2013 NBA Finals thread: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat

The Cavs had no. 10 pick in 2004 draft and they drafted Luke Jackson to play alongside Lebron. Then they traded away the 2005 1st rounder (with no lottery protection) for Jiri Welsch. It would have been the 13th pick in the draft. There were more stupid trades involving 1st round picks.

Since taking LeBron with the 1st overall pick in 2003, the Cavs used their first-round picks on Luke Jackson, Jiri Welsch, Shannon Brown, J.J. Hickson, and Christian Eyenga. Six drafts, five players, one rotation player. I'm not saying that the Cavs would have drafted a Granger or a Rondo if they'd kept those picks, but they at least would've had a chance.

...and Lebron left Cleveland high n dry? He was stupid to not leave early.

Originally posted by 49ersMyLife:

Originally posted by sacniner:
Why do the haters think he was obligated to stay in s**tty Cleveland. The way he left was bad, but we all know that (Including him). Are we going to hold that against him forever? If so, you better hold all the s**t other athletes do against them.

He left Cleveland for Miami. Who the f**k wouldn't? Magic was in LA. Yes, he didn't leave, is that surprising? MJ was in Chi Town, another awesome city. Get reat.

I laugh at the question: why didn't he tough it out in Cleveland? It is pretty dumb argument because he did tough it out in Cleveland. He didn't b***h or moan like MJ about his team-mates. He didn't ask to be traded. He didn't talk s**t about them behind their back or to their face. In fact, he took them as high as he could. He signed the rookie extension contract, he played 7 years and let everyone know in advance that he will test out the FA. He paid all his dues to Cleveland.

So, this notion that he left Cleveland high n dry is ridiculous. The decision was a mistake...he realized it later.

That's the worst thing he has done off the court & ppl hate him for that. Many of the Cleveland fans want him back now. Even they got over it.

You wrote exactly what I was going to type lol

if you sign a contract, you play the contract, then you can gtfo if you want. LeBron played throughout his contract, he didn't make anything a big deal in the middle of the season and act like a diva like Howard and Paul did.

Cleveland f**ked up by not giving him any talent around him. Besides the obvious Wade and Bosh, Miami is trying to give him better role players every season. They're surrounding him with good role players like Ray Allen, Shane Battier, etc. Why anyone would stay in s**tty ass Cleveland where they surround you with Mo Williams, Wally f**king Szczerbiak, washed up Shaq and Eric Snow, when you can go to Miami with Wade, Bosh, Ray Allen, Battier, etc.

Not only is Wade a million times better than anyone LeBron played with in Cleveland, Miami's role players are a lot better and fit better than his role players in Cleveland did, that's why I brought up Ray Allen and Battier.

I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

So Shaq leaving to be with 1 all star is ok, but if its 2 all stars then its weak?

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

So Shaq leaving to be with 1 all star is ok, but if its 2 all stars then its weak?

How about Garnett and Allen joining Pierce?

LeBron will win the other championships with Golden State. Book it.

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

So Shaq leaving to be with 1 all star is ok, but if its 2 all stars then its weak?

You mean Shaq signing with the Lakers? What all-star are you talking about? Cedric Ceballos? lol

And we're not talking about an all-star...we're talking superstar. Top 5 player in the game. Finals MVP. One of the best SGs ever. Plus another guy who had made 5 consecutive ASGs and was arguably the best offensive big in the game? How does that compare to what Shaq did?

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

It's not weak at all when you look around and see that every team winning the chip had 2 super-stars or a combination of Super-star with 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. The only exception was Pistons...who had 5 really good players.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
You mean Shaq signing with the Lakers? What all-star are you talking about? Cedric Ceballos? lol

And we're not talking about an all-star...we're talking superstar. Top 5 player in the game. Finals MVP. One of the best SGs ever. Plus another guy who had made 5 consecutive ASGs and was arguably the best offensive big in the game? How does that compare to what Shaq did?

LeBron has taken that team over though. Its his squad. I think a lot of people's opinion has changed on that over the last three years. He doesn't necessarily need Bosh and Wade to carry him, but Bosh and Wade need him.

So, if you're a star FA, are your options to only sign with teams who have no other stars in order to keep respect?

