LeBron James to the Lakers 4 Years/$154M

[champ11]

58 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Once again, you are talking about something totally different. You are describing the type of team he beat and how he did it. THAT will always be his biggest moment in his career. But doesn't mean winning in Cleveland counts more than winning in Miami. So if he swept a team like the Rockets in the finals instead of beating that Warriors team, it would still count for more? And it's not like he went to a super team in Miami to winning with a bunch of bums in Cleveland. Dude created another super team with Kyrie and Love. The pieces didn't mesh as well but lets not use revisionist history here. 

Durant's legacy will be hurt so much that he will crack damn near everyone's top 10-15 list something that may not have happened if he stayed in OKC. Winning zero or one ring in OKC will ultimately will be better than winning three or four rings in GS while being the finals MVP three or four times as well? Nope. I mean after every finals you now have people anointing him as the best in the world for out playing or playing even with LeBron. Trust me, it is ALWAYS better to win no matter how than doing it the honorable way and losing. 

If LeBron stayed in Cleveland his entire career and ended up with one ring, he would never be in the MJ discussion despite his gaudy stats. He's in that discussion because of his gaudy stats and the two rings he won in MIami. 

I'm just looking at how I think the narratives around those players and titles are going to go. I agree that the amount of rings is paramount in discussing their place among the greats, but I don't think the narratives we are seeing right now are going to go away. I agree that KD getting the rings is better than not getting them. But the "he joined a 73 win team...." thing won't go away....IMO. We're not totally on different pages, I just think it's silly to say the number of rings is the only thing that matters. Context of course matters.

And I'd actually argue that a shockingly few amount of people have argued that KD is better than Bron now, even though I would have expected that under normal circumstances. LeBron was the unquestioned best player in the league again this year after KD outplayed him in the finals last year. That's the KD jumping to the 73 win team effect. 

[champ11]

24 minutes ago, l3lind golfer said:

end of discussion.

you crushed it dude i wouldn't even add anything else to the discussion, good call. 

[J-ALL-DAY]

3 minutes ago, champ11 said:

I'm just looking at how I think the narratives around those players and titles are going to go. I agree that the amount of rings is paramount in discussing their place among the greats, but I don't think the narratives we are seeing right now are going to go away. I agree that KD getting the rings is better than not getting them. But the "he joined a 73 win team...." thing won't go away....IMO. We're not totally on different pages, I just think it's silly to say the number of rings is the only thing that matters. Context of course matters.

And I'd actually argue that a shockingly few amount of people have argued that KD is better than Bron now, even though I would have expected that under normal circumstances. LeBron was the unquestioned best player in the league again this year after KD outplayed him in the finals last year. That's the KD jumping to the 73 win team effect. 

But I never said the rings are the only thing that matters. I've been consistent with that. Just don't agree how LeBron's legacy took a hit in Miami or the two rings he won there don't count as much as the one he won in Cleveland. Sorry but they do. 

Less people have said KD is better than LeBron this year due to the type of postseason LeBron had. It was an all timer, but last year you had more folks saying KD is better than LeBron and it is highly unlikely they would have been said if he stayed in OKC. 

And we can't act like LeBron came back to Cleveland and tried to win with a garbage team. No, he saw a budding star in Irving and had the Cavs trade for at that time a top 10-15 player in Love. But because he was going back home he didn't get nearly as much heat as he did when he meant to Miami (no pun intended). Granted, Wade at that point was better than Irving, but the point still stands. Btw, nothing wrong with trying to make a squad like that, but just need to stop with all these myths. Trust me, his full intention was for the Cavs to be a super team similar to the one he had in Miami. 

[MookieMonstah]

1 hour ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Bron tripping, Houston is nice. Loved it when I went there a few years back. 

Easily the lamest big Texas city though. Dallas and San Antonio are way better.

[J-ALL-DAY]

1 minute ago, MookieMonster said:

Easily the lamest big Texas city though. Dallas and San Antonio are way better.

Haven't been to SA, but been to Dallas and it's nice too. What's so good about SA though? 

[MookieMonstah]

1 minute ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Haven't been to SA, but been to Dallas and it's nice too. What's so good about SA though? 

San Antonio is awesome. The river walk is beautiful. Lot of great culture/food. Its a nice city as well.

I hated Houston. Boring af.

[11sanchez11]

45 minutes ago, l3lind golfer said:

okay i need to drop some knowledge.

1.  lebron won't be negatively judged by his miami superteam, but durant will be?  Boy if you don't....  so many things here.  first, LeBron had his signature biggest meltdown ever on said superteam.  secondly, leBron is and will always be the guy who people consider the 'starter' of these superteams.  third, leBron is considered the best player since jordan so he's judged different than Durant.

also

2.  If you actually watch basketball, you can tell the Warriors needed Kevin durant.  people so hung up on the 73 wins.... SO WHAT THEY DIDN'T WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!! they lost to the cavs who brought the same team back.  without Durant how do we know the warriors win the title last year?  Maybe the Cavs with irving win their second straight ring.  also, if You watched the Houston series this year... they win that without Durant?  child Please.  Durant was needed for them to win these two straight championships, it's obvious.  

