that loves tebow yet trashes lebron
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hahaha good old rapesy, hi earl!!!
on another note the rockets went from possible contenders to rebuilding all within the course of 3 days. LOL I know we Houston sports fans are used to the contenders to rebuilding but thats fast, even for us...
Did clowney break a nail yet?
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Kobe was on trial for rape and was charged, Ben was accused so big difference which you conveniently ignore
Kobe whined about his knee injury saying the guy that hurt him "jalen rosed" him because jalen hurt him years ago
Skip is the biggest troll in the world, you quote a guy that loves tebow yet trashes lebron
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Oh I see. You mean five-time champion Kobe aka the Black Mamba? You can cry all you want about him and the false rape allegation, but he's a champion. A winner. Maybe LeCramp will get five rings in his career too, but probably not.
Did Rapelesberger rehabilitate himself yet? I haven't seen his name on the police blotter lately.
Skip Bayless if funny. He also called LeCramp the Frozen One (before he won two rings). Hilarious. And he knows his stuff. I don't agree with everything he (or Stephen A. Smith) say, but they are very well connected, knowledgeable, smart, honest, etc. But I do think their show is going a little too Hollywood for my tastes. Too many actor and non-athlete guests.
Memories . . . . :)
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The good old days. :)
(https://scontent-b-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/p843x403/10514171_10154372865965341_6664379910298096028_o.jpg)
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Did clowney break a nail yet?
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hahah he will be a contender for defensive rookie of the year, the only person I would have taken over him was bortles but thats ok.
Whats the over/under on the number of games rapesy makes it through this season? 9/10?
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I'd actually take Ariza over Chandler. Will not score as much, but better defender.
And thanks for giving my Lakers Jeremy Lin. I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. :-\
hahah yea have fun with Lin, I dont know what they were thinking. Maybe its a marketing ploy to try and sell jerseys.
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hahah yea have fun with Lin, I dont know what they were thinking. Maybe its a marketing ploy to try and sell jerseys.
It's an expiring contract. Trying to free up cap space in 2015 so they can have every major free agent turn them down again.
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It's an expiring contract. Trying to free up cap space in 2015 so they can have every major free agent turn them down again.
They seem pretty fixated on landing a big free agent. In my opinion that is the wrong way to go. They need to start drafting the right people and stop bringing bums in on the cheap and then letting them walk right away. Even if you have a roster of bums, let them play together for a few years so they have a chance to grow together as a team. One year, bargain basement mercenaries are killing us. Clearing all this cap space, for who exactly?
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They seem pretty fixated on landing a big free agent. In my opinion that is the wrong way to go. They need to start drafting the right people and stop bringing bums in on the cheap and then letting them walk right away. Even if you have a roster of bums, let them play together for a few years so they have a chance to grow together as a team. One year, bargain basement mercenaries are killing us. Clearing all this cap space, for who exactly?
Overall, I agree. I think the challenge in building through the draft is that a successful team will always be drafting at the bottom of the first round. That doesn't mean they cannot draft good players, but it does make it harder to find that superstar talent. Have to get lucky. What they shouldn't be doing is repeatedly giving away their first round picks.
I'm not sure who Kobe's replacement will be. Might be in for another long stretch of mediocrity.
One thing they absolutely need to do is remove Jim Buss from making basketball personnel and coaching decisions.
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Overall, I agree. I think the challenge in building through the draft is that a successful team will always be drafting at the bottom of the first round. That doesn't mean they cannot draft good players, but it does make it harder to find that superstar talent. Have to get lucky. What they shouldn't be doing is repeatedly giving away their first round picks.
I'm not sure who Kobe's replacement will be. Might be in for another long stretch of mediocrity.
One thing they absolutely need to do is remove Jim Buss from making basketball personnel and coaching decisions.
I feel like they did a good job with last years roster. Guys like Swaggy P, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson can all play. Marshon Brooks wasn't bad. Young talent. The injury bug bit them and they had, in my opinion, a bad coach. He was constantly tinkering with the depth chart even with the guys that weren't hurt. Nobody knew their role so they all just played for themselves. Lets let some of them play together for a while under a competent coach that will have them play a little defense and see how they develop.
So far our roster is very small for this coming year. Our Center is 6/10 and power forwards are 6'9. We need a 7 footer that can defend. I would have thrown some money at Tyson Chandler but they couldn't because they were praying Carmelo would come to LA. Most rational people knew that was a pipe dream.
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Oh I see. You mean five-time champion Kobe aka the Black Mamba? You can cry all you want about him and the false rape allegation, but he's a champion. A winner. Maybe LeCramp will get five rings in his career too, but probably not.
Did Rapelesberger rehabilitate himself yet? I haven't seen his name on the police blotter lately.
Skip Bayless if funny. He also called LeCramp the Frozen One (before he won two rings). Hilarious. And he knows his stuff. I don't agree with everything he (or Stephen A. Smith) say, but they are very well connected, knowledgeable, smart, honest, etc. But I do think their show is going a little too Hollywood for my tastes. Too many actor and non-athlete guests.
Memories . . . . :)
lebron would be 7 time champion if he played with prime shaq, the true leader of that 3 peat
nobody wants to play with kobe the rapist, as proven this offseason he's a scumbag in so many ways
can you provide an arrest record for ben please? good luck finding something that doesn't exist, and it's even more hypocritical of you considering aldon smith and your qb was accused of rape this offseason, maybe think before you post in an argument you can't win
skip calling him lecramp and the frozen one aren't the slightlest bit witty, i don't hate skip but that is very weak trolling on his part
so you have good memories of a block in an all star game?? i guess that's all laker fans have left and will have for awhile
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hahah he will be a contender for defensive rookie of the year, the only person I would have taken over him was bortles but thats ok.
Whats the over/under on the number of games rapesy makes it through this season? 9/10?
last year he played through his 2nd full length season
i think he makes it 13 games this year, based on his injury history
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I feel like they did a good job with last years roster. Guys like Swaggy P, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson can all play. Marshon Brooks wasn't bad. Young talent. The injury bug bit them and they had, in my opinion, a bad coach. He was constantly tinkering with the depth chart even with the guys that weren't hurt. Nobody knew their role so they all just played for themselves. Lets let some of them play together for a while under a competent coach that will have them play a little defense and see how they develop.
So far our roster is very small for this coming year. Our Center is 6/10 and power forwards are 6'9. We need a 7 footer that can defend. I would have thrown some money at Tyson Chandler but they couldn't because they were praying Carmelo would come to LA. Most rational people knew that was a pipe dream.
I agree with all of this.
I'm a little upset that I have to root for Boozer now. I have disliked him ever since he scammed his way out of Cleveland years ago.
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lebron would be 7 time champion if he played with prime shaq, the true leader of that 3 peat
nobody wants to play with kobe the rapist, as proven this offseason he's a scumbag in so many ways
can you provide an arrest record for ben please? good luck finding something that doesn't exist, and it's even more hypocritical of you considering aldon smith and your qb was accused of rape this offseason, maybe think before you post in an argument you can't win
skip calling him lecramp and the frozen one aren't the slightlest bit witty, i don't hate skip but that is very weak trolling on his part
so you have good memories of a block in an all star game?? i guess that's all laker fans have left and will have for awhile
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LeCramp has two rings that he only won because he had to link up with two other star players.
Kobe has five rings, including two without Shaq. Those are the facts. You can drink the hateraide all you want, but you cannot change history.
