24/7 LeBron

[Spin]

Great article:

eBron's big move? Been there

Scoop Jackson

ESPN.com

July 10, 2010

Now that it's all over, maybe we can return to some semblance of reality.

To help us get there, and before LeBron James becomes Public Enemy No. 2 in the next SportsNation poll -- which seems to be happening in the aftermath of "The Decision" -- let's clear up a few things. It should send us on our way back to our normal existence.

One: This has been done before in other sports. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Two: We've seen this happen before in the NBA. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Three: Michael Jordan might have done the exact same thing. (But we'll never know.)

When Alex Rodriguez was playing in Texas (or, for that matter, in Seattle), he was considered the best player in baseball. He was very much the LeBron James of his game. He had lived up to and surpassed expectations. Still, he eventually realized he couldn't do solo all the things he wanted to get done, so he went to a team that wasn't his. He went to a place where he wouldn't be "The Man," at least not at first. He "took his talents" to New York. He became a Yankee, on Derek Jeter's team.

So the question is this: What's the difference with LeBron? Where is the profound difference between what A-Rod did in 2004 and what LeBron did Thursday night?

Here's the answer: Other than LeBron's personal connection to the city he left, nothing.

Again, this has been done before.

In 1982, Moses Malone was considered by many to be the best player in basketball, certainly one of the best of his generation, and he was still in his prime. But just after he collected the second of his three MVP awards and only one year removed from playing in the NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets, he became a restricted free agent. With his team apparently regressing (the Rockets went from their Finals appearance in '81 to out in the first round the next season), Moses decided to leave Houston and go play for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that already had one of the other best players in the game and of his generation. A guy named Julius Erving.

See where this is going?

Dwyane Wade is Dr. J, LeBron is Moses and Chris Bosh is Andrew Toney in this analogy. The Sixers went on to win the chip the season Moses joined them, going down in history as one of the greatest teams of all time. And no one said anything about damage to Malone's legacy.

Again, we've seen this happen before.

Too many times since Thursday night, I've heard people express some form of the following sentiment about LeBron: Real ballers don't join the best; they try to beat the best. More than that, I've heard people (including on "SportsCenter") use MJ as an analogy, suggesting that LeBron just did what MJ would have never done: leave the Bulls back in the day to play for the Pistons because, at least before 1990, he couldn't beat Detroit. They're calling LeBron's decision a "punk" move.

That notion needs to be squashed right here. Fact is, Jordan never had the opportunity to test the free-agent market the way LeBron did. Jordan signed his rookie contract, then, three years into it, the Bulls put an eight-year, $25 million deal on the table that he signed and rode out until well after he'd been stacking rings on his fingers.

Bottom line: Jordan was never in the same position LeBron was. Never. And if MJ's long career in Chicago is going to be used to make a point about LeBron's decision to leave Cleveland, that not-so-little factor can't be ignored.

We'll never really know.

So before anybody else goes all Dan Gilbert on LeBron, take all that into consideration. And we can carry on with our lives.

Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.

[Zip_ME87]

You know what, I had class at the JAR this morning. After class I walked through the first floor to the front. Looked at the arena. That's where the REAL heroes play. Not the ones with multi-million dollar contracts. Not the ones who quit in the big games and everyone makes excuses for them.

I looked up and saw his banners hanging down for his skills camp. Thought about the Nike billboard in Cleveland. That's all he's about.

Maybe one day he'll grow up.

Amen Spin...that the real heroes play in the JAR (and elsewhere for The University of Akron Zips' teams). I've told the Athletics Dept. in the past that those LeBron James banners take away from the banners that rightfully hang there...the University of Akron Zips' players and coaches. GO ZIPS!

[GP1]

Great article:

eBron's big move? Been there

Scoop Jackson

ESPN.com

July 10, 2010

Now that it's all over, maybe we can return to some semblance of reality.

To help us get there, and before LeBron James becomes Public Enemy No. 2 in the next SportsNation poll -- which seems to be happening in the aftermath of "The Decision" -- let's clear up a few things. It should send us on our way back to our normal existence.

