Stern says James move Ill advised

[The_Worlds_finest]

I should stop reading just the headlines.

[ElNono]

lmao Stern... "Here, let me tap that wrist. Now you guys go ahead. You Gilbert, you owe me $100K!"

[Mr.Stern]

Haters gonna hate!!!!

[SomeCallMeTim]

Im sure this guy is just coving his ass. The new heat will make his league multiple times more money.

(and to play the devils advocate, imagine the money the bookies are going to make with acouple fixed games for regular/playoff season)

What did he say, exactly?

And why is it really his business? That's LeBron's call and was perfectly within the rules of FA. I suppose Stern can comment on anything he wants but it seems bad form to criticize a player's choice of team like that.

I could be wrong but I think the Heats will likely be good for the NBA as a whole as far as generating interest in the league from more casual sports fans. I think ultimately they'll need some good foils -- if they steamroll everyone that will get boring. The Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Bulls, perhaps even the Spurs and Mavs could provide that.

[DMX7]

Im sure this guy is just coving his ass. The new heat will make his league multiple times more money.

(and to play the devils advocate, imagine the money the bookies are going to make with acouple fixed games for regular/playoff season)

Not as much as LeBron on the Knicks would have made.

[Venti Quattro]

but lebron did it for the fucking kids :cry

[The_Worlds_finest]

but lebron did it for the fucking kids :cry

I kinda wish the idea of handing out bottles of Vitamin water to the children wasn't axed at the last minute.

[MavDynasty]

in the article it says "The Decision" move was ill-advised. nothing wrong about going to Miami, it was just ill-advised to announce it on national tv

[The_Worlds_finest]

in the article it says "The Decision" move was ill-advised. nothing wrong about going to Miami, it was just ill-advised to announce it on national tv

I wish headlines should give more of the story

[MavDynasty]

NBA commissioner David Stern congratulated LeBron James on his decision. He just wishes it came without "The Decision."

Stern said Monday he would have advised James to tell the Cleveland Cavaliers of his choice to leave for the Miami Heat earlier than he did, and that the two-time MVP's public announcement shouldn't have come in a made-for-television special that attracted nearly 10 million viewers.


The commissioner said James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh violated no league rules in discussing free agency among themselves, and that the league isn't investigating how the Heat managed to land all three. That doesn't mean Stern didn't take issue with certain elements of free agency, particularly James' decision to say he was leaving Cleveland on ESPN.

"The advice that he received on this was poor," Stern said after NBA owners met in Las Vegas. "The performance was fine. His honesty and his integrity, I think, shined through. But this decision was ill-conceived."

Meanwhile, Stern also took action against Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, fining him $100,000 for words that the commissioner described as "a little bit extreme."

Gilbert released a sharp-tongued statement shortly after James' announcement last Thursday, calling it "narcissistic" and "cowardly behavior." Later, Gilbert told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he felt James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs the past two years.

Even Rev. Jesse Jackson received a rebuke of sorts from Stern.

Jackson responded to Gilbert's remarks on Sunday by saying the Cavs owner sees James as a "runaway slave" and that Gilbert's comments put the player in danger. "He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," Jackson said in a release from his Chicago-based civil-rights group.

Stern said Jackson is a friend and ally to the league, but as with Gilbert, felt the reaction simply went too far.

"However well-meaning Jesse may be in the premise on this one, he is, as he rarely is, mistaken," Stern said. "And I would have told him so had he called me before he issued his statement, rather than this morning. But he is a good friend of the NBA and our players. Has worked arduously on many good causes and we work together in many matters."

James, Wade and Bosh all decided last week to play together in Miami, working out six-year deals after talking with each other at times throughout the free-agent process. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Sunday he wanted the NBA to examine how all three joined the same team.

But in the Monday meeting of the league's Board of Governors, no formal complaints were levied, Stern said.

"Our players, having negotiated for the right to be free agents at some point in their career, are totally within their rights to seek employment with any other team," Stern said. "That's something we agreed to. That's something we embrace. That's our system."

Further, Stern said James was "entitled" to make his move to South Florida. He also congratulated Miami for its free-agent approach.

"Miami did a pretty good job of clearing out cap space and putting together a plan," Stern said.

