LeBatard: Pau was set to sign with Heat til Lebron text him

[thinktellectual]

Interesting info on Reddit.

This was just said during the local hour of Dan LeBatard's radio show. Apparently Riley had Gasol locked up until LeBron told Pau he wasn't coming back. This was before Riley was informed that LBJ wasn't coming back.

I don't have a link or anything but if you do a twitter search for "gasol lebron" you will see several people talking about it.

http://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/2g89tx/lebatard_on_the_radio_pau_gasol_was_set_to_sign/

Pau / Andersen
Bosh / McRoberts
Lebron / Deng / Granger
Wade / Allen
Chalmer / Cole / Napier

Hmm.. it could have been an extraordinary team. Bosh and Wade would have to take a substantial pay cut though.

I called it. More than 1 year ago I called Pau signing with the Heat (if Lebron stayed).
It's a shame he loves Cleveland that much.

I also thought amnestying Miller would NEVER happen till I saw the news. I was disappointed, but didn't think it would have such an impact.

Maybe Lebron felt betrayed by it. Maybe he thought "you talk us into taking paycuts of millions (as millionaires) and talk about family, but you, a billionaire, refuse to spend a few extra million on keeping the family together".

And I think Riley knew before the decision. Maybe he wasn't informed directly, but signing Granger and McBob, guys that didn't get along with Lebron in the past, was such an odd decision if Lebron stayed, especially since they would have probably been on the market even later on, and you could find other similarly skilled guys.

That being said, it's gonna be extra funny if the Bulls eliminate the Cavs in the playoffs.

[Dupas]

Lebeta gonna lebeta.

[Flash4thewin]

LeBitch obviously had a problem with the coaching staff & most notably Arison for letting go of Mike Miller...He could rot in Cleveland for all I care but telling everybody else instead of the man (Riley) who sat back and defended you when Cleveland fans were burning your jersey and the owner of the Cavs basically called you a quitter is some real stank ish

That had nothing to do why he left. He left to Cleveland to to gain power and control.

This, and a younger Big 3. It intrigues me to see if LeBron is going to get more calls now that he is away from the Heat.

I fully expect Lebron to get more calls. The issue was not that Lebron was with the heat but we have a head coach that openly says its not his "Job" to fight for calls. Lebron gets his nose broken, people in the stands are reacting in shock and Spo just shrugs his shoulders and walks to the other end of the court like nothing happened. Spo being Spo i guess.

Yes this is all about power and control. In all his years as a Miami Heat Lebron James, the MVP was never given the title of Team captain which was odd to say the least. The Miller thing played a roll. Because of what we did to Miller, Lebron signed for the MAX, no more paycuts.

[dr3am]

LeBitch obviously had a problem with the coaching staff & most notably Arison for letting go of Mike Miller...He could rot in Cleveland for all I care but telling everybody else instead of the man (Riley) who sat back and defended you when Cleveland fans were burning your jersey and the owner of the Cavs basically called you a quitter is some real stank ish

That had nothing to do why he left. He left to Cleveland to to gain power and control.

*yawns*

[Heat3]

LeBitch obviously had a problem with the coaching staff & most notably Arison for letting go of Mike Miller...He could rot in Cleveland for all I care but telling everybody else instead of the man (Riley) who sat back and defended you when Cleveland fans were burning your jersey and the owner of the Cavs basically called you a quitter is some real stank ish

That had nothing to do why he left. He left to Cleveland to to gain power and control.

This, and a younger Big 3. It intrigues me to see if LeBron is going to get more calls now that he is away from the Heat.

Never mind Lebron, will Wade get more calls now?! I want the return of d-whistle!

[SweetTouch]

Thank you
So he helped us in a way
Getting a washed up pau would of let straight into the treadmill of mediocrity

Either way that's where we're headed

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

So am I allowed to call that scubmag LEBUM again or ya'll panties gonna get wrapped up again?

We could have had title favorites next year with that team. The Heat still had at LEAST 4 more years of Finals appearances.

He is a coward bum ass player, and he should have been taken to task by the media for what he did. Abandoning a championship dynasty during the middle of it's run. Abandoning Riley, Wade, etc.....

The city of Miami embraced him and we fought vs the World as everyone hated on him, on our team, on Wade, on the city, on the fans. We put up and stood up for him and this is what he did.




**** Lebum

[Shewasfly]

It doesn't really matter what more incriminating evidence comes out about LeBron. On this board, they will worship him anyway and jump on you if you speak any ill of him. Something could come out tomorrow saying LeBron punched the grandpas of some of these posters in the nose and they'd be like "4 finals trip 2 championships erase all!!". Meanwhile, the next sentence out their mouths is Wade is washed and trash and this team is going nowhere. True Heat fans we have here.

