The first year was rough, LBJ not always in it, it seemed, but this past year with AD holding him accountable? We saw greatness from the guy.
Totally onboard with the deal. Could it backfire? Possibly. But the dude takes ridiculous good care of himself, and his game has not diminished. At some point the wheels may fall off, but I think his overall talent will still make him viable - remember, he's still a terrific point forward if you just wanted him to sit back and dish assists and not do too much scoring.
I really think the Lakers organization deserves alot of damn respect for this. LBJ has been notorious of being wary with owners and teams after his first stint with Cleveland. He did not go to lunches with the owner. Sort of set a barrier between himself and team ownership.
Last offseason he met Jeannie for lunch, and since then things been on an upward spiral. The team understands the modern NBA and the power brokership of agents and agencies. They showed him and AD willingness to be partners with them in bringing in the players all feel can help win. Kudos to the organization for not being stuck in an us vs them mindset like many others.
But as Wolf said, alot of this probably just goes to how the Lakers treat their royalty, as shown with the Kobe contract. We perhaps cursed the idea back then, looked the other way, or made justifications for it. But I think it paid off in the end with the Lakers landing not just one, but two generational talents, one year apart.
Non-laker fans, or Laker haters, do not seem to understand that most Laker fans get this. This team may be a small family operated business, but its run extremely player friendly, especially for its top guys. They are treated like family, and what they think matters.
Future looking bright my fellow purple and gold lovers!
Well said! There's a reason the team in the same city and has shared our same stadium has never made it past the second round. Look at the Knicks in New York playing in the Garden, with even solid ownership and management that franchise should have consistent contenders but they don't. It's easy for a lot of NBA fans just to point out the fact "it's the Lakers" but plenty of other big market franchises just keep falling on there faces over and over. We absolutely have a leg up on places like say Charlotte but so does a chunk of other franchises.
Players absolutely keep track (especially stars/superstars) how the franchises treat and surround those stars. Not sure how anyone can feel otherwise. It's like any other industry where you are in demand and can choose from multiple offers. You're going to go to the destination you feel most comfortable with.
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess _________________ Billions Billions Billions
Kobe was given a contract extension not only because he earned it, but because he could still fill the seats at Staples. It was as much of a business move for him as it was for the Lakers. Same principles apply here with LeBron's extension. No different
wolfpaclaker wrote:
Time can change things, right now they are on a championship high and they all wanna be Lakers forever, but when Kobe passed, it changed things in LA for the good (basketball wise) and I think Lebron was one of those guys deeply touched. Even before he won a ring, when he went out and got tatoos of Bean as did AD and then did so many other things, you just felt that Laker for life vibe. Within weeks of Kobe passing, I viewed guys like AD, Bron totally different than before. Whether they won a ring or not, they were Lakers in my eyes for good. Winning the ring, just cemented it even more.
But business is business and Bron is a business man first, and he may well leave at some point in these remaining 4 years. But, I do see him as a Laker legend now, obviously you can never put him in the same light as Kobe-Magic or Jerry West for the years they played as Lakers, but he will seen as a Laker legend, rightfully. This contract does not change things for me, whether he closes it out or not. It is a business and guys like Shaq eventually moved on. I could see Bron move on at some point in these 4 years, and if he does not that just means things went incredibly well for all involved.
I am happy LA rewarded him, he earned it, and based on his play today, this contract is warranted (unlike the Kobe contract, which IMO was a thank you for what you gave us all, type of deal). If Bron went out and became a FA today, I think he would get a 4 year MAX a number of places without any issues. So the contract is warranted and fair market value.
The thing is, Lakers could have offered Kobe a lot less and it still would be the best offer on the table. That deal was a gesture of goodwill and gratitude and even Kobe viewed it as such. Everybody else was panning that offer as a sign of bad management and bidding against no one. But here we are today, so good karma all in all. _________________ “God knew they couldn’t be on this Earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together.” – Vanessa Bryant
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
That makes zero sense to me (athleticism and his passing comment). But we can agree to disagree.
The first year was rough, LBJ not always in it, it seemed, but this past year with AD holding him accountable? We saw greatness from the guy.
Totally onboard with the deal. Could it backfire? Possibly. But the dude takes ridiculous good care of himself, and his game has not diminished. At some point the wheels may fall off, but I think his overall talent will still make him viable - remember, he's still a terrific point forward if you just wanted him to sit back and dish assists and not do too much scoring.
I really think the Lakers organization deserves alot of damn respect for this. LBJ has been notorious of being wary with owners and teams after his first stint with Cleveland. He did not go to lunches with the owner. Sort of set a barrier between himself and team ownership.
