A lot of chatter in the blogs lately about LeBron. LeBron at this stage must be worth a billion dollars, if not, close enough in that money should not matter to him. NO amount of more money will matter to his lifestyle or his children or grandchildren.
If he really wanted to Cement his legacy he would sign with a near contender next year and push them over the top. He could sign a vet min or a $10mm or 20mm contract (what is really the difference to him?). And why not in NY? Imagine he wins chips in 4 different cities and three of them are: Miami, LA and NYC? And while I'm biased and wouldn't want this to happen with him with a different team (Hell, I am not even really sure i would want him to do it with the Knicks!), he could go back to Miami, go to Philly, indy, Sacramento or Pheonix. The latter four are teams that are close and haven't won a chip in many years, if ever. The point is, he doesn't need the money, and he could let the team he joins spend their salary cap dollars on the players needed to win the chip. Would the championship have a asterisk after it? Maybe. But then maybe stars should care more about winning than money...
PS - I can't imagine Durant ever doing this.
KnickDanger@ 6/2/2024 3:41 PM
Please God no.
martin@ 6/2/2024 3:59 PM
I think Lebron has 2 things on his mind: playing with son & Vegas ownership opportunity. I think a distant 3rd is the way he exits career on a contending team.
franco12@ 6/2/2024 5:15 PM
why not go back to Cleveland? They were right there - and I am sure they will make some moves to make him happy.
I'd love for him to be here to help, I just think he would, through no fault of his own, destroy the culture of Thibs & Villanove.
Panos@ 6/2/2024 8:12 PM
franco12 wrote:why not go back to Cleveland? They were right there - and I am sure they will make some moves to make him happy.
I'd love for him to be here to help, I just think he would, through no fault of his own, destroy the culture of Thibs & Villanove.
I agree, Cleveland would be a great story for him. The city would probably make him mayor! Going back a third time for a second ring?
Panos@ 6/2/2024 8:14 PM
martin wrote:I think Lebron has 2 things on his mind: playing with son & Vegas ownership opportunity. I think a distant 3rd is the way he exits career on a contending team.
Imagine this scenario: Bronny goes undrafted and they decide together where they want to play for a ring.
Alpha1971@ 6/3/2024 2:24 AM
Lebron on the Knicks makes me angry at the mere thought initially. However, if he signed for the vet min or mle, he would likely be the starting center and then play the 4,3 in different rotations once Heart and Mitch come in. Lebron JR OG Ragu and Brunson would be something for some stretches. But it'll never happen. It would be like getting that girl in HS you always wanted now that she is 50 and has had more plastic surgery then the woman in one of the Real House Wives shows
Swishfm3@ 6/3/2024 7:39 AM
Lebron going back to Cleveland would be a fairytale ending, and the city and NBA would eat it up.
as far as contract, I don't believe the players union would allow Lebron to accept vet min or anything close to that. I would imagine that kind of move would through a serious monkey wrench in player negotiations.
Nalod@ 6/3/2024 8:46 AM
Panos wrote:A lot of chatter in the blogs lately about LeBron. LeBron at this stage must be worth a billion dollars, if not, close enough in that money should not matter to him. NO amount of more money will matter to his lifestyle or his children or grandchildren.
If he really wanted to Cement his legacy he would sign with a near contender next year and push them over the top. He could sign a vet min or a $10mm or 20mm contract (what is really the difference to him?). And why not in NY? Imagine he wins chips in 4 different cities and three of them are: Miami, LA and NYC? And while I'm biased and wouldn't want this to happen with him with a different team (Hell, I am not even really sure i would want him to do it with the Knicks!), he could go back to Miami, go to Philly, indy, Sacramento or Pheonix. The latter four are teams that are close and haven't won a chip in many years, if ever. The point is, he doesn't need the money, and he could let the team he joins spend their salary cap dollars on the players needed to win the chip. Would the championship have a asterisk after it? Maybe. But then maybe stars should care more about winning than money...
PS - I can't imagine Durant ever doing this.
Im fascinated that you use the term "if he really wanted to cement his legacy" but are you saying a 4th title would firmly put him atop the rarified spaces occupied by Jordan and Russell, or just a generic even greater place? Im not being snarky here as I normally might be.
It think there are four " GOAT Components" in the history of the NBA. 1.Bill Russell with his 11 rings as a player in 13 seasons. 2.The Unique perfections of Jordan 6-0 finals. 3. Career long accomplishments of Kareem who was the All time leading scorer, mulitiple MVP, and 5 time Chip winner. That he did on a stacked Laker team sort of added years and stats dilutes it SLIGHTLY. 4. Lastly there is the slot of "Statistical anomalies" or players that dominate in their place. Wilt is the king here. His deviations from the mean in many categories changed the game. Literally. They put a circle around the foul line because he'd run and dunk FT's. I think they widened the lane, and created goaltending/offensive interference rules based on what he was doing at the time. Shaq as a force was not as statistically here but as a top 5 center he deserves a lot of consideration. Moses Malone rebounding stats and two time MVP put him in this room also.
