I feel for Cavs fans... Do you?
by cueball123 on Jul 9, 2010 12:11 AM PDT
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I remember the day very vividly when I read an ESPN article saying that Philadelphia sent some scrub to another team for some 2nd round pick to clear up some cap space to sign Elton Brand. 2 days later, it was a reality. Mr. Brand had left the Clippers out in the cold and had chosen to leave us for another team.
That was the worst i'd ever felt as a Clippers fan. Worse than the day i saw Livingston's knee buckle and worse than the day Mr. Bell hit that 3-pointer over Ewing.
There is a sense of betrayal that oozes through your veins when a guy you poured your heart into just gets up and leaves. I know how bad i felt when Brand left us... and he was a borderline star.
James meant so much more to the people in Cleveland. I can only imagine what they're going through right now.
The question is... would you trade 7 years of GREAT fun and deep playoff runs for this terrible heartbreak today? Sign me up.
Tough day to be a Cavs fan.
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a long term contract?
Clipper fans can’t rub two winning seasons and playoff success in Brand’s face.
Two years in, both sides have lost, and lost a lot.
feel for cleveland
but they brought this onto themselves. They knew that lebron leaving was a possibility. Both teams gambled big, only one was going to walk away the winner.
Even the Clippers, those longtime losers, thought they could be a player this summer.
I feel for Clipper fans - could care less about Cavs fans
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Agreed
I don’t have any sympathy points for other fans. Being a Clipper fan is tough enough. Its a dog eat dog world.
FA in 2010.
Well said
Forget “Cabron” James & let’s move on.
Eh
I use to support LBJ, not anymore.
That’s why I care. Plus, this affect practically all the teams. Miami went from potential lottery bound to playoff bound east material to NBA final bound in a week, while Cleveland fans are stuck with Mo Williams and Antwain Jamison…
I mean after being toyed around by LBJ, it annoyed me a bit. I can only imagine how it feels to actually be in contention for LBJ such as Cleveland only to have him finally come out on national freaking tv to say Im going to South Beach. Well I hope his career goes South, Beach!
+1
I used to be a big LBJ fan, so I’m a little disappointed.
To paraphrase Sir Charles’ words, I think at 25, it’s far too early to require piggybacking on other players. Barkley said that when he was 25, he wanted to be THE MAN and win it all, as THE MAN. When he was at the latter end of his career, he joined Clyde “the Glyde” and Hakeem “the Dream” to a last-ditch effort at a championship—-not unlike the current Boston Celtics team. That’s when it’s “okay” to piggyback, without tarnishing your career.
Minnesota and Seattle sent KG and Ray Ray off with warm wishes because they felt that these players tried their best, in their prime, to help those teams win Championships. LeBron chose to take his prime years elsewhere, and that’s a sad day.
So you agree with the Kobe model then?
LeBron is the anti-Kobe.
We need to make up our minds. The sports media criticized Kobe for not passing, and the criticize LeBron for passing too much.
I think it is refreshing to see a superstar athlete sacrifice money and stats for winning.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
He probably knows
he’s LBJ. He’ll probably make that money back through endorsements anyways. He’s LBJ, he’s going to get money regardless.
It's not about the passing or sacrifices
I just see it as not wanting to get credit for building his own brand singlehandedly.
But I read that article Bacek posted below, and I think I’ve changed my tune. If it’s the difference between multiple championships and getting 1 last-chance championship at the end of your career… it’s hard to criticize LeBron for wanting the former. It’s got to suck to be KG and finally taste championship gold, and then find out you’re too old to do it again.
As long as the Lakers and Celtics keeping rigging sham trades
the rest of the stars are going to have to gang up.
They realize that it’s dog eat dog.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
So we should be as malicious as other teams?
I guess its becasue I’m still a fan of that underdog-comes out of nowhere- fairytale. The 2002 Angels, the 200- something Ducks (I dont watch Hockey) etc etc. Not the superpower team where all the stars band together to destroy all the other teams.
But I see your point. Just don’t see myself accepting it anytime soon.
No team with LeBron would ever be an underdog
The Bucks are underdogs. The Clippers are underdogs.
