LeBron James

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

To be honest I watch very few games of any kind other than UK. I keep up with the UK players in boxscores but don't watch the NFL, NBA or MLB. I have 3 kids that I prefer to spend my time with rather than watch sports all the time. So I guess to answer your question I like the UK guys.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

I think it's weird to say that you don't like anybody that you don't know or who doesn't affect your personal everyday life.

So there is nobody that you don't know or that affects your personal everyday life that you don't like? No politician, no celebrity, no athlete? I am not talking hate just that you don't like the way they act?

 

[MWes11]

To be honest I watch very few games of any kind other than UK. I keep up with the UK players in boxscores but don't watch the NFL, NBA or MLB. I have 3 kids that I prefer to spend my time with rather than watch sports all the time. So I guess to answer your question I like the UK guys.

Fair enough. I respect a family man, obviously.

 

[JonathanW]

CBS has a poll where 59% think it was a goaltend, and 41% think it was not.
They have the play zoomed.

There is NO DOUBT it was a goaltend. That poll should be 100% / 0%.
BUT, at game speed, not zoomed in, I think it is understandable that it was missed.

 

[caneintally]

LeBron is the best basketball player to ever live.

IMO he is 2nd to Jordan BUT if he can win 1 more title then Lebron should be #1 . You can't ask a player in this era to win 6 but if he can win 4 titles in his career with all the Finals he has been to then he will deserve it .

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

Fair enough. I respect a family man, obviously.

I am not saying I dislike his game or him as a player, well I think he whines a lot but everyone does in todays NBA, but a huge ego is just not a character trait I care for in anyone not just him. I still think he is in the discussion as the best ever, depending on what criteria you look for.

 

[MWes11]

IMO he is 2nd to Jordan BUT if he can win 1 more title then Lebron should be #1 . You can't ask a player in this era to win 6 but if he can win 4 titles in his career with all the Finals he has been to then he will deserve it .

Yeah. People bash him for losing in the finals, and it is what it is. That is there go to argument as to why he isn't the same caliber player as the "goat". But what is worse, losing in the finals... or losing 3 times in the first round, 2 times in the conference semifinals, and 2 times in the conference finals and not even giving yourself a chance at a title?

 

[Wall2Wall]

This is arguably the worst supporting cast LeBron has had in his career, and that's saying something. Watching him literally drag these players to a victory is really amazing. He's a top three player of all-time IMO. The 3-5 in the finals hurts his legacy a bit as one of the best arguments for Jordan is that he not only went 6 for 6 in the finals but never even needed a game 7. However, the fact that LeBron has represented the eastern conference in the finals for seven straight years with two different franchises is pretty incredible.

Does LeBron get calls? Yeah, he's the face of the NBA. Similar to Brady getting calls in the NFL. But LeBron also takes a beating the same way Shaq used to with guys swiping and bumping him when he drives the lane and a lot of times, due to his superior strength and speed he doesn't seem to get the call since the hits don't look as impactful as they would on a normal NBA player.

Whether it's the way he left Cleveland the first time around, his whining that he does to the refs (which virtually every NBA star does) or his off the court comments or political views, the reason people hate him should have nothing to do with his actual playing ability when he's on the court. He really is one of the most elite and special talents the NBA has ever seen and I don't think anyone can deny that.

 

[Cowboys&Wildcats]

So there is nobody that you don't know or that affects your personal everyday life that you don't like? No politician, no celebrity, no athlete? I am not talking hate just that you don't like the way they act?

There are things that I don't like about a lot of people, but if I don't know that person then I can't say nor have I said flat out "I don't like so and so"

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

There are things that I don't like about a lot of people, but if I don't know that person then I can't say nor have I said flat out "I don't like so and so"

If those things you don't like about them defines who they are as a person isn't it the same thing? I understand if you don't like the fact someone eats pickles on their burger that doesn't mean you don't like them but if you don't like someone because they are a jerk to their kids then doesn't that mean you don't like them because that is the person they are? I mean you can really say you like people such as Adolph Hitler because you don't know him personally so you can't form an opinion of dislike? I just find it fascinating that you are saying you have no dislike for anyone you don't personally know.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Lebron is amazing. He is also going to approach Jerry West territory in lost finals. I'd like to see him do something in the West for once...definitely feel his title appearances are bloated due to the east. Top 5 all time player though, on my NBA first team all time.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

The GOAT

 

[Cowboys&Wildcats]

If those things you don't like about them defines who they are as a person isn't it the same thing? I understand if you don't like the fact someone eats pickles on their burger that doesn't mean you don't like them but if you don't like someone because they are a jerk to their kids then doesn't that mean you don't like them because that is the person they are? I mean you can really say you like people such as Adolph Hitler because you don't know him personally so you can't form an opinion of dislike? I just find it fascinating that you are saying you have no dislike for anyone you don't personally know.

