LeBron James

[Marcus]

Amazing how little help Lebron got in his first Cleveland go-round. One of the reasons I didn't blame him as much for leaving, especially now that he's come back. (Go ahead and downvote me, I know that's the ultimate heresy).

I was actually going to say this, but it pertained more towards the roster he played with before the final two years in Cleveland. That was just straight up trash, and I've said previously that the Cavs team that went to the Finals in '07 was second only to Iverson's 76ers as the worst teams to ever make it to the Finals.

Had he not quit in 2010, I really think that team would have won the whole thing. They weren't built for long term success, sure, but they definitely could have won that year. LeBron had to have known that, and weighed that against the possibility of going to a team with more viable long term and sustained success, and we all saw how that played out.

Coincidentally, that's what brought him back here, and why he's going to stay here until he retires. This team has a great blend of young and old, of great contributors and core players who are young, of veterans who help keep the team grounded.

 

[Kypus]

I agree. It's offputting and disrespectful to just lump all the players and teams from Lebron 1.0 as terrible. They weren't. Even Eric Snow was critical to the rise those teams, as much as a player-coach as anything. The Ben Wallace/Delonte/Wally/Joe Smith team was amazing and probably would've won it all had we not been pseudo-forced to blow it up for Old Man Shaq.

But really not interested in debating it. Now where's that picture of Kermit sipping iced tea...

 

[Ohio]

Our chance was in 2009 when KG was out for the year.

Then...Orlando Magic happened

We were never beating the Celtics in 2010, they were just a superior team and I've accepted that. I think LeBron realized it as well mid series which is why he essentially quit.

 

[Kypus]

Our chance was in 2009 when KG was out for the year.

Then...Orlando Magic juicing happened

Fixed.

 

[Pioneer10]

None of them except Gooden should have been in the NBA at all. (I guess maybe Snow back in the day but not that year).What's particularly amazing is that Lebron dragged that roster to a winning record. Z, a young AV, and Gooden were the only other players of value on the whole team.

Amazing how little help Lebron got in his first Cleveland go-round. One of the reasons I didn't blame him as much for leaving, especially now that he's come back. (Go ahead and downvote me, I know that's the ultimate heresy).

I was ok with him leaving: honestly would have done the same thing myself in his shoes. Now the whole fiasco of how he did it stringing the fans along, the "Decision", going the SuperFriends route - I could have lived without. Tell everybody you're leaving early, write a nice thank in the Plain Dealer to the fans, and be done with it. Oh well old news.

 

[godfather]

I wonder if there has ever been an MVP whose team hasn't made the playoffs. Might see our 1st this year.

He's probably not going to, but this is just personal opinion. Given that the West is so tough though, and without him at the moment, there's no doubt in my mind the Thunder are a lottery team. We are talking the Lakers/Knicks/Sixer bad.

What he's doing is historic.

Steph Curry would easily be my MVP over James Harden though.

 

[crabbyshark]

Yeah, playing the whole 48 minutes, sorta crazy. Paul Silas was fired the next day.

I could see him doing that considering he was only 20 years old and the Cavs were in the middle of a playoff race.

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/year/2005

 

[crabbyshark]

How the fuck do you get 0 points in 40 minutes!?!?!?

His offensive rating is even wilder.

I was most surprised by Snow's numbers, Ira Newble starting and playing 29 minutes, and how about Jalen Rose's numbers for the Raptors?

 

[crabbyshark]

Drew Gooden, Eric Snow, Ira Newble, Lucious Harris, Jiri Welsch, Sasha Pavlovic, Robert Traylor.... names I don't want to hear ever again.

Are any of them still in the NBA?

Jeff McInnis was the starting SG for the team but he had a shoulder injury that kept him out of the game.

The next season was when they went out and dropped all that money on Zydrunas, Donyell Marshall and Larry Hughes.

 

[Gus Zing]

I still get a chuckle out of fans saying a guy who put up 27/19/10 quit.

Quite amazing really.

 

[Cassity14]

I still get a chuckle out of fans saying a guy who put up 27/19/10 quit.

Quite amazing really.

Did you watch games 2 and 5?

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I still get a chuckle out of fans saying a guy who put up 27/19/10 quit.

Quite amazing really.

You obviously did not watch the series.

Or, if you did, you were too oblivious to understand what was going on.

LeBron James quit on his team. In the middle of the playoffs.

 

[Man Called X]

I'll never forget that quit game. I was staying in Marietta for work, and watched the game in the hotel bar. I remember calling my old man, piss drunk and just talking to him like wtf. That son of a bitch quit on us. He's not coming back. I was beyond livid that night.

That was no choke job, that was straight up sabotage.

 

[Walter White]

It will all work out for the best. He is here now with a better roster than we probably ever could have got, and we will win championships.

 

[The Red Viper]

Is he playing today or is he rested?