I feel really bad for Varejao.. <object width="873" height="525"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5uRN7iJ5CqQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5uRN7iJ5CqQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="873" height="525"></embed></object>
Wade I can understand because he's won a title already and is one of the top few players in the league, but are you really claiming that Lebron is going to ride Bosh's coattails to a title? The same Bosh who has never won a playoff series? This is a two-time MVP and former scoring champ we're talking about in Lebron. Bosh is a solid all-star, but not a Lebron/Wade/Kobe level superstar.
LeBron James is going to regret leaving Cleveland. That ring he gets in Miami will make him happy for a bit, and the life will too. But he'll always regret not winning it in Cleveland especially as he gets older. Miami fans will never love him the way Cleveland fans had. He'll be a celebrity in Miami. In Cleveland he was a hero - he meant so much to everyone - not just basketball fans and strippers. Winning in Miami will bring another ring, another notch in Miami's belt along side other championships. If he 3 rings there, he'll be an icon for sure. But it will be different. He'll always wonder what it would have been like if he stuck it out and won a ring for Cleveland. The way Duncan did it for SA, Jordan for Chicago, Hakeem for Houston, and so on. To be vilified in your hometown? To be boo'd when you come home? Yeah, he's definitely going to regret this down the road. I feel sorry for him.
He didn't try to "flee from the media." He embraced it, he called ESPN and asked for this special not the other way around. He didn't have to make his announcement this way, he thought it would get him some more attention. I'm betting he didn't expect the backlash - I hope he is booed everywhere he goes.
My only complaint is that I hate to see 2 of the top 3 stars on the same team. I'm more about a competitive balance. I'm not saying that LeBron should have stayed in Cleveland, but I would have rather had seen him go to Chicago. Not to mention he could have signed with Chicago outright, and had a roster in place to compete with. Miami, as of right now, will have to fill that roster. It will be interesting to see what they do.
This is how it is in my mind. He is allowed to play where he wants . However you don't drop a steaming deuce on your old team and city when you go out. Why did this have to be done on national TV? Why did you have to ignore every text, phone call, and email from your owner after the season ended? I think this was all handled poorly.
I am neither his agent, nor his fan. I know they did the 1 hour thing for charity. Thats what I need to know. You can believe what you want
At least for me, the main thing is that this move has ruined the competitiveness of the league. Honestly, what teams have a shot at the championship next season? Miami, followed by the Lakers, with Orlando a distant 3rd. And that's it. This is like the giveaway of Gasol to LA, but 10 times worse. Sure, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are allowed to do what they want. But this is a case of them abusing the economics of the game (marketing >> salaries for superstars) in order to practically fix the championship. I am pissed because a team like the Rockets makes excellent moves for 3 years, and yet b/c of crap like this we (and 90% of the teams in the league) will not be able to contend for the next 5 years. The whole thing is an insult to the fans, and it's already making me doubt whether I will bother rooting for the Rockets this year or even the next two years.
He did the one hour thing for his ego. If he wanted to give 500,000 to charity, he could have just given 500,000 to charity. Cleveland is now my favorite Eastern Conference team.
Only reason is because the Heat were already good with Bosh and Wade. He stacked them up to be the best team in the NBA for the next 5 years.
What happens to basketball interest in the other 28 cities with a team, that from day 1 know they don't have any legitimate chance at winning the championship. Why is the NFL blowing away the NBA in success?
This is just outright jealousy. I didn't see such hate when the Celtics did the same thing two years ago. Or how about when the Lakers got Gasol for a bag of peanuts? It's just stupid hate.
I'm upset by his approach. It was really unclassy for him to announce it on national live TV he's leaving Cleveland. I would have thought for sure he was saying put in Cleveland. He didn't even have the class in telling his old team personally he was leaving. It was very cowardly and he does deserve some of the hate he is getting right now, by not just Cleveland but every other city not named Miami. I do think Cleveland is taking this WAYYY too seriously. I know it does hurt a lot, but I'm sorry Lebron is NOT Jesus, Muhammed, or whomever you believe in. He's no chosen one, no king, no man, but still a boy that's taking the sucker way out in getting a ring. Like T-Mac said in his commericials, "It takes 5!" Ohhh wells, enough with the insanity and let's get back to our normal lives.
I agree also. The Cavs are my new favorite eastern conf team. It's gonna be tough, but I predict they'll somehow even out the series in the regular season. Lebron James WILL have a poor performance in his two games back to Cleveland this upcoming year. But no worries, D-Wade will carry the load for him now.
The way he did it, obviously... Might be the worst PR move/sequence of moves in the history of sports. Tiger Woods says thank you, by the way, for getting people to forget about his last year. LeBron and Bosh are basically admitting to the world that they are not capable of being 'The Man' and carrying a team. Did Magic, Jordan, Bird, etc... have to team up to win? Nope. They manned up and competed against each other. They didn't wuss out. Nice legacy.
He didnt have to go on national tv to do this.Not only that but by the interview he seemed to not even care... LeBron always **** on the cleveland fans from the yankee hat to hanging out with the cowboys in cleveland.....and finally last night... As a NBA fan I'm dissapointed the NBA is turning into wrestling....How many teams teams in the league can have long term success? Maybe 10? Luckily Houston is one...... But If I grew up in St. Paul Minnesota would I care about the nba probaly not..... Toronto has no reason to exsist. As well as cleveland....... Regular season is pointless. Theres 0 doubt its going to be lakers/heat...
He actually said Wade and Bosh, putting Wade first (more emphasis). Not sure why you are hanging onto the Bosh part of that so much. Plain and simple, Lebron decided to make things as easy as possible on himself by going to Miami with a chance to win a ring. He'll be riding Heat (Wade, Bosh, Riley)coattails to a championship.
