DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Lebron Signs With Lakers

lol imagine watching LeBron James play with a bloody eye and not think he needs someone like Lance Stephenson on his team. JR is too old and too good of a father to want him to goon it up with Draymond and Durant.

Ingram, Randall, and Kuzma are good players who can get even better. Ball also has potential. The Lakers might keep Lopez and he has been a good player in the past.

The Spurs might be forced to trade Kawhi because there are now reports of him sitting out next year if the SA doesn't trade him.

I don't know.....that would not be a bad team by any stretch of the imagination.

Some random thoughts:

- I kind of thought this was going to happen. Earlier in the off-season, I figured it would be Houston if he left, but as the process went on it became clear it was between LA and Cleveland. Or maybe it was LA all along.. I don't know.

- It was a good four year run. I believe many mistakes were made along the way and it could have been a better four years and could have lasted beyond that. This past season was particularly painful-- trading Irving to the Celtics and not getting much in return, and also helping the Lakers clear cap space and giving them a first round pick for their trouble. The NBA loves Koby Altman for making Lakers vs Celtics a thing again.

- I respect how Lebron handled free agency this time around with a low-key announcement at the start of free agency. I'm sure there were a bunch of opportunities to do something bigger but it's really far more respectful of Cavs fans to do it like he did. I wish him well but I'm a Cleveland guy, so to me, he's just another great player out West now. I know what he meant to the Cavs though-- it's going to be a rough few years, let's put it that way.

Why LeBron James picked the Los Angeles Lakers - Terry Pluto

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer terrypluto2003@yahoo.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking to myself about why LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers:

Q: Do you think LeBron believes he has a better chance to win a title in Los Angeles this season than if he had stayed in Cleveland?

A: No.

Q: No?

A: No. Even if the Lakers somehow find a way to trade for Kwahi Leonard, I doubt they'll win the Western Conference. Golden State remains the biggest mountain to climb. But Houston also is a huge obstacle. New Orleans can be a tough opponent for LeBron and the young Lakers.

Q: So why the Lakers?

A: It's about more than basketball.

Q: He wants out of Northeast Ohio?

A: He wants a bigger platform for all his business interests. He has a production company that has developed and brought real productions to television and movie theaters. James has interests in other global businesses.

Q: Didn't he show he could be a global figure while in Northeast Ohio?

A: Obviously, he did. But his return to the Cavaliers in 2014 was about more than basketball. He wanted to win a title for Cleveland. He knew the way he left the team in 2010 with the ESPN Decision Show was a disaster. Upon his return, I was told LeBron would give Cleveland at least four years.

Q: But didn't he say he planned to finish his career here?

A: He did at different times -- and he dodged the question at other times. Things change. People change. This isn't Kyrie Irving demanding the Cavs trade him last summer when he had two years left on his contract.

Q: Meaning what?

A: Meaning LeBron played by the NBA rules. Each time he left a team, he was a free agent. We may not like his decisions, but they were done properly in terms of how the NBA works.

Q: Why did LeBron sign a 4-year deal with the Lakers when his longest contract was two years with Cleveland?

A: I was told it's the age factor. He came to Cleveland at the age of 29. He is now 33. His plan this summer was to sign a long term deal somewhere . . . the Cavs offered him the super-max of $205 million for five years. No other team could offer a more expensive or longer contract. But he wanted a new challenge.

Q: You're OK with him leaving the Cavaliers in a salary cap dungeon?

A: I'm OK with him taking the Cavs to four consecutive NBA Finals. I'm OK with him carrying two of those teams -- 2015 and 2018 -- to The Finals when players were hurt, etc. I still think those are the two biggest accomplishments of his career. It's the price the Cavs paid for the four best years in the history of the franchise.

Q: But the salary cap is a mess, right?

A: Yes. That also is the case with Golden State. When James left Miami, they had salary cap issues. When you win big, you pay for it in terms of salaries. When a star leaves, the huge contracts given to other players become a burden. That's because you can only go beyond the salary cap to re-sign your own players. Soon, the Lakers will be in a salary camp swamp . . . just wait two years.

Q: Wouldn't signing with Philadelphia have given LeBron a better shot at a title?

A: I was told the Sixers were never under serious consideration by LeBron. His agents met with the Sixers on Sunday, but by then LeBron was nearly ready to commit to the Lakers. LeBron was not at that meeting. The only meeting LeBron actually attended was with Lakers President Magic Johnson.

Q: What does LeBron want?

A: I believe he sees this another huge challenge -- much like coming back to the Cavs. He wants to restore the Lakers to greatness. He likes L.A. He also sees all the opportunities available to him in L.A.

Q: So you think he did the right thing?

A: I think he had the right to do it after spending 11 of his 15 pro seasons with Cleveland.

https://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2018/07/why_lebron_james_picked_the_lo.html

Now he can blow in Lebron’s ear in the locker room.

what's the only way we'll ever be good again? to get LUCKY by selecting a two or more STARS in the lottery ... and they have to be in back to back drafts, and then sign one other STAR to join them.

