The LeBron James All-NBA (2nd) and Luka Doncic - 24-25 Thread

[Ian Scuffling]

Looking back, it really is incredible that he brought that Cleveland team to 4 straight finals. Both Irving and Love get hurt the first couple of years and then Irving deludes himself into thinking he's a number one before the 4th. Really, a remarkable run.

[parsnips33]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

I mean they came extremely close to 3 straight Finals appearances? And still had a chance (albeit maybe not extremely high) of another one this year before the Tatum injury?

Not like anybody's making any arguments for any Celtics player as an all-time great, let alone greatest of all time.

[thebigbird]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

I mean they came extremely close to 3 straight Finals appearances? And still had a chance (albeit maybe not extremely high) of another one this year before the Tatum injury?

Not like anybody's making any arguments for any Celtics player as an all-time great, let alone greatest of all time.

“Extremely close to 3 straight Finals” = not even making it to two straight finals in this situation.

This is the seventh year LeBron has been in the west. So far, no one has done it in consecutive seasons. But LeBron only did it 8x in a row because the East was trash…

[Mos_Heat]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

[Heej]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

Well yeah he probably saw up close and personal how much of a fat loser Luka is. No hardcore basketball fan can ever take that tub of lard seriously after seeing the sheer volume of points he gave up in the Timberwolves series complaining to the refs while the wolves ran it in transition. There's something mentally not all there with this kid and his maturity level.

[ShotCreator]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

Well yeah he probably saw up close and personal how much of a fat loser Luka is. No hardcore basketball fan can ever take that tub of lard seriously after seeing the sheer volume of points he gave up in the Timberwolves series complaining to the refLuka s while the wolves ran it in transition. There's something mentally not all there with this kid and his maturity level.

Luka rightfully earned peak Harden comparisons in the middle of the 2020 season. I think the league adjusted to him and he came down to earth statistically and impact wise, but he was there, and he couldn't even legally drink alcohol. He very well may have been the GOAT 20 year old considering how well he played against a championship level team in the Clippers that year.


To see what he's become angers me a little. It's so disgusting to see a blatant waste of talent like this. He probably missed out on his absolute peak due to the issues you just talked about.

The haul Nico got for him was unforgivable but the reasons to trade him were probably valid in retrospect.

[PistolPeteJR]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

Nobody gives a **** about LeBron right now, man.

You realize this is the "The LeBron James and Luka Doncic" thread, right?

[thebigbird]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

Nobody gives a **** about LeBron right now, man.

Says the guy angrily screeching about LeBron in the LeBron James thread.

[thebigbird]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

Well yeah he probably saw up close and personal how much of a fat loser Luka is. No hardcore basketball fan can ever take that tub of lard seriously after seeing the sheer volume of points he gave up in the Timberwolves series complaining to the refs while the wolves ran it in transition. There's something mentally not all there with this kid and his maturity level.

I don’t think he’ll leave because I don’t think his family wants to leave LA (though he only has one kid at home now). But playing with Luka has to be infuriating for LeBron. He’s so fat and lazy. There no excuse for a 26 year old “superstar” showing up to the playoffs so out of shape. He’s absolutely useless defensively. And offensively he’s useless if he’s not pounding the ball for 20 seconds a possession because he’s too fat and lazy to do anything without the basketball.

Nico should’ve shopped Luka around to get a bigger haul, sure, but I do not blame him in the slightest for trading him. Luka is in this poor of shape when he’s supposed to be in his prime physically. What’s a 30, 31 year old Luka look like? Likely even fatter.

[Ian Scuffling]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

As a Cleveland fan and Lebron fan, I'd take him back in an instant. But, damn there are so many fans out here that don't want him anywhere near this team. LOL...I'm sure there are a variety of irrational reasons, but some of them surely include, "tHE dEciSiOn!!!!111!!", "OMG, the HUMMER!!11!!", "the Chosen One tattoo", "He left AGAIN!!!!!111!!". Obviously, I consider myself a "fan", but to be lumped into the same subgroup as the majority of these people is embarrasing at times. The one qualifier I have, though, is that the Cavs don't have a true number one (no, I don't believe for a minute that Mitchell is that guy as the Cavs are presently constituted) and given Lebron, not being a number one anymore, would it be enough? But, I do think he could possibly put this team to another rung and thus possibly unlock another level for Mitchell? I do think, if he is at all interested in winning anymore, that him on the Cavs gives him a better chance than this Lakers team.

