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What's the difference between what LeBron did in 2010 vs Kawhi, this year? Or, even KD 3 years ago.

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019.

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  1. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    People are praising Kawhi for power move to get PG. But, remember he also sat out an entire season to force a team to trade him. While, the Clippers were involved in tampering, during the season. I think players should pick wherever they want to go to, but this clear hypocrisy. Even with KD, like LBJ played up until the last minute for respective teams?

    Kawhi has helped bring down as many franchises as LeBron, Toronto and OKC vs Cleveland and Toronto.

    I don't feel sorry for Toronto, they gave up on a player (Derozan) who offered them allegiance and traded him.

    I'm still trying to figure out how Kawhi's move is more honorable.
     
    #1 plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019
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  2. Nook

    Nook Member

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    What James did had never been done before. He left his home team to join another star players team and bring a third star with him. No one had ever done that before.

    KD was roundly ripped for what he did, and still is to this day.

    Leonard only brought one star with him and also wasn’t leaving the franchise he had been with for years. I also think a lot of the media is giving him a pass for the Spurs stuff because he led a team to a title the next year.

    Personally I think Leonard is one of the 3 best players in the world but is still creepy. He 100% gets it is business though. He wasn’t exactly sentimental with the Spurs, Raptors or Lakers.
     
    #2 Nook, Jul 7, 2019
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  3. JayGoogle

    JayGoogle Member

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    I also think too that him passing up on the Lakers is more of a sigh of relief for a lot of fans.
     
    #3 JayGoogle, Jul 7, 2019
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  4. Space Ghost

    Space Ghost Contributing Member

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    Im not sure why this is up for discussion.

    KL didn't make a massive spectacle about his decisions...granted the Spurs ordeal was aired too openly. He also didn't leave from a #2 team to join the #1 team. He also had the chance to pile on with LeBron but decided against it.

    Im not a fan of the superstars dictating the league, but what KL did is pretty minimal compared to many.
     
    #4 Space Ghost, Jul 7, 2019
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  5. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    It's not close to being the same, but even if it was...Kawhi has already proven himself. Dude has championships under his belt and the one he just won he won it while being the only superstar on his team for a team who has been a perennial disappointment.

    He doesn't have anything left to prove about the type and caliber player he is.
     
    #5 xtruroyaltyx, Jul 7, 2019
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  6. JW86

    JW86 Member

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    1. He has his rings
    2. Doesn’t go somewhere to play second fiddle
    3. Doesn’t go to a team he just lost to
    4. Doesn’t go to a team that doesn’t need him
    5. Doesn’t make a TV special
    6. Doesn’t join unanimous favourite to win the title
    7. Doesn’t disrespect his former team

    Should I go on?
     
    #6 JW86, Jul 7, 2019
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  7. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    LBJ only brought one star with him, Chris Bosh. Wade was already with the Heat and made no gestures of leaving the team. Toronto missed the playoffs, while the Cavs did not get passed the 2nd Round.

    The Spurs were a contender and Kawhi was still under contract as was PG, while KD, LBJ, and Bosh were not. DeRozan had just signed a long-term deal with the Raptors.
     
    #7 plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019
  8. underrated015

    underrated015 Member

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    Leonard is leaving a championship team to go play for an unproven team. If he can win with the Clippers, that’s something no one has done before.
     
    #8 underrated015, Jul 7, 2019
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  9. adoo

    adoo Member

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    correction,

    he was injured.​

    why can't you elaborate ?
     
    #9 adoo, Jul 7, 2019
  10. mig0s

    mig0s Member

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    He sat an entire season because he was injured
    He didnt make a 'big 3' he only has Paul George
    He went home
    Nice try tho
     
    #10 mig0s, Jul 7, 2019
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  11. roslolian

    roslolian Member

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    ??? Nobody except Lebron haters are hating on the Miami move anymore, Bron won league MVP and led the league in mpg the 4 years in Miami so far from "leaning on his costars" he actually got worked to the bone. Miami even made him PF in the playoffs and go head2H with some of the best forwards in history like KG, TD and Dirk.

    KD oth got ripped and still gets ripped cuz he joined a ready made champ team that already had 4 all stars in the roster. Thanks to him GSW always had 1-3 all star advantage vs their opponents and it totally upset the balance in the league.

    Kawhi oth is just blameless he sat out a year due to injury and refused to play with Bron and AD. Not sure how anybody can put them in the same level
     
    #11 roslolian, Jul 7, 2019
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  12. Air Langhi

    Air Langhi Contributing Member

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    At least KD and Lebron didn't threaten to sit out a year, and actively negotiate behind a teams back.
     
    #12 Air Langhi, Jul 7, 2019
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  13. SS0101

    SS0101 Member

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    Uhhh...maybe bc he has already won multiple ships??
     
    #13 SS0101, Jul 7, 2019
  14. Icehouse

    Icehouse Contributing Member

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    Nothing. Everyone did what was best for them on and off the court. Folks will try to nitpick reasons to support who they favor, but at the end of the day it’s all the same. A player is supposed to do what’s best for them if possible, just like teams do.
     
    #14 Icehouse, Jul 7, 2019
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  15. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    1. He has his rings -- Of course, he does he was drafted on to a championship team and a team that was already powerhouse.