[Wolfy1983]

It doesn't really matter what more incriminating evidence comes out about LeBron. On this board, they will worship him anyway and jump on you if you speak any ill of him. Something could come out tomorrow saying LeBron punched the grandpas of some of these posters in the nose and they'd be like "4 finals trip 2 championships erase all!!". Meanwhile, the next sentence out their mouths is Wade is washed and trash and this team is going nowhere. True Heat fans we have here.

2 Titles and 4 finals appearances. Nothing to see here, MOVE ALONG!

[SlowPaced]

Who cares?

[ReturnofMVP3]

Hoe where we suppose to pay him

[ifrosty13]

Hoe where we suppose to pay him

The Big 3 were expected to take a pay cut to be able to bring in another key player. However, even if we worked as a capped team, we could have signed him with the MLE, which if im not mistaken, was the amount he signed up with Chicago for.

[c2asante]

As a HEAT fan I am pissed he left the way he did, but as a person who believes in karma and fairness I accept that the way he screwed Cleveland and left them hanging for our benefit is the same way he later left us hanging and screwed us for their benefit. In essence think of the HEAT as a mistress who convinces a man to leave his wife and marry her. Can she honestly be outraged when he later leaves her for someone else? It hurts but in retrospect we could have looked at his behavior when we got and realistically knew to enjoy the ride but dont expect it to last forever or end classy.

[musiqsoulchild]

Quick question:

Is LeBatard reliable? In that, if Pau wanted to play with LeBron why not just join him in Cleveland?

[ifrosty13]

Quick question:

Is LeBatard reliable? In that, if Pau wanted to play with LeBron why not just join him in Cleveland?

Probably because Love was more interesting to Lebron than Gasol.

[Flash4thewin]

Quick question:

Is LeBatard reliable? In that, if Pau wanted to play with LeBron why not just join him in Cleveland?

Probably because Love was more interesting to Lebron than Gasol.

Well part of it is location. Pau would take a pay cut to play in Miami but not in Cle. Then when the Bulls offered him a 22 million contract it was a no brainer and he took it.

The one thing i dont understand, Lebron and his agent made it crystal clear he would not a take a pay cut after what happened with Miller. So why was Pat plan predicated on the big three taking another pay cut contract?

[NBADraft2003]

So am I allowed to call that scubmag LEBUM again or ya'll panties gonna get wrapped up again?

We could have had title favorites next year with that team. The Heat still had at LEAST 4 more years of Finals appearances.

He is a coward bum ass player, and he should have been taken to task by the media for what he did. Abandoning a championship dynasty during the middle of it's run. Abandoning Riley, Wade, etc.....

The city of Miami embraced him and we fought vs the World as everyone hated on him, on our team, on Wade, on the city, on the fans. We put up and stood up for him and this is what he did.



**** Lebum

I agree with the bolded.

[SweetTouch]

Quick question:

Is LeBatard reliable? In that, if Pau wanted to play with LeBron why not just join him in Cleveland?

Probably because Love was more interesting to Lebron than Gasol.

Well part of it is location. Pau would take a pay cut to play in Miami but not in Cle. Then when the Bulls offered him a 22 million contract it was a no brainer and he took it.

The one thing i dont understand, Lebron and his agent made it crystal clear he would not a take a pay cut after what happened with Miller. So why was Pat plan predicated on the big three taking another pay cut contract?

Pats idea was to pay them under the table on the DL

LBJ wouldn't want Pau, another oldie

[DefenseWins]

I think most people knew that

I thought we had Gasol locked up but would only come back if Lebron did. Let's be real here, it wouldn't have been appetizing to join if Lebron didn't come back. He was the most powerful of the big 3.

I remember a few of us said how if Lebron texted Pau he was coming back, the whole free agency frenzy would have been over. But Lebrons huge delay I guess should have given us a hint.

If Wade looked healthier, Lebron got more help in the finals, and if we won last year, we would have a front line of Pau, bosh and Lebron.

But it is what it is. Lots of ifs and no promises. We have recovered nicely anyway, time to just except our current team and compete. Just sucks everything is dependent on Wade's knee

[DefenseWins]

Quick question:

Is LeBatard reliable? In that, if Pau wanted to play with LeBron why not just join him in Cleveland?

Pau's primary reason wasn't to join Lebron, it was to join a contender. With Lebron gone, in a lot of peoples minds, we aren't contenders and maybe we aren't, considering we have to depend on Wade who doesn't have a good health history right now

So Pau went and joined the Bulls because of Rose coming back. Thing is, there is no guarantee he will be healthy. Also Bulls gave him basically his last huge payday.