LeBron James Discusses Contraction

[DeadlyDynasty]

By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com
Archive
PHOENIX -- This won't make LeBron James popular at the next player's union meeting, but Thursday he suggested the NBA would be more entertaining if there was contraction of teams.

In defending his decision to join up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat, James said the league was better when numerous teams had multiple stars. He said he hopes the league can return to that someday, because right now there isn't enough talent to support the 30 current teams.

“
Hopefully the league can figure out one way where it can go back to the '80s where you had three or four All-Stars, three or four superstars, three or four Hall of Famers on the same team. The league was great. It wasn't as watered down as it is [now].
”
-- LeBron James on the idea of contracting NBA teams.
"Hopefully the league can figure out one way where it can go back to the '80s where you had three or four All-Stars, three or four superstars, three or four Hall of Famers on the same team," James said. "The league was great. It wasn't as watered down as it is [now]."

In fact, James seemed to have a couple of ideas of which teams could go and some players that would make other teams better right now.

"[Contraction] is not my job; I'm a player but that is why it the league was so great," James said.

"Imagine if you could take Kevin Love off Minnesota and add him to another team and you shrink the [league]. Looking at some of the teams that aren't that great, you take Brook Lopez or you take Devin Harris off these teams that aren't that good right now and you add him to a team that could be really good. Not saying let's take New Jersey and let's take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I'm not stupid, it would be great for the league."

Perhaps that's a hint why James didn't seriously consider signing with the Nets last summer.

James spoke on the issue before taking on the Phoenix Suns, but much of the focus this week is on Saturday when the Heat are part of the Christmas Day main event against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

James said Wednesday he doesn't enjoy playing on Christmas even if it is the main attraction on the league's regular season schedule.

James said Christmas game wouldn't be such a big deal if there were fewer teams like in the '80s.

"You had more [star] players on a team, which made almost every game anticipated, not just a Christmas Day game," James said. "I don't ever think it is bad for the league when guys decide they want to do some greatness for what we call a team sport."

Brian Windhorst covers the Miami Heat for ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5952952


I agree with most of what he says, but I'm sure he'll be vilified in Minnesota and other parts of the country.

[ElNono]

less teams = less games = more time for the children :cry :cry :cry

[ElNono]

"I'm not saying get rid of the Nets and Wolves, but (wink wink), you know what I'm saying?"

[DeadlyDynasty]

"I'm not saying get rid of the Nets and Wolves, but (wink wink), you know what I'm saying?"

You hate to see a deserving city (such as Seattle) lose an NBA team, but I seriously doubt NJ even knows the Nets still exist. Besides, what's not to like about consolidation of talent, dissolution of a couple lackluster franchises, and fewer but more meaningful regular season games?

As the past few seasons have already illustrated, building "super" teams like LA, Miami, Boston, Orlando (to a lesser extent) is the new strategy anyways. This would only encourage more teams to do it, thus, making it more exciting.

I think everybody wins, except of course those few cities that lose a team.

[ElNono]

I live in NJ. tbh, they knew it existed when they had a competitive team (Kidd era). They just have been pathetic since then, and unlike NY you can't sell tickets no matter what.
Then again, they're already moving to Brooklyn, so WGAF.

[Xevious]

Or we could just just keep teams in the largest markets and have like four NBA teams. The smaller markets could just go fuck themselves. Seriously though, there's probably three teams in each conference that could be shaved. That would shorten the season slightly and put more importance on each game.

[Ace]

You hate to see a deserving city (such as Seattle) lose an NBA team, but I seriously doubt NJ even knows the Nets still exist. Besides, what's not to like about consolidation of talent, dissolution of a couple lackluster franchises, and fewer but more meaningful regular season games?

As the past few seasons have already illustrated, building "super" teams like LA, Miami, Boston, Orlando (to a lesser extent) is the new strategy anyways. This would only encourage more teams to do it, thus, making it more exciting.

I think everybody wins, except of course those few cities that lose a team.

IMO it would make the games interesting with fewer games no more coasting.

[Koolaid_Man]

IMO it would make the games interesting with fewer games no more coasting.


So that's it..that's the intellect you've been holding out on...a half-ass sentence with no real meat or substance. If someone asks you why you like pussy and all you have to say is that pussy is good. Then the jokes on you son....

Gotdamit Einstein let me move over...:lmao

[Ace]

So that's it..that's the intellect you've been holding out on...a half-ass sentence with no real meat or substance. If someone asks you why you like pussy and all you have to say is that pussy is good. Then the jokes on you son....

