.

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by LosALMIGHTY

Originally Posted by Master Zik

Originally Posted by LosALMIGHTY

players can't sign until the 8th, but can they say who they are signing with? Other wise this Thursday doesn't mean much.

Has there ever been a case where a player has verbally agreed to sign with a team and then reneged and signed with another a week later? I mean things have been very different from previous FA summers. All these teams are on the verge of tampering

so it appears like all these players are already talking to teams in depth due to these constant rumors and reports.

Why you think there's so many reports of  "done deals" tho?, putting this summer aside, usually when you hear reports like that the player and the team already have a non-public verbal agreement, then everything else is just a waiting game and then finally to put on a show.

Didn't Boozer do that? Or something very similar. 
  

Yep, cost Lebron a chip.

 

[al3xis]

Broussard said last night Chicago and Cleveland are neck and neck, still?

The Cavs who still dont have a coach with 2 days to go?

Makes me feel better about thinking this guy doesn't have a clue.

 

[Master Zik]

I feel bad for T-Mac, those injuries. Looks like the same situation for Yao too.

 

[Master Zik]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Originally Posted by LosALMIGHTY

Originally Posted by Master Zik

Originally Posted by LosALMIGHTY

players can't sign until the 8th, but can they say who they are signing with? Other wise this Thursday doesn't mean much.

Has there ever been a case where a player has verbally agreed to sign with a team and then reneged and signed with another a week later? I mean things have been very different from previous FA summers. All these teams are on the verge of tampering

so it appears like all these players are already talking to teams in depth due to these constant rumors and reports.

Why you think there's so many reports of  "done deals" tho?, putting this summer aside, usually when you hear reports like that the player and the team already have a non-public verbal agreement, then everything else is just a waiting game and then finally to put on a show.

Didn't Boozer do that? Or something very similar.

Yep, cost Lebron a chip.

Well like I said usually it's a done deal. Stuff like that isn't the norm and is pretty cold blooded. That +$%% can't be pulled with big names like Wade and Bron. They can't publicly announce they're signing with _______ and then sign with a completely different team the next week unless there's a valid excuse. They'll look really bad if they did.

 

[antoekneeo]

T Mac should give the Suns medical staff a call, as they could revive his fading career.

 

[i nasmatic i]

You can add Elton Brand too.

 

[pauliepeppas]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

For those on Twitter, you guys should follow @LarryCoon...he's a salary cap expert and is breaking down the finances of everything. Heat can't sign Wade-LeBron-Bosh unless they dump Beasley and Chicago will be a tad bit short of adding a second max player even when the Hinrich trade goes through.

thank you...its ridiculous how the media never mentions this, either broussard or stephen a r going to look like complete smucks. cant wait

 

[yeeupp]

Knicks Offseason Thread = Offseason thread / Lebron Free Agency Thread / Free Agency Thread / Chicago Offseason Thread...

All wrapped in one

 

[Master Zik]

Originally Posted by YEEUPP

What's Better?

Bron+Dirk
Bron+Bosh

?

Bron + Dirk imo but I doubt it's ever gonna happen.

 

[losalmighty]

The media has reported about chicago's and miami's "two" max deals saying they are close to two but not really there

 

[losalmighty]

Originally Posted by devildog1776

Originally Posted by LosALMIGHTY

I doubt Lebron signs ANYWHERE for 5 yrs. Keep it to 3 and put the onus on the team to stay competive. And I have a source that Lebron will take a max deal at my company so he can win the NY corporate league championship, that's played at the Garden too.

... who u work for???

I work at MediaCom. Our corporate league is really competitive. Lebron could help us win a championship.

 

[duba169]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Broussard said last night Chicago and Cleveland are neck and neck, still?

The Cavs who still dont have a coach with 2 days to go?

Makes me feel better about thinking this guy doesn't have a clue.

Originally Published: May 3, 2010

[h1]LeBron's ceremony all about loyalty[/h1]


AKRON, Ohio -- It will officially go down as a Most Valuable Playeraward ceremony. But in truth, it was a love-in, a community gathering,a chance for Akron to salute its favorite son and for its favorite sonto big up his hometown.

Thousands of fans, scores of them wearing LeBron Jamesjerseys, chanted "M-V-P! M-V-P!'' every chance they got. Hundreds offriends, family members and sponsors turned out to show their supportfor the world's greatest basketball player. And the superstar himselfspoke of Akron as if it were some sort of utopia, declaring hiscommitment to the place nearly half a dozen times.