And yes, I do think the nicknames Skip Bayless gave LeCramp are hilarious.
Does this make you sad? ;D
(http://sportsmediapost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kobe_trophies_web1.jpg)
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last year he played through his 2nd full length season
i think he makes it 13 games this year, based on his injury history
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and even if he does he will still be a candidate for defesive rookie of the year.
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LeCramp has two rings that he only won because he had to link up with two other star players.
Kobe has five rings, including two without Shaq. Those are the facts. You can drink the hateraide all you want, but you cannot change history.
And yes, I do think the nicknames Skip Bayless gave LeCramp are hilarious.
Does this make you sad? ;D
(http://sportsmediapost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kobe_trophies_web1.jpg)
As great as Kobe was, he had a great team also! You think he didn't need 2 - 7fts? allstar Gasol or Bynum or sixth man of the year Odom? Look at his stats before he got hurt, he was playing at an incredible level, but his team sucked and how far has he gotten? Who was the best player LeBron/Lecramp/Lewhatever played with? Mo Williams? If LBJ had that team I believe he would have won also. He went to Miami because Pat Riley did what the Cavs wouldn't do, get players!
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As great as Kobe was, he had a great team also! You think he didn't need 2 - 7fts? allstar Gasol or Bynum or sixth man of the year Odom? Look at his stats before he got hurt, he was playing at an incredible level, but his team sucked and how far has he gotten? Who was the best player LeBron/Lecramp/Lewhatever played with? Mo Williams? If LBJ had that team I believe he would have won also. He went to Miami because Pat Riley did what the Cavs wouldn't do, get players!
Bynum didn't play at all in the 2008 or 2009 finals and was injured and barely played in 2010. Lamar was 6th man of the year in 2011, a year in which the team did not go to the finals. As good as Odom was, you never knew what you were going to get from him on any given night. Very streaky and not good in the Triangle offense as Phil Jasckson has said. Kobe's first three rings were basically him and Shaq and the last two was basically him and Gasol.
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I agree with all of this.
I'm a little upset that I have to root for Boozer now. I have disliked him ever since he scammed his way out of Cleveland years ago.
I haven't watched a lot of Boozer but what I have seen and heard I don't like. At least we aren't paying through the nose for him like Chicago did. He's not costing us much at all. We really need Randle and Clarkson to play well. I hope those two pan out.
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Bynum didn't play at all in the 2008 or 2009 finals and was injured and barely played in 2010. Lamar was 6th man of the year in 2011, a year in which the team did not go to the finals. As good as Odom was, you never knew what you were going to get from him on any given night. Very streaky and not good in the Triangle offense as Phil Jasckson has said. Kobe's first three rings were basically him and Shaq and the last two was basically him and Gasol.
Pray ain't lyin.
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I haven't watched a lot of Boozer but what I have seen and heard I don't like. At least we aren't paying through the nose for him like Chicago did. He's not costing us much at all. We really need Randle and Clarkson to play well. I hope those two pan out.
His offensive game is good. Defense sucks. I don't fault LA for getting him at that price. Not sure how they will handle the rotation at the 4 with him and Randle.
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Bynum is an asshat ::)
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LeCramp has two rings that he only won because he had to link up with two other star players.
Kobe has five rings, including two without Shaq. Those are the facts. You can drink the hateraide all you want, but you cannot change history.
And yes, I do think the nicknames Skip Bayless gave LeCramp are hilarious.
Does this make you sad? ;D
(http://sportsmediapost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kobe_trophies_web1.jpg)
here are the real facts
lebron won titles with two other stars, as did every other player that won a title whether it was michael, magic, larry, duncan, garnett, etc
yes kobe won two titles without shaq, he replaced shaq with pau gasol, kobe also missed the playoffs without another star player while lebron led the cavs to the finals and the best record in the league without help
those are the facts, it's only "haterade" to you because kobe is your boy, too bad you aren't an nba star because you would be the only one willing to play with him at this point ;D
kobe should thank god daily for being traded to the lakers, if he stuck with the hornets he would basically be tracy mcgrady
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and even if he does he will still be a candidate for defesive rookie of the year.
i was talking about ben
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As great as Kobe was, he had a great team also! You think he didn't need 2 - 7fts? allstar Gasol or Bynum or sixth man of the year Odom? Look at his stats before he got hurt, he was playing at an incredible level, but his team sucked and how far has he gotten? Who was the best player LeBron/Lecramp/Lewhatever played with? Mo Williams? If LBJ had that team I believe he would have won also. He went to Miami because Pat Riley did what the Cavs wouldn't do, get players!
exactly the hate for lebron is ridiculous and kobe can't hold his jock, kobe with that cavs team would've missed the playpffs just like the lakers did when shaq left
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exactly the hate for lebron is ridiculous and kobe can't hold his jock, kobe with that cavs team would've missed the playpffs just like the lakers did when shaq left
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I take nothing BB wise away from Kobe, he took over for MJ, and has played hard every game. But without another star or 2, he has won nothing. The Lakers have always been one of the top organizations, the Cavs were garbage before LBJ got there and after he left.
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I take nothing BB wise away from Kobe, he took over for MJ, and has played hard every game. But without another star or 2, he has won nothing. The Lakers have always been one of the top organizations, the Cavs were garbage before LBJ got there and after he left.
I don't see how you can say Kobe won nothing without help and then point to Lebron as being better. Without 2 to 3 other stars Lebron also won nothing. Also, when Lebron won his 2 rings he had more help than Kobe had for any of his 5.
I give Lebron credit for getting a 50 win 06-07 Cleveland team with limited talent to the Finals, but they got smoked 4 games to zero. You can't really count 2006-07 as "winning something". That same year Kobe's team won 42 games and almost knocked off Phoenix, a vastly better team than anyone Lebron faced in the eastern conference playoffs that year.
Every star player that wins a ring has other stars on the roster. No one wins titles by themselves in the NBA, not even Jordan. you don't need to tear down Kobe in order to build up Lebron. They are both among the best that ever played in the NBA.
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here are the real facts
lebron won titles with two other stars, as did every other player that won a title whether it was michael, magic, larry, duncan, garnett, etc
yes kobe won two titles without shaq, he replaced shaq with pau gasol, kobe also missed the playoffs without another star player while lebron led the cavs to the finals and the best record in the league without help
those are the facts, it's only "haterade" to you because kobe is your boy, too bad you aren't an nba star because you would be the only one willing to play with him at this point ;D
kobe should thank god daily for being traded to the lakers, if he stuck with the hornets he would basically be tracy mcgrady
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Additional facts: Kobe has five rings. LeCramp has two.
Kobe has been to the Finals seven times, which makes him five for seven.
LeCramp has been to the Finals six times, which makes him two for six.
And yes, Kobe is extremely grateful LA traded for him:
Kobe Bryant Thanks Hornets on Twitter for Trading Him After 1996 Draft
By Kyle Newport , Featured Columnist Jul 1, 2014
Eighteen years ago today, the Charlotte Hornets made a trade that they'd like to have back.
Kobe Bryant hasn't forgotten that trade.
Charlotte took Bryant out of high school with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Less than a week later, the Hornets traded the Black Mamba to the Los Angeles Lakers:
Juan Ocampo/Getty Images
The reasoning behind the trade, according to Bryant, is pretty shocking:
Kobe Bryant ✔ @kobebryant
Follow
On this day 18yrs ago the hornets told me right after they drafted me that they had no use for me and were going to trade me #thanku #lakers
8:13 AM - 1 Jul 2014
"No use" for Bryant? That doesn't look good now.
