Cavalier Owner's Open Letter Ripping LJ

Jeb: The so called former King of Cleveland has NO integrity. If his middle name was Pinochio, he could ship his clothes and furniture from Cleveland to Miami sliding it on a downward slope across his nose it would have grown that long with all the lies he tells. Now, it comes out that he (James) refused to talk to Michigan Coach Izzo when he was under consideration for the job Byron Scott has now. Lebron is so full of himself it's pathetic!-MD

If that's what Riley did/said in that meeting then he's a big idiot. Yes, Jordan was great and he catapulted the NBA into the modern era, but if it weren't for Magic, Bird and Russell before him, there would be no NBA for him to catapult. Does he not remember the NBA in the late 70's and how desparate things were? Remember the 3-on-3's they used to do? How about my personal favorite, 3 to make 2? So Pat Riley, before we pay homage to one person in the NBA, let's retire Bird, Magic and Russell's (and maybe Dr. J) numbers in every arena as well, for those that literally saved the NBA from going down the crapper and made your coup de gras possible.

Bird and Magic single-handedly saved the NBA. Russell and Co. kept it alive, thriving and expanding up into the mid-70's.

What a tool you are Pat. Now I despise you and Miami even more and am hell-bent on your complete destruction and innihilation that will be administered by the Celtics (and others) at least for the next 2-3 seasons.

Michael Jordan? Great, great player and ambassador for NBA. Greatest player ever? Certainly not, not even in the race vs. Russell. Not even open for discussion. (Or shouldn't be, should I say)

Read on ESPN that some fans offered to pitch in to pay Gilbert's fine, knowing good and well Gilbert carries that amount in his back wallet for shits and giggles. With fans like that, who needs LeBron?

I think this Cleveland winning before Lebron has some legs!! I just hope it takes 10 years to accomplish for Cleveland. No offense, but LeBron will be too old at that point to do anything significant and will join Charles Barkley in the the futility Olympics for most disappointing athlete to grace the NBA.

Barkley was not a disappointing athlete. He made the most out of the talent that he had. Yes, he didn't win a championship, but many other great players didn't either.
I would put Derrick Coleman, Roy Tarpley and many others way ahead of Barkley because they had more talent then Barkley did but did little with that talent.

The only way Gilbert's prediction will be right would be by pure luck or a serious injury to someone from Miami. Cleveland has to completely rebuild before they have a chance at a championship.

Sorry. Should have read good/great athlete not to win a championship. Regardless, it's Loserville.

I don't know. A possessed, gilted lover with a lot of money and an angry mob behind him...

Ya know,

I'm an Ohioan, a buckeye fan as loyal to Scarlet and Gray as i am the the Green though my loyaty to Ohio team sports pretty much ends there, BUT....

There was a time that i had a certian amount of respect for the Cav's, back during the Mark Price era i'd still enjoy watching either the Cav's or Jazz play as well as the Celtics. Finely when the Cav's won the Lebron sweepstakes i was tickled to death for Ohio's single NBA team. Lebron, the local kid turned mega athlete and playing for the home team not only was i happy for the Cav's but there was a sort of sense of local pride attached as well.

Untill last Thursday with the exception of Leon "Kung" Powe and Delonte West I despised the Cav's, but that had a lot to do with the general @ss kissing that King Nothing has been enjoying these past 7 seasons.

Beyond the @ss kissing though. King Nothign enjoyed during his time as a Cav something very special, Bill Russel didnt get it, Chamberlin didnt get it, nor did Hondo, Magic, Bird Jordan or Kobe. Night after Night Lebron James played in front of the same people who'd been cheering him on since childhood.

I think to apreciate the scene you have to understand sports in Ohio, especialy in that region- these local fans are as diehard about their sports as any of us Celtic Fans- We have our Slippery Sam, but there are hundreds of Slippery Sams for football in Northeast Ohio. the towns of Massilion and Canton have maybe the greatest high school football rivalry of all time, boys in Massilion I beleive are still given their first football at birth as a tradition. The Browns fan's, who i beleive are mostly idiots (Go Bronco's!) almost to a man {or woman or child} would have given their lives to keep the original Browns in Cleveland. These people love their sports- especaily Football.

But, for that area, not only has the economy been rough for years, but as with most the other pro teams in Ohio, there has been little to cheer for for a very long time, and as the media has pointed phrases like The Fmble and The Drive still are a source of pain.

