OT: Insightful Analysis of Lebron James' Perception Among Fans/Critics
Yes, this segment is on Olbermann, BUT!!! he is not hosting it. It's Ryen Russillo, and he kills it! Olbermann probably would have ruined it with his arrogance.
I found myself agreeing with almost everything he said, especially the part about people going undefeated in finals vs losses in finals.
Really makes you think about what you would do in these situations and how people judge athletes in general...
Also makes me wonder whether it's ESPN driving the comparisons between greats all the time or if it's the fans' demand causing ESPN to do it...
Russillo is great on just about anything he does, dude is just a realist and has zero bias. Sad to hear SVP & Russillo is being dsbanded in the fall. He was just on Zach Lowe's podcast and was awesome. Now I know why he wasn't on radio today.
I never understood the LeBron hate, and anyone in Cleveland that burned his jersey or bad mouthed him when he left should have to wear a scarlett letter or something when they now cheer for him. He is a generational player that might never be duplicated.
The way he left was distasteful. He probably should have given a heads up to management as courtesy just from a professional standpoint especially when Gilbert hired/helped a lot of LBJ's friends etc. He didn't do it with Miami either.
Idk I think people should just be courteous for that kind of thing, equivalent of a 2 weeks notice if you will.
The reactions from Cleveland obviously weren't warranted, but I could understand why they were mad.
Yes, they were hurt he left, but what really upset them was the process. There was also the impression he dogged it in his last series with the Cavs before leaving. The whole The Decision show is what really pushed a lot of folks over the edge.
Imagine if in five years Harbaugh has nothing but 10 or 11 win regular seasons, but always misses out on the B!G CG, excpet in his fifth year when he wins the B1G East but loses a non competitive game to a Nebraska or Wisconsin team that goes on to with the National Championship.
Now at the same time, there is an NFL team that has what seems to have all the pieces in place to win the Superbowl except for a head coach. From December until the SuperBowll there are stories of Harbaugh having interviews with NFL teams. Harbaugh is sending out somewhat cryptic tweets that maybe he is going and maybe he is staying. Or perhaps a better anaolgy would be instead of the NFL, it is Texas or FSU or Alabama. Either way after two months of speculation there is a half hour announcement show they show clips of him as a player under Bo. They show clips of him on the sidelines at Michigan. And then he announces that he is taking his talents out of Ann Arbor. Even WD might burn some Harbaugh gear.
Great analogy - 100%. I admit I was one of the guys who tossed away ALL by Lebron gear (no I didnt burn anything) and rooted like Hell AGAINST the Heat every year he was there. And I think Lebron knew, deep down, that he handled his departure poorly and it bothered him which is one reason he's so driven to come home and bring Cleveland a long awaited title. And yes I'm cheering like crazy for him now.
See that's the only part of your analogy that's missing. You have to include that when the Harbaugh in your story leaves he suddenly starts winning the big game and brings his new team home the title that Michigan always missed out on. That's what hurt even worse here and it's why we are so hopeful that THIS year...with THIS team...things will finally change.
The Cavs never put anything around LBJ and the Heat were aging rapidly(he told Wade), if his only fault is leaving a team poorly than i'm cool with that. What is the proper way to do that. Teams trash people out the door all the time Dragic got it this year with the Suns, Melo with the Nuggets, Desean Jackson isn't in a gang... the list goes on. Very rare that a player has the control, teams don't like that. Fans think they'd like it but don't,
All this makes me think why does Dan Gilbert get a pass, that letter he wrote was garbage.
What it felt like to watch that abomination. He didn't even tell the team that he was leaving which would have given us the time to make some deals and soften the blow.
He didn't owe us anything, but what he did was the meanest thing any player has ever done to a fan base.
I didn't burn anything, I found my witness shirt buried in my closet. However, there is a small part of me that will never forgive him for that night.
"He didn't owe us anything"
You can't even read, and I'm the one who never mentally grew into an adult?
. He had a press conference and gave $1M to the Boys and Girls club. If he would've annouced he was staying, no one would've cared, he just would've been vreative. Cleveland fans butt-hurt because he left. He didn't owe ANYONE anythintg, you're right, other than himself. He clearly made the right decision, especially looking at Gilbert's comments the next day.
And I couldn't have stated it better: If you feel abandoned because a basketball player left CLEVELAND for MIAMI...matter of fact, if you are upset than anyone leaves Cleveland for fucking Miami...then that's a you problem.