Gotdamit Einstein let me move over...:lmao

Lol butthurt peasant

[Koolaid_Man]

Lol butthurt peasant

Let me do the intellectual work for you...

Lebron really is as stupid as he looks...just like he did and failed with the whole 'no one should wear #23 fiasco" he's trying to make a case for mega-teams and his knowledge is flawed. Thanks goodness he's not in a position if leadership with the Players Union like Fish is. He's talking eliminating player positions along with the salaries and eliminating hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs in the process just so his pussy ass can "hopefully" win a title.

The foundation for a really good team is two players with decent role players and MJ proved that. Shaq and Kobe proved that...and to a much much lesser degree Timmy and David proved that as well...:lol Lebron wants to super-stack the rosters so he knows who his competition is which is laughable. He doesn't want a decent team to have an outside shot at knocking him off. In other words he wants his road paved and yellow bricked. That's why I can stand that bitch...no work ethic what-so-ever...

Go back in time....There were just a few teams in the 80's that were stacked and had multiple All-Stars such as L.A, Boston, and Philly. The Pistons barely got in there at the end of the decade. But you had Denver, the Rockets (made it to finals), the Suns for minute..these were really good and competitive teams.

LeBronze should also factor the economics of it. If one city isn't viable I say relocation will suffice unless you can't find a suitable market. But don't contract on the basis of "competitiveness" because that fits your personal agenda. That nigga has a lot to learn....there are alot of kids with dreams of playing in the NBA and a few less teams means a "few" less jobs and few less jobs means thousands of people not having work.

Now Ace this how you respond with substance it's also how you handle your business when you mount some pussy... good hard or go home ya dig. :lmao

[Thompson]

LeBron went on to say that Cleveland was another team that should be contracted, and then generously added that money taken from the sale of obsolete Cavaliers merchandise should go to the boys' and girls' clubs in the area.

[BRHornet45]

Sons if contraction happened then it should be the following teams who all have awful, cheapskate, front running fanbases...

New Orleans
Atlanta
New Jersey
Charlotte
Memphis
Indiana
Minnesota
Sacramento

Then hold a draft for the legit players and send the rest of the scrubs such as Trevor Ariza to the D League were most of them belong anyways.

[BRHornet45]

Sons if contraction happened then it should be the following teams who all have awful, cheapskate, front running fanbases...

New Orleans
Atlanta
New Jersey
Charlotte
Memphis
Indiana
Minnesota
Sacramento

Then hold a draft for the legit players and send the rest of the scrubs such as Trevor Ariza to the D League were most of them belong anyways.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Sons if contraction happened then it should be the following teams who all have awful, cheapskate, front running fanbases...

New Orleans
Atlanta
New Jersey
Charlotte
Memphis
Indiana
Minnesota
Sacramento

Then hold a draft for the legit players and send the rest of the scrubs such as Trevor Ariza to the D League were most of them belong anyways.

:tu

[Biggems]

how you could ignore the Clippers on that list is beyond me.

[djohn2oo8]

how you could ignore the Clippers on that list is beyond me.

Then Griffin would be awarded to the Lakers by default

[BRHornet45]

how you could ignore the Clippers on that list is beyond me.

because regardless of their suckassness they always have a solid fan base and put 16,000-18,000 in the seats every night. I would contract Philly before the Clippers.

[BRHornet45]

If you had to narrow it down to 3 teams (which is a very realistic possibility of happening) ... the 3 FOR SURE teams should be

New Jersey
Memphis
Sacramento

Those 3 teams are by far the worst in the NBA.

[PM5K]

30 teams, 15 players each, 450 players. So you mean to tell me that in the entire world there aren't enough talented basketball players to equal 450?

I also don't remember a league where three or four All-Stars were on the same team. It happens from time to time but that's because the ASG is a popularity contest, not any measure of talent. I also don't remember many teams with three or four HOF players either, especially not all in their prime. Some of those guys you might consider HOF players just rode someone elses coat tails (Think Robert Parish).

[BRHornet45]

30 teams, 15 players each, 450 players. So you mean to tell me that in the entire world there aren't enough talented basketball players to equal 450?

I also don't remember a league where three or four All-Stars were on the same team. It happens from time to time but that's because the ASG is a popularity contest, not any measure of talent. I also don't remember many teams with three or four HOF players either, especially not all in their prime. Some of those guys you might consider HOF players just rode someone elses coat tails.

son the simple fact that Trevor Ariza is a starter in the NBA should answer that question for you.

