Press Conferences

[WeinerSoBig]

Spot on. I don't think Dan Gilbert is going to stand there while everyone in the NBA makes moves. Everyone makes it seem like we're dead man walking over here but we have some assets to work with (MLE, Hickson/Green, expirings of West/Parker/Telfair) and an owner who will spend money. I look for the Cavs to buy a draft pick, then try and scour the trade market to see what he can find. Gilbert stands to lose so much money if LeBron walks, and he will do everything he can to prevent that.

I absolutely agree with this. And in addition to Gilbert doing everything he can to make this the best team possible, he is a real tough SOB who is no push over. No matter who Lebron signs with, if it's the Cavs or someone else, I fully expect Gilbert to go hard core after those teams that he feels have tamperred with Lebron. I truly expect in the next month or two that one or more teams will have to pay some serious fines and/or forfiet draft picks. Gilbert is a guy who appears to me to be relentless, and will not go down without a good fight.

 

[Green Lantern]

Glad that wasn't me in that presser..just watching Lebron..he looked different..visibly angry at certain times.(irritated having to answer questions)..stunned..no real answers..at least none he wanted to share..he ought to be ticked off at himself first and foremost..

 

[peeps112]

a) boston was not a better team than us, not even close. that argument is lame, played. you dont go the entire season with the best record in the nba and say our team sucked. same argument goes for last year. what did happen, in this series and last year, is that we got thoroughly outcoached, out-schemed, and out-hustled. any idiot with a passing interest in basketball could see that jamison couldnt guard kg, shaq/z slowed us down to a tempo boston liked, and energy guys like varejao, hickson, and moon bothered boston. mike brown either is THAT stupid, bows down to egos (likely), or is too proud himself. moreover, this year, our best player just didnt show up for half the games. tough to win in that scenario, even with a home court advantage.

b) totally agree with erbium. stop the pity party. stop the cleveland choke garbage. that is also lame. gilbert needs to switch into the man that built himself a huge fortune and make strong decisions. if lebron is in, great. if not, develop plan b, and soon. decide ferry's fate, drop brown, and identify coaches/free agents/draft picks of interest. we cannot be left whimpering and holding the bag if/when lebron goes. we are an nba organization, not his childhood friend hoping for a handout.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Re: Press Conferences (see post #30)

You guys should all be ashamed of yourself. Saying screw LeBron, eff him this, LeBrick that.

Why dont you guys actually wait until/if he signs with another team rather than overreacting over a post game press conference. Jesus H Christ guys. Go to bed if you're this upset.

It's not just the press conference. Unless it comes out that his injury was signficantly worse than he let on, he basically tanked the best shot this franchise has ever had to win a championship. You can't fix that just by re-signing.

 

[blazenmp]

Once I recover from this partial paralysis, I feel like driving down to Tenn to have a beer with RchfldCav to celebrate the fact that Mike Brown can no longer hold this team back offensively.

Lemme know when you get here, I'll get the first round.

 

[CzBoobie]

Re: Press Conferences (see post #30)

It's not just the press conference. Unless it comes out that his injury was signficantly worse than he let on, he basically tanked the best shot this franchise has ever had to win a championship. You can't fix that just by re-signing.

So he tanked a chance for a championship and still was hands down the best player on his team. What the hell does that say about the team?

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Re: Press Conferences (see post #30)

So he tanked a chance for a championship and still was hands down the best player on his team. What the hell does that say about the team?

I know you're trying to say something about the rest of the individual players. But I don't know how fair that is to Jamison, Mo, etc. I think it DOES show how shitty our coaching was. We set up a system that was 100% completely dependent on Lebron just taking over on offense. Blame the coaches, not the players.

 

[ZissisKilla]

Re: Press Conferences (see post #30)

So he tanked a chance for a championship and still was hands down the best player on his team. What the hell does that say about the team?

Tanking doesn't necessarily mean he sucked.

Last night he continually brought the Cavs back to within 2-6 points and then started playing hot potato with the ball and throwing it carelessly at Varejao.

He got his and still tanked the game.

 

[blazenmp]

Re: Press Conferences (see post #30)

So he tanked a chance for a championship and still was hands down the best player on his team. What the hell does that say about the team?

They mistakenly thought he was also a leader?

 

[The_L_Train]

Difference between LeBron after Game 6 this year and last year

Last year the guy was straight up p*ssed and you could tell. I thought the way he reacted during the last few minutes of Game 6 in Boston yesterday was very telling. He waited around, shook hands, slapped a bunch of Boston fans hands, ripped off his Cavs jersey and seemed a bit too content during the post-conference.

I don't believe LeBron gave up. The Celtics' defense on him was just phenomenal and I saw a guy who due to all the extra pressure heaped on his shoulders, looked overwhelmed. Almost like he didn't know what else to do.