I don't understand how people say there is no compairson between LBJ and MJ. They are both generational players. I think I would rather have LBJ (can play PF to PG) than MJ if I had to chose, and that is with no dog in the fight. There just ins't many players who are as athletically and physically gifter ever as LBJ. Plus the guy isn't selfish on the court.
Even better, at this point in life he doesn't seem to be a petty, simple-minded ass like Jordan.
I... well... yeah. I pretty much agree with that.
Interesting. I wasn't aware that Chuck Norris facts were still a thing.
Chuck Norris facts will stop being a "thing" when Chuck Norris says so, and not a moment before.
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I doubt Bill Laimbeer would be one of the NBA's spokespeople for it tho considering he's essentially blackballed from the league due to his playing days.
Coaching a WNBA team wouldn't be his career atm if he wasn't shunned.
It also must be noted that Bill Laimbeer may not have the kindest outlook toward the Jordan-era bulls.
Compare it to all of the 2000s and it's different with Iverson, Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Dirk, Chris Paul, Durant, Shaq etc
The 80s and 90s players would destroy the modern guys and not lose a game.
The older crew had guys like Isaiah, Malone, Bird and MJ who would cut their mother's heart out to beat you.
The modern guys are soft. Very very soft. LBJ isn't soft, but everyone else is extremely soft.
A guy like Rose wouldn't last into the second quarter against the old guys. He would get a sprained ego or something and end up on the bench. Same with Griffin. Harder couldn't guard anyone so he would be useless.
You would have to have LBJ guard Magic as there is no one else who could possibly do it in the modern game. Then you have what - Harden on MJ???? Haha
So you would end up with Curry and Harden and Durant jacking up 3s and never getting a single board on either end of the floor.
Old guys win about 128-80.
personally-i think Westbrook is one of the only guys left that plays like that. He not only wants to beat you but, he hopes to make you look stupid in the process.
Jordan would rip out Harden's heart and eat it with a nice chianti, or something. Harden looked like he was stoned in Game 5 and played like it, 13 turnovers. I can just see him trying that "draw a foul" stuff on Jordan and Jordan picking his pocket and going the other way. Harden is an out of control chucker who has benefitted from the superstar treatment and the new foul rules.
No one today could stop Kareem's skyhook, and no one today has that weapon.
i agree with most of it, but I still don't really care. And yes, I did waste 40 seconds of my life to comment on such things.
but honestly the way he's acted over the last several years has made me come around. And given that I'm now aware of what an a-hole MJ was and is, I hope Lebron will surpass him.
his PR skills are what has created this poor perception of him. by all accounts that i've heard, he is a good teammate and good person off of the court. however, his selection show mockery and his on-camera skills are lacking. he just comes off as being fake; much like A-Rod. When, in fact, he could have easily come off more like derek jeter, if he had good PR skills.
The reason I hated LeBron is b/c he is the guy at pick-up basketball that is the best player out there, but wants the 2nd and 3rd best players on his team. Jordan, Kobe, Bird, Magic, they didn't abandon their team when the supporting cast wasn't good enough.
That being said, now that he is back in Cleveland, I kind of like him again, but I am rooting for the Warriors.
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becasue he didnt. stop being hypothetical. LBJ left cleveleland that made it to the finlas and ECF. you dont get there by having just one player. He then left a deteriorating Heat team for a better situation in in Cleveland.
was a headcase who benefitted immensely from being on the same team as MJ. Top 5 player of what? All-time? His era? His conference? His team?
I know they picked up some guys via free-agency and trades, and with LeBron they were only bad enough to havea good first-round pick once (his first season).
Look who the team drafted during his seven years:
2003: 31st pick Jason Kapono
2004: 10th pick Luke Jackson
2005: no picks
2006: 25th pick Shannon Brown, 42nd pick Daniel Gibson, 55th pick Ejike Ugboaja
2007: no picks
2008: 19th pick JJ Hickson
2009: 30th pick Christian Eyenga, 46th pick Danny Green (has had a good career but only with the Spurs, after the Cavs waived him)
That's one decent 2nd round pickup (Gibson) and a too late to do much okay first rounder in Hickson, in seven drafts.
i think it really proves that Cleveland is pretty inept in the front office.
there were some decent guys in that 04 Draft drafted after 10.
Ariza, Josh Smith, AL Jefferson, JR Smith