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The Three Kings of Miami

  • Prescott
    Did anyone else watch Miami's welcoming party last night?? WOW!!!

    These guys better win next year or they will look like total fools.

    Wade's House
    LeBron's Kingdom
    Bosh's Pit

    Are you kidding me???
  • GoChiefs
    Eh...not next year, but within the next couple of years.
  • thedynasty1998
    I think they are more aware than anyone what expectations are.
  • sjmvsfscs08
    I thought it was totally classless. I mean I always liked those three but they way there were saying it would be "easy" and then Lebron guaranteeing they'd win 6< championships was a bit too much for me. I personally thought it would've been cool to see, but on the other hand I just don't know if I can root for these punks.
  • GoChiefs
    Don't know a whole lot about Bosh...but to say Wade is a 'punk' would be idiotic. Especially if you actually believe that.
  • karen lotz
    Did he guarantee 6+? I thought he said that was the goal. To win championshipS. I don't blame him for leaving Cleveland at all after how Gilbert reacted. You think LeBron didn't know what kind of a spiteful guy he was? He is going to live and play in a city that most any of us would move to if we were in the same situation. He has two of his good friends with him, he is 25 years old and he has a chance to win a lot if they can make it work. I did want him to stay in Cleveland but you can't hate him for doing whats best for him.
  • karen lotz
    GoChiefs;419267 wrote:Don't know a whole lot about Bosh...but to say Wade is a 'punk' would be idiotic. Especially if you actually believe that.
    Exactly. Bosh is a little bit of a goofy/jokester type but he is not a punk either. Jealousy is a funny thing.
  • gerb131
    Always liked Bosh he was just buried in Canada.
  • friendfromlowry
    karen lotz;419272 wrote: I don't blame him for leaving Cleveland at all after how Gilbert reacted. You think LeBron didn't know what kind of a spiteful guy he was? He is going to live and play in a city that most any of us would move to if we were in the same situation.

    What do you mean? Gilbert didn't react that way until after Lebron announced he was leaving. Before that, Gilbert was ready to offer him more money than anyone else. I did think Gilbert's reaction was tacky, but from what I've read, a lot of people are happy he said all of that. Not to mention all the work they put in these past few years, giving Lebron anything they could get to work with. In hindsight, it wasn't smart to bring in guys like Shaq and Jamison who were past their primes and couldn't contribute like we needed them to...and so on and so forth with Ben Wallace, Delonte, Wally, etc. But at the time, he was making moves just trying to show Lebron they were willing to improve however possible.
    Would I have reacted like he did? No. Do I blame him? Ehhhhhh not really. The entire fanbase was pretty frustrated, and let's face it; Lebron was far from gracious in how he acted.
  • KR1245
    They have some big expectations thats for sure. Didnt help that Bron said he thinks they can win 7 titles.
  • karen lotz
    friendfromlowry;419334 wrote:What do you mean? Gilbert didn't react that way until after Lebron announced he was leaving. Before that, Gilbert was ready to offer him more money than anyone else.


    Right but you don't think over the time that Gilbert and LeBron were together in Cleveland, LeBron wouldn't pick up on how Gilbert really is? He was saying all the right things and singing LBJ's praises in an effort to get him to resign, then an hour after he announces he is leaving, that letter is put on cavs.com for the world to see?? Its not hard to see people for who they really are when you are around them for 5 years or whatever it was.
  • skank
    karen lotz;419377 wrote:Right but you don't think over the time that Gilbert and LeBron were together in Cleveland, LeBron wouldn't pick up on how Gilbert really is? He was saying all the right things and singing LBJ's praises in an effort to get him to resign, then an hour after he announces he is leaving, that letter is put on cavs.com for the world to see?? Its not hard to see people for who they really are when you are around them for 5 years or whatever it was.