Miami, LA, Boston. Not a bit.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
Not really
His team was the heavy favorite going into to the last two playoffs. They had the league’s best records two years in a row.
But they weren’t built for the playoffs. LeBron had nobody who could take the pressure off of him in crunch time. Wade will.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
But we thought they were built for the playoffs
Turns out they weren’t
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
I didn't think so :)
ahaha el oh el smiley face.
I guess its opinions man. LBJ vs Allen, Pierce, and Garnett.
Then Howard, J-Will, Lewis and crew.
I agree that it's far too early
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
yea, but...
Has to be FElton x10, if Brand took us to the finals, and consecutive MVP, I think I would be even more mad. Even though you enjoyed alot of success under him, it has to hurt just that much more since he was SO close to getting you a championship that the city hasn’t experienced in forever.
At least we have some condolence in that Brand hasn’t been the same since, and his contract is about as bad as an albatross we have in the league.
At the same time, Brand was a good guy. Lebron is kinda a douche so it makes it a little easier to be rid of him hahaha
I still don't see evidence of Lebron being a douche
He made his own decision, it wasn’t about money it was about winning. I wouldn’t want to be the torchbearer for a entire city/region.
I think Lebron can sleep soundly tonight, especially after Dan Gilbert’s ridiculous letter. If he had any remaining reservations or guilt than Gilbert’s idiotic comments certainly dispelled them.
FA in 2010.
I don't disagree with his decision
but I don’t think he showed much class in the way he went about it. I’ve never really had a problem with Lebron in the past, and never really understood the grounds on which people were calling him an ego manic, but he really hasn’t done much to prove otherwise (unless canceling his nationwide free agency tour counts)
In the end he did choose winning over everything else, and I think that’s what he’ll be remembered for after this all blows over. but it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, and I don’t think he’ll ever be as nearly unanimously loved as he was in cleveland. I know I won’t be rooting for miami next year…
Is this good for Sterling
Does this make Sterling less douchier of an owner?
"Success only comes before work inside of a dictionary!"
To be honest, I really don’t. Had Gilbert and company had any balls in the Amar’e trade discussions, this would have never happened. And for Gilbert to talk all that shit about LeBron when he made Danny Boy a ton of money is quite the hypocritical thing to do. We get it. Your meal ticket left and you’re pissed off. Now shut the hell up and get back to running your franchise. Stop whining. Did LeBron handle it poorly? Shit yeah he did. Did you handle it worse? Damn right you did. Dan Gilbert made LeBron James actually look like the victim in his letter.
Twitter: @FlyByKnite
Yep,
Gilbert is trying to deflect this to L.James and cover the fact that all the roster moves were pretty awful. L.James put it simply that he wants to win…after putting his life into being an athlete I can understand that part (not the whole drama part) and any Cleveland fan that whines is just bitter. But this is sports, a business.
On the note of business, I guess Cleveland is also bitter cause economically speaking L.James just made that city into a ghost-town… that I can definitely feel for… a region already in economic decline is now screwed to no end.
So unfair
wow, who wants to be blamed for killing a entire region. The guy is a basketball player, if a entire city is relying on him for economic growth they are inevitably screwed in 10-15 years anyways.
FA in 2010.
I'm not saying he should feel bad or anything
But it’s undeniable, recognizing the circumstances of how things were, he brought economic boom to the region. I’m not disagreeing with what you are saying of how absurd and ill-set up that is. I’m just pointing out another reason why Cleveland would be bitter.
Upon that, I then feel for them because this doesn’t just affect their lives as sports fans but also life economically, which affects everything. He was a golden goose for them that they were spoiled with, but nevertheless will now feel bitter for. That region of the US is just economically hard hit. I grew up economically challenged myself, and while golden gooses aren’t smart, it’s nevertheless hard to swallow for ’em
If that's the case
Then he shouldn’t anoint himself “King” or get the tattoo “Chosen 1” on his leg. What about LeBron making statements like, “I will bring a championship to Cleveland”? He constantly talked about how he’s the prodigal son of the state, so for him to give Cleveland (and the rest of the NBA) that self-aggrandizing act last night I think the city has every right to be crushed and be upset with him.
Don't all players say that
Do guys go yea, hey y’all let’s just have fun? You can it’s not really butter right?
FA in 2010.
Yeah, seriously
they don’t call it the “Rust Belt” for nothing. This region has doomed itself with bad decision making, greedy unions and high taxes.
LeBron had little financial incentive to stay in Cleveland, and NY taxes would have cost him an extra $12M for a five-year deal.
There is also a reason why the southern states are now called the “Sun Belt”.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
He would have
probably made p that extra 12 Mils through endorsements anyways. He’s going to get endless ones for being in NY anyways, not that he wasn’t getting them in Cleveland.
Perhaps
But he would have been playing with Amare and some scrubs.
Not a terrible situation – the Knicks have cap room next year, too. But playing with Wade and Bosh is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
Even with the Knicks
He would have made it to the playoffs.
I’d take a team of LBJ and Amare over Wade and Bosh (if LBJ went to NY that is.)
Either way, I see your point that it was his opportunity and he seized it. I still hate how they banded together, like some sort of collective bargaining agreement or something. Feels like they took the NBA in their own hands.
Me too, I thought Amare and James with
D’antoni would have been (potentialy) great. Plus, he could feed his ego non stop in the city that never sleeps.
See my post above
As long as the Lakers and Celtics keep rigging sham trades, the rest of the stars have to unite.
Why should the same two teams continue to own more than half of the trophies?
Enough with the legacy teams. That’s why the Spurs were so refreshing. You know that Stern hated the fact that San Antonio kept winning.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
I do. For 7 years the fans and the franchise did all they could
to surround LJ with complementary players. It came close to working more than once and who knows what would have happened this year if he didn’t “quit.” We don’t know what was said between the two parties, but I’m betting LJ gave them some reason to believe he’d be coming back (otherwise this outburst wouldn’t have happened).
This move by James is the most classless thing I’ve ever seen in sports. No class whatsoever.
WHAT?
He chose less money to play for the Heat. Sometimes, the grass is greener on the other side…ask Shaq when he left Orlando.
Classless? Not really, he made a decision based on winning Championships.
This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell
I could have fuzzy math
But by going to Florida, because of its lack of income tax, he avoids the 5.295 % income tax that Ohio has, meaning he will allow himself to save a couple million right there. If he can then actually win a few titles, bank a few more million there…
He still lost a year on his deal
and he may have lost some fans. Still a lot of fans follow players more closely than teams especially on a national level. With the growing medium of nationally televised games, fans are not restricted to following only their local ball clubs.
FA in 2010.
He’s actually losing two years on his deal. He’s going to have an ETO in 2014. He’ll be 29, probably have a ring or two, and will opt out.
Twitter: @FlyByKnite
Smart move
get can get another big contract while still in his prime. He loses a lot of of leverage if he does it when he’s 30-31.
FA in 2010.
C'mon, Rich
I agree that breaking up with Cleveland on live TV was classless, but he has every right to leave that team for a chance to win.
Maybe he is also tired of freezing winters in Cleveland and wants to live in Florida.
Also, the Cavs made a lot of bad moves and still never found LeBron an adequete running mate. Nobody can win on their own. Cleveland’s future was looking bleak.
Playing with a guy like Wade is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think he made a good decision.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
Truth be told
I use to support LBJ because he was the closest thing to Kobe. He was either equally as good or better than Kobe. But now I don’t find myself rooting for him because I just don’t like this decision period. I looked past all the negative antics he has done such as seizing all the tapes in his Nike camps after being dunked on. I looked passed his non hand shaking with the Magics- it wasn’t that serious anyways. I looked pass his MVP LBJ shirts classless taunting. He won it so what more can I say? But now that I can’t see myself support LBJ in Miami, all I can say is what an attentionwhore. I’m assuming maybe he didn’t get enough of it while as a child since his mom was probably a crackwhore constantly running away from his jailbait father. Yeah harshwords. I’ve held my tongue long enough!
He had the opportunity, but so did Jordan. Jordan was beaten by Detroit three times. But did Jordan take the desperation act? Nope, he stayed in Chicago. There was no doubt Cleveland has been trying. The fact that the city of Cleveland has tried to do everything within their power for LBJ, he shouldnt have done it so classlessly on National TV. I can still hear Cleveland fans all screaming “NO!” over here in LA. That one city of Ohio completely had their hearts broken tonight.
