NBA Off-Season

Monday Sep 13, 2010

gotemcoach:

Hey everybody,
I got invited to this sweet party. It’s called the “Dawn of a Dynasty” party. I don’t know what dynasty they’re celebrating, but it looks like it’s gonna be awesome.
LeBron is hosting it. He’s keeping a list of people that aren’t allowed in. From the picture above, it looks like it’s being held in some sort of temple, but the photo below appears to have the party in some sort of gilded room. Either way, I’m sure there’ll be crown-shaped cakes for everyone.
DJ Irie is gonna be there. You guys know him… Plus, this dude pictured above with the mixed patterns and the corny sunglasses. Also, these two cotton candy-soft dudes below with the bad suits.
You know who else throws parties and has flyers like this? Paris Hilton. Ooh, and the kids from Jersey Shore. LeBron’s just like them.

(brainworks/gotemcoach)

Hey everybody,

I got invited to this sweet party. It’s called the “Dawn of a Dynasty” party. I don’t know what dynasty they’re celebrating, but it looks like it’s gonna be awesome.

LeBron is hosting it. He’s keeping a list of people that aren’t allowed in. From the picture above, it looks like it’s being held in some sort of temple, but the photo below appears to have the party in some sort of gilded room. Either way, I’m sure there’ll be crown-shaped cakes for everyone.

DJ Irie is gonna be there. You guys know him… Plus, this dude pictured above with the mixed patterns and the corny sunglasses. Also, these two cotton candy-soft dudes below with the bad suits.

You know who else throws parties and has flyers like this? Paris Hilton. Ooh, and the kids from Jersey Shore. LeBron’s just like them.

(brainworks/gotemcoach)

Thursday Sep 2, 2010

by slapclapper

Comments • 16 notes

Chris Bosh working hard in Miami. Watching a video like this makes me wonder why there was ever any doubt where these guys would sign as free agents.

Friday Jul 16, 2010

by winstonwolfe

Comments • 43 notes

Can we all sign off on calling these guys Run-DLC & be done with it?

On second thought, let’s insert Mike Miller in there. He’s going to be just as key as Bosh in the post-season anyway. We could make it a foursome and call them Run-DJMC.

ugghh, how many days until the season starts again?

(winston wolfe)

Sunday Jul 11, 2010

by winstonwolfe

Comments • 26 notes

LeBron James: Loved, hated, misunderstood

While not quite on the same level of the Windhorst piece, Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald does add some interesting talking points to the discussion in the column linked here. He grabbed my attention with this initial thought:

He chose to take less money. He chose to sacrifice being the singular star of his team in order to share the stage — and in a city that belonged to another star, no less. He chose to admit to all that he needed to lean on a friend for help. He chose to go from the easy and forever love of little Cleveland to unholy criticism that would wildfire-spread from the burning jerseys in his hometown to a smoldering that would engulf our entire sports nation. He chose to go from hero to villain. Chose it. Think about that. He chose to go from love to hate. And he chose to subjugate his enormous ego in the name of team. In other words, he put winning above all else — above money, adoration, even home.

And that’s a bad thing? Doesn’t America usually love that kind of rah-rah sacrifice in sports? Don’t those ideals usually get transformed into Hoosiers instead of Hatred? Given his standing, the reigning two-time MVP in his prime at 25, it is only a decision that is without precedent in the history of American sports. If people wouldn’t laugh you out of the room because he is making $110 million for bouncing a basketball, you could make the argument that what James did, if indeed he was aware of the backlash it would cause, was damn near noble and brave. Pioneers rarely get to be popular while in the middle of the pioneering. Real leadership always risks unpopularity.

While I am certainly not ready to give LeBron a medal for his “courage under fire” as LeBatard seems to be, I do think many in the league who are speaking out against his actions should be prepared for the consequences. This is definitely a column worth reading for perspective. Maybe even more so is the one William C. Rhoden of the NYT did the other day on LBJ being attacked by his former employer. This point I thought to be outstanding, as most of Rhoden’s writing is, was this:

Yet it was Gilbert who created the King James monster; it was Gilbert who nurtured and reinforced James’s prima donna-isms, all of the preening and dancing. Now he acts like a lover scorned and lashes out with gibberish about karma and curses.

Gilbert must think he really owned LeBron James.

Surely, he understands business. You win some, you lose some. With LeBron James, Gilbert won a lot more than he lost. Now, Gilbert has lost a gem in James. And he has lost respect. He has released enough players and let go of enough employees to understand that loyalty, especially in sports, is largely a matter of convenience and timing.