[Basketballgirl25]

I'd say New Jersey, Bobcats, and Miami should be teams to go if the nba was going to contract teams because well even though I'm a Nets fan, I'd say half to people in NJ could careless about them so not many people go to games, bobcats never seen a game where it was packed, and Miami before this year barely had people showing up for games. NBA doesn't have the balls to cut teams though, so we are all wrong anyway

[024]

anyone read that woj article? dude really has a vendetta against lebron.

[TDMVPDPOY]

less teams is better, spreads the game out for the week

allows another special cup within the season like a champions league cup winner takes home 10-20m million against teams best teams around the world...the tv revenue will be nutts

[TE]

Damn BR, you really don't like Trevor Ariza.

[LkrFan]

anyone read that woj article? dude really has a vendetta against lebron.
I disagree with that. He just doesn't slob on his knob and protect him at all costs like BSPN. People that don't like to hear the truth disagrees with what Woj is writing does. If any of what Woj has written were false he could be sued for libel. So far you haven't heard of LeHype or anyone in his camp taking him to court, now have you? Exactly - I haven't either.

[LkrFan]

because regardless of their suckassness they always have a solid fan base and put 16,000-18,000 in the seats every night. I would contract Philly before the Clippers.
I think the Clipps should move back home to San Diego. That way the Sp*r fans can stop with this nonsense the Lakers only have 39 road games while everyone else has 41. :lol

And the original Jazz (who are in Utah right now) should move back home to New Orleans. That way, you would be forced to root for DWill! :lmao

:toast

[Koolaid_Man]

anyone read that woj article? dude really has a vendetta against lebron.

excellent article :toast
LeBron undermines union with comments


LeBron James (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704/news) has embraced the villain role in a most unprecedented way, pushing away from his peers and aligning himself with David Stern, Dan Gilbert and the owners desperate to destroy the Players Association. He left the sport stunned on Christmas Eve, searching for an understanding of why he would go so far to undermine the union on the cusp of an apocalyptic collective bargaining brawl.
James advocated contraction of teams (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lebronjames-contraction), the loss of jobs and furthered the make-believe revision that the 1980s had a deeper pool of talent with fewer teams. “Watered down,” he called the NBA, and ownership has been gifted such a public-relations coup in its historic campaign to crush the players’ union.


