Reply With Quote
Uhh, had Tim had a crappy team back in 2000, he probably would have split too. But he had just won a le, and still had most of that core group.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...ulfuture072310
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Jul 23, 3:49 pm EDT
Chris Paul(notes) had come into the NBA with so much of Kevin Durant’s(notes) pureness of purpose: humble, grateful, still the kid who worked summers pumping gas and changing tires at his grandfather’s gas station in North Carolina. He constructed himself a reputation of values and character, and separated himself in all the best ways.
He should stay on course to be his generation’s Tim Duncan(notes), but that no longer appeals to Paul. He’s veered the wrong way, into the wrong clutches. Bad enough that LeBron James(notes) damaged his own standing in the sport this summer, he wants to take down Chris Paul with him too.
James, his business manager Maverick Carter and powerbroker William Wesley have far too much influence over Paul’s career, and they’re running it right out of the sunshine and into darkness. They’re using Paul as a commodity to elevate their clout, to show how they can take a player with no contractual leverage and muscle him out of New Orleans.
What they don’t care about – and maybe don’t understand – is that Paul built such a beautiful, unique relationship with the city of New Orleans. He’s been so truly invested there, a beacon and ambassador in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, the James gang see these bonds as disposable and they’re convincing Paul of it, too.
In a Twitter pronouncement on Thursday, King James declared, “Best of luck to my brother [Chris Paul] … Do what’s best for You and your family.”
James was referencing Paul’s half-baked trade request that’s come through Worldwide Wes. Do what’s best for your family? Here’s an idea: What Paul ought to do is run away from James, Wesley, Carter and not stop moving until he’s returned to New Orleans and reaffirmed the obligations he’s made there. No, this isn’t a championship team, but a franchise player reveals himself in good times and bad.
What’s best for Paul’s family is best for everyone’s family in the NBA. It needs James to restrict the polluting onto others of his own warped value system. James plays for the Miami Heat, but somehow he wants control of transactions elsewhere, too. He wants the building of these so-called super teams to protect his own legacy, to make it look like he isn’t the only superstar searching for the easy way to championships.
Wesley has been running around for months trying to orchestrate a trade for Paul, and the packages he proposes are beyond comical. He doesn’t even know half the names of players on the rosters. CAA should take a long look in the mirror, and ask itself what kind of outfit it’s turned into with Wes running basketball operations.
Wes is a full-service middleman now: players, coaches and general managers. He has long orchestrated deals for players and coaches, but through CAA he’s also in the GM business now. Worldwide Wes was responsible for Oklahoma City Thunder executive Rich Cho getting hired as the Portland Trail Blazers’ GM. Now, Portland is one more franchise under the impression that Wes can broker a trade for Paul.
Before New Orleans hired Dell Demps as GM, Wes was asking people: Who is that guy? Now, Wesley and CAA will try to overrun the young, inexperienced Demps and coach Monty Williams with a trade demand. CAA does have a list of preferred teams, and Demps’ first act as GM should simply be to take the list and tear it up. Paul has two years left on his contract and no leverage unless the Hornets are foolish enough to relinquish it.
Paul is a first-team All-NBA talent, and you don’t trade those players. All the proposed deals for him bring back the same thing for New Orleans: far less value. Five nickels don’t add up to a quarter in basketball trades.
All this saga promises to do is cast Paul as an insolent star, and James’ group as the ultimate powerbrokers. Paul doesn’t want to hear this, but they’re preying on his insecurities. They’re using him.
In Paul’s earliest days with Team USA, officials preferred Deron Williams(notes) to him because they believed Williams was far more his own man. No one liked the way Paul was so eager to follow James, Carmelo Anthony(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes). These changes haven’t come overnight with Paul, but over time. James, Carter and Wesley embarked on a long, orchestrated campaign to work Paul over, unfasten him from past loyalties and trusts, and transform him into a creation of their own.
And he’s let them, for no other reason than it seems Chris Paul believes this is somehow the path that will convince people that he belongs with the sport’s biggest stars. He could’ve stayed true to himself and elevated his standing, and now they’re dragging him down with them. Everyone else embraced Paul for an All-American image, for a wholesomeness, and it feels like he’s rejected it all now.
Chris Paul doesn’t need LeBron and Maverick and Wes. They need him. For their operation, Paul represents credibility. He’s always been better than this, and he needs to be again. As much as ever, the NBA needs Chris Paul to be true to his upbringing and character. Commitment always mattered to him, and it still should with the Hornets.
