"The Decision" in retrospect

[bratz dos]

the only way he could have justified holding his own "Decision" special is if he announced he was staying in Cleveland. jumping ship on national tv just made him look like a scumbag.

but thats also ESPN for ya. im sure they would hold an hour long special every time a star signs a contract. Cliff Lee probably turned them down.

 

[ii flash ii]

Originally Posted by 2heavencent0


2.Look at the top teams in both conferences they have multiple players in the top ranking of their position

(Kobe, Artest, Gasol,Odom)(Durant, Westbrook, Perkins)(Rose, boozer, Noah) imagine had he stayed (LBJ, Moe Williams, Varejao) not exactly on par with the other examples.

The truth!

 

[ii flash ii]

Originally Posted by 2heavencent0


2.Look at the top teams in both conferences they have multiple players in the top ranking of their position

(Kobe, Artest, Gasol,Odom)(Durant, Westbrook, Perkins)(Rose, boozer, Noah) imagine had he stayed (LBJ, Moe Williams, Varejao) not exactly on par with the other examples.

The truth!

 

[mister friendly]

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

 

[mister friendly]

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

 

[likethematrix]

Lebron donated every cent he earned for his Decision special to charity.

like 200,000 i think.

that aint not bad

 

[likethematrix]

Lebron donated every cent he earned for his Decision special to charity.

like 200,000 i think.

that aint not bad

 

[kingjay718]

I had no issue with the "The Decision", not his choice to play for Miami. It was hilarious.

 

[kingjay718]

I had no issue with the "The Decision", not his choice to play for Miami. It was hilarious.

 

[acidicality]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by acidicality

IMO, the Lakers team would absolutely be a playoff team in the West without Kobe. Their frontcourt alone is enough to give many teams problems, and having a great frontcourt in the NBA (and basketball, in general) is a recipe for success. I'd put them anywhere between the 5-8 seed without him. 

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

Agreed- Utah's cast around Deron pales in comparison to the Lakers' cast around Kobe.
Yes, Pau is Gasoft, but he's still one of the best big men the league has to offer. That frontcourt is very long (pause) and they have great players all around from Odom, Bynum, Artest, etc. That being said, I don't think they'd be a title contender without Kobe. However, they would be good enough to make the playoffs.

 

[acidicality]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by acidicality

IMO, the Lakers team would absolutely be a playoff team in the West without Kobe. Their frontcourt alone is enough to give many teams problems, and having a great frontcourt in the NBA (and basketball, in general) is a recipe for success. I'd put them anywhere between the 5-8 seed without him. 

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

Agreed- Utah's cast around Deron pales in comparison to the Lakers' cast around Kobe.
Yes, Pau is Gasoft, but he's still one of the best big men the league has to offer. That frontcourt is very long (pause) and they have great players all around from Odom, Bynum, Artest, etc. That being said, I don't think they'd be a title contender without Kobe. However, they would be good enough to make the playoffs.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by acidicality

IMO, the Lakers team would absolutely be a playoff team in the West without Kobe. Their frontcourt alone is enough to give many teams problems, and having a great frontcourt in the NBA (and basketball, in general) is a recipe for success. I'd put them anywhere between the 5-8 seed without him. 

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

First of all, I already stated that the Lakers would be better.  Im not debating that.  But if you take your adoration for the Lakers away, and look at how the teams are constructed, you would see they are very similar.  Strong frontcourt, limitied scorers on the wing, etc.  If you want to disagree, fine.  But if you really think about what I am saying, its not nearly as ridiculous as you are making it seem. 

Remember, Pau Gasol (who would then be the guy carrying the Lakers) wasnt Pau Gasol until he teamed up with Kobe.  Just sayin.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by acidicality

IMO, the Lakers team would absolutely be a playoff team in the West without Kobe. Their frontcourt alone is enough to give many teams problems, and having a great frontcourt in the NBA (and basketball, in general) is a recipe for success. I'd put them anywhere between the 5-8 seed without him. 