Last offseason he met Jeannie for lunch, and since then things been on an upward spiral. The team understands the modern NBA and the power brokership of agents and agencies. They showed him and AD willingness to be partners with them in bringing in the players all feel can help win. Kudos to the organization for not being stuck in an us vs them mindset like many others.
But as Wolf said, alot of this probably just goes to how the Lakers treat their royalty, as shown with the Kobe contract. We perhaps cursed the idea back then, looked the other way, or made justifications for it. But I think it paid off in the end with the Lakers landing not just one, but two generational talents, one year apart.
Non-laker fans, or Laker haters, do not seem to understand that most Laker fans get this. This team may be a small family operated business, but its run extremely player friendly, especially for its top guys. They are treated like family, and what they think matters.
Future looking bright my fellow purple and gold lovers!
Well said! There's a reason the team in the same city and has shared our same stadium has never made it past the second round. Look at the Knicks in New York playing in the Garden, with even solid ownership and management that franchise should have consistent contenders but they don't. It's easy for a lot of NBA fans just to point out the fact "it's the Lakers" but plenty of other big market franchises just keep falling on there faces over and over. We absolutely have a leg up on places like say Charlotte but so does a chunk of other franchises.
Players absolutely keep track (especially stars/superstars) how the franchises treat and surround those stars. Not sure how anyone can feel otherwise. It's like any other industry where you are in demand and can choose from multiple offers. You're going to go to the destination you feel most comfortable with.
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
He will absolutely be a good point forward imo until the day he retires even if that's at 40+. I can see him step into the Jason Kidd role and absolutely excel in it if he wants to. His bbiq and natural instincts are two of the top things that makes him an all time great passer imo. One of those things you simply can't teach and the other takes an amount of dedication and experience not many players can/do/are willing to get to. I agree his driving ability will obviously only decrease more (we've seen him stray away from it more and more in the last few seasons until it matters most). This will take a bit of his passing potency away but he can still score at almost will anywhere on the court in any way he feels like operating which is going to attract attention and create passing lanes he will continue to dissect. He will only continue to become a better outside threat which he has clearly done and will continue to do. He can move to the post more, he can be more of a 3 point threat, throw him in p&r's etc. The only thing i'm a bit worried about is health even with his unparalleled dedication to keeping his body in top shape it's simply a fact of life that you can get injured easier the older you get. I feel it's still a safe gamble personally though but only time will answer that one.
I would have personally preferred to keep the flexibility open for 2022 but if this decision had ANYTHING to do with AD which it looks like it clearly does then it was the obvious and only choice to make. Maybe Schroder meshes beautifully with everyone and he becomes our Beal (3rd star) anyways. I'm not quite sold on that just yet but I see the potential.
Last edited by hype on Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
Amen brother
Ditto _________________ "If You're Afraid To Fail...Then You're Probably Going To Fail."
- Kobe
Did any of you guys see Lebron's interview with RJ/Channing and Ali? It was awesome.
This is the dopest thing I've seen in forever. Leroy Jenkins is a World of Warcraft viral video that went out in 2005. I can't believe Lebron knows about it...as a life long nerd, this is (bleep)-ing awesome. _________________ KOBE
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
He would not be the same player had he lost his athletic ability, but the thing is he never lost it, at least not yet. His dunks were still head to the rim level, and he is still freakishly fast and strong. I think he turned his ankle in game like 2-3 times in the bubble, and he didn’t miss a bit. God must created his body to be the GOAT
So erm ... Lebron waltzed over to the Western conference and it just explodes. Not saying things are connected but wow, the Lakers, Clippers and maybe the Nuggets and now a packed East? LOL
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8352 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:50 am Post subject:
drae wrote:
So erm ... Lebron waltzed over to the Western conference and it just explodes. Not saying things are connected but wow, the Lakers, Clippers and maybe the Nuggets and now a packed East? LOL
The west is still packed. Dallas is on the rise and will only get better if Porzingis stays healthy. Phoenix could surprise people.
What's more interesting is that right after LeBron leaves the east, it suddenly becomes a lot stronger and is no longer the Leastern Conference.
