LeTravel, LaQween, LaDouche - La Going to LA

[Induveca]

Warms my heart to see so many of you guys coming around on LeBron and, at the very least, giving him the props he deserves as a player.

Good god why? I've told this situation before I believe, James is an extreme jerk off the court.

His entourage attempted to kick out my friend (the owner!) from a restaurant bathroom in a very threatening manner. James stood in the outside dark hallway with sunglasses on while mouthing something to the effect of "get out". He refused to be in bathrooms apparently with others.

Of course my friend told them he owned the restaurant, and proceeded to kick James and his entire entourage out of his establishment.

Jerk of the highest degree.

[GhostsOfGil]

On the flip side, I met Kevin Durant at a court in Arlington once. A bunch of kids begged him to play but he left because he had to meet his brother. 2 hours later he came back with some shoes, balled a bit and spent 45 minutes signing autographs. I know some people say KD is fake humble, but the dude seemed like a genuinely cool guy.

[FreeBalling]

I love the evolution of this threat. I only root for the Bullets and who ever is playing against LeTravel. He is arguably the best player in the NBA and he's a crybaby Flopper.


Just win baby!

[montestewart]

The story is changing: LeBJ got better, switched teams, teamed up with an obnoxious d-bag...let's see, did anything else change?

[FAH1223]

On the flip side, I met Kevin Durant at a court in Arlington once. A bunch of kids begged him to play but he left because he had to meet his brother. 2 hours later he came back with some shoes, balled a bit and spent 45 minutes signing autographs. I know some people say KD is fake humble, but the dude seemed like a genuinely cool guy.

He was hooping over at Bowie gym a couple days ago, heard the same kind of story.

[dandridge 10]

Still hate him.. Hard not to appreciate what he's doing from a basketball standpoint though.

Oh yeah the question was never whether or not he was talented or could play the game, the question was always whether or not he was irredeemable as a human colostomy bag. Jury is still out as far as I'm concerned. Still seems a pompous douche to me.

This is where I am. I respect his talent...I will never like him. People say he has matured...I say that he has just learned how to play to the media.

[dobrojim]

+1 BobbyD

he's definitely learned how to manage his public personna.

[montestewart]

+1 BobbyD

he's definitely learned how to manage his public personna.

But those flailing arms still look a little unmanageable.

[Knighthonor]

how can you hate somebody you dont know?

nvm

[dobrojim]

how can you hate somebody you dont know?

nvm

I don't 'hate' LBJ.

But one might just as easily ask, how can you 'love' somebody
you don't know? If you were personally witness to something
like what Indu described, how might that change your opinion?
Or like if you were one of the police investigators interviewing Kobe
in CO, could you still root for the player?

Wealth and celebrity has ruined a lot of folks
who might otherwise have been decent (or not).

[barelyawake]

I suppose it's the natural, human condition to want to create gods, especially in the advertising industry. And I suppose it's normal for youth to always want to believe this moment is the greatest time in history. The league, the fans, everyone has been hoping for someone to believe in as the "next Jordan." But, LeBron James isn't even the best basketball player of this era. Duncan is.

I have seen nothing from LeBron James that puts him in the discussion of the top ten, All-Time greats. He has the body for it. But, he has neither the heart, nor the creativity (under pressure), for it. He can overpower his competition only when he barrels into the lane, and the refs swallow their whistles. He's not clever. He doesn't think two moves ahead (like I have seen superstars do). I've never seen LeBron do something unexpected, especially in crunch time. I've never seen him outthink a strong opponent under stress. There is no sense of awe, no feeling that this guy is impossible to stop -- like Shaq, Kareem, Jordan, Magic, etc. There is only the feeling that if LeBron puts his head down and bulls through the lane, that the officials will let him get away with it.

LeBron is not a "once in a generation" player. Physically, sure. Mentally, hardly. We will see another player in the next decade who will make us forget all this LeBron hype. And hopefully, Duncan will get his due, while James languishes somewhere in the top 20 (where he can be mentioned as much as Drexler -- who had greater basketball IQ & heart).

Of course, I hate the man, so I might be biased. But, I don't think so...

