Id go with McMullen too (good call Mr. Clutch). I don't think Bud Adams was necessarily cheap, he was just an a-hole.
I'll start! I can't F*&&%%ing believe this! The guy: 1. Gets a taxpayer-subsidised new arena 2. Doesn't pay luxury tax 3. Got lucky with the most celebretated rookie in a decade, that not only creates a huge amount of hype in the U.S. but opens up marketing opportunities all around the world. 4. Is on the verge of having a winning team. 5. Is sitting on $200M unrealized gain (he bought the Rockets for $80M, now it's worth around $280M) and now has the best coach in the biz on the market and refuses to pay him the going rate!?? That just plain sux! Now players will start wondering and asking themselfes, am I here for the long term? Are they going to pay me when my deal is up? Are we going to get an important role player, if they price is too high? I think thi sis the begining of the end for the "best team ever assembled in history" Screw you Les!!!
Kayman, Somethings to consider during your rant. 1) Some of Alexanders own money is going into the new arena (I believe $25 MIL) not to mention a huge payoff to the HCSA once the parking garage is complete ($50 MIL). 2) 20 other teams didn't pay luxury tax either. Why signle out Les? 3) Unfortunately, the drafting of Yao didn't increase the attendance as much as we hoped. In fact, I believe we drew a high crowd average on the road than we did at home (might be wrong on that). 4) Its not a gain until you sell it. Therefore, Les does not have $200 MIL to play with right now.
...and Houston taxpayers aren't paying for the arena, unless they stay at hotels and rent cars on a regular basis...
I don't subscribe to the theory that we should get into a bidding war...esp since Brown doesn't have a track record of winning championships or sticking around long. It's easy to say when it isn't your money. By all accounts, Houston is the premier spot to coach. If it is just about the cash, you can have him. I want somebody that wants to be here.
I agree with CrazyJoe, I can't believe so many people voted freakign Les Alexander, that's unjustified. The man is more than willing to put out the rational amount of to build a championship team. He's no cuban but 27 owners in the NBA aren't either. Let's look at what he gets from Houston, a city that made him pay for part of the arena and agreed to HCSA. A city who still don't go to the games despite having 2 of the more exciting players in Francis and Ming. A city that shafted him out of a new arena for at least 4 years. (The arena should of long been built, but the city just wouldn't give it to him until there was actually a serious chance of them moving). Man if I was Les I would've moved the team long time ago.
How can some of idiots say Les is cheaper than Drayton!? Have you lost your friggin' minds? Les is like freaking Steinbrenner when compared to Drayton! Man...
Took the words right outta my mouth. There are far worse owners than Les. All right, so he ain't exactly Einstein, and he is prone to making fantastically r****ded decisions, but at least he's somewhat willing to spend money. Give him a smidgen of credit, please. It's not like he named his arena after an orange juice product. (Uh... actually, check back on that later...)
Go ask Cato, MoT, Moochie, Francis, Matt Maloney, Shandon Anderson (via absorbing Rice's contract) and Scottie Pippen if they think Les is a cheap b*stard.