Honestly, I saw a guy who seemed resigned to accept the fact that he really can't do as much as he thought he could, and that he really, more than ever, needs superstars to play alongside.

 

[bushwik]

This is the saddest day in history of sports in Cleveland easily....If what W&G is alluding to is true, this is one of those things that we wont be able to bounce back from...This frasnchise seriously may be done in Cleveland. Epic.

There will be a movie and/or books about this shit in 10 years I gaurantee it

 

[bushwik]

Oh and you people trying to rationalize this from the playoff games are fools...This is far bigger than the games if this is true. The games were simply procedure,

 

[MoFlo]

your fear of his leaving is clouding your memory. Game 1 two years ago lebron scored to cut the lead to 1 with 5:33 left in the game. The rest of the way he went 0-6 shooting, had 2 assists and 1 turnover. In the last minute alone he missed these 4 shots

0:55 LeBron James misses 8-foot jumper
0:39 LeBron James misses layup
0:09 LeBron James misses 4-foot jumper 72-74
0:04 LeBron James misses three point jumper

had he done that tonight, you'd say he tanked the game.

The fact is LeBron had a triple double, a career high in rebounds, played some outstanding defense, and again was the reason that we were able to bring the game within reach in the 4th quarter. Is it LeBron's fault that Mo disappeared at halftime? Or that Jamison went 2-10? LeBron had 19 rebounds, our bigs combined for just 16 rebounds.

Hmm.. where did I ever say that he tanked the game?

There's a difference..

"LeBron misses 8 foot jumper"

"LeBron misses layup"

"LeBron misses 4 foot jumper"

Come on man, you cannot tell me that you watched Game 6 & that's the type of effort that we've seen from LeBron for 7 seasons.

 

[NarlCavs]

I still want LeBron to return but at this point I really don't care if he doesn't. Have lost a ton of respect for him.
It wasn't only his play in the Celtics series, it was more his whole attitude and demeanor. Just because you continually call yourself a winner, a leader, and that you only play for championships, doesn't make it fact. He has a lot to prove now and all the criticism that is coming and will come is way is hard to argue against. His whole act this series was shameful for someone who has portrayed himself a certain way
Maybe the Skip Bayless', Charley Rosen's and the like of the world wouldn't so wrong in their criticism.

It would be nice if LeBron learned from this experience and grew as a person and player. After 7 years there are still weak areas in his game. There does come a point where you need much more than to rely on freakish strength and athleticism. That won't be there forever.

I don't fault the Cavs organization and Gilbert and Ferry for this playoff disaster. They've done all they can under the circumstances and conditions to build a winner and championship caliber team.
If some think the Cavs don't have a quality contender set up for the coming seasons well LeBron has some responsibility for that too. To please him and his desires the Cavs had to go all in each season to try to win rather than taking a more patient building approach.
Everything has been geared toward LeBron. That's why the pressure and much blame is placed on him. Every player brought in had to be weighed with how do they fit with LeBron?
I've always thought there was too much ass kissing with LeBron and not enough willingness to challenge and criticize him to get him out of some of his bad habits. LeBron does deserve some responsibility for the stagnant offense of the last 5 years.

Another thing that should be bothersome is LeBron developing close ties with some of the lowest scum in the basketball world in William Wesley and John Calipari. Does that say something about him as a person or not. You'd also have to question some of the moochers and hangers on surrounding him.

Hopefully at some point news comes out about just what happened behind the scenes in this year's playoffs. If LeBron was injured more than we knew or some other issue was going on than what occurred is much more understandable.

Was this just a bad series? Was LeBron planning his getaway? Is how he's portrayed himself the past 7 years the truth or has he been been a phony and a fraud? Right now nobody knows and it's all opinion and speculation until later this summer. I know I will never be able to look at him the same and that he has a lot to prove and accomplish in his career before he gets put on the level of many all time greats who actually won championships.

If he leaves and goes out like this than I don't know how he can remain in Akron and NE Ohio.

 

[Taiter]

I hope James resigns, but frankly if he doesn't want to be here then good riddance. I'm tired of his endless toying with Cleveland. If you don't want to be here, leave and let's let Ferry get going on rebuilding this team and doing it the right way.

From the start James has had a real ambivalence toward Cleveland, and the endless speculation is now old. I'm not anxious any longer, I'm annoyed. I can't imagine playing my "near" hometown like this. It's time for this guy to put his cards on the table.

If you want to come back, please do, and please be part of making this team a champion. But the team needs to start building the properly, not making short-term moves all the time to please his every wish. It's not like he's won anything. The team needs to be willing to take a step back and clear the deck a bit.