[LyricalRico]

What's interesting now is if Miami loses, does a rift in the Big Three occur? LeBron is already basically saying he can't trust Wade/Bosh and he has to go back to his Cleveland days, and the other two are complaining about lack of opportunity.

Also, how with Miami as a whole deal with other teams like the Pacers getting just as much respect from the refs? They need those calls IMO, and without them we are really seeing their deficiencies as a basketball team.

[Ruzious]

C'mon Barely, he did it in the series with Indiana with the last second drive to the basket against George. Indy was clearly expecting a jump shot (which almost all game-winning shots are), and he fooled em. The guy is one of life's winners - not just physically but mentally, as well. He wins in every way possible - not just strength, but finesse, leadership, attention to detail at both ends, quickness, anticipation, will to win, the entire package. Bosh and Wade have stunk in this series - they might as well be Jan Vesely and Nick Young. Battier and Ray Allen have been complete non-factors, and that's when they haven't been horrible. Battier's shot less than 25% for the entire playoffs and does nothing on the boards. They've got a tattooed moron (literally) who's been found wanting elsewhere as their 2nd most effective player in this series. Lebron's on-court entourage is back like it was in Cleveland - maybe even worse. And he's going to the 7th game in the Eastern Conference yet again.

[Ruzious]

And who's the best at flopping?

No buddy beddah den duh King!

[daSwami]

I think part of Lebron's "problem" (not sure he even has a problem, apart from public perception) is that he's never played for a great coach (ie, a Popovich or Jackson).

[barelyawake]

Ruz, there are a plethora of people who agree with your assessment. I'm still unconvinced. This is the Indiana Pacers (circa 2013). Not the Ewing Knicks. If James can't "will" a win against this Pacer team, then we REALLY need to roll back the hype. I'll stick with my assessment that James has never mentally wowed me. I have never once thought, "How did he even think do to that?" -- as I have about several players in my lifetime. And he's a dick. So there's that...

[deneem4]

George played better than lefloppa last night...everytime miami started feeling it he made a big play...hes really moving into elite status

[DANNYLANDOVER]

I suppose it's the natural, human condition to want to create gods, especially in the advertising industry. And I suppose it's normal for youth to always want to believe this moment is the greatest time in history. The league, the fans, everyone has been hoping for someone to believe in as the "next Jordan." But, LeBron James isn't even the best basketball player of this era. Duncan is.

I have seen nothing from LeBron James that puts him in the discussion of the top ten, All-Time greats. He has the body for it. But, he has neither the heart, nor the creativity (under pressure), for it. He can overpower his competition only when he barrels into the lane, and the refs swallow their whistles. He's not clever. He doesn't think two moves ahead (like I have seen superstars do). I've never seen LeBron do something unexpected, especially in crunch time. I've never seen him outthink a strong opponent under stress. There is no sense of awe, no feeling that this guy is impossible to stop -- like Shaq, Kareem, Jordan, Magic, etc. There is only the feeling that if LeBron puts his head down and bulls through the lane, that the officials will let him get away with it.

LeBron is not a "once in a generation" player. Physically, sure. Mentally, hardly. We will see another player in the next decade who will make us forget all this LeBron hype. And hopefully, Duncan will get his due, while James languishes somewhere in the top 20 (where he can be mentioned as much as Drexler -- who had greater basketball IQ & heart).

Of course, I hate the man, so I might be biased. But, I don't think so...

haha, you are definitely biased...that was hard to read without laughing

[dobrojim]

if we're going to criticize players for being allowed to just bull their way
to the basket, we oughta start with Shaq. Yes he got much better later
in his career skill-wise but for the first 3rd-half of his career, he basically
bullied his way to the rim for dunks.

but carry on with the LBJ critiques. Hope MIA loses but would be at least
somewhat surprised if it happens in the ECF game7. MIA-SAN would be a compelling
Final series. Stern's ratings nightmare is IND-SAN.

[penbeast0]

George played better than lefloppa last night...everytime miami started feeling it he made a big play...hes really moving into elite status

Not sure you can blame last night on LeBron; where were Miami's two other max money players?