I don’t get it, where is all this Lebron is better than Jordan talk coming from? Why are guys like Scottie Pippin saying things like this? Does he still have some animosity towards MJ? Are youtube videos like the one above being made, because there’s nothing else to debate about at the moment? Personally I don’t understand why it’s even a debate. For years we compared Kobe to Jordan, and over the last couple years we’ve seemingly put that argument to bed, aside from a short sighted Lakers fan here and there. Now Lebron is better than Jordan when he hasn’t won anything yet?!? Jordan was 6 for 6 in his career in the finals, and won 6 Finals MVP’s while Lebron is 0 for 1 with a sweep in the finals to his name. Wake me after Lebron has a single three-peat, and we can maybe start this argument. Hell, Dwayne Wade has more “Jordan-like” credentials than Lebron with a 1 for 1 in Finals appearances, and earning a finals MVP. I understand that a lot of us want to see another Jordan, but in reality I doubt we ever will see anyone with the drive that Jordan had. He made it so everyone around him would never give up, because he wouldn’t let them. I can’t say the same for Lebron at any point in his career so far. Lebron doesn’t seem to mind losing while Jordan died a little inside every time he lost a meaningless regular season game, and that my friends is what will separate these two for eternity. I think we should be comparing Lebron to Kobe first, then Magic, then maybe Jordan if he ever gets that far. It feels like we skipped a few legitimate and major steps in our comparisons with this guy. It’s scary to me this is going to be a debate for the next 10 years regardless of how many titles the Heat do or don’t win…
Tag Archives: Lebron James
Lebron in Spacejam
Awesome video. I usually get a kick out of the college humor website. I’d love to play with Stegosaurus and that Purple Guy, they sound like beasts! I couldn’t figure out if Taz was supposed to be Delonte or not, but either way that part made me laugh…
Cleveland’s U-Turn
Looks like Cavs fans are finally turning the page after seeing their team’s current record breaking losing streak hit 26. I guess even they now realize that Lebron never really had a team that was worthy of his talents. It’s good to see that they are at least fond of the times they had with him. Maybe now, Lebron won’t get his ass kicked when he goes home to visit his family and friends. I loved the Delonte part.
Thanksgiving Weekend Leftovers
Now that the food coma has settled down from the weekend, I realized that there were tons of things that happened that I didn’t get a chance to reflect on. Now that it’s back to the grind, I can collect some thoughts on the weekend that was Thanksgiving, and give you some of my leftover thoughts.
Leslie Neilsen
It was sad to hear this morning that Leslie Neilsen died last night from pneumonia at the tender age of 84. “The Naked Gun” series was easily one of my favorites growing up, and fell slightly behind “Back to the Future” in the times watched category. In my eyes, Leslie started the spoof/making fun of movies that were already made game, and set the bar way too high for the Waynes Brothers to duplicate with one possible exception “Don’t be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Juice in the Hood”.
It’s amazing how times have changed, and even though he’s gone now, Frank Drebbin, errr, I mean, Enrique Palazzo will always be the best hometown umpire we’ve ever seen to call a game (too bad it benefitted the Angels). Thanks for the laughs Leslie, you will always be remembered.
The WolfPack Takes Down Boise State
I had mixed emotions about this game. I’m friends with a ton of UNR graduates, so I was happy for them that Nevada won. At the same time, I was also rooting for Boise to have a shot at the title game, but they didn’t come through. I’ve never pretended to understand the BCS rankings, but doesn’t it seem like Nevada should be ranked higher than Boise since they just beat them?!? I guess not… It was a great game if you didn’t see it, it was shocking that the WolfPack came back from such a large deficit. I really felt bad for the Boise State’s kicker, who missed two field goals at the end of the game. He killed off two years, and 24 straight wins of hard work to get that program to the point where they had a shot at being in the National Championship in a span of a mere twenty minutes. It might have been the least forgivable performance since Andres Escobar scored his own goal in the 1994 World Cup, but fortunately for Kyle Brotzman (the Boise kicker), he lives in America instead of Columbia, and I doubt will be killed for it. He might have to do a Bartman type relocation, but in the end, that’s not that bad. Hopefully he doesn’t turn out like Finkle and kidnap Kellen Moore just before their bowl game next year.
