NBA Playoffs and i hate Lebron/I wanna bang Lebron thread

• The Boss

  

  The Cavs lost 26 games in a row or something like that--I'd say it was a smart move for LeBron to GTFO.
• Skyhook79

  

  "It was a sign and trade BTW, for all of you who want to conveniently ignore that fact and he DID NOT have to do that."
  
  
  ...and the delusional one continues to spew crap. It was the CAVS that agreed to do that and they didn't have to.
  Take your head out once in a while and take a look around at the real world.
  
  http://www.aolnews.com/2010/07/10/cavs-agree-to-lebron-james-sign-and-trade-for-draft-picks/
• BR1986FB

  The Boss;766186 wrote:The Cavs lost 26 games in a row or something like that--I'd say it was a smart move for LeBron to GTFO.

  
  Yeah, because they would have lost 26 in a row had he stayed in Cleveland...idiot
• The Boss

  

  And they didn't have to?! LMFAO!!!!!! You're right, the CAVS did LEBRON a favor doing a sign and trade when he was a free agent. And I'm delusional......
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  Despite the fact that the Heat have looked good so far and have acted as though they've already won a title, there are still two rounds to go. As many of us on here have seen, (especially Cavs fans that witnessed LBJ and co. sweep through the first two rounds of the playoffs in 2009.) a lot can still happen between now and when the O'Brien trophy is hoisted. Looking at the heat moving forward they certainly have a lot going for them
  
  -They are playing fairly consistent basketball so far
  -They have 2 of the top 5 players in the NBA and another who's top 20
  -They have home court advantage in all but 1 possible matchup
  -They have an advantage at SG in every possible matchup
  -They have an advantage at SF in every possible matchup except maybe 1 (Durant-LBJ could certainly cancel each other out)
  
  
  Now let's look at some of the things they still have going against them in these remaining playoffs and please, feel free to correct me if you have reason to believe any of the following statements are incorrect. (BTW, I'm going to go out on a limb and rule out the Hawks....sue me)
  
  -They have the worst bench of any remaining team
  -They have the worst front court of any remaining team
  -They have the worst point guard of any remaining team
  -Their 3rd best player really is a positional advantage in arguably only one potential matchup
  -They have the worst interior defense of any remaining team
  
  
  Now personally I'm not ready to crown the Heat NBA champs yet, especially since I think that the Mavericks definitely had a more impressive series win sweeping the 2 time defending NBA champs who also happened to be healthy. I'm not saying the Heat can't/won't win the title, I'm just saying there's a lot of factors still working against them.
• The Boss

  

  Who crowned them?
• BR1986FB

  Skyhook79;766193 wrote:"It was a sign and trade BTW, for all of you who want to conveniently ignore that fact and he DID NOT have to do that."
  
  
  ...and the delusional one continues to spew crap. It was the CAVS that agreed to do that and they didn't have to.
  Take your head out once in a while and take a look around at the real world.
  
  http://www.aolnews.com/2010/07/10/cavs-agree-to-lebron-james-sign-and-trade-for-draft-picks/

  
  Exactly. I thought Gilbert's ego wouldn't allow him to do the S&T but he decided not to cut off his nose to spite his face.
  
  And as far as SQ's "You need to read more books, especially about athletes" bullshit, he obviously wants to gloss over the "we'd been talking about joining forces since the Olympics" stuff that came out shortly following the Decision.
• royal_k

  

  BR1986FB;766200 wrote:Exactly. I thought Gilbert's ego wouldn't allow him to do the S&T but he decided not to cut off his nose to spite his face.
  
  And as far as SQ's "You need to read more books, especially about athletes" bullshit, he obviously wants to gloss over the "we'd been talking about joining forces since the Olympics" stuff that came out shortly following the Decision.

  
  Exactly! They were planning this years in advance. He knew way in advance what he was doing and where he was going.
• BR1986FB

  Y-Town...agreed. If Miami faces Dallas and let's say Bosh decides to pull his frequent "no show" and doesn't score 20 points, to go along with Wade & LBJ's 20+, the CHeat will be screwed. Tell me who will consistently pick up the slack? Bibby? Z? The Immortal MVP Joel Anthony?
• BR1986FB

  royal_k;766202 wrote:Exactly! They were planning this years in advance. He knew way in advance what he was doing and where he was going.

  I don't know if he knew WHERE he was going just due to the fact that Miami had to do some shuffling to afford all three but he knew WHO he was teaming up with and he knew he was exiting Cleveland.
• Skyhook79

  

  BR1986FB;766200 wrote:Exactly. I thought Gilbert's ego wouldn't allow him to do the S&T but he decided not to cut off his nose to spite his face.
  
  And as far as SQ's "You need to read more books, especially about athletes" bullshit, he obviously wants to gloss over the "we'd been talking about joining forces since the Olympics" stuff that came out shortly following the Decision.

