#6's Return?

[Jon]

Fans who want him back think he basically guarantees a title. If Modell coming back would've guaranteed a title, 60% or more would've accepted him.

You may be right. It still makes my point that this isn't about how he left, but the fact he did leave.

Still doesn't change the fact that the Decision was the biggest sports PR blunder of all time.

Funny. I'd rate the time Noah got on the air and said that he thought Cleveland sucked and that he just spent his time in his hotel room rather than go out in the town as far more insulting than anything James didn't say about Cleveland in his show.

It boggles my mind how you can claim to be a Cavs fan, quite honestly.

Hate clouds the mind.

 

[The Edge]

I sure as hell did not watch the "debacle", I just watched BW's reports on the net that night.

For me It started to seep in he was leaving when he tried that silly left handed free throw in the Chicago series all the way up to the exaggerated elbow talk, ( I still remember M. Brown being asked about it and MB saying Lebron was fine), we watched him QUIT trying in the Boston series, (not choke like many people try to spin that), and all the way up to finally ripping that Cav jersey off in disgust after the last Boston game.

It all made sense, the jersey # change, the no recruiting of other players, the idiotic comment about how he had "spoiled us all" with his great play! Lebron never even seemed like he was truly a Cavalier at times, almost as though he was to good to play for Cleveland.

It sure did seem like bspn wanted everybody else in the world to share that opinion.
Hell I did not watch bspn for 2 plus years after that, because they've seemed more interested in making news these days than reporting it.

Hey I'm not stupid, if they handle it the right way and LBJ coming back guarantees us a title I'll take that,(like Gilbert said, "nothing in the NBA surprises me"). But winning one without him would be oh so much sweeter.

 

[col63onel]

You may be right. It still makes my point that this isn't about how he left, but the fact he did leave.

No, if he'd done it in a classier way, 99% would want him back.

Funny. I'd rate the time Noah got on the air and said that he thought Cleveland sucked and that he just spent his time in his hotel room rather than go out in the town as far more insulting than anything James didn't say about Cleveland in his show.

Actions speak louder than words

Hate clouds the mind.

Passion invigorates the mind.

 

[Tlyons]

Without the decision Lebron's fan base in Ohio still would have been Epic.

This is why so many people are dumbfounded that Lebron left the way he did. He sabotaged his own image in a completely unnecessary way.

No "Decision" means he gets a heroes welcome in 2014. Instead we have these travesties called threads.

Oh and the heat aren't losing to anyone anytime soon.

 

[shoes22]

The Heat are finally starting to hit their stride, and they're heavy championship favorites right now. Why would LeBron leave that team?

 

[TJ Detweiler]

The Heat are finally starting to hit their stride, and they're heavy championship favorites right now. Why would LeBron leave that team?

Because once his contracts up, his supporting cast are going to need walking canes by NBA terms.

 

[gratefuldead]

Lbj did tweet a pic w Tristan calling him family ... Also tweeted his friends album w a #believeland tag

 

[jay_em]

Lbj did tweet a pic w Tristan calling him family ... Also tweeted his friends album w a #believeland tag

Well Tristan is (like Jame) with Rich Paul's agency....so he is "family" and maybe the whole he hates cleveland thing is/was off base.

 

[Jon]

No "Decision" means he gets a heroes welcome in 2014

He's already well on his way to that, but like I said no matter how he left, an outpouring of hate was headed his way. The cool thing is people don't even need reasons like the TV show ... they're more than willing to make them up - such as the Elbow conspiracy.

Here's what Bob Finnan wrote about it back at the time:

James has been reluctant to talk about injuries.

He probably thinks it does him no good to discuss being banged up in the media.

He's also incapable of talking about any perceived flaw in his game or chink in his armor. He's too macho to do it.

"It's no excuse for me," James said. "I don't make any excuses, and I'll be ready any day."

If he continues to play at a subpar level, the Cavs will not win this series. Repeat: Will not.

I know that's not what you want to hear. But it's the truth.

The Cavs desperately need James to play at an optimal level. The rest of the team usually follows his lead.

He could miraculously turn things around in Game 3 in Boston on Friday

There's really no way to predict what will happen. But if he continues to play like he has, it will continue to level the playing field.

His health will continue to be the underlying theme of this playoff series. He might have had an MRI on Wednesday. He was diagnosed with a strained elbow and a bone bruise.

"Obviously, he's our best player," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It would be a big blow for us. It would be like if Dwight Howard wasn't healthy for the Orlando Magic."

But Brown has taken a very peculiar stance on the elbow. He said James, nor anyone from the training staff, hasn't come to him and said the elbow has been a problem.

"LeBron has not said anything to me about it," Brown said.

