Comments about ‘LeBron James took easy way out by going to Miami’

This is another Doug Robinson classic. The NBA continues to be the most over-rated, over-hyped, over-paid, over-priced, under-achieving, mambie-pambie, under-educated, tattoed-laden,, prostitute-seeking, multi-sired, camera-seeking, dollar-driven, elite-ego-centric, 3 1/2 quarter of lazy play, slur-spoken, r's not pronounced, proper-grammar butchered, hypocritical, sameness in the name of individuality, can't be coached, can't hit a free throw, gimmie three steps, referee-begging, so-called superstar, city-hopping, cry-babies in all of professional sports.

Dear Doug,

Please, leave the tired loyalty argument in the closet. It is not 1990, or 1980 for that matter. In case you haven't noticed, big businesses, including the NBA gave up loyalty to their employees a couple of decades ago. There is no guaranteed employment anymore. Unfortunately, that is a relic of the past. So don't expect employees, like James, to show loyalty to the companies that hire them. NBA teams and other businesses do what is best for the franchise/company from a business perspective. Employees, like James, should be able to do the same for themselves without being publically attacked by their teams or by the press.

I know everyone has his/her opinion about LeBron James and his choice to go to Miami. But, I am tired of all of the scruntization. Bottom line is LeBron wants to win championships, and wants to do it now. No one can fault a professional athlete from wanting that. Give the guy a break and let him go wherever he wants to go to try and do that. Isn't that what free-agency is all about? Let the players make THEIR choices about where they go. Finally THEY get to decide, not someone else deciding for them.

To "Rainin Time",

BOOM.

Rack em!

Rainin Time - Perfect post. Couldn't agree with you more on this one.

I'm a bit tired of all the indignation and condemnation. This is all about entertainment, anyway. None of it matters. Of course, if you enjoy all the letters and talk-shows and articles of indignation, then that's just another component of your entertainment. But please don't pretend it matters a whit.

it really is not that big of a deal. I am a big Lebron fan, he obviously can play. I personally wish he would have gone to NYC or Chicago. But the fact the he chose Miami is smart on his part. Yeah, the article says Magic, Kobe, MJ, and Isaiah stayed with their teams they got drafted by but look who else was on the team. If Lebron had 2 other hall of famers like the rest then he probably would have stayed as well. All of the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Pistons teams have multiple all-stars and hall of famers. So yeah he went to a stacked team, but why not??

I'm confused. Are you saying that a player made a decision based on the ability of a team to help him win rather than to get paid more? Aren't there players that he also convinced to stay on the team at a lower pay at the prospect of winning more?

How's that a bad thing?

Didn't Karl "The Mailman" Malone do the same thing that LeBron just did? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he leave Utah for the team that was most likely to get him a ring, at that time it was L.A.? Sure it's not on as grand as scale, but is it not the same...or am I missing something?
Sure the way it was handle was in poor taste, but it seems like to me that LeBron is not the first to jump ship to "take the easy way out."
What do you all think??

LeBron was part of a team that had the best record this year! They could not get better players around him because no players were convinced he would be staying! Trevor Ariza from the Lakers said last year that factored into his decision to go to the Rockets. I think LeBron took down Cleveland all by himself.

Also, Fisher was never going to join these three in Miami he was negotiating for a better contract in LA. Said in his statement that he "didn't take the most lucrative but the most VALUABLE" in resigning with the Lakers.

Jazz fans and SPORTS WRITERS in Utah need to get over the Fisher thing. I have never seen anything like it. Laker fans get it.. you are mad Fisher left, but that was THREE YEARS AGO. He left to go to a city with one of the best hospitals in the country for the type of cancer his daughter had.

Note: Just read his daughter is now in remission for those of you who care about people more than basketball.

Spot on, Doug.

Why would Lebron go to New York? Half his money would go to the government with their incredibly high taxes! And not a good place to live period.
Chicago has great pizza but full of crime and below freezing in the winter. Miami is full of beaches, beautiful women, and is a paradise. He will win championships there. Probably not in New York,Miami,and Clevelands management is too dumb to help Lebron. I am happy to see a team that will finally crush the Lakers and make the Lakers sry like little schoolgirls. I dont care if the Jazz win or lose as much as I just want to see the Lakers lose. Go Heat!

Don't compare Cleveland to LA. They get whoever they want just like the Yankees. Nome of Kobe's championships compare to MJ's. He rode Shaq's back for the 1st 3, couldn't do anything by himself until the Lakers pulled of one of the most suspicious trades of all time with their former GM. Lebron didn't ask to be drafted by Cleveland and if he wants to go somewhere else then good for him. It will be fun to watch them pound the Lakers.

@carmon - Leave "tired loyalty" in the closet? Wow, I'd sure hate to be YOUR spouse!

The Scheme Team, a.k.a. the Miami Cheat will win championships, but every one of them will have an asterisk. They took the Rosie Ruiz shortcut to championship glory, when they were good enough to win it the old fashioned way: by EARNING it.

@sentinal - Yes, no one can fault a professional athlete for wanting to win, but we can fault them for how they choose to win. Or are you one of those guys who are okay with athletes doping?

@yep - Perhaps because you are such a big LeBron fan you are unwilling to see his tremendous downside.

