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[Chron] Leslie: I have enough money, but I don’t have enough championships

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by OTMax, Jun 17, 2013.

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  1. OTMax

    OTMax Member

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    With roughly two weeks before the start of the NBA’s free-agency season, the poker player who owns the Rockets hopes to go all in.

    “I have enough money, but I don’t have enough championships,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said. “If you’re not in it to win championships, you shouldn’t be in it.”

    Alexander said he could not comment about any detail of the Rockets’ free-agency plans, including the planned presentation to players. But he said he hopes to have the sort of team to dramatically increase the team’s payroll, including paying a luxury tax.

    Alexander said that watching the NBA Finals offered a reminder of how badly he wants to return his team to contender’s status. The Rockets won consecutive championships in Alexander’s first seasons as team owner but have won just one playoff round since 1997. Since the departures of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, they have been restructured with the acquisition of All-Star James Harden and salary-cap room to pursue a max contract free agent next month.

    “I would be thrilled to pay a tax if we have a championship-caliber team,” Alexander said. “Obviously, you have to get the players to pay the taxes. You have to get great players; otherwise, you’re just spinning your wheels. When you get the great players, you don’t want to lose them. You have to pay whatever it takes to keep them. That’s when it becomes really fun to be an owner and to be a fan of the Rockets.

    Read more:
    http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/06/rockets-owner-ready-to-ante-up-for-big-playoff-run/

    Let's hope we get a chance to do it and go really big for once, something we really didn't do during the Yao-Tracy era. Signing Artest was the only 'big' trade or free agent signing in the 04-09 period and I think paid the luxury tax in either 2009 or 2010, but several articles stated we were there midway 2011 before the deadline.

    Leslie Alexander basically admits here he didn't go all out: “We were actually going to be paying (tax penalties) when Yao and Tracy went down."The injuries aside, that was just too late and let's hope he has learned from his mistakes. My guess is since he expects himself not be an owner for much longer (3-5 years probably), he is more willing to spend.
     
    #1 OTMax, Jun 17, 2013
  2. ShutURBiG!

    ShutURBiG! Contributing Member

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    I love this guy.

    INB4:
    <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3_CF3tALIuI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
    #2 ShutURBiG!, Jun 17, 2013
    1 person likes this.
  3. T FOR 3!!!

    T FOR 3!!! Member

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    Exactly what you want to hear from an owner! Love it. Hoping for a BIG summer!!
     
    #3 T FOR 3!!!, Jun 17, 2013
  4. OTMax

    OTMax Member

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    Haha thanks for sharing, something's seriously wrong with that laugh. It sounds evil, nerdy, forced, like he's on meds / high and genuine all at the same time.
     
    #4 OTMax, Jun 17, 2013
  5. Mathloom

    Mathloom Shameless Optimist
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    Everyone here generally knew Les would be willing to pay $$$ for a championship team. The timing of this is good though, Howard and Paul need to hear this. There are plenty of teams willing to spend for a championship, but almost none of them are in a better position to do so more than the Rockets this summer.

    Even if we strip this down assuming we lose our big role players - Patrick Beverley, James Harden, Chandler Parsons and any of our PF's is a better supporting cast for a 3 year window than Howard would have anywhere else he joins. James Harden is the best player other than Paul that Howard can pair up with. What's more likely is that if we are not getting Paul, then we will probably have BOTH Lin and Asik as supporting cast as well.
     
    #5 Mathloom, Jun 17, 2013
  6. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Contributing Member

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    You have to love his passion for winning.
     
    #6 Aruba77, Jun 17, 2013
  7. MONON

    MONON Member

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    That laugh is gonna sound oh so sweet at the end of the NBA finals. Won't get tired of it no matter how many years we have to listen to it. ;)
     
    #7 MONON, Jun 17, 2013
  8. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    They're redoing the locker room. Wonder what it's going to look like.
     
    #8 Kam, Jun 17, 2013
    1 person likes this.
  9. cjtaylorpt

    cjtaylorpt Member

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    Alexander being involved will help us a lot I think.
     
    #9 cjtaylorpt, Jun 17, 2013
  10. Raven

    Raven Member

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    Sounds like an indirect pitch to Dwight.

    ;)
     
    #10 Raven, Jun 17, 2013
  11. OlajuwonFan81

    OlajuwonFan81 Member

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    Well it is good to hear he is willing to do whatever it takes. I find it funny how all the articles about the Rockets are about how they want to spend a ton of money or how they are willing to trade young assets for veterans in order to win now. This is obviously a ploy to howard and cp3
     
    #11 OlajuwonFan81, Jun 17, 2013
  12. Commodore

    Commodore Contributing Member

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    Les and the entire Rockets management will be in LA on July 1

    No ipads and caravans this year. They are bringing the big man himself.
     
    #12 Commodore, Jun 17, 2013
  13. ric_flair

    ric_flair Member

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    my thoughts exactly
     
    #13 ric_flair, Jun 17, 2013
  14. Panda23

    Panda23 Member

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    “His voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood it before. It was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it…High in a white palace the king’s son, the golden boy.”
     
    #14 Panda23, Jun 17, 2013
  15. BamBam

    BamBam Contributing Member

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    That's not what his younger brother thinks.....:eek:

    [​IMG]
    .......
    .......
    .......
     
    #15 BamBam, Jun 17, 2013
  16. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    Exactly right...and to any other free agent.
     
    #16 MadMax, Jun 17, 2013
  17. FLASH21

    FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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    It certainly would be tough to turn down your own sensei.
     
    #17 FLASH21, Jun 17, 2013
  18. Jenopogi

    Jenopogi Contributing Member

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    Whoa, Les, opening the bank of Houston.
     
    #18 Jenopogi, Jun 17, 2013
  19. smr6

    smr6 Member

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    Putting a giant mural of Dwight on the wall as one of their pitches for his free agency.
     
    #19 smr6, Jun 17, 2013
  20. ROXTXIA

    ROXTXIA Contributing Member

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    I think Muhammed's letting the mountains come to him, Muhammad's not going to the mountains.

    That is, Dwight's gonna meet all his suitors in L.A.
     
    #20 ROXTXIA, Jun 17, 2013
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