Spygate Part Deux Continue reading
Jordan Vs. Lebron Parody
Ran across this clip this morning, and have to say it’s awesome! I’m on the fence if it’s actually real or not, since I don’t know why Nike would want MJ to rip on their golden boy Lebron. Either way, I don’t really care if it was doctored, and the words MJ is saying are from a completely different interview, because I bet this is how Jordan actually feels deep down. All I know is if it’s real Lebron might wish he didn’t tell everyone in the league to not wear 23 anymore…
NBA Season is Creeping Up On Us
People let me tell you about my best friend!
D-Wade Officially Makes it Lebron’s Team
I actually caught some of the first look at the new Miami trio last night (only the first quarter). They looked really good even though D-Wade got hurt. I think the Pistons in general make most teams look good, especially ones that are supposed to be favorites for a title. At first I didn’t think much of Wade’s injury since he won’t really miss all that much time, and its still preseason. As the game progressed it became apparent that Lebron unsurprisingly would be the man without Wade in the lineup. Shocking revelation, I know. It seemed like as soon as Wade left the game, Lebron’s urgency stepped up a little. He took over that game, and showed us why this will eventually be his team. There’s no mistaking his godlike talents on the court, and even Bosh said after the game he’s never seen that many wide open shots. D-Wade is a fantastic player (easily top 5 in the league), but if you’re on the same floor as Lebron you are going to be overshadowed. Was last night the first step into the team transitioning to being all about Lebron? Probably. He even said in a pregame interview that he would not defer to anyone, and that was before Wade got hurt. Lebron endured the worst summer I can recall of any professional athlete. It was even more brutal because he didn’t even get into any kind of legal trouble. Now it’s time for him to show us why we made such a big deal out of his decision, tanking the Boston series, and making retarded tweets and comments siding with Maverick Carter (the worst agent in the history of agents). After watching one preseason game, Lebron reminded me that he will overcome all the bad press, and will be vindicated this season through his amazing presence on the court. He is the Mike Vick of the NBA, he’s different than everyone else, and you can’t take your eyes off him when he’s playing. Miami might be Wade’s city, and it might still be his franchise, but after one missed meaningless preseason game from Wade, I think it’s already Lebron’s team.
Asian’s Breaking Ground in the NBA
You know we get up as much Asian pride posts as we can, so I couldn’t resist introducing our readers to this Chinese guy. Yesterday Sonny Xiao bought a small stake (5-10%) of the new Dallas expansion NBA D-League team named the Texas Legends. This isn’t all that exciting news since I can’t even name all the D-League teams nor have I really watched any of their games aside from a youtube clip or two. What makes Xiao so special? Is it because he’s only 27? Being 27 and owning a stake in a team was one of my goals, unfortunately it never came to fruition, and I’m older than 27 now… The real reason it’s unique though, is because he is the first Chinese born person to own a stake in a team. Mikhail Prokorov became the first overseas owner this year buying the New Jersey Nets this offseason, and now Xiao becomes the first guy from Asia to buy into the NBA, even if that happens to be a D-League team. Xiao came over from Beijing ten years ago as a foreign exchange student to attend SMU in San Antonio. He returned to Beijing to build up a couple of companies only to sell them off, and is now back in the states trying to help get this team going. It might be the first bridge to China that the NBA has been looking to find for awhile.
Heel Turn
I’m sorry, but is there any better way to compare how the “New Big Three” transpired down in Miami, than in this clip right here?
Is It Football Time Yet?
When it boils down to it, I’m basically a two sport guy, Basketball & Football. I do follow my San Francisco Giants, but I could care less what the rest of baseball is doing, and apparently I’m not the only one.
Anyway, I must thank the NBA for setting up a 7 game series between two classic rivals in the Finals. I must thank the 2010 World Cup, which actually opened an eye for me towards soccer. I can honestly say I had never been quite as involved in it until this time around. Hopefully my fair weather fanship doesn’t die down. But most importantly, I must thank the idiots at “Team LeBron” which includes the “Self Proclaimed King” himself, for their decision to make “The Decision.” This led to Miami becoming the “Evil Empire” of Basketball, Dan Gilbert’s now infamous letter in size 14 Comic Sans font, and so on, and so on.
You see, what this all does for me is shortens the time between the end of the NBA season, and the beginning of the NFL season. I was talking to my girlfriend the other night about how I don’t even watch much SportsCenter come this time of the year, because there isn’t a consistent thing for me to care about in the world of sports. Thank god for the show Dexter.