As one prominent agent said, “How do you say that right before collective bargaining? Does he get that he’s advocating to reduce the number of jobs in the league? LeBron has no idea what happens when he says [stuff] like this.”
What people don’t like now is how a two-time MVP would quit playing in the biggest playoff series of his life, or how a superstar would hijack the NBA Finals stage as a prelude to his free agency or how a star like James can manage the marketing of a rival like Chris Paul (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3930/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3930/news). Whatever James’ personal preferences for a league littered with mini All-Star teams, his logic is forever flawed and based on nothing beyond his own myopic prism of the world.
The NBA is a far better, far more popular product today than it ever was in the 1980s, and that’ll be clearer again on Christmas when LeBron James and the Miami Heat (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/mia/) play the Los Angeles Lakers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/lal/) at Staples Center. Already, this had promised to be a monumental meeting, but now it becomes so much bigger.
James has raised the stakes and raised ire. Across the floor, Kobe Bryant (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/news) and union president Derek Fisher (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3125/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3125/news) promise to be livid with such an important player selling out the players’ cause on the eve of the regular-season’s biggest game. Sometimes, James just talks and talks. Sometimes, he knows exactly what he’s doing. In this case, it almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done, and LeBron has breathed credibility into more of ownership’s absurd propaganda.
Here’s an irony, too: Recently, Bryant told Yahoo! Sports, “Hey, I’m a product of the 1980s. That’s the era that I watched and I admired. I do wish we could go back to the ’80s’ style of playing.”
He wasn’t talking about the concentration of star players, but the way the great ones didn’t have to be buddies, didn’t have to run around and gang up in free agency. Bryant loved the physicality, the unapologetic nature of the times. He was raised in Europe, and understands there were far fewer non-American stars in those days, justifiably fewer teams for a smaller pool of players. Now, there’s never been so much global basketball talent, and with proper ownership, management and revenue sharing among owners, the NBA doesn’t need to lose one team.
The 1980s were a romantic time in the sport, a golden era, but there weren’t more deeper, more talented teams in existence than today. It isn’t even close. The Lakers and Celtics were fantastic then, but they would have a hard time beating these Lakers and Celtics teams. Never mind the level of teams trying to beat San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Utah and on and on.
And how about the Spurs dynasty, whose eclectic, international roster couldn’t have existed in the 1980s? San Antonio illustrates why the NBA has a much deeper talent pool now, and that’s because of the influx of international players in the game. There are reasons to love the ’80s over today’s game, but that has more to do with the competitive disdain the teams had, the way the Celtics and Lakers, the Pistons and 76ers, hated each other. For James to insist the NBA should do away with the Minnesota Timberwolves (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/min/) and New Jersey Nets (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/njn/) so contenders could have Kevin Love (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4391/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4391/news) or Devin Harris (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3822/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3822/news) is preposterous.
The Timberwolves and Grizzlies are in such terrible shape because of ownership and management decisions. They’re messes because Stern has fostered so many incompetent ownership groups under his watch, and then pushed bad executives into small markets in political paybacks. James should understand these things, but doesn’t take the time – nor do the people surrounding him. When the Players Association wanted LeBron involved a couple of years ago, James’ camp insisted it must let his business manager, Maverick Carter, sit in on one of the big agent meetings. Carter isn’t an agent, but just plays one on his personal cable sports television network.
Here’s the case James could make, and he’d be right: The biggest stars in the sport – LeBron, Kobe, Dwyane Wade (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3708/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3708/news) – are far underpaid with maximum contracts. And the rest of the league’s players? They’re mostly overpaid. Privately, Lakers owner Jerry Buss tells people that Bryant has been worth as much as $80 million a year to his franchise. Most of the players in the sport are interchangeable and never affect television ratings, ticket sales or merchandising. Yet, Kobe and LeBron – and before them Michael, Magic and Larry – are responsible for the sport’s immense popularity and profitability.
The Players Association is a one-man, one-vote entity, so you’ll never see it willing to sell out its self-interests for the elite to make $50 million a season. Owners created the max contract to cap the pay of the biggest stars, but ended up giving those deals out like cotton candy to the Rudy Gays and Joe Johnsons of the world. That’s on ownership, not the players.
Nevertheless, you have to give King James this credit: He’s embraced the villain role like no one before him and alienated people at a historically rapid rate. Now he’s isolating himself among his peers, and that’s a bold, unprecedented move on his part. The NBA has never had a superstar align himself with the interests of the commissioner and owners on the cusp of such a monumental fight, but understand this: It’s an edgy move that will win him favor in the league office.
This promises to be a lonely road for James, especially in the context of the game’s most important figures. When it comes to this CBA Armageddon, Kobe Bryant made himself clear to Yahoo! Sports weeks ago. “I’m 100 percent in this fight. I’m not going to just sit here and give back what guys have fought for in this league long before I got here – not for us now, or the players who come after us. I’m not backing down.”
Christmas Day at Staples Center, and the battle between basketball’s two biggest stars has never been framed with such a resounding, rigid narrative. Two worlds clashing now, two ways for everything to go in this sport. Suddenly, this is LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant for the future of the National Basketball Association.


Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA). Send Adrian a question or comment (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/feedback?author=Adrian+Wojnarowski) for potential use in a future column or webcast.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-kobelebron122410

[JoeTait75]

I disagree with that. He just doesn't slob on his knob and protect him at all costs like BSPN. People that don't like to hear the truth disagrees with what Woj is writing does. If any of what Woj has written were false he could be sued for libel. So far you haven't heard of LeHype or anyone in his camp taking him to court, now have you? Exactly - I haven't either.

No, Woj absolutely has a vendetta against LeBron. Just because what he writes about LeBron is for the most part true doesn't mean he doesn't have a vendetta.

[pawe]

No way! Keep it the way it is. I want to watch the Spurs play every other night.

[LnGrrrR]

No, Woj absolutely has a vendetta against LeBron. Just because what he writes about LeBron is for the most part true doesn't mean he doesn't have a vendetta.

I'd say that's about right.

[LnGrrrR]

This was a calculated, pathetic attempt of Lebron trying to justify his cowardly act that he committed this summer. Little did he know that kissing Sterns ass will not land him a title. It's going to be interesting to see if he still gets those superstar calls with the refs knowing he'd like to put their jobs in jeopardy.

I'd say that's right too.