Enter Lebron James, I may always refer to him as King Nothing, but in truth, for many in Ohio (sports and economically) he was if nothing else a savior of sorts. I want to quate Gilbrt here for a moment in describing how many felt about Lebron here in Ohio

"our former hero... one of our very own... our home grown "chosen one""

these are exactly the best words to describe Lebron James in the eyes of so many Ohioans and Cav's fans and even to me, i always considered Lebron "one of our very own" even if he wasn't my "hero" or in my eyes a "chosen one"

To me it would have been great for someone like Lebron to have remained a Cav for his entire career- simply from the loyalty perspective- would have been an interesting tidbit about his career and great for Ohio thouh as a Celtic fan it matters not where he decided to go/not go and chase a title.

so as an Ohioan I'd like to address Lebron's leaving. If King Nothing decided to take his services elsewhere, he of course has every right to do so. Will it hurt Ohio ecomomically? Yep. Does it hurt the pride of Ohio's basketball fans who've embraced him since childhood? Absolutely, but it is his choice. Does it destroy the very foundartions of a great team (and ruin one of my favorite recent rivalry's) Yep. but again it's his choice.

But it was also his choice on how he'd go about it, and there i take Issue. He essentialy destroyed a Championship contender- and cost the owner untold millions but not honestly communicating with them after they did everything they could to build a team around and FOR HIM. He showed the greatest display of arrogence in sports history with the ESPN show but more importantly, he turned his back on his fans.

You know, the FANS.. the people this game survives because of..

Im not talking about the Millions of Lebron James fans worldwide (many of whom will cheer for him wherever he'd play) I';m talking about those people who'd been supporting Lebron James since well before the "King" years, way back to when he was nothing more than a Page. I'm talking about the Grandmothers Lebron James Fan club. I'm talking about the parents who'd point to the Iconic Mural in Cleveland and tell their kids, "See, a person can acheive something in this country, you too can become somebody" I'm talking about the fans' who watched Lebron in high school, watched and jumped up and down with excitement as Cleveland won the draft and who've hoped every year since that this man, Their hero finely took the Cav's to the promised land..

these local fan's loved Lebron, they loved having him as their local hero.. in their hearts even football was often replaced as a first love because of Lebron James.. they knew, someday Lebron would bring a championship to Cleveland (heck id cheer for him to in a finals series against the lakers) and then...

July 8th 2010.

Frankly i agree with what Gilbert said to the fans : "our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us......


You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more."


Those local fans did deserve better from Lebron James, but it was a comment that James himself made following his handeling of how he left, "my true fans will follow me to Miami.."

No, Lebron, its not that you left that has anything to do with your true fans... its how you left. Your "true fans" where the people that supported you before you ever signed an NBA contract, its the people that loved you back in high school, the folks that actualy creid tears of joy when you became a Cavalier.

There is a saying mr. James, "Dont piss down my back and tell me its raining"

This is exactly what you did to your "true fans" You embaressed and huimilated your true fans, in one media hyped attempt to sooth your own ego you dashed the hopes they had entertained for years of you giving them an NBA title. At one point you swore you'd not leave Cleveland untill you brought the town a title, you sir, lied to every "true fan" you had.

You arrogent sonofab*tch, has your millions you've made you this haughty? Did your 7 car posse that follows you even to shootarounds actualy convince you that your like to royalty of old , where the masses blindly believed that your "kingship" was of divine origin and therefore your presence should be worshipped despite any actions you might take? What sir, makes you think your "true fans" have any reason left to follow you?

James former owner correctly assed how he treated His "true fans" With his treatement of these fan his lost something special, a bond few athletes in Pro sports ever get the chance to enjoy- the chance to enjoy the pride of being "one of their own" and brining home the ultimete award in sports- a championship for your own hometown..

Lebron can go win a title down in Miami, i'd be surpised if he doesnt win several, but for those who were his "true fans" those titles will be as meaningless as the term "King James" has been for Celtics fans.. forevermore for Lebrons "true fans" will remember him as "King Nothing"

dbrown,

Did you ever see Russell play?

Rosalie,

I know you and Sam did and none of us can question or doubt you for saying Russell was the best player ever.
I disagree with dbrown for saying that Russell was the greatest ever and it is not or shouldn't be open for discussion.

Maybe another way to look at it is that there's never been anyone better than Russell.

