Portland Pride and the King
by clonigro on Jun 4, 2010 9:43 AM PDT
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PrintLebron James IS a circus. Los Angeles (clippers) is marching in the streets in hope of catching the attention of LBJ. The Mayor of New York City is trying to sway the King in their direction. The President of the United States is trying to convince LBJ that maybe, just maybe he would be a good fit in Chicago. There is to be a summit (really, a summit?) with other star free agents, not to discuss how they could raise money and help out with the oil spill, hunger, pollution, etc...but rather to plan where they all should be employed next season. Then LBJ goes on Larry King Live to talk about his potential un-commitment.
Not here though. Here in Portland we are discussing Oden's health, Pritchard's suspicious real estate timing, and even a post about a British player (Freeland) we know little about. This makes me proud. We are not jumping in to the Circue du Lebron. We are not marching in the streets begging him to come to Portland. We are not creating a bronze statue in the 'King's' likeness. Why? Because we do not grovel. If he wants to play in Portland, I am sure something could be worked out to make that happen. In the mean time, he is not a Portland Trailblazer and we are not going to waste our time. Our admiration for our team is unique...and it must be earned.
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Dave headlined a thread about LeBron
and what you would offer to get him here. That is certainly not making a song with the Mayor about LeBron, but it’s not like we are not discussing him on this blog at all. And you made a Fan Post solely on the topic of LeBron exclaiming how much you (and we) are ignoring LeBron.
LeBron, LeBron, LeBron
picture me rollin'
uhhh ...
don’t be ridiculous …
If we had cap space..and had pieces to trade that the common basketball lover could work out..then we would jump in the circus.
We Cannot ..aka do not have the ability… to acquire lebron.
Don’t turn this into smoething more than it is ..we just can’t..so we just don’t discuss it.
we’re still great fans. but don’t be ridiculous. of course we would grovel over lebron ..we DO grovel over lebron ..we just know we can’t get him ..so no point in talking about it.
Plus it's wicked obvious he'd never consider a podunk backwater like PDX.
Even if we had cap, we’d be no more likely to get him than OKC (who has plenty of capspace for the King).
by howlingfantods on Jun 4, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
And we're not Utah.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
Banning "chat speak" is like banning apostrophes. There would be no "you're" if some punk kid in the 1700s hadn't been a rebel.
by haildablazer on Jun 5, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
you don't speak for me
I’ve been a fan of the NBA for 25 years and have never been a “witness”. As far as I’m concerned, his ego is too big for me to respect him as a player and basketball will always be about the team and not the player.
"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
by koyote on Jun 4, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
seriously?
he’s the best player in the league, and might go down as the best ever. If you’re a true Blazer fan you want them to have success, and to do that you’d want the best players
I don’t believe for a second that you or anyone else wouldn’t “want” Lebron if we could get him – that’s just ridiculous…but people make that statement because they know it’s not going to happen
you can’t let you feeling about a player’s ego cloud your evaluation of him as a player
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions
I would rather Rudy
Even as badly as he is playing now, I would prefer him to James. Maybe I’m crazy, (and no doubt somebody will call me crazy), but he isn’t somebody that I can like as a person. I do want the team to have success, and maybe they would have more success with him, but I would rather have a perennial first-round exit team that I can support the players as people than a perennial WCF team that I can’t. If he were to go to Portland (which isn’t happening) I would still support the team, but I couldn’t root for him the same way that I do for the players currently on the roster.
I don’t think my feelings about his ego cloud my evaluation about him as a player at all. He is probably the best player in the league. That doesn’t mean I want him on the team.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
how can you say both
best player in the league – yet you don’t want him on your team? huh? what?
and a lot of that is perception – he’s widely considered a fantastic teammate – all the guys on his team love him
that’s what I mean – a lot of people take what they know about him from the media and such, and would make a statement like you did
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions
I thought I explained
As for why I don’t really want him on the team, do you remember the story that Ben told when they played in Portland? Maybe he is a good teammate to the people who are in his “circle”, but he was a jerk to those kids. That isn’t the kind of person I want on the Blazers. He may be the kind of player, but everything I’ve seen indicates that he isn’t the kind of person.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
so what - he helps his teams win games - that's what you want in a player
if you want a friend get a dog
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions
I have a dog
But I want a team that I can like as people, not just as players.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions
it's not like he's a criminal
you make it like he’s a bad guy! He never hurt anyone or got in trouble…
He’s cocky/borderline arrogant and likes attention…WHO CARES! H’es been the best player around since he was 13!!! Was on the cover of SI in high school labeled “The Chosen One”!!!!