After all this bluster comes and goes this summer, and the Hornets don’t trade him, he still has to return to play there. All his brand new business partners have made that so much harder for him. He saved the NBA in New Orleans, and now it’s time he saves something else before it’s too late. His reputation, his good name.
All the advice that Chris Paul has ever needed out of LeBron James came calling in less than 140 characters on Thursday. Do what’s best for you and your family. Before it’s too late, Chris Paul needs to think for himself and respond with the best move of a brilliant young career: Turn around, go home and leave King James and his court of jesters far, far behind.
Uhh, had Tim had a crappy team back in 2000, he probably would have split too. But he had just won a le, and still had most of that core group.
This has nothing to do with LeBron though, this is just Paul being a .
When you quit you're on the line. And James quit.
So when Kobe wants to play with better talent it's okay.
But when LeBron wants to play with better talent it's not.
Makes a lot of sense.
He sure did
The article is suggesting that Chris Paul is being a at the influence of LeBron and LeBron's "team," not that LeBron was wrong for leaving Cleveland. Basically, the article suggests that LeBron has corrupted CP3 and that LeBron is going on some power trip trying to affect other big moves in the NBA, and in part protecting his legacy so that he's not the only superstar player trying to form superteams.
It's an interesting take. And there's enough crap to put together a story like this. Wojo makes it seem a little more dramatic than what reality is. But it's interesting enough to see where he's going with it.
"James plays for the Miami Heat, but somehow he wants control of transactions elsewhere, too. He wants the building of these so-called super teams to protect his own legacy, to make it look like he isn’t the only superstar searching for the easy way to championships."
I don't know what's more pathetic, arguments like this or people saying Lebron and friends are sacrificing a lot to play together in Miami.
I got no problem with James goin' to Miami.
But, James quit.
And proceeded to blame it on his healthy elbow.
27 points 19 rebounds 10 assists in game 6 against Boston.
Yeah he quit. Give me a break.
Something was wrong with him physically, but the man still competed.
Please. He got scared, panicked and started with the elbow malarkey. Then he quit.
Give me a break. You're clueless.
His stats against Boston were far better than your boy Kobe vs. Boston.
LeBron wasn't there physically as we are used to seeing. Something was obviously bothering him.
To say he quit is beyond foolish. The guy still put up 27 points 7 assists 9 rebounds for the series.
Go watch game 5.
Heaven forbid LeBron having an off night.
Manu never stood in the corner not wanting the ball either.
but timmy honored his contract.
which big market team will cp3 go to? its only a matter of time
Hey, I'm thrilled that James quit. Beating Boston in CA. was much easier than beating Cleveland in OH..
Worked out just dandy for us.
uhh, that team was certainly nothing for tim to look forward to...it was basically Tim, DRob and a bunch of old-ass veterans and no-namers. not exactly a core for long term winning. most of that team was gone within a couple years and the Spurs completely rebuilt around tim. That le in '99 was won because of the God-like play on both ends by tim duncan and the domination of the twin towers. if he had bolted the spurs would have been a 30 win team for the next decade.
God damn Wojnarowski has been bashing Lebron all off season. From the World Wide Wes "We're going to Chicago" column and in several since. He's on a one man mission to ruin the guy's reputation. We get it bro, you hate his guts.
This is the passage I hate the most:
"James plays for the Miami Heat, but somehow he wants control of transactions elsewhere, too. He wants the building of these so-called super teams to protect his own legacy, to make it look like he isn’t the only superstar searching for the easy way to championships."
You can't just state what you think people are thinking like it's a fact in a column if you're trying to be an objective member of the media. James could be giving Paul the advice he got from KG: Too much loyalty will get you run down carrying a team that's going nowhere.
Also, everyone discounts the Delonte and his mom rumors. If those are true, that explains his bizarre at ude in game 5 to me. I don't know how I'd react if I found out some co-worker was ing my mother. Sports fans make me laugh when they're like "Just shrug it off and play" as if that's how the human brain works.
This is such nonsense. New Orleans has a special relationship with Chris Paul. The Hornets have done nothing in the past three years to indicate they know what they are doing. Wasting time waiting for a couple of pieces to fall into their lap, Paul has decided not to play second-fiddle and get the move on towards an NBA CHAMPIONSHIP.
In case you haven't noticed, this is what caring about winning looks like. He's hardly the first, but he is the first after Lebron James. He wants a team that can challenge the Heat. There's nothing wrong with that.
NBA Cares promos are not what Paul is after for the rest of his career.
what a stupid comparison
Wojnarowski-- let it go. Yahoo needs to force you to write about something that does not involve LBJ.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