All these players are of different degrees and era's of dominance. Wilt stands further up then Shaq for example. Kareem early in his career was a huge
No doubt Lebron adding another chip would clarify some fuzzy areas but He gets there with Kareem given the stats, trips to finals, and longevity. He gets in the next room with Jordan without the chips and perfection but had a better career. Have to consider its a team game no player carries a team himself. If so Wilt would have far more chips. Russell with 11 rings in 13 years personifies intensity and team concept. He did not carry the team himself but did the heavy lifting providing the base.
All these guys done these things in different eras. Jordan his his, and Lebron after.
Panos@ 6/3/2024 10:11 AM
Nalod wrote:
Panos wrote:A lot of chatter in the blogs lately about LeBron. LeBron at this stage must be worth a billion dollars, if not, close enough in that money should not matter to him. NO amount of more money will matter to his lifestyle or his children or grandchildren.
If he really wanted to Cement his legacy he would sign with a near contender next year and push them over the top. He could sign a vet min or a $10mm or 20mm contract (what is really the difference to him?). And why not in NY? Imagine he wins chips in 4 different cities and three of them are: Miami, LA and NYC? And while I'm biased and wouldn't want this to happen with him with a different team (Hell, I am not even really sure i would want him to do it with the Knicks!), he could go back to Miami, go to Philly, indy, Sacramento or Pheonix. The latter four are teams that are close and haven't won a chip in many years, if ever. The point is, he doesn't need the money, and he could let the team he joins spend their salary cap dollars on the players needed to win the chip. Would the championship have a asterisk after it? Maybe. But then maybe stars should care more about winning than money...
PS - I can't imagine Durant ever doing this.
Im fascinated that you use the term "if he really wanted to cement his legacy" but are you saying a 4th title would firmly put him atop the rarified spaces occupied by Jordan and Russell, or just a generic even greater place? Im not being snarky here as I normally might be.
It think there are four " GOAT Components" in the history of the NBA. 1.Bill Russell with his 11 rings as a player in 13 seasons. 2.The Unique perfections of Jordan 6-0 finals. 3. Career long accomplishments of Kareem who was the All time leading scorer, mulitiple MVP, and 5 time Chip winner. That he did on a stacked Laker team sort of added years and stats dilutes it SLIGHTLY. 4. Lastly there is the slot of "Statistical anomalies" or players that dominate in their place. Wilt is the king here. His deviations from the mean in many categories changed the game. Literally. They put a circle around the foul line because he'd run and dunk FT's. I think they widened the lane, and created goaltending/offensive interference rules based on what he was doing at the time. Shaq as a force was not as statistically here but as a top 5 center he deserves a lot of consideration. Moses Malone rebounding stats and two time MVP put him in this room also.
All these players are of different degrees and era's of dominance. Wilt stands further up then Shaq for example. Kareem early in his career was a huge
No doubt Lebron adding another chip would clarify some fuzzy areas but He gets there with Kareem given the stats, trips to finals, and longevity. He gets in the next room with Jordan without the chips and perfection but had a better career. Have to consider its a team game no player carries a team himself. If so Wilt would have far more chips. Russell with 11 rings in 13 years personifies intensity and team concept. He did not carry the team himself but did the heavy lifting providing the base.
All these guys done these things in different eras. Jordan his his, and Lebron after.
To clarify, I was not talking about whether or not Lebron would be considered the GOAT. I'm just saying that if he's definitely going to only play one more year, why not go out on top with a close, but not already championship team, since money is meaningless to him at this point?
martin@ 6/3/2024 10:17 AM
Panos wrote:
Nalod wrote:
Panos wrote:A lot of chatter in the blogs lately about LeBron. LeBron at this stage must be worth a billion dollars, if not, close enough in that money should not matter to him. NO amount of more money will matter to his lifestyle or his children or grandchildren.
If he really wanted to Cement his legacy he would sign with a near contender next year and push them over the top. He could sign a vet min or a $10mm or 20mm contract (what is really the difference to him?). And why not in NY? Imagine he wins chips in 4 different cities and three of them are: Miami, LA and NYC? And while I'm biased and wouldn't want this to happen with him with a different team (Hell, I am not even really sure i would want him to do it with the Knicks!), he could go back to Miami, go to Philly, indy, Sacramento or Pheonix. The latter four are teams that are close and haven't won a chip in many years, if ever. The point is, he doesn't need the money, and he could let the team he joins spend their salary cap dollars on the players needed to win the chip. Would the championship have a asterisk after it? Maybe. But then maybe stars should care more about winning than money...
PS - I can't imagine Durant ever doing this.
Im fascinated that you use the term "if he really wanted to cement his legacy" but are you saying a 4th title would firmly put him atop the rarified spaces occupied by Jordan and Russell, or just a generic even greater place? Im not being snarky here as I normally might be.