One: This has been done before in other sports. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Two: We've seen this happen before in the NBA. (And no one had a problem with it.)

Three: Michael Jordan might have done the exact same thing. (But we'll never know.)

When Alex Rodriguez was playing in Texas (or, for that matter, in Seattle), he was considered the best player in baseball. He was very much the LeBron James of his game. He had lived up to and surpassed expectations. Still, he eventually realized he couldn't do solo all the things he wanted to get done, so he went to a team that wasn't his. He went to a place where he wouldn't be "The Man," at least not at first. He "took his talents" to New York. He became a Yankee, on Derek Jeter's team.

So the question is this: What's the difference with LeBron? Where is the profound difference between what A-Rod did in 2004 and what LeBron did Thursday night?

Here's the answer: Other than LeBron's personal connection to the city he left, nothing.

Again, this has been done before.

In 1982, Moses Malone was considered by many to be the best player in basketball, certainly one of the best of his generation, and he was still in his prime. But just after he collected the second of his three MVP awards and only one year removed from playing in the NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets, he became a restricted free agent. With his team apparently regressing (the Rockets went from their Finals appearance in '81 to out in the first round the next season), Moses decided to leave Houston and go play for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that already had one of the other best players in the game and of his generation. A guy named Julius Erving.

See where this is going?

Dwyane Wade is Dr. J, LeBron is Moses and Chris Bosh is Andrew Toney in this analogy. The Sixers went on to win the chip the season Moses joined them, going down in history as one of the greatest teams of all time. And no one said anything about damage to Malone's legacy.

Again, we've seen this happen before.

Too many times since Thursday night, I've heard people express some form of the following sentiment about LeBron: Real ballers don't join the best; they try to beat the best. More than that, I've heard people (including on "SportsCenter") use MJ as an analogy, suggesting that LeBron just did what MJ would have never done: leave the Bulls back in the day to play for the Pistons because, at least before 1990, he couldn't beat Detroit. They're calling LeBron's decision a "punk" move.

That notion needs to be squashed right here. Fact is, Jordan never had the opportunity to test the free-agent market the way LeBron did. Jordan signed his rookie contract, then, three years into it, the Bulls put an eight-year, $25 million deal on the table that he signed and rode out until well after he'd been stacking rings on his fingers.

Bottom line: Jordan was never in the same position LeBron was. Never. And if MJ's long career in Chicago is going to be used to make a point about LeBron's decision to leave Cleveland, that not-so-little factor can't be ignored.

We'll never really know.

So before anybody else goes all Dan Gilbert on LeBron, take all that into consideration. And we can carry on with our lives.

Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.

I don't disagree with the article. I don't like the way he did it. LBJ is becoming an unlikeable guy....quickly. He needs to stay off camera for a while.

[Dave in Green]

This is definitely not going to stop being 24/7 for a long time. The investigation into how this all came about is just getting started. There could be a lot of coincidence or a lot of collusion. But the two stories below suggest there is at least circumstantial evidence to suggest a hint of collusion. This may just blow over, or it could get extraordinarily ugly:

Bleacher Report Story

Plain Dealer Story

[ZachTheZip]

This is definitely not going to stop being 24/7 for a long time. The investigation in to how this all came about is just getting started. There could be a lot of coincidence or a lot of collusion. But the two stories below suggest there is at least circumstantial evidence to suggest a hint of collusion. This may just blow over, or it could get extraordinarily ugly:

Bleacher Report Story

Plain Dealer Story

It just got ugly, because Jesse Jackson has stepped in to bash Dan Gilbert.

[tbozeglav]

This is definitely not going to stop being 24/7 for a long time. The investigation in to how this all came about is just getting started. There could be a lot of coincidence or a lot of collusion. But the two stories below suggest there is at least circumstantial evidence to suggest a hint of collusion. This may just blow over, or it could get extraordinarily ugly:

Bleacher Report Story

Plain Dealer Story

It just got ugly, because Jesse Jackson has stepped in to bash Dan Gilbert.

Im seriously WTFing right now...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5372266

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship -- between business partners -- and LeBron honored his contract."