All he has done since the trade is put together a Hall of Fame resume. Bryant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player award and five NBA championships, which includes two NBA Finals MVP awards. He has also been named to the All-Star team 16 times. Oh, he's also fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Bryant has accomplished all of that while wearing a Lakers uniform.
Who knows how Bryant's career would have played out had Charlotte not traded him, but the Black Mamba and the Lakers are pretty pleased with how the last 18 years have played out.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2116201-kobe-bryant-thanks-hornets-on-twitter-for-trading-him-after-1996-draft
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I don't see how you can say Kobe won nothing without help and then point to Lebron as being better. Without 2 to 3 other stars Lebron also won nothing. Also, when Lebron won his 2 rings he had more help than Kobe had for any of his 5.
I give Lebron credit for getting a 50 win 06-07 Cleveland team with limited talent to the Finals, but they got smoked 4 games to zero. You can't really count 2006-07 as "winning something". That same year Kobe's team won 42 games and almost knocked off Phoenix, a vastly better team than anyone Lebron faced in the eastern conference playoffs that year.
Every star player that wins a ring has other stars on the roster. No one wins titles by themselves in the NBA, not even Jordan. you don't need to tear down Kobe in order to build up Lebron. They are both among the best that ever played in the NBA.
Well said. I agree.
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I don't see how you can say Kobe won nothing without help and then point to Lebron as being better. Without 2 to 3 other stars Lebron also won nothing. Also, when Lebron won his 2 rings he had more help than Kobe had for any of his 5.
I give Lebron credit for getting a 50 win 06-07 Cleveland team with limited talent to the Finals, but they got smoked 4 games to zero. You can't really count 2006-07 as "winning something". That same year Kobe's team won 42 games and almost knocked off Phoenix, a vastly better team than anyone Lebron faced in the eastern conference playoffs that year.
Every star player that wins a ring has other stars on the roster. No one wins titles by themselves in the NBA, not even Jordan. you don't need to tear down Kobe in order to build up Lebron. They are both among the best that ever played in the NBA.
I never said Lebron was better. Show me where I said that. Kobe has been the best player of his generation and is right behin MJ interms of achievements. What I said was that they both needed help to win, but Kobe got the help because he played for the Lakers, Lebron didn't cause he played for the Cavs, which at the time was a hole no star wanted to even visit. But you bash Lebron for going somewhere else to get that help. That is what I meant.
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I never said Lebron was better. Show me where I said that. Kobe has been the best player of his generation and is right behin MJ interms of achievements. What I said was that they both needed help to win, but Kobe got the help because he played for the Lakers, Lebron didn't cause he played for the Cavs, which at the time was a hole no star wanted to even visit. But you bash Lebron for going somewhere else to get that help. That is what I meant.
Perhaps I misunderstood the point of your earlier post. What you wrote here sounds pretty fair and accurate. A lot of people overstate the help that Kobe had and understate the help that guys like Jordan and Lebron had. That's what I mistakenly thought you were doing.
I don't blame Lebron for leaving Cleveland. Cleveland either wasn't willing or wasn't able to significantly upgrade their roster. I have a little problem with him conspiring with Wade and Bosh to stack the odds of winning rings in their favor. I understand why they did it but I feel like it cheapens the rings that they won a little bit. This is just my opinion.
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exactly the hate for lebron is ridiculous and kobe can't hold his jock, kobe with that cavs team would've missed the playpffs just like the lakers did when shaq left
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What's up Earl? You doing good? :D you old fuck you...
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Perhaps I misunderstood the point of your earlier post. What you wrote here sounds pretty fair and accurate. A lot of people overstate the help that Kobe had and understate the help that guys like Jordan and Lebron had. That's what I mistakenly thought you were doing.
I don't blame Lebron for leaving Cleveland. Cleveland either wasn't willing or wasn't able to significantly upgrade their roster. I have a little problem with him conspiring with Wade and Bosh to stack the odds of winning rings in their favor. I understand why they did it but I feel like it cheapens the rings that they won a little bit. This is just my opinion.
Would you feel the same way if Kobe convinced Love and carmelo to go to the Lakers and they won Championships? Would you have said those rings were cheapened?
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Would you feel the same way if Kobe convinced Love and carmelo to go to the Lakers and they won Championships? Would you have said those rings were cheapened?
If Kobe was in his prime, yes. If Kobe was 36 like he will be this season, probably still yes. I don't agree with building a team that way. I prefer championships to come a little more organically. Don't get me wrong, I'd still be happy they won but that 6th ring for Kobe wouldn't mean as much as MJ's 6th ring in my eyes.
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Agreed, but you would still say "Kobe has 6 rings" right? jaja. I want championships for my team any way they can get them! Better that then be a second round exit every year trying to do it the right way.
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Agreed, but you would still say "Kobe has 6 rings" right? jaja. I want championships for my team any way they can get them! Better that then be a second round exit every year trying to do it the right way.
I agree.
Also, there is nothing wrong with teaming up with other stars. I don't fault LeCramp for doing that. If you look at the glory years (the 80s), those championship teams were full of Hall of Fame players.
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I like the B. Scott hiring. He's a good coach and has the championship pedigree. And he wants to focus on defense. Not much else out there other than old-time retreads.
I don't see a championship team, but if Kobe is healthy, at least they'll be back in the playoffs.
Now they just need to let Jeannie take over for Jim Buss.
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Additional facts: Kobe has five rings. LeCramp has two.
Kobe has been to the Finals seven times, which makes him five for seven.
LeCramp has been to the Finals six times, which makes him two for six.
And yes, Kobe is extremely grateful LA traded for him:
Kobe Bryant Thanks Hornets on Twitter for Trading Him After 1996 Draft
By Kyle Newport , Featured Columnist Jul 1, 2014
Eighteen years ago today, the Charlotte Hornets made a trade that they'd like to have back.
Kobe Bryant hasn't forgotten that trade.
Charlotte took Bryant out of high school with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Less than a week later, the Hornets traded the Black Mamba to the Los Angeles Lakers:
Juan Ocampo/Getty Images
The reasoning behind the trade, according to Bryant, is pretty shocking:
Kobe Bryant ✔ @kobebryant
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On this day 18yrs ago the hornets told me right after they drafted me that they had no use for me and were going to trade me #thanku #lakers
8:13 AM - 1 Jul 2014
"No use" for Bryant? That doesn't look good now.
All he has done since the trade is put together a Hall of Fame resume. Bryant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player award and five NBA championships, which includes two NBA Finals MVP awards. He has also been named to the All-Star team 16 times. Oh, he's also fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Bryant has accomplished all of that while wearing a Lakers uniform.
Who knows how Bryant's career would have played out had Charlotte not traded him, but the Black Mamba and the Lakers are pretty pleased with how the last 18 years have played out.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2116201-kobe-bryant-thanks-hornets-on-twitter-for-trading-him-after-1996-draft
more additional facts
kobe has been in the league 7 years longer, hence more finals appearances
lebron is 2 out of 5 in the finals, taking a cavs team to the finals that kobe wouldn't have even reached the playoffs with
lebron 4 mvp's with much shorter career, should've been at least 5
kobe 1 mvp
it is also ridiculous to say lebron had more help with the heat, that 2004 lakers team was an all star roster and they lost in 5 to the pistons, lebron also never had a decent big man, let alone shaq or pau
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I don't see how you can say Kobe won nothing without help and then point to Lebron as being better. Without 2 to 3 other stars Lebron also won nothing. Also, when Lebron won his 2 rings he had more help than Kobe had for any of his 5.
