Some of our older timers in here can remember when G.Hill booked out of town after 7 years for the other Florida team. Hill at the time was no LBJ but he was not that far behind him in talent. Four years later we won the title so you never know. Burning uniforms in Clev and that Gilbert letter? We got blasted back then when Tom Wilson told Hill not to let the door hit him on the way out. Go figure.
Gilbert's letter is way over the top. Until I checked google news, I wondered if it were even authentic. An owner has to show more restraint and class than is displayed in this letter. This is the kind of letter you write for catharsis and then throw in the wastebasket. He should have chilled out for a day or two before writing this screed.
Is it to much of a stretch to say... jAMES chocked on purpose at the end of the boston series because it dawned on him that if he went to the finals he couldn't finish out the plan to go to miami.... does anybody really believe wade didn't know till just before 9pm tonight?
I think the high-profile way in which Lebron communicated his decision compounded the Cleveland fans' sense of betrayal and anger. To make a television spectacle out of it was extremely insensitive. Either Lebron doesn't understand what it means to be a die-hard fan, or he just doesn't care.
This letter was about as bad as Lebron's decision to allow ESPN to broadcast his decision live over the air waves. Talking about a sore/bitter loser...I guess because he did not speak to Lebron the past few days he decided to cry and vilify his former king in the press...
Wade had the actual pictures of Ms. James and Delonte and threaten to make them public if Lebron didn't sign there:banplease
I love this kind of response and passion. I'm glad he didn't wait and think about it. The fans of Cleveland should be glad they have this owner. I'm sure they appreciate his sentiment, although a bit over the top.
Well, you might be onto something about the game five performance (which really decided that series). But I think it would be overstating it to say he did it on purpose. It would be operating at more of a subconscious level: if the Cavs didn't make it to the finals, it would help validate a decision he had already made to leave the Cavs. One thing seems hard to deny: if he had already made the decision to leave (or was, say, 90% sure) by the time of the playoffs, it would have to affect his performance in some way.
Has Piston free agent Will Bynum booked tomorrow night on ESPN to announce his decision on where he will play? I need to know now so I can plan if I am going to a movie or not....
Well, I suppose it is possible that Gilbert made a very calculated business decision to write this kind of letter, thinking that he had to do something very much out of the norm to lift the fans' spirits and keep them interested in the team.
Geez, Gilbert is burning all the bridges on LeBron's way out of town. Why would he quit in games 2 and 4 but not 3? Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert says LeBron James quit during playoffs - ESPN
Could be. If you read the comments on the Plain Dealer most are really behind Gilbert. The outrage in Cleveland is incredible. He strung them along and dumped them on national television.
He would have to take less money than the big three, but could possibly still get paid about $175K more than he made with the Pistons last year ($825k) and then sign a bigger contract next year after they win it all. Maybe all of the players planning to sign with the Heat should contact ESPN first and so that they can announce their decision live to world>>
Wade would have to approve it, so AI will have to go down to South Beach and interview with him this weekend.
What's weird about these latest comments of Gilbert is that if he really believed them at the time of the Boston series, then he would never have even tried to re-sign Lebron. I think Gilbert may be saying these things for public consumption, without really believing them. Or maybe he is an extremely emotional owner a la Mark Cuban. If the latter -- and if he believes that Lebron made his decision to leave the Cavs long before this year's playoffs -- Gilbert may be getting carried away into thinking that Lebron became indifferent to the team as a result, and that this is why they lost.
