Kind Words From Lebron

Datruth345 · Post #1 » by **Datruth345** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:15 pm

Q: What was your reaction to Boston winning the championship?

A: I didn't watch much. I watched a little bit, not much off and on.

Q: Are you surprised Boston won?

A: Am I surprised? No, I'm not surprised. They had a very good team. They're probably one of the best defensive teams I've ever seen in my lifetime. They had all the tools that you need.

They've got a guy who can shoot the ball and make plays in Ray Allen. They've got a go-to guy in Paul Pierce. And you've got the defensive player of the year and another guy who can make things happen in Kevin Garnett. They surrounded those three guys with complementary guys. James Posey was a big part of their team. Rajon Rondo was very big for their team. P.J. Brown was definitely a big pick-up for them. Am I surprised? No. They're a very good team.

Q: Paul Pierce was The Finals MVP. He had quite a playoff run. He had to defend you. He had to defend Kobe Bryant. Most people think of his offense. Is he underrated as a defender?

A: I think so. He's very underrated. You'll be underrated when you have a few losing seasons. He's definitely showed why he has been an All-Star every year, no matter how bad their team was in the past. He's one of the best players we have in our league.

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plainde ... thispage=1

Ant · Post #2 » by **Ant** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:06 pm

And Lebron was pretty much the best player I've seen against us in the post season. I don't see how people are still saying Kobe is the best player in the league when King James is EASILY the hardest player to stop in the NBA. On top of that, he's got championship character. One of the biggest perception screw jobs in the history of the NBA has been Kobe over Lebron. There's really no comparison even after all this time. James is the best in the game right now.

threrf23 · Post #3 » by **threrf23** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:20 pm

Ant wrote:And Lebron was pretty much the best player I've seen against us in the post season. I don't see how people are still saying Kobe is the best player in the league when King James is EASILY the hardest player to stop in the NBA. On top of that, he's got championship character. One of the biggest perception screw jobs in the history of the NBA has been Kobe over Lebron. There's really no comparison even after all this time. James is the best in the game right now.

agreed 100%

DJToLarry · Post #4 » by **DJToLarry** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:32 pm

Stats against BOS in their respective series...

Kobe 40% FGP, 30% 3P%, 25.7 pts, 4.7 rebs, 5 assists
LBJ 36% FGP, 23% 3P%, 26.7 pts, 6.4 rebs, 7.6 assists

LBJ got to the line about 13 times a game against us, Kobe 9.8 times a game
LBJ turned it over 5.3 times a game, Kobe 3.8

It's pretty close but Kobe has a much better supporting cast, so he should have done much better. He did not. All things being equal I would much rather face a Kobe led team than a LeBron led one. LeBron can just make things happend more ofter. He gets to the hole and gets a finish or foul whenever he wants. Kobe can be made to settle by putting physical defenders on him. Just like Pierce said after the BOS-CLE series, he was BEAT up. Physically it just takes a lot more effort to keep LBJ down than it does Kobe.

SonicYouth34 · Post #5 » by **SonicYouth34** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:20 am

threrf23 wrote:
Ant wrote:And Lebron was pretty much the best player I've seen against us in the post season. I don't see how people are still saying Kobe is the best player in the league when King James is EASILY the hardest player to stop in the NBA. On top of that, he's got championship character. One of the biggest perception screw jobs in the history of the NBA has been Kobe over Lebron. There's really no comparison even after all this time. James is the best in the game right now.

agreed 100%

QFT

Bad-Thoma · Post #6 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:35 pm

I've been saying the same thing, LeBron is just a much more complete player, and he doesn't have to fake leadership for the media either. I thought he was even a better defender than Kobe in the playoffs.

celticfan42487 · Post #7 » by **celticfan42487** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:07 pm

LeBron may be a better option for being an entire team's option, but I'd still pick Kobe because he has a deadly consistent mid range shot from anywhere on the court and has 3 point range. LeBron is a streak shooter on every account.

So if there were say a dominate big man and you needed some possesions for Kobe/Lebron to play off the ball or be apart of the team rather then the team.. You'd have to guard Kobe all the way out to the 3 point line. With LeBron you'd just have to play the passing lanes untill he got in a position for a lane to the basket.

I love slashers, but it's important to be a threat from long range without the ball too, or you get a lesser effect of the offensive Rondonitis.

Gomes3PC · Post #8 » by **Gomes3PC** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:14 pm

Lebron was definitely the better player. Even though our team was not playing as well against Cleveland as we were against LA, Lebron did as much or more with his lesser supporting cast than Kobe did with his crew. Lebron's teammates really look at him as their leader, unlike Mamba. He might be a little outwardly arrogant, but LBJ is a true force of nature.

Unlike Kobe too, he is an incomplete player. I think this year is about the best you can possibly see Kobe play, and he could not carry a team to a title by himself. At his age, I'm not sure what else Kobe can improve upon to push his team over the hump, unless his supporting cast improves. Lebron, meanwhile, has so many areas. He was a great defender vs. Pierce for a good chunk of games, but disappeared for stretches there. He is a mediocre free throw shooter and a downright bad jumpshooter. He underutilizes his post moves as well. If he can even become just a solid jumpshooter, Lebron will be better than Kobe ever was. Get him a decent 2nd option, and James will have a few rings by the time he retires.