I give Lebron credit for getting a 50 win 06-07 Cleveland team with limited talent to the Finals, but they got smoked 4 games to zero. You can't really count 2006-07 as "winning something". That same year Kobe's team won 42 games and almost knocked off Phoenix, a vastly better team than anyone Lebron faced in the eastern conference playoffs that year.
Every star player that wins a ring has other stars on the roster. No one wins titles by themselves in the NBA, not even Jordan. you don't need to tear down Kobe in order to build up Lebron. They are both among the best that ever played in the NBA.
i'll take prime shaq over bosh and over the hill wade not to mention phil as coach, notice how wade won a title with shaq? shaq was a beast and in his prime was as dominating as any player in history
the cavs lost 4 games to zero in the finals yes, what is your point? would you really respect lebron more if they lost in the first round as kobe did a few times? that same spurs team probably smoked the lakers that year too, it had duncan and ginobli in their prime and parker became a star that year
i don't tear down kobe, beach bum tears down lebron
all i do is point out the fact that lebron is better than kobe ever was, the only thing kobe has on lebron is titles and that's because he played far longer and had prime shaq, lebron did far more without another star than kobe
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I never said Lebron was better. Show me where I said that. Kobe has been the best player of his generation and is right behin MJ interms of achievements. What I said was that they both needed help to win, but Kobe got the help because he played for the Lakers, Lebron didn't cause he played for the Cavs, which at the time was a hole no star wanted to even visit. But you bash Lebron for going somewhere else to get that help. That is what I meant.
duncan, shaq, and lebron have all been better in kobe's generation
all have more league mvp's and finals mvp's
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What's up Earl? You doing good? :D you old fuck you...
aren't we the same age?
ray rice deserved more than 2 games if ben got 4 with no proof or charges, not that i have a problem with him keeping his maniac wife in line
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Would you feel the same way if Kobe convinced Love and carmelo to go to the Lakers and they won Championships? Would you have said those rings were cheapened?
they had no problem in 2004 when malone and payton showed up
oh wait, that team failed miserably thanks to kobe and his drama
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:o :o :o :o training for the olympic team, this makes no sense guy gets paid big bucks to play in the nba, gets hurt for nothing. never understood this. olympics should be for AMATEURS.
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they had no problem in 2004 when malone and payton showed up
oh wait, that team failed miserably thanks to kobe and his drama
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You talk so much bullshit that I can't respond to it all. Let me just educate you on the 2003-04 Lakers.
Karl Malone was 40 fucking years old. 40. He played pretty good for his age but he got hurt multiple times during the year including in the San Antonio series right before the NBA finals. He played a little in the Finals essentially on one leg. Eventually he couldn't go at all and didn't even dress.
Phil Jackson said by the time Gary Payton signed with us he hadn't lost a step on defense, he'd actually lost 2 steps. He was 35 and like Malone, at the ass end of his career. He never figured out the triangle and Phil was forced to start playing Fisher more at the end of the year and especially in crunch time.
We were down 3 power forwards by the time we got to the finals. Rick Fox, Horace Grant and Karl Malone were all out injured. Slava Medvedenko and Brian Cook were getting the minutes at PF in the Finals along with Devean George and rookie Luke Walton at Small Forward. We were left with Shaq, Kobe and Derek Fisher. Nobody else could hit a shot, even wide open 12 footers.
In my opinion that's why we lost. Because our role players couldn't make wide open shots Detroit was able to aggressively double team Kobe at the top of the key and put our entire offense out of whack. Shaq wasn't in great shape. He was solid in the first quarter of games but then he would fade as the game wore on.
Some fucking dream team. All this and they almost won the whole damn thing. You didn't follow the 2003-04 Lakers and your ignorance is obvious to people that did. You are just dragging out the same old, tired BS arguments that all Kobe haters use. You don't know what you are talking about, shut up.
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it is also ridiculous to say lebron had more help with the heat, that 2004 lakers team was an all star roster and they lost in 5 to the pistons, lebron also never had a decent big man, let alone shaq or pau
Actually dumb ass, Lebron did have Shaq in Cleveland. To which you will probably say, "but Shaq was old and not in his prime by then". Yeah, kinda like Karl Malone and Gary Payton in 2004. Actually Shaq was 3 years younger with Lebron then Karl Malone was in LA. Interesting isn't it?
Oh, and Lebron did have more help.
Dwayne Wade...32 year old All-Star
Chris Bosh...29 year old All-Star
Ray Allen...in his late 30's but the best 3 point shooter OF ALL TIME.
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aren't we the same age?
ray rice deserved more than 2 games if ben got 4 with no proof or charges, not that i have a problem with him keeping his maniac wife in line
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No...you're two years older
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You talk so much bullshit that I can't respond to it all. Let me just educate you on the 2003-04 Lakers.
Karl Malone was 40 fucking years old. 40. He played pretty good for his age but he got hurt multiple times during the year including in the San Antonio series right before the NBA finals. He played a little in the Finals essentially on one leg. Eventually he couldn't go at all and didn't even dress.
Phil Jackson said by the time Gary Payton signed with us he hadn't lost a step on defense, he'd actually lost 2 steps. He was 35 and like Malone, at the ass end of his career. He never figured out the triangle and Phil was forced to start playing Fisher more at the end of the year and especially in crunch time.
We were down 3 power forwards by the time we got to the finals. Rick Fox, Horace Grant and Karl Malone were all out injured. Slava Medvedenko and Brian Cook were getting the minutes at PF in the Finals along with Devean George and rookie Luke Walton at Small Forward. We were left with Shaq, Kobe and Derek Fisher. Nobody else could hit a shot, even wide open 12 footers.
In my opinion that's why we lost. Because our role players couldn't make wide open shots Detroit was able to aggressively double team Kobe at the top of the key and put our entire offense out of whack. Shaq wasn't in great shape. He was solid in the first quarter of games but then he would fade as the game wore on.
Some fucking dream team. All this and they almost won the whole damn thing. You didn't follow the 2003-04 Lakers and your ignorance is obvious to people that did. You are just dragging out the same old, tired BS arguments that all Kobe haters use. You don't know what you are talking about, shut up.
i'm well aware of all of that
the point is lebron gets shit for not winning with the cavs, who still had far less than any team kobe had yet people conveniently forget that
that team was built to be a dream team, just like the heat so don't knock lebron and then pretend that kobe didn't have the same thing, the difference is lebron succeeded and kobe failed
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Actually dumb ass, Lebron did have Shaq in Cleveland. To which you will probably say, "but Shaq was old and not in his prime by then". Yeah, kinda like Karl Malone and Gary Payton in 2004. Actually Shaq was 3 years younger with Lebron then Karl Malone was in LA. Interesting isn't it?
Oh, and Lebron did have more help.
