2011-12 NBA Season

[pmoehrin]

My theory has always been it had as much to do with him going to Miami as anything.

I think alot of sports fans right or wrong feel like Miami doesn't deserve a basketball like this. No player would ever say I'm going to Miami because of the tradition that's there and their loyal fans. You go to Miami because it has great weather, a great party scene and no state income tax, and none of those reasons have anything to do with basketball. On some level it says that in the end all the support Cleveland and the state of Ohio didn't matter.

Also the fact that the team was built through free agency and developed is another strike against this team. They weren't developed, Pat Riley just went out and purchased this team. Even with the salary cap alot of the same mentality people have towards hating the Yankees would apply towards the Heat.

The other part of it I think is that we got to know LeBron James too well. We as a society do not react well when presented an honest portrait of what our stars are really like. We rather look at them as objects then human beings with flaws that we can't understand because we don't live in their world. And in that I think also lies much deeper questions that we rather put off answering until tomorrow but because of things like Twitter its becoming more and more of something that needs to be addressed today.

Or, cliff notes version:

"Hatin' is the national pasttime."

Pretty much.

Just to be clear this is not how I feel, just how I think other people feel about the situation. I don't think LeBron is any better or worse then your average pro athlete. He may even be better because what criminal activity has he been involved in?

My own opinion is that there has to be alot more to the why people don't like him other then he has a big ego or he let the Cavs out to try.

[Lights Out]

Stop right there. He was a freaking rookie; no one knew who the hell he was in 1996.

That's funny, because several teams were lining up to draft him. The Clippers almost did but got cold feet, fearing they wouldn't be taken seriously if they picked a high schooler that early. The Nets were ready to until Kobe's agent lied about Kobe going back to Italy. The Hornets eventually drafted him, but then Kobe demanded to be traded to the Lakers. Remember, KG had been drafted the year before, and Jermaine O'Neal was also coming out of high school in '96. The high school prospect hype train was gearing up.

The idiocy of LeBron/Heat morons and Laker haters to compare Kobe's rookie actions to a prime LeBron destroying Cleveland is unbelievable.

"Destroying" Cleveland? They got two prime lottery picks last draft and are about to get another one this year. Kyrie Irving looks like the league's next great point guard. And furthermore, as a free agent, LeBron had every right to leave Cleveland. The Cavs destroyed themselves by failing to put better players than the likes of Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, and a washed-up Shaq around LeBron.

And second point, I laugh at you when you said those Lakers were stacked. OK, let's see here, you have Shaq...and then who?

Shaq in his prime was enough to make the Lakers a stacked team. I know Kobe's fans love to conveniently forget how dominant Shaq was back then, but he was nearly unstoppable.

[The_Admiral]

We're gearing up for what should be an all-timer in the West, but as much as I love watching Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook play, I can't fully get behind them for obvious Clay Bennett-related reasons. This is a real shame and disservice to fans.

You want to root for the guys on the court because they're so likeable. Everything else about the franchise - the ownership, the logos, the team name, the precious fans - decidely isn't.

I don't know that the fans themselves have done anything wrong. It's not their fault that there were promotional t-shirts draped over their seats when they got there. And before we characterize color-coordination as something white, rural, collegiate, and thus anathema to whatever constitutes "NBA fan culture," let's remember that the colorouts in this league were pioneered by the hip urban sophisticates iiiiinnnn....Miami.

[ninersdd]

Sucks for the Heat as Haslem and Pittman have been suspended for Game 6.

[rams80]

Sucks for the Heat as Haslem and Pittman have been suspended for Game 6.

And this is a surprise why?

[pmoehrin]

Sucks for the Heat as Haslem and Pittman have been suspended for Game 6.

Haslem hurts alot because of the loss of Bosh.

Pittman is an emergency reserve though, so no big loss there.

[Kramerica Industries]

Miami's not losing in a Game 7 on their home court anyway, so even if they lose in Indy for Game 6, they're still going to reach the Conference Finals.

[BigEd76]

The Sixers get another game 7 in Boston, just like 30 years ago

[OnWis97]

Have you ever seen Kobe, Jordan, Magic or Bird bolting to a stacked team in his prime? Didn't think so.