Sir, using Hitler as an example of what I'm saying is a strawman argument. Furthermore, just because I don't like a certain aspect of what a person believes, doesn't mean I should say "I don't like him or her." I too don't like that LeBron James's has liberal ideologies, it doesn't mean that I don't like LeBron James. I don't like his political stance, but I love what he does for the youth by sending thousands of kids to college, who without him, would probably not even think about going to further their education.

 

[floatingyou]

Never a seen one player so protected by the league/officials. No one else in the nba gets way with goaltending on that last block where it clearly hit the backboard first with 3 seconds left. Good shot after that though but still absolute bs how harcore the league protects this guy.

Lol wow. I'm betting you barely watch any basketball or just don't understand what you are seeing

 

[floatingyou]

It was a good shot, but the NBA is so predictable; I knew that he would hit a game winner with about two minutes left. Opponent will drive, go up soft, get blocked by Lebron. Lebron runs from the baseline to the wing, takes the pass, curls to the top, and shoots an open three, with a very late contest. I'm amazed at how easy some of his shots at the end are, especially given the situation. The NBA is a joke; it's going to be Cavs-Warriors again. Ho hum.

Lol Nostradamus here

 

[Mojocat]

IMO he is 2nd to Jordan BUT if he can win 1 more title then Lebron should be #1 . You can't ask a player in this era to win 6 but if he can win 4 titles in his career with all the Finals he has been to then he will deserve it .

Not sure I can see that. I guess I'd have to go back and look at the league closely to be sure - but generally speaking, it was harder to win a title then than it is now. If for no other reason than fewer teams, so less dilution of talent, so better teams at the top. I guess the Warriors are a counter to that point. To me, the best argument LeBron has in defense to the lack of titles is, look who he's played with.....Basketball is the one sport - the only one IMO - where simply counting rings has a rightful place in a discussion of greatest ever (unlike football, where it is excruciatingly stupid to say Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback ever because he has 5 and no one else does).....

 

[shaudyshaud]

It was a good shot, but the NBA is so predictable; I knew that he would hit a game winner with about two minutes left. Opponent will drive, go up soft, get blocked by Lebron. Lebron runs from the baseline to the wing, takes the pass, curls to the top, and shoots an open three, with a very late contest. I'm amazed at how easy some of his shots at the end are, especially given the situation. The NBA is a joke; it's going to be Cavs-Warriors again. Ho hum.

Sure you knew all of this would happen at the 2 minute mark

 

[crawfords corner]

I'm not sure people even put Michael Jordan's career in the proper light.

If not for his father passing away, Michael Jordan is an 8 time in a row, EIGHT TIME, Champion. Lebron James is a great player. Maybe even 2nd best. He is not, nor will he ever, BETTER than Michael Jeffery Jordan.


I'm not a Lebron hater either. After Boogie, AD, Booker, KAT, Ulis, Miller, Rondo, Fox, Monk, Randle, Murray, Kanter, Knight, Liggins, Patterson, WCS, Noel, Harrison, Harrison, Adebayo, Bledsoe, Dakari, MKG, Skal, Lyles, Meeks, Poythress, TJ, and Wall, he's my favorite player.

 

[Cowboys&Wildcats]

Not sure I can see that. I guess I'd have to go back and look at the league closely to be sure - but generally speaking, it was harder to win a title then than it is now. If for no other reason than fewer teams, so less dilution of talent, so better teams at the top. I guess the Warriors are a counter to that point. To me, the best argument LeBron has in defense to the lack of titles is, look who he's played with.....Basketball is the one sport - the only one IMO - where simply counting rings has a rightful place in a discussion of greatest ever (unlike football, where it is excruciatingly stupid to say Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback ever because he has 5 and no one else does).....

The ring argument in any sport is stupid, especially in basketball. Are we going to say that Draymond Green is one of the best Power Forwards to ever play simply because he has 2 rings and counting? Is he better than Barkley or Malone who didn't win any? No, he's not even close to either one of those guys.

 

[Smashcat]

CBS has a poll where 59% think it was a goaltend, and 41% think it was not.
They have the play zoomed.

There is NO DOUBT it was a goaltend. That poll should be 100% / 0%.
BUT, at game speed, not zoomed in, I think it is understandable that it was missed.

 

[Cowboys&Wildcats]

I'm not sure people even put Michael Jordan's career in the proper light.

