#6's Return?

[Lionheart]

Just want to add to the thread:

.....James in a Cavs uniform in 2014-15 makes sense from a basketball standpoint.

One, barring a totally unforeseen move, the organization will have plenty of cap room to sign him. Most other teams will have to rid themselves of a lot of contracts.

Two, James will be 29½ years old, entering his 12th NBA season, still in the prime of his career and, in theory, exactly the kind of superstar a presumably up-and-coming Cleveland team needs.

Three, James and Kyrie Irving would form a terrific one-two punch — sure, egos might have to be stroked, but that’s nothing new in the NBA — while guys like Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller, Alonzo Gee and a few other first-round picks not yet on the roster would form a great supporting cast.

In short, if James and Gilbert want it to happen, it can happen. Heck, if James and Gilbert want it to happen, it will happen.

More here: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[col63onel]

He can distance himself from Cleveland all he wants...but he will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever (is that enough for you?) be able to change the fact that he is from Ohio.

Distances himself from Cleveland, but Cleveland is still his home.......right.

Lots of people are from Ohio and don't consider Cleveland home. He is the one who has been most vocal about it.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

"So the real question is whether you're okay with losing with Kyrie and whomever else we build around him..."

This leaves me to think that you believe the franchise is not a legitimate team on its own and is already doomed. You think LBJ is something that would rid the the team of that notion to make it a legitimate contender.

I said no such thing. Even if I thought that -- which I don't -- that's not "questioning the legitimacy of the franchise." The franchise is completely "legitimate", unless perhaps you're referring to the Baltimore Ravens or something.

As for whether I think a Cavaliers team without LBJ can win a title, of course it can. But it is hardly a sure thing, so saying "I'd rather win without LBJ than with him" misses the point that you can't know that the Cavs will win without him. LBJ most probably increases your chances. You may win without him, but the odds are better if he's on the team.

However, if the franchise decides to bring him back, I would support that decision 100%. I am not going to hope, get excited, and wait for the possibility of his return. As far as I'm concerned we don't need that bitch and we'll be fine without him.

Heh -- we actually agree completely here. I'm arguing in the Speights thread that we shouldn't decide not to sign him just because there's a possibility we need to have the cap room for LBJ. If that possibility presents itself, and Speights' contract is a burden, then we can always move him to free up room. But if that doesn't happen, then I'd be pissed as hell that we passed up on a guy who might really help us just on the possibility that LBJ might tuck his tail between his legs a bit and return. Build a team to win, and if LBJ returns, then great. But I am NOT one to bet the farm on that possibility.

 

[atlbraves]

How did we forget about these facts? Lebron trashes our team and people, sticking it to the front office, and finally bolts in FA. Good riddance.

He is not capable of making a real public apology. He is still a man-child, an emotional infant.

But yes I agree with you. It is possible for Lebron to make amends with the city and organization if he recognizes his transgressions. Don't hold your breath.

I'd like to believe that too, but I just can't. The guy is just trash. He was raised with absolutely no moral values or common decency. I hope I'm wrong, but I think even if he comes back, it's for nothing other than to feed his own selfish ego.

You people need to get over your perceived slights. He went from one organization to another, and it was very disappointing for all Cavs fans. And despite the way he handled it, he never disparaged the city or its fans. From reading some of these comments, I would have thought he'd committed numerous heinous crimes against humanity.

 

[Homestar]

If you think he quit in the Celtics series... then you have to think he quit in the Mavs series the very next year. Why would he quit in the Finals on a super team he formed?

A more logical explanation is that both the Celts and Mavs wanted to shut LeBron down. When they started to succeed, he wasnt mentally strong enough to overcome the slump.

Perhaps if that abortion of the Mavs series never existed, you could probably conclude he mailed it in. However, the very next year he struggled just the same. Don't forget, everyone assumed he quit because he never played that terribly in his pro career. Well the very next year he played that terribly... again. The second time was with his super buddies, and not a team of role playing schmucks he was trying to ditch for better pastures.

There's a different between showing zero effort and having a bad game.

In Games 4 & 5 vs. Boston, he showed no interest in winning. The theories (Delonte, needing to show he couldn't do it alone, etc) aren't incredibly thorough... so we never know why he did it.

But if you see anything but a quitter in those two games, then I would just say that you didn't pay much attention. Standing at the deep wing, passing to the opposite wing, and slowly backing up toward half court... outside of the frame of the cameras. He did this over, and over, and over again. We've all seen him throw up the occasional 6-22 shooting performance... but we had NEVER seen him not care about winning. His body language during time outs almost made it come across that he wasn't even trying to hide it.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

There's a different between showing zero effort and having a bad game.

In Games 4 & 5 vs. Boston, he showed no interest in winning. The theories (Delonte, needing to show he couldn't do it alone, etc) aren't incredibly thorough... so we never know why he did it.

