If LeBron wants to leave Cleveland...why not the Lakers

[Manocad]

1. As has been alluded to, I don't care how good of friends Kobe and LeBron are. A top superstar does not want to share a team with another top superstar. Some of you have absolutely no ability to read people at all.

2. The league would crap all over it. Do you think the NBA wants its top two most marketable stars ON THE SAME TEAM? Hell no. Think marketing and TV viewership, folks. They want the top two talents to be rivals, not teammates.

[guy1]

DowJones, once you mentioned Bynum the deal would die. It makes no sense to give away your center who will anchor the middle for the Lakers for a SF I don't care if it is LeBron.

Is this a joke? Some of you really think Bynum is going to be the next Shaq. The Lakers would be absolutely crazy to say NO to that deal. The Lakers are way more likely to win championships with Lebron instead of Bynum, and I think they would much rather rebuild around Lebron then Bynum once Kobe declines. This is crazy. Andrew Bynum has had a good 30 game season to add to his career followed by a possible career-altering injury, and that is it, while Lebron has had one of the greatest first 5 seasons ever with no serious injuries. Bynum is way more replaceable if you can team Lebron with Kobe. You don't think this lineup would win the next 5 championships?:

C: Gasol
PF: Odom
SF: Lebron
SG: Kobe
PG: Fisher

And if Gasol, Odom, and Fisher decline to the point that they need replacements, it shouldn't require too much to rebuild around Kobe and Lebron since we have seen the type of rosters these two have carried into the playoffs before.

Seriously, if I was the Lakers, I would trade Kobe for Lebron if the chance came up just cause of the age factor. I can't believe you would say no to Lebron for Bynum. That's probably worse then when my fellow Bulls fans were saying no to Kobe for Deng.

[BlazertheGreek]

Oh God, please not the Lakers. Lebron, please, if you are going to jump ship don't go to LA, I think all non-Laker fans will just puke. Go to Jersey or even New York but not the damn Lakers!

[Frosty]

2 players that need the ball in their hands isn't a good mix.

[Ojmayo]

Kobe Lebron would'nt work. Lebron is better. Second of all Lebron wont be going nowhere if you check his boigraphy you would know his from Ohio and has been at that state his whole life I dont think he would abandon is home. Then Kobe will blame Lebron for losing the Finals again. Blame no one but yourself.

[farzi]

Seriously, if
Fisher
Bryant
Vlad
Odom
Gasol

is good enough to get to the finals, just replacing vlad in that lineup with LeBron is terrifying, and any Laker fan turning that down is showing their yellow skin (its a homer simpson joke, his skin is yellow, and its implying that they are, in fact, a homer for their team. Just a little joke I made up. No need to laugh too heartily, there's plenty more)

[BullsDynasty]

Jay-Z does not reside in Los Angeles.

And? Jay-Z is using Lebron to put money in his pocket. If Lebron does not play in Brooklyn, watch how quickly that relationship goes in the trash. Speaking of trash, that's what should be done with the Cavs franchise if Bron leaves. They would have to feel Bill Gates ex, what do you really do after that??


P.S. Before you tell me that Jay-Z would never use Bron. Look at the financial situation of Benie Seigel, Damon Dash, Memphis Bleek...ect. Broke! Does Jigga care?...Hell no. He got his money and moved on.

You dont even make sense, why would Lebron care if Jay-Z is using Lebron to put money in his pockets? As long as Lebron is getting the Millions of Dollars he deserves, then it wont matter to him.

[RJM]

They wouldn't work? They worked fine on Team USA.

[TruSkool]

because 2pac isnt alive

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

2 players that need the ball in their hands isn't a good mix.

I never understood this line of thinking. LeBron isn't good because he hogs the ball. He hogs the ball because he's good.

AI and Melo don't fit because all they can do it score.

Kobe and LeBron aren't the best because they get the ball a lot. They are all around great players, and could coexist nicely.

[legacyinthemakin89c]

They wouldn't coexist nicely. Every play in Cleveland runs through Lebron, there isn't a single play that doesn't have the ball touching Lebron's hands when he is on the court. Same thing goes for Kobe and the Lakers. That is what makes these two teams great. They run their offense through one of these guys and that is what makes those guys so successful. You take that away by putting them both on the same team, they aren't as effective and same could be said about their teams.

And don't bring team USA into the argument because that is a completly different scenario. Lebron, Kobe, Carmelo are treated like role players on that team with most of the plays being created by Kidd.

[Bank Shot]

DowJones, once you mentioned Bynum the deal would die. It makes no sense to give away your center who will anchor the middle for the Lakers for a SF I don't care if it is LeBron.

WTF?

