Links To The Present: April 22, 2010
2010-04-21
“If they want small-market teams to compete, you have to find another way. You have to hit the jackpot and get LeBron James. Then you have to surround him with players, and you have a $100 million payroll and you don’t make money.” [Brian Windhorst on The Cavs Revenue]
“Consider that for a moment. James has scored at least 40 points in five of his past 12 playoff games.” [Terry Pluto on LeBron’s Playoff Performances]
“I’m serious. I love Chicago. I love Cleveland. I love Akron, too.” [LeBron James – Champion of Cold Weather, Midwestern, Sports Towns]
“This playoff series gives LeBron James, who is the premier free agent of this summer’s class, to take a good look at Rose, Noah and the Bulls. The Bulls will have enough to offer a free agent a maximum contract, but the question remains as to if LeBron will leave Cleveland. While it’s still too early to tell, for LeBron, I think he has got to be leaning towards staying home. That’s the best place for him. You look at Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, and they left their legacies where they started. LeBron hasn’t left that mark in Cleveland yet, so I don’t know he is ready to move on. He’s received some individual accolades, but from a team standpoint, he has to do a little bit more. He knows that as well as anybody at this stage in his career.” [Scottie Pippen’s Take on All Things Cavs/Bulls]
Sam Smith thought LeBron should play with Kobe – now he thinks LeBron should suit up with Rose and Noah. He claims the Cavs’ window of opportunity is fast closing. We’ve heard that before in Cleveland.
Excellent Breakdown of the Cavs/Bulls Series by Play-Type
“The Cavs as a team were more in line with their usual proficiency behind the arc (actually a little better than that, 50% on the night), and it’s not surprising given how unbelievably wide open they are. There were some rotation miscues on the Bulls part, but overall I thought these were similar to the shots that the Cavs simply missed in game one.” [Blog-a-bull]
Tweets To The Present: (Follow Me @tompestak)
“Scott Brooks is the Coach of the Year…well deserved….Z and Chris Jent (former teammates) are among his many admirers…” [Fred McLeod]
“After watching this:http://bit.ly/aK3Nw4 I wish someone had followed that team for MJ’s last 3 years and written a book SSOL style.” [Colin Zvosec]
“NBA Jam was dope. Played with Bron. Got him on fire early but couldn’t sustain — wasn’t used to Wii.” [LangWhitaker]
I’m still just amazed by the comments on that Sam Smith article that Bulls fans can actually say that LeBron is “classless” and “cocky”, and in the same sentence say that he’s not “as hard a worker” and “respectful” as Noah…
I not sure if homerism is a communicable disease or not. I might need to go get checked out after reading that article and its comments. And LeBron *is* a showboat, but as many wise coaches have said before: “If you don’t like him celebrating, do something about it.”
I was looking over some of those comments and I didn’t see the biggest reason why he’s not going to chicago mentioned: MJ played there. I know he respects Jordan’s legacy, but going to chicago is just going to make the comparisons even worse. LeBron should be compared to Magic, not Jordan, but he will never get out of MJ’s shadow by playing in Chicago.
My theory on strange fan attitudes is that it stems from the sportswriters. I was always perplexed as to why wizards fans were so incredibly unreasonable. Until I read that Tom Knott. Now there is Povtak and Miachi for Orlando. For these ridiculous Bulls fans we have to understand that they’ve been reading Sam Smith’s accounts of Lebron the spoiled protected fake Jordan. I think the power of the media is much greater than most people want to admit. I try to make up my own mind about players but I found myself always trusting that windhorst’s huge man-crush on… Read more »
Jim – totally agree. I am amazed that anyone could ever write that they would “Cease to be a Bulls fan” if LeBron came to their team. Is there ANY player a Cavs fan would say that about? I don’t even think it’s true of Boozer, let alone a chance to have THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA.
Sam Smith is a jackass.
i know sam smith is goof ball who just writes things in a effort to be read outside of chicago but this insane insistence that the “window is closing” on the cavs is ludicrous. the proof is what ferry has done year after year. look at the ’07 finals team then this team. astonishing. why is there any reason to believe, new money rules (perhaps) notwithstanding, that he and gilbert wont re-tool the cavs year-after-year for LBJ? the FACT is they’ve proven they can re-toll and re-shape the roster almost at will. something most media types seem to willfully ignore…
This should be Cavs’ fans motto for LeBron in these playoffs: Win…and stay home
check out the comments on Sam Smith’s blog entry. Seems the majority of Bulls fans (1) do not want Lebron, (2) think he is selfish and has a bad attitude, and (3) believes Joe Johnson or Bosh would be a better fit. Unreal.