It think there are four " GOAT Components" in the history of the NBA. 1.Bill Russell with his 11 rings as a player in 13 seasons. 2.The Unique perfections of Jordan 6-0 finals. 3. Career long accomplishments of Kareem who was the All time leading scorer, mulitiple MVP, and 5 time Chip winner. That he did on a stacked Laker team sort of added years and stats dilutes it SLIGHTLY. 4. Lastly there is the slot of "Statistical anomalies" or players that dominate in their place. Wilt is the king here. His deviations from the mean in many categories changed the game. Literally. They put a circle around the foul line because he'd run and dunk FT's. I think they widened the lane, and created goaltending/offensive interference rules based on what he was doing at the time. Shaq as a force was not as statistically here but as a top 5 center he deserves a lot of consideration. Moses Malone rebounding stats and two time MVP put him in this room also.
All these players are of different degrees and era's of dominance. Wilt stands further up then Shaq for example. Kareem early in his career was a huge
No doubt Lebron adding another chip would clarify some fuzzy areas but He gets there with Kareem given the stats, trips to finals, and longevity. He gets in the next room with Jordan without the chips and perfection but had a better career. Have to consider its a team game no player carries a team himself. If so Wilt would have far more chips. Russell with 11 rings in 13 years personifies intensity and team concept. He did not carry the team himself but did the heavy lifting providing the base.
All these guys done these things in different eras. Jordan his his, and Lebron after.
To clarify, I was not talking about whether or not Lebron would be considered the GOAT. I'm just saying that if he's definitely going to only play one more year, why not go out on top with a close, but not already championship team, since money is meaningless to him at this point?
I think LeBron has a very very good sense of his value and won't take anything less.
Nalod@ 6/3/2024 2:14 PM
Money also pays for tuitions for his school, and perhaps adds to the kitty of owning an expansion team. Not sure its meaningless vs another chip. I get seeing his salary for one year not making a difference vs adding a chip and having a goal as you stated. His stats this year were crazy but the team lacked for many reasons. Odds are he stays with Lakers and gets paid big time but that is an easy prediction. It would be great if he went back to Clev or another city. Imagine he pulls a jordan and kicks it in BKN with Bronny with a hand shake deal with Joe Tsai to buy into the NETS with a meaningful stake when done playing? Could be fun rivalry stuff for the city/League.
Philc1@ 6/3/2024 4:39 PM
Alpha1971 wrote:Lebron on the Knicks makes me angry at the mere thought initially. However, if he signed for the vet min or mle, he would likely be the starting center and then play the 4,3 in different rotations once Heart and Mitch come in. Lebron JR OG Ragu and Brunson would be something for some stretches. But it'll never happen. It would be like getting that girl in HS you always wanted now that she is 50 and has had more plastic surgery then the woman in one of the Real House Wives shows
If we draft Bronny it’s a very realistic possibility Lebron comes here.
Nalod@ 6/4/2024 9:13 AM
Philc1 wrote:
Alpha1971 wrote:Lebron on the Knicks makes me angry at the mere thought initially. However, if he signed for the vet min or mle, he would likely be the starting center and then play the 4,3 in different rotations once Heart and Mitch come in. Lebron JR OG Ragu and Brunson would be something for some stretches. But it'll never happen. It would be like getting that girl in HS you always wanted now that she is 50 and has had more plastic surgery then the woman in one of the Real House Wives shows
If we draft Bronny it’s a very realistic possibility Lebron comes here.
ESOMKnicks@ 6/4/2024 9:31 AM
Philc1 wrote:
Alpha1971 wrote:Lebron on the Knicks makes me angry at the mere thought initially. However, if he signed for the vet min or mle, he would likely be the starting center and then play the 4,3 in different rotations once Heart and Mitch come in. Lebron JR OG Ragu and Brunson would be something for some stretches. But it'll never happen. It would be like getting that girl in HS you always wanted now that she is 50 and has had more plastic surgery then the woman in one of the Real House Wives shows
If we draft Bronny it’s a very realistic possibility Lebron comes here.
All we'd have left to do is add Jumbo the Elephant to the mix, and the Madison Square Circus will be ready to open its doors.
markvmc@ 6/4/2024 3:47 PM
Hard pass. We cleared tons of space when Donny was running the show. He had his chance to come here and win, and chose to go elsewhere. All time great, and seems to be a good guy, but he's not doable on a small contract, and no longer worth a big one.
MS@ 6/5/2024 7:47 AM
Lebron making the finals about Lebron just in time.
Mad about not playing with Kyrie.
How many coaches have been killed, players moved. Can’t have that culture here.
We all love this team for a reason.
Philc1@ 6/7/2024 12:25 PM
markvmc wrote:Hard pass. We cleared tons of space when Donny was running the show. He had his chance to come here and win, and chose to go elsewhere. All time great, and seems to be a good guy, but he's not doable on a small contract, and no longer worth a big one.
That was 14 years ago. We were not a good team and we didn’t offer Lebron a chance to play with Dwayne Wade.
markvmc@ 6/7/2024 10:23 PM
Yep. 14 years ago. He was really good then. Less so now.