Dwayne Wade...32 year old All-Star
Chris Bosh...29 year old All-Star
Ray Allen...in his late 30's but the best 3 point shooter OF ALL TIME.
malone was far better at old age than shaq was, hence the excitement and dream team comments from analysts, comparing shaq in 2010 to payton and malone makes you the dumbass, signing shaq didn't make the cavs clear cut favorites
being younger than malone doesn't mean anything, some guys hit the wall at 40 others hit it as young as 30, big men especially break down faster
funny how it doesn't matter to you that wade was hurt this year, but you excuse malone for being hurt
malone at 40 is better than ray allen today
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malone was far better at old age than shaq was, hence the excitement and dream team comments from analysts, comparing shaq in 2010 to payton and malone makes you the dumbass, signing shaq didn't make the cavs clear cut favorites
being younger than malone doesn't mean anything, some guys hit the wall at 40 others hit it as young as 30, big men especially break down faster
funny how it doesn't matter to you that wade was hurt this year, but you excuse malone for being hurt
malone at 40 is better than ray allen today
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Wade wasn't hurt this year. He was missing games (especially on back to backs) as scheduled rest to save him for the playoffs.
Regardless, I do agree with you that Lebron didn't have much help in Cleveland. He had a ton of help in Miami but still only won 2 out of 4. Without Ray Allen's miracle shot in 2013 it would have been 1 out of 4. That's just real talk.
The Laker's ancient fab 4 in 2003-04 was nothing like what Miami did when 3 20 something year old superstars in the prime of their careers conspired to join up, take less money to circumvent the salary cap and win cheap rings. More reality being dropped here.
Lebron is a great talent. He just likes to stack the odds in his favor. He has no problem bouncing around to wherever the grass looks greener and he has a great chance to win rings. You can't blame him, it's a free country and in some respects he's being smart. I just happen to respect other guys (MJ, Kobe) a little more who didn't do that and won their rings in a more traditional and organic way.
That's the last time I'll say it because at this point I'm just repeating myself talking to different people. The truth is, most people don't need me to tell them this, they already know, even if they don't want to admit it. I'm looking forward to seeing how Lebron does back in Cleveland and how much Kobe has left in the tank.
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LeCramp is about to get Love. Should definitely be a contender in the East if they get him.
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so MJ or kobe wouldn't have left cleveland? when did cleveland have the opportunity to sign a dennis rodman or any big free agent back in 2010? would prime shaq feel perfectly fine with a trade to cleveland over LA?
for whatever reason nba players moreso than athletes in other sports only want to play in the big and glamourous cities, it's not lebron's fault bosh didn't want to play in cleveland
why is it that no nfl player has a problem with going to green bay but no nba player wants to play in milwaukee?
as with everything else in life your location has a major affect on your success, if the players weren't willing to play in cleveland lebron had to leave just like if you can't find a job in your hometown or you can't advance you leave home
none of you would respect him more today if he stayed and won zero titles
it shows lebron's character to go back, he could've stayed in miami and continued their streak especially considering dan gilbert left that ridiculous letter on the team website days before lebron signed with them, what a little turd gilbert is
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I give LeCramp props for going back to Cleveland, but let's not pretend he would have gone there regardless of the state of the franchise. I'm sure Irving and all the other high draft picks played a role. In fact, it would not surprise me if he talked to Love before committing.
If the cupboard was bare, he would have kept his butt right in Miami.
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none of you would respect him more today if he stayed and won zero titles
it shows lebron's character to go back, he could've stayed in miami and continued their streak especially considering dan gilbert left that ridiculous letter on the team website days before lebron signed with them, what a little turd gilbert is
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Actually, I would respect Lebron more if he had stayed in Cleveland.
It doesn't show character that he went back. Miami was on the down slide because Dwyane Wade isn't the player he was a few years ago and they didn't have the cap room to improve their team. You are acting like going back to Cleveland was some heroic gesture of self sacrifice. The reality is that Cleveland won the draft lottery 3 out of the last 4 years and is stocked with young talent and cap room. He left again for greener pastures only this time Cleveland's pasture was the one that was greener.
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Actually, I would respect Lebron more if he had stayed in Cleveland.
It doesn't show character that he went back. Miami was on the down slide because Dwyane Wade isn't the player he was a few years ago and they didn't have the cap room to improve their team. You are acting like going back to Cleveland was some heroic gesture of self sacrifice. The reality is that Cleveland won the draft lottery 3 out of the last 4 years and is stocked with young talent and cap room. He left again for greener pastures only this time Cleveland's pasture was the one that was greener.
right you would respect him more with zero titles
like i said the nba is all about big and glamorous cities, lets not pretend the best player in the world would play in cleveland if it wasn't his home
cleveland won the draft lottery and wants to get rid of two of their first overall picks, oh yeah "loaded with young talent" ::)
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right you would respect him more with zero titles
like i said the nba is all about big and glamorous cities, lets not pretend the best player in the world would play in cleveland if it wasn't his home
cleveland won the draft lottery and wants to get rid of two of their first overall picks, oh yeah "loaded with young talent" ::)
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Irving and Waiter are young talents. That is going to be a pretty solid core.
And if you think about it, how perfect did this play out for him? Leaves them in a lurch. They wind up with multiple lottery picks. He wins two rings with other superstars. He returns with great young talent, plus will get one the best players in the NBA.
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right you would respect him more with zero titles
Yes I would
like i said the nba is all about big and glamorous cities, lets not pretend the best player in the world would play in cleveland if it wasn't his home
cleveland won the draft lottery and wants to get rid of two of their first overall picks, oh yeah "loaded with young talent" ::)
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Cleveland didn't "win the draft lottery", they won the draft lottery 3 out of the last 4 years. Irving, Wiggins, Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson. Yeah I think most people would consider that loaded with young talent.
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:)
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Boo hiss.
Wolves, Cavs agree to Love trade
Updated: August 7, 2014
ESPN.com news services
The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached an agreement in principle to trade Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and a protected 2015 first-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
The trade cannot be finalized until Aug. 23 because draft picks cannot be traded until 30 days after signing a new contract. Wiggins signed a rookie contract on July 24.
According to Yahoo! Sports, which reported an agreement in principle between the teams earlier Thursday, Love clinched the trade agreement by committing to re-sign with Cleveland next summer for five years and $120 million-plus after opting out of his contract. But such an arrangement would be a violation of NBA rules.
Sources confirmed to ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Thursday that the Cavs and Love can make no such arrangements about the future, even verbally, without violating salary cap circumvention rules in the league's collective bargaining agreement. Love has made it widely known that he intends to opt out of his contract at season's end, wherever he is, to become a free agent in July 2015, but the circumvention rules state that any discussions between the Cavs and Love regarding any future contract cannot take place until Love becomes a free agent next summer.
ESPN.com has reported numerous times over the last month, since James committed to re-sign with his home-state Cavs, that Love has let it be known he wants to play alongside James and would be willing to make a long-term commitment to Cleveland as long as James is there. But Cleveland would be making this trade with no such guarantees, because James is under contract for only the next two seasons -- with the right to opt out and return to free agency next season -- and because Love is likely to take his cues on the length of his next deal with Cleveland based on what James does.
Sources have told ESPN.com that Love has been highly intrigued by the idea of playing alongside Olympic teammate LeBron James on a full-time basis and is not put off by the fact that James' contract with the Cavs spans only two seasons and includes a player option to return to free agency next summer.
The deal also will unite Love, James and Kyrie Irving as a new-look Big 3 in Cleveland and give the long-suffering sports town a realistic chance for its first title in 50 years.
NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas reacted to news of the trade agreement on Twitter by crediting James for his influence in getting Love to Cleveland.
James is the best player in the NBA, Irving is an All-Star and the 25-year-old Love is coming off his best season, one in which he averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He is the top "stretch 4" -- a power forward who can rebound and shoot 3-pointers -- in the game, but all of his offensive gifts haven't been enough to get the Timberwolves into the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference.