Bird, Magic, Jordan and even Kobe had other great players around them in part because they made their teammates better. Pippen wouldn't have been much without Jordan, and Worthy and McHale are probably in the same boat.

LeBron did appear to have quit last playoffs. Now we see it's because he didn't respect his team; he was off to another.

I believe they call that "trunky"in this parts.

RE: Ltrain

So will you feel the same about D-Will if he bolts from the Jazz at the end of his contract?

Face it if LeBron had gone further with the Cavaliers into the playoffs he would have had a hard time explaining why he is leaving. I think he has been planning to leave for a long time! When he tore off his jersey at the end of the Boston series in front of the cameras, those of us watching said "he is leaving Cleveland"! Took the easy way out!

Funny you should mention the Pao trade. I have read a few articles on what a great trade the Jefferson trade was and how the Jazz did not have to give hardly anthing for him! Sometimes you get lucky.

It was reported that Shaq said before the final game that "if Kobe wins this Boston series, he is the "greatest Laker of all time". Whether or not it is true, at least Shaq has respect for him now.
(Would not be surprised if Shaq secretly would love to close out his career in a Laker uniform then everyone would say he road Kobe's coat tails!)

No... still hate the Lakers more.. I will always hate the Lakers more, what would some super team out east have to do with Jazz fans hating the Lakers??

@Ltrain - Huh?!

Here's a quick reality check for those who still care about it.

Pau Gasol went to L.A. in exchange for:

(1) Javaris Crittenton, a solid backup guard,

(2) Kwame Brown a starter on a playoff team (Lakers)

(3) Marc Gasol, who averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds last season and was 4th in the NBA in shooting percentage.

Pau Gasol going to L.A. is the statistical equivalent of Chris Bosh going to Cleveland...

Only Bosh has better stats than Gasol, and Bosh outplayed Gasol in their head to head matchup in the 2008 Olympics.

Gasol to L.A. is far less suspicious than Bosh, James and Wade hooking up.

And Lebron basically DID ask to get drafted by Cleveland.

Cleveland had the the worst record in the NBA, hence the statistical advantage to get the first pick of the 2003 draft when Lebron declared for the draft on Friday April 25, 2003.

As Kobe riding Shaq's back, their 3rd championship (2001-2002), Kobe led the Lakers in minutes, assists and steals, and averaged just 2 points less than Shaq, who also missed 15 games that season.

Get real! Please!

@carmon - Leave "tired loyalty" in the closet? Wow, I'd sure hate to be YOUR spouse!

The Scheme Team, a.k.a. the Miami Cheat will win championships, but every one of them will have an asterisk. They took the Rosie Ruiz shortcut to championship glory, when they were good enough to win it the old fashioned way: by EARNING it.

@sentinal - Yes, no one can fault a professional athlete for wanting to win, but we can fault them for how they choose to win. Or are you one of those guys who are okay with athletes doping?

@yep - Perhaps because you are such a big LeBron fan you are unwilling to see his tremendous downside.

Bird, Magic, Jordan and even Kobe had other great players around them in part because they made their teammates better. Pippen wouldn't have been much without Jordan, and Worthy and McHale are probably in the same boat.

LeBron did appear to have quit last playoffs. Now we see it's because he didn't respect his team; he was off to another.

I believe they call that "trunky"in this parts.

@Ltrain - Huh?!

Here's a quick reality check for those who still care about it.

Pau Gasol went to L.A. in exchange for:

(1) Javaris Crittenton, a solid backup guard,

(2) Kwame Brown, a starter on a playoff team (Lakers)

(3) Marc Gasol, who averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds last season and was 4th in the NBA in shooting percentage.

Pau Gasol going to L.A. is the statistical equivalent of Chris Bosh going to Cleveland...

Only Bosh has better stats than Gasol, and Bosh outplayed Gasol in their head to head matchup in the 2008 Olympics.

Gasol to L.A. is far less suspicious than Bosh, James and Wade hooking up.

And Lebron basically DID ask to get drafted by Cleveland.

Cleveland had the the worst record in the NBA, hence the statistical advantage to get the first pick of the 2003 draft when Lebron declared for the draft on Friday, April 25, 2003.

As Kobe riding Shaq's back, their 3rd championship (2001-2002), Kobe led the Lakers in minutes, assists and steals, and averaged just 2 points less than Shaq, who also missed 15 games that season.

Miami are the Yankees, not LA.

Wade: "Check out my ring, dog."

LeBron: "How do I get me one of those?"

Wade: "Come to the beach, dog. Play with me."

LeBron: "But what about my 'peeps?"

Wade: "Bring yo' posse with you. I already talked to them. They be down wit it."

LeBron: "Nah, I mean my hometown peeps. What about loyalty?"

Wade: "Time to upgrade to first class, man."

LeBron: "Say what?"

Wade: "You seen my woman, Gabrielle Union?"

LeBron: "Yo, bro. She's one fine... woman."

Wade: "That's what I'm talking about -- upgrade from my wife. Loyalty is for suckers. Upgrade your neighborhood, upgrade your team, upgrade your ring, upgrade your woman."

LeBron: "I hear 'dat."

Wade, under his breath: "Talk about upgrade. Now I got me an off-court upgrade and and a new on-court upgrade."