Comments on: Agents say there is no "free agent summit" but LeBron says otherwise

By: gb

gb — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:13:43 +0000

Lebron I think you should stay in Cleavland. Thats my chose, nut you go where ever your heart tells you too. Maybe your heart will tell you to go else where or maybe stay where you are at. Which ever you decide God Bless you King

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:50:49 +0000

Platitudes aside, if your point is that we should value those occupations more than that of an athlete, I think that we do. No one breaks an arm and goes to their local pro sports arena for treatment.
I can’t agree that by virtue of someone’s profession, they are, by default inherently better than any other person. Were that true doctors wouldn’t molests children in the exam room, nurses wouldn’t hit an elderly patient for wetting the bed, firefighters wouldn’t start fires, police officers wouldn’t insert night sticks into suspects’ rectums and teachers wouldn’t be getting pregnant by or impregnating their students.
Again, I’m surprised by the animus that people have towards athletes. They are essentially the worker in this equation and although they are paid far more than the average person, the people who pay them are earning a staggering amount of money.
More power to anyone who can get their fair share.
Scott

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:48:45 +0000

Platitudes aside, if your point is that we should value those occupations more than that of an athlete, I think that we do. No one breaks an arm and goes to their local pro sports arena for treatment.
I can’t agree that by virtue of someone’s profession, they are, by default inherently better than any other person. Were that true doctors wouldn’t molests children in the exam room, nurses wouldn’t hit an elderly patient for wetting the bed, firefighters wouldn’t start fires, police officers wouldn’t insert night sticks into a suspects’ rectums and teachers wouldn’t be getting pregnant by or impregnating their students.
Again, I’m surprised by the animus that people have towards athletes. They are essentially the worker in this equation and although they are paid far more than the average person, the people who pay them are earning a staggering amount of money.
More power to anyone who can get their fair share.
Scott

By: Kirk

Kirk — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:32:49 +0000

One important question I don’t see addressed: what happens in a league where the players decide where they will play and where they won’t. Do you really want the NBA to turn into a junior high school popularity contest ?

By: Glitz

Glitz — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:34:20 +0000

The glitz and glamor is wherever LeBron plays. Look at all the attention he received while playing in Cleveland. It wasn’t only the local news creating the buzz.
On the flip side, do you think he wants to deal with the backlash he would get in a city like NY? He could have defecated on the mayors desk in Cleveland and it would have been celebrated. He caught a lot of flack in Cleveland after it appeared he quit in game five but not nearly the flack he would get in a major market.
LeBron will survive outside of Cleveland but basketball in Cleveland will not survive without LeBron. We just can’t afford to sit through another losing season.
After selling out 455 straight games at Jacobs Field what are the Indians drawing on average today. Even the Browns, who can still fill a stadium with a losing team, are having there issues in this economy.
One thing I am proud of, after being a three sport fan for the last 30 years, I just don’t care anymore. If the owners make a lot of money the players want their cut which then increases the price of parking, tickets and concessions. If players and owners actually voice concern about the expense the fans have to incur to enjoy a live game, I might come back and support pro sports. Until then, there are a lot of high school and college games to enjoy.
No athlete is greater than a doctor, nurse, police officer, firefighter or teacher. Period.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:14:53 +0000

I don’t think Mr. James is an idiot. He is challenging a system that has consistently favored owners and the league. It may be a small test to see how far he can go, but he has public esteem and is well liked in the NBA. It looks like he isn’t ready to put on the golden handcuffs that the NBA and ownership hand out to pro basketball players.
Scott

By: Booner

Booner — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:11:07 +0000

Excellent comment and I agree with you 100%!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:07:47 +0000

Say what you want, LeBron loves the glitz and glamour and attention. And that does not exist in Cleveland, so he’ll be moving. Where? To the bright lights and all the stars–Madison Square Garden. As far as talent, Kobe is still the best! And until LeBron can will his team to win a chapionship, he has to take a backseat to the real super star in the league. I’m not an LA fan by the way.
B

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:03:21 +0000

I’m not sure what you mean by greedy within the context of the business relationship that the players have with the owners of the teams but don’t forget that the players are not working for non-profit organizations. Moreover, ibid to my earlier post referencing the finite, ephemeral earning window of any pro athlete.
Scott

By: CK Dexter Haven

CK Dexter Haven — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:47 +0000

@ Sue
This isn’t about greed. More likely, it’s a bunch of kids who want to play together, and now have a say in where they’ll do it. Just like any other person in the country, they value the ability to choose a place to live and work. And, because there are salary caps in the NBA, if two or more of them want to play together, they’ll have to do so for LESS money than they could get individually. They have enough money. If two or more go to one team, they’ll like where they’re living, they’ll enjoy playing with each other for 82+ games per year for five years, and they’ll enjoy winning. The latter is probably the most important part of this. and, every kid gets into sports to win.
With that said, Lebron’s showing himself to be quite the idiot. Either that, or he just doesn’t care (about tampering rules). Too big for his britches, him. I tend to like players when they’re rising, but when they start to liken their excrement to flowers, i have no place for them. Happened with Jordan, Kobe, and now Lebron….

By: Energy

Energy — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:45:41 +0000

If these men were ordinary talented business men they would simply start their own company. Imagine a team comprised and owned by this years top free agents. The greediest ones in this equation are the fans who would deny these players who have elevated their franchises the opportunity to win a championship or live the lives that they choose.

By: Brimm

Brimm — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:42:39 +0000

D. Wade is the best in that class to me. Lebron gets all this press, coined “The King” But he has never won a ring. D. Wade has, and his numbers are just as good, and some years better. Any of those players would be lucky to get on a team with him. Don’t sleep on Lebron, he is still really great. I would love to see some other NBA Teams, it’s the same ones. LA, Boston, Spurs, and Detroit Pistons, over the pass 15 years at least. But LA and Boston, is just too much. We have seen this story before. I wish some owner picked up two of those 4 players or all of them for that matter outside of LA, and Boston and then we could watch them win rings for the next 5 plus years.

By: sue

sue — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:21:57 +0000

All greedy men!!!!!!!!! No respect for any of them. Talented..yes,otherthan that….nothing special.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:05:42 +0000

If 6 or 7 extremely talented business people from the same industry got together and decided that they all were going to work for the same company would there be an issue? I think not.
I think that all NBA players are out for themselves. Who else should they be out for? If they have professional goals to win championships, then they need to be surrounded by people of equal or at least complimentary talent.
Don’t be mad at the players. The owners and the league have the opportunity to make much more money than the players combined. The players own themselves and their talent. The latter is fleeting given the risk of injury where as the owners have willable assets that will remain independent of their ability to perform and can stretch generations into the future.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:26:58 +0000

Wade was the first one to mention this meeting of the top free agents. Which I think is a good thing. Can we expect to have other teams climb to elite status if two or possibly three of these guys get together. I tired of seeing the same teams every year. How many championships does Boston have, or LA.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:03:51 +0000

LaBron is just our for himself. This is his way of getting what he wants before any of the others signs. He has in mind the team he wants. Just who does he think he is, the leader of everyone else’s career. Just play team ball and stop tripping with delusions of grandeur