[Harpospoke]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Hes been dealing with the media for 20 years. You really think hes the worst and everything he says is arrogant? I mean maybe someone who irrationally hates him could spin that but for like 95% he's pretty solid and conscious with his words and knows how to deal with media and treats them well. He doesnt do the Popovich shit thats gotten so old but he gets away with it. Also, he's not a walmart greeter, he doesnt have to smile every interview for people to think hes a nice guy.

Not "everything he says". But I'm pretty sure in every interview he gives, he'll say something that can sound arrogant. Even his post game interview after the win against the Warriors in 2016 contained the "I gave everything I had" line. I mean...we knew that.

As I said, this all could be a reaction to him being the most criticized athlete in history.

Originally Posted by Underdog

@NateDuncanNBA: Who is the best player LeBron has defeated in the Eastern Conference playoffs?

Whoa! They have a 1 on 1 playoff now? What network carries that one? I would love to see Lebron play 1 on 1 against other players!

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Did OKC have cap room in the summer of 2010? That was a long time ago, but I don't remember ever hearing that they were players in that monster free agency class. I don't believe they were ever in the running for Lebron, nor was that ever a realistic option for him. I don't remember what their cap situation was in 2014 either, but I don't think OKC was in the market for a big name free agent, let alone the biggest name of all.

That's not a problem if Lebron wanted the "easy path". He could just sign for the league minimum. Every team in the league would take that meeting with Lebron. All he had to do was call them.

As far as the Mavs go, I've had this argument before- I'm sorry but playing with Wade and Bosh was always far, far more attractive prospect than playing with a 33 year old Dirk- whom incidentally was surrounded by the oldest supporting cast in the league. There's a reason the Mavs never attracted any marquee free agents, either before or after winning the championship. We Mavs fans hate to admit it, but playing with Dirk was never as attractive a prospect as we liked to think it was. The Mavs were NEVER in the running to get Lebron (or any other superstar free agent for that matter.)

Something is going on with the Mavs and it's not "Dirk was old". As you pointed out, that FA problem was going on a long time before Dirk got old.

My theory is that it's racial. The Mavs are perceived (I'll stress that word please) as a "white man's team" going all the way back to the 80s with Don Carter and his cowboy hat (it was even on the logo), the team's obvious desire to copy the Celtics (green unis....drafting every white player they could). And if you ever watch those documentaries about Magic and Bird and Celtics/Lakers, you'll see that black players and fans hated the Celtics for that reason back in the 80s. So that was a real thing.

Since then, the Mavs have added to the perception with Dirk and Nash being so prominent. Brad Davis number retired. And they threw all that money at Chandler Parsons...a white player of course. ....And then immediately started talking about him being a "mini GM" and hinting that he was destined for the front office.

I get that most of this is just coincidence and happenstance, but that perception is certainly real. Almost none of my black friends root for the Mavs. It's just like black basketball fans in Boston in the 80s.

Now add in the perception (again stressing that word) that Dallas is a "conservative city". That translates to "racist city" in the minds of some. It's complete horse crap, but that is the perception.

If I remember correctly, NONE of the pre-established playoff contenders were ever really in the market for Lebron or any of the big-name free agents of that year- except maybe Chicago. The only teams I remember hearing as realistic possibilities for Lebron that year were Miami, New York, Chicago and of course Cleveland. Nobody else had cap room. Hence why that summer (easily the most hyped up in modern history) ended up being something of a bust, with Miami's superteam being the only real story, and most of the other big names stayed where they were- the one exception being New York, who got Amare Stoudemire as a consolation prize after failing to woo Lebron.

Again, if you want the "easy path"...you call them up and take a small contract to make it work. It's not hard to figure out at all. Every team would welcome Lebron with open arms.

I wouldn't say "easy" path, but I do think Cleveland was by far and away the best path to another title for him. I'm sure he did feel some sense of loyalty and the "coming home" narrative certainly was a feel-good story, but I also don't think there were any other better basketball options in 2014. In Cleveland he was coming to play with an emerging superstar in Kyrie Irving (who was only 22 years old at the time) along with Kevin Love whom the world still had only seen in Minnesota- and man, it is really easy to forget just how ridiculous Loves numbers were in Minnesota. He's only a fraction of the player with Cavs that he was with the Wolves. Lebron teaming up with a Kyrie and Minnesota-Love was seen by many people as not only the formation of a new superteam, but one way younger his Miami superteam. I don't remember any other pre-established contender being a more realistic possibility.

That's still putting together a new team with no idea if it will work (and we now know Love was overrated and Kyrie has injury issues and delusions of grandeur).....for an organization that he actually knew was terrible at putting together good teams. That wasn't even guesswork. Lebron already knew from experience how bad the Cavs are at running a team.

It was one of the worst places he could have gone if he was looking for an "easy path". Since he got there, that team has consistently been one of the worst teams in the league any time Lebron took a seat on the bench.

Originally Posted by mac222b

Paul George? Best two-way guy. But yeah, no all-time greats.

I think its also important to remember: He did defeat some all-time greats in the Finals. But his margin for victory has been razor thin with a lot of luck thrown in.

OKC had all-time great cupcake Durant, young Westbrook and Harden who essentially soiled himself for the duration of the series. They were about to lose to SA before the bounce to Bosh and Ray Allen dagger. And against GSW they were down 3-1 and had the Draymond nutpunch and subsequent suspension and an obviously hobbled Steph who couldnt even blow by Kevin Love. So Lebron in the Finals has vanquished a green all-time great in Durant, an old and not near his prime Duncan and injured Steph. Three all time greats he's beaten, all with caveats.

He baited Draymond into the punch and then made a big show and whined endlessly after the game. And the NBA wanted the series to continue (echoes of 2006). A tainted (no pun intended!) win.

Also, lets not forget the inevitable revelations that Lebron and Wade were taking every manner of performance enhancing substances, many of which we haven't even heard of yet.

I laugh every time the announcers gush and marvel at his strength, speed, durability. "Its almost like its superhuman!" It is. The best superhuman powers money can buy.

Boy that's a lot of negative spin! Is that you, Skip Bayless?

The first problem of course is the idea that Lebron was ever playing against anyone 1 on 1. We are talking about a team sport. "Names" don't win anything (OKC just found that out).

Every team that wins a title has things go their way. You think the 90s Bulls would have won 6 rings in the 80s with the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, and Pistons in their primes? How about the Lakers losing to the Pistons when Magic and Scott got hurt? How about the Lakers losing to the Bulls when Worthy and Scott got hurt? I guess it's ok that Magic was out of his prime when it's MJ, right? And how about the Pistons fading when the Bulls finally beat them?

Anyone ever notice how many times the Warriors played teams with key injuries in the playoffs? The Cavs lost Kyrie and Love in 2015 and still took them to 6 games....does Lebron get credit for that? Kinda sounds like the Cavs would have won that series if those two guys were playing. (or maybe not...Love doesn't play well in the Finals usually)

You can make that case for every team that wins a ring. Things have to fall your way.