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Archive for the ‘Cleveland Cavaliers’ Category

LeBron James’ so-called ‘Decision’…let’s just say it didn’t hit the mark that some thought it did. Pop the hood for details.

Do you remember where you were when LeBron took over the television and held you captive to let you know he was taking his talents to South Beach? A wasted hour out of your life on something that could have taken thirty seconds to say. Well it looks like ESPN was just as annoyed as the rest of America who had to sit through that bullsh*t of a special. Don Ohlmeyer, ESPN’s person of journalistic matters graded the special and gave LeBron a big fat a$s ‘F!!’ After a few weeks Ohlmeyer wrote his final verdict on the shuck and jive parade known as the ‘Decision’. He didn’t hold back either on what he thought about ESPN and LeBron.

No matter how convoluted the intellectual gymnastics, ESPN “paid” for exclusive access to a news story. For the network, there is quantifiable revenue associated with the Thursday 9-10 p.m. programming hour. That revenue was forgone, yielded in exchange for the exclusive. Team LeBron sold those advertising units. The fact that it was in turn distributed to charity was immaterial, journalistically. James used ESPN’s commercial spots in an effort to enhance his image as a responsible, caring charitable guy — there’s direct value to James in doing so, and he did it courtesy of the network, and with the sponsor’s money.

Damn, that dude doesn’t bite his tongue. ESPN learned their lesson after this one–don’t drink the Bron Bron Kool-Aid! Go Cavs!!!

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Magic Johnson is the latest NBA veteran to give his two cents about Lebron James’ unorthodox decision to jump ship and join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in hot pursuit of an NBA championship. His words on the flippy

Basketball hall of famer Magic Johnson, who won five National Basketball Association championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, agreed with fellow hall of famer Michael Jordan in saying they would focus more on beating their rivals than joining them.

“We didn’t think about it cause that’s not what we were about,” said Johnson, whose Michigan State squad beat Bird’s Indiana State team in the 1979 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship. “From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird.”

Bird, a hall of famer who played for the Boston Celtics, and Johnson also faced each other in the NBA Finals three out of four years from 1984-1987, with Magic’s Lakers winning twice.

Johnson spoke about the possibility of joining Bird and Jordan on the same team in an interview Tuesday morning at Baruch College in New York.

“It was never a question in our mind because nobody has ever done that,” he said.

While he agreed with Jordan that Lebron’s move to Miami wasn’t one he would’ve made, it wasn’t all BronBron bashing… Johnson said James, 25, has a bright future once his NBA career is over.

“I think he will be, one day, a great businessman,” Johnson said. “The first order of business for LeBron is to win championships. If you build your brand on the court, then that will take care of the off the court brand.”

Dang Lebron just can’t catch a break. If he doesn’t win this first championship out the gate he’s never gonna hear the end of it!

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Dan Gilbert’s out of pocket comments have gotten him into a bit of trouble with NBA commissioner David Stern, and he has responded to Jesse Jackson’s “Runaway Slave” comparisons:

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert got in another word about the messy, heartbreaking split with LeBron James. He promised it’s his last one. It had better be or NBA commissioner David Stern could fine him another $100,000. On Monday, Gilbert said he strongly disagrees with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s criticism of his recent comments about James, who announced last week he was leaving Cleveland after seven seasons to join fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.

James “has gotten a free pass.” He also said James should be held accountable for his actions. Jackson responded to Gilbert’s remarks on Sunday by saying the Cavs owner sees James as a “runaway slave” and that Gilbert’s comments put the player in danger.

“He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Jackson said in a release from his Chicago-based civil-rights group. “His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship – between business partners – and LeBron honored his contract.”

In a statement released by the team on Monday, Gilbert tried to put an end to the issue.

“I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it,” Gilbert said. “Going forward, we’re very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region.”

Gilbert is attending the owners’ meetings in Las Vegas, where Stern fined him $100,000 for the “inappropriate” comments about James.

“He was completely correct in expressing his disappointment,” Stern said, adding that Gilbert’s statement and the sentiments he expressed in a follow-up interview with the AP were “a little bit extreme.”

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Dan Gilbert’s out of pocket comments have gotten him into a bit of trouble with NBA commissioner David Stern, and he has responded to Jesse Jackson’s “Runaway Slave” comparisons:

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert got in another word about the messy, heartbreaking split with LeBron James. He promised it’s his last one. It had better be or NBA commissioner David Stern could fine him another $100,000. On Monday, Gilbert said he strongly disagrees with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s criticism of his recent comments about James, who announced last week he was leaving Cleveland after seven seasons to join fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.

James “has gotten a free pass.” He also said James should be held accountable for his actions. Jackson responded to Gilbert’s remarks on Sunday by saying the Cavs owner sees James as a “runaway slave” and that Gilbert’s comments put the player in danger.

“He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Jackson said in a release from his Chicago-based civil-rights group. “His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship – between business partners – and LeBron honored his contract.”

In a statement released by the team on Monday, Gilbert tried to put an end to the issue.

“I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it,” Gilbert said. “Going forward, we’re very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region.”

Gilbert is attending the owners’ meetings in Las Vegas, where Stern fined him $100,000 for the “inappropriate” comments about James.

“He was completely correct in expressing his disappointment,” Stern said, adding that Gilbert’s statement and the sentiments he expressed in a follow-up interview with the AP were “a little bit extreme.”

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Less than a week after “King” James made his announcement to move down south, fans in his former city have shown how they really feel about the so-called betrayal by removing the mural of James that is featured in the now infamous Nike ads. Pop the hood for details Continue

Getting a bit dramatic, are we?

Jesse Jackson spoke out against Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert saying that he sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave