cbfalcon 827 Posted July 9, 2010 If you are Carmelo Anthony, or any halfway decent player on another team and will be a free agent next year or the year after. After reading this letter, I wouldn't dare even think of going to play for this guy's organization. Dan Gilbert may have gotten it off his chest but he just sunk his frachise even further than it already was. Real stupid move. Amatuear hour. Because there was a chance in hell of a player like Carmelo ever going to Cleveland anyway? Bosh wasn't even willing to play in that city when they had Lebron James. Now they don't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itsbigmoni 1 Posted July 9, 2010 I'm not saying anything of the sort. But you have certain expectations as a fan when a player of Lebron's ability says that the most important things to him are family, loyalty, and winning , and that he looks forward to bringing multiple championships to Cleveland, and when he bolts for another team without a second thought after the owner and management mortgage the future to win him a ring right now, you feel betrayed. Seems like loyalty and family don't mean anything and winning is everything. That's fine, I get that attitude, but don't talk about how loyal you are while leaving for "greener pastures". I'll tell you the one thing he owed. He owed Dan Gilbert at least a heads up as to the direction he was leaning so that the Cavs could have been more proactive. No, actually, not even so they could be proactive. Just because it's the right thing to do after seven years of building a franchise around him. Instead, he left them handcuffed and waiting just like everybody else. He didn't even say anything to Gilbert, Gibert found out from the TV like everybody else. That's pretty sh1tty, no? What makes you think it wasn't without a second thought? How do you know he wasn't agonized by the decision? The cavs suck. How many games will they win this year without lebron? So they tried to surround him with a championship caliber team, but they clearly failed because they wont even make the playoffs this year. He should stick around on a team that shitty? The cavs should have been making that plan anyways. He still tried to go where a ring was instead of earning one himself. Lebron's looking for multiple rings, so he did it earlier. This is gay. We talk about athletes sacrificing everything they can to win. Off-season work, in-season film sessions, etc. Lebron is doing everything he can to win and now he gets booed for it. You're dumb. Name me ONE player who earned a ring himself? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Patriotsfatboy1 1,433 Posted July 9, 2010 The reason he fired Mike Brown was to placate LeB1tch. He fired Mike Brown because he sucked. Brown and Ferry wanted to add players to go with Lebron, so they spent a bunch of dough on guys like Mo Williams and Antwan Jamison. It got them a great regular season record and nothing else. So, Brown and Ferry are now looking for jobs. Brown had to go either way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackARoot 2 Posted July 9, 2010 I can understand the fans feeling betrayed, but for the owner to come out and rip Lebron like that publicly and call his loyalty into question is pretty ridiculous. It wasn't a big surprise that he went elsewhere. And while he was in Cleveland, from what I've heard, he worked hard and stayed out of trouble. How much more can you ask from a kid you drafted out of High School? These owners treat the NBA as a business, but when they are on the wrong end of a business decision Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Headslap75 0 Posted July 9, 2010 Damn and to think Lebron ran Braylon Edwards out of town....that what really hurts!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frank M 181 Posted July 9, 2010 What makes you think it wasn't without a second thought? How do you know he wasn't agonized by the decision? The cavs suck. How many games will they win this year without lebron? So they tried to surround him with a championship caliber team, but they clearly failed because they wont even make the playoffs this year. He should stick around on a team that shitty? All of which means nothing in the context of what I'm saying. Here's my point: If you portray yourself a certain way, as Lebron did in emphasizing his loyalty and dedication to bringing Cleveland a championship, then you bolt in a manner that's incredibly disloyal because you want to win, and what you want is obviously paramount to all other concerns, then yeah, you're a dooshbag. And I'm not even talking about loyalty in the sense that he should have stayed out of loyalty. I'm talking about the way it went down, without even a heads up to the team that's bent over backwards trying to deliver him a championship for seven years or the fans that made him rich buying his sh1t. The fact that the Cavs won't make the playoffs this year doesn't mean anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KSB2424 3,173 Posted July 9, 2010 All of which means nothing in the context of what I'm