[Dave in Green]

I suppose with all the hyperbole flying around, it would be too much to expect Jesse Jackson to stand quietly on the sidelines. Honestly, slavery is one of the sorriest chapters in American history, and the civil rights movement is one of America's shining moments. But to equate squabbling multi-millionaires with slaves and slave owners trivializes the brutal ugliness of slavery and the courage and righteousness of the civil rights movement in the same way that petty politicians trivialize the ghastly horror of Hitler and Nazi Germany by trying to label their opponents as Nazis.

We sports fans are all guilty of putting entirely too much power and money in the hands of already wealthy team owners and the ever wealthier prima donna athletes who could care less about the championship aspirations of the petty peasants who pay all the bills. We fans should be smart enough to take a cue from the elite sports royalty and only be in it for ourselves.

Do we sports fans even have a clue about what's best for us? Are there any rules or laws to prevent us from colluding?

[goodthts]

We sports fans are all guilty of putting entirely too much power and money in the hands of already wealthy team owners and the ever wealthier prima donna athletes who could care less about the championship aspirations of the petty peasants who pay all the bills.

+1

I just wanna root for the Zips, Cavs, Indians and Browns. Most of my time that means watching on tv b.c. I cannot afford a ticket.

[GP1]

But the two stories below suggest there is at least circumstantial evidence to suggest a hint of collusion. This may just blow over, or it could get extraordinarily ugly:

I don't know if there is collusion or not, but it will blow over. The NBA has invested too much into a WWE type marketing scheme to allow this "storyline" to fall. David Stern will make certain this goes nowhere. ESPN will be running "there is nothing there" stories until this blows over.

The NBA and ESPN are now one company just like TNT and the WWE are one.

[Dr Z]

Lebron is a genius (Chicago Sun-Times)

''For the first time in league history, players themselves, not an owner or general manager, put together a championship team.''

[Dave in Green]

Is anyone surprised that a retired player like Walker would support the players over the owners? Duh! And special acknowledgement to Walker for joining the hyperbole wars and trivializing the horrific concept of "lynching" by applying it to the battle of words between the basketball multimillionaires. What would these guys be saying if the owner was black and the player was white?

Here's my problem with what's going on. I love the concept of checks and balances in almost every aspect of life, from government to sports. No single group of people in any endeavor has all the right answers. If a single group gets total control of anything, they'll mess it up, because all people and all groups of people are imperfect. The only salvation is when the checks and balances of opposing powers keeps a single group from screwing things up in perpetuity.

I don't think that having the players pull all the strings is any better than allowing the owners total control. There are rules against the owners colluding to get an unfair advantage over the players. But what happens if the players take advantage of the system to gain unfair advantage over the owners? In either case, it's the fans who suffer the consequences.

We all know the basic rule from childhood sports that when you pick sides for a playground basketball game, you take turns choosing. If you let one side pick the first 5 players and the other side get the 5 leftovers, you end up with a non-competitive game. If you want good competition, you don't allow all the best players to end up on the same team.

Give NBA players complete freedom, and chances are it won't take long for many of the best players to find a way to get together on a super team in a glamorous warm weather location. It takes intelligent, well-enforced rules to prevent this from happening. Since people are good at eventually finding ways to take advantage of static rules, someone has to be smart enough to evolve the rules to stay ahead of all the multimillionaire smarties continuously looking for loopholes.

So, as a fan, I say to the NBA: You jokers better find a way to keep this from getting out of control. Because when the fans in places like Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis and all the other unglamorous cities see all the best players making private alliances to ditch their unglamorous teams and migrate to the glamour spots to play together, the fans are going to quit spending their money locally to support a losing cause.

If the NBA does not continue to modify the rules to ensure that they favor the fans -- all of the fans, not just those in the glamour locations -- over both the owners and the players, they are headed toward a serious problem of their own making.

[Dr Z]

So, as a fan, I say to the NBA: You jokers better find a way to keep this from getting out of control.

I'm rooting for the Heat to be the number one seed and never lose a playoff game, and win the championship with no team getting within single digits. That will diminish the accomplishment of an NBA championship and make Wade & Co. look silly. Then, I'll declare it out of control and chuckle a little. Go Heat!