If not for his father passing away, Michael Jordan is an 8 time in a row, EIGHT TIME, Champion. Lebron James is a great player. Maybe even 2nd best. He is not, nor will he ever, BETTER than Michael Jeffery Jordan.


I'm not a Lebron hater either. After Boogie, AD, Booker, KAT, Ulis, Miller, Rondo, Fox, Monk, Randle, Murray, Kanter, Knight, Liggins, Patterson, WCS, Noel, Harrison, Harrison, Adebayo, Bledsoe, Dakari, MKG, Skal, Lyles, Meeks, Poythress, TJ, and Wall, he's my favorite player.

You can't say that, Michael and his Bulls lost in the 95 playoffs to the Orlando Magic. Also, when was Michael asked to be his team's leading scorer, top rebounder, top shot blocker, top assist man, tops in steals, and then be the lockdown defender at the end of games? LeBron not only has to lead his team in all of those categories, but he also has to lead the other team in all of those categories, something he has done twice in the Finals.

 

[MWes11]

I'm not sure people even put Michael Jordan's career in the proper light.

If not for his father passing away, Michael Jordan is an 8 time in a row, EIGHT TIME, Champion. Lebron James is a great player. Maybe even 2nd best. He is not, nor will he ever, BETTER than Michael Jeffery Jordan.


I'm not a Lebron hater either. After Boogie, AD, Booker, KAT, Ulis, Miller, Rondo, Fox, Monk, Randle, Murray, Kanter, Knight, Liggins, Patterson, WCS, Noel, Harrison, Harrison, Adebayo, Bledsoe, Dakari, MKG, Skal, Lyles, Meeks, Poythress, TJ, and Wall, he's my favorite player.

I love hypotheticals. Like it is a fact this would have happened for sure.

I did laugh at the 2nd part of your post though.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

Sir, using Hitler as an example of what I'm saying is a strawman argument. Furthermore, just because I don't like a certain aspect of what a person believes, doesn't mean I should say "I don't like him or her." I too don't like that LeBron James's has liberal ideologies, it doesn't mean that I don't like LeBron James. I don't like his political stance, but I love what he does for the youth by sending thousands of kids to college, who without him, would probably not even think about going to further their education.

You say that using Hitler as an example is extreme but to say that you've never said that you don't like someone that you don't know seems like a very strong statement to me. Maybe you are more perfect than anyone else I have ever known though.

 

[crawfords corner]

I love hypotheticals. Like it is a fact this would have happened for sure.

I did laugh at the 2nd part of your post though.

Of course it's a hypothetical. They did win 3 before he retired and them 3 after returning from said retirement. So, let's not act like it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he would have won those 2 titles in the middle had his father not passed away.

 

[MWes11]

Of course it's a hypothetical. They did win 3 before he retired and them 3 after returning from said retirement. So, let's not act like it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he would have won those 2 titles in the middle had his father not passed away.

It absolutely could've happened, but it didn't. I just find it odd that everyone smashes Lebron for his finals record, but dismiss the fact that MJ made the playoffs, and was bounced 3 times in the first round, 2 times in the conference semis, and 2 times in the conference finals, and everyone just dismisses that.

 

[GLR5555]

It absolutely could've happened, but it didn't. I just find it odd that everyone smashes Lebron for his finals record, but dismiss the fact that MJ made the playoffs, and was bounced 3 times in the first round, 2 times in the conference semis, and 2 times in the conference finals, and everyone just dismisses that.

By much better talent than Lebron lost to at that. The league is a lot worse today that it was 20-30 years ago. Young unprepared college kids have watered down this product to make it a former shell of itself. Players now have to team up on certain squads to make a super squad. None of these super squads would have taken Boston, LA, Detroit or Chicago back then.

 

[crawfords corner]

It absolutely could've happened, but it didn't. I just find it odd that everyone smashes Lebron for his finals record, but dismiss the fact that MJ made the playoffs, and was bounced 3 times in the first round, 2 times in the conference semis, and 2 times in the conference finals, and everyone just dismisses that.

Of course it gets dismissed/downplayed because you can't win it every year(especially with the likes of the Lakers/Celtics/Pistons/Knicks/Pacers in your way).

Doing the math though that's 7 times making the playoffs without winning it all. Then he won it all 6 times. That's 13 appearances in the Playoffs in a 15 year career. With those 6 titles that means in 40% of his career he won an NBA title. You are going to get all kinds of leeway.

 

[crawfords corner]

I did laugh at the 2nd part of your post though.