3.  LeBron lost in the finals TWICE with the superteam heat.  TWICE.  got blown off the floor in a finals record margin by the Spurs and then the biggest meltdown in the history of human history against the mavs.  durant has won 2 straight rings with the Warriors.  

end of discussion.

1. I don't think it will be negative as far as how people view him as a player (KD that is). More that he is a pansy, which he has demonstrated many times he is.

2. Yeah, and they also won a title before he came. And were the best team in the NBA before he came. The Heat and Wade hadn't won a playoff series in 5 years. And Bosh never won a playoff series before joining the Heat. A little different than a team that already won a title and would've again if not for Draymond being suspended. 

3. And that's why people reflect back on the Heat thing in a better perspective now. Because it wasn't noncompetitive and predetermined like people feel like it is now.   

[J-ALL-DAY]

The last point is something I have said for a while. Because the Heat weren't as dominant as originally expected, it kind of helped LeBron. If they would have won the first year with LeBron playing like ish in the finals, that would have been a bad look. 

Warriors so far haven't shown too much vulnerability which rubs people the wrong. But if they lose next season and come back the following season to win, it could change the narrative a bit. 

[Raves]

1 hour ago, MookieMonster said:

San Antonio is awesome. The river walk is beautiful. Lot of great culture/food. Its a nice city as well.

I hated Houston. Boring af.

San Antonio is amazing.  I was there for 3 years when I was stationed at Sam Houston.  It's a big cith that doesnt feel huge while also having a ton of things to do.  They really do deserve a football team though, just great fans.  Got to see the last Saints game there and the fans were great and part of what got me rooting for the Saints when i finally started watching the NFL more.

[Raves]

1 hour ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

The last point is something I have said for a while. Because the Heat weren't as dominant as originally expected, it kind of helped LeBron. If they would have won the first year with LeBron playing like ish in the finals, that would have been a bad look. 

Warriors so far haven't shown too much vulnerability which rubs people the wrong. But if they lose next season and come back the following season to win, it could change the narrative a bit. 

This i agree with.  Like even with the Patriots being dominant its not a foregone conclusion that they will win the AFC/Super Bowl and there are plenty of instances where they were taken down.

[Kip Smithers]

1 hour ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

The last point is something I have said for a while. Because the Heat weren't as dominant as originally expected, it kind of helped LeBron. If they would have won the first year with LeBron playing like ish in the finals, that would have been a bad look. 

Warriors so far haven't shown too much vulnerability which rubs people the wrong. But if they lose next season and come back the following season to win, it could change the narrative a bit. 

The first part is so spot on and it’s why people perceive KD and LeBron moves completely different when they did pretty much the same thing. LeBron losing that first year definitely helped him. Had they beaten Dallas as they should have, we’d be criticising him especially given how reportedly when the Heat were up 2-1 on Dallas Bron wrote a list down of all the people he was gonna say “I told you so” to when they looked to be on their way to winning.

[YoungJefe]

4 hours ago, l3lind golfer said:

bros lebron going to the Lakers symbolizes that he no longer cares about winning and He is content with continuing to lose.  Come off the Bench of Draymond green and get carried to rings by durant.

They have the most flexibility to build the team that LeBron wants and needs to challenge Golden State. They can sign him and PG and then use some of their young assets Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, etc. to trade for another piece. 

[Pastor Dillon]

6 hours ago, CWood21 said:

Did LeBron's legacy not take a hit for teaming up in Miami?  LeBron will be more known for bringing a championship to Cleveland than any of his championships with Miami.

It’s easier to form a super team the 2nd time you try. Maybe 3rd time will be a charm 

[J-ALL-DAY]

57 minutes ago, Kip Smithers said:

The first part is so spot on and it’s why people perceive KD and LeBron moves completely different when they did pretty much the same thing. LeBron losing that first year definitely helped him. Had they beaten Dallas as they should have, we’d be criticising him especially given how reportedly when the Heat were up 2-1 on Dallas Bron wrote a list down of all the people he was gonna say “I told you so” to when they looked to be on their way to winning.

Well, it's not the moves were similar because they weren't. Whatever way you slice it, Durant did what LeBron did times 10. However, I hate this revisionist history crap. When LeBron formed the big 3 in Miami, it wasn't done to make it fair for the rest of the league. LeBron thought the machine the Warriors have become is exactly what the Heat would turn into, hence the not five, not six, not seven line. 

So yeah, we basically reward those that end up disappointing lol.

[Pastor Dillon]

Ive said it before and i will again, I would much much much rather the rockets get Paul George than Lebron James. I am cool with neither though, we have a solid team that can hang with the warriors. Id like to flip Anderson for someone who would fit better on the team. There are bad contracts out there that we could swap with and make us deeper for a warriors playoff series.