[Donna]

I'm wondering what some of you think about the Heat's championship.

Will James always be dogged for bailing out on Cleveland? Was he being impatient or immature for going to Miami? Or was it politics and the Cavs ownership simply refused, year after year, to get James the backup he needed? After all, Jordan had Pippen, Kobe had Shaq, etc. But James, Wade and Bosh on the same team has always seemed super cheezy to me. It's even more interesting that the Uber-Heat couldn't win it last year and nearly lost this year in the conference finals.

I think James deserved to win and get the MVP award, but it seems like his own myth as Jordan's heir has left a lot of people scoffing that he should have been able to single-handedly take the Cavs to the top.

[Oxymoron]

Jordan was not able to bring Chicago a Championship until a team was built around him with lots of complimentary talent. For heavens sake when Jordan retired the first time Chicago was still a playoff team. When Lebron left Cleveland they became a lottery team. In my opinion James can become better then Jordan.

[R_G]

Yeah, the Bulls were a much better built team than the Cavaliers. Hell they probably make the 94 Finals if they get through the Knicks.

I still think James can be the 2nd in line with GOAT.

But he can't touch Wilt or Jordan who are both #1. Too many mistakes.

[NYYS]

I like James. He gets a lot of hate, but what did he really do that was so wrong? The Decision was ill-advised, undoubtedly, but from all accounts he's a good teammate, father, and husband. He doesn't end up in the police blotter, he's not dogged by allegations of various illegal or unethical behaviors (like half the NBA). He's just a guy that wanted to win championships with his buddies.

Yeah, he's not Jordan because he doesn't have that all-encompassing desire to destroy his opponents that borders on mental sickness, but so what? He's a great player, and seems like a good guy. No idea why people outside of Cleveland hate him.

[Corporatios]

I think he is more than a super-athlete fit for basketball, than a raw basketball talent, like Jordan and others.

NBA has stretched the rules, in order to cover the lack of talent with athleticism. James impersonates this new era for me, and that's why I am not a big fan of him. I doubt he could make a big difference in the smaller fields and tighter lines of the past. I even doubt he could be a big sensation in today's Europe.

[Donna]

That actually makes a lot of sense, now that you mention it. One thing I have noticed is that while LeBron James puts up numbers that are close to Jordan's prestige, he doesn't have the same insane athleticism that Jordan had. Jordan's athleticism would have people joking that he's an alien from another planet and it was something that attracted a lot of people to basketball who would have otherwise been disinterested.

[AuContraireVoltaire]

It was inevitable but I don't like it and I still thing LeBron is a filthy cunt (me being a die hard Cleveland sports fan)

And the rich get richer as they have signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
Ugh! They are building one of the greatest teams for possibly the worst fanbase in America who don't really give that much of a shit about sports.

[jackbo487]

I'm new, so I can't post a link yet, but today a great meme picture was floating around purporting to be Lebron's leaked Gmail inbox...it's pretty great.

Anybody see it?