2010-2011 Chicago Bulls Thread

[Soul]

He doesn't consider Cleveland his home town nor was he a Cavs fan growing up.

 

He sure didn't have much problem cloaking himself in the home-town-boy image when it suited him.

[Guest]

The question was: "Why doesn't LeBron mind leaving his hometown team in ruins?"

 

not: "Why is LeBron a douchebag?"

Edited February 14, 2011 by David

[UMFan83]

He doesn't consider Cleveland his home town nor was he a Cavs fan growing up.

 

Whatever, its still in the same region. It has more importance to LeBron than like Chicago or something. You can't deny there is an emotional tie to Cleveland, as he mentioned quite a few times when he still wanted to be a Cav. I could be wrong but the quotes about Cleveland not being his hometown only came the last year or so.

[UMFan83]

So Washington finally won a road game?

[Guest]

He doesn't consider Cleveland his home town nor was he a Cavs fan growing up.

 

Whatever, its still in the same region. It has more importance to LeBron than like Chicago or something. You can't deny there is an emotional tie to Cleveland, as he mentioned quite a few times when he still wanted to be a Cav. I could be wrong but the quotes about Cleveland not being his hometown only came the last year or so.

 

 

Even if he had emotional ties to the area, he wouldn't necessarily have any emotional ties to the Cavs.

 

He was a Bulls fan growing up.

[Guest]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see anything strange about a person acting entirely according to their own self interests and not really being worried about how that affects a bunch of strangers who live near where he grew up.

[bukie]

Stat of last night: The Bulls pulled down 41 of 43 defensive rebounding opportunities, for a defensive rebounding rate of 95.3%. To get a perspective, the league average is about 73%, and the Magic lead the league at 77.4% (Bulls are at 75.8% for the season, behind the Magic, Hornets and Bucks)

[17 Seconds]

i don't remember where, but i remember reading a couple articles before "the decision" that growing up, lebron and his friends actually kind of disliked cleveland. something about how cleveland kids tended to look down on akron and lebron viewed them as sort of an enemy.

[Soul]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see anything strange about a person acting entirely according to their own self interests and not really being worried about how that affects a bunch of strangers who live near where he grew up.

 

Strange? Perhaps not.

 

Selfish, narcissistic attitude towards life? Definitely.

[Guest]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see anything strange about a person acting entirely according to their own self interests and not really being worried about how that affects a bunch of strangers who live near where he grew up.

 

Strange? Perhaps not.

 

Selfish, narcissistic attitude towards life? Definitely.

 

I don't think it's even selfish or narcissistic.

 

The way he handled things was awful, but the actual decision to leave Cleveland (which, obviously, is what has left the franchise in ruins - not the douchey way he handled things) is not only completely within his rights; it's not wrong or selfish in any way. Why the hell does he owe that area any more than he already gave it? Why is he indebted to his town or the team that drafted any more than any other free agent athlete who leaves for greener pastures?

 

Hell, he even took less money to leave (and likely could've made much more in NY), so the people that love to criticize guys for leaving for the almighty dollar can't even really get their shots in.

 

 

LeBron was a douchebag (and selfish) for the way he strung Cleveland along and for the big show he made of his announcement, but selfish for the decision to leave in and of itself? Hell no.

[Guest]

I know that if I were an awesome pro-athlete and I wanted to leave the team I was on for whatever reason (crappy weather, crappy franchise, whatever - it is my life, after all), I sure as hell would not sacrifice several years of my short playing career just out of some sense of loyalty I should feel to a franchise for the sole reason that they really, really need me.

[Soul]

Just for me personally, I never had a problem with the fact that Lebron wanted to leave. For me it was all about the douchebag way in which he handled it -- which in my opinion revealed a lot about Lebron that is, let's say, less than flattering.

[bcl412]

I'll admit I got all pissy because I wanted LeBron to go to the Bulls and at the time I thought it would turn Miami into an unstoppable dynasty (it still could) in an artificial way making the NBA less watchable.