[AEnigma]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

As a Cleveland fan and Lebron fan, I'd take him back in an instant. But, damn there are so many fans out here that don't want him anywhere near this team. LOL...I'm sure there are a variety of irrational reasons, but some of them surely include, "tHE dEciSiOn!!!!111!!", "OMG, the HUMMER!!11!!", "the Chosen One tattoo", "He left AGAIN!!!!!111!!". Obviously, I consider myself a "fan", but to be lumped into the same subgroup as the majority of these people is embarrasing at times.

There are appealing narrative aspects to a second Cavaliers reunion (and certainly more than anything happening on the Lakers), but I have always found it obscene how a sizeable and loud minority of Cavaliers fans resent the player who provided their franchise’s only ring and sustained postseason success. 76ers fans show more love to Iverson for winning a single game in the Finals than Cavaliers fans show Lebron for providing the state’s only major league championship in the past sixty years.

[Ian Scuffling]

It is odd and I can use this one guy that I know fairly well as an example. He really does harbor resentment towards James for the reasons I mentioned above. Possibly, not for the Hummer, but hell, maybe for that, too. How Cleveland fans, of any sport, can have a sense of entitlement is beyond me. Cleveland is a very provincial town, so his leaving really hit some of these "fans" hard. They took it personally and have acted accordingly, ever since. I'm of the opinion that it's borne out of low self esteem, at least as in regards to its sports teams. Let's face it, these fans take this stuff very seriously and their sports teams have been really, really bad for a long time, save the one championship by the Cavs.

[thebigbird]

It is odd and I can use this one guy that I know fairly well as an example. He really does harbor resentment towards James for the reasons I mentioned above. Possibly, not for the Hummer, but hell, maybe for that, too. How Cleveland fans, of any sport, can have a sense of entitlement is beyond me. Cleveland is a very provincial town, so his leaving really hit some of these "fans" hard. They took it personally and have acted accordingly, ever since. I'm of the opinion that it's borne out of low self esteem, at least as in regards to its sports teams. Let's face it, these fans take this stuff very seriously and their sports teams have been really, really bad for a long time, save the one championship by the Cavs.

What’s the Hummer story? Surely not when he got a Hummer in high school?

Whatever resentment Cavs fans have toward LeBron, it pales in comparison to the seething hate a sizable portion of the Lakers fanbase feels toward him for the sin of being better at basketball than their god Kobe Bryant.

[eminence]

How does a move to Cleveland work? I believe they're a 2nd apron team.

Were I the Lakers I'd be happy to move on, LeBrons not a title winning #2 with Luka at this point and he's paid like a #1 if he opts in. No need to burn a season of prime Luka.

[parsnips33]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

I mean they came extremely close to 3 straight Finals appearances? And still had a chance (albeit maybe not extremely high) of another one this year before the Tatum injury?

Not like anybody's making any arguments for any Celtics player as an all-time great, let alone greatest of all time.

“Extremely close to 3 straight Finals” = not even making it to two straight finals in this situation.

This is the seventh year LeBron has been in the west. So far, no one has done it in consecutive seasons. But LeBron only did it 8x in a row because the East was trash…

Losing ECF in a game 7 is extremely close to the Finals, I don't know what to tell you

You don't think it's generally been easier to make it out the East than the West? Obviously takes a very good team to do it in either conference, but given there's only 2 and one has historically been much weaker...

[tone wone]

I think there's a 30-40% chance he will be in Cleveland next year. I've been skeptical about him ever leaving LA, but it seems like there's a shift in his mindset. No one from LA "insiders" think that he's 100% guaranteed to be back

Well yeah he probably saw up close and personal how much of a fat loser Luka is. No hardcore basketball fan can ever take that tub of lard seriously after seeing the sheer volume of points he gave up in the Timberwolves series complaining to the refs while the wolves ran it in transition. There's something mentally not all there with this kid and his maturity level.

This feels a bit drastic. The circumstances surrounding this season pretty much guaranteed Luka being far less than he had been previously. Injury riddled. World altering mid-season trade. Leaving a team that was calibrated to enhance his strengths and hid his weaknesses. Going to a team that couldn't do either. It was a lot.