We'll never, ever attract a good player. And there's no such thing as just developing players to compete for championships.

I wonder if its hard for Lebron James to walk around with all these media types attached to his jock.

Your dad says one thing and you’re going to Sacramento



https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1013583687458402305

The Ball thing is another thing with this whole decision ... either:

A. Lebron knows that Balls will take a back seat
B. Lebron likes their circus atmosphere and will soak in the attention it brigs
C. Lebron knows there is a trade in the works

So much for loyalty and retiring a Cav. The only thing Lebron is loyal to is money.

I don't like were pro sports is heading. The glamour cities like L.A. will be the winners and contenders for championships and the rust belt, blue collar cities like Cleveland, will be the ones left out and contenders for last place.

With Lebron leaving, the Vegas odds on the Cavs winning the 2019 championship are currently 500-1.

500-1 is incredibly high ... it should be 50,000-1

Yep, get ready for a long rebuilding process.

Seems like the pro sports world just can't handle it when cities like Cleveland have winning teams and cities like L.A have losing teams. After all, it's about the bigger markets making the most money.

Sucks, but that's twice now catering to his every demand has run the team into the ground. The Tristan contract he essentially demanded......horrible...THe JR contract, not one NBA team will take....the help he had to have...Nance and Clarkson....coincidence their horrendous contracts are off the books for the lakers?

As great as he is and he is the greatest Basketball player I've ever seen and that includes Jordan. He left twice because he held the franchise hostage.

Sad to see him go, honestly but he is by no means a victim in all of this.

If he was "only loyal to money". he would have signed the 5 year, super max deal in Cleveland. It was for $50 million more than he got in La La land.

I truly believe he wanted a new challenge, with a team that has enough cap space and assets to add pieces around him. He had to have been exhausted carrying the Cavaliers last season.

I cannot say that I am happy he left, or that I approve of it, but I understand why he did. He has fewer days ahead of him than behind, (on the court) and he wanted the best opportunity.

It will be interesting to see whether Pops gives in and trades Leonard, or not.

It will also be interesting to see which players currently on the Lakers are still on the Lakers at the start of the season.

we'll never know, but I really hope lebron didn't have the FO obtain Clarkson and Nance for ulterior motives

Was going to say the same thing. He wanted a new challenge, wanted to live in LA with his family, he accomplished what he promised to us, has dedicated 11 of his 15 years in Cleveland and has been a great ambassador to the game. Relax.

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/releases/statement-180702

Didn't see this posted. I am surprised at the graciousness of Dan, but I agree with every word. Don't let the classless way LBJ left to go to Miami taint the situation today.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
"We will always remember the evening of June 19, 2016 as the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, ended the 52-year drought delivering the long elusive championship that many thought they would never see... A championship that united generations of Clevelanders, both living and passed.

Virtually anyone with roots in Northeast Ohio paused and felt the memories of the past and the utter joy that the burden of the so-called ‘curse’ was finally a thing of the past. Cleveland, Ohio was the home of a championship team for the first time since 1964. Words do not express the meaning and the feeling this accomplishment brought to the people of Northeast Ohio.

None of this would have happened if LeBron James did not agree to come back home and lead the Cavaliers to the promised land. The entire Cavaliers franchise thanks LeBron for that precious moment and for all of the excitement he delivered as he led our team to four straight NBA Finals appearances.

LeBron is a family man, first. We wish his kids, his wife Savannah, his mother Gloria, and LeBron himself nothing but the best in the years and decades ahead. LeBron’s connection to Akron, Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio will most certainly endure as his commitment to the region and his support of many important causes has been impactful to so many kids and families.

LeBron, you came home and delivered the ultimate goal. Nothing but appreciation and gratitude for everything you put into every moment you spent in a Cavaliers uniform. We look forward to the retirement of the famous #23 Cavs jersey one day down the line...”

Dan Gilbert
Chairman
Cleveland Cavaliers

Wow - just wow.

LeBron is much bigger than the Cavs, he proved it when he returned.

Cleveland never appreciated him, what he means to the sport, his size and stature and what he did with this miserable excuse of an organization.


LA is a basketball city, so if he does half of what he did in here we will be a legend there and will be truly appreciated.

This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever read on this forum. And I've read a lot of dumb stuff here.

We should of seen it coming. NBA 2K named Lebron the cover athlete for the 2019 version of the game. That's 5 out of the last 6 covers where the player switched teams within a year. The one year it didn't happen, three guys shared the cover.

LOL, no kidding! Cleveland didn't appreciate Lebron? But LAKERS fans will??

They haven't appreciated Lebron once in his career, why would they start now?

I don't know if he will win anything with the Lakers, but it is going to be very hard to get by the Warriors. I thought thinking about him coming back last week is that he said he wanted to come back and win a championship for Cleveland and he did and where would he want to go for the next phase of his life-the transition from basketball player to media mogul or franchise owner-and he would do better at marketing and moving into deeper into the entertainment field in a New York or LA

j/c:

Lakers also bringing back Caldwell-Pope. He'll work well w/LeBron.

They might end up getting Kawhi w/out having to trade for him. Of course, that will be next year when the Lakers are more likely to contend for the title.

They are already being listed at 7-2 for winning the title this upcoming year. That's tied w/the Celtics for second highest.

If they make a deal for K. Walker, those odds will be even higher.

Wow guys... I figured when the news was announced the gossip would stop but I guess I was wrong.

Last thing I'll post is I'm happy with the letter Dan wrote. Professional.

Because they are true basketball fans... They know what LeBron stands for.

LA is a basketball city, Cleveland isn't.

And they will turn on him quickly when he can't get past GS. Or HOU, or OKC. Much less BOS.

He isn't gonna deliver squat to them.

So we will get to "Witness" the meltdown on the West Coast.

He could do it to Boston this year, and to Golden State two years ago....


What he did to Boston this year was AMAZING, LEGENDARY. And the first game of the series was a CLASSIC

You seam to be the perfect example on what I was talking about... but this is a football forum, so I'll give it a pass.

Bottom line is the way it stands, the power dynamic still hasn't changed other than the Lakers aren't the dregs any more, but they still aren't better than a 6 seed. The east the power dynamic is much more in flux depending on what happens..If Leonard goes to philly or boston, then thats going to change things.. The west its still going to be GSW, Houston, Blazers and OKC. Adding a 34 year old lebron doesn't make lakers 30 games better in the west

j/c



I read on this thread how the Cavs will not be able to attract great players because well, it's Cleveland. I read how without LBJ the Cavs will be cellar dwellwers. I believe that's true.

Yet the very best NBA player since MJ has dedicated the vast majority of his NBA career to bring the Cavs a championship and led this team to the NBA finals the past four years in a row. Something even the teams own fan base can't envision another great player doing.

As Ytown eluded to, most of his NBA career is behind him and it appears as if his career after basketball will be media. So where is the hub of media located? Los Angeles. The man moved to the place that sets up the next chapter of his life after basketball. The place with the most contacts, studios and opportunities.

Fans will be fans and I understand that. But what it seems the Cavs fan base wanted was for LBJ to place your wants over his family and future. If any man puts people outside his family and future over what's best for his family and future, that's the point I lose respect for a man.

I think that Cavs fans should be thankful that LBJ brought a Championship to your city. That you enjoyed the last four seasons of Championship caliber play. That a superstar actually spent the vast majority of his career to accomplish that for Cleveland.

And yet here I sit reading a bunch of sour grapes. You could all take a lesson from Dan Gilbert and realize just how lucky you've been.

It did to the CAVS.... Where do you rank the CAVS without LeBron?

Do you think they would even sniff the playoffs without LeBron?

What you don't understand is that they BARELY beat BOS, and BOS had no Kyrie or Hayward. What do you think happens next year when BOS is at full strength?

Dan Gilbert is simply being PR friendly, you think he's actually happy to see lebron and about 50% of the value of the team drop? come on now

I think he had enough class to recognize what LBJ actually did for this city instead of acting like an azz. And you've whined about LBJ for years now. Now you whine when he's gone.

Dan Gilbert is a moron who doesn't deserve the Cavs. To make matter's worse, he's a Pistons fan. Screw that dude.

And Houston didn't have C.Paul... and IMHO its a much better team than Golden State.

What KD did to Stephen is not sustainable.... From being the best player of the league and siding with LeBron to be just a footnote in the history of the game in just 2 seasons...

From MJ to Pippen level.... Stephen isn't happy, and GSW locker room is far from being good.

Please! I live here. Most of them are bandwagon fans that will have to trade in their Golden State gear to get their new Lebron jerseys. The other half of those "true basketball fans" have belittled all of Lebron's accomplishments up until this point, because, gawd forbid he might actually be better than Kobe.

First, I find this post quoted here dumb. Just as the other poster said.

Cleveland loved Lebron. They might be hurt because he left, but to say he wasn't appreciated enough is ridiculous. He left, people are naturally upset.


That being said, he dedicated the majority of his prime years to the city of Cleveland, carried himself with class, and brought the city some wonderful basketball. Maybe not as many championships as hoped, but still season after season of fun and exciting basketball. So Thank You Lebron. You are appreciated. Always a Cav, and greatest to ever play the game


If he wants to play in LA, that's fine. I wish him the best. Have no hard feelings at all, and I'd say I'm still a Lebron fan. He's a free agent, maybe that's where his family wants to be. So I'm happy for him.

But there's no way I'm rooting for the Lakers. Just not in my blood, lol


This decision just gives me more time to focus on my upcoming Cleveland Browns and UConn Huskies.

So? All that means is LA gets past neither GS or HOU.

Lebrons ring days are done.

Thanks for the good. He was The King here. Not so much now for me. Just another guy to beat, and not sure it happens for him.

Thanks for the good.