But now Football is coming around the corner and I can’t wait! Why you ask? Well I’m excited for Football every year, but this particular year is more personal for me. It is the return of the San Francisco 49ers to the post season! Now there’s been many instances of us (49ers fans) believing which ever past season we were in, was “the” season. A few years back when we defeated then division power house Seattle Seahawks twice in the same season, we barely missed the Playoffs. We naturally thought the following season would be it for us then. Negative. Last season, we thought for certain “this was it.” One blinded Brett Favre miracle toss and complete melt downs versus Atlanta & Tennessee at home later, and fail.
This season is different. For one, we’ve steadily improved over the past few seasons under Mike Singletary. He’s molded a defensive unit capable of cracking the top five. Two, we have a healthy Frank Gore, a budding star Tight End in Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree for a full season. Alex Smith has been more than suspect during the course of his career, but he has all the tools now to make this offense respectable. I have to believe he’ll deliver. Lastly, no more Kurt Warner! I’m sorry Cardinals fans, but Matt Leinart just isn’t it, at least not right now. You lose Warner, and Boldin, and you drop to third in the division. For the 49ers, just focus on your division. The rest will fall into place.
With that said, I am chomping at the bits for the 2010 NFL season to start! Aside from the 49ers, there’s other mysteries that have yet to be answered. Is Peyton Manning & Tom Brady on the decline in their careers? Will T.O. find a home? Who will Chad Ocho Cinco choose in his new reality dating show? These are the good questions only the NFL brings. But, in the mean time, I’m hoping “Team LeBron” and his “Brand” can keep me occupied until then, which for some reason, I have no doubt they will do. I wish I could take my boredom to South Beach …
Lebron Just Dethroned Kobe As Most Hated Player in the NBA
It’s true. The title Kobe Bryant held for so long has been snatched out from underneath him. Long considered the spoiled brat of the NBA, Kobe may very well be sitting back watching Lebron get ripped by every fan, franchise, and media outlet in the nation, smiling uncontrollably. I know I would be. See, Kobe grew out of the bad boy stage a couple years ago. Somewhere, he realized he didn’t need to be a villain. Moreover, in order to be regarded with the Jordans, Magics, and Birds, he needed to be liked. I’m not saying he changed his personality, but he simply became tolerable. Many still hate him, but not as passionately as they used to. I actually came around a lot earlier than most. I think it was a combination of going to college with his cousin and the Kings fall from contention and no longer having to deal with him in the big moments. What really did it for me was that Kobe simply is THAT GOOD. I was a damn good swimmer all through high school, and somewhere along the line, I realized you had to KNOW you were that good to BE that good. That’s all Kobe was doing. You need your opposition to believe that they can’t beat you. Kobe has mastered this. Up until now, Kobe was the bad guy and Lebron was the good guy.
Not so anymore. Lebron James was a man among boys ever since he was in high school. Grown ass men were looking up to him because he seemed to have the world in the palm of his hands. Thursday night ended up being the biggest heel turn – to put it in WWF terms – the NBA has ever seen. It was almost as if Lebron ripped off his Cavs jersey to reveal an NWO shirt underneath. Now, it’s not like the Heat are a hated franchise or anything. They’re not the Lakers or the Knicks or even the Celtics. Had he gone to the Knicks, which was highly speculated, it would’ve been fine because it would’ve been HIS team. Instead, he goes and joins D-Wade’s team. Even if he wins a championship, it won’t be his. But clearly he doesn’t care about it. I don’t know if I’m going to hate the Heat as much as I’m going to root for the Cavs. Even though Cleveland is widely regarded as one of America’s shitholes…. the Mistake by the Lake, if you will…. I grew up during the Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Craig Ehlo era. They were a solid franchise when I was young. They’re not really a poor hapless franchise like, say, the Sacramento Kings or Golden State Warriors, in my book. But on one fateful night, the Cavs became the biggest underdogs the NBA has ever seen. Can anyone really root against them? I mean sure, Daniel Gibson could go away and no one would miss him. But Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams deserve better. I was never much of a Dan Gilbert fan, and as much as he may have been going a little overboard, I am now. I avoided “The Decision” at all costs, but I’ll definitely be tuning in for Lebron’s first game back in Cleveland as a flamer. You can take that to the bank.