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Borderline arrogant?
I would say it’s past borderline. And maybe most people don’t care, but I do. I know that puts me in the minority, but it’s a minority that I like being in.
I know he isn’t a criminal. There are a lot of people who aren’t criminals that I don’t like as people. Unless you think it’s criminal for somebody to not be one of my favorite people of all time? :-)
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions
not at all
but not being your favorite person – and being a great basketball player that can help your team win – are two different things that you have to keep distinct
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Perhaps for you that is acceptable.
For me and apparently “I can’t think of a good screen name” it isn’t acceptable.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
Why do I need to keep them distinct?
The way people act off the court affects the way I view them on the court. Is there anything wrong with that?
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions
nope
but does “how you VIEW” them affect the basketball side at all? Nope
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
How the public views the members of the team affects the bottom line of the franchise,
a lesson Paul Allen learned well earlier in this decade.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
i bet you anything winning effects it more
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, that worked out for the 'Sheed and company.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
It doesn't affect the play of the team
It may affect how much financial support will be going that way from my wallet.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
i think you'd be surprised
how many people are at games when we’re winning and going deep in the playoffs, regardless if they want to hang with the guys in the offseason
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
I already said I'm in the minority
If he comes here, it would no doubt financially benefit the franchise. I would like the team a little bit less.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
really?
you’d like a 1st exit more than a Championship with Lebron?
by In Walks Rudy on Jun 4, 2010 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
You are seriously contending
that the Blazers are destined to exit the playoffs in the first round next season if the team is healthy if we don’t have Lebron?
Are you even attempting to say that if the team had been healthy this season they wouldn’t have made it past the first round with Roy, Rudy without back troubles, Batum with no shoulder concerns and Greg Oden/Pryzbilla in the middle?
That’s just a little bit far-fetched.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
Nope i'm just wondering if its really true
that someone would like a team less just because Lebron is on it?
It just seems odd to me. I would much rather win with Lebron than lose with Roy.
by In Walks Rudy on Jun 4, 2010 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
It is true
As incredible as it seems. Character is something that is very important to me. I would rather win 50 games with Roy than 60 with Lebron.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
HAHA!
Far fetched – from the guy that called Lebron overrated and his playoff performance poor
good one!
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, probably
You can call me crazy now too. :-) However, I by no means consider a 1st round exit next year to be a foregone conclusion. Because I’m an eternal optimist, I think Oden is going to be healthy next year. I think Rudy is going to stay with the team and be the Rudy of last year. I think the team is going to click together next year, and become a fearsome monster, devouring all who stand in their path. And we will reach the WCF, and sweep the L*kers in four. And hopefully then we will destroy Lebron James in the finals, no matter which team he is with, and you will all gaze at me in awe for predicting so accurately the uselessness of Lebron James to this team. So it must be, because I said it.
And even somebody who isn’t quite so optimistic as I am would agree that the Blazers have a very good chance of making the WCF next year.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions
see! you secretly agree with us!
“And hopefully then we will destroy Lebron James in the finals, no matter which team he is with…”
Thats right, it doesn’t matter what team Lebron plays for, he’s so good he can bring them to the Finals… cept this year.. :)
by In Walks Rudy on Jun 4, 2010 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
I never said he couldn't
I think he can. Maybe not yet, but likely in the future. But since it sounds like he is trying to get on the same team with another “superstar”, they are very likely to reach the finals, assuming decent health for that team.
No secrets there.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
how do you feel about Bayless' name being tattoo'd on his back?
by In Walks Rudy on Jun 4, 2010 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions
This is a trick question...
But I’m going to answer it anyway. Bayless is cocky. I think he keeps it within reasonable limits. This story is an indication that while he may be cocky, he doesn’t expect the whole world to bow down and grovel in front of him. James may not either, but I do think there is a difference between having a family name tattooed on your back, and having “Chosen1”.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
well, Sports Illustrated called him that ON THE COVER when he was in HS
so it’s not like he made that up for himself
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
But he claimed it
SI didn’t tattoo that on his back, did they?
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
You've gotten to the core of why I don't like Lebron
The sporting media has declared this guy a messiah before he even stepped on the court and Lebron buys it. He’s good at putting a ball in a hole he’s not curing cancer. He seems to want to surround himself with yes men (even his coaches) when what he needs is someone who can get in his face from time to time. (Everyone needs that)
I know he gets a lot of assists but it’s all based on his one on one play. The Cavs seemed to be a pretty one dimensional team. Everything runs through Lebron. The NBA is moving away from that. Teams need to be multidimensional now. Lebron would have been more successful in the Jordan era when everything was one on one.
