Hahah, yes, that always happens. The only difference is that if it's Kobe, he doesn't get booed. I don't believe I've heard actual "boos" but more of what you said, a resounding.....
We want tacos!
We want tacos!
We want tacos!
I agree it's mostly about winning. If the Cavs can win a ring in the next two years, LeBron will probably stay.
But if the Cavs DON'T win a ring this year, or put a strong early showing next year, I wouldn't be surprised if LeBron gets traded before the trade deadline as the Cavs try to get some trade value out of him.
LeBron doesn't want to be the next Charles Barkley.
Excellent point.
Get ready for some shock treatment....
I hope when Lebron leaves Cleveland that he send all the season ticket holders 1 taco from taco bell
James: New Team Doesn't Guarantee Championship
By: Alex Raskin
The New York media hasn't noticed, but LeBron James has plenty of reasons to remain with the Cavaliers well into the next decade. Former Nike and Adidas Executive Sonny Vaccaro told the New York Times recently that James might be happier in New York or Los Angeles; but Cleveland can still use James' Larry Bird rights to offer around $30 million more than any other team. There is one thing Vaccaro is right about though: James' decision may not come down to money.
"When I decide to make that decision," said James about his free agent status in the summer of 2010. "It's going to be to put me in a position to win multiple championships. And if it's staying here, not being here, if it's moving elsewhere, I'm going to have to look at my options."
Predicting who will be a championship contender this season is hard enough – let alone the 2011 season. And if winning a le is the biggest concern for James, he needs to make sure he does not leave a burgeoning champion for false hopes.
"Just because you go to a different team with different players doesn't guarantee you a championship," James said prior to Cleveland's 106-82 win in New Jersey, Tuesday. "I have to be smart about things and be patient."
James has yet to show much patience in his career. Tuesday he became the youngest player to reach 16,000 points. And as Mike Moreau wrote for HOOPSWORLD the other day, he is outshining Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan at every stage of their development. Yet James has been patient with the Cavaliers. Through Cleveland's misguided attempts to pair him with Larry Hughes, Dajuan Wagner, Ricky Davis and Drew Gooden, James stayed committed to his team. Now that patience is paying off.
The franchise is off to one of the best starts in the NBA (9-2) and over the last few years Cleveland has cemented their defensive reputation around the league. The additions of Delonte West and Ben Wallace at last year's trade deadline have contributed to Cleveland's ninth-ranked defense this season.
"When I first got here, I felt our team needed an iden y," said Cleveland Coach Mike Brown. "I believe the way you win championships is on the defensive end of the floor… We have to make out guys understand that you have to get stops."
And they are getting stops in bunches. The preseason addition of Mo Williams only contributed to the team's defensive prowess.
"He is a terrific defender," added Brown. "We've asked him to pick up full-court quite a bit. He's done it… One game he took three charges alone."
That defensive intensity has already endeared Williams to his Cavalier teammates.
"Defense is what we hang out hats on," said Cavs forward Ben Wallace. "Defense is all about effort. We can always put in the extra effort on defense to give us some help on the offensive end."
With Williams' arrival, West has been able to focus his defensive efforts on shooting guards primarily. That dynamic has played well for Cleveland as West's quick feet and long arms have proven difficult for most two guards to handle. On Tuesday for instance, West was able to pressure Vince Carter into a 3-for-12 shooting night.
"They're very quick," Cavs forward Wally Szczerbiak said of Cleveland's starting backcourt. "They're very energetic and they're doing a great job for us so far."
West is benefiting from Williams' presence on the offensive end as well. Now, the marksman from St. Joe's can worry about shooting threes and driving the lane rather than setting up the rest of his teammates.
"He has the freedom to go play the game of basketball," Brown said of West. "He's a versatile basketball player that can do a lot with the ball and to have him on the wing is really good."
But the biggest advantage to having Williams on board is that James is able to do new things. In the past he has been forced to set the table and handle the bulk of the scoring load. Now Brown is finding new ways to get James the ball.
"We've done a better job of taking the ball out of his hands and putting him in the post," added Brown. "Not only are we putting him on the post, we're moving him off of the pick and roll. We're not just having him stationary. We're moving him off screens. Also, we're taking the ball out of his hands and having him run the wing in transition. It's been pretty good so far."
James is leading the league in scoring once again, but if he can continue to do that on a team that is only a few percentage points from the best record in the league, why would he leave?
Brown of course has seen this before. While he was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, many people speculated that Tim Duncan would sign with the Magic as a free agent to take advantage of Florida's absent state income tax.
"I sat back and I observed (Spurs Coach Greg Popovich)," said Brown. "He said it like it was. 'Hey, we're getting ready for today's game and after that we're getting ready for tomorrow's.'"
And by focusing his attention on the daily needs of his team – particularly on the defensive end of the floor – Popovich created a franchise that Duncan has stayed loyal to. Rather than getting caught up in contract extensions and specific dollar amounts, the Spurs simply made themselves too attractive to pass up. That's what Brown hopes to do in Cleveland.
"We have to make our organization the best organization it can be," added Brown. "Not just for LeBron, but for all the employees that work there… We want our organization to be a first class organization."
And if Cleveland can keep this pace up, James' decision might be an easy one. The possibility of James signing with the Knicks or Nets may sell papers, but he doesn't want to walk away from a good thing.
"It gets funny at times," said James. "I'm trying to focus on the team I'm on right now and winning a championship."
The two may be one in the same.
If he wins a le before 2010, he stays, no question about it. If he doesn't, he still probably stays. The ony destinations that make sense would be NY, NJ, or Dallas.
Why does Dallas make sense? He said he wanted championships.
