718 replies to this topic

[DJ MC]

Seriously, nobody can deny it. You are essentially letting the best players pick and choose where and with who they want to play on a year to year basis. That's really great for the league.

 

Yeah. Shame they ever got rid of that reserve clause. Free agency has been awful for professional sports.

[mweb08]

When the going gets tough, leave. Great message to our children.

Well when people discuss his seasons as failures if they don't include titles, this possibility shouldn't be shocking. Winning at all costs is valued very highly in our society. And if you're a great athlete and you have a choice, choosing winning is great for the legacy, but it's also more fun I would think.

[bnickle]

Yeah. Shame they ever got rid of that reserve clause. Free agency has been awful for professional sports.

You're giving these guys opt out clauses 2-3 years into contracts. Seriously, just fucking go year by year. If someone with enough pull as LBJ demands a trade after 1 year, he'd get it anyway.

The contracts are essentially meaningless. I guess that's great for professional sports.

[mweb08]

I'm really not sure why leaving is selfish either. He has done a ton for the Heat, and if either are in debt to the other, it's the Heat that are in debt to James.

[mweb08]

Yeah. Shame they ever got rid of that reserve clause. Free agency has been awful for professional sports.

You're giving these guys opt out clauses 2-3 years into contracts. Seriously, just fucking go year by year. If someone with enough pull as LBJ demands a trade after 1 year, he'd get it anyway.


The contracts are essentially meaningless. I guess that's great for professional sports.

If a guy like that demands a trade, his team will get a lot back, so it's not essentially meaningless. Guys of this caliber don't demand trades often either and generally don't get dealt until late in their deal.

[bnickle]

I'm really not sure why leaving is selfish either. He has done a ton for the Heat, and if either are in debt to the other, it's the Heat that are in debt to James.

Yeah, Mercs can definitely be brought in and help for a given time. No loyalty though. All about the bottom line.

That's not what team sports are supposed to be all about.


As I said, I hope James does leave. Then there isn't a "decision "for awhile and when Wade or Riley eventually write their books they can talk about just how far back and in depth the collusion was between the Big 3.

As Simmons pointed out, hopefully the Miami Mafia would eventually get LeBron.

[DJ MC]

You're giving these guys opt out clauses 2-3 years into contracts. Seriously, just fucking go year by year. If someone with enough pull as LBJ demands a trade after 1 year, he'd get it anyway.

The contracts are essentially meaningless. I guess that's great for professional sports.

 

I think someone already mentioned the NFL. Definitely has hurt that league.

 

Teams and players decide what go into contracts. If either side doesn't like it, they can decide not to add that language. If they find that others won't play along, they can try and have it legislated into the CBA.

 

That's how this works, and it does work. If it were bad for the sport, things would change, and if it turns out it is, they will.

[mweb08]

What are team sports supposed to be about?

[DJ MC]

As I said, I hope James does leave. Then there isn't a "decision "for awhile and when Wade or Riley eventually write their books they can talk about just how far back and in depth the collusion was between the Big 3.

 

If they're mercenaries with no loyalty, then they really couldn't have been "colluding" that far back, right? I mean, how could they know they could trust the others to follow through?

[bnickle]

If they're mercenaries with no loyalty, then they really couldn't have been "colluding" that far back, right? I mean, how could they know they could trust the others to follow through?

They didn't realize LBJ was a Merc. Not3, not 4, not 5, not 6. It's obvious the plan was to do this for longer than a 4 year window.


You think Bosh and Wade arent going to be pissed if LBJ leaves them high and dry.

[Cisc-O's]

James took a pay cut to win two titles and go to 4 conference championship games. Could you imagine if Ray Lewis went from team to team would he have had as much a legacy? He has made me happy I like watching him lose. You may be the greatest player but that doesn't help against a an better team. He really should only have one, just got lucky last year.

[mweb08]

If they're mercenaries with no loyalty, then they really couldn't have been "colluding" that far back, right? I mean, how could they know they could trust the others to follow through?

They didn't realize LBJ was a Merc. Not3, not 4, not 5, not 6.



You think Bosh and Wade arent going to be pissed if LBJ leaves them high and dry.

They can sign wherever they want and can attract different talent to Miami if he leaves. If they want him to stay, they should allow for some extra payroll flexibility. If this were baseball, none of this would be an issue, the Heat would just keep the Big 3 and add to it.

[DJ MC]

They didn't realize LBJ was a Merc. Not3, not 4, not 5, not 6.


You think Bosh and Wade arent going to be pissed if LBJ leaves them high and dry.

 

Wait, but they demanded the same language in their contracts, right? That's why all three are in this discussion about opting out (though neither Wade nor Bosh will give up the money).

 

I think the greatest irony about this whole thing, especially your entirely dualistic reading of the situation (as in every other discussion you have), is that they will understand that this is business and that while coming together won them two championships and a shot at two more it's time to move on.

 

Especially since they will, again, be taking money that neither has this season nor will in the future earn, which could be construed as a lack of loyalty to the Heat, who will be severely hamstrung over the next few seasons.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I think the most sickening thing about LeBron is that he's probably rooting for both the US and France in the World Cup. Terrible message for our youth.

[DJ MC]

I think the most sickening thing about LeBron is that he's probably rooting for both the US and France in the World Cup. Terrible message for our youth.

 

Well, of course. Why would you root for the French?

[mweb08]

Shaq is a decent comp for James. I don't think many hold it against him that he played for 3 teams in his prime and then a few more afterwards. Maybe he'd be more beloved if he played in Orlando his whole career, but I don't think the lack of loyalty or whatever really makes much of a difference when people are ranking him.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Shaq is a decent comp for James. I don't think many hold it against him that he played for 3 teams in his prime and then a few more afterwards. Maybe he'd be more beloved if he played in Orlando his whole career, but I don't think the lack of loyalty or whatever really makes much of a difference when people are ranking him.

 

I've always thought that despite the accolades, Kareem is one of the more under-appreciated of the all-time greats. I know he was traded from Milwaukee, but he requested the trade so it's not that much different than being a free agent. If he had stayed in Milwaukee, what would be his legacy today? Would he be more respected for staying in one place? Would he have won any more titles in Milwaukee besides the one? Even if so, would he have even come close to the 5 he won in LA? Of course there's also the fact that Kareem could often be aloof, and fair or not that may impact people's impression of his legacy.

 

A comp in another sport is Reggie White. Seems to me he isn't judged any less for going to Green Bay to win a SB instead of staying in Philly and "willing" his other teammates to greatness.

[DJ MC]

http://grantland.com...-contracts-nba/

 

Zack Lowe discusses some of the same things as this thread. His idea is to loosen and eliminate restrictions on individual contracts.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Chris Broussard        ✔ LeBron James' agent Rich Paul has told Heat LeBron will exercise early termination option

[NewMarketSean]

For everyone who says, and complains, about the NFL becoming a year long sport with lots of coverage of the combine, draft, OTA's, preseason, etc....the NBA is much worse. There is as much discussion about players opting out of contracts as there is about the actual games themselves. SportsCenter has been discussing Carmelo and LeBron for about 35 mins straight.

 

Oh and the preseason starts up in 8 weeks.