saying. Here's my point: If you portray yourself a certain way, as Lebron did in emphasizing his loyalty and dedication to bringing Cleveland a championship, then you bolt in a manner that's incredibly disloyal because you want to win, and what you want is obviously paramount to all other concerns, then yeah, you're a dooshbag. And I'm not even talking about loyalty in the sense that he should have stayed out of loyalty. I'm talking about the way it went down, without even a heads up to the team that's bent over backwards trying to deliver him a championship for seven years or the fans that made him rich buying his sh1t. The fact that the Cavs won't make the playoffs this year doesn't mean anything. The the fock outta here with that nonsense. You've got it all twisted around. LeBron James was DRAFTED by Cleveland. Your franchise went from a net worth of 200 million pre-LeBron to 400 million post LeBron. Dan Gilbert is the one that got rich off of LeBron. He even re-up'd once to stay 3 more years. And don't even actu like the "Cleveland fans" made him rich. Lebron is a top 3 basketball global icon. He was gonna be rich in Cleveland, Charlotte, Maimi, or the focking Timberwolves. Ya'll act like he "owes" you guys something just because he is fron Ohio. You guys had him for seven focking years, your city made money, your owner made money, you had fun watching the team play. Be a man and wish your old girlfriend good luck. I know she left you for a better looking, more fit, more successful man. But that doesn't mean you have to trash talk her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JT 137 Posted July 9, 2010 He still tried to go where a ring was instead of earning one himself. Lebron's looking for multiple rings, so he did it earlier. No animosity from me toward anyone that had the misfortune to play at the same time as Jordan/Pippen. And lots of aging vets move in an attempt to win a ring. Barkley, Drexler, Maravich...the list goes on. My problem with James is solely limited to the way in which he went about this process. To alert only the team that won his services, leaving his current team and other suitors to find out about it on a tv special, is a cowardly move. You have to have confidence, even cockiness, to play at that level. But arrogance is a different story. It's one thing to believe you're better than everyone else. It's another to treat them that way. ETA: Gilbert will regret this letter. It shows him to be the same kind of frontrunner he's accusing James of being. "I'll love you while you're here, and trash you and your reputation when you displease me." The previous poster who said it will negatively influence future FA's is absolutely right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Me_2006 14 Posted July 9, 2010 Yes, because if that jerk LeBron had only stayed, Cleveland would stop sucking at everything. Jesus, you guys are pathetic and it clearly starts at the top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frank M 181 Posted July 9, 2010 The the fock outta here with that nonsense. You've got it all twisted around. LeBron James was DRAFTED by Cleveland. Your franchise went from a net worth of 200 million pre-LeBron to 400 million post LeBron. Dan Gilbert is the one that got rich off of LeBron. He even re-up'd once to stay 3 more years. And don't even actu like the "Cleveland fans" made him rich. Lebron is a top 3 basketball global icon. He was gonna be rich in Cleveland, Charlotte, Maimi, or the focking Timberwolves. Ya'll act like he "owes" you guys something just because he is fron Ohio. You guys had him for seven focking years, your city made money, your owner made money, you had fun watching the team play. Be a man and wish your old girlfriend good luck. I know she left you for a better looking, more fit, more successful man. But that doesn't mean you have to trash talk her. He doesn't owe me anything. I said he's a dooshbag for how he went about things and how he portrayed himself. At the very least, he owed the Cavs organization a heads up. I'm a Browns fan. Disappointment's in my blood, so one a-hole basketball player doesn't affect me at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itsbigmoni 1 Posted July 9, 2010 All of which means nothing in the context of what I'm saying. Here's my point: If you portray yourself a certain way, as Lebron did in emphasizing his loyalty and dedication to bringing Cleveland a championship, then you bolt in a manner that's incredibly disloyal because you want to win, and what you want is obviously paramount to all other concerns, then yeah, you're a dooshbag. And I'm not even talking about loyalty in the sense that he should have stayed out of loyalty. I'm talking about the way it went down, without even a heads up to the team that's bent over backwards trying to deliver him a championship for seven years or the fans that made him rich buying his sh1t. The fact that the Cavs won't make the playoffs this year doesn't mean anything. The franchise bent over backwards for him? The owner didn't want a championship? The team didn't