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lmao LeQuit
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...html?eref=sihp
GREENWICH, Conn., July 8, 1990 -- Michael Jordan announced on national television he's leaving Chicago to join the Detroit Pistons. Jordan said it was tough to bolt Chicago, where he was the most popular athlete in many years, because he thinks he has a better chance to win a championship if he plays with Pistons star Isiah Thomas. Jordan said by playing together, he and Thomas "won't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night."
That would have sounded absurd, right? Well, it is no more absurd than what LeBron James is doing. Jordan was 27 years old in 1990, slightly older than James is now. He had never been to the NBA Finals. He had been beaten up by the Celtics and Pistons for years. He doubted his supporting cast was good enough.
But he never doubted himself.
And it became very clear Thursday night that LeBron James does doubt himself. James will be a champion in Miami -- if not next year, then sometime after that. If you put James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together and give Pat Riley five years to find the complementary pieces, that team will win a championship.
But James does not have the heart of a champion. He does not have the compe ive fire of Jordan, the bull-headed determination of Kobe Bryant, the quiet self-confidence of Tim Duncan, the willful defiance of Isiah or the winning-is-everything hunger of Magic Johnson.
He is an extremely gifted player who wants the easy way out.
And how do we know this?
James said so himself.
Oh, not in so many words. But once ESPN was done ESPN-izing its LeBron coverage -- filling it with babbling experts, needless hype and Jim Gray submitting his top six entries in the Stupidest Question Ever contest -- the self-proclaimed King said everything you need to know about him.
1. "You have to do what's best for you, and what's going to make you happy."
This is what's going to make him happy? Sharing a stage with two other stars? Really?
I guess that's all LeBron is: A complementary player with superstar talent. We should have figured this out before: He got that giant CHOSEN 1 tattoo on his back and calls himself King James because he is desperate for reassurance.
There is no greater challenge in sports getting drafted by a godawful team, planting your flag in a city and working like crazy until you have turned that team into a champion.
LeBron James didn't want the challenge. He wanted to play with his buddies.
2. "We don't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night or shooting a high percentage."
Whoa. Hold on there. Scoring 30 a night is too much pressure for one of the five most talented players ever?
Find me another all-time NBA great who would utter those words. Jordan would rather do an adidas commercial than say that. Bryant must have laughed as he heard the so-called "King" say that. Larry Bird? The next time he complains about pressure will be the first. Magic was the greatest team player of the last 40 years, but he was also so compe ive that he wanted to play Jordan one-on-one in a promotional event -- and this was when Magic had won les and Jordan had not, so Magic had more to lose.
3. "I know how loyal I am."
The man just dumped his hometown(s) on national television. Cleveland (and, by extension, Akron) happens to be the most tortured sports city in America. To do that, then say "I know how loyal I am" ... wow, wow, wow.
I wish I could sit in on one of LeBron's meetings with his advisers. Does he make them all wear mirrored sunglasses, so that when he looks at them he sees himself?
We really don't ask that much of our sports stars. Try not to get arrested for anything big. Don't curse at the fans. You know, small stuff. We even understand that 95 percent of the time, they will make career decisions based on money -- we might not love it, but we understand it.
But see, the biggest thing that we ask of our sports stars is this: Take the compe ion as seriously as we do.
When LeBron James loses to Boston in the playoffs, we want him to take the heat, not take the Heat's offer. We want him to spend the summer adding to his game, calling and texting his teammates, plotting to do better next season.
Instead, well ...
4. "It's about joining forces with the other two guys."
He sounds like a nine-year-old playing Star Wars games with his buddies at a sleepover. And again: I do believe this Miami team will win a le. But it won't be as easy as he wants it to be. Miami will have the weakest bench of any contender next season After that, the NBA will have a lockout, and the league could eliminate the mid-level exception, which would be Miami's best tool for adding talent.
So this is a cop-out, but it's not as easy of a cop-out as it appears. And that brings us to ...
5. "This is the greatest challenge for me."
LeBron James just jumped into an elevator and wants us to think he can fly. Sorry, but we know better. We know that he did something Michael, Magic, Bird and Bill Russell never would have done. We know he ditched Cleveland for an All-Star team.
But you know what? In Miami, anything short of a le will be a failure. Nobody outside of Miami will root for this team, and nobody in Miami roots for anybody. They're too busy enjoying the weather.
I thought he would stay in Cleveland, because I thought all he cared about was adoration. I was wrong about Cleveland, but he is wrong about adoration. He thinks he'll get it by winning a le. He has insulated himself from the world, surrounded himself with yes men. He has no idea how much backlash he is about to get.
That's one of the great ironies of this -- James is trying to flee pressure, but he will just face more of it. He is trying to maximize his "brand," but he just damaged it.
