The Ultimate ego tripping??? LBJ gives #23 back to MJ; asks others to follow suit

Here we have it ladies and gents.... King James in an act of complete and total selflessness gives his uniform number back to Michael Jordan.... and asks others to follow suit.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4650907

He will now assume the lowly uniform #6.

Has LBJ now eclipsed the great MJ????

What's very right or very wrong with this picture?

GC

GC

Don't be so cynical. Selfless act about the history of the game.

Jeb

Let me get this straight...

He says he's going to stop wearing number 23, and he wants to retire the number 23 for all teams because Michael was the greatest player ever, and MJ deserves some special recognition.

And as his new uniform number, he cluelessly picks number 6, the number worn by the greatest winner the league has ever known.

Am I the only one who sees the irony in that?

Outside wrote:Let me get this straight...

He says he's going to stop wearing number 23, and he wants to retire the number 23 for all teams because Michael was the greatest player ever, and MJ deserves some special recognition.

And as his new uniform number, he cluelessly picks number 6, the number worn by the greatest winner the league has ever known.

Am I the only one who sees the irony in that?

Outside,

That was also my first thought upon reading the article. The old saying must be true, it is only important if it happened in your lifetime.

He says since MJ can't get the logo (West), the league should do something. I guess the Hall of Fame isn't enough.

gyso

It's just a marketing gimmick. Sponsored by Nike.
I think for additional $1.1B he will stop playing professionally.

AK

Sinus

I'll pitch in 50 bucks.

Jeb

sinus007 wrote:It's just a marketing gimmick. Sponsored by Nike.
I think for additional $1.1B he will stop playing professionally.

AK

Bingo!!!!We have a winner!!!!!!

My sense is that KingJames head has gotten way too big for the crown that he wears. Let's see, MJ has what 6 rings. KJ has, what, zero rings?

And KJ is concerned that people are going to confuse these two players because they both have the same number 23?

Give me a break, KJ. Win something first, win a few rings, show some leadership, make those around you better players and then perhaps worry about eclipsing your hero, Michael Jordan. (Notgonnahappen!)

So far, you've yet to earned the right to tote MJ's jock strap, much less cast a shadow on his legacy.

You hadn't won a thing yet, except headlines.

For Gawd sake, Grow up!!!!

And you want to wear #6?

Do you even have any clue? Let's not go there. Your "package" isn't nearly big enough to carry that number so don't even try.

Mr William Russell (11 rings) may have something on you too. Heard of him? Probably not.

My idea?

Glad you asked. Not "23", not "6" but wear "?" instead? That would get my vote... and just might bring you back down to earth.

GC

James is an uneducated knucklehead. PERIOD
And like virtually all knuckleheads he puts his extreemly large feet in his extreemly big mouth far to often.

He has been pampered by nearly all around him since he came to light in the 6th grade. And although he most assuredly has fans all over and more money than any of us could ever dream off, he has far many more people that are qrowing quite tired of him and his act, rather quickly.
For over half of his life he has been place on an altar and worshiped by his adoring fans, but truly what has he ever done or won?

Let him stay in Cleveland..........they deserve him. The bigger "mistake" by the lake.

beat

Assuming the King employs smart enough servants to handle his multimillion dollar estate along with his "public relations" chores, one would think these "smart servants" would have prevented their King from firing a direct and blatant insult to a player who not only opened the door to earn his fortune as a basketball player, but kept those doors from slamming in his face based soley on his race.

No wonder why a great person like Leone Powe is confused about NBA life.

I think it's wonderful of Lebron to pay homage to Frank Ramsey in such a meaningful way.

Lebron has definitely donned the "mask of notoriety." He postures; he struts backwards after a made shot; he tries to effect an all-knowing frown like a beard-stroking college professor.

He (sometimes clumsily and transparently) tries to look like a good guy as long as his world revolves pretty much about him. I don't believe he's a bad person; and he's certainly a great player. He just has that veneer of artificiality that makes him a welcome adversary in my book.

I used to cringe for Jerry West when he kept losing. When Lebron loses, it always brings a HUGE smile to my face. Logo indeed!

Sam

Sam, OUTSTANDING COMMENT!!! Rams' would be honored!!!

Sam

I have banned Ms. Cleo from any more threads!

She couldn't predict a sunrise!! (medium) HA

beat

Beat,

It'a rare that a medium can make a prediction that's well-done.

Sam

Beat, your GM days are numbered if you there are any more Cheryl for Ms. Cleo trades. I'm surprised that Matty didn't file a greivance with the "Avatar's" union!!!!

David

Yeah

Maybe pull out m cleo when the lakes are playin a big game

Sam wrote:He just has that veneer of artificiality that makes him a welcome adversary in my book.Sam

Sam that veneer of artificiality goes all the way to the bone.