  
  Exactly!! SQ likes to ignore and gloss over a lot facts. That is precisely why Bosh said he didn't want to play in Cleveland because he knew Lebron and him were joining Wade in Miami.
• The Boss

  

  LOL
  
  Trust me, I know I can't win on this site. But it's just funny to see you guys squirm and come up with new reasons to hate LeBron.
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  The Boss;766186 wrote:The Cavs lost 26 games in a row or something like that--I'd say it was a smart move for LeBron to GTFO.

  
  This is pretty misleading and I'm surprised someone with your supposed lack of NBA knowledge would resort to this argument. I don't think there's much doubt that had LeBron stayed, guys like Christian Eyenga, Alonzo Gee, and Manny Harris wouldn't be on the Cavs bench let alone in the starting lineup. The Cavs went into rebuilding mode right after LeBron left which was the smart thing to do as they now have 2 lottery picks to build the future with. The Cavs weren't trying to be a contender this season as they now had a bunch of players specifically brought in because of their unique abilities which fit perfectly around the talents of LeBron (though losing their two best players for the season certainly didn't help). It's like buying a bunch of Xbox controllers, games, and A/V wires and then the Xbox is gone. Doesn't mean that those components don't still work, they just don't work as well without the Xbox to plug into. I don't think it's too far fetched to say that with LeBron back, a coaching upgrade in Byron Scott, a few more roster moves before the season (had a sign and trade ready to go for Bosh pending his approval, not to mention they consistently had shown they were willing to bring in talent) the result against this year's version of the Celtics wouldn't have been all that different if it were the Cavs instead of the Heat. Basically the whole "the 2011 Cavs were the same team just minus LeBron" argument is heavily flawed.
  
  As for the sign and trade, I'm afraid you fell a little flat again. No LeBron didn't have to do a sign-and-trade but at that point it made sense for both teams. LeBron got more money thean he would've simply signing with Miami, and the Cavs got SOMETHING back in the form of a couple draft picks that shouldn't be too useful barring some season ending injuries to LBJ or Wade in the next few years. If LeBron really wanted to "help out Cleveland" he would've been honest like Carmelo and requested a trade before the last week of free agency. Many people criticize Melo, but fact is that the Nuggets were able to get some quality players in return to make their rebuild go much faster than the Cavs. All LeBron did was turn the Cavs into the blueprint of what not to do when you're a small market team and you have anything less than a guarantee that your franchise player is returning.
• BR1986FB

  The Boss;766208 wrote:LOL
  
  Trust me, I know I can't win on this site. But it's just funny to see you guys squirm and come up with new reasons to hate LeBron.

  
  Just as funny as it is for you to think he's perfect and can do no wrong. I think Skip Bayless is a douchebag and Charles Barkley can be an ass but they were DEAD ON about Lebron ALL along. I'm not going to say I didn't support him & defend him but I was objective & critical about him in certain cases. This is NOT the case with you.
• karen lotz

  

  How exactly is Miami cheating? I'm very interested in hearing your reasoning, because I'm sure it will be sound.
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  But it's just funny to see you guys squirm and come up with new reasons to hate LeBron.

  No hate here, just stating some arguments backed with reason. Feel free to argue against any of them with reasoning of your own. Personally I don't care what LeBron does. He made a decision that has both benefits and consequences. The benefit being that he's living in nice weather, playing with his buddy who's another great player, and might have put himself in a better position to win a championship. The consequences being that his legacy will be looked at differently (not saying better or worse....but certainly differently) and he put himself in a position to receive criticism (justifiably so) for "The Decision" which has been critically panned by most people as an example of what not to do with your PR team. He's basically the A-Rod of basketball, certainly nothing wrong with that...and if he's content, why should anyone care?
• The Boss

  

  Yeah, you're right, Skip Bayless has been dead on about LeBron after saying he isn't clutch for all of these years--when the stats clearly show otherwise.
  
  And Y-Town, trust me, I know the roster would have looked different had he stayed. They still wouldn't have beat the Celtics though, and they wouldn't have gotten much better during the biggest FA period in league history. Apparently that's LeBron's fault because he's supposed to be the GM too I guess, but look at all the teams in the East that got better that would have been better than the Cavs. Chicago, Boston, Miami with Bosh and whatever else Pat Riley's genius would have pulled off with the money they spent on LeBron. Remember when the Cavs played the C's? 4 of the best 5 players on the court were in GREEN jerseys. What happens if LeBron stays and they lose to the Celtics again? Then what? What would your reaction be today if LeBron was in a Cavs jersey and last night they got beat by the C's and you KNEW LeBron was coming back next season? You'd still be talking shit.
• The Boss

  

  karen lotz;766220 wrote:How exactly is Miami cheating? I'm very interested in hearing your reasoning, because I'm sure it will be sound.

  
  The same way the Yankees cheat. That's just how lifetime losers justify their team being shit year in and year out. The other guys must be cheating.
• Skyhook79

  

  Last years Cavs team would have beaten the Celtics had Lebron not quit in Game 5 at home with series tied at 2-2. Also this years Celtic "Big 3' were a year older, which makes a huge difference, and had a one armed Rondo for 2.5 games,no Perkins, no Shaq and injured Jermaine O'Neal playing.
• wes_mantooth

  

  The Boss;766146 wrote:Let me start by saying that I'm not trying to tell you that you need to be a fan of his, or that you need to root for him or whatever. This is to BR too but I'm not going to quote all his BS.
  
