LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

OK perhaps I'm overreacting regarding the missed dunk.

You suggested that Lebron is less prone to injury because he's a better athlete than Kobe. Sorry but I can't let that one go. Please elaborate.

 

Why are ya'all hatin' on LLLLL?

I just saw the post, and needed somewhere to put it.

I had no idea it would spark such lively debate and bring out such strong feeLLLLLings.

 

So not only is Lebron a better athlete than Kobe, he is gifted with better ligaments and joints as well? Do you have documentation that shows any correlation between athleticism and longevity/durability of athletes?

The players you listed haven't played over 50,000 minutes. The only outlier from the group is Kareem, who has a similar slim build to Kobe, unlike Lebron who has a muscular build. Fact: slimmer athletes last longer due to less load/wear on the joints. It's the reason why Kobe and many other athletes drop their playing weight later in their careers.

In 2009-2013 Kobe was considered an iron man as well, and we know what happened. Lebron will rack up the same total minutes at the end of this season. He is approaching an unprecedented level of playing time. No other NBA player has maintained peak production past 55,000 minutes. Are you sure you want to gamble 4 years $140+M based on nothing but....pure luck?

 

I'm basing my argument on his playing time and how it relates to past greats.

Your's is based on hyperbole with zero substance. "He's built differently" .....really? You're basically saying that Lebron is superhuman and immune to any injury for another 5 years. No past rules apply to him because "he's built differently."

Do you not see how that sounds like a blind fanboy?

And you still haven't answered why Lebron being a better athlete than Kobe has anything to do with their durability. You think he's a better bball player too? You were defending Lebron before which was OK, but now I feel you're overating Lebron and belittling Kobe to prove your point which makes me angry.

 

LLLLL is a freak of nature, by most accounts a pretty good teammate, and an all time great. If he remains healthy, and it appears he’s on pace for that, he’ll have career numbers that put him in rare air.

I still want the ball in Kobe’s hands for winnin’ time, but it doesn’t mean LLLLL isn’t great.

It’s just that LLLLL is so arrogant and full of himself, that it’s kind of fun to poke fun on something like a missed slam. It knocks him down a rung on his personal ladder of greatness he likes to tell everyone to strive for.

I’m not excited about him joining the Lakers, but if he does, it’s encouraging that we have solid developing young depth that could help keep his minutes down and prolong his twilight years in the league.

You can see the pain a guy like Bogut plays in. If LLLLL ever hurt that much while playing, I’m not sure I could handle all the writhing around on the floor, the dramatic wincing, and the inevitable crying that would take place.

I pray the basketball gods spare us from such an experience. Winners, not whiners please. If he ends up in category 2, fans won’t have time for him, his antics, and his stories of self proclaimed greatness.

 

Some could argue winning a championship with him in one of the four years is better than say were not winning s*** if he doesnt come lol. Thats what comes to my mind.

 

I find it odd that both you and @therealdeal keep mentioning Randle. Randle's contract situation has nothing to do with my concern with LeBron's health. My argument in this thread is that Lebron is not immune to injury and with his mileage he may break down sooner than you realize. Besides, I never liked Lebron. I disliked him long before Randle even entered the league. My preference is to win without Lebron on our team. That's been my position all along, so I'm not sure what irony you are referring to. You're right that I'm a fan of Randle but my hate for LLLLLebron stems much deeper. He's right up there with Pierce, KG, Howard, Bird and Ainge. I don't want any of them near our team.

 

there's no way lebron holds up as a superstar for five more years. maybe not even three. but i'll take two years of being threats to go to the finals and three years of albatross contract if that's what it takes. plus, the lakers, for better or worse, are a glamour franchise, and lebron showing up would instantly restore the sheen.

you want future potential FA acquisitions to look at the history and see west, wilt, magic, kareem, shaq, kobe, lebron. it's powerful, imo. everyone's dogging us because folks have turned us down of late, but only durant refused a meeting with us--when we were basically the worst team in the league. think about that. why did lamarcus aldridge take TWO meetings with us when he had several other max offers on the table and our initial pitch was supposedly a disaster? the brand. lebron could bring the brand back overnight.

 

I value Randle higher than KCP and Lopez as a free agent this upcoming summer, but lower than the stars like Cousins and George. I went through the 2018 FA list a couple weeks back, and I thought Randle was somewhere around #5 when considering talent, fit, and age. (I'm discounting players like Isaiah, CP3, Durant, Melo that are either pipe, injury prone, or a horrible fit)

So your assessment is a little off. I'd rather keep Randle around but not at the expense of a star (not named LLLLLebron)

 

Well it's a combination of factors when considering Lebron. As I've been saying, age and durability are my primary concerns, followed closely by my dislike towards him. And I don't like taking shortcuts to succeed. I prefer the home-grown route, if possible.

I rate the free agent class as #1 George #2 Cousins #3 Lebron #4 2nd tier star #5 Randle. Again, I am weighing in talent, salary, age and fit.

Say we sign Lebron for 4 years. In 2020, we are going to be paying a 36 year old Lebron $35+M. Or we could be paying a 26 year old Randle $18-20M and resign a 23 year old Ingram for a similar amount. Is a 36 year old Lebron worth both Ingram AND Randle AND our future past 2020? I'd say hell no.

I think @Cookie said it best. I'd sign him too if it were 2 years.

 

I mean its possible we can sign 2 stars and still keep Julius no? Or wed be off like a couple million? I remember it was 2 stars then wed have like 10 mill left over. Randles cap hold is like low 11, right?