Kobe bolted to a stacked team on draft day. His agent lied to the Nets that he was going back to Italy, forcing them to pick someone else, then demanded he be traded to Shaq's Lakers when the Hornets finally drafted him.

Jordan flirted with the Knicks in 1996, and threatened to leave numerous other times in his career, but was locked down to a long-term contract that (in Reinsdorfian fashion) drastically underpaid him.

Kobe did not exactly "bolt to a stacked team in his prime." Of course he did not have to because he went to the Lakers to begin with, when as an 18-year old, he said "I'll only play for a big market team." This is the NBA. The NBA is not the NFL. For various reasons certain teams will always be at a disadvantage.

"Kobe, Jordan, Magic or Bird"...three of the four played on the two most important franchises. Only Jordan gets some credit for helping turn a tradition around, but that was in Chicago. LaBron played in Cleveland. Cleveland. None of those other guys ever had to say "I've been on this terrible franchise, in this terrible market, with this terrible weather for seven years. Now what?"

Frankly, I am more offended by Kobe trying (successfully) to force his way onto one of the few teams in a market to his liking. At least LaBron put in some time with the team that wanted him.

LaBron was kind of in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. He was never going to win a title in Cleveland...and he'd be judged for that. So he goes somewhere else where he'll get the proverbial asterisk by his titles.

As a fan of the least desirable team for free agency (due to losing tradition, bone-head management, and most of all, terrible weather), I don't like to see teams built the way (and for the reasons) Miami was built. However, the Kobe Shaq Lakers were no better...Kobe dictating where he went and Shaq signing as a free agent to the market that could make him even richer. Very impressive. It's nice to see the draft war-room at work.

• Leaving Cleveland? Big deal. He'd been there and they were going nowhere.
  
• How he did it? Yeah. But should we hate him forever?
  
• Going to Miami. Again, it's not ideal, but players go to join others to try to win all the time (with more attention in the NBA because of the significance of 1 player).
  

I'm to the point where I hope they win about five titles. Just to spite the haters.

[Rockstar Matt]

The fact is with the LeBron situation is that LeBron is very, very good. Personally, I'd have rather seen him go to the Knicks just because I'd like to see the Knicks become good again and LeBron would have been something of a semi-god in New York. He could have been immortalized in NY basketball.

With that being said, who are we to judge where a man wants to work? If I were a successful business man and several companies wanted my talents (all pay would be the same), I'd go to the place where I liked it best. Same as any other man. LeBron liked Miami the best.

And I can guarantee that all of LeBron's haters would absolutely love to have him on their team. I'm a huge Lakers fan and a Kobe fan, but I'd jump around in joy in LeBron joined the Lakers. Who wouldn't? He's the best basketball player in the world right now. When it's all said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if people consider LeBron one the top 10 players of all-time. He's not there yet, but he's well on his way.

I agree with OnWis97. I'm at the point now where I want to see LeBron win a title just to spite his obnoxious haters.

[loogodude90]

Just to be clear this is not how I feel, just how I think other people feel about the situation.

It's never a good idea to be the spokesman for everyone else, especially when you don't even share the same viewpoint. Let other people speak for themselves. I think you'd be surprised at how many people are somewhat indifferent to Lebron, like you are. It's really the media that tries to hype all this anti-Lebron stuff up, not the fans (or at least not the majority of the fans).

My own opinion is that there has to be alot more to the why people don't like him other then he has a big ego or he let the Cavs out to try.

It's the same reason that many people don't like Kobe, or the Yankees, or whatever. Their team is losing while Lebron (or whoever) is dominating. It's simple.

It's obvious why Cleveland fans might not like him. But I think you are overestimating the number of NBA fans who don't like Lebron. Don't let the media fool you.

[pmoehrin]

Just to be clear this is not how I feel, just how I think other people feel about the situation.

It's never a good idea to be the spokesman for everyone else, especially when you don't even share the same viewpoint. Let other people speak for themselves. I think you'd be surprised at how many people are somewhat indifferent to Lebron, like you are. It's really the media that tries to hype all this anti-Lebron stuff up, not the fans (or at least not the majority of the fans).

My own opinion is that there has to be alot more to the why people don't like him other then he has a big ego or he let the Cavs out to try.