But if you see anything but a quitter in those two games, then I would just say that you didn't pay much attention. Standing at the deep wing, passing to the opposite wing, and slowly backing up toward half court... outside of the frame of the cameras. He did this over, and over, and over again. We've all seen him throw up the occasional 6-22 shooting performance... but we had NEVER seen him not care about winning. His body language during time outs almost made it come across that he wasn't even trying to hide it.

And on defense, there were plays where he simply did not guard someone with even minimal effort. I remember seeing someone isolating some videos on this, and it was damning as hell. And the whole "elbow" thing....

It's plain to me he was pissed because his supporting cast wasn't as good as he wanted, he didn't like all that pressure, so he purposefully stepped back to show everyone what would happen if he wasn't there. He made his point like a spoiled litle child, and it was an embarassment.

But...he didn't kill or rape anyone. I'll take an apology -- which I think he will have to make if he plans on returning simply as a matter of PR -- and then just enjoy watching basketball. But honestly, if he doesn't acknowledge that he handled it all badly, I don't think I can root for him. But I put that at about a 1% chance because given the shit he took league-wide, even from other players, I think he's smart enough to know he has to repair that or his legacy -- about which he cares greatly -- will always have a stain on it.

 

[JDeezy]

You people need to get over your perceived slights. He went from one organization to another, and it was very disappointing for all Cavs fans. And despite the way he handled it, he never disparaged the city or its fans.

Where have you been?

 

[Chris]

Distances himself from Cleveland, but Cleveland is still his home.......right.

Lots of people are from Ohio and don't consider Cleveland home. He is the one who has been most vocal about it.

He is from Ohio.

He can't change that.

OHIO IS OUR HOME. Home. Grown. Talent.

Durrrrr..... this is repetitive.

 

[col63onel]

He is from Ohio.

He can't change that.

OHIO IS OUR HOME. Home. Grown. Talent.

Durrrrr..... this is repetitive.

So everybody from Ohio roots for Ohio teams? There are no Steelers fans in Ohio?

The definition of home is broad one. Saying home doesn't necessarily imply "home state". He has made it very clear that his home is Akron. Not any other city in Ohio. Clinging to the fact that the 2 cities are in the same state doesn't make him a Clevelander.

 

[Chris]

So everybody from Ohio roots for Ohio teams? There are no Steelers fans in Ohio?

The definition of home is broad one. Saying home doesn't necessarily imply "home state". He has made it very clear that his home is Akron. Not any other city in Ohio. Clinging to the fact that the 2 cities are in the same state doesn't make him a Clevelander.

My original statement was he is a homegrown talent.

You took issue with it saying he doesn't consider Cleveland his home blah blah but fact is he is from Ohio. Not much else to say. We are Ohioans, so is he. HOME. GROWN.

 

[Fuggles]

He is from Ohio.

He can't change that.

OHIO IS OUR HOME. Home. Grown. Talent.

Durrrrr..... this is repetitive.

Actually if he was just from Ohio (say Xenia) and the Cavs tried to claim him I would side with him.

Thankfully there is this a widely known and generally understood concept known as a "metro area".

 

[col63onel]

My original statement was he is a homegrown talent.

You took issue with it saying he doesn't consider Cleveland his home blah blah but fact is he is from Ohio. Not much else to say. We are Ohioans, so is he. HOME. GROWN.

You consider him home grown. He wouldn't consider himself homegrown unless he could play for the Akron Cavaliers.

If you are just pointing out the fact that he is from Ohio, who gives a shit? So are Kevin Martin, Bob Hope and Ulysses Grant. They aren't going to play for the Cavs either.

 

[Chris]

You consider him home grown. He wouldn't consider himself homegrown unless he could play for the Akron Cavaliers.

If you are just pointing out the fact that he is from Ohio, who gives a shit? So are Kevin Martin, Bob Hope and Ulysses Grant. They aren't going to play for the Cavs either.

Actually if he was just from Ohio (say Xenia) and the Cavs tried to claim him I would side with him.

Thankfully there is this a widely known and generally understood concept known as a "metro area".

Do you people even remember what the original post said.

It said I was sad you guys will not give a homegrown talent another chance if he wants to come back and make right on his promise. As in, come back to Ohio. He currently lives in Florida...did you know this? And is from Ohio?

Fucking ... wow.

 

[Fuggles]

Personally I think the "maybe I'm coming back talk" is carefully constructed PR nonsense and that anyone that buys into it and think we should plan our rebuild around it needs to be tossed into the lake.

 

[col63onel]

Do you people even remember what the original post said.

It said I was sad you guys will not give a homegrown talent another chance if he wants to come back and make right on his promise. As in, come back to Ohio. He currently lives in Florida...did you know this? And is from Ohio?

Fucking ... wow.

So we should want him back because he's from Ohio?

That argument is terrible.

edit - He still has a house in Ohio....did you know this?