JRogero
:) no trick
I was being serious. And yes have your fam name and chosen 1 on your back is a pretty big difference as far as cockiness goes.
by In Walks Rudy on Jun 4, 2010 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
and the fact that you'd rather have Rudy than Lebron just says anything else I'd need to say
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Why don't you just call me crazy?
I know you’re thinking it. ;-)
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions
not crazy- but anyone that would take Rudy over Lebron in any capacity doesn't understand basketball
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions
My understanding of basketball is certainly far from perfect
But we seemed to do OK without Lebron James this year, even with Rudy playing badly much of the year.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions
you'r reasoning is perfect
we “did OK” with Rudy playing horrible, so we definitely wouldn’t want Lebron – amen brother
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I never said that "we" wouldn't want Lebron
Just that “I” wouldn’t. If I were the GM (which I’m not, thankfully), I would be seriously considering making calls about getting him to come. It may be that it would be best for the Blazers if they could get him to come here. That doesn’t mean I would like them any better if he did.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions
So, why don't you just insult the guy?
Oh, never mind.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
It wouldn't be an insult
I already said it might be true. In fact, it probably is.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions
To me, telling someone else they don't know what they are talking about falls under the ad hominem attack rule.
It isn’t acceptable.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
it's just friendly banter Seijeff
I think he and i both have a sense of humor when talking about this…as its all spitballing anyway
now you saying he’s overrated and crapped out in the Boston series and his MVP is an insult to the league – I probably should have focused my “attacks” on you a little more ;)
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I didn't say his MVP award was an insult to the league.
I said calling him the best player after his poor performance in the playoffs is insulting IMO. He won the MVP for his performance during the season, not during the playoffs.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
how did he perform badly in the playoffs?
he played GREAT – his team lost
He averaged 29ppg, 9.3 boards, 7.6 assists, 1.73 steals and 1.8 blocks in the playoffs this year
And they don’t have a “playoffs MVP” award – so it would be for the regular season :)
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
the 26.8 was in the BOSTON series - since that was what you were calling out
the 29 was for the entire playoffs, including the Chicago series
try to keep up
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah but he's not in the finals
and that awards is only for Finals performance, not the whole playoffs
I’m just wondering which awards you are wanting him to win
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Isn't that obvious? The one he's played himself out of contention for.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
once again...
when is this mythical time when Lebron “played so badly”
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions
He didn't play up to the expectations for him.
The entire national media talked about nothing else but his sub-par performances in that series because of his supposed elbow injury and you’re saying he played great?
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
stats don't lie
anything short of a title would have been considered a disappointment
and THATS how you know he is a great player
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't think so. As far as I am concerned, he had the necessary players around him.
If he was expected to be hoisting the trophy this year and anything less was a disappointment then what does it say about him when the team was built around him?
He doesn’t have what it takes at this point to get the ring.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
wow dude really
what does it say about him when the team was built around him
no other all-star on that team – built around him or not
He doesn’t have what it takes at this point to get the ring
Apparently the cities of Miami, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, and Cleveland at the least disagree with you
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Actually, I can't remember if he made the All Star team this year or not. He was last year though.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
didn't play for Cleveland until this year
so what does that matter?
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
It matters when you say he didn't have another all star.
You’re saying that Lebron didn’t have any great players around him. A certain hall of famer doesn’t count?
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
not when he's WAY past his prime
what he did 10 years ago doesn’t matter this season
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions
A veteran who's won rings and even up until this season was an All Star
is nothing to sneeze at. I assume the team thought Shaq was worth the money when they signed him, or perhaps he just hypnotized them all and forged the contract?
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
did he play well this year - or at an all-star level
no…so Lebron didn’t have all-star talent around him
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't mind it either
I practically asked you to call me crazy, but some people don’t seem to know how to kick a guy when he’s down. It’s not right…
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions
haha for sure
no it’s not a personal thing – we just have differing opinions so I’m trying to understand where you’re coming from, and maybe push my view a little :)
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I figured out your views a while ago
Kind of hard not to…
And I’ve learned to banter without taking things personally. I generally assume it isn’t meant seriously unless the writer makes it clear that he is deliberately being insulting. Then I usually just leave. It saves a lot of trouble.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions
his playing skills are not my beef
obviously, Lebron is an amazing player. it’s his attitude toward his team that I take exception to. I played with a guy like him in high school. All he wanted to do was get his numbers and start every game, winning the game was secondary. nobody on the team liked him and he ended up transferring to another school where he was benched most of the time.
if Lebron cared about his team he would not be parading himself around like a rock star and calling himself “the King”. he also would probably have a championship by now. I have a hard time rooting for guys who put themselves before the team. that’s why I still hate Rasheed to this day. sure, if he came here, i’d be excited but I’d still think
"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
Exactly. I couldn't care less about Lebron.