Jordan wasn't a free agent, either
If LeBron would have won it this year, he certainly would have stayed.
Jordan realized that he, Scottie and Phil was the best deal he was going to get.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
I'm sure Jordan was a FA or had a choice to become one at one point of his career
especially after being beaten by Detroit three times before becoming a great team.
He did eventually
but he was winning rings by then. Why would he leave the best coach and best wing man?
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
Not exactly
He started his career in 1985, was taken out three times by Detroit to the 1989-1990 season. By then he should have been a FA? I don’t know the details my man, him being a FA wasn’t as huge because he didn’t switch teams.
It was way different then
I’m sure he was still under contract at the time.
Players could sign for long periods of time.
Magic signed a 25 year contract at one point.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
I wasn't old enough to know the details of contracts
I wasn’t born yet. :)
But do you have an estimate or so of what his contract might’ve looked like such as when it ended and such? I’m not really sure where to look at when he was a FA or a potential FA and such.
I'll concede that Jordan probably wouldn't have left
but who knows. He was very critical of the Bulls inability to get him some help at one point.
I think another loss to Detroit and he would have been out of there. But by that time he was in full blown annihilation mode. He destroyed Detroit.
LeBron doesn’t seem to have that same killer DNA. Wade does. They will compliment each other well.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
He destroyed Detroit yes-
but would you take the personal accomplishment or exceeding to the NBA Finals?
And I disagree about Lebron not having killer DNA. He’s known for passing yes, but did you see his 16? points in 2 mins video on Youtube?
MJ and Kobe
No player wants to lose. They eventually realize they can’t do it alone no matter how good they are individually.
MJ was pissed after the Bulls traded his best bud, Charles Oakley, for Bill Cartwright. But because the Bulls had a young PF waiting in the wings (Horace Grant) this move was huge and the Bulls were finally able to conquer the Pistons and the rest of the league. Even towards the end of his Bulls run the team and Jordan had issues. They gave him big one-year deals and it was known that 1997-1998 would be the last one. Phil Jackson dubbed it the “last dance” for a reason. MJ would flirt with the Knicks each summer as he knew that would make him a ridiculous amount of money.
Kobe finally got his wish in 2004. The Lakers shipped out Shaq to accommodate him. Phil Jackson was let go. Karl Malone and Gary Payton left after that partnership fell apart. And then Kobe goes out and in his first crack as the undisputed man the team falls on its face and misses the playoffs. The Lakers bring back Phil Jackson and slowly add some pieces but it is not enough and Kobe demands a trade. Somehow (and of course people are very cynical of this) the Lakers luck into a top 10 big man for peanuts and the Lakers have been to 3 straight Finals since. Without the trade Kobe is most likely wearing another uniform now.
So what does this all mean… well winning apparently causes amnesia because if Lebron wins 8 titles in 10 years then people will forget this entire debacle. If he goes ringless than he becomes the NBA version of Eric Lindros.
FA in 2010.
"the Lakers luck into a top 10 big man for peanuts "
Well, that’s certainly one way to put it.
BTW, the LeBron, A-Rod analogy is apt at this point.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
Of course he has the right to sign somewhere else, I think the original
question was – do you feel bad for the fans or not. I mean, who wants to live in Cleveland, but the franchise did what it could to turn out a winner and came close. The reason I feel for them is because he could have handled it so much better. If they knew he was leaving then maybe they could have persued other FA’s or something.
Seriously, the guy made however many millions there and didn’t have enough class to clue the owners in that they needed to look for other alternatives. Totally classless and selfish, not that he’d leave, the way that he did it.
I agree with that
which is why I’m convinced he wanted to stick it to Cleveland for some reason.
I’m ok with his decision to leave, but he did not handle it well.
But at the end of the day, he doesn’t owe Cleveland anything.
Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)
No, he doesn't owe them anything. But unless the owner was
sleeping with James wife there’s not much explanation for why he handled it this way.
BTW I was just on the Cavs site and the owner of Fathead is discounting all James Fatheads in a Cav uniform to 17.41 – in honor of Benedict Arnolds birthday.