PS Did anybody else notice Lebron can opt out of his contract after four years? Say whatever happens to LBJ and he's miserable in South Beach. Far fetched I know, but people sometimes leave a situation and don't realize how good they have it. With goofball Gilbert, there is now ZERO chance that LBJ would ever try to "come back and make it right." I realize there was only .05 percent chance of this happening, but now there is zero point zero chance.

[Zipmeister]

Thank goodness the Reverend Jackson has entered the fray. Now all the oppressed NEOhio sports fans are sure to receive justice.

[Dave in Green]

It's really interesting to read what one African-American sports writer has to say about the mountain of e-mails he's getting from African-American sports fans in reaction to Jesse Jackson playing the slavery card:

Fox Sports Link

[johnnyzip84]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

[Z.I.P.]

It's really interesting to read what one African-American sports writer has to say about the mountain of e-mails he's getting from African-American sports fans in reaction to Jesse Jackson playing the slavery card:

Fox Sports Link

Actually, it rings true -- to an extent.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blo...away-slave.html

[ZachTheZip]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

I can't wait for that disaster to take place; it should be quite interesting. I would lay low for a few years if I were him, and then quietly bring back that kind of stuff making a low-key appearance here and there before trying to re-build my image as a public philanthropist.

[zipdiehard]

I guess my question fits here...

What connection to UA does Dan Patrick have? Today they were jokingly discussing LeBron's house in Akron, when his sidekick made a comment about "your Zips" using it as a practice place or stadium.

[johnnyzip84]

I guess my question fits here...

What connection to UA does Dan Patrick have? Today they were jokingly discussing LeBron's house in Akron, when his sidekick made a comment about "your Zips" using it as a practice place or stadium.

From this link, Patrick is from Mason, Ohio and eventually graduated from Dayton (after a brief basketball career at EKU of the OVC interestingly enough). I'm guessing it's a simple case of mixing up Dayton and Akron.

Link

[Dave in Green]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

Good for LeBron. We can only hope that he continues to do good things for his hometown.

Going back to Jason Whitlock's Fox Sports column expressing distaste for Jackson's remarks, here's why I agree with Whitlock:

Slavery happened. Slavery was bad. Slavery is distant history.

Prejudice happened. Prejudice was bad. Prejudice still happens. Prejudice is still bad.

But if a white man treats a black man the same way he would treat a white man (or vice versa), it ain't prejudice, and it's not remotely connected with slavery.

The only way Jesse Jackson is right is if Dan Gilbert would have reacted any differently if LeBron were white. Given identical circumstances, I personally don't believe that Gilbert would have reacted any differently if the player was Larry Bird, and if Larry Bird had been born in Akron, and if Larry Bird had done exactly the same things that LeBron did.

That's just my personal opinion based on all the data I've seen. Different people with different perspectives will see it differently.

[tbozeglav]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

Good for LeBron. We can only hope that he continues to do good things for his hometown.

Going back to Jason Whitlock's Fox Sports column expressing distaste for Jackson's remarks, here's why I agree with Whitlock:

Slavery happened. Slavery was bad. Slavery is distant history.

Prejudice happened. Prejudice was bad. Prejudice still happens. Prejudice is still bad.

But if a white man treats a black man the same way he would treat a white man (or vice versa), it ain't prejudice, and it's not remotely connected with slavery.

The only way Jesse Jackson is right is if Dan Gilbert would have reacted any differently if LeBron were white. Given identical circumstances, I personally don't believe that Gilbert would have reacted any differently if the player was Larry Bird, and if Larry Bird had been born in Akron, and if Larry Bird had done exactly the same things that LeBron did.

That's just my personal opinion based on all the data I've seen. Different people with different perspectives will see it differently.

+1000

Jesse Jackson is not only trying to feed off of the LeBron frenzy to push his agenda, but is making himself look as much of an idiot as LeBron did during his special. He needs to just go away from the media; He rarely, if ever, makes things better anymore.

