Jesse Jackson's thoughts on LeBron/Gilbert

[xX-TSK-Xx]

Wow. This guy never ceases to amaze me with some of the stuff he says. Really Jackson? Does every goddamn thing have to be about race.

Jackson rips Gilbert's LeBron comments

Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Jesse Jackson criticized Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert on Sunday, saying Gilbert sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave" and that the owner's comments after the free-agent forward decided to join the Miami Heat put the player in danger.

Shortly after James announced his decision last week, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland's fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title before James wins one. He called James' decision "cowardly" and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during a handful of Cavaliers playoff games.

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert told the AP in a phone interview late Thursday night. "People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Jackson said Gilbert's comments were "mean, arrogant and presumptuous."

"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."

Messages were left Sunday night seeking comment from Gilbert, the Cavaliers and James.

Jackson also called Gilbert's comments an attack on all NBA players and said the owner should face a "challenge" from the league and the players' association.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank declined comment.



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

[zulater]

Gilbert's comments were without doubt stupid, but they didn't come off as racist to me.

[Chidi29]

Glad no one has overreacted to the LeBron saga...

[venom]

Jesse Jackson thinks everything comes out in a racist way . He should look in a mirror .

[silver & black]

Thank God for Jesse Jackson. What would we do without him? :rolleyes2:

[Wallace108]

To me, Gilbert sounded more like a guy whose girlfriend just left him for someone else. But the slave master reference? Please!!
And yeah, LeBron honored his contract ... but he certainly didn't honor the team or the fans by the way he left. Could this have something to do with Gilbert's anger? I think so, Jesse.

[Killer]

poor poor Lebron chose to leave his 35,000 sq ft tar shack in Akron.

It's OK - he'll find him a new one in Miami - it'll keep the rain out

[vasteeler]

jackson and sharpton

[cakmakli]

Wow, and I thought it was bad when Hossa left.

[BigNastyDefense]

I am a Cavs fan. I agree with everything Dan Gilbert said in his letter. He was enabled by everyone. The ownership, the fans, the media. It was all ignored because we were blinded by his immense talent.

But nothing said by Gilbert was racist. It was nothing like an owner-slave relationship. LeBron was payed a lot of money and was consulted on every personnel decision the Cavs did under Gilbert.

Dan Gilbert deserved a personal phone call from LeBron James telling him that he was leaving Cleveland. Gilbert did everything he could to surround LBJ with the talent to win it all. Gilbert spent a lot of money that he didn't have too. The other teams in the running didn't deserve a phone call, but the Cavaliers did. LeBron James embarrassed the Cavs, Cleveland and Akron, and himself. If this was his plan the entire team, and I think it was, it would have been better if he just said at the onset of free agency that he intended to join Wade in Miami.

Now it looks like this has been in the works for months, if not years. But somehow this isn't collusion?

One thing is for sure, James' #23 will never hang from the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.

[tony hipchest]

i dont think anything gilbert said was racist and his actions are about 1 step below the slave owner who lost his most beloved servant. more like a jilted lover who was spurned in a nasty custody battle.

maybe he feels like tiger woods who is seeing over half a billion walk out the door. or perhaps he feels like elin.

with that being said, i do think gilbert deserved to be called just about anything under the sun after his childish tantrum and unprofessional behavior. even tiger kept his cool and didnt release a statement calling his wife a prima donna, do-nothing, lousy lay.

everybody who watched the playoffs knows lebron quit. it wasnt the owners place to point out the obvious. on the other hand it may have been much more obvious to lebron that he didnt stand a shot in hell to ever win with the cavs. he was reserved and didnt bash the team.

unfortunately it wasnt realistic for lebron to contact his owner before his date with america (how ryan secrest wasnt contracted to host the event is beyond me). had lebron announced his intentions, his thursday night, primetime, money grab would have been spoiled. gilbert woulda spilled the beans and pulled the rug from under him. hell, he woulda probably called his own 1 hour special to steal lebrons thunder.

dont think he would do something so immature and petty? just read the letter.

the player thinks he's bigger than the game, the owner is obviously way smaller, and the demise of the fans caught in the middle goes down as legendary lore along with all the other kicks in the nuts being a sportsfan in that region has delivered them.



foir such an ugly divorce, the dispicability sure seams like a match made in heaven.

[oneforthetoe]

I am a Cavs fan. I agree with everything Dan Gilbert said in his letter. He was enabled by everyone. The ownership, the fans, the media. It was all ignored because we were blinded by his immense talent.

But nothing said by Gilbert was racist. It was nothing like an owner-slave relationship. LeBron was payed a lot of money and was consulted on every personnel decision the Cavs did under Gilbert.

Dan Gilbert deserved a personal phone call from LeBron James telling him that he was leaving Cleveland. Gilbert did everything he could to surround LBJ with the talent to win it all. Gilbert spent a lot of money that he didn't have too. The other teams in the running didn't deserve a phone call, but the Cavaliers did. LeBron James embarrassed the Cavs, Cleveland and Akron, and himself. If this was his plan the entire team, and I think it was, it would have been better if he just said at the onset of free agency that he intended to join Wade in Miami.

Now it looks like this has been in the works for months, if not years. But somehow this isn't collusion?

One thing is for sure, James' #23 will never hang from the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.

Well, Jackson is a racist idiot, but that was extremely unprofessional of Gilbert. Owners should be above comments like that. And yes Lebron could have called him, but really ... do owners usually give players the heads up that they will be traded or cut? Hardly. And surrounded him with talent? Come on, not even close to how the respective teams of Jordon, Bird, Magic, Bryant and others surrounded their superstars with talent. Last years Shaq is a fat facsimile of years gone bye.

[tony hipchest]

league just fined him 100K for his meltdown and diatribe (as per ESPN).

[Shea]

"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."

Such a ridiculous statement that I don't know whether to be pissed by it or feel sadness. So far both emotions are battling each other.

Yes, Gilbert was wrong, but he was high on emotion so I can forgive that. But Jackson ... no, he makes me sick.

I bet MLK would be rolling over in his grave if he was privy to this bullshit.



Early morning, April 4

A shot rings out in the Memphis sky

Free at last, they took your life

They could not take your pride ...

This is what I hear when crap like this comes up.

Fuck Jesse Jackson.

[tony hipchest]

am i missing something here, or did jesse jackson miss the part where the slavemaster signed the slave to a new deal and trade him away for more future slaves?

Cavs get future picks for LeBron



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...cavalierstrade

CLEVELAND (AP)—The Cavaliers made sure they got something back for LeBron James(notes).
After losing the superstar to Miami, the Cavs worked out a deal with the Heat, acquiring two future first-round draft picks and two second-round picks.

Cleveland gets two first rounders starting in 2013 and continuing through 2017, and the Heat’s 2012 second-round pick from New Orleans and a future second-round pick Miami acquired from Oklahoma City.
The Cavs also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Heat in 2012. Cleveland also picked up a trade exception that could be worth up to $16 million.
“This deal provides us with multiple key assets and additional flexibility as we move forward for both the short term and beyond,” Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said in a release.
It didn’t appear the Cavs would do a deal with Miami involving James, especially after Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert lambasted the MVP in the hours after he announced he was leaving.

[vasteeler]

wow.....i never knew slaves made that much money

[SteelCityMan786]

Both Gilbert and Jackson can shut up for all I care. Both of those guys are stating their opinions on this situation like they're full of hot air.

[Shea]

league just fined him 100K for his meltdown and diatribe (as per ESPN).

Kinda strange that he fined Gilbert, yet he himself is now publicly criticizing the way LeBron went about announcing his decision.