Those things are worhless now, might as well recycle them.
He increased the franchise value...
but over $100 million. Most of that is now gone.
Actually if Cleveland the town wasn’t so depressing Lebron probably could have stayed. But Chris Bosh didn’t want to go there so rather than waste another 3 years of his prime he went to a better situation. Lebron didn’t want to end up as the next Kevin Garnett is all.
FA in 2010.
Twice in this decade Cleveland gets stiffed
Remember Carlos Boozer? He left a better situation than the one he got into. I think Boozer is STILL the main reason why LeBron failed in bringing the hardware to Cleveland. Together they would’ve won at least 1 if not 2. It was the perfect tandem.
Fast forward to today, and LeBron bolting to Miami. Whoa.
Can’t feel bad for the Cavs, though. They still got a lot of good players, it’s just that their very best one left.
I also don’t feel bad because they’re headed to the NBA Lottery after this. They may not ever see another player like LeBron in a Cavs uni, but a good player will come by and fill that void…
Donald Sterling is the Worse Owner of All Time
by DonaldSterlingSucks on Jul 9, 2010 12:56 AM PDT reply actions
I definitely feel for the fans of Cleveland.
Cleveland’s sports fans have been tortured by the disappointments of their teams for so long. The city hasn’t won a major championship in nearly 50 years. Losing a homegrown talent like LeBron would feel like one having their heart ripped out. It’s very sad. They’re full of a wide range of emotions and will be for some time. Had they won a championship during his time there, things would be different right now. Perhaps, he would still be a Cavalier. If not, Cleveland would still have a trophy and a banner to celebrate even after he left. Now, that’s not the case. He helped improve their local economy and brought some life into Cleveland. I hope that they will all be able to one day get over the bitterness and move on. It will probably take drafting another phenom, but I’m hoping that it will happen for them the same way our bitterness lessened after winning the Blake Griffin sweepstakes.
no brand ended up a great thing for us
led to getting blake and not some old, broken down overpaid traitor
yes and no
yes, it absolutely sucks to have your heart ripped out on national tv, but nobody ever feels bad for us when we get dissed. it’s all jokes and more jokes when it comes to our misfortunes. because of that, i’m a little divided on how i feel about the cavs’ fans. maybe i’m just bitter.
by Handsome_B._Wonderful on Jul 9, 2010 2:59 AM PDT reply actions
To be fair
Lebron never promised he would stay.
"I'm an All-Star in my mind. You don't have to have somebody tell you that, to be an All-Star. It doesn't work that way." -Sam Cassell
Nah
why do people believe a player must stay? He gave the Cavs the best years of his/their lives. He left as a FA agent.
Yep
Given how weak their front court will be and how many options he has to pass it to I predict Lebron to average a triple double this year. 20-10-10 with 2 steals and a block.
FA in 2010.
Well actually
When it’s put that way, the whole “He should’ve waited til he was at the end of his career, like KG” argument kind of goes out the door. If KG and Ray Allen had left for Boston earlier in their careers, they’d probably have had a 3-peat, at least. Hmm… maybe I change my mind.
I still think LeBron went about presenting his decision in the wrong way, though. Since he knew the morning of, and his decision had already (correctly) been leaked, he could have at least told the 5 other teams of his choice. He could have asked them to keep it on the down low for charity-ratings purposes, but allowed them to start making moves.
sadly I agree
I’m so used to playing in HS that we played as a family, not as a business. We did it for the team, for one another. Maybe that explains my reasons for disliking this business decision.
i don't feel anything for them
because 9 out of 10 of them probably weren’t fans before lebron got there, and probably will be jumping off the sinking bandwagon anyway.
besides, clips fans are the pitied, not the pitying.
by Joe Wolf's Mullet on Jul 9, 2010 12:57 PM PDT reply actions
He had every right to leave
but no reason to do it in such a douchy, narcissistic, stick-a-knife-in-the-heart’s-of-your-hometown-fans kind of way. I would’ve had no sympathy for Cleveland fans before “The Decision.” Now I feel truly sorry for them. And now I hate LeBron even more than Kobe.
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