Love can opt out of his contract next summer, and the three-time All-Star made it clear to the Timberwolves that he was looking to join a contender after missing the postseason for six seasons in Minnesota.
The Cavaliers talked with the Timberwolves before the draft about bringing Love in, but his camp made it clear to owner Dan Gilbert and the Cavs front office that he wasn't interested in signing a long-term contract with a young and unproven team that had not made the playoffs since 2010.
Then James left Miami for home, changing everything for Love, who teamed up with the four-time MVP to win the gold medal at the London Olympics.
Wiggins has been working out at a non-Cavaliers location and his representatives have already begun researching possible endorsement opportunities for him in Minnesota, a person with knowledge of those pursuits told The Associated Press. That person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been completed.
Love withdrew from his planned participation with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball to avoid an injury that could derail the deal.
Wiggins, when asked Sunday about the uncertainty over his future, told ESPN that he wants to play where he's wanted. The Cavs signed Wiggins to his rookie contract, which averages about $5.5 million annually.
"I just want to play for a team that wants me. So whichever team wants me I'll play for," he told ESPN's "SportsCenter" from Tarrytown, New York, where he was taking part in a photo shoot for Panini trading cards.
Although the Cavs would prefer to keep Wiggins, their interest in Love is understandable given how well the big man's combination of elite rebounding, passing and long-range shooting ability could complement James' game. With Love in addition to James and point guard Kyrie Irving, Cleveland would rank as an undeniable favorite to win the Eastern Conference, something the Cavs managed only once in James' initial seven-season stint with his home-state franchise.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11320537/kevin-love-trade-cleveland-cavaliers-minnesota-timberwolves-agreement-place
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Yes I would
Cleveland didn't "win the draft lottery", they won the draft lottery 3 out of the last 4 years. Irving, Wiggins, Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson. Yeah I think most people would consider that loaded with young talent.
but then you would say kobe has 5 titles and lebron has zero, right? do you guys forget that kobe asked the lakers to trade him? he's not so loyal
wiggins and bennet are now gone, plus bennet looked like a poor man's michael olowakandi
that "young talent" couldn't even get them to the playoffs in a weak conference so give it a rest
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but then you would say kobe has 5 titles and lebron has zero, right? do you guys forget that kobe asked the lakers to trade him? he's not so loyal
I said I would respect Lebron more if he had stayed and not won 2 cheap rings. I did not say that I would respect him more than Kobe. What does Kobe have to do with how much I respect Lebron?
For the record, I love what Kobe did in 2007. It forced the organization to get serious about winning again instead of just fielding a decent team and making money of off him. That's what they were doing until Kobe lit a fire under that ass. My problem with Lebron is not about loyalty, it's about him jumping ship and fleeing to greener pastures as soon as he doesn't think his current team can win it all. This is something he has now done twice. Ring chasing at it's finest. As great as he is, there is no way he can be compared to MJ or Kobe after all this.
wiggins and bennet are now gone, plus bennet looked like a poor man's michael olowakandi
that "young talent" couldn't even get them to the playoffs in a weak conference so give it a rest
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Wiggins, who is arguable the best of that young talent never got a chance to play for them. How can he "get them to the playoffs" if he didn't get a chance to play for them? Cleveland dumped him for Kevin Love with Lebron acting as GM. I've been hearing about Wiggins since he was a little school child. He's gonna be a good player. Kevin Love better be worth it or Lebron will end up in OKC with Durant and Westbrook. lol.
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I said I would respect Lebron more if he had stayed and not won 2 cheap rings. I did not say that I would respect him more than Kobe. What does Kobe have to do with how much I respect Lebron?
For the record, I love what Kobe did in 2007. It forced the organization to get serious about winning again instead of just fielding a decent team and making money of off him. That's what they were doing until Kobe lit a fire under that ass. My problem with Lebron is not about loyalty, it's about him jumping ship and fleeing to greener pastures as soon as he doesn't think his current team can win it all. This is something he has now done twice. Ring chasing at it's finest. As great as he is, there is no way he can be compared to MJ or Kobe after all this.
Wiggins, who is arguable the best of that young talent never got a chance to play for them. How can he "get them to the playoffs" if he didn't get a chance to play for them? Cleveland dumped him for Kevin Love with Lebron acting as GM. I've been hearing about Wiggins since he was a little school child. He's gonna be a good player. Kevin Love better be worth it or Lebron will end up in OKC with Durant and Westbrook. lol.
the lakers are a much better org than the cavs and they are in la which is better than cleveland, at the time lebron couldn;t light a fire under their ass but he did by leaving, now you see what they have in cleveland
who gives a shit about "ring chasing", why do you have to nitpick little things like that to disrespect an amazing athlete? he wouldn't had to "ring chase" if he played in LA or chicago
you're right there is no way to compare lebron to mj and kobe because neither could win a title with multiple teams as lebron will do in the future
wiggins couldn't even win an ncaa game, or did they lose in the 2nd round? either way he wasn't a big difference maker so lets not pretend he's the 2nd coming of lebron
durant will go to washington, i guess you will say he's "ring chasing" too?
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the lakers are a much better org than the cavs and they are in la which is better than cleveland, at the time lebron couldn;t light a fire under their ass but he did by leaving, now you see what they have in cleveland
who gives a shit about "ring chasing", why do you have to nitpick little things like that to disrespect an amazing athlete? he wouldn't had to "ring chase" if he played in LA or chicago
you're right there is no way to compare lebron to mj and kobe because neither could win a title with multiple teams as lebron will do in the future
wiggins couldn't even win an ncaa game, or did they lose in the 2nd round? either way he wasn't a big difference maker so lets not pretend he's the 2nd coming of lebron
durant will go to washington, i guess you will say he's "ring chasing" too?
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Lol, who gives a shit about "ring chasing"? Well Lebron used to. Here is a paragraph copied from an interview that Lebron gave to ESPN's Chriss Broussard published on Jan 5th, 2006. You're gonna love this....
"It’s all about competing, about trying to be the best. It’s also important to me to make the team I’m on now the best. I don’t want to go ring-chasing, as I call it; you know, going to a team that’s already pretty established and trying to win a ring with them. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion. And I feel like we’re on our way".
Bwahahahahaha!
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"crickets chirping"
Hahahahaha!
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"crickets chirping"
Hahahahaha!
I think we all contradict ourselves at some point. I am far from a Lebron supporter, but I am in awe at how he seems to manipulate the league.
He jumps from team to team and picks half of the players that he wants to play with.
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I think we all contradict ourselves at some point. I am far from a Lebron supporter, but I am in awe at how he seems to manipulate the league.
He jumps from team to team and picks half of the players that he wants to play with.
Lebon has contradicted himself so many times I can't keep track. He's a talented douche who thinks he's smarter than he really is.
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Lol, who gives a shit about "ring chasing"? Well Lebron used to. Here is a paragraph copied from an interview that Lebron gave to ESPN's Chriss Broussard published on Jan 5th, 2006. You're gonna love this....
"It’s all about competing, about trying to be the best. It’s also important to me to make the team I’m on now the best. I don’t want to go ring-chasing, as I call it; you know, going to a team that’s already pretty established and trying to win a ring with them. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion. And I feel like we’re on our way".