Do did dboss, Worcester, LACeltFan, and others on the board. Difficult to put into words, isn't it, Rosalie. How many times did we all sit through big, tight games, with our stomachs churning wondering if this might be the time he'd prove human and let us down. And later wondering why we had been stupid enough to worry.

The Russell Celtics were not tall teams. They'd sort of trudge out of huddles, often looking like relative hunchbacks, as the other team would prance out onto the floor, full of energy. On occasion, we'd just been treated to the sight of Russ heaving into a towel. Who could blame us for having doubts in our heads, bouncing around with the love in our hearts?

Every eye in Boston Garden would be fastened onto that trudging quintet. Drink cups would capsize, and no one would notice. Because, with the passage of years, it wouldn't be just a game or even a championship that was at stake. It was an entire legacy in jeopardy—with pressure built to the breaking point by championship after championship. And we were all in it together (practically breathing in unison), and nothing else in the world mattered.

Oh it was a time! And what a time is was! And I know you loved it just as much as I did.

Sam

Outside wrote:Maybe another way to look at it is that there's never been anyone better than Russell.

Outside,

I would agree that Russell was the greatest Winner of All-Time, but the idea that he was the greatest player is certanly up for debate.

matty,

Well said. Unfortunately this is the "modern era of sports" as sadly as it seems. I watched and cheered for the New Orleans team just because of the fans during the Super Bowl match. They needed a victory in that devastated area.
Ohioans really have suffered as you eloquently wrote. Let's hope they can start anew with their new coach and forget about what's happened in time.

Hoop

TJ,

The point I was trying to get away from is labeling anyone as the greatest anything of all time. I look at a select group of players and say that there was never anyone better. Russell is certainly in that group.

Outside

There's really no point in arguing whether Russell was the greatest individual player of all time because individuality was the antithesis of what he was all about.

Personally, I don't care about individuals. I care about teams.

And I believe that the Russell Celtics were the greatest teams of all-time. And a key reason for that belief is that the Celtics were so good that they could have allowed opponents to dictate the style of play and beat those opponents regardless of the style. They were that good. And I don't believe any other team in any era has had that capability.

And Russell was the linchpin for that team ability and the foundation that brought out the best in all his teammates and made the team virtually impervious to big losses.

Sam

tj,

No, not live. Watched alot of tape, though. I came on the Celtic scene with the tail end careers of Cowens and Hondo, early to mid '70's. Living in Raleigh, NC at that time everyone's attention was focused on NCSU and David Thompson and their 1973 (probation) and 1974 runs. Slaying UCLA, Bill Walton and UNC were the only things that mattered. One of the first things I remember about the Celtics was Cowens diving after loose balls and crashing into scoring tables, crowds, benchs, whatever it took. That impressed me and hinted to me that there was more to life than NCSU.

I was one of those obsessed basketball fans growing up who would go out and try to "play" the whole ACC season by myself if I had to, keeping records/standings, providing crowd noise, reporting, everything, typical kids stuff. However, pro basketball would creep into my "college" universe because I distinctly remember "playing" some NCSU v. Golden State or Portland games, only to finally realize the difference between college and pro after a while.

You see him play live?

dbrown4 wrote:tj,

No, not live. Watched alot of tape, though. I came on the Celtic scene with the tail end careers of Cowens and Hondo, early to mid '70's. Living in Raleigh, NC at that time everyone's attention was focused on NCSU and David Thompson and their 1973 (probation) and 1974 runs. Slaying UCLA, Bill Walton and UNC were the only things that mattered. One of the first things I remember about the Celtics was Cowens diving after loose balls and crashing into scoring tables, crowds, benchs, whatever it took. That impressed me and hinted to me that there was more to life than NCSU.

I was one of those obsessed basketball fans growing up who would go out and try to "play" the whole ACC season by myself if I had to, keeping records/standings, providing crowd noise, reporting, everything, typical kids stuff. However, pro basketball would creep into my "college" universe because I distinctly remember "playing" some NCSU v. Golden State or Portland games, only to finally realize the difference between college and pro after a while.

You see him play live?

Since I am only 40, I only go back to the late 1970's. I do remember seeing Havlicek a few times in his last year.
So, I can't comment about how great Russell or Wilt were.
Since I have been following basketball, I would say the top 5 best players that I have seen are, in no particular order: Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, Kareem.
I put Olajuwon and Shaq below those 5.

