Topic: Race pimp supports LeBron, compares him to runaway slave

[seabiscuit]

I think based on the owner's reaction that LeBron knew that he would throw a fit regardless of how he was told or when. 

I'm sorry but the man contributed to that city for 7 years with his fame, talents and charity.  He owes nothing to anyone.  The reason this is stinging so badly is because without him right now Cleveland is toast.  What does that mean?  That means they didn't build a team around him, he was the show and they placed it on his shoulders.

It's disappointing but I believe that no matter how he would have done it, there would have been complainers and whiners about him leaving and I don't think it would have caused any less commotion.

With the way the fans handled it, there will never be an opportunity for him to come back to Cleveland to retire.  And in all likelihood at some point, his money will move to charities elsewhere.  And based on the way the owner and fans acted, it will be unlikely that they will get anyone with superstar talent any time in the near future.  No one is going to see Cleveland as a place they want to build a career after the way LeBron was treated.

So, we can all get mad about the way he did it but Cleveland will not likely see the playoffs for a long time to come.  I hope I'm wrong but I have a sick feeling about this.

[gunslinger]

Wow........everyone is piling on the self-anointed King. I was listening to Michael Reghi on WTAM today and he referred to LeBron as a "scumbag" several times, even going so far as to suggest he didn't give his best effort in the semi-finals against Boston.  Sort of makes sense, how can he leave his hometown if he says it's all about winning, when just won an NBA championship.


Now here's Bryant Gumbel's from Real Sports on HBO, take on the whole sorry situation.

“Finally tonight, a few words about championship rings. Just when did they become the all-important barometer of who does or doesn’t count in sports? When did they supersede personal excellence or exemplary character as a standard of greatness?

“I got to thinking about that the other night after the self-anointed chosen one, LeBron James, embarrassed himself as he tried to make his decision to seek rings in Miami sound like a search for the Holy Grail. It’s when he essentially admitted to placing a higher priority on winning than anything else.

“LeBron’s decision is typical of our immediate gratification era, but it flies in the face of history. Even though he never won a title, Dan Marino is still the biggest hero in Florida. And in Boston, all those Celtics championships are dimmed by the unforgettable brilliance of Ted Williams, who never won anything. In Chicago, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus have legendary status despite playing on losing teams. And even in the NBA, where guys seem obsessed with being viewed as ‘the man’, real men like Barkley, Ewing and Baylor are ringless, but revered.

“Despite such evidence to the contrary, LeBron James seems to think he needs a ring to change his life and secure his legacy. Maybe he’ll get one, maybe he won’t, but it’s probable that no amount of rings will ever remove the stench he wallowed in last week. LeBron may yet find that in the court of public opinion, just as putting on a tux can’t make a guy a gentleman, winning a ring can’t make one truly a champion.”

http://cavs.ohio.com/2010/07/bryant-gumbel-weighs-in-on-lebron/

[rhomp2002]

Agree that LeBron James did a lot for Cleveland over the years but it was the Cleveland/Akron area that made him.  He had fans supporting him from his early high school days and those same fans came out in droves in Cleveland to support him and also went out of their way to support his charities as well.   I wonder if he will find that kind of support in Miami.  I kinda doubt it and I think he might later feel that he screwed up by leaving the way he did and regret it.  I doubt that the Cleveland fans will give him the support they did now after the stunt he pulled.   What gripes me is that the media all talks about the Cleveland owner as if he were a low class guy for the comments he made.  I think he was totally justified in what he had to say under the circumstances.

[gunslinger]

I wonder if he will find that kind of support in Miami.

I don't think so.  Mike Golic from Mike and Mike in the Morning commented on the lackadaisical attitude of Miami sports.  He played for the Dolphins, and commented how even as a top tier team, they struggled to sell out, and the crowd never was boisterous.  He commented the Heat has never had a hardcore following.

LeBron will never again find the love, respect and appreciation like the Cleveland fans heaped upon him. He either didn't care or didn't understand the history of Cleveland sports and all the hurt the fans have endured.  This was much more than one man leaving, this ripped the heart and soul out of the Cleveland city.

Again, wishing ya the very worst LeBron 

[armymom]

 

Lebron is a low class guy. I'll take Michael Jordan any day of the week. Lebron needs to grow up. And no,  Especially when there are those who "at this age" freakin serving their country and have to grow up. Money doesn't make you grow up. He's free to do whatever he wants, people are free to dog him. Simple.

[rhomp2002]

Personally I always liked Kevin McHale.   He was always there in support when he was needed and was fully capable of stepping up to do the job.   Never made a big deal of himself either.   John Havlicek is another that I always thought was a good role model.  Another one who did the job without making a big deal out of it.

[ancients]

Remember, Kevin McHale played for Minnesota, and his team won the league over an OSU team that had 4 starters go pro.

[rhomp2002]

I still think he was a dynamite player and a hell of a good guy.   Of course I lived in Boston when McHale and Byrd were on the Celtics and they made a really classy team.  Havlicek had just retired then but he was still considered a great guy in Boston and I could see why.

[ancients]

I was a Celtics fan, was very unhappy when then Len Bias thing happened. In that deal they lost Danny Ainge, A very good part of their team.

[rhomp2002]

I am not usually a big sports fan but that particular Celtics era was truly a classy bunch of guys.   I even went so far as to go to several Celtics games then and for a non-sports guy that is a stretch.    Agree with losing Danny Ainge and the Len Bias incident was a real bummer.   Ainge, though, has come out of it pretty well all things considered.   And I am still a huge fan of McHale, Byrd, Bill Russell and company.   Classy guys all.

[ancients]

Well, he was good. That makes you finish well.

[phred]

I still think he was a dynamite player and a hell of a good guy.   Of course I lived in Boston when McHale and Byrd were on the Celtics and they made a really classy team.  Havlicek had just retired then but he was still considered a great guy in Boston and I could see why.

     Havlicek (Ohio State) is still considered one of the
     best here, too !


                             

[phred]

     Just might have to catch that game next year -
     Cleve Cavs vs. Miami Heat.

[phred]

    NBA commissioner David Stern fines Cavs owner
    $ 100,000 for open letter to Cavs fans

 
   

 David Stern has just announced that he will fine Cavaliers
 owner Dan Gilbert $100,000 for his open letter to Cleveland fans,
 which Gilbert wrote shortly after LeBron James announced
 on ESPN that he would sign with the Miami Heat.

 When explaining the fine, Stern called Gilbert's letter
 both "ill-advised" and "imprudent."

 Stern was not a fan of the way LeBron's decision was
 produced, but he did say that players are "within their
 rights to sign with any team," which likely explains why
 he fined Gilbert for his letter.

 The money won't mean much to Gilbert, but Stern's
 condemnation of his actions must feel like a dash
 of salt in what was clearly a very deep wound for him.

 

 http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/stern-fines-dan-gilbert-100000-for-lebron-letter.php

 

[phred]

     Tried to find the full text of Gilbert's open letter to the
     Cavalier fans, but apparently it has been pulled from
     the NBA Official Site of the Cleveland Cavaliers.


http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/