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

First of all, I already stated that the Lakers would be better.  Im not debating that.  But if you take your adoration for the Lakers away, and look at how the teams are constructed, you would see they are very similar.  Strong frontcourt, limitied scorers on the wing, etc.  If you want to disagree, fine.  But if you really think about what I am saying, its not nearly as ridiculous as you are making it seem. 

Remember, Pau Gasol (who would then be the guy carrying the Lakers) wasnt Pau Gasol until he teamed up with Kobe.  Just sayin.

 

[lukethejediknight]

Originally Posted by Mister Friendly

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

So Kobe ain't yelling enough during the Lakers five-game skid then?

The "soft" label is thrown around all too often. These are all SEVEN footers that man the paint and can come at you with a variety of offensive weapons. That's not soft; that's a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league.

 

[lukethejediknight]

Originally Posted by Mister Friendly

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

So Kobe ain't yelling enough during the Lakers five-game skid then?

The "soft" label is thrown around all too often. These are all SEVEN footers that man the paint and can come at you with a variety of offensive weapons. That's not soft; that's a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league.

 

[DsLee]

I've always assumed that discussions went something like this before "The Decision" was aired:

ESPN/LeBron's Enoutrage: "Look LeBron, people all over the country are already dying to hear where you're going to play. Why not do it on ESPN during a special? It would be good for the brand, and we can even donate proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club. EVERYONE will love you even more if you do it."

LeBron: "Okay."

I don't think LeBron really outweighed the good and bad to come before actually doing "The Decision".
With that being said, I don't think he really thought about how fans would perceive it as a smack in the face or what not.
I still blame his management group more than I blame him for even allowing such a thing.

However, I'm not mad at all about LeBron's actual decision to go down to Miami to hoop. I actually respect that fact that he took the route of going to a place where he can win multiple championships with people who he actually likes as human beings.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by Mister Friendly

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

So Kobe ain't yelling enough during the Lakers five-game skid then?

The "soft" label is thrown around all too often. These are all SEVEN footers that man the paint and can come at you with a variety of offensive weapons. That's not soft; that's a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league.

When the Warriors had Baron, Jackson, Monta, JRich, etc they ran small.  They were a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league as well.  How good were they?  Not very.

 

[DsLee]

I've always assumed that discussions went something like this before "The Decision" was aired:

ESPN/LeBron's Enoutrage: "Look LeBron, people all over the country are already dying to hear where you're going to play. Why not do it on ESPN during a special? It would be good for the brand, and we can even donate proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club. EVERYONE will love you even more if you do it."

LeBron: "Okay."

I don't think LeBron really outweighed the good and bad to come before actually doing "The Decision".
With that being said, I don't think he really thought about how fans would perceive it as a smack in the face or what not.
I still blame his management group more than I blame him for even allowing such a thing.

However, I'm not mad at all about LeBron's actual decision to go down to Miami to hoop. I actually respect that fact that he took the route of going to a place where he can win multiple championships with people who he actually likes as human beings.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by Mister Friendly

Nah the Lakers wouldn't be a playoff team without Kobe.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom while talented are SOFT as heck. Kobe yelling at them and semi-punking them are the only reason they don't play super soft all the time.

Do you see how often Kobe has to talk to those dudes on court?

The decision for Lebron was a great decision for him. A chance to go play without other great players and get a ring.

But the thing about Lebron that irriates people is all the hyperbole that follows him around. The names....... "King James"......We are all "Witness" to his greatness....... The Chosen One,..... The Lion King of the jungle. Lebron and his crew want him to be recognized as the GOAT but you cant have that and then go join 2 other superstars to lessen the load.

So Kobe ain't yelling enough during the Lakers five-game skid then?

The "soft" label is thrown around all too often. These are all SEVEN footers that man the paint and can come at you with a variety of offensive weapons. That's not soft; that's a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league.

