Credit and crow thread

[stan francisco]

I’m here to eat crow and give credit where credit is due.

Have any crow to share? Jump in!

LeBron has had me burping crow for months now. It’s now at the point where it’s coming out of my ears and my nose, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

I’m a fan of the name on the front of the jerseys and not the one on the back, so I’ll rarely celebrate individual accolades unless the intent and result favored the team. It’s not just a LeBron thing. I always yelled at Kobe (RIP) too for taking triple contested fade-away threes, lol, when he had three team mates open. Yes, even if the team mates were Kwame, Smush and Mihm; and even when he made them I yelled at Kobe because make or miss, it was still the wrong play. I was ‘mad’ because it was a play for him, not for us or his team. What I’m trying to say is that as a Laker fan I’m not impressed with no LeBron individual dunk or insane stat line. Not until he plays the right way; for us, for his team to win. It’s a leadership and responsibility of the group thing. I didn’t think he had it. I didn’t see it last year, he didn’t seem comfortable. I thought he’d fold and blame the youngins.

Never ever have I been a LeBron fan, and despite having watched his career I’m absolutely dumbfounded at how well he played out this season. He practically played a perfect post season. Stats, sure, but watch the games! Dominant. Shaq level dominant in terms of game impact. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like it. It actually makes me wonder, has anyone ever seen a star player play a more flawless playoffs run? Has anyone ever dominated a postseason more consistently? Besides Shaq and Kobe and Kareem and Magic, Jordan etc that is ... I’d like to argue that this post season run by LBJ was historically great.

In the 2020 bubble playoffs LeBron played defense on a world elite level. I’ve never seen him play better defense. Mentally he stayed hyper focused and barely made any mistakes. Offensively, he made better plays in the half court setting up his team mates than I’ve ever seen him do. He even ran the break to perfection, still, even if to no surprise. The impact, efficiency and productivity he delivered is simply sick by any standards, compared to any player ever. Rebounding was solid to extraordinary, FTs were falling, and in terms of assists and playmaking on the break he was as good as I’ve ever seen him before. At age 36. Freak. Of. Nature.

Simply, there’s NOTHING more one could’ve asked LeBron to do. Nothing. There’s almost nothing to improve. I’m blown away impressed by what a total world class competitor he is, all time GOAT contender. Beastly, by historic proportions! Like, Michael Phelps or Bo Jackson or Tiger Woods badass dominant.


So before I let out my last crow burp, I apologize for calling you LeGroin, I apologize for calling you other bad names when you tried to play GM and drive our hard won promising youth out of town, and I’m glad that I was wrong thinking that when it came to the big stage—being a Laker great—you didn’t have the leadership cajones to carry the load. I thought you’d fold and that we should have preemptively traded you for cap space. I thought you were an amazing phenom on an historic scale, but one that was not a Shaq or Magic or Kobe or Kareem; one I could keep calling LeBronze.

I was completely wrong, and I’m perfectly happy to admit it and eat that tasty crow. Keep it going past 40, take a pay cut to stay and retire here a Laker legend.

Now send JR Smith packing, GM LeGroin.

Edit: And, credit to all of you who knew us LBJ doubters were wrong.

[TylersLakers]

Glad to see you admitting it!

GO LAKERS!

[BEazy]

While I use to hate LBJ a lot for his antics, I'm certainly wrong about the way he plays the game. I promised myself after Kobe passed away that I'm not going to compare MJ/KB/LBJ anymore. I'm just going to appreciate however many years LBJ has left and enjoy it. I've been a pretty avid supporter of the others on the team besides Kuzma and Green.

One person IMO that deserves the most apologies is number 9 Rajon Rondo. The guy may not be a great regular season player, but when it comes to the playoffs dude is on a another level.

I still want Kuzma and Green traded. I can't take the bricking those two do on a constant basis.

[danfantastk32]

This was a great win for alot of people. Im actually am not sure I'd throw Lebron into that mix. Lebron is a star unto his own. He will always have millions of fans, and millions of haters. He could have 4 straight 100-point games in a finals with 30 assists to boot, and there would still be those guys who find SOMETHING. Lebron goes on. His legacy is that much stronger. But he would also move on, had it been a loss...and while it woulda been a ding to his 'legacy'...I think most reasonable people woulda still held him top 5 or 6.


Rob Pelinka has been SH** on. Had his name drug through the mud. Been questioned for a couple years now. Same with Jeanie. The whole 'Rambus' thing. The interviews where she wears her heart on her sleeve, and says impulsive things (LOSERS comment comes to mind. This is something I have certainly been critical of). Her battles within the family. Being criticized for letting West goto the Clippers. Could she really win one on her own...without 'daddy'??? On and on.

Dwight. Where must he have mentally gone, to come into the gym, and essentially beg contemporaries for a chance to show he's changed? To take the minimum...and do nothing but lunch-box work the whole season?


This team had it's darkest years this decade. 4 or 5 straight egg-suckin brutal ass years. All of this under Jeanie's watch. Jeanie needed this. I bet you all she held a cherished photo of her dad the other night, and cried a BUTT-TON of personal weight, and stress, and self-inflicted expectations away. She gets my vote. I think Dwight, and Rob both walk a little bit taller for a while. But this was therapy for Jeanie. Couldn't be happier for her.

[Beethoven]

^ yeah im really happy for our owner Jeanie..

She went through a period of dark valleys, she went through it the right way ( not bashing anyone or retaliating on social media or anything but just keeping out of the limelight and putting in work day after day)
now she has seen the sunrise on the top of the mountain and hope she stays there for a long while.

She deserves it and we love her.
She's a beautiful diplomat of the sport and our team.

I only shed tears during this celebration when i thought of her and when i thought of kobe&gigi

[stan francisco]

Jeannie now has as many (modern era NBA) rings as Phil does. Really happy for her. Way to right the ship, Jeannie! Many people should eat crow for criticizing you and Rob and I’m proud not to be among them. Well, I criticized ‘story time of excellence teachings with and by the enlightened GM Rob Pelinka‘ but who didn’t?

And I shat on KCP for the last two years in about every post involving a trade so there’s that crow for me to eat, too. He showed brass balls when all other third options faded. He went nuts on the Heat in game six; attack mode.

[DS17]

Let’s go LAKERS!! Still can’t beleive it.

[stan francisco]

No love for Rondo?

Plenty of posters here have some serious Rajon Cajun Crow to eat. Multiple pivotal plays in this series happened when Rondo was orchestrating or defending. Manly performance.

[stan francisco]

Really, nobody giving Rondo his rightfully due props after trashing him here all year?

[mcscotty]

I gave Caruso a bit of a hard time in his first season. He grew on me over time. After his performance in the playoffs, I'm completely on board. Dude can flat out ball.