Anyways, LeBron won't go to LA. You could see another Shaq-Kobe situation with the amount of egos on that team. It would definately be LeBron's team seeing how LeBron in 3 years is more then likely going to be noticeably better then Kobe and we've all seen how Kobe deals with being 2nd fiddle. LeBron definately wants to do his own thing. He won't need the best supporting cast in the league to win. I can't really see him anywhere but Ohio or NY. I really think he's going to stay in Cleveland. Seeing how he's from the area it would be pretty tough for him to leave. That would be a big slap in the face to the city that raised him. But if you are going to cut ties I guess NY would be the place to go.

[DEEP3CL]

Didn't most of you dumb a$$es watch the Finals ? Pau isn't a center, that's why I don't do that deal.
Plus Bynum's numbers on a per 48 minutes basis bare out that he can average 21 and 14 per game.

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

You must be a Laker fan...get outta here!

LOL...why the Lakers? The Lakers dont need him first of all, and why should he go there? He wants to go to New York, and he will because he is not winning jack crap in Cleveland.

I got them as a 6th seed if that in the East this year. Too many other teams have past them this off season. Philadelphia, Washington, Orlando all could finish ahead of them along with Detriot and then Boston.

If they are coached right, all those teams can overcome one guy like LeBron. It is okay that he can defer and make his teamates better. But how much better can you make used cars? You can polish them but they are still scrubs deep down inside.

That is what my Bucks have to learn. You still need TALENT TO WIN. And to draw fans and keep up interests...

But forget the Lakers. Don't get stupid and greedy and ruin that team. I can't stand the Lakers but when Bynum returns they will be fine. Worry about getting Ron Artest or Carlos Boozer if he opts out in a year or two and find a way to sign Bynum.

Bynum is gonna get you the ring, NOT KOBE! Worry about a PG Lakers!!! You should go get Mike Conley or Javariss Crittendom back! Jordan Farmar is not gonna get it done...people. The Lakers lucked out this year.

Next year you are not gonna hold down the Hornets, much less Houston or Utah again! Trust me.

The Spurs will reload as well. And in two years none of your teams are gonna beat the. . . Portland Trailblazers so you can relax anyways...

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

1. As has been alluded to, I don't care how good of friends Kobe and LeBron are. A top superstar does not want to share a team with another top superstar. Some of you have absolutely no ability to read people at all.

2. The league would crap all over it. Do you think the NBA wants its top two most marketable stars ON THE SAME TEAM? Hell no. Think marketing and TV viewership, folks. They want the top two talents to be rivals, not teammates.

LOL...exactly. Even relatives like T-Mac and McGrady did not want to share teams. Two clear #1's don't want to share a team.

Only in rare instances when they are desperate as was Garnett and Allen do they agree to co-exist to win a ring. Oscar and Kareem did that.

But when our Milwaukee Bucks' drafted Julius Erving (Dr. J) in the 2nd round of the 1971 NBA draft he undoubtdly did not want to share the ball with Kareem and the Big O and went to the ABA instead!

In Washington neither Arenas, Butler or Jamsion are clear #1's so they can abide one antoher. But Kobe and LeBron there is not enough face time and money to go around for those two.

I am still shocked that Iverson and Carmelo co-exist in Denver but Iverson is pushing 30 and and end of his career.

It is unrealistic...and a coaching nightmare. There is a dearth of selfless Superstars in Pro Sports anymore. Teams like the Celtics and Lakers had them but not anymore...

[Frosty]

2 players that need the ball in their hands isn't a good mix.

I never understood this line of thinking. LeBron isn't good because he hogs the ball. He hogs the ball because he's good.

AI and Melo don't fit because all they can do it score.

Kobe and LeBron aren't the best because they get the ball a lot. They are all around great players, and could coexist nicely.

They are both primary ball handlers. It's not like scorers that just need a pass to get their opportunities. These guys both create off the dribble and initiate the offense. Who gives that up?

[guy1]

Didn't most of you dumb a$$es watch the Finals ? Pau isn't a center, that's why I don't do that deal.
Plus Bynum's numbers on a per 48 minutes basis bare out that he can average 21 and 14 per game.

Pau can play center. They still got to the Finals and were 2 games away from winning the title. You don't think if you put Lebron in that starting lineup over Radmanovic, they don't win the title? Obviously, Bynum is a better choice for that position, but if giving up Bynum would mean getting Lebron, the Lakers would ship his ass out in a second with no hesitation. Not to mention they could always get another center and move Pau to the PF if the concern is about his toughness. They wouldn't a very dominant center in this case, they could get a guy like Kendrick Perkins. Your talking about not trading for the guy who looks like he's going to the best player in the league for the next 10 years.

And actually on a per 48 minute basis for 2007-08, Bynum averaged 22/17, but it doesn't matter, cause Bynum isn't going to play anywhere near 48 minutes, and 35 games isn't enough time especially since he just suffered a huge injury, to say that he's going to be that great for the rest of his career.