AH! you caught me! Just fix it. Caught up in this news and the friday rush. (as if you couldn't tell by that mistake and the spelling/grammar mistake haha)

Ok as the resident Heat fan here first things first.



This has been one hell of a ride.  The 2010 offseason was crazy.  I never anticipated we would get LeBron down here.  My biggest concern was losing Wade to Chicago.  We had a once in a lifetime 4 year stretch of 4 straight finals that has only been accomplished by the two greatest teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and Celtics.  This was a run that few sports fans get to experience and I enjoyed every second of it.  It felt like it was us against the world.  The entire nation of sports fans was rooting against us.  I was never a LeBron fan before he got here and never considered myself a fan of his while he was here.  I was awed by his talents and loved watching this team but like a little kid whose mom remarried, I always resented him from taking the spotlight of off Wade.  Arguably they were two best players in the league when they joined up and Wade outplayed James in the finals against the Mavs.  But over the next three years as Wade stepped aside for the benefit of the team and his body started to fail him, LeBron was clearly the best player on the team and the planet.  I will always appreciate what he did for this franchise.

I don't hold any grudges against him for leaving.  If that's what he feels will truly make him happy good for him.  The essay he wrote for SI was well written and heartfelt.  I was still confident till the news broke that he was staying.  Since it was never reported he had met with the Cavs last week and he stated he wasn't meeting with any teams after meeting the Heat I had no reason to believe he was seriously considering leaving.  I wish like when he left the Cavs he would've handled this departure better.  He technically doesn't owe the Heat(Pat Riley & Mickey Arinson) anything because he fulfilled his contract but it seems his decision was made up a while ago and by giving them a heads up it wouldn't have put them in scramble mode like they are in now. They might not have signed McRoberts and Granger when they did. I do think he owes Wade though.  If he truly thought he might leave you don't let one of your best friends opt out of his contract without a heads up.  

I'm not going to be watching many Cavs games next year but I am hoping that their first meeting with the Heat is on xmas day.  I do find it funny that the Cavs fans who have been slamming him for the last four years are cheering his return.  The only people defending him against all the insults were Heat fans.  The guy took a lot of undeserved shit for making a basketball decision but now hopefully people will finally appreciate watching one of the greatest players ever instead of mocking him for every failure.  Besides going home I do think it is a great business move for him.  His popularity will finally be on the level it should have been.  The man was already a one man marketing machine but I think it will be increased ten folds now that he can finally be perceived as the good guy again.

As for the Heat going forward.  I'm bummed but optimistic.  We are still in better shape than he left Clevland in but they do get our first round pick next year.  Obviously they over paid Bosh but Riley needed to.  It would have been much harder to convince free agents to come here with just an aging Wade. Bosh will be the number one option going forward offensively(instead of third option in Houston) and he will be able to do a lot more than just shooting jump shots like he has been the last few years leaving the paint open for James.   If they can still land any combination of Gasol, Ariza, Deng, Morrow I think they will be competitive in the east.  If Melo stays in NY then its a three team race.  Miami, Cavs, and Pacers.  Even if the Cavs get Love no one else besides Lebron and Varajo(spelling) have any playoff experience on that team.  It'll be intersting the next few days how everybody's rosters fill up.

Just two final thoughts


Once again



"This is my house"

I didn't hear that about Riley or his mom. I never heard one negative story about her while he was here. I have heard that his boys were definitely upset because the Heat didn't let them run wild like the Cavs did and they were pushing him to go back home. Riley and Arinson don't run the type of organization that the Cavs did letting the inmates run the asylum. It'll be interesting if things go bad at first how the coach holds up. He's never coached NBA players before. It's difficultt to coach and control superstars. Spoelstra doesn't get a lot of credit by some people but not many coaches can handle three allstars egos like he did. He always had Riley's support but in no way was he backing down from LBJ.

Simmon's article touches on this to a degree. LeBron is changing the narrative. He isn't necessarily chasing after a certain amount of rings (ala Kobe) to cement his legacy. He still has pressure to win multiple championships (and I do think he's move to Cleveland makes sense for a several reasons) but once he wins a championship for Cleveland everything will come full circle. From the high school hype to he's fist stint with the cavs to he departure Miami, to he's return. LeBron will have created a unique narrative to his career that will ultimately aid him when people talk about "is he the GOAT?"

Jordan won rings and what he did was so special it will never be repeated. Obviously Jordan was a superb player whose defining characteristic was his absolute disgust of losing, but the narrative that Jordan carved out from himself is really special. From the struggles against the Pistons, to he's first three peat (and winning the Championship on Father's Day after he's Father's death), to he's shocking retirement to he's 45 comeback and then the second three peat which should have ended his career on one of the most memorable shots of all time. This narrative along with he's insane basketball skills and competitive desire made Jordan into the icon he is today.

LeBron might not get as many championships as Jordan, or Kobe but if once he and the Cavs win a championship and bring it to a city that has been in a championship drought for over 50 years that won't matter as much. More than ever LeBron is doing things on he's own terms now. He won't have to balance egos like he did with the Heat instead he will be given the opportunity to be the leader. He's play on the basketball court makes everyone better and I think that he is going to bring that drive to he's teammates that will turn this franchise around.

It is a new challenge for LeBron and I applaud him for flipping the narrative on the media (who expected him to return to Miami but obviously will eat this move up). LeBron is basketball greatness but with this return home he is becoming something more than just a basketball player.

I tried reading that article but sometimes he just rambles on. Paragraphs on Doug Collins, Jordan, and Bird. The stuff on LBJ was good but I just skimmed the rest.


grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/

These types of narratives always bothered me when he was here. That he quit on the team and that he wasnt mentally tough. I never thought he was mentally weak. He was just built different than Jordan and Kobe. He'll never be Jordan but he's a better basketball player than Kobe ever was.

Bulls didn't get Carmelo, but they're about to get very tall.

With Gasol, Noah, Rose (hopefully back healthy), Mirotic coming over from Spain, and then whoever they get for wing. That's a pretty good starting 5 (Essentially, 3 all-stars in one line-up who have been DPOY and MVP collectively, along with the best international player on the market).

Lakers might be willing to only take Dunleavy and a couple of expiring contracts for Pau. Which would still leave open the amnesty for Boozer to clear off enough money for Mirotic and to re-sign players. They would like to be able to do Gasol for 9 mill, so they can keep their mid level exception. Giving them more flexibility when they amnesty Boozer to re-sign and get a wing.

I'm hoping they can keep Gibson and Jimmy Butler, so they're able to keep their stout defense. Combine that with McDermott to stretch the floor and if they can re-sign Hinrich, that should provide for a good starting 5 and very good depth (Bulls may once again have the best bench in the east like a couple years ago). And even after those moves, they still may have a pretty decent amount of money to round out the roster.

Bulls will not get Melo, but I'd say once they're finished this off season, there'll be few teams better.

speaking of Pau, Pau was also on a team that was tanking last season for a lottery pick. i'm sure his numbers will be better this season, going back to the Bosh or Gasol thing, maybe not as good as Bosh's but better.

God bless.