[Dave in Green]

Apparently it's all over but the crying. The almighty Stern has decided to forgo any investigation and has unconditionally decreed that no rules were broken.

Learn to live with it or find another pastime to send dollars to.

Stern Speaks

[Dave in Green]

There was a legal option for the Cavs, but it would have been futile.

Ken Berger CBS Sports Column

[Z.I.P.]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

Good for LeBron. We can only hope that he continues to do good things for his hometown.

Going back to Jason Whitlock's Fox Sports column expressing distaste for Jackson's remarks, here's why I agree with Whitlock:

Slavery happened. Slavery was bad. Slavery is distant history.

Prejudice happened. Prejudice was bad. Prejudice still happens. Prejudice is still bad.

But if a white man treats a black man the same way he would treat a white man (or vice versa), it ain't prejudice, and it's not remotely connected with slavery.

The only way Jesse Jackson is right is if Dan Gilbert would have reacted any differently if LeBron were white. Given identical circumstances, I personally don't believe that Gilbert would have reacted any differently if the player was Larry Bird, and if Larry Bird had been born in Akron, and if Larry Bird had done exactly the same things that LeBron did.

That's just my personal opinion based on all the data I've seen. Different people with different perspectives will see it differently.

I admit, it's difficult to use the term "slavery" in America without reference to race -- and yet harder for many to look beyond it when it comes from the mouth of a black civil rights activist, however, there is the use of "slavery" in sports solely referencing ownership of an athlete by a team owner. That sort of "slavery" supposedly was put to rest by Curt Flood 35 + years ago. However, it sure sounded like Dan Gilbert felt he somehow "owned" LeBron James, and should have been compensated for his "loss". Sorry, Dan. That's the way pro sports works. Maybe you should buy another franchise, like Tosu, if you want guys who can't be free agents.

[Dave in Green]

In the meantime, LeBron is apparently still planning to participate in the 5th annual Bike-A-Thon in Akron.

ESPN Link

Good for LeBron. We can only hope that he continues to do good things for his hometown.

Going back to Jason Whitlock's Fox Sports column expressing distaste for Jackson's remarks, here's why I agree with Whitlock:

Slavery happened. Slavery was bad. Slavery is distant history.

Prejudice happened. Prejudice was bad. Prejudice still happens. Prejudice is still bad.

But if a white man treats a black man the same way he would treat a white man (or vice versa), it ain't prejudice, and it's not remotely connected with slavery.

The only way Jesse Jackson is right is if Dan Gilbert would have reacted any differently if LeBron were white. Given identical circumstances, I personally don't believe that Gilbert would have reacted any differently if the player was Larry Bird, and if Larry Bird had been born in Akron, and if Larry Bird had done exactly the same things that LeBron did.

That's just my personal opinion based on all the data I've seen. Different people with different perspectives will see it differently.

I admit, it's difficult to use the term "slavery" in America without reference to race -- and yet harder for many to look beyond it when it comes from the mouth of a black civil rights activist, however, there is the use of "slavery" in sports solely referencing ownership of an athlete by a team owner. That sort of "slavery" supposedly was put to rest by Curt Flood 35 + years ago. However, it sure sounded like Dan Gilbert felt he somehow "owned" LeBron James, and should have been compensated for his "loss". Sorry, Dan. That's the way pro sports works. Maybe you should buy another franchise, like Tosu, if you want guys who can't be free agents.

Well, I said that different people with different perspectives will see it differently. It's really amazing, isn't it? None of us really knows Dan Gilbert, or what's in his heart. There's nothing in his words that inherently reference slavery or "ownership" of one individual over another. There's nothing in his words that weren't felt by many Cavs fans who know they don't "own" any player. Yet some of us see one thing and some of us see something entirely different. We tend to see things from our own perspective, and we're all different. We can't really know what intent is in another's heart, but we go ahead and interpret anyway. Gilbert has since issued a statement that he totally disagrees with Jesse Jackson's personal interpretation of his words. But that won't stop people from believing whatever they want to believe. You see the same thing every day in the real world, and on forums like ZN.O -- different people with different perspectives and totally different interpretations of the words and actions of others.