    Gilbert's comments were a kneejerk reaction to just having your heart broken, how many of us, when we were young, really liked a girl, (or in NCF's case, a boy), and when she broke up with us, all of a sudden, when talking to your buddies, she was a bitch? I wouldn't be surprised at all, if in time, maybe alot of time, Gilbert rescinded his comments and tells the world what a fine young man LBJ is.
  • karen lotz
    The letter I hope was a knee jerk, but it was on ESPN yesterday that letter was reviewed and edited prior to it being posted. Not to mention the fatheads selling for a price that matches Benedict Arnold's birth year. I can absolutely understand the initial shock but its time to move on.
  • skank
    Oh, absolutely, it was time to move on the second LBJ said South Beach. But as far as Gilbert's comments, I personally love that he said it.
  • ironman02
    What Gilbert said is pretty stupid, in my opinion. How does he expect to EVER build a team in Cleveland now? No high profile player is going to want to play for an owner who says those kinds of things, no matter what the circumstances are. Gilbert showed that he's a spiteful, childish man with that statement and it's going to make things very tough for him when trying to attract personnel in the future. I realize he was heartbroken over LeBron leaving, and pissed about the way that it was handled, but he would have been much better off not releasing that statement. Honestly, I think he did it because he knew that the emotional fanbase would go along with it, point the finger completely at LeBron, and not be pissed at Gilbert for not bringing in a better supporting cast over the last 7 years.
  • killdeer
    LBJ looked like an ass. Pat Riley clearly face-palmed in front of the cameras when Bron predicted 6+ titles.
  • hoops23
    ironman02;419455 wrote:What Gilbert said is pretty stupid, in my opinion. How does he expect to EVER build a team in Cleveland now? No high profile player is going to want to play for an owner who says those kinds of things, no matter what the circumstances are. Gilbert showed that he's a spiteful, childish man with that statement and it's going to make things very tough for him when trying to attract personnel in the future. I realize he was heartbroken over LeBron leaving, and pissed about the way that it was handled, but he would have been much better off not releasing that statement. Honestly, I think he did it because he knew that the emotional fanbase would go along with it, point the finger completely at LeBron, and not be pissed at Gilbert for not bringing in a better supporting cast over the last 7 years.

    Oh please...

    It's funny that there are quite a few NBA players who have had Dan Gilberts back.

    And trust me, $$$$ makes athletes forget.

    Donald Sterling is a known racist and players still take his money.

    And please do not tell me Gilbert didn't bring in a good enough supporting cast. Nobody was saying that shit as the Cavs were winning 60+ games. Point is, LeBron failed.
  • hoops23
    Jeff Van Gundy speaks out about Gilbert:
    &#8221; Van Gundy said. &#8220;A player doesn&#8217;t play for an owner. It&#8217;s not like you have everyday contact. You play for the coach. Had Byron Scott said that, it may have had a more lasting impact.&#8221;
  • ironman02
    Come on, hoops. I'm allowed to have an opinion. Just as you say there are plenty of players who have Gilbert's back, there have also been reports of many saying that they would never sign with a team whose owner did something like that. Agents have even said that they would refuse to advise their clients to play in Cleveland because of Gilbert's letter as well. Obviously people are on each side of the fence, but if even one potential major prospect was turned off by that letter, then it could have an adverse effect on Cleveland down the road.

    Also, LeBron is widely consdiered to be one of the very best players in the league. If his supporting cast was actually good enough, don't you think they would have won a title? There's more to winning a title than just winning in the regular season. Maybe it's LeBron's fault, maybe it's his supporting cast, maybe it's Mike Brown, or maybe it's just a combination of several factors. However, you can simply look at Kobe's supporting cast, or that of the Celtics, and see the difference. I just don't think there's any way that someone, Cavs fan or not, can say that LeBron's supporting cast was equal to that of the other title contenders. Maybe Gilbert's hands were tied, and maybe he brought in the best guys he could get with the available resources, but from top to bottom, the Cavs weren't good enough to win a title. We can agree that LeBron failed (as did the rest of the organization) and that he handled the entire situation wrong, but I feel like Gilbert was clearly in the wrong as well.
  • Prescott
    No high profile player is going to want to play for an owner who says those kinds of things,
    If the Cavs couldn't lure a free agent to Cleveland with LeBron, why would anyone think that could lure a free agent to Cleveland without LeBron.

