butta54 371 Posted October 16, 2014 We all know what happened over the summer in the NBA. LeBron made the most power-shifting decision in the league since....LeBron first did it in the summer of 2010. We've read the letter....we've watched the videos...we've heard the interviews. Now I want to know what you think about how it all went down and most importantly WHY it went down? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted October 16, 2014 The Heat outlived their usefulness. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted October 16, 2014 One of my key facts of this "saga" is that LeBron was quoted as saying that if the Heat won that series against the Spurs he would have stayed. This seems logical or like common knowledge, but if this was accurate then we are talking about a statement that completely destroys the whole "going home" story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241 Posted October 16, 2014 This whole "going home" stuff is a big gimmick imo. And this is coming from a huge Lebron fan. I personally don't care why he left, or why he's going back, but the fact that their are NBA fans who respect him more for "going home" is puzzling to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted October 16, 2014 This is the one question I've had since the second he made the announcement. Why did he do it? And that question is very important to me because LeBron is a big enough force that can control the culture and attitude of the NBA. When LeBron made the choice to go to Miami I told everyone that watch the landscape of the league change because teams like to copy cat and not only that players up until that point would not DARE try and win like that. Boston got together but they were right outside of their prime and so players were always ok coming together towards the end. But bringing players that were top 2 in their position?? It was unheard of especially the way they did it having teams clamor over them. No one was looking at the big picture then you started to see Melo to the Knicks....CP3 to the Clippers....Williams to the Nets (where they tried to get Dwight Howard)....Howard to the Lakers then the Rockets. The era of the "super teams" started and it ruined basketball for me. I didn't watch anyone but the Bulls. The whole integrity of how you win was now in question. The same reason it hurt the league and their fans so bad when LeBron left is the same reason it felt so good to see him come back to his team not only to right the wrong but then because the league now might look at a new format. "Play for your city and the community that raised you" BUT its story book...its cheesy...seems unreal. The letter was great and it made you want to believe it happened for all the right reasons. But then K-Love joins the team and now it looks alot more like a new super team with younger players. IDK guys are there some good intentions in the decision or not? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted October 17, 2014 Home is home. The Midwest has a gravitational pull for those who grew up there. I don't think this needs to be made more complicated than it probably is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanbrock 1,684 Posted October 17, 2014 I think it's a combination of a few things. First the Heat's window closing and Cleveland had the best combination of money/cap flexibility and talent. I also think just wanting to be loved like he was in Cleveland was a big factor too. LeBron was one of the most universally like athletes in any sport when he was with Cleveland and I think he took that for granted when he left for Miami the way he did. Part of him probably wanted to prove he could be the guy to bring a title to Cleveland too, but the whole coming home thing was more of a marketing ploy than anything else imo. LeBron represents Akron, not Cleveland and LeBron never severed his ties with Akron even after he went to Miami. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted October 17, 2014 His doc told him the humidity and heat, coupled with his large muscle mass was contributing to his hairline departure. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bucman 891 Posted October 18, 2014 He made his decision the day he left. Its one big conspiracy by the NBA, Cavs and Lebron to get talent on the Cavs roster while Lebron was gone 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blotsfan 2,112 Posted October 18, 2014 I don't understand the confusion about this. Can't he have left because he wanted to go home and because it was a more talented team? Like, regular people have more than one factor play into their job choices, why cant LeBron? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted October 18, 2014 He made his decision the day he left. Its one big conspiracy by the NBA, Cavs and Lebron to get talent on the Cavs roster while Lebron was gone This was one of my first thoughts. That the "Decision 2010", the fight with Dan Gilbert, losing to the Spurs, the letter for SI was all part of a huge scheme to come back when Cleveland had hella #1 overall picks and money. Why else did Cleveland keep winning in the draft lottery Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Phailadelphia Posted October 18, 2014 I don't understand the confusion about this. Can't he have left because he wanted to go home and because it was a more talented team? Like, regular people have more than one factor play into their job choices, why cant LeBron? Yeah, not *everything* is a conspiracy. But in addition to blots' post, Lebron needs to be liked. And as long as he stayed in Miami, he'd never be liked enough. Now he's back in Cleveland and everyone loves Bron again. To me, this had to be a huge factor in his decision to return. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mentch 42 Posted October 18, 2014 Combination of everything. I'm not dismissing the possibility of it being a conspiracy either Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted October 18, 2014 I don't really believe it's a conspiracy, those are just fun to joke about. My whole thing is the motivation and intentions behind the decision is a huge factor just because LeBron is a huge factor of influence in the league and even to the future of basketball. People may not admit it, but the group of players coming into the league after the "Big 3" had different mindsets. In the past it was come into a great city and organization and produce a championship for them through. In the past four years the league changed into players who are just playing through contracts and then setting up plans to join with other stars to win a championship. The pure competition between stars has been replaced with the buddy-buddy lets be teammates someday attitude. Not even a few days after LeBron choose the Cavs there were articles and tweets and question after question about other stars potentially going back to their hometown and players were interested in the idea of doing it like LeBron did it. The future of basketball rest with the stars and role models right now. LeBron hurt basketball the last four years when he left to Miami. Alot of fans stopped watching, alot of fans watched just to see them lose, but overall basketball wasn't as enjoyable for some people. And the way teams formed changed. Right now its the sweet story of the King "Coming Home" to give back to the community and areas that raised him and to bring a championship. But if turns out the reasons were not as pure as fans hoped then it could be a bad reaction. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butta54 371 Posted November 5, 2014 http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-letting-teammates-fail-2014-11 Play out the scenario that LeBron, after his four years of growing as a winner and leader, comes back home to the Cavs and all of his plans and ideas of leading this young group DOESN'T WORK. How does this affect everything from his reputation to the power balance in the NBA? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
