Seems a little post-hoc, but OK. Looking forward to seeing how this all works.
So basically the Lakers want to build the team that was already waiting for James in Philadelphia? And he’s got to get through Houston, Golden State, Utah, San Antonio and OKC just to play in a Finals? Good luck with all that.
Magic is quite a salesman. He convinced the best player in the world to break his Finals streak and put his legacy next to his own and Kobe’s which include multiple Laker Championships. Who’s going to look like less of a player when their career is done? LeBron.
Lebron wants to be in the entertainment biz. I doubt he had to sell him that hard.
This is the problem right here.
LeBron is an LA guy, 2 houses, and is looking past his basketball career. The future is in entertainment, and that is LA. Magic probably didn’t have to sell him too hard, and they let LeBron have a voice in personnel decisions, which is a big thing too, I am sure.
The 76’ers are a hot team, but I think we will see that LA will be LeBron’s team, and that is what he wants.
I thought for sure he was looking for more rings for at least 2-3 more years, but it looks like he is going to be King of LA for the rest of his career, and maybe get a team built during that time, maybe not.
I definitely don’t think anyone would think more fondly of Kobe than LeBron.
If LeBron doesn’t bring rings, Kobe will forever be regarded more highly IMO, maybe not in LA proper, but as a League legacy? Definitely.
I know why LeBron went there. Guys go where the family tells them to go much of the time and that’s what happened here. It didn’t hurt that Magic is a smooth talker. I just think he put himself into a place where his legacy as a basketball player will now be forever suspect compared to the likes of Jordan, Magic, Bryant, Bird, Abdul-Jabbar, and even Shaq where if he had gone somewhere less LA, he could have written his own legacy properly. The only worse choice he could’ve made for his career legacy was Golden State.
The funny thing is Kyrie Irving already has a more lucrative film career than James and he played in Cleveland and Boston.
Lebron will be a multi-billionaire by the time he retires. I’d say he’s aiming a little higher than ‘Uncle Drew’.
My guess is he wants to own sports teams and run studios, not just be in movies. He’s shooting for Magic’s post-basketball career, basically.
It is hard for me to see where you are coming from. Honestly, 3 rings is plenty of evidence to make the short list on the GOAT debate. Especially when one of those rings is from the greatest comeback in finals history, slaying the all time regular season record super-team.
It is pointless to argue the legacy of a player who still likely has 3-4 more super productive years of post-prime, but if you are talking about LeBron’s legacy as GOAT, the only competitor is MJ.
The guy was the NBA Finals endboss for 8 years in a row. That is 2 behind the all time great Bill Russell on the super powered Celtics team.
This will not effect his legacy. Moving to Miami didn’t do it, moving back to Cleveland didn’t do it, and moving to LA won’t do it either. The guy is a force of nature.
Isn’t the top prep school for basketball in CA as well and isn’t that where his son is enrolled?
The guy has done enough. Went to Miami and won with the original modern superteam (Boo! Hiss!), went back to Cleveland and got another. And all those years he didn’t win, he still dragged his team to the finals.
With all those miles on my legs, I don’t know if winning more championships would be highest on my list of priorities. I do wish he had picked someone other than the Lakers, though, because fuck the Lakers.
The same. At least get the Knicks some shots a ring!
I don’t know why, but I was a huge Knicks fan as a kid, as the Bucks were blah, and I really liked Patrick Ewing for some reason.
Kobe will not be rated higher than LeBron. It’s still Jordan or LeBron, with maybe an argument for Chamberlain if you’re talking overall dominance.
I suspect in 2019 a big name will join the Lakers, maybe Durant.
You are such a weird person, Dave.
Uh, you’re only looking at Playoffs there. I’ll still put Kareem up against anyone. They changed the College Rules to ban dunking because of him. He won 3 straight NCAA titles (and would have won 4 if freshmen had been eligible. He took Milwaukee to a title. He’s still the all time NBA points leader and did it without the 3 pointer. He also won 6 NBA titles, and went to the finals 8 times in a a 10 year span.
I’m marking my calendar for the day Kevin Knox is announced as a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Don’t tell me it’s only Summer League!
Also, Doris Burke remains the best.
Ewing worked his ass off. You’re clearly a man who appreciated the refined sophistication of the Oakley, Ewing, Mason front line.
Unlike Dolan, amirite.
This offseason has been fairly boring. Once the LeBron piece fell into the slot we all knew, deep in the back of our minds to be the only place he could go, everything calmed down. Boogie took a paycut for a ring, most big name free agents are staying on the options.
Should be an interesting new year, but it doesn’t feel like competitive balance has shifted enough. I am excited for a LeBron-less East, because the Bucks now have the best player, but I think the pecking order will stay about the same (with the Cavs dropping off the face of the earth).
I thought it was almost “too much” excitement in that the Boogie move was so extreme it rendered the whole process silly.
Anyway, the Magic are content to tank more while they try to build Bucks South, and both those things are fine with me.
Jabari Parker is headed to Chicago in an eyebrow raising 40m/2 year contract.
I really do hope he can stay healthy, had high hopes for him in Milwaukee, but it just didn’t work out.
Edit: Nevermind, 2nd year of that deal is a team option, so only 1 year guaranteed. With his injury issues, he is going to have to earn year 2.
Cleveland will be fine if they sign Scoochie Smith and just hand him the keys.
Savage