    Gilbert was classless, but his statement will have no bearing on potential free agents. The premier ones would never go to Cleveland anyway.
  • jordo212000
    ironman02;419788 wrote:Come on, hoops. I'm allowed to have an opinion. Just as you say there are plenty of players who have Gilbert's back, there have also been reports of many saying that they would never sign with a team whose owner did something like that. Agents have even said that they would refuse to advise their clients to play in Cleveland because of Gilbert's letter as well. Obviously people are on each side of the fence, but if even one potential major prospect was turned off by that letter, then it could have an adverse effect on Cleveland down the road.

    Just the fact that it could cause 1 guy not to sign in Cleveland shows that he should have kept his mouth shut. Discretion is the better part of valor.
  • ironman02
    Prescott;419965 wrote:If the Cavs couldn't lure a free agent to Cleveland with LeBron, why would anyone think that could lure a free agent to Cleveland without LeBron.

    Gilbert was classless, but his statement will have no bearing on potential free agents. The premier ones would never go to Cleveland anyway.
    Well, you're probably right. My point was mostly theoretical, but what you posted supports the argument against Gilbert even more. How is he going to build this championship caliber team that he's guaranteeing when he can't attract championship caliber players, especially without the lure of LeBron now? I want to see the Cavs do well, but I'm just not optimistic about the rebuilding process. Losing LeBron is obviously devastating, but what little hope (if any) the Cavs organization had may have been further destroyed by Gilbert letting his emotions get the best of him.
  • hoops23
    ironman02;420037 wrote:Well, you're probably right. My point was mostly theoretical, but what you posted supports the argument against Gilbert even more. How is he going to build this championship caliber team that he's guaranteeing when he can't attract championship caliber players, especially without the lure of LeBron now? I want to see the Cavs do well, but I'm just not optimistic about the rebuilding process. Losing LeBron is obviously devastating, but what little hope (if any) the Cavs organization had may have been further destroyed by Gilbert letting his emotions get the best of him.

    You do it the OKC way.

    Through the draft and via trades.
  • ironman02
    Hopefully that works. If that's the route he was planning on taking, the statement about winning a title before LeBron seems even more ridiculous to me. Whatever though. Hopefully the Cavs can recover from this and be better for it in the long run.
  • hoops23
    ironman02;420069 wrote:Hopefully that works. If that's the route he was planning on taking, the statement about winning a title before LeBron seems even more ridiculous to me. Whatever though. Hopefully the Cavs can recover from this and be better for it in the long run.

    Any logical fan knows that Dan was speaking out of pure emotion. I truly think you guys are over blowing the statement though.. It's really not gotten that bad of a rep amongst other players, because honestly, a lot of players felt LeBron was blow hard to begin with. Look at how many players called LeBron out over the last couple of years.. You also now have guys like Brandon Jennings getting the back of Cleveland in this situation.

    Like I said though, players who visit here will see that Dan Gilbert is a nice guy who puts a lot of resources into the team, including great practice facilities, locker rooms, travel, etc... They'll forget those comments, just like players forget about Donald Sterling being a racist.

    Of course, Cleveland has to outbid other cities such as LA, NY, MIA, ORL, etc... just because of location, but by building through the draft and trades, you never have to worry about adding the big piece by FA..

    Usually when trying to build a team through FA in the first place, it hardly ever works.

    Trust me, the Cavs will be fine. We won't be legit contenders for a few years, but that's fine. I just want a competitive team who improves each season while maintaining flexibility to the roster.