Ya did it!!! You won NBA Free Agency!!! You netted a commitment, err, re-commitment from LeBron James. 4x NBA MVP, 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP. Oh and by the by, before I forget...
Congratulations on becoming what you've spent the last four years of your sports existence HATING.
That's right. Congratulations on becoming, The Miami Heat. :-) What? How? Well, it's simple really and as a basketball fan, I was sorta hoping it wouldn't come to this. But since the Spurs set out to force LeBron's hand with that 5 game dissection in the NBA Finals, this is what it is now. The Cavs haven't seen the playoffs in four years since The Running Man left to take his talents to South Beach. The Running Man? Yes, I'll get to him in a second. The Cavs in that timeframe, have landed an unprecedented 3 #1 overall picks in that span including this year's which turned out to be KU's Andrew Wiggins. Amidst murmurs that Irving had beef with 2011 4th overall pick Dion Waiters, Kyrie signed a 5 year extension (something The Running Man didn't do his first time out) but a cynical minded man could safely presume there wasn't anyone in his draft class he wanted to play with. But anyway, with that done, LeBron opted out and stayed silent. He met with Miami Heat team president, Armani Don himself, Pat Riley two days ago in Vegas to hear his pitch. Riles laid down the gauntlet to his two hired guns and Wade to not go running for the exit just because the Spurs beat em' down and left em' lying in an alley with no title and no clue what just hit them. I mean, it's not like Riley has done the same thing in his career (Knicks fans who remember the Spring of 1995, I know. I was one of them who was seething when he bolted for South Beach after being denied the power that Miami gave him.), right? Well, as I'm sure it'll be leaked in the next few days or so, The Running Man had his feelings just a little jolted by such a stern challenge. So when faced with the owner who wrote The Letter (which unbeknownst to me, sat on the team website until just days ago when it was FINALLY REMOVED) or the team president which effectively pulled his punk card in front of a room full of reporters (and that entire thing was great, nobody does pissed off quite like Riles), he chose Cleveland. So, in light of this proverbial "happy ending" for the good folk of Cleveland, why so cynical? Let me continue...
The Running Man. Man, when the going gets tough, nobody gets going quite like LeBron James. I've been watching the NBA for years and I haven't seen someone with so much natural God given ability with a spinal cord made up of Jello. I mean, damn. I can't stand Miami, haven't been able to stand them since way before LeBron and Bosh migrated down that way as a matter of fact. But to see such cowardice out of a man built the way James is, it's sickening. Oh and to see these sycophants that are calling themselves Cavs fans go from about three years worth of vitriolic disdain for the man to 'we're so happy he came home!!!', it sickens me to no end. LeBron was hailed for seven years as the conquering hero, the King who hadn't won anything of consequence. Dragged the 2007 Cavs to the Finals then watched as they tore apart the team he got there and rather than get him Amare on the cheap, they brought him the old, decaying body of Shaquille O'Neal. They weren't able to get past Boston which I guess got this whole 'assemble hired guns and win now' movement back in 2008 with Ray Ray (who's slated to follow The Running Man to Cleveland ironically enough) and KG (who was dealt to Brooklyn last Summer). So in the summer of 2010, with the nation watching on their TV sets, he took his talents to South Beach and essentially gutted Cleveland like it was a sleeping teen on Elm Street. December of 2010, his first return was nationally televised and I gotta say, in all my years of watching the NBA I NEVER heard a crowd as vocal as I heard them that night in Cleveland. I mean granted the fans put up more of a fight than that team did, but still. They were furious. Now four years later, they're euphoric because they're the rabbit packing the mini gun rather than being cut down by it. Four years after owner Dan Gilbert cried about the system which enabled teams to assemble high end talents together, he's feasibly one trade away from being exactly what he railed against.
But it all works out for LeBron doesn't it? Went to South Beach to finally get his rings and when the going got too rough, he ran back home. If Miami had any real fans, he'd be booed on sight next season. Alas, he runs home to a younger roster (for now) chocked full of top picks cause when you're not winning on the regular, what else are ya gonna do?