I won't lie. I had to look up 5 names because I its very hard to remember them all without the Spears picture showing all the teams in which the players are on.

 

[Col. Angus]

Nope.

 

[BlueRunner11]

You can't say that, Michael and his Bulls lost in the 95 playoffs to the Orlando Magic. Also, when was Michael asked to be his team's leading scorer, top rebounder, top shot blocker, top assist man, tops in steals, and then be the lockdown defender at the end of games? LeBron not only has to lead his team in all of those categories, but he also has to lead the other team in all of those categories, something he has done twice in the Finals.

Poor Lebron. Lebron has had a better supporting cast the majority of his career. Not only that, he hand picked most of them.

 

[Montana81]

Jordan had an amazing supporting cast. I think Lebron, Wade and Bosh were at least comparable to Pippen Jordan and Rodman but the comparison between those teams ends there. The Bulls had way better role players. And werent coached by Erik spoelstra.

Also Lebron has been competing against the Tim Duncan/popovich Spurs and stole a ship from an all time great golden state warriors team.

Also took down a stacked OKC team

My goodness when you think of the teams Lebron has beaten for his 3 rings it gets even more impressive.

 

[Pope John Wall II]

If not for his father passing away, Michael Jordan is an 8 time in a row, EIGHT TIME, Champion. Lebron James is a great player. Maybe even 2nd best. He is not, nor will he ever, BETTER than Michael Jeffery Jordan.

You're forgetting Jordan was responsible for his dad's death and he was forced to "retire" during his hiatus.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

What's incredible to me is Lebron going to the finals year after year after year, and it never seems to weigh on him. Playing 7 total Finals, 6 in a row does an awful lot on the body, having to play an extra two months on the season. You're seeing what that does to a team like Golden State, not only from a mentality stand-point, but just wehat it does to your body.

Since 2011, Lebron has played an extra 12 months. Essentially TWO extra regular seasons. So he's played 8 seasons in the same time much of the NBA has only played 6.

I'm not sure Jordan has 6 rings if he tried to do it all 6 times in a row. I truly think leaving the game to go play baseball for two years was a great mental and physical reset for him. His body would have been shot by the mid to late 90's.

 

[JwUKFan11]

GOAT

 

[Cowboys&Wildcats]

Poor Lebron. Lebron has had a better supporting cast the majority of his career. Not only that, he hand picked most of them.

The 1st 7 years he played with absolute trash as teammates, and the last 7 years he's played with quality teammates, and this year his teammates are garbage so how do you figure he's played with better players the majority of his career?

 

[BlueRunner11]

The 1st 7 years he played with absolute trash as teammates, and the last 7 years he's played with quality teammates, and this year his teammates are garbage so how do you figure he's played with better players the majority of his career?

Found this article. I think its best to conclude that both Lebron and Jordan had their fair share of help over the years which was my original point...Lebron didnt do it alone.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/galle...d-better-teammates-than-michael-jordan-052717

 

[UKUGA]

For those who don't hate LeBron here it's such a shame he has to play with this garbage team. Korver his shots tonight and Calderon of all people played well but my god this team is garbage thanks to Kyrie wanting out. I am a Cavs fan but I sure won't blame LeBron when he leaves this time.

It’s a shame?

He chose to return to Cleveland and wanted Wiggins traded for Love (who is still there).

Irving being traded isn’t all his fault, but had Lebron signed a long-term deal, then the FO would proceed with more confidence that they were building around Lebron and not for the future.

Lebron has contributed a lot to the team’s current roster situation, both positively and negatively.

 

[UKUGA]

It is a different situation if the Cavs are down 2.

Accordingly, we don’t know exactly what would have happened.

That’s the thing about life; you don’t get “take backs.”

You cannot say for certain what would have happened if Oladipo’s basket had counted, because that isn’t what happened.

 

[warrior-cat]

Never a seen one player so protected by the league/officials. No one else in the nba gets way with goaltending on that last block where it clearly hit the backboard first with 3 seconds left. Good shot after that though but still absolute bs how harcore the league protects this guy.

Michael Jordan anyone. Most protected ever.

 

[warrior-cat]

This is comical I don't care about the cavs don't like don't hate them just calling it how I see it and lebron has been most protected player in nba history, plays a physical style but yet is called for less fouls per 48 than pretty much everyone ever, hasn't fouled out in a game in many years. That technical call last game where it should've been a jump ball and pacers with a chance to tie (or tech on cavs if there was a tech gonna be called) and the goaltending prove how obvious it is that the league protects him on purpose. Anyone who can't see this is either a cavs/lebron homer or blind.

Delusional if you were alive to see Jordan.