What a punk. "My team lost, so I'm splitting."
ESPN is having multiple orgasms over this.
Biggest diva in sports today. And it's not even close.
I think Houston is going to pay him and Melo 2 billion dollars to go there
I don't blame him. First off, opting out isn't necessarily leaving. It just means he's exorcising all of his options. And why shouldn't he if Wade insists on collecting his full contract amount? Wade is washed up, and James knows he can't win if Wade's play continues to deteriorate while commanding so much cap space.
So this could be a leverage move on his part to get Wade to take a team friendly contract like Tim Duncan in San Antonio. Or maybe he wants to go elsewhere, and of so, he's honored his contract, and has this right, so more power to him I say.
LeBron will be ultimately be judged by the number of rings he earns, not by what jersey he wore while earning them.
Plus if he goes back to Cleveland how can anyone complain?
"A man's got to know his limitations."
In all honesty she might be the one driving it. She's an Akron girl and seemingly proud of it.
The only thing that might stop Lebron going back is the idiot owner of the Cavs Dan Gilbert who tried to torch every bridge back to town when LeBron made his last "decision."
"A man's got to know his limitations."
Leaving Miami would make him a traitor, not a trader. America is getting dumber by the season.
All Defense!
In other news Tim Duncan is going to be staying on another year with the Spurs!!!
I find it hard to imagine that, with all the other crap LeBron has going on financially, he would want to leave Florida with its 0% income tax. He's estimated to be making $72 million per year in salary plus endorsements, and I don't think that's even counting any investments like his share of Beats, whatever real estate he owns ... I'm sure he at least has a stake in a few restaurants, nightclubs, record labels, whatever.
Say he went to L.A. - then he'd be paying 13% in California state income tax, not just on his salary but probably everything else ... Even if he got a max contract, that would be about a $4 million raise over his previous deal, but he would now be paying an extra $10 or $12 million in taxes, so he'd be LOSING a crapload of money. Same thing with New York, Chicago, or most other "destination" franchises. Pretty much the only places he could go without that being a problem are Orlando, Memphis, Dallas/Houston/San Antonio, or Seattle. (whoops, scratch that last one, LOL! )
Anyway ... makes you think this is probably just a ploy to renegotiate, or maybe all three of them do it and not all of them are back.
Or hell, maybe he surprises everybody and goes to Sacramento. Betcha didn't see that coming!
See you Space Cowboy ...
As Zulater stated this doesn't mean that he's leaving Miami, it simply opens up all his options. The media is whipping this whole thing into a frenzy and of course Lebron brought this all on by the way he left Leaveland. I don't think he is leaving but what the heck do I know.
I don't watch basketball but just curious where Lebron ranks among the greatest basketball players ever?
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
He's not even in the top 10, IMO.
Jordan, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Russell, Robertson, Chamberlain, Erving, O'Neal, and Bryant (even though I can't stand him). Jordan would be #1, and the rest you could pretty much order in any fashion, IMO. Considering how easily he seems to fold when the chips are down, James wouldn't have won shit in the '80s if he would have had to go up against Kareem and Magic, Bird and Erving and he definitely wouldn't have won anything in the '90s if he had to go up against Jordan.
So Kobe Bryant is better than Lebron James
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
http://www.landofbasketball.com/play...ael_jordan.htm
Jordan still ahead in stats....I didn't realize Lebron's been in the league for 11 years. Time flies.
Watching both, LeBron is physically stronger...Jordan never got credit for being a great defensive player...he was always known for offense.
Jordan: 6-0 in NBA Finals. LeBron: 2-3 in NBA Finals. Bird: 3-2 in NBA Finals. Kobe: 5-2 in NBA Finals. Magic: 5-3 in NBA Finals
The fact that James made a point of not only showboating in front of MJ but staring him down while he did it shows who's still the best and that even James knows it. And as far as off the court demeanor is concerned, one would be hard pressed to find a bigger prick than MJ, so I'm not saying this out of some personal affinity for Jordan, because frankly, I don't have one. MJ's HoF induction speech pretty much killed what little respect I still had for him as a person at that point.
And the only reason MJ didn't go 8-0 in NBA Finals is because of MJ. But I'm sure Hakeem and Clyde appreciated MJ stepping aside for two years to go play "baseball fantasy camp."
"A man's got to know his limitations."
Lebron's legacy hasn't been fully written yet. So any talk of who's greater and all that is still early.
I forgot to include Tim Duncan: 5-1 in NBA Finals....came pretty damn close to 6-0 though.