  LeBron didn't have to say this at all, so regardless of when it came, you should appreciate it because you all wanted some sort of apology. He didn't owe one to anyone. He came out of high school and didn't get to pick where he went. He went to the worst team in the league and completely turned that franchise around. Regardless of what BR says, those of us who actually pay attention know that LeBron didn't handpick his teammates. He was part of the decision making process, but the front office made the decisions. LeBron TRIED (it's been documented) to get some big names to Cleveland, the front office tried, Dan Gilbert tried. None of them wanted to come. LeBron went through TWO contracts--he could have bolted after one. He was put in a terrible situation from draft day on but he put the time and effort into doing his part. He was FORCED (because of the draft) to play the hometown hero role in a town that wasn't even his hometown. It was far more emotional driven than what most players have to go through, and he did GREAT things for the city of Cleveland.
  
  Midstate, you said IF he had apologized long ago and NOT had the decision show you'd still be mad. So, I have to say, thanks for the honesty because most people can't admit that. Most people want to bullshit the world and say they hate him because of how he left--which may be, but they also hate him BECAUSE he left whether they admit it or not. Personally, I didn't like the decision show either, but I don't think LeBron did either. First of all, in this age he has a certain obligation to the media to do something more than just say he's leaving from the locker room. Second, you could see how uncomfortable he was during it--remember, this was the brain child of Maverick Carter. And in the end I think while it may have broken some hearts (the show especially), he was going to be hated in Cleveland no matter what. But the decision show did a lot of good--it allowed him an hour in primetime to pimp his sponsors (all of the ads were from his endorsers) and it raised A LOT of money for the Boys and Girls club. Half a million of that money went to the Cleveland area club. So swallow your pride as a sports fan and realize that you're just using that as an excuse to hate him. Admit that you would have hated him anyways (not directed at you Midstate, you already did) and the show just gives you something to cite so that you don't have to say, "I miss him playing for my team". LeBron is not an evil guy, moving to Miami was the right move and he put a lot of effort into STAYING in Cleveland but the stars just didn't align. Just appreciate what he did for your awful franchise for 7 years and quit hating so much. Because you're missing a chance to appreciate the greatness. We've got 2 players playing at THE highest level on the same team and they compliment each other beautifully. It's a joy to watch.
  
  As far as vindication against the C's. All of the things that were mentioned aside, they earned their little celebration. The Celtics have been the kryptonite to both LeBron AND DWade. And they both played lights out and finished them off in 5 games to finally get over that hurdle. You heard LeBron, the Celtics were the blueprint for the guys getting together in Miami. That was the monkey they had to get off their back.
  
  Anyways, you can hate all you want--it doesn't bother me (actually I like it, it's entertaining). But this is going to go on for 5, 6, 7 seasons so you might as well just accept it and move on at this point. All the questions everyone had about them have been answered, they are for real, deal with it.

  
  tl ;dr
• BR1986FB

  karen lotz;766220 wrote:How exactly is Miami cheating? I'm very interested in hearing your reasoning, because I'm sure it will be sound.

  
  Ummm, collusion?
• Skyhook79

  

  karen lotz;766220 wrote:How exactly is Miami cheating? I'm very interested in hearing your reasoning, because I'm sure it will be sound.

  
  Why don't you direct the question to someone and maybe they will answer it.
• karen lotz

  

  BR1986FB;766238 wrote:Ummm, collusion?

  
  
  lol.
• The Boss

  

  You're still holding on to the quit thing?
  
  Bad game. You don't quit when in game 6 you have 27, 19 and 10. Period. You LOSE this argument every time--unfortunately for me all of the people on this particular site are going to agree with you. But outside of the little Cleveland bubble and a few hater Laker fans, most agree he didn't quit. You know why? Because no player has EVER quit on a series and still pulled down 19 boards. Because you CAN'T quit and pull down 19 boards--forget the triple-double. NINETEEN rebounds. That takes effort. He had a bad game in game 5, a really bad game. You might too if you're the only guy going against the best defense in the league, with the best defensive coach in the league on their sidelines who is now coaching the Bulls. They had the team to kill the one man show. They did it, but to say he quit is just as asinine as it was from the start.
• BR1986FB

  Skyhook79;766235 wrote:Last years Cavs team would have beaten the Celtics had Lebron not quit in Game 5 at home with series tied at 2-2. Also this years Celtic "Big 3' were a year older, which makes a huge difference, and had a one armed Rondo for 2.5 games,no Perkins, no Shaq and injured Jermaine O'Neal playing.

  
  This years Heat wouldn't have beaten last years Celtics or the previous Celts team that eliminated the Cavs.
  
  Now WHY would Lebron want to beat the Celts last year? Kinda puts a chink in your "exit strategy" if your excuse is "I had a shitty supporting cast" and you're coming off a championship.