    LBJ was drafted by one of the worst franchise in the NBA, as was Chris Bosh. Toronto traded away Damon Stoudemire and Vince Carter, and couldn't convince Tracy McGrady to stay. Traded away Demar DeRozan after he committed himself to franchise.

    KD left a team that did not want to pay the luxury tax for budding superstar in James Harden over a mere $8MM. Traded away Ibaka. Granted, KD going to GS was a questionable move. But, to be fair the Warriors

    Presti has as many championship as our own Daryl Morey. Yet, Morey has yet to trade away a superstar in his prime. Yao - retired, due to injuries, as T-Mac and Dwight were in steady decline. The only I can remotely hang over Morey's head is Kyle Lowry. Even though, it's very circumstantial and questionable at the time.

    Somehow, some fans, especially on CF believe Morey does know what he's doing or does not make enough great moves. Yet, praise Presti for being great GM, after losing 3, soon to be 4 superstars.

    2. Doesn’t go somewhere to play second fiddle-- LBJ lead Miami in scoring, assists, and was one of the teams, primary defenders. He won 2 MVPs and 2 MVPs.
    KD has lead the Warriors in scoring and 2 FMVPs. Been the go-to player in crunch time situations.

    3. Doesn’t go to a team he just lost to -- KD did this, true. But, he was an unrestricted FA. The team did not yield any plans of getting better.

    LBJ and Bosh did not.
    4. Doesn’t go to a team that doesn’t need him.

    Miami did not get passed the 1st Round in 2010, while Toronto did not make the playoffs. Miami had not reached conference finals or NBA Finals in 4 seasons. Cleveland had not reached the NBA Finals in 3 seasons, and when they did, it was with a team that had no business being there.

    If I'm not mistaken, the Warriors 73-9 team did not win the championship. What would've been guarantee for them to get back the NBA Finals or WCF. They lost to Cleveland and almost fell to the Thunder after a 3-1 deficit. So for the Warriors, it was a possibility for them to lose to the Rockets, Spurs, and Thunder. I'm pretty sure we beat the Warriors in 2017 without KD. We probably would've gotten CP3, because he quickly wore out his welcome with the Clippers.


    5. Doesn’t make a TV special

    No one did that, but LeBron. But to be fair, no one had thought of that before. This is just basketball and sports entertainment. No one is actually harmed or assaulted by it. Besides, LBJ donated the proceeds to the Akron Boys & Girls Club. The anointed one, Kawhi didn't do anything, like that.

    But, people on here like we need to trade Harden and fire Morey, after a guy has a pretty good MVP caliber season on an already established playoff team.



    6. Doesn’t join unanimous favourite to win the title.

    Only KD did this, but again the Warriors *did* not win the championship in 2016. The 1999, 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Lakers were unanimous favorites, as was 2019 Celtics, 1999 Rockets and 2011 Heat. As we have seen speculation means utterly nothing. We don't give championships to paper champions.


    7. Doesn’t disrespect his former team.

    LBJ never did that. The owner, Dan Gilbert made some incendiary remarks about James in an open letter. While, several fans burned his gear, memorabilia, and sent death threats. Find comments where LBJ disparaged Cleveland. Bosh with Toronto or KD with Oklahoma City. In fact, the same thing that happened with LBJ and Cleveland fans happened to KD. Some fans were exhibiting psychotic behavior over KD's decision.
     
    #15 plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019
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  16. JW86

    JW86 Member

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    LOL @plutoblue11 who you trying to convince? And of course not all points count to both, it's about why it's different from what Lebron and KD did and there's much more.
     
    #16 JW86, Jul 7, 2019
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  17. Nook

    Nook Member

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    I know that James didn’t take Wade with him to Miami, but he still teamed up with two other elite players. What James did was new as well. That is the difference.
     
    #17 Nook, Jul 7, 2019
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  18. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    Proven himself? KL was drafted to a team that was already a powerhouse. Even, when the Spurs in 2014, could you say he was a superstar, during that season.


    LeBron did not prove himself by being an All-Star caliber player in his 1st season, being drafted right out of high school. Turning a pitiful franchise into a conference powerhouse.


    KD was probably most dominant scorers from day 1 in the league. Lead carcass franchise with Westbrook and Harden to prominence. The most popular basketball team in Oklahoma was their college football team.

    The Spurs were already the best team conference, when Kawhi was drafted. Toronto was already a powerhouse in the East.
     
    #18 plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019
  19. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    Injury:

    https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/...-he-faked-injury-didnt-want-to-play-for-spurs

    https://www.ksat.com/sports/nba/dur...use-kawhi-leonard-for-final-season-with-spurs

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-popovich-tony-parker-unsupportive-while-hurt


    LA Times:

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/clip...s-tampering-kawhi-leonard-20190531-story.html


    From their own website,

    https://www.clipsnation.com/2019/5/...eonard-doc-rivers-toronto-raptors-free-agency
     
    #19 plutoblue11, Jul 7, 2019
  20. maw7079

    maw7079 Member

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    The difference is Kawhi had won TWO chips by not trying to load up a team. KD and LeBron cheated their way to whatever hollow-valued rings they possess. Kawhi EARNED his right to go home and bring a star player with him. His work already speaks for itself. LeBron and KD’s legacies are forever tainted.
     
    #20 maw7079, Jul 7, 2019
    JW86, Sajan, xtruroyaltyx and 1 other person like this.
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