The Free Agent Summit…. YAWN
It’s been reported once again by ESPN that the free agent summit was in full effect. This time it reportedly has taken place over the past weekend with Lebron, D-Wade, and Bosh all connecting in Miami (to read the whole groundbreaking article click here). I guess this is news. I’m sure they got a lot accomplished. I mean, do these guys really even know what teams will offer them? They probably generally know about what each team can offer them, but won’t know officially until they go and visit the teams on or after July 1st. I find it funny that this whole meeting is being covered so heavily, it must be really slow in the sports world. I like what Chris Broussard and Marc Stein came up with as their conclusions in this article. They reported that Lebron is interested in joining Miami, and so is Chris Bosh, shocking I know. They also reported that Bosh and Lebron could go to Chicago… you don’t say, I haven’t even heard that scenario! Oh wait a minute, they also said that Lebron could stay in Cleveland. Wholly crap this is groundbreaking stuff guys! They also said that Wade has meeting scheduled with the Nets and Knicks, wholly crap, I think all the top free agents have meeting with those two teams! It sounds like they accomplished a lot over the weekend having this trio of stars meet up in Miami. I mean seriously, what could they have talked about. Hey guys, who wants to take less money so all three of us can play together? Nobody, okay, so which two of us get to play together? Oh, I guess we can’t really make that decision either without knowing what contracts these teams want to give us… Good talk guys hopefully one of you picks the same team as me! Honestly, why did they even need to meet up? Why not just jump on a conference call or skype it? This whole summit idea grinds my gears! Maybe not so much that the players met, but the fact that it has to dominate the newswires today.
Even Dr. Phil Has An Opinion On Lebron
In case you missed it last night Jimmy Kimmel had a pretty good little skit where Dr. Phil chimed in some interesting reasons on why Lebron would want to go to a city. I think he was talking about Gloria James on the whole sex thing, but funny nonetheless.
Clipper Fans Make Play for Lebron
There’s not much to do in May if you’re a Clippers fan. But having a rally devoted to a player who has, and probably never will, don your team’s uniform is mostly unheard of. I can appreciate the cause, because let’s be honest, any Warriors or Kings fan can relate to our cousins from the South. It’s always good to see some enthusiasm from the Clipper Nation. I still can’t help but have a slightly uncomfortable feeling though, as I watch a couple dozen Clipper fans parade outside the Staples Center while the Lakers are busy sewing up their third straight NBA Finals berth. It’s kind of like being a Senior in high school watching the JV team play.
Luring Lebron
So I was thinking about this a little bit more and thought it makes a whole lot of sense. Sure, there are about a half-dozen teams that will offer James the max salary, probably something close to 30M/yr for 6 years. But is that enough to get Lebron? I don’t think it is, because he can get a team to the Eastern Conference Finals 5 years in a row whether you have a supporting cast in place already or if you build one around him progressively. He proved that in Cleveland, and he’ll do it anywhere in the East. I think ownership will have to be included to really lure Lebron, and of course it will be another first in the NBA (if it’s legal in the NBA… is it?).
Anyways, here’s my theory: Let’s say the Bulls and Jerry Reinsdorf are desperate to get back to where they were in the 90’s with Jordan. And let’s say that the Bulls are worth, oh, about $600M estimated (quick search found this value as of 2008). 
And let’s say the value of ANY franchise, even the Bulls, will grow at least 50% over his 6 year contract. That’s a net worth of $900M after 6 years. And let’s say the Bulls gave Lebron a 10% stake in the team to lure him in, just enough to get his attention but not too much to where you as the owner still have total control. With the proper valuation figures in place for the negotiation(not just my mba-quality guestimation), Lebron’s net worth can possibly grow an extra $60M in year 1 to $90M in year 6. So, along with the contract value approaching $180-200M over 6 years, he would in fact be netting closer to $275-300M over that time frame, or an average net-worth of $45-50M a year on the higher end of my valuation theory.
Same should be said about the Knicks, whose value was actually a little bit more in 2008. They would easily grow 50% over 6 years in their market after a string of playoff appearances, and you could argue they might actually grow way more than 50%. Those higher end figures could be more on the lower end at that point.
Anyways, again I don’t think it’s legal for a player to own a team while he’s playing, but if it is, and you want the greatest player of his generation for his entire prime and possibly more, this is what I would do if I was an owner.