LeBron James is a fluke and a bust.
Because he likes the city of Dallas, people love playing for Mark Cuban cuz he treats his players like god's in comparison to other franchises, and the chance to play along with another future hall of famer in Dirk.
Your drumming the other night at Buffalo Wild Wings was a bust. Your band sucks balls these days.
Dallas doesn't make sense for LeBron at all. The team will suck even more in two years and Mark Cuban might not even be the owner by then.
Knicks and Lakers are really the only teams that make sense, and it won't be the Lakers. I think the Nets are a long shot now that they won't be in Brooklyn by the summer of 2010.
How does it not? He openly has said a number of times that he likes Dallas. He's a big Cowboys fan and has been seen several times at Cowboys games chilling with the players during pre-game and with Jerry. They still have a good team that has consistently been good and in the playoff race. They have Mark Cuban who treats the players like kings and if there is anyone willing to pay a load of money for him, it would be Cuban. I think just about any superstar would love to play with a guy like Dirk, whom would more than likely be willing to re-structure his contract just to play with someone like Lebron.
LeBron is the one who mentioned Dallas in the first place, so it must make some sense to him. Not that he's coming to Dallas, there's a better chance of JJ Barea dropping 100 on the Rockets tonight.
Here's the chances of each happening -
LeBron going to New York - 60%
LeBron staying in Cleveland - 39.999999%
LeBron going to Dallas - 0.0000001%
First of all, liking a city is just that, liking a city. I'm sure LeBron likes a lot of cities, but that doesn't necessarily make them likely destinations.
Dirk Nowitzki has an opt out for the 2010-2011 season, and he's been lukewarm about staying himself. Dirk has to sign an extension or what would LeBron have?
Jason Terry has a tough contract to move as well as Dampier. Dampier's contract might be movable in the expiring year in the summer of 2009, but that doesn't guarantee it moves. And, with Dampier, Terry, Dirk, Diop, and whoever else is on the roster unless they are going to field a team of four players, the Mavericks won't have a max deal to offer LeBron. And, that's even with the Mavs not picking up their option for Josh Howard, they wouldn't have max space.
Mark Cuban is an owner that appears to be the type many players have liked to play for. But, players don't hesitate to leave the Mavericks either despite that. And, who knows if Cuban will even still be the owner of the Mavs in the summer of 2010, considering his current legal issues?
The Mavs look bad. They look like they're getting worse and they're not in the position to rebuild.
I don't think Dallas is even on LeBron radar of possible destinations should he leave Cleveland in the summer 2010.
no offense, but why the would he want to play in Dallas? because he likes their football team?
Lebron's mom and his buddies basically have the key to the Q and Dan Gilbert's personal plane. There was an article around here about how Dan Gilbert basically does whatever possible to make Lebron, his family and his friends happy. He even let them borrow his plane to fly to Vegas during one off season
Because he likes the city of Dallas, people love playing for Mark Cuban cuz he treats his players like god's in comparison to other franchises, and the chance to play along with another future hall of famer in Dirk.
The reports weren't only talking about LeBron liking the city, the reports listed the Mavericks as a team he'd like to play for. Not saying there's a chance of it happening, but LeBron's camp is the one that first mentioned playing for the Mavericks.
ask LeBron, he's the one who said it.
Lebron will be a Knick in 2010....the road is paved, the destination is set
I have nothing to say regarding the rest of your post, because LeBron will never play for the Mavericks, but Cuban is embroiled in a civil action with the SEC. As long as he doesn't perjure himself, there's no chance of it becoming a criminal matter. He will be the owner of the Mavericks as long as he wants to be.And, who knows if Cuban will even still be the owner of the Mavs in the summer of 2010, considering his current legal issues?
At some point I think it's just bitterness from fans of other teams that someone close to LeBron leaked his high regard for the Mavericks.
It's laughably stupid to say LeBron will go to the Mavs, or that there's anything more than a very very slim chance of that happening. It's also laughably stupid to say that Dallas makes zero sense for LeBron. The Mavs as an entire organization and Dallas as a city make plenty of sense for LeBron. Just not nearly as much sense as staying in Cleveland or leaving for New York.
guys, he isn't going to Dallas, or Detroit, or Portland- He will either stay in Cleveland, play for the Knicks, or play for the Nets- those 3 teams are the only teams he will play for.
I say this with 100% certainty because if he were to go anywhere else that was a situation like the Celtics last year, he will be cast off as someone that needed to jump on board a contender to get a team over the top. If he stays in Cleveland, he will show that he has taken HIS team and won a championship, and didn't need to jump ship to win one.
He will choose the Knicks over the Nets because the Knicks are a big time franchise and they are not 2nd fiddle in the NYC market like the Nets are. The Nets can't even pass the legislation to build a stadium by 2010, they should worry a little more about that than assuming Lebron is coming. The Nets won't be in Brooklyn in 2010, and neither will Lebron. People don't exactly try to play for the Clippers over the Lakers when they dream of playing in LA. Baseball players dream of playing for the Yankees, not the Mets. There is no difference with the Nets and Knicks.
I say:
1) Cleveland 65%
2) Knicks 25%
3) Nets 9.9%
4) other team .01% (he would have to be coming off a major injury)
except that he wants to play for a contender, and if they sign Lebron that means he will play around that Italian guy and a bunch of guys that make no money
If LeBron went to Dallas, AND Dallas kept Dirk, they'd probably win 2 or 3 championships before Dirk's career is over.
I'm no Dallas fan obviously, but if I were LeBron, it'd definitely be in the picture. Thing is, can Dallas afford him? I thought Kidd ed everything up for 2010.
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