"I love Akronto death,'' James said. "Since I was a little kid, I always said I wasgoing to find a way to put this city on the map. And I'm going tocontinue to do that.''

As James spoke after receiving his secondstraight MVP award Sunday at the University of Akron, you couldn't helpbut think to yourself: He ain't leaving.

Of course, James didn'tgo that far. He kept his wiggle room as the greatest prize in thegreatest free-agent class in NBA history by saying, "No matter whatmight be ahead for me, this will always be my home.''

But everything else about the afternoon said he's staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers.After all, the overriding theme of the event was loyalty -- to his mom,to his family, to his high school teammates, to his city and to histeam. Now in his seventh year with the Cavs, James even invited histeammates onto the stage, where they mugged and posed for pictureswhile sharing inside jokes.

"I don't have any special insightinto this,'' said Keith Dambrot, James' first high school coach and nowthe head coach at Akron. "But if I had to, I'd bet my house that hestays. Why else would you do things like this?''

Things like open up your MVP presentation to the public, for free.

Historically,these ceremonies have been small, fairly mundane affairs. Held in ahotel ballroom or maybe a team's practice facility, they typicallyinvolved the player, the media and some team employees. Kind ofimpersonal, kind of routine, they were never as majestic as theyappeared on TV.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=broussard_chris&page=LeBronMVP-100503#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5157782&story=5157441">http://sports.espn.go.com...157782&...idth=440,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">[+] Enlarge

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty ImagesSecond to none: It's back-to-back MVP trophies for King James.

But LeBron has turned them into a celebration, a party.

Lastyear, the students at James' alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary HighSchool, along with family and friends, jammed into the tiny gymnasiumwhere James became famous, honoring him in a way reminiscent of araucous school assembly.

This year, he went one better, holdingthe event at much larger Rhodes Arena, where he played most of his homegames as a high school junior and senior to accommodate the growingcrowds and media.

James, who will be honored officially as MVP by NBA commissioner David Stern before Monday's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, had a simple answer for why he made it a community event:

"Because I'm just a little kid from Akron.''

IfJames' desire is indeed to stay with the Cavs (even he might not knowfor sure), the one thing that could throw a monkey wrench into his planis a Cavaliers bust in these playoffs. He has always insisted thatwinning ultimately will determine his destination, so if he bringsCleveland its first major league sports title since 1964, one wouldthink he would re-sign and seek to build a dynasty.

But what if the Cavs, who lead Boston 1-0, bow out early, falling to the Celtics in the second round or to the Orlando Magic again in the conference finals? Would that increase his chances of leaving?

Remember,in leaving Cleveland, James, who has said he wants to become abillionaire, would have to leave roughly $30 million on the table.Visions any fan has of a sign-and-trade to Dallas or wherever are morelike delusions because the Cavs aren't likely to aid James in adeparture.

That leaves only the following teams with the salary-cap space to sign a player to a max contract: the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets, the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat, the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers. Of those, the Bulls are probably the Cavs' biggest threat, with their young nucleus of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

NewYork? Forget the urban legend that Nike will pay James more money toplay in the Big Apple. His signature is already on his new Nike deal,and several sources tell me there's no clause in it that states he'llget paid more for playing with the Knicks.

The notion that Jamesneeds to relocate to a bigger market is also faulty. He's already theclear-cut face of the NBA, with plenty of endorsement contracts, eventhough he's playing in Cleveland and hasn't won a ring. In this global,Internet age, the size of the local market is virtually irrelevant. Andif his social needs need satisfying, James can hop in a private jet andfly anywhere he wants to at a moment's notice, so why not stay in hishotel-sized crib on the outskirts of Akron?

James, who wasn'twooed and recruited by colleges because everyone knew he was NBA-bound,probably will visit several teams come July. Big on drama, he might letthe suspense build to a crescendo. But in the end, Cavs fans should letthese words from James comfort them.

"The city of Akron means so much to me,'' he said. "Akron, Ohio, is my life. I love this city.''

Cavsowner Dan Gilbert, who sat on stage with James, is convinced, or at thevery least, feigning conviction, saying, "I'm sure we'll be here nextyear with MV3.''

