I believe what many are over looking is how much this trio damages the league. If all the talent flocks to just a couple teams, you pretty much make the rest of the league pointless. The same applies to the MLB with their lack of spending cap. Fans lose interest if their teams never win.
1. Its not just a couple of teams. The Spurs, Celtics, Magic, Nuggets, Thunder and of course us are still hanging around. 2. The league will actually benefit if the talent is concentrated in just 1 or two teams. Remember Magic-Bird? Who were the other teams then? Also when MJ won his six rings, the ratings were through the roof.
You've still only listed a small fraction of the league, validating Space Ghost's point. And the NBA can't sustain itself via one playoff series every year.
It's a crap article. And there is no doubt Wilt and Kareem and Oscar would have used free agency if they could. Mo Malone, Shaq, KG and Barkley sure did (or used the threat of it to force trades). How we forget Hakeem in his prime almost went down this road too. MJ didn't have to because he had young emerging great players and great coach, and rapidly aging competition. Good Kings know how to consolidate to form the biggest baddest empire they can. Does it mean accepting and giving leeway to a brilliant general and brilliant administrator, yes. Lebron and co went about establishing the best TEAM they could. They are going to put winning above media bullcrap and individual credit. How un-American and un-Egotistical of them. (except the show, that was bad form to be kind)
Well you can go back to before the age of free agency--try going that route. And even then you had shenanigans, like Boston bribing the team in front of them not to pick Russell, which set in motion the most dominated period of the NBA. How Wilt, West and Oscar would have loved to have the option to leave as free agents when they were young and kick the Celts asses.
What your not grasping is that there is no real competition through out the rest of the league. Right now, its Lakers/Heat, then at a distant the Celtics, which are already about to fall apart. All those other teams all much further behind the Celtics. Instead of having 2 really strong teams, 10 more very competitive teams with everyone else falling in between the 4-6 pathetic teams, you have 2 really powerful teams, a small handful of competitive teams and the rest of the league dropping off in mediocrity. If most of the teams do not have a true star player, their fans will more likely be disinterested.
"If you're the two-time defending NBA MVP, you don't leave anywhere. They come to you." -Barkley Except no one wanted to go to Cleveland this summer.
If the Miami trio doesn't happen, the Lakers are overwhelming favorites to win the next couple titles. Like you said, Boston had a shot this yr but their window is pretty much closed now. At least this gives LA some competition - especially since this all started w/ that Gasol trade.
It's like Michael Rosenburg took my thoughts and made a very detailed, in- depth article with excellent defenses for every LBJ quote.
Sadly history probably won't make it a big point that Kobe became relevant again only because of a super lopsided deal that got them Gasol. Everyone will just remember how many rings Kobe won and his comparison with LBJ in this current time. It will probably be the same with Lebron. He'll get rings (though I hope not) and that will be what's remembered, not the severe tipping of the scales that was the 2010 offseason.
I think of it like this. If I was a great architect I would probably want to build my own house. Now there is no doubt that I couldn't build it on my own and I would need a certain amount of help and good help at that and would find it. But at the end of the day I would like to be able to say that the house I live in is the house I designed and built as the lead architect. I feel like Lebron gave up building his own house and went out and got two other good architects to help design and build the house with him. He will probably end up with a bigger and better house than he would have had on his own but will he get that same feeling of accomplishment that he would have got if he would have designed and built it as the lead architect. But, maybe Lebron just wants the biggest best house on the street and doesn't care whether or not he gets the most credit. That extra feeling of accomplishment just might not be what he is looking for.
that's a good one, the architect comparasion, because the job can't be done alone, but its something of more of an accomplishment, more meaningful, more fulfilling, and more challenging to be the captain of the ship
Like the article said, Jordan wouldnt have ever done this. You can counter by saying he got Pippen but it took him 7 years in the league to win his first ring. He also had to deal with teams like the Pistons, Celtics and Knicks so it wasnt easy for him either. Plus Jordan didnt come out from High school so he was 27 when he won.
I think you guys summed up Pop Culture and a lot of American sentiment well. Not that it is wrong, just your values. I would rather be a part of the greatest team possible--be it to build the best ship or building, conduct a war with the fewest casualties, execute most optimally in difficult life saving surgery, by recognizing my strengths and weakness, or even just by merely recognizing others have great talents/skills too, and putting together "the best team".