So now, grumblings are loud that Kevin Love who is very disgruntled in Minnesota is welcome to a deal that would bring him to Cleveland. Now with Kyrie locked in, LeBron about to be signed after he returns from Brazil this weekend feasibly and Love en route who's on the final year of his deal...that's three top end talents eating up a good chunk of Cleveland's salary cap. Goodbye Old Miami, hello New Miami. What's funny about all of this is the fact that everyone's trying and failing MISERABLY to duplicate what the Spurs have done. Get three stars together, surround them with talent and just dominate. Boston did this in 2008 and was just one Perkins blown out knee away from winning back to back titles. They returning to the Eastern Conference Semifinals the year after that, but were punched out by Orlando who took no mercy on them for missing KG who was out for the year with an Achilles injury. Miami in 2010, took its turn next but what really riled up folks wasn't that they did it, but they staged a massive pep rally in the process. Dallas took em' down a peg in the Finals that season, but a very young OKC team went down in five and last year, they escaped the Spurs in seven. This year, after running through the East virtually untested, San Antonio was ready. They picked them apart and Kawhi Leonard, someone any Pacers fan is all but BEGGING was in their colors right now instead of George Hill. Or Paul George. He did the unthinkable, he frazzled LBJ and in stretches outplayed him to no end.
So after being challenged to stay publically by Pat Riley, he bolted back home. Because going anywhere else would've turned him into a title chasing mercenary, which I'm sure his wittle fragile ego just couldn't handle. He returns to the adulation and cheers of a fan base which conveniently forgotten the heartache, the curses and burned jerseys of four summers ago. They forgot that for seven years, he did nothing and didn't win his first rings until he went to South Beach. But I sit here smiling because I know Cleveland history. Bernie Kosar was one of the Browns' best QBs this side of Otto Graham. He didn't get his first title until he became Troy Aikman's backup in Dallas. (Browns fans can breathe easy knowing Brandon Weeden will NOT become #2.) Ron Harper was a Cavalier once upon a time. A very good one at that, until he was moved to the Clippers. In a cruel twist, he didn't get his first title until he rode alongside His Airness in Chicago during the latter half of Da Bulls' Dynasty in the mid to late 90s. The Cavs per the degenerate gambling types in Vegas, are your "odds on favorite" to win the title and ironically enough, exact revenge on the team that put them down like mutts in the 2007 NBA Finals in a four game sweep. Because it's not like the Spurs are losing a good chunk of their core from last year's squad. (Cause they actually retained both of their free agents and could potentially land Pau Gasol.)
But in the 'jump on the new hotness, because it is the new hotness' world we live in, this was to be expected. So congrats Cleveland, you get a second chance with a once in a lifetime talent to make good on ending a near six decade long title drought for the professional teams in this city. Oh and Running Man, just so you know, none of these guys have ever seen playoff basketball before including your new coach. So have fun guiding them to the promised land, I'm sure you'll do just fine. :-)
Congratulations on becoming what you've spent the last four years of your sports existence HATING.
That's right. Congratulations on becoming, The Miami Heat. :-) What? How? Well, it's simple really and as a basketball fan, I was sorta hoping it wouldn't come to this. But since the Spurs set out to force LeBron's hand with that 5 game dissection in the NBA Finals, this is what it is now. The Cavs haven't seen the playoffs in four years since The Running Man left to take his talents to South Beach. The Running Man? Yes, I'll get to him in a second. The Cavs in that timeframe, have landed an unprecedented 3 #1 overall picks in that span including this year's which turned out to be KU's Andrew Wiggins. Amidst murmurs that Irving had beef with 2011 4th overall pick Dion Waiters, Kyrie signed a 5 year extension (something The Running Man didn't do his first time out) but a cynical minded man could safely presume there wasn't anyone in his draft class he wanted to play with. But anyway, with that done, LeBron opted out and stayed silent. He met with Miami Heat team president, Armani Don himself, Pat Riley two days ago in Vegas to hear his pitch. Riles laid down the gauntlet to his two hired guns and Wade to not go running for the exit just because the Spurs beat em' down and left em' lying in an alley with no title and no clue what just hit them. I mean, it's not like Riley has done the same thing in his career (Knicks fans who remember the Spring of 1995, I know. I was one of them who was seething when he bolted for South Beach after being denied the power that Miami gave him.), right? Well, as I'm sure it'll be leaked in the next few days or so, The Running Man had his feelings just a little jolted by such a stern challenge. So when faced with the owner who wrote The Letter (which unbeknownst to me, sat on the team website until just days ago when it was FINALLY REMOVED) or the team president which effectively pulled his punk card in front of a room full of reporters (and that entire thing was great, nobody does pissed off quite like Riles), he chose Cleveland. So, in light of this proverbial "happy ending" for the good folk of Cleveland, why so cynical? Let me continue...