When the Warriors had Baron, Jackson, Monta, JRich, etc they ran small.  They were a matchup issue for pretty much every team in the league as well.  How good were they?  Not very.

 

[mytoasterspeak]

This is stupid. For whatever reason, #6 didn't want to play here. And I agree with the dude that said a great player is the deciding factor in getting a team over the hump. We here in Cleveland could care less that dude left, we just didn't want him to kick us in the face on the way out.

And I will never believe that the Cavs weren't good enough to win last year, NEVER. Size, defense, three point shooting, rebounding, youth, and a star. Only thing was missing was the star wanting it. Don't care what anybody on this site says. All of that stuff was planned, and it will come out one day.

And if #6 was completely committed to winning, he would have went to Chicago, or stayed in Cleveland. Noah, Rose, Boozer, Lebron and that bench would be winning championships for years and years

 

[mytoasterspeak]

This is stupid. For whatever reason, #6 didn't want to play here. And I agree with the dude that said a great player is the deciding factor in getting a team over the hump. We here in Cleveland could care less that dude left, we just didn't want him to kick us in the face on the way out.

And I will never believe that the Cavs weren't good enough to win last year, NEVER. Size, defense, three point shooting, rebounding, youth, and a star. Only thing was missing was the star wanting it. Don't care what anybody on this site says. All of that stuff was planned, and it will come out one day.

And if #6 was completely committed to winning, he would have went to Chicago, or stayed in Cleveland. Noah, Rose, Boozer, Lebron and that bench would be winning championships for years and years

 

[lukethejediknight]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

First of all, I already stated that the Lakers would be better.  Im not debating that.  But if you take your adoration for the Lakers away, and look at how the teams are constructed, you would see they are very similar.  Strong frontcourt, limitied scorers on the wing, etc.  If you want to disagree, fine.  But if you really think about what I am saying, its not nearly as ridiculous as you are making it seem. 

Remember, Pau Gasol (who would then be the guy carrying the Lakers) wasnt Pau Gasol until he teamed up with Kobe.  Just sayin.

Pau Gasol also just started to enter the prime seasons that players at his position typically have in his seasons as a Laker.You can continue to downplay Kobe's cast, but you're making me laugh if you think that Al Jefferson and Okur are "similar" to Gasol and Odom. Similar in style of play maybe, NOT similar in production.

 

[lukethejediknight]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight

Originally Posted by dland24

Strongly disagree.  The way the Lakers are currently constructed, you take Mamba off the team, you have a slightly better version of the current Utah Jazz.  And the Jazz played with Deron Williams for over half the season.  So the Deron Williams for half the season completely eliminates the slight edge that the Kobeless Lakers would have over the Jazz.  The Jazz have won 36 games this year.

Just sayin.  Back to the topic.

If you think that he cast around Deron Williams in Utah is in the same league as Bryant's in LA, you clearly don't watch basketball.

First of all, I already stated that the Lakers would be better.  Im not debating that.  But if you take your adoration for the Lakers away, and look at how the teams are constructed, you would see they are very similar.  Strong frontcourt, limitied scorers on the wing, etc.  If you want to disagree, fine.  But if you really think about what I am saying, its not nearly as ridiculous as you are making it seem. 

Remember, Pau Gasol (who would then be the guy carrying the Lakers) wasnt Pau Gasol until he teamed up with Kobe.  Just sayin.

Pau Gasol also just started to enter the prime seasons that players at his position typically have in his seasons as a Laker.You can continue to downplay Kobe's cast, but you're making me laugh if you think that Al Jefferson and Okur are "similar" to Gasol and Odom. Similar in style of play maybe, NOT similar in production.

 

[abutta13]

anyone else think lebron and his boys did the decision for the money? i mean they said they donated the proceeds to charity but who knows what really went down

 

[abutta13]

anyone else think lebron and his boys did the decision for the money? i mean they said they donated the proceeds to charity but who knows what really went down