One representative from each team met with Stern and NBA officials on Monday, where other conversations besides free agency included an update on the league's labor deal, negotiations with the players' association, and revenue sharing. Owners want a "much revised" system, Stern reiterated, while saying the union would like the present system to remain largely intact.

"Our finances are what they are," said Stern, who added that the league lost about $370 million this past season.

The league will contact the union later this summer, "to continue our dialogue," Stern said. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire at the end of the 2010-11 season, and a lockout is possible on July 1.

"We are very anxious to make an agreement," Stern said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5374799

[SenorSpur]

Fuck Stern. He comes out after-the-fact to make his statement, when he realized all that was going on, when it was being planned. If he thought the idea of the made-for-TV appearance was a bad idea, as commissioner, he could've put a stop to it beforehand.

He simply wanted the ratings and the attention for the NBA.

[ducks]

said james should have told cavs before show

[Basketballgirl25]

said james should have told cavs before show

well he should have, but what better does james know, I mean the guy didn't go to college.

[himat]

well he should have, but what better does james know, I mean the guy didn't go to college.

Well a few others didn't either, but they never would have acted like this. The problem with him is that people always sucked up and bowed down to him since he was 14. I think is the first time he will ever face backlash (and in a major way). So can we really put all the blame on him? He was really ignorant of the situation. For once somebody should have told he was making a dumb ass decision about making a heartbreaking decision on national television.

[picc84]

Holding a charity event for impoverished kids is never ill-advised. I'd 'advise' David Stern to evaluate his priorities and what he deems important in life. If not for Lebrons special the children of Greenwich, CT might be forced to eat with golden spoons instead of platinum ones.

[HarlemHeat37]

donating charity funds to kids is never ill-advised. I'd 'advise' david stern to evaluate his priorities and what he deems important in life.

+1..

[Mr.Stern]

Fuck Stern. He comes out after-the-fact to make his statement, when he realized all that was going on, when it was being planned. If he thought the idea of the made-for-TV appearance was a bad idea, as commissioner, he could've put a stop to it beforehand.

He simply wanted the ratings and the attention for the NBA.

No need for the foul language sir, nothing they did violated the league rules.

[ducks]

+1..

he did it for himself
he could have done a special for charity without anouncing the decision


he is a loser and quitter,sore loser, and no champion

[MavDynasty]

he did it for himself
he could have done a special for charity without anouncing the decision


he is a loser and quitter,sore loser, and no champion

why does it suck?
there is suppose to be a sallary cap to try to keep the field level

if they got lee they have bird rights to sign him to any amout

I do not know about the cap in baseball
but how with their large payroll and having to pay taxes 24 million each year


how they would be able to sign lee?

[ducks]

well he should have, but what better does james know, I mean the guy didn't go to college.

if he did not cheat and pay his high school teachers to pass him
he would know better

[HeatChamps]

It's more fun to rub it in those faggot Cleveland fans and owner though. :D

[Mr.Stern]

You guys are twisting my words. I said HIS ADVICE was ill advised not his move. Check your facts please.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Fuck Stern. He comes out after-the-fact to make his statement, when he realized all that was going on, when it was being planned. If he thought the idea of the made-for-TV appearance was a bad idea, as commissioner, he could've put a stop to it beforehand.

He simply wanted the ratings and the attention for the NBA.

Stern likely had no clue where LeBron was headed.

The special became a debacle as soon as he announced he was headed to Miami.

If he would've announced he was staying in Cleveland, it would've been a great moment... hunky dory... and a good story. Then all this sound and fury in the aftermath is a moot point.

[Basketballgirl25]

Well a few others didn't either, but they never would have acted like this. The problem with him is that people always sucked up and bowed down to him since he was 14. I think is the first time he will ever face backlash (and in a major way). So can we really put all the blame on him? He was really ignorant of the situation. For once somebody should have told he was making a dumb ass decision about making a heartbreaking decision on national television.

agreed, if somebody told him he was a dumb ass and shouldn't do it on national television he would only be hated by people in Cleveland and New York, lot's more fans and people who don't follow basketball just don't like him for that television shit and people saying it was for the kids in BS, if it was for the kids he should have talked about the kids

[apalisoc_9]

Haters gonna hate!!!!

all dem haters..dey nat see adeer side of coin..

[Nahtanoj]

If he was heading back to Cleveland then "The Decision" would've been a wonderful thing.