want to win a championship for the city? I didn't know they only did that so James can have a championship. Every team should try their hardest to win a championship. I understand some teams can go over the cap and take on more risk, but that isn't limited to the cavs. Cuban, Buss, Dolan to name a few "bent over backwards" to try to win a championship. You act like cleveland did something unique and special for lebron that no other team was doing. He didn't tell anyone. If he had told gilbert, don't you think his disloyal sour ass would've told the media? There's a reason he didn't tell the owner because he's clearly a dooshbag. I bet you non-clevelanders/non-ohioans made him more money than people from ohio. I bet just the city of NY made him more money than all of ohio combined. He emphasized his loyalty. He re-upped for 3 more years. He spent 7 years (which lets say 4 of which were seasons he could arguably lead a championship caliber team to the finals) and the management failed him. Why should he keep pouring everything into an organization that can't provide a supporting cast? And get out of here with that quitting stuff. The man scored 29 of 31 points in the 4th quarter/ot teams against one of the top defenses in the league. What he did to detroit was the greatest nba related thing i've ever seen live. You can't question his heart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frank M 181 Posted July 9, 2010 The franchise bent over backwards for him? The owner didn't want a championship? The team didn't want to win a championship for the city? I didn't know they only did that so James can have a championship. Every team should try their hardest to win a championship. I understand some teams can go over the cap and take on more risk, but that isn't limited to the cavs. Cuban, Buss, Dolan to name a few "bent over backwards" to try to win a championship. You act like cleveland did something unique and special for lebron that no other team was doing. He didn't tell anyone. If he had told gilbert, don't you think his disloyal sour ass would've told the media? There's a reason he didn't tell the owner because he's clearly a dooshbag. I bet you non-clevelanders/non-ohioans made him more money than people from ohio. I bet just the city of NY made him more money than all of ohio combined. He emphasized his loyalty. He re-upped for 3 more years. He spent 7 years (which lets say 4 of which were seasons he could arguably lead a championship caliber team to the finals) and the management failed him. Why should he keep pouring everything into an organization that can't provide a supporting cast? And get out of here with that quitting stuff. The man scored 29 of 31 points in the 4th quarter/ot teams against one of the top defenses in the league. What he did to detroit was the greatest nba related thing i've ever seen live. You can't question his heart. Actually, I can question whatever the fock I want to question, and I can call him a dooshbag for doing it the way he did however the fock much I want, and you can gargle my sac if you don't like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cbfalcon 827 Posted July 9, 2010 He didn't tell anyone. If he had told gilbert, don't you think his disloyal sour ass would've told the media? Maybe the biggest reason LBJ is am all time doosh. Read what u just wrote. He couldn't let the only franchise he has ever played for know he was leaving because it could hurt his self requested prime time special's ratings. And that's what he considered important. Not the city or franchises involved. His shows ratings. Think about that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nobody 2,884 Posted July 9, 2010 Give me a break. Players get traded and find out through the media all the time. You can't tell me all this crying is because of the way he handled this. Sure it was defintitely a spectacle, but you can't tell me that James deserves allt his backlash because he made a spectacle of his free agency. This is just like Favre. Ain't no one going to remember all this when the Heat win 65 games next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gocolts 300 Posted July 9, 2010 I am just glad LBJ didn't go to one of the NY teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IGotWorms 4,063 Posted July 10, 2010 Yes, this letter is certainly "sour grapes," but I also think that Dan Gilbert is right. The way Lebron chose to leave Cleveland is absolutely shameful. He deserves all the hate he is going to get from this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nobody 2,884 Posted July 10, 2010 Judging by Gilbert's reaction, I think even if James did give him a head's up, he probably would have just cursed him out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GettnHuge 2 Posted July 10, 2010 Yes, this letter is certainly "sour grapes," but I also think that Dan Gilbert is right. The way Lebron chose to leave Cleveland is absolutely shameful. He deserves all the hate he is going to get from this. cleveland rocks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