The only thing that is missing now is evil theme music and a chair shot to the head of a Laker/Celtic. Or maybe a clothesline.

[Findog]

There's plenty of talent to maintain 30 teams. I think the quality of play would be better though if they reduced the number of games played to around 65. Won't happen because of the money of course.

[LnGrrrR]

I don't know if I've seen someone make an ass out of themselves as much as this guy. He'd like the NBA to shit on some cities in the same fashion he shit on his. What's funny is he actually called out some teams he'd like to cease to exist.

Poor guy couldn't carry a team to a championship on his own, he can't imagine how other teams could.

[Venti Quattro]

Office snitch lol

lol selling out your co-workers and peers

[DeadlyDynasty]

There's plenty of talent to maintain 30 teams. I think the quality of play would be better though if they reduced the number of games played to around 65. Won't happen because of the money of course.

There's plenty of talent, but with the new supergroup mentality it seems that there's going to be an even greater talent disparity between the haves and have-nots in the next few years. The league is becoming more and more top-heavy, almost making certain franchises obsolete

[Bender]

LBJ was in diapers in the 80s

[crc21209]

Hell I would be all for it. Get rid of crappy ass teams like Toronto and the Clippers. :tu :lol

[greyforest]

lebron is just saying shit now so he gets booed in various arenas

[LkrFan]

LBJ was in diapers in the 80s
Not sure about that. He looks like he is 38 years old. He probably lied on his birth certificate.

[TheMACHINE]

LBJ thinking about himself again while fucking over the rest of his fellow NBA players who arnt as good as him.

[boutons_deux]

LBJ is right. The NBA has over-expanded beyond the available talent, players, coaches, GMs, staff.

WOJ is an NBA tool, defending its shitty product and its horribly overpriced tickets.

"NBA is a business" and like any business, the objective is to sell the the shittiest product for the highest price. And the more abundant the shitty, dumbed-down product, the better. aka, The NBA.

2460 games/season, and no more than 400 have any meaning or interest whatsoever.

The ESPN Scores page says "12 games today", just look at any game to see what I'm saying. zero talent, zero interest, zero competitiveness, zero player motivation, no different from Dilbert wages slave fillers glued to their PC screens in corporate cubicles.

NBA is going after LeBron like US govt is going after Assange. NBA and US govt Can't Handle Anybody but themselves Handling The Truth. Same is true of any organization, even the pedophile-protecting Catholic Church, just another organization whose priority is committing any crime that continues self-preservation.

[Basketball Jones]

He just doesn't get it.

[Koolaid_Man]

He just doesn't get it.


No he doesn't...

Fisher responds to this idiot:

Translation = Lebron's one dumb motherfucker.


Derek Fisher, the president of the National Basketball Players Association, has responded to comments made by LeBron James about possible contraction in the NBA.


"I don't necessarily agree with [James' comments], but at the same time I understand and respect the fact [that] 460 opinions won't always be alike," Fisher said Friday.
"I don't think it's my place to tell one of our guys what they should be thinking or feeling or saying, but I don't necessarily agree with the sentiment."
Fisher doesn't feel that having a high-profile player like James take a stance that isn't in line with the group will compromise the union's bargaining position.


"I don't know if it necessarily hurts our cause," Fisher said. "It's surprising I would say, I guess, maybe to a lot of people but I guess I'm just a realist in that regard. Even in the past when there have been guys that made comments that have been deemed detrimental to the cause, it's unrealistic to think that you have almost 500 people in one group and everybody is going to say the same thing and have the same responses to certain questions."




Read more: http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/70759/20101225/fisher_responds_to_lebrons_pro_contraction_comment s/#ixzz199CMh7S4

[DMC]

because regardless of their suckassness they always have a solid fan base and put 16,000-18,000 in the seats every night. I would contract Philly before the Clippers.
In that case Miami should go. Their seats are always empty.

[Basketballgirl25]

In that case Miami should go. Their seats are always empty.

agreed, maybe not as empty this year, but past years, deff was empty lots of games I saw

[Mel_13]

Avery Johnson didn't hear LeBron James throw the Nets under the contraction bus, so he didn't feel the need to defend his Brooklyn-bound franchise on the upswing.

But Johnson did take exception to James' belief that the league would be better off without the Nets and Timberwolves.

"I disagree," Johnson said Sunday. "Maybe the league would be better if we didn't have three stars on one team."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2010/12/27/2010-12-27_avery_takes_lebron_to_task.html