So if those things haven't happened, James must not be injured.

Of course, the line of thinking is flawed.

Teammate Mo Williams said James isn't the only player injured.

"Everybody on this team is banged up," Williams said. "Obviously, the pain is there (for James). He's not letting it affect him.

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/05/06/sports/nh2464111.txt?viewmode=3

 

[Maximus]

The Cavs showed very little interest in re-signing Z way back on his previous contract ~2005 until at the last moment Brown & Gilbert intercepted him at the Airport on his way out of the country for a vacation - reportedly after Ferry was told by James that he wanted him back.

Only part of this that is true is the bolded part.

 

[Bill Walton.]

What truly happens to LeBron image if he; leaves a average team for a chance at a super team?
Then, leaves a super team for a chance at a 2nd run with the Cavs?

 

[Jack Brickman]

I don't think he can really damage his image by coming back. The narrative will turn into him "making it right" and trying to come back and deliver on his previous promise of bringing a title to Cleveland.

If he goes somewhere else, like the Lakers for example, I think that will damage his image by making him look like a mercenary.

 

[gratefuldead]

I don't think he can really damage his image by coming back. The narrative will turn into him "making it right" and trying to come back and deliver on his previous promise of bringing a title to Cleveland.

If he goes somewhere else, like the Lakers for example, I think that will damage his image by making him look like a mercenary.

i dont think lebron wants a big market AT ALL, he cant handle that pressure

even though the media jizzes all over miami, its not a big market, especially not a basketball town. miami has tons of clubs, awesome weather, beaches and tons of slutty models. thats why guys go there....its not a great bball town... the media is selfish too, they know if a big star goes there, they get extra time there during the post season.

lebron could have gone and teamed up w wade in other cities

chicago, lebron didnt want to be in the shadow of jordan...NYC, NJ, lebron didnt want that insane media spotlight and pressure..LA would be even worse, he sees how dwight is getting treated..if he couldnt deliver in LA, it would be bad for him

lebron does one of two things, stays with Miami or comes home

coming home would be the biggest, best media story...would be best for his image, especially if he delivered the title...if he didnt deliver one, people will just blame it on the cavs not putting pieces around him

miami is just a safe bet, stay there, youve won a few already, if u win more, cool, if not ur already a champ...no biggie

im calling it right now, there are ONLY two cities lebron will even consider Cleveland and Miami

the path he chooses will be based on if he wins the next two championships, what condition Wade is in, what kind of team the Cavs have, who do we have to put around him

 

[col63onel]

lebron does one of two things, stays with Miami or comes home

Cleveland, never was, is not, and never will be his home. He has made that ABUNDANTLY clear.

im calling it right now, there are ONLY two cities lebron will even consider Cleveland and Miami

At this point in the last cycle, we would have called either NY or Cleveland. And that obviously didn't work out.

 

[Frank Reynolds]

I don't think he can really damage his image by coming back. The narrative will turn into him "making it right" and trying to come back and deliver on his previous promise of bringing a title to Cleveland.

If he goes somewhere else, like the Lakers for example, I think that will damage his image by making him look like a mercenary.

I think the most under-stated piece to all of this is

LeBron James finally understands how to win a championship. When he was here he did not play the game the right way. Constantly made himself a predictable target for the defense to hone in on.

What's that, LeBron is a good passer? What about LeISO? What about killing the clock and just staring down the Boston Celtics defense.


LeBron can say that he has better teammates now, whatever, what he needs to realize is that he could have been doing this all along. He was 270 pounds back when we had him too, he should have posted that slimy bean pole Garnett into the ground every single trip down the floor. He would have broke his will, instead Garnett broke James will.

What did he do? You literally couldn't draw it up any better if you were the Boston Celtics. He essentially handed them the series, not because he quit, because he was too fuckin stupid and he didn't play the game the right way like he does now. It's so simple it's disgusting. Garnett, Allen and Catfish were licking their chops because they knew exactly what James was going to do.

James didn't trust his teammates enough to defer the ball to them and it made it even easier for Boston to win the series. The team-mates were looking at James as the undisputed emotional leader of the Cavaliers and James was already conceiving of ways to blame it all on them.

I think LeBron prematurely quit on the city of Cleveland and he knows it. He tried to blame this all on them, but it was actually him that was the problem. He quit the moment he felt the Celtics had him under mind and body control.

The Celtics and Doc Rivers figured LeBron James sorry ass game out and they capitalized.

Next year when he tried the same shenanigans on Dallas, Dirk put a dick in his mouth.

Only reason Miami wins is because LeBron James figured out how to play the game the right way.

Only reason the Cavaliers lose is because LeBron James did not fully understand how to play the game the right way.