Bwahahahahaha!
the point was who cares that he is ring chasing, all the great ones do it, unfortunately lebron was stuck in cleveland and nobody wanted to play there in 2010
lebron is the best player in the world and very well could exceed jordan, you're just going to have to live with that
there is absolutely no reason to think of him as a douche, he is loved by teammates and stars across the league and has a clean record
you cannot say that about kobe, hated by everybody and was on trial for rape
you can't say that about jordan either, bullied teammates, excessive gambling, and cheated on his wife
the hate is outrageous you just hate the idea that he can be better than your heroes, well too bad
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the point was who cares that he is ring chasing, all the great ones do it, unfortunately lebron was stuck in cleveland and nobody wanted to play there in 2010
lebron is the best player in the world and very well could exceed jordan, you're just going to have to live with that
there is absolutely no reason to think of him as a douche, he is loved by teammates and stars across the league and has a clean record
you cannot say that about kobe, hated by everybody and was on trial for rape
you can't say that about jordan either, bullied teammates, excessive gambling, and cheated on his wife
the hate is outrageous you just hate the idea that he can be better than your heroes, well too bad
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I love how you just ignore Lebron's obscene hypocrisy regarding ring chasing. And no, all the great ones do not do it. Lebron will never be considered greater than MJ or Kobe. People are not stupid, they can see what's going on. He's a tremendously talented athlete but greatness takes more than that. Frankly, I doubt that he will ever win shit in Cleveland with Kevin Love.
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I love how you just ignore Lebron's obscene hypocrisy regarding ring chasing. And no, all the great ones do not do it. Lebron will never be considered greater than MJ or Kobe. People are not stupid, they can see what's going on. He's a tremendously talented athlete but greatness takes more than that. Frankly, I doubt that he will ever win shit in Cleveland with Kevin Love.
unfortunately i disagree i really want to agree but no
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Yeah. I think Love to Cleveland makes them a contender.
Looks like there was a handshake agreement to send Love to Cleveland before LeBron made his decision. Sort of takes a little shine off of the nobleness of his decision to go back home.
NBA Trade RUMORS: Kevin Love to Cavs Agreed Upon; Was Bill Simmons' Conspiracy Theory Correct?
By Thomas Carannante t.carannante@hngn.com | Aug 07, 2014
According to reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves have reached an agreement in principle that would send Kevin Love to the Cavs when eligible on August 23. Can Bill Simmons' conspiracy theory now be validated?
Although the fact that the details of the leaked trade agreement violates provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement between the players and the NBA, it appears as if Kevin Love will be heading to Cleveland in exchange for 2014 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, and a protected 2015 first-round draft pick. The trade cannot be finalized until August 23 because Wiggins cannot be traded until 30 days after signing his rookie contract, which he inked on July 24.
The reports also suggest that there is a 'firm agreement' between Love and the Cavs that the All-Star power forward will re-sign with the team next summer for five years and $120 million after he opts out of his current contract. Again, such an arrangement is illegal according to NBA rules, but it remains to be seen how anyone will be punished or if they will be punished. Let's forget about the technicalities for a minute though. Just a few weeks ago NBA analyst Bill Simmons proposed a 'conspiracy theory' relative to the ongoing discussions between the Cavaliers and Timberwolves regarding the Kevin Love trade.
"I think this Kevin Love trade to Cleveland was already decided as part of the deal for LeBron to come back to Cleveland," said Simmons on ESPN Radio's The Herd with Colin Cowherd back on July 23. "I don't know this. I wouldn't bet my life on it. It's just like one of those gut-feeling conspiracy theories."
Simmons specifically points to the letter that LeBron penned when he announced his free agency decision earlier in July. The four-time MVP wrote that he was 'excited to leadsome talented young guys' and failed to mention Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett - the two youngest players on the team. He rattled off Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters, and it was later said Wiggins' and Bennetts' omission was an oversight.
"I don't believe in oversights when you're spending that much time writing a letter and mentioning players on a team," added Simmons. "It makes me think that the deal was already agreed on and they didn't want people to think that LeBron would only go back to Cleveland if they also traded for Kevin Love."
Oddly enough, about a week after Simmons made his claim, the Timberwolves announced they would be narrowing their Kevin Love trade talks solely to the Cavaliers (they had previously been in discussions with the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls). This further suggested the deal was perhaps already agreed upon when Cleveland obtained the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft while Dan Gilbert scrambled to find ways to lure LeBron James back to his team. Additionally, the fact that the reportedly incessant discussions rarely wavered among the two teams also suggests something is fishy about the whole transaction.
Whatever the case, apparently Kevin Love will head to Cleveland on August 23 and join LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varajao, Mike Miller, and James Jones. You can read more about the agreement between the Wolves and Cavs in this ESPN article.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/38496/20140807/nba-trade-rumors-kevin-love-to-cavs-agreed-upon-was-bill-simmons-conspiracy-theory-correct.htm
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I love how you just ignore Lebron's obscene hypocrisy regarding ring chasing. And no, all the great ones do not do it. Lebron will never be considered greater than MJ or Kobe. People are not stupid, they can see what's going on. He's a tremendously talented athlete but greatness takes more than that. Frankly, I doubt that he will ever win shit in Cleveland with Kevin Love.
i didn't ignore it, i said he had to do it because nobody was going to cleveland in 2010, when will you finally admit that cleveland is not LA or any glamorous city that the nba stars want to play in?
he already is better than kobe
greatness takes more than what? you are a retard if you don't think he is already an all time great, seriously
4 mvp's and 2 titles with many more to come you hater, the best athlete regardless the sport on the planet
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Let me sum up the last few pages:
Lakers fans arguing at how bad they will suck this season.
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i didn't ignore it, i said he had to do it because nobody was going to cleveland in 2010, when will you finally admit that cleveland is not LA or any glamorous city that the nba stars want to play in?
he already is better than kobe
greatness takes more than what? you are a retard if you don't think he is already an all time great, seriously
4 mvp's and 2 titles with many more to come you hater, the best athlete regardless the sport on the planet
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Regular season MVP awards mean jack shit. They are voted on by douchebag sportswriters. Steve Nash won 2 in a row, Shaq only has 1. That's all you need to know.
Lebron has 2 rings in 5 tries. In 4 of those 5 he had a stacked super team but still only won half the time. Would have lost 3 out of those 4 if it wasn't for Ray Allen's miracle 3 pointer in 2013. Like I said, Lebron is a great talent but his legacy does not stack up to guys like MJ, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Russell, Kobe, Shaq, Duncan.
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Let me sum up the last few pages:
Lakers fans arguing at how bad they will suck this season.
Not really. I don't think any Laker fan is expecting the Lakers to be great this season. I think a healthy Kobe and healthy overall team puts them back in the playoffs, but they're not a title contender.
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Not really. I don't think any Laker fan is expecting the Lakers to be great this season. I think a healthy Kobe and healthy overall team puts them back in the playoffs, but they're not a title contender.
They will be better then my Pacers :-X
The Pacers recently tried to trade Roy Hibbert and bench player Copeland (and cash) to the Suns for Point guard Goran Dragic.
The Suns declined the offer. Bird trying to blow shit up now :'(
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Regular season MVP awards mean jack shit. They are voted on by douchebag sportswriters. Steve Nash won 2 in a row, Shaq only has 1. That's all you need to know.