 

Looking back, LeBron going to the Bulls would have built a similar type all star team (although we drafted Rose and Noah) and I admit, "the decision" helped make me more of an NBA fan than I've ever been.

 

Was the decision douchey? Sure, do I care and does it make me hate LeBron more. Not really, I've never rooted for him because the Bulls are in the same division as the Cavs and considering the fact that his whole life has been a show why wouldn't his free agency decision be one? I've always had an irrational desire to see him whiff on a title (no way he does) because of the hype he had coming into the league.

[Old Style]

Just for me personally, I never had a problem with the fact that Lebron wanted to leave. For me it was all about the douchebag way in which he handled it -- which in my opinion revealed a lot about Lebron that is, let's say, less than flattering.

I agree with this for the most part. I lost some respect for him for taking the so-called easy route and not being a part of building a winner with the team that drafted you like other superstars did, but that's a minor thing. I still can't figure out how he thought Miami gave him a better chance to win than the Bulls did, though. He could have been on a team with Rose, Noah, Boozer (or possibly Bosh), and a good bench yet he thought that the pairing with Wade, Bosh, no PG, no center, and no bench would be the place to win a championship. Stunning.

[SouthSideRyan]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see anything strange about a person acting entirely according to their own self interests and not really being worried about how that affects a bunch of strangers who live near where he grew up.

 

Strange? Perhaps not.

 

Selfish, narcissistic attitude towards life? Definitely.

 

From a professional athlete??? Surely you jest

[SouthSideRyan]

Just for me personally, I never had a problem with the fact that Lebron wanted to leave. For me it was all about the douchebag way in which he handled it -- which in my opinion revealed a lot about Lebron that is, let's say, less than flattering.

I agree with this for the most part. I lost some respect for him for taking the so-called easy route and not being a part of building a winner with the team that drafted you like other superstars did, but that's a minor thing. I still can't figure out how he thought Miami gave him a better chance to win than the Bulls did, though. He could have been on a team with Rose, Noah, Boozer (or possibly Bosh), and a good bench yet he thought that the pairing with Wade, Bosh, no PG, no center, and no bench would be the place to win a championship. Stunning.

 

He wanted to play with his friends, not mumbles and bozo t clown

[Old Style]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

[davell]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

 

 

Didn't they ask him for his thoughts on most of their acquisitions though? They gave him what he wanted to work with basically? At least I thought that was the case.

[Guest]

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him?

 

At least partially, yes.

[Old Style]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

He would have had a chance to win a bunch of championships with the Bulls.

[Andy]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

 

 

Didn't they ask him for his thoughts on most of their acquisitions though? They gave him what he wanted to work with basically? At least I thought that was the case.

And there was no way they could get a decent FA to come to Cleveland the last couple of offseasons without any answers on LeBron staying past 2010.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

He would have had a chance to win a bunch of championships with the Bulls.

 

He's got a good chance to win a bunch with the Heat, too. They're not going to be always as restricted as they are now.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

 

 

Didn't they ask him for his thoughts on most of their acquisitions though? They gave him what he wanted to work with basically? At least I thought that was the case.

And there was no way they could get a decent FA to come to Cleveland the last couple of offseasons without any answers on LeBron staying past 2010.

 

That's ridiculous. I agree that he had plenty of input as to who he wanted, but FA's weren't going to flock away from Cleveland 2-3 years before his contract was up.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought he wanted to win championships.

 

And he's got a really, really, really good chance to win at least one while he's in Miami.

 

And really, is it LeBron's fault that Cleveland constructed such a horrible team around him? If anything, their poor play just makes me understand better and even sympathize with why he wanted out.

 

 

Didn't they ask him for his thoughts on most of their acquisitions though? They gave him what he wanted to work with basically? At least I thought that was the case.

 

See, I thought it was usually more of an issue of him going "I want this guy or this type of guy" and then them coming back and being like "well, we we couldn't get you the puppy you wanted so we got you this really awesome gerbil instead."