It's not lost on me that Luka's the same age Lebron was his 1stnyear in Miami. While obviously not a 1 for 1 comparison; they're a few strong parallels.

[OhayoKD]

I mean they came extremely close to 3 straight Finals appearances? And still had a chance (albeit maybe not extremely high) of another one this year before the Tatum injury?

Not like anybody's making any arguments for any Celtics player as an all-time great, let alone greatest of all time.

“Extremely close to 3 straight Finals” = not even making it to two straight finals in this situation.

This is the seventh year LeBron has been in the west. So far, no one has done it in consecutive seasons. But LeBron only did it 8x in a row because the East was trash…

Losing ECF in a game 7 is extremely close to the Finals, I don't know what to tell you

You don't think it's generally been easier to make it out the East than the West? Obviously takes a very good team to do it in either conference, but given there's only 2 and one has historically been much weaker...

The 8 straight finals thing is a very **** version of "erneh rings" and Lebron fans leaning so aggressively on it has done more damage than good.

The impressive part is rebounding from all the finals losses, maintaining his play with all the extra milage, the supporting cast (especially considering health) he's lifting to some wildly impressive team-level performances (blowing out 60-win teams, beating 73-win teams, taking 67-win teams to 6 or 7).

The end result (he made 8 finals in a league where the other two best teams were usually on the other side), on it's own, is not worth celebrating in a goat conversation.

[Ian Scuffling]

It is odd and I can use this one guy that I know fairly well as an example. He really does harbor resentment towards James for the reasons I mentioned above. Possibly, not for the Hummer, but hell, maybe for that, too. How Cleveland fans, of any sport, can have a sense of entitlement is beyond me. Cleveland is a very provincial town, so his leaving really hit some of these "fans" hard. They took it personally and have acted accordingly, ever since. I'm of the opinion that it's borne out of low self esteem, at least as in regards to its sports teams. Let's face it, these fans take this stuff very seriously and their sports teams have been really, really bad for a long time, save the one championship by the Cavs.

What’s the Hummer story? Surely not when he got a Hummer in high school?

Whatever resentment Cavs fans have toward LeBron, it pales in comparison to the seething hate a sizable portion of the Lakers fanbase feels toward him for the sin of being better at basketball than their god Kobe Bryant.

LOL...No doubt. The Kobe fanboys are easily the worst. And yes, some of the Cleveland "fans" are still hanging onto the Hummer thing from high school.

[thebigbird]

“Extremely close to 3 straight Finals” = not even making it to two straight finals in this situation.

This is the seventh year LeBron has been in the west. So far, no one has done it in consecutive seasons. But LeBron only did it 8x in a row because the East was trash…

Losing ECF in a game 7 is extremely close to the Finals, I don't know what to tell you

You don't think it's generally been easier to make it out the East than the West? Obviously takes a very good team to do it in either conference, but given there's only 2 and one has historically been much weaker...

The 8 straight finals thing is a very **** version of "erneh rings" and Lebron fans leaning so aggressively on it has done more damage than good.

The impressive part is rebounding from all the finals losses, maintaining his play with all the extra milage, the supporting cast (especially considering health) he's lifting to some wildly impressive team-level performances (blowing out 60-win teams, beating 73-win teams, taking 67-win teams to 6 or 7).

The end result (he made 8 finals in a league where the other two best teams were usually on the other side), on it's own, is not worth celebrating in a goat conversation.

Of course it’s worth celebrating. It speaks to his GOAT candidacy to sustain such a high level of greatness year after year while playing deep into June every single time. It requires enormous amounts of both physical and mental strength. During that 8 year stretch, he missed only 45 regular season games in 8 seasons and averaged 37+ mpg. Then he’d play another 20+ games of playoff basketball at 40+ mpg in the playoffs. Michael Jordan couldn’t handle more than 3 consecutive trips to the finals before quitting… Twice. Saying it’s not worth celebrating is just silly.

[Jaivl]

I thought LeBron made it to eight consecutive finals because the “east was weak.“ how many consecutive finals will the Boston Celtics, the best team in the east, make?

Nobody gives a **** about LeBron right now, man.

You realize this is the "The LeBron James and Luka Doncic" thread, right?

I'm well aware. Do you realize the playoffs are on, and not everything evolves around your idol?