Lebron has 2 rings in 5 tries. In 4 of those 5 he had a stacked super team but still only won half the time. Would have lost 3 out of those 4 if it wasn't for Ray Allen's miracle 3 pointer in 2013. Like I said, Lebron is a great talent but his legacy does not stack up to guys like MJ, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Russell, Kobe, Shaq, Duncan.
why do they "mean shit"? because kobe only has 1? lebron has 4 one less than jordan and he should have 5, no way derrick rose deserved it more
one of lebron's losses was with a average cleveland team the he carried, it's amazing he made it that far, kobe failed miserably with similar teams, they definitely underachieved against dallas but dirk played out of his mind
miracle 3 pointer? you act like lebron stunk that entire series, if lebron didn't dominate ray allen never would've been in a position to make that 3 pointer
the fact that you compare his legacy with all time great like MJ and magic well BEFORE his career is over says a lot about the greatness of lebron, you criticize only because you don't like him personally
the 90's was a weak era of basketball, that's part of the reason jordan's bulls dominated
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why do they "mean shit"? because kobe only has 1? lebron has 4 one less than jordan and he should have 5, no way derrick rose deserved it more
one of lebron's losses was with a average cleveland team the he carried, it's amazing he made it that far, kobe failed miserably with similar teams, they definitely underachieved against dallas but dirk played out of his mind
miracle 3 pointer? you act like lebron stunk that entire series, if lebron didn't dominate ray allen never would've been in a position to make that 3 pointer
the fact that you compare his legacy with all time great like MJ and magic well BEFORE his career is over says a lot about the greatness of lebron, you criticize only because you don't like him personally
the 90's was a weak era of basketball, that's part of the reason jordan's bulls dominated
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I agree with your 90s/Jordan basketball assessment, but what you said about Kobe's teams isn't accurate. He had pretty bad teams after Shaq and before Pau. And I don't think anything LeCramp did in Cleveland was any more impressive than Kobe taking Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, and Smush Parker to the playoffs. They almost beat the Suns too, who might have had the best record in the NBA that year? In any event, taking that starting lineup to the playoffs in the Western Conference was pretty darn impressive.
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why do they "mean shit"? because kobe only has 1? lebron has 4 one less than jordan and he should have 5, no way derrick rose deserved it more
one of lebron's losses was with a average cleveland team the he carried, it's amazing he made it that far, kobe failed miserably with similar teams, they definitely underachieved against dallas but dirk played out of his mind
miracle 3 pointer? you act like lebron stunk that entire series, if lebron didn't dominate ray allen never would've been in a position to make that 3 pointer
the fact that you compare his legacy with all time great like MJ and magic well BEFORE his career is over says a lot about the greatness of lebron, you criticize only because you don't like him personally
the 90's was a weak era of basketball, that's part of the reason jordan's bulls dominated
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They "mean shit" because they are voted on by douchebag sports reporters who often give the awards to the wrong person as I already pointed out. They also mean shit because of these two words...REGULAR SEASON.
Yes, miracle three pointer. Lebron was very underwhelming in that series and when they were about to lose in game six he had the deer in the headlights look again. Ray Allen saved his sorry ass and with it his entire legacy, such as it is.
I'm not comparing his legacy to MJ and Magic, professor. I'm saying that his legacy does not compare. Reading comprehension bro. Yes Lebron's still playing but this is his 12th year. Magic only played 12 years and MJ 13 years(not counting his time with the Wizards at age 38-40).
Please don't talk about the 90's being a weak era. Lebron plays in the East where there is essentially no competition and the last few years half the star players in the NBA have been out injured. Lebron has literally cake walked to the finals the last 4 years.
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Please don't talk about the 90's being a weak era. Lebron plays in the East where there is essentially no competition and the last few years half the star players in the NBA have been out injured. Lebron has literally cake walked to the finals the last 4 years.
The 90s were very weak, but I agree with this.
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They "mean shit" because they are voted on by douchebag sports reporters who often give the awards to the wrong person as I already pointed out. They also mean shit because of these two words...REGULAR SEASON.
Yes, miracle three pointer. Lebron was very underwhelming in that series and when they were about to lose in game six he had the deer in the headlights look again. Ray Allen saved his sorry ass and with it his entire legacy, such as it is.
I'm not comparing his legacy to MJ and Magic, professor. I'm saying that his legacy does not compare. Reading comprehension bro. Yes Lebron's still playing but this is his 12th year. Magic only played 12 years and MJ 13 years(not counting his time with the Wizards at age 38-40).
Please don't talk about the 90's being a weak era. Lebron plays in the East where there is essentially no competition and the last few years half the star players in the NBA have been out injured. Lebron has literally cake walked to the finals the last 4 years.
so the regular season doesn't matter? who would you have given the mvp the years lebron won?
if lebron was underwhelming why was he named mvp of the finals? now will you tell me the finals mvp doesn't matter, right? how many points does lebron have to average in the finals for you to think he wasn't "underwhelming"?
how many titles would magic or jordan have if they played on the teams lebron had? you conveniently forget the teams they played on as if kareem, worthy, or pippen were players the caliber of birdman, they did it all themselves ::)
when you say one legacy doesn't compare to another, you are comparing them "genius"
what great teams did jordan's bulls beat? barkley and a bunch of jobbers, one year wonders in vin baker and shawn kemp, old and watered down lakers with magic
he won titles once the lakers, celtics, and pistons got old that's a fact
ever think they cake walked because they are that damn good? the heat would dominate any team jordan's bulls beat, they also weren't good enough to star in the league at 18
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The 90s were very weak, but I agree with this.
but why does that make a difference?
he beat the best the west had to offer twice and if his team actually showed up this year it would've been a third
would oklahoma or anybody other than the spurs have beaten the heat this year?
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Time is gonna prove me right about old Lebron and his flimsy legacy. It already is but people just don't want to admit the truth.
It's fine, I'll wait.
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Time is gonna prove me right about old Lebron and his flimsy legacy. It already is but people just don't want to admit the truth.
It's fine, I'll wait.
Lebron is probably already considered top 10 of all time for some people.
In my mind, there will always be an asterisk next to his name.
It should say: Lebron played during the ring chasing era.
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Time is gonna prove me right about old Lebron and his flimsy legacy. It already is but people just don't want to admit the truth.
It's fine, I'll wait.
his legacy at worst is an all time top 10 player, 2 more titles and he's arguably the best ever, he shouldn't be penalized for playing for the worst franchise in the league his first few years
you don't have to agree with all the people that actually know what they are talking about, but why not appreciate his greatness while you are watching it rather than be a hater?
we are all a witness 8)
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Lebron is probably already considered top 10 of all time for some people.
In my mind, there will always be an asterisk next to his name.
It should say: Lebron played during the ring chasing era.
you mean the era where the best players got stuck with horrible franchises in unglamorous cities
i'm sure you guys would stay in your dead end town if there wasn't a better job opportunity in a better city
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Two more rings and he's the best ever? Forget MJ for the moment.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 MVPs, and 6 rings. His rings were won against the 70's Knicks, Dr J's Sixers, Larry Bird's Celtics and the Detroit Bad Boy Pistons. Every single one of them a multiple time champions in their own right. He is the all time leading scorer in the NBA with the most unstoppable shot in history..the Skyhook. Never mind his 3 straight NCAA championships and 3 straight NCAA player of the year awards. He was so dominant in college that they changed the rules and banned the dunk in order to reign him in. Even that didn't work.
Lebron can't even fantasize about that kind of greatness. People have very short memories.
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Today Wilt Chamberlain would have been 78 years old. The most dominant player ever in Basketball. Also dominated the women, a true Getbigger.