It's the same reason that many people don't like Kobe, or the Yankees, or whatever. Their team is losing while Lebron (or whoever) is dominating. It's simple.

It's obvious why Cleveland fans might not like him. But I think you are overestimating the number of NBA fans who don't like Lebron. Don't let the media fool you.

I don't know I know quite a bit of people that probably can't name you more then 50 players in the league if that. But you bring up the name LeBron James and its like flipping a switch in terms of how passionate they are. And I see it here to. This topic will be dead for weeks, somebody drops the name LeBron and next thing you know you have a whole page of posts within that day and it will be by people that otherwise never post in this topic.

He does elicit a very strong negative opinion from a large number of people. You cannot deny that. The Heat have become the team everybody loves to hate. The ratings alone tell me there are alot of people watching Heat games that would otherwise care less about basketball.

I don't think its real, I know its real. Maybe its media driven to some extent but the anti-LeBron sentiment I think is very real or at the very least is generating a strong reaction from a large number of people.

[tBBP]

I think the word y'all are looking for in regards to LeBron, and really the whole Miami Heat, is "polarizing"?most either love him/them or hate him/them. Yes, most of it is due to bad tastes left in the mouths of most in regards to the braggadocious events of he and the others of the Big Three shortly after they assembled; the rest may be bo more complicated than people being tired of the sports media shoving him down the collective throats of the masses.

[The_Admiral]

Let's talk less about LeBron and more about the idea of Shaq GMing the Orlando Magic. I just picture him calling up some other GM to show interest in a trade, other GM asks who he wants from his team, and Shaq says "all of them."

[pmoehrin]

Let's talk less about LeBron and more about the idea of Shaq GMing the Orlando Magic. I just picture him calling up some other GM to show interest in a trade, other GM asks who he wants from his team, and Shaq says "all of them."

Well I said that I would not be shocked if the Magic went out and got a big name head coach. I would be shocked if they went out and got a big name to be a GM and there's not many bigger names out there then Shaq, so Michael Wilbon's reaction wasn't that far off from what I felt when I first heard the news that this could potentially happen.

I have no idea how Shaq will/would do as a GM. I know his basketball IQ is right up there with anybody to ever play the game even though his game was very brutish. I have no doubt he will be able to scout talent and will probably the best GM in the game at courting free agents through his mouth. The only knock against him I can find is that he has no front office experience so you don't know what he's going to do until he actually gets there.

Also Shaq is now denying that he has any real interst in the job so it appears to be a dead story.

[tBBP]

Wait...hold up....bacdafucup.

...WHAT?!!!

(I know I miss out on a lot due to being on the road all the time...but just where the HEYALL did THIS story come from??)

[Kramerica Industries]

When Indiana couldn't hold onto their lead in Game 4, in the biggest game played in Indianapolis since 2005, this series was over.

And I really don't think Boston or Philly have too much of a chance themselves to do the deed and take out the Heat.

[Lights Out]

(I know I miss out on a lot due to being on the road all the time...but just where the HEYALL did THIS story come from??)

Chris Broussard, so unsurprisingly, it turned out to be BS.

[pmoehrin]

I think the Magic did get in contact with him and he probably told him he would think about it for a day or so before taking it any further, but Shaq strikes me as somebody that enjoys doing alot of different things and when your a GM of an NBA team your pretty much tied down to just doing that. It also really doesn't bold well to be in the media constantly if your working in the front office. All it does is open you up to more criticism which your already going to have at least 1/3 of the fan base calling for your head unless your basically winning NBA titles every year.

So I think those two things alone were enough to put the kibosh on it for Shaq. I don't think Dwight Howard thing really played much into it other then the Magic may have given Shaq a call as a favor to Howard.

Its all speculative but that's just my own opinion. I was just surprised his name even came up just based on the fact that Shaq is on record as saying he does not want to ever coach in the NBA and the two jobs are not all that dissimilar.

[crashcarson15]

When Indiana couldn't hold onto their lead in Game 4, in the biggest game played in Indianapolis since 2005, this series was over.

Bingo. When the Pacers didn't bury the Heat in the first quarter or hold that halftime lead, it was over. I still don't agree with many of Vogel's decisions, but it is what it is.