Milwaukee, Boston and maybe Brooklyn and Miami are legit title contenders. Toronto, Philly, Atlanta and now Washington will be good and maybe a tough out in the playoffs. _________________ Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35857 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:15 am Post subject:
activeverb wrote:
BigBallerBrand wrote:
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
After his finals loss to Dallas, people were talking about how he already looked like he had lost a step. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
The key difference between Magic/Lebron and Kobe/Jordan, IMO. The latter would take over a game with scoring primarily and defense. When your athleticism fades, you can not do either at the same level. We can debate about Washington MJ or post-achilles Kobe, but neither was a top level player. Probably the right move for MJ on the Wiz and Kobe on the Lakers post-achilles was to switch to a PG role and be more facilitating, but it just wasn't in their natural DNA. They still tried to isolate a lot and score. Which required athletic skill/standard their body didn't have anymore on a night to night basis.
In contrast, Bron has lost some speed and athleticism, but he is so physically strong, and built like a PF with PG skill, that he can play point guard/facilitate, then he can get into the post and just find his impact there. He often did that in the playoffs. He has also improved his long ball (the long 3, not the closer ones) a lot. So he has that shot. I did not see Bron beat a lot of the better defenses off the dribble last season. In his athletic prime, he was. Easily. Now, he's starting to become almost exclusively a bully ball player, when it comes to driving, who picks his spots to take over scoring. He's most a facilitator in a large portion of the games.
One major injury can change that as well, but I do think Bron's game the way he has adjusted, I think he has already changed quite a number of things in his game to be less reliant on speed. He is more of a bully ball player now, more of a post up guy, and definitely taking long 3's way more. He doesn't strike me as a guy that will force, or try to play a certain way when he knows he can't do it anymore. I can see him be 38-39 and average 20 points, 10 assists. He's geared a little different than Kobe/MJ.
What I do think will be critical is AD's development as the top scorer, and who the 3rd shot maker is. Getting that 3rd guy who can come in a critical time and make a big play, will be huge and AD will need to be able to take the pounding and opposing team's best defense, as they will be geared towards stopping him more than Lebron when Bron gets into his late 30s. That is why the shot AD hit in game 2 vs the Nuggets was so important to his development as a top option on a championship level team.
Remains to be seen if Dennis is that 3rd shot maker we would need in the situation I described, but if he is or we find one, then I think we will be very happy with the Bron contract even 2-3 years from now if you have reasonable expectations (To contend, but not win a title every year).
Last edited by wolfpaclaker on Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:38 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:37 am Post subject:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
BigBallerBrand wrote:
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
After his finals loss to Dallas, people were talking about how he already looked like he had lost a step.
Not gonna lie. When he started having back problems in Miami, I thought the decline was coming (like it did with Bird at the end of his career). Boy was I wrong. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
Joined: 19 Jul 2017 Posts: 1724 Location: Yorba Linda, Ca
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 7:47 am Post subject:
Great signing!!!! This, Kobe's last contract, Magic's lifetime contract is what separates the Lakers orgaization from others including the Celts. Most teams would have given up or would have second thoughts on a player well past his prime and nearing retirement. Lakers reward their stars.
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:41 am Post subject:
epic_ wrote:
governator wrote:
haha, many gems from P.1
Still can't understand how any Lakers fan would still be anti-bron.
This thread and the old Kobe vs. Bron one are monuments to their stupidity at not wanting this guy on our team. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
The notion that LeBron will still be a good point forward after his athleticism is all gone doesn’t make sense. The reason why he’s such a great passer is partly bc of his triple threat (score, drive, passing ability). If his driving ability and elevation threat is gone, that will affect his ability to pass as effectively.
I was hoping he would retire after his original 4 year contract, but if he’s healthy then why not I guess
I remember threads on LG where people were predicting/hoping Lebron would lose his athleticism at age 30 and his career would crumble as a result. Seems silly now, but there were furious discussions at the time.
Anyway, the guy just won a ring and finished second in MVP voting, so I am not worried about some imminent collapse. Eventually, his body will give out, as all bodies do. But for now, I am just enjoying the moment.
Of course it was to maintain a semblance of hope that Kobe could hold off Bron in legacy as ridiculous as that seems now. Lebron had surpassed Kobe as a player a long time ago...by 2008-2009 season, Lebron was clearly better than Kobe even though I would have bet on Kobe winning (and quite easily) had these two met in the "Puppet" Finals that year due to Kobe's superior mental edge and better supporting cast at that time. By 2011-2012, when Lebron got his mental game together, there was no stopping James as best player.
It was the same debate between Magic vs Michael when Magic was trying to hold off Michael for the status of best player and legacy status. Deep down everyone knew Michael had surpassed Magic as a player a long time ago but it was a matter of if Jordan's style as a scoring guard could lead to rings....as ridiculous as that appears now. Well keep in mind.....many people actually believed the Lakers could beat the Bulls in 1991 especially coming off beating 63 win Portland that had handled Chicago in the regular season.
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