The Running Man. Man, when the going gets tough, nobody gets going quite like LeBron James. I've been watching the NBA for years and I haven't seen someone with so much natural God given ability with a spinal cord made up of Jello. I mean, damn. I can't stand Miami, haven't been able to stand them since way before LeBron and Bosh migrated down that way as a matter of fact. But to see such cowardice out of a man built the way James is, it's sickening. Oh and to see these sycophants that are calling themselves Cavs fans go from about three years worth of vitriolic disdain for the man to 'we're so happy he came home!!!', it sickens me to no end. LeBron was hailed for seven years as the conquering hero, the King who hadn't won anything of consequence. Dragged the 2007 Cavs to the Finals then watched as they tore apart the team he got there and rather than get him Amare on the cheap, they brought him the old, decaying body of Shaquille O'Neal. They weren't able to get past Boston which I guess got this whole 'assemble hired guns and win now' movement back in 2008 with Ray Ray (who's slated to follow The Running Man to Cleveland ironically enough) and KG (who was dealt to Brooklyn last Summer). So in the summer of 2010, with the nation watching on their TV sets, he took his talents to South Beach and essentially gutted Cleveland like it was a sleeping teen on Elm Street. December of 2010, his first return was nationally televised and I gotta say, in all my years of watching the NBA I NEVER heard a crowd as vocal as I heard them that night in Cleveland. I mean granted the fans put up more of a fight than that team did, but still. They were furious. Now four years later, they're euphoric because they're the rabbit packing the mini gun rather than being cut down by it. Four years after owner Dan Gilbert cried about the system which enabled teams to assemble high end talents together, he's feasibly one trade away from being exactly what he railed against.
But it all works out for LeBron doesn't it? Went to South Beach to finally get his rings and when the going got too rough, he ran back home. If Miami had any real fans, he'd be booed on sight next season. Alas, he runs home to a younger roster (for now) chocked full of top picks cause when you're not winning on the regular, what else are ya gonna do?
So now, grumblings are loud that Kevin Love who is very disgruntled in Minnesota is welcome to a deal that would bring him to Cleveland. Now with Kyrie locked in, LeBron about to be signed after he returns from Brazil this weekend feasibly and Love en route who's on the final year of his deal...that's three top end talents eating up a good chunk of Cleveland's salary cap. Goodbye Old Miami, hello New Miami. What's funny about all of this is the fact that everyone's trying and failing MISERABLY to duplicate what the Spurs have done. Get three stars together, surround them with talent and just dominate. Boston did this in 2008 and was just one Perkins blown out knee away from winning back to back titles. They returning to the Eastern Conference Semifinals the year after that, but were punched out by Orlando who took no mercy on them for missing KG who was out for the year with an Achilles injury. Miami in 2010, took its turn next but what really riled up folks wasn't that they did it, but they staged a massive pep rally in the process. Dallas took em' down a peg in the Finals that season, but a very young OKC team went down in five and last year, they escaped the Spurs in seven. This year, after running through the East virtually untested, San Antonio was ready. They picked them apart and Kawhi Leonard, someone any Pacers fan is all but BEGGING was in their colors right now instead of George Hill. Or Paul George. He did the unthinkable, he frazzled LBJ and in stretches outplayed him to no end.
So after being challenged to stay publically by Pat Riley, he bolted back home. Because going anywhere else would've turned him into a title chasing mercenary, which I'm sure his wittle fragile ego just couldn't handle. He returns to the adulation and cheers of a fan base which conveniently forgotten the heartache, the curses and burned jerseys of four summers ago. They forgot that for seven years, he did nothing and didn't win his first rings until he went to South Beach. But I sit here smiling because I know Cleveland history. Bernie Kosar was one of the Browns' best QBs this side of Otto Graham. He didn't get his first title until he became Troy Aikman's backup in Dallas. (Browns fans can breathe easy knowing Brandon Weeden will NOT become #2.) Ron Harper was a Cavalier once upon a time. A very good one at that, until he was moved to the Clippers. In a cruel twist, he didn't get his first title until he rode alongside His Airness in Chicago during the latter half of Da Bulls' Dynasty in the mid to late 90s. The Cavs per the degenerate gambling types in Vegas, are your "odds on favorite" to win the title and ironically enough, exact revenge on the team that put them down like mutts in the 2007 NBA Finals in a four game sweep. Because it's not like the Spurs are losing a good chunk of their core from last year's squad. (Cause they actually retained both of their free agents and could potentially land Pau Gasol.)
But in the 'jump on the new hotness, because it is the new hotness' world we live in, this was to be expected. So congrats Cleveland, you get a second chance with a once in a lifetime talent to make good on ending a near six decade long title drought for the professional teams in this city. Oh and Running Man, just so you know, none of these guys have ever seen playoff basketball before including your new coach. So have fun guiding them to the promised land, I'm sure you'll do just fine. :-)