+1
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
yeah he's just the best player in the league - no big deal
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions
no I said it
i just laugh when I hear you say you “couldn’t care less about Lebron” when he’s the best player in the whole league, in a conversation about him potentially coming to the Blazers
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't care about Lebron because we don't need Lebron.
If we did need someone like Lebron, I’d hope we would sign Dwayne Wade instead.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
you always need the best players you can get
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
And we can't get him
So we don’t need him.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
those are not the same thing
I think every team in the league “needs” Lebron and would love to have him, even if they can’t get him
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions
I disagree.
What does Lebron bring to the team that we can’t get from the guys we have now collectively?
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
the whole best player in the league thing
is what he brings that we don’t have
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Nothing you say is going to convince me he's the best player in the league.
I think Roy is just as capable of having the desire it takes to get a team to the Finals and to win a Championship. I’m not willing to blow up the team and send half of it packing just for one guy.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
i never said to do that
we’re not talking about blowing up anything to get him
this whole thing started with you calling him overrated and a poor playoff performer this year
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Some people would debate that
But why do we need the best player in the league? And what is the point of arguing this anyway, since it isn’t going to happen?
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Just below I said he's over-rated.
I don’t think he’s the best player at all.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
Well.....
I posted a LBJ trade idea in the trade drawer a couple of days ago. Does it presuppose that Portland is on James’ short list of teams he’d be willing to join? Absolutely. But I also think it a reasonable offer that Cleveland would have to consider:
PORTLAND sends Brandon Roy + Joel Przybilla + Nic Batum + Jeff Pendergraph + either future draft pick or rights to one of the Europeans (Claver, Freeland, Koponen)
PORTLAND receives LeBron James + Anthony Parker
CLEVELAND does the opposite….
New starting lineup for the Blazers:
Oden, Aldridge, James, Fernandez, Miller
with a bench of
Camby, Cunningham, Webster, Parker, Bayless plus any players drafted this month.
According to my numbers, this works even with Joel’s trade kicker and Brandon’s BYC status.
It also cuts about $3 million off of the team salary figure, leaving room to resign Howard, Mills AND/OR sign another free agent, all this while staying below the tax threshold.
Likely to happen? Of couse not. But if the Blazers can somehow talk themselves into being on James’ short list, that might very well be the best offer that Cleveland gets for him.
The point of all this: the Blazers CAN put together a legitimate trade offer for James. Even so, it remains incredibly unlikely that they’ll end up with him on next year’s roster….
"It's Our Time":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99POVJfglY
quite the debbie downers
Of course I realize the hypocrisy, but you guys just proved my point. The more I hear about other cities being unreasonable in their adulation, the happier I am when someone attacks me by calling me ridiculous.
Reminds me of the old movie War Games
The goal of playing tic-tac-toe was to teach the WOPR computer the human concept of futility
this is what Blazer fans should learn re: LBJ (or Bosh, etc) choosing Portland as their next tour stop
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yeah when I saw the fanshot title
I immediately thought of the Lion mascot, even though I’ve never been to one of those games
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Do they even exist anymore?
Were they the ‘old’ timbers?
So man sports franchises have come and gone w/o a trace during my generation…
Portland Pride
Portland Power
Portland Fire
Portland Forest Dragons
Portland Lumberjax
Portland Rage
…..I’m sure I’m missing a few…a little help?
I went to a Portland Rain game at PGE, back in the '70s
USFL, IIRC
There was also the Portland Mavericks, a single A affiliate. I saw Jim Bouton pitch there after he wrote Ball Four. He and another pitcher came up with the idea for Big League Chew while sitting around in the bullpen, during that season
And of course there were the Buckaroos, ’way back in the day
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
i want him on the team
but i wont be mad if you doesnt come, cause he probably wont
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
draft Ekpe Udoh
I wouldn't want Lebron in a Portland uniform unless I disliked Portland.
Seriously, he is over-rated, he’s the self-proclaimed “King” when he hasn’t won anything even though Cleveland has put a pretty good team around him. He totally crapped out in the Boston series and calling him the best player in the league after that performance is insulting to the league IMO.