There was no reason Sunday to believe that won't be the case.

that's when i realized boussard writes what he hopes will happen. pay him no mind

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by DubA169

"As far as LeBron being the 2nd great player... I think that's workingout pretty well for Kobe out in L.A., hell Pierce, KG, Ray in Boston..."

that's what you said. i'm pointing out that they were joining an elite and distinguished history. like Jeter joining the Yankees. KG and Ray aren't in the top 5 of greatest celtics ever. Kobe is the3rd best laker on my list. i'm sure many people even have west over him.

The bulls are more like the patriots. utterly dominating and destroying a decade. and very little significant history besides that. when there are double digits between championships man... 17 to 6....it's not the same thing

Which had absolutely nothing to do with what I said... You were just trying to do a number and refute why statement any which way possible.

So what you're saying is that if he joins the bulls he's not joining a distinguished history? I'm not comparing us to the Celtics or the Lakers but after them is who???? If it isn't us who is it??? Damn sure isn't the Knicks bro.

As far as Ray and KG not being top 5 Celts of all time or where they place what does that matter consider they're immortalized in Celtic history? They aren't compared to Havlicek, Bird etc. nor were they playing in their shadow and considering that they were playing for one of the greatest franchise/histories of all time why didnt that happen? Noone cared because they were relevant again with a chance to win.  The same will happen here.

Once again noone compared the Bulls to the Celtics... Not Once.  The conversation was playing in the shadows of great players, face of franchise.  Which is what I was discussing yet you continue to go on tangents.  As far as trying to label/categorize our franchise whatever you label us it has to be some team thats vastly ahead of your franchise... ie we're the patriots and you guys are... ummmmmmm.... The Bills.

 

[duba169]

^i'm saying the bulls don't have a distinguished history, they have a distinguished decade.

theres a difference between playing under the shadows of a bunch greats. (lakers and celtics) as opposed to a franchise that has one enormous shadow that just happenes to be the greatest to ever play

 

[live boy d]

Originally Posted by YEEUPP

Knicks Offseason Thread = Offseason thread / Lebron Free Agency Thread / Free Agency Thread / Chicago Offseason Thread...

All wrapped in one

 

[remi23]

The Knicks have How Many Championships? Oh Yeah how many do the Bulls have?

 

[duba169]

i didn't mention the knicks did I? but the knicks have legends from the 70's and 90's. and even in the 70's no player was individually heads and shoulders better than another star. the bulls have one giant enormous shadow that is MJ. what is there to argue about that?

you think the knicks board is here to comfort bulls fans or something? you guys are in our thread more than your own. of course you are gonna read some stuff you won't like, we are heated rivals.

 

[al3xis]

now Broussard says Chi or Miami and Cleveland is on the outside looking in..

how does that change within less than a day when NO meetings have taken place and LeBron himself is not leaking any info.

This is just getting ridiculous.

 

[remi23]

Originally Posted by DubA169

i didn't mention the knicks did I? but the knicks have legends from the 70's and 90's. and even in the 70's no player was individually heads and shoulders better than another star. the bulls have one giant enormous shadow that is MJ. what is there to argue about that?

you think the knicks board is here to comfort bulls fans or something? you guys are in our thread more than your own. of course you are gonna read some stuff you won't like, we are heated rivals.

I Just asked a question?

 

[duba169]

we been to the finals 8 times. won twice a very long time ago in the early 70's.

if it was durant or melo i would say it means nothing. i just can't see someone with chosen 1 tattooed on himself going to CHI to be the 2nd greatest player ever. maybe he will prive me wrong we will see soon.

 

[pr0phecy718]

Originally Posted by frijo sneaker

posted already a few pages, thanks anyways

 

[al3xis]

now the Heat and Bulls are scheduling to meet with Boozer.

aka, nothing is a 'done deal'.

 

[pr0phecy718]

Originally Posted by LIVE BOY D

Originally Posted by YEEUPP

Knicks Offseason Thread = Offseason thread / Lebron Free Agency Thread / Free Agency Thread / Chicago Offseason Thread...

All wrapped in one

pretty much

 

[true 3 blue]

Nerve Wracking.

 

[antoekneeo]

Here on the west coast and listening to ESPN 1050, some of these callers are hilarious, proposing scenarios that CANNOT work under the cap, and some joker even said that NY should not go after any big name free agents, but go after some "good cheaper players" and give Eddy Curry a chance to bounce back and the Knicks should be okay, I was in tears.