The first time I watched LeBron James live, I thought he could be the greatest player ever. The sad truth for us, for him, and for the NBA is that he never really believed it himself.
lmao LeQuit
lol at CNNSI comparing 2 different eras
There was more parity in the NBA back then
Today it's all about the L.A Sterns
If MJ was in the same situation today, he may have done what Lebron did
Hammer meet nail.
True. MJ quit. LeBron quit.
LMAO there was no more parity. There were the Lakers and Celtics and everybody else. MJ was on an island in Chicago for years, but did he go to LA to ride Magic's coat tails to a le because the pressure of "scoring 30 a night and shootingva high percentage" was too much for him.lol at CNNSI comparing 2 different eras
There was more parity in the NBA back then
Today it's all about the L.A Sterns
If MJ was in the same situation today, he may have done what Lebron did
I'm actually glad that after 7 years the world can now see Lebron for what he is - the most talented role player in the history of basketball.
Jordan's Bulls made the playoffs without him, won 55 games, and almost beat a loaded Knicks team.
The post-LeBron's Cavs are now good for about 25-30 wins, only because of the addition of Boozer. Without Carlos, who still does not make the Cavs a championship team, the Cavs are probably a 20-25 win team.
There is a slight disparity in the quality of each respective team. The Cavs had 7 years to stack some decent players around LeBron. Who was the best they could manage?
Mo Freaking Williams, and after 6.5 seasons, a 34 year-old Antawn Jamison.
It's hilarious how people are ridiculous LeBron when Cleveland continually put trash around him for teammates.
It's just the plain unvarnished truth.
And we see the birth of the Los Angeles Cavaliers.
I'd come back with my invention, but, you're under the protection of the admin and I'm forbidden.
No, that would be Magic Johnson...
Isn't Booze in CHI?
I think the gasol deal was waaaaaaaay more tragic to the state of the NBA than this. This is like, no big deal...
Huh. You're right. My bad. Tough to keep track of everything in the NBA since I got back from camping for 9 days about 36 hours ago.
Awesome. Then the Cavs are a 15-25 win team now.
But the Rockets did beat the Lakers in 1986
And the Pistons won back-to-back les in 1990
Sure it was Lakers vs Celtics most of the time, but on occasion you had Sixers, Rockets in the Finals, and other teams giving a hard tome to Boston and L.A in the playoffs
Huh. You're right. My bad. Tough to keep track of everything in the NBA since I got back from camping for 9 days about 36 hours ago.
Awesome. Then the Cavs are a 15-25 win team now.
I'd come back with my invention, but, you're under the protection of the admin and I'm forbidden.
I can't do the San Antonio He*t no more. The Princess came in last night and put the kibash to it.
Go San Antonio Heat Go !!!!!!!!
1st, you're looking at the 2004 Bulls after they won 3 les, not the 1990 Bulls who hadn't won . Jordan could have bolted when things looked bad but he didn't.
2nd, the choice wasn't go be a role player in Miami and Wade's sidekick or stay in Cleveland. He could have gone to Chicago with a good supporting class and been the front line superstar to lead them but even the prospect of that was too much for him.
My point here is all the "King James" and "Chosen One" and even questioning if he could be the best player ever is all out the window. He's no longer a brand, he's a role player. He's Dwayne Wade's sidekick who wants Wade to lead him to a le.
He's more Robert Horry than Michael Jordan or even Kobe. There's nothing wrong with trying to be Robert Horry, but he just showed the world that he is a role player not one of the immortal greats of the game in the making.
No, because Jordan would have had a championship by now.lol at CNNSI comparing 2 different eras
There was more parity in the NBA back then
Today it's all about the L.A Sterns
If MJ was in the same situation today, he may have done what Lebron did
Yep.
Men, like Dog don't need Media to show them where the bear in the buckwheat.
Ok, so it was the Celitcs, Lakers, and Pistons then everyone else. Still no more parity than now, the Magic, Mavs, etc made the finals and the Celtics and Heat won a le. What's your point?But the Rockets did beat the Lakers in 1986
And the Pistons won back-to-back les in 1990
Sure it was Lakers vs Celtics most of the time, but on occasion you had Sixers, Rockets in the Finals, and other teams giving a hard tome to Boston and L.A in the playoffs
I have to disagree that Jordan would have done the same thing, if given the same climate. Jordan was the ultimate compe or. During practices Jackson would switch Jordan to the losing team in the middle of the game and the Jordan led team would win almost every time.
He sort of reminds me of that T-Rex in Jurassic Park, he didn't want to eat that tied up goat, he wanted to hunt for his meal.
I have to agree, back then there was no LA and the Gasol collusion.
that changed everything. that, I rather see the 3 Egos in Miami win it than the cheaters and rapists in LA
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