Who Will Your Team Want in July of 2010? Rating the NBA Free Agent Class
We’ve had little to no talk on the free agent class on 2010 here on the blog, and obviously this class is the biggest and best we’ve probably ever seen. July 1, 2010 has been etched into owner’s/GM’s minds for the past few seasons, and multiple teams could land a couple of big time players to make them an instant contender. This upcoming July could shape the NBA’s power balance for the next decade to come. I’m a big fan of making lists, so here’s my top twenty free agents. I’ve included some guys on the list that I think may opt out of their contract making the list a little more exciting. I decided to leave off the restricted free agents such as Dirk and Pierce, because it would be strange to see some of these teams actually cut these guys…
#1 Lebron James – 7th season – 25 years old – Player option to be an unrestricted free agent
He’s the first player I can ever think of that had teams scrapping multiple seasons just to make the cap space for him, and another star. He’s the best player in the league, and WILL one day join Oscar on the list of players to average a triple-double.
I won’t go into what he’s good at since he can pretty much do everything. If any player in the league can make personnel decisions within his own team, Lebron is that guy.
#2 Dwayne Wade – 7th season – 28 years old – Player option to be an unrestricted free agent
Probably the best guard in the league. He scores wherever he wants, and gets to the line nearly everytime he drives to the hoop. He probably had two of the best five dunks of the season dunking over Varejao, and half the Pacers team. He’s made a crappy Heat team relevant. Hopefully someone else on this list ends up on the same team as him, because if anyone deserves some help it’s this guy. If Miami loses him, they will be counting ping pong balls for years to come.
#3 Amar’e Stoudemire – 8th season – 27 years old – Player option to be an unrestricted free agent
Amar’e looks to have fully recovered from his injury, and looks like he’s back at his 2007-08 form. The knock on him has always been defense, but it looks like he’s made some strides since sitting down with Bill Russell, which Amare said was an eye opening experience. I’m not certain that I see him opting out of Phoenix since he seems to like it there, but why stick with a one year contract when you can get one for six? Especially with his laundry list of injuries. Then again, I could also see him staying in Phoenix to help Nash ride off into the sunset. After all the constant trade talks swirling around him, and him never going anywhere, I’m skeptical that he will leave the valley of the sun.
#4 Chris Bosh – 7th season – 25 years old – Player option to be an unrestricted free agent
Most teams that are in the Lebron sweepstakes are also hoping to team him with Bosh. The predator should make a big impact wherever he lands whether it’s in Chicago with Rose and Noah, or with Lebron or Wade somewhere else. I don’t view him as a alpha dog, but he’s as good a great sidekick that demands a lot of attention from opposing teams. I see him as a Gasol type fit on a championship team. A big part of why they win, but in the end not the sole reason they win. Continue reading
Four Game Fours, Four Series at 3-1
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sunday featured a full docket of NBA Playoff games to keep fans busy. I’m a little over 7/8 of the way through the quadruple header, and I’m going out on a limb to assume the Jazz will hold on to their 20 point lead at the time of posting. First, Miami was able to stay alive thanks to the heroic effort of Dwyane Wade. I got a sense of overexposure dating back to the Heat’s last Championship run – Wade was everywhere and got all the calls. But now that his team is a lower seed again, I’ve come to appreciate, once again, the will and ability of one of the game’s great players. D-Wade single-handedly took over the fourth quarter with a barrage of clutch baskets. He finished with 46 to make sure the Heat held on to this one to send the series back to Boston for at least one more game.
In Chicago, the Cavs ran away from the Bulls despite a monstrous effort from Joakim Noah. I had all the doubts in the world about this kid coming out of Florida. I didn’t see him ever becoming anything more than a role player, but today, he was the Bulls best player on the floor. Noah put up 21 points to go with 20 rebounds, and repeatedly came up with big buckets when other Bulls couldn’t. Problem is, too often were the times no one else could come through. On the other side of the ball, Lebron James was dominant once again, posting his fifth career postseason triple-double with 37 pts, 12 reb, and 11 ast. Mo Williams chipped in a couple huge three pointers and finished with 19.
In San Antonio, the 7th seed Spurs took a stronghold on their series with the Mavs, notching a 92-89 win to send the series back to Dallas with the home team in a 3-1 deficit. George Hill had a breakout game with 29 points to lead the way for the Spurs. The Mavs meanwhile looked like the same familiar disappointing team that continually fails to show up in the postseason. Jason Terry led a respectful comeback attempt, but the Spurs showed that they’re still the better team when the games mean something.
There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played in Utah, but barring a miraculous fourth quarter, the Jazz look poised to take a 3-1 lead back to Denver with three chances to close out the series. Deron Williams is building upon his legacy, further cementing his status as one of the top point guards in the league. Also, Carlos Boozer is showing that he can still be a dominating force in the post, something that teams with cap space will certainly be looking to add to their roster in the upcoming offseason.
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