I have watched quite a few videos recently of NBA games/highlights of the 1950's and 1960's.
It is a small sampling, but overall I have been quite underwhelmed at the level of play that I have seen.
The game was played primarily below the rim and the level of defense and the defensive schemes were no where near like they are today.

I would bet that the 10th man on many teams today (such as Nate Robinson and Shannon Brown) are more athletic then almost all of the players that I have seen in the videos.
I am not saying they are better players, but today's game is so athletic.

Kobe had to battle in every posession against the Celtics this year. That defense 20-25 feet from the basket wasn't there 40 or 50 years ago.

TJ,

I'm not picking on you, because I think you have fallen a very popular trap.

You say, "That defense 20-25 feet from the basket wasn't there 40 or 50 years ago." That statement is a perfect example of how comparisons of eras are usually made with the more current era as the frame of reference.

Think about what you said. Wouldn't the players of yesteryear have looked a little silly if the defense extended 20-25 feet from the basket? Much of the time, they would have been guarding nobody, because 20-25 feet from the basket wasn't where the offense was. There wasn't nearly as much of a long-distance shooting threat, because there was no bonus point for sinking a long one. If there had been a three-point arc that required defending, you would have seen different defensive strategy. You used today's frame of reference in evaluating yesterday's performances.

Were you "underwhelmed" at the fact that the earlier players, despite playing at a much faster pace, committed a fraction of the turnovers that today's players commit? (If you didn't see that, then your sample was faulty as well as small.)

This athleticism thing is another example of using today as a benchmark for evaluating yesterday. I think it's fair to say that today's players, on average, are a little taller, jump higher, and are faster. So what?

I mean, they don't use the added speed to play a faster game. They play a slower game. They don't score more points with a dunk than with a layup. (They do score more injuries, but I don't really consider that a plus.) I believe that endurance is an element of athleticism, and the players of yesteryear had VASTLY more endurance than today's players despite playing a faster game. Geez, they played that faster game as often as five consecutive nights.

I think the main difference achieved by any advantage in athleticism is not better basketball but greater entertainment value of a type that is often peripheral to the basic game. Frankly, I'm more entertained by watching good fundamental basketball than by watching showtime basketball. (I'd readily admit that could just be a difference in our respective basketball cultures.)

By the way, most of the video of the 50s and 60s is of the relatively important games. Teams played differently in those games (usually more conservatively) than they usually played, just as today's playoff teams tend to play more halfcourt basketball than normally. Think what would happen if someone 40 years from now watched the recent finals. I bet they'd say, "God, what ugly basketball they played in those days." You had to be there, game in and game out, to gain an appreciation for the style of ball, the competence displayed, and the beauty of the game as played in those days.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm not trying to single you out, because you're certainly far from alone in your assessments. In fact, I'm sure I'm in the minority. But that doesn't make me wrong because a large proportion of that minority was actually there and is able to make more valid comparisons.

Sam

TJ

Being 57 I saw about the last 1/2 of Russ's career and can quite honestly say there has not been anything quite like him since. I will not say the game then was better but I certainly enjoyed the game of the week when Russell or Chamberlian were virtually always featured much more than I do do now. Probably the guys today are quickerfaster stronger, certainly can jump higher for the most part but don't forget Russ was a world class high jumper clearing nearly 7 feet and landing in a sawdust pit too. Also could run the 1/4 at around 50 seconds too. Of course all the things associated with traing were not quite what they are today and as many guys didn't make a lot of money then, they nearly all had second jobs for the most part during the off season. Sam knows about the woes of one Don Nelson as his playing career was winding down and the man was concerned about his financial future.

Just a few thoughts that the fan of todays player should consider about those in the past.

beat

bob,

A 20 foot shot is not a 3 pointer unless it is in the very corner.
Kobe had no open looks even from 20 feet.
Other then an open shot, there is no bonus from shooting from 20.

I am not referencing the 1980's when you could clothesline a guy and maybe get a T. Now, the take down of Rambis is easily a Flagrant 2 at the minimum. the 1980's was very physical and you could get away with hard fouls without going for the ball. I am talking about the 1950's and 1960's.

I welcome anyone to post videos of games from the 1950's and 1960's to show what kind of on the ball defense they played.

I mean this with all sincerity that many of the games I have watched or videos that I have seen remind me of the WNBA. A lot of passing and almost everyone plays below the rim.