Kefa461 · Post #9 » by **Kefa461** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:16 pm

Now the Road to #18 Goes thru Boston because the C's are the Champs of the NBA.....what else can he say.... 8-)

Datruth345 · Post #10 » by **Datruth345** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:28 pm

I Also Believe Lebron To Be Better

bujabra · Post #11 » by **bujabra** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:31 pm

I appreciate his kind words. He battled hard against our team. I respect that about him unlike Kobe (no heart).

humblebum · Post #12 » by **humblebum** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:54 pm

Lebron is the better player over Kobe and it's not even close. Lebron impacts the game in many, many more ways than Kobe. Lebron is the better athlete, playmaker, slasher, finisher, rebounder, and he's much better in transition as well as getting to the foul line. He's also stronger, tougher, and a greater competitor IMO. Lebron's weakness at the moment is that his offensive game is a bit unrefined (excepting his excellent passing skills... he's probably one of the best in the game in this area). Also his shooting is inconsistent but he's still a threat from deep as we all saw in Game 7 of the series this season. When Lebron is locked in there is NO ONE better.

dee browns pumps · Post #13 » by **dee browns pumps** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:19 pm

Thanks, Bron. I've really liked this dude from day one- he's had his head on straight for as much hype and commotion around him from a young age. I agree, I think he's better than Kobe.

Yes, Kobe a more deadly shooter but Lebron is unstoppable when he asserts himself and Kobe can be contained if you play defense on him like the 17 time World Champion Boston Celtics just did.

Bron is dope and I don't know how they haven't been able to put a better team around him. They legitimately just really need a 1-A star like Scottie Pippen and he should win a couple titles. They need to find a way to get one other super star player there with him and they're gonna be a force. They have a decent supporting cast as is but they're lacking that one other star to go with him.

Post #14 » by **tlee324** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:17 am

Lebron doesn't have the jumper Kobe has, but I'd take him in just about every other aspect of the game over Kobe. I think KG is the most versatile player in the league, but Lebron's the top player in the NBA and I have thought this for about 2 years now. He's just a beast....

fanofthegreats · Post #15 » by **fanofthegreats** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:15 pm

bujabra wrote:I appreciate his kind words. He battled hard against our team. I respect that about him unlike Kobe (no heart).

IDK where this is coming from. Kobe battled as well and tried to do whatever he can to help his team.

Lebron is the better player over Kobe and it's not even close. Lebron impacts the game in many, many more ways than Kobe. Lebron is the better athlete, playmaker, slasher, finisher, rebounder, and he's much better in transition as well as getting to the foul line. He's also stronger, tougher, and a greater competitor IMO. Lebron's weakness at the moment is that his offensive game is a bit unrefined (excepting his excellent passing skills... he's probably one of the best in the game in this area). Also his shooting is inconsistent but he's still a threat from deep as we all saw in Game 7 of the series this season. When Lebron is locked in there is NO ONE better.

Far better? No, those two are relatively on the same level.

greenbeans · Post #16 » by **greenbeans** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:04 pm

fanofthegreats wrote:
bujabra wrote:I appreciate his kind words. He battled hard against our team. I respect that about him unlike Kobe (no heart).

IDK where this is coming from. Kobe battled as well and tried to do whatever he can to help his team.

Lebron is the better player over Kobe and it's not even close. Lebron impacts the game in many, many more ways than Kobe. Lebron is the better athlete, playmaker, slasher, finisher, rebounder, and he's much better in transition as well as getting to the foul line. He's also stronger, tougher, and a greater competitor IMO. Lebron's weakness at the moment is that his offensive game is a bit unrefined (excepting his excellent passing skills... he's probably one of the best in the game in this area). Also his shooting is inconsistent but he's still a threat from deep as we all saw in Game 7 of the series this season. When Lebron is locked in there is NO ONE better.

Far better? No, those two are relatively on the same level.

judging from both of their recent performances Lebron is the better player. by far? no, but still a decent deal better

Fencer reregistered · Post #17 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:05 am

celticfan42487 wrote:LeBron may be a better option for being an entire team's option, but I'd still pick Kobe because he has a deadly consistent mid range shot from anywhere on the court and has 3 point range. LeBron is a streak shooter on every account.

So if there were say a dominate big man and you needed some possesions for Kobe/Lebron to play off the ball or be apart of the team rather then the team.. You'd have to guard Kobe all the way out to the 3 point line. With LeBron you'd just have to play the passing lanes untill he got in a position for a lane to the basket.

I love slashers, but it's important to be a threat from long range without the ball too, or you get a lesser effect of the offensive Rondonitis.

That's why, although Lebron surely will be a much better player than Kobe some day, right now it's fairly even.

Fencer reregistered · Post #18 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:06 am

Kefa461 wrote:Now the Road to #18 Goes thru Boston because the C's are the Champs of the NBA.....what else can he say....

He could say lots of other things, as is amazingly proven over and over again by idiot jocks.

Props to him for not messing this up.

Fencer reregistered · Post #19 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:07 am

dee browns pumps wrote: They legitimately just really need a 1-A star like Scottie Pippen and he should win a couple titles.

All they need is to add somebody who's one of the few dozen best players of all time? (Opinions differ as to how many dozens that is -- I think it's 4 dozen.) You have a good point.

Athanacropolis · Post #20 » by **Athanacropolis** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:14 pm

Fencer reregistered wrote:
dee browns pumps wrote: They legitimately just really need a 1-A star like Scottie Pippen and he should win a couple titles.

All they need is to add somebody who's one of the few dozen best players of all time? (Opinions differ as to how many dozens that is -- I think it's 4 dozen.) You have a good point.

Hm, I don't know if the Cavs need something quite as drastic. I think some more reliable outside shooters would do wonders for them. Their big problem was not defense, it was offense. If their shooters got cold--which they did a lot--they could only pass to LeBron and pray (sound familiar?). With more consistent role players, the Cavs would be a lot more dangerous.