So before you close the book on Lebron and his escapades, read these two pieces. They offer perspective. The same goes for the post brainworks did for us. It offered a true NBA fan’s point of view, to go along with the media’s, which as we all may be colored by a hidden agenda. On our blog he asked, “What Hath LeBron Wrought?”. We may not know that answer until June of 2011 or maybe even 2012. My fear is that we may be asking, “How will the NBA ever stop the fury of Lebron James”? There is no debating that LeBron has been given everything in his life either too soon or too easily. In my opinion, that may have been what’s kept the fire, the same fire all the great ones have within themselves, from igniting in LeBron’s heart & mind.

If that’s the case, then the fury of LeBron James may be something each and every detractor may regret ever demanding to see.

(winston wolfe)

Thursday Jul 8, 2010

by brainworks

Comments • 111 notes

The Unholy Trio

LeBron, Wade and Bosh.

That sounds pretty good, right? A lot of people are saying the Miami Heat will win the next five titles (give or take).

Well, why don’t we play a little game…

I’m going to be an imaginary GM for a second. Let me put together a team.

First, I’m taking LeBron. He’s a beast. Gotta have LeBron. Could have averaged a triple-double per game in the right system. And I’m gonna add Dwyane Wade. That guy can get 250 free throws in the Playoffs. I need a guy like that on my team.

I’m not so much of a Chris Bosh guy. He’s never done much, but acts like he has. I don’t like that kind of player. He was the #1 on a horrible team, and most people STILL don’t know about him. I’m dumping him.

In his stead, I’m signing Tim Duncan. A younger Duncan too. Lets knock 5 years off his odometer. So, how about that team? LeBron, Wade and a younger Tim Duncan? That’s a pretty great threesome. Way better than the ‘10-‘11 Heat.

But hey, this is my fantasy, so I’m gonna keep going. I need forwards, so why not grab Amar’e and Boozer? They were both free agents, so it makes sense. Oooh! I love Carmelo. He’s just cocky enough, and just gutsy enough for me. I gotta have Melo.

LeBron can run the point, right? Let’s line ‘em up:

PG - Bron

SG - Wade

SF - Melo

PF - Amar’e

C - Duncan

And, I’ve got Boozer on the bench. Now that’s a title winner! I’ll just fill out my roster with minimum guys. Convince some vets to come chase a ring.

You know what? Screw that. I’ve come this far, why not fill out my squad with athletic guys like Shawn Marion and Richard Jefferson, and role players like Lamar Odom and Emeka Okafor? I’m even gonna add younger versions of Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury.

I think I can even get Larry Brown to coach them. He’s won titles at every level.

Now that’s a goddamn team. All those superstars? How can they lose? That team’s gonna win the next 50 championships, right?

Well, that was the lineup for the 2004 United States Olympic Basketball team.

And that team lost, when it counted - playing for the Gold Medal game - against a scrappy group of Argentinians, led by Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Fabricio Oberto, Andres Nocioni, Carlos Delfino, Pepe Sanchez, Walter Herrman and a bunch of dudes you’ve never heard of in your life. Argentina played like a team, believed in themselves, and beat us at our own game.

Hell, that team lost to Puerto Rico. By 20 points. Lithuania beat us too.

If you think Miami just won a championship by signing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, I’m here to say, you’re wrong.

Title teams, throughout time, have had the Derek Fishers, the Robert Horrys, the Dave Cowenses, the Sam Joneses, the Dennis Johnsons, the Ron Harpers, the James Poseys, the Brian Shaws, the Cliff Levingstons, the John Paxsons, the John Salleys, the Bruce Bowens, the Manu Ginobilis.

Maybe the Heat can get some players to accept peanuts to chase the title. But don’t forget, as my buddy Squibb texted me, they’ll need people to accept peanuts for the next 5 years.

Championship teams need heart. Grit. Leaders. And roles. I just don’t see it yet.

And Erik Spoelstra? That guy’s been a head coach for 2 years. I’m not sure I believe he’ll know how to balance those egos and minutes. I’m certain those players don’t know how to do it.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are two proud teams. The Lakers are a bit flaky. The Celtics are a bit old. At this point, each needs a little inspiration to get after it. They both have it now.

But this is about the Heat, and the pressure on Miami is higher than any team I can remember before it. The catch is, this squad’s done nothing. Never played a game together. Needless to say, next season, we’ll find out what winning basketball is all about.

(photos by NBA.com/SI Vault)

(written by brainworks)

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