Larry Hughes - rather have fun than win championships

[Monkeyfeng06]

winning championship is fun too.

[BrooklynBulls]

I think the root of the problem is that he happiness did not equal winning for Hughes. For lots of other players, it does. Thats why roleplayers fill their roles. I can assure you, Reggie Evans would have much fun playing the point whenever he felt like it. It would be a hoot. But instead he pushes and shoves the whole night for positioning because thats what helps his team win.

There isn't anything fundamentally wrong for wanting to have fun while playing the game. The problem is that he defines fun as doing whatever the hell he wants out there, instead of what the team needs.

Nobody says it, but how many players in the league play this way?

[lukeridenour]

as a fan of the game, i dont see any problem with it. as a fan of the cavs, i would be pissed.

you bring in a player to help you win basketball games and ultimately win a championship. those are the things you expect from your ball players especially for hughes who signed a fat contract.

i dont mind his attitude, some people just dont have the killer instinct. just glad he isnt on my favorite team.

[Rasheeed!!!]

As long as he gives full effort whilst having "fun" there should be no problem.

I remember Jim Jackson saying early in his career that he "lives, eats and sleeps basketball" and when his career was winding out he said that there are more important things than basketball.

[0HeadAche0]

claiming its up there with Latrell's comments

haha at everyone having a go at Larry Hughes, personally everything is about winning for me but I do realize that its not for everyone. If he wants to have fun more power too him, thats cool. We get caught up with winning too much imo, and forget that basketball should be about having fun and if your not having fun in your workplace, then i have less respect for you for continuing to do it.

[INKtastic]

Take note...the only people who seem to saying these comments are negative are Cav fans....?

I wonder just how many people who think the comments are okay would be happy if Larry now ends up on their team?

I always thought you played the game to win. That winning was fun. That when you lose, you see what you can do differently to win the next time. That the better you get at winning, the more fun it is. And cleveland was very good at winning when Larry played the role he was so unhappy with.

Some players it eats them up to lose. Other players, it eats them up to not get their shots. Who do you really want on your team? Which type of player is going to make you want to spend your hard earned money to go watch them play? As someone who spends a lot of money on season tickets, playoff tickets, and who even made the trip to San Antonio for the finals to support the team, I think it's not unreasonable for me to find the comments a bit disturbing.

[maradro]

whoever said happy + 14 mil beats unhappy + 14 mill pretty much nailed it, but what annoys me is that these guys take no responsibility for their decisions.

nobody forced him to go to cleveland and play on a contender for 14mill. he could have stayed in washington or some other pretender for a little less money and continued to have fun, but he chose to go to cleveland for the money.

if you want the money, sacrifice fun. if you want the fun, sacrifice money. its really not that difficult to distinguish between the two scenarios. do some lucky hardworking people get both, yes, but most of us have to compromise. larry hughes should take some responsibility for his decision. if he were truly sincere, he would have told cleveland to take their money back and ship him, like AK told the jazz this past summer. this statement to me is just BS, and dont give me that "he didnt know it would be like this", or "he is the first human being to lose a family member!" BS either. greed + laziness is always a bad combination.

[Flash3]

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lol. No way Ricky Davis said that. I don't believe you.

I just read what he wrote.....

[UGA Hayes]

These comments are disgusting. Larry isn't a 17 year old kid. He is a grown up, who has responsibilities. For him to suggest that he wasn't giving full effort b/c he wasn't having fun, despite winning is inexscusable. If you want to just have fun don't do it on someone elses dollar. I hope the owners lock out the players on the next CBA.

[Killuminati]

Larry Hughes should not be attacked for freely expressing how he felt.

[High 5]

Where did he suggest he wasn't giving his full effort? He just said he wasn't having fun. I don't have fun when I'm taking a test, but I'm trying my hardest to get an A. He's just saying is if he looked back on his career he would rather say he had fun playing than had a miserable time and won a championship.

I liked what someone said earlier, though. You can't win a championship or have fun on either team.

[HOTCARL_o]

What if Eddy Curry said something similar?

[Killuminati]

What if Eddy Curry said something similar?

You just took this conversation to a "WHOLE" NOTHA-LEVEL

[Flash3]

What if Eddy Curry said something similar?

Curry's recent history would only support it; reportedly refusing to get into shape and what not.

Hughes has never echoed similar sentiments before....

[Ca]

This is crazy. No one in their right mind on earth, here or elsewhere would turn down a job where they're getting paid to do what they think is fun. So for those who suggest that he should drop his paycheck and play in rec leagues, you're nuts. He put his name in the draft, he filed for freeagency. But he didn't hold a gun to any owners head and say sign me. They just did.

He has the talent to be in the NBA and play and actually do some good things on the court while having fun. While, he may not have the instinct to kill for a championchip, he is still an above average player.

Plus, his market value set his contract. And I'd rather see one of the have-nots. People like Larry Hughes, other guys who wouldn't have anything if it weren't for basketball, than already Rich owners getting even more Rich. It's the players that make the sport what it is, so a forfeiture of contract is absurd.

You guys are nuts. To put it into perspective: Assume RealGM paid us all to be posters. Would you rather make 14$ million a year covering a team you hated, but get a lot of publicity and accolades or would you rather make 14$ million dollars a year posting for a team you loved? Some would want the accolades, some would want the love of the game.

[BullSoxChicago'sFinest]

It's not about putting it into perspective that it's just the game

I think the more important part is that because of this, because he is more about the 'fun and happiness', that he's not willing to make sacrifices to benefit the team, which as he states, includes changing positions, even if it benefits the team. That's pretty ludicrous when you consider the money he got. Quite frankly, he's saying **** the team, it's about me. Go to the And1 Tour Larry, who would want that kind of guy on their team?

[BullSoxChicago'sFinest]

Larry Hughes should not be attacked for freely expressing how he felt.

Tim Hardaway was?

[Flash3]

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Tim Hardaway was?

Hardaway made a 'negative' comment towards homosexuals, which seems to be a BIG no-no in today's day & age.

[CzBoobie]

I wonder how many of his "defenders" in this thread would actually want him on their team...lol.

[TheKingOfVa360]

I have no problem and what he said. Some guys play for the money, some for the women, some for the competition, some for the attention, some to win, and some just because they love playing. I actually know a few NBA players (not stars) and NFL players(grew up with them) and that's the truth. Everyone doesn't play to win a ring.