You've noticed too, BronBron is always strutting and posing... always! Like a muscular peacock.

Latest headlines.....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/11/14/lebron.number.ap/index.html

Apparently the NBA is unlikely to require a league wide retirement of #23 but teams and individuals are free to retire or give up the number.

A couple of the rooks might be induced to give up their #23's... I said...might be... but one want a payout from Jordan (whoever he is)... or even better , how about from KJ. OUCH!!!

With this rebuff, LBJ's leadership has crash landed with a major thud! much like the leadership that happens on the court at crunch time. Everybody standing around watching, watching, watching LBJ.... suspend the laws of gravitational attraction... and good judgment too.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. MJ has to be a wee bit embarrassed by this.

I hope MJ is... while LBJ poses, postures and struts somemore, dreaming the impossible (I'm bigger than MJ) dream.

Stay tuned.

GC

All hat no cattle

Seems like a thread devoted to ego tripping should contain the following KB quotable quote after losing to the Rockets on Ariza's ring night, thanks to ESPN...

"I've felt better," [Kobe] said. "It'll be all right. I've been nursing it, kind of playing through it."

Even though the injury affects Bryant's ability to run and change direction on a dime, he said, "You know I don't make excuses."





Say what? Well now we all know!!! Thanks for clarifying!

gc

So kobe to has a groin issue too.

I'm no Dr. but groins usually only get better with rest and only get worse is you continue to play. Will be interesting to see where this leads.

Playing thru it might seem noble but it could be the worst decisoin in the long run.

beat

Lebron is still light years better as a person than Kobe. However, going to the #6 is surely not the answer for him. Russell's number SHOULD be more revered than MJ's. Why doesn't Lebron pick one of those weird high double digit numbers like Rodman used to wear, or'Toine when he wore #88 on his second stint with the C's. Lebron could do more for a number in the 70's than the decade of disco itself!-MD.

Just a marketing ploy to sell more jersey's.

Cha $$$$ ching!!!

And using the MJ moniker as a cover.......great move.

And what exactly did Michael Jorden do for the NBA? Other than take to a new level do not touch our stars.

beat

"Jordan Not Jackie Robinson" by Tim Povtak:

ORLANDO -- LeBron James can stop wearing his No. 23 if he wants -- in deference to Michael Jordan -- but asking the rest of the league to follow his lead is only showing his immaturity.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was asked Friday morning about James' request, and he didn't hesitate to say he thinks the idea is misplaced.

"It's a nice gesture, but he (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson. Baseball did it because it had historical significance,'' Van Gundy said. "There actually were guys before Michael who could play the game. Then you should retire numbers that (Bill) Russell, Wilt (Chamberlain), and certainly Oscar (Robertson) wore. I understand LeBron didn't grow up watching those guys, but still. ''

Van Gundy was speaking after his team practiced Friday morning, preparing for the New Jersey Nets. He also rolled his eyes when asked about the Miami Heat retiring Jordan's No. 23 in the spring of 2003 as a show of respect. He was there as an assistant under coach Pat Riley at the time. He obviously didn't like that idea, either.

"I wasn't in the banner department,'' he said. "I'm just not one of those guys who thinks unquestionably that he (Jordan) was the best player of all time. I don't buy that. We've had a lot of great players at a lot of positions, so what are you going to do? Retire all the numbers, and pretty soon our guys will be wearing No. 327 because all the two-digit numbers are gone.''

James made his request after his Cavs beat the Heat in Miami Thursday night with Jordan in the stands sitting alongside Pat Riley, Heat president.

"Michael was a great player, and if the NBA wants to decide that every other team in the league has to worship him, then that's up to them,'' Van Gundy said. "Would I be for that? No.''

GC

Hi,
here's an excellent (IMO) article
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Akt0EArwCl7bpERErBRFJglzK7J_?slug=ap-jimlitke-111809&prov=ap&type=lgns
Finally somebody in the MSM said it.

AK

This entire thing is ridiculous. James is pompously trying to enhance his own stature by his condescending "gesture." And, make no mistake about it, his selection of #6 is calculated to lower Russell's stature to "everyday" in the process. Lebron is a good player, and maybe he'll even luck out and win a unidimensional (versus team) championship some day. But he's becoming a first class jerk as a person.

I don't pretend to know much about the Gretzky thing, although I'd bet it was mainly an attempt by a struggling league to get some publicity. The Jackie Robinson number retirement was, in my estimation, enduring recognition of a landmark historical event. This tinhorn imitation is nothing more than sad pandering to an even sadder trend toward individualism in the ultimate team sport.

Are Lebron bobblehead dolls available? I believe that's the perfect image to portray him...very good player that he unquestionably is.

Sam