He’s good, but he’s got a lot to learn about being a teammate and getting the job done. Seems to me that all he cares about is attention, not whether or not he wins, because according to Lebron, he could be the scoring champion if he wanted to. I’m sure he tells himself that he could also have been the champion this year if he wanted to, but that would have interfered with his free-agency focus. So, I’m sure Lebron decided before the Boston series to be generous and let Kobe have one more turn.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
I'm off too now
I don’t have time to keep arguing with a brick wall. :-) So I will leave rip_city_swagger to his dreams of what Lebron James could do for Portland, while I enjoy the reality of a Lebron-free Portland. And long may it remain that way!
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 4, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions
a brick wall is exactly what I must feel like
when everything i say is based on fact and stats and hard evidence, and you don’t like Lebron because he’s not the type of “person” off the court that you like to have on your team (regardless of his abilities) – yeah it must be frustrating to try and argue that out
I never said Lebron is coming to Portland, that he’d be a great fit for us, or have had “Dreams of what Lebron could do for us”. The two arguments you guys gave for not wanting Lebron were "he’s not the type of person I like on my team,and “he’s overrated”, which are both ridiculous statements considering how good he is, how many more games we would win with him, and how much he would improve our title chances if he came here.
the tone of your statement here says it all, as both you and your Lebron-hating cohort Seijeff have gone from your original arguments to making it about me – now that you realize you have nothing to base them on
I hope you do
enjoy the reality of a Lebron-free Portland
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 4, 2010 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions
regard me for a second, please
rip_city_swagger, you have basically 1 argument, and it is roughly this:
LeBron is good because of these stats
Now, yes, his stats are factual. He did average 26+ points in the playoffs this year, x number of points this season, and x number of points over his career. But that does not mean your assertion is a “FACT”. What you are saying is an opinion with factual references. But using facts (or numbers) does not automatically mean you are spewing facts. I can give an assertion and support it with facts, and it doesn’t necessarily make my sentence a fact. Take this one:
LeBron is bad because of these stats
Yes, I give numbers/stats/facts or whatever, but that doesn’t mean I am right and you are wrong.
picture me rollin'
you should read the rest of the thread first
the reason I brought up Lebron’s stats is because another poster both called him “overrated” and claimed that his performance against Boston in the playoffs this year was “poor”
The reason I brought up the stats is because he did not have a “poor” series against Boston, he actually had a very good series, and his numbers in that series were very close to his regular season #’s – and those #s and his resulting PER position it as one of the best regular seasons ever….
I undertand what you’re saying, but the stats were only brought up to refute a specific argument made earlier, simply as a measuring stick
by rip_city_swagger on Jun 5, 2010 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
But that wasn't me
I wasn’t arguing about the stats. The stats you’re bringing up have no relation to my feeling that I’m talking to a brick wall.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 5, 2010 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions
This is a case where stats don't tell the whole story.
The thing jumped out at me in that Boston / Cleveland series was Lebron’s body language in the final 2 games of that series. He didn’t seem all that concerned with his careless turnovers, lackadaisical defense, or the fact that he was settling for jump shots. His response after the game he missed 11 of 14 shots was basically I’ve had 3 bad games in my career so get of my back. It was as if he was already dreaming about the FA circus that would make him the center of attention.
I really dislike Kobe but you would never see lack of intensity from him and that’s why he’s better than Lebron. Lebron’s a better athlete but Kobe is a better competitor. (Yuck, I just sort of praised Kobe. I think I’m going to barf)
JRogero
That's not why
I’ve been repeating myself over and over in this thread, because it doesn’t feel like what I say is registering with you. That’s the only thing that’s frustrating.
I’m not arguing against his stats. How many times have I said that he is probably the best player in the league today? But there is enough “hard evidence” towards his character not being the kind of person I can support that I don’t want him on the team.
both ridiculous statements
Well, you didn’t quite call me crazy, but we’re getting warm. :-) You might be right, but I don’t think so.
What do you see as the tone of my statement? I was joking, which is why I put in a smiley face. I don’t hate Lebron, and I certainly wasn’t trying to make anything about you.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 5, 2010 12:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Don't waste your time
Save the hate for the L*kers. It’s a much better use for it.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Jun 5, 2010 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Perhaps
I was wrong…It seems there are many people here in Portland that would run naked, in worship of Lebron, to get him here. He is a fabulous player and I would welcome him, but…he is JUST an athlete.
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