Like Stern said, and others, the NBA has always had stars on the same team. Thats how it is. No star would have stayed in Cleveland the way they were operating. And if you look at the options for Bron during that FA period where should he have gone? Chi Town with Rose (joining another star)?

Originally posted by 49ersMyLife:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

It's not weak at all when you look around and see that every team winning the chip had 2 super-stars or a combination of Super-star with 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. The only exception was Pistons...who had 5 really good players.

Who should have Bron signed with? That is my question. Another s**t team that isn't the Cavs so it would have been "his team?" I think that is ludicrous.

Originally posted by 49ersMyLife:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

It's not weak at all when you look around and see that every team winning the chip had 2 super-stars or a combination of Super-star with 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. The only exception was Pistons...who had 5 really good players.

Neither the '09 nor '10 Lakers won a title with two superstars or a superstar and 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. And not only did he sign with a team with 2 superstars, he ALSO had a third guy that was a perennial all-star.

I've never understood why this doesn't grate on your guys' competitive spirit.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by 49ersMyLife:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I don't begrudge him leaving Cleveland. It was the teaming up with another superstar and another perennial all-star that I thought was really weak.

It's not weak at all when you look around and see that every team winning the chip had 2 super-stars or a combination of Super-star with 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. The only exception was Pistons...who had 5 really good players.

Neither the '09 nor '10 Lakers won a title with two superstars or a superstar and 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. And not only did he sign with a team with 2 superstars, he ALSO had a third guy that was a perennial all-star.

I've never understood why this doesn't grate on your guys' competitive spirit.

Anything that keeps Kobe and the Lakers from winning another title is okay in my book

Originally posted by sacniner:
LeBron has taken that team over though. Its his squad. I think a lot of people's opinion has changed on that over the last three years. He doesn't necessarily need Bosh and Wade to carry him, but Bosh and Wade need him.

So, if you're a star FA, are your options to only sign with teams who have no other stars in order to keep respect?

Like Stern said, and others, the NBA has always had stars on the same team. Thats how it is. No star would have stayed in Cleveland the way they were operating. And if you look at the options for Bron during that FA period where should he have gone? Chi Town with Rose (joining another star)?

Of course it's his team, he's the best player in the league. It doesn't change the fact that he willfully teamed up with one of the Top 5 players in the game (who did not NEED LeBron...as evidenced by him being the best player on a title team himself) and a perennial all-star in Bosh.

I don't understand why you guys downplay who he signed with. He didn't sign with a "star", lol. He signed with another superstar AND a perennial all-star. This wasn't Kobe getting traded a really good #2 in Gasol. Dwyane Wade was a superstar who was in his prime and had carried a team to a title. No, I don't expect him to win it by himself, but he went to the completely opposite end of the spectrum. Plus a guy like Bosh? (who's comparable to Gasol) Yikes.

Derrick Rose wasn't a star at the time. He was a good, young player. He had several options. The only one I woulda complained about was the one where he joins another superstar and a perennial all-star. They were the 3 best players on the market that year. I can't be the only person that remembers this.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Neither the '09 nor '10 Lakers won a title with two superstars or a superstar and 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. And not only did he sign with a team with 2 superstars, he ALSO had a third guy that was a perennial all-star.

I've never understood why this doesn't grate on your guys' competitive spirit.

I hated the signing with Miami somewhat for that reason, but also because I thought Wade and James were just a bad fit to play with each other. But so what? The guy is still one of the greatest of all time in his prime, and you're a fool if you don't appreciate it.

Originally posted by dhp318:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Neither the '09 nor '10 Lakers won a title with two superstars or a superstar and 2 all-stars and a lot of talent around them. And not only did he sign with a team with 2 superstars, he ALSO had a third guy that was a perennial all-star.

I've never understood why this doesn't grate on your guys' competitive spirit.

I hated the signing with Miami somewhat for that reason, but also because I thought Wade and James were just a bad fit to play with each other. But so what? The guy is still one of the greatest of all time in his prime, and you're a fool if you don't appreciate it.

Because I think he's a puss for signing with Miami, I can't recognize that he's one of the all time greats?