tOfficial "2014 LeBron James" Superthread

[TurnUpTheHeat]

He always knew he was going back to Cleveland.

He didn't know it would be this off-season until Wednesday night... about 36 hours before he officially announced it. He used those hours to write (with Jenkins) an explanation of his decision and to inform the Heat of his intentions.


Those 36 hours had zero effect on the Heat's FA doings.

LeBron clearly wrestled over the decision of Heat vs Spurs.

Facts say otherwise.
Billboards were rented and content created.
You aren't doing that in a day.

Moving trucks were hired and belongings were ready to be moved.
Can't do that in a day.

It was reported his website had work pre done on it,
using Cavs colors, etc...
You could do that in a day, but it was done in advance.

My belief is he was strongly leaning that way since the Spurs series and then his secret ( for what reason) meeting with Gilbert last Sunday turned it into a certainty.

 

[bksballer89]

Yeah the meeting seal the deal. Noticed that out of nowhere on Sunday (after the meeting) Broussard/Sheridan out of the blue were certain that LBJ will be back in Cleveland. A source who knew about the meeting told them all the details

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Yeah the meeting seal the deal. Noticed that out of nowhere on Sunday (after the meeting) Broussard/Sheridan out of the blue were certain that LBJ will be back in Cleveland. A source who knew about the meeting told them all the details

Of course I've noticed.
Shows what a bitch James is.
Riley showed James how to translate his amazing talent into championships.
That is priceless.
Why make that man waste his time and energy flying across the country for you to toy with him?

 

[trojanfan12]

Facts say otherwise.
Billboards were rented and content created.
You aren't doing that in a day.

Moving trucks were hired and belongings were ready to be moved.
Can't do that in a day.

It was reported his website had work pre done on it,
using Cavs colors, etc...
You could do that in a day, but it was done in advance.

My belief is he was strongly leaning that way since the Spurs series and then his secret ( for what reason) meeting with Gilbert last Sunday turned it into a certainty.

There are a few red flags that would seem to indicate that Lebron did not "wrestle with this decision" as much as he'd like people to believe. First off, he opted out when he didn't have to and almost immediately after the finals were over.

The Heat could have brought back their entire roster from this past season and still would have been prohibitive favorites to come out of the east. They could have done like the Spurs and kept their same team, looked at what went wrong and then try to come back the following season to get their "revenge".

When he opted out, the narrative was that the big 3 would take pay cuts to get help. A short time later, it's Bosh and Wade taking cuts while Lebron got the max because "he's never been the highest paid player on his team".

But, to me, the bolded is the most telling. I think he's known since before the final buzzer sounded in game 5 that he was heading back to Cleveland. The only reason that his agent met with other teams was to have other possibilities/leverage in case Gilbert didn't cede to all of his demands and/or said something stupid.

 

[RobToxin]

 

[Inimical]

[MEDIA=twitter]488425202972639233[/MEDIA]

:rollseyes:

 

[trojanfan12]

[MEDIA=twitter]488425202972639233[/MEDIA]

 

[Inimical]

Trojan bring my thread back! Im calling in a favor!

 

[trojanfan12]

Trojan bring my thread back! Im calling in a favor!

Man, I'm a noob on this name in green mod stuff. I don't want to step on some senior mods toes.
I'll see what I can do though.

 

[Inimical]

Man, I'm a noob on this name in green mod stuff. I don't want to step on some senior mods toes.
I'll see what I can do though.

Let em know im a good boy who tries hard.

 

[Inimical]

 

[RobToxin]

Woah.....

LeBron lost in the '07, '11 and '14 NBA Finals..... He made his free agency decision on 7/11/14.

 

[gordontrue]

Facts say otherwise.
Billboards were rented and content created.
You aren't doing that in a day.

Moving trucks were hired and belongings were ready to be moved.
Can't do that in a day.

It was reported his website had work pre done on it,
using Cavs colors, etc...
You could do that in a day, but it was done in advance.

My belief is he was strongly leaning that way since the Spurs series and then his secret ( for what reason) meeting with Gilbert last Sunday turned it into a certainty.

There are a few red flags that would seem to indicate that Lebron did not "wrestle with this decision" as much as he'd like people to believe. First off, he opted out when he didn't have to and almost immediately after the finals were over.

The Heat could have brought back their entire roster from this past season and still would have been prohibitive favorites to come out of the east. They could have done like the Spurs and kept their same team, looked at what went wrong and then try to come back the following season to get their "revenge".

When he opted out, the narrative was that the big 3 would take pay cuts to get help. A short time later, it's Bosh and Wade taking cuts while Lebron got the max because "he's never been the highest paid player on his team".

But, to me, the bolded is the most telling. I think he's known since before the final buzzer sounded in game 5 that he was heading back to Cleveland. The only reason that his agent met with other teams was to have other possibilities/leverage in case Gilbert didn't cede to all of his demands and/or said something stupid.

Maybe so, but there is a HUGE gap between leaning (even 90%) towards something and being totally decided.

Cavs fans had plenty of ammo to slander James when he left them. Heat fans are really, really stretching for things, IMO.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Maybe so, but there is a HUGE gap between leaning (even 90%) towards something and being totally decided.

Cavs fans had plenty of ammo to slander James when he left them. Heat fans are really, really stretching for things, IMO.

Read the Bosh interview.

He said he pretty much knew James was leaving when the 3 of them met for that lunch.
Awkward, no discussion, about what they needed to do to improve, etc.., etc..

Tim Reynolds of A.P. was on local sports show last night and said he's heard (not sure from whom) that he was 95% gone before the Finals even started.

I don't see any people trying to slander James.
We just believe that it was this major decision or the need to go home.

Like I said before, he generates more money from Nike then he does NBA salary.
The Heat situation was getting stale for everyone.

This makes him hero vs villain.

It was a great marketing move.

 

[trojanfan12]

Read the Bosh interview.

He said he pretty much knew James was leaving when the 3 of them met for that lunch.
Awkward, no discussion, about what they needed to do to improve, etc.., etc..

Tim Reynolds of A.P. was on local sports show last night and said he's heard (not sure from whom) that he was 95% gone before the Finals even started.

I don't see any people trying to slander James.
We just believe that it was this major decision or the need to go home.

Like I said before, he generates more money from Nike then he does NBA salary.
The Heat situation was getting stale for everyone.

This makes him hero vs villain.

It was a great marketing move.

The bolded nails it pretty well. Pat Riley left the Lakers despite an amazing run of success. When he chose to leave, most people were shocked as to why anyone would leave a situation where he had experienced so much success for so many years. As he said at the time, "sometimes it's just time for a new voice".

Because of the 24/7 media coverage and things like twitter and instagram, the big 3 have spent the past 4 years having everything from the way they play together to the size and consistency of their bowel movements overanalyzed and criticized everyone who can get on t.v. or who has a computer or cellphone. Probably began to weigh on them a bit, particularly Lebron since most of it was aimed at him.

I just think he could have handled it better re: D-Wade, Bosh and the Heat.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Maybe so, but there is a HUGE gap between leaning (even 90%) towards something and being totally decided.

Cavs fans had plenty of ammo to slander James when he left them. Heat fans are really, really stretching for things, IMO.

I think this article from the Huffington Post is how most Heat vans view this:


No one's going to have sympathy for the Heat Nation, and neither do we want or need it, but this is obviously a stressful event on the organization and our city. We have to be grateful for the last four years, for two championships, four finals appearances, so many wonderful moments, on and off the court, but of course this is a burn. Thanks for the memories LeBron, sincerely -- and everyone will spin this story as if it's the prodigal son returning, but it doesn't seem smart to go back to an owner who called you "cowardly" and "disloyal" while walking away from a dynasty and throwing Miami under the bus.
We've been nothing but welcoming and loyal and brave and proud, gladly carrying all the hate we received around the country when you chose Miami, and now it's natural to feel jilted. People think Miami is South Beach and all glitz and glamor but we're not. Miami Heat fans live in three counties and occupy cities like Allapattah, Liberty City, Pembroke Pines, not South Beach.
It appears, on the surface, this isn't about a man going home, it's more about an entourage getting what they want, to live in a city they basically own. This player and his entourage, all from Ohio, never quite felt royal enough in Pat Riley's kingdom, and now they want their power back. LeBron's legacy will likely be that he chased championships and basically used us here in Miami while throwing his homeboy DWade (who opted out of a maximum salary) and many others under the bus. This is not a conquering hero returning home. This is a conquering ego. But hey, it was fun while it lasted, ticket prices will go down, we can't win them all, and maybe, just maybe, the national media will stop referring to Miami as South Beach.
Follow J.J. Colagrande on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jjcolagrande

 

[gordontrue]

I think this article from the Huffington Post is how most Heat vans view this:


No one's going to have sympathy for the Heat Nation, and neither do we want or need it, but this is obviously a stressful event on the organization and our city. We have to be grateful for the last four years, for two championships, four finals appearances, so many wonderful moments, on and off the court, but of course this is a burn. Thanks for the memories LeBron, sincerely -- and everyone will spin this story as if it's the prodigal son returning, but it doesn't seem smart to go back to an owner who called you "cowardly" and "disloyal" while walking away from a dynasty and throwing Miami under the bus.
We've been nothing but welcoming and loyal and brave and proud, gladly carrying all the hate we received around the country when you chose Miami, and now it's natural to feel jilted. People think Miami is South Beach and all glitz and glamor but we're not. Miami Heat fans live in three counties and occupy cities like Allapattah, Liberty City, Pembroke Pines, not South Beach.
It appears, on the surface, this isn't about a man going home, it's more about an entourage getting what they want, to live in a city they basically own. This player and his entourage, all from Ohio, never quite felt royal enough in Pat Riley's kingdom, and now they want their power back. LeBron's legacy will likely be that he chased championships and basically used us here in Miami while throwing his homeboy DWade (who opted out of a maximum salary) and many others under the bus. This is not a conquering hero returning home. This is a conquering ego. But hey, it was fun while it lasted, ticket prices will go down, we can't win them all, and maybe, just maybe, the national media will stop referring to Miami as South Beach.
Follow J.J. Colagrande on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jjcolagrande

That's very well said, especially the first 2 paragraphs. Personally, I have a few problems with the last paragraph... but its not my place to question how Heat fans chose to react to it. I do think its all understandable.

 

[avalon2423]

I have 2 words to best sum up everything.

FUCK LEBRON

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I have 2 words to best sum up everything.

FUCK LEBRON

Yeah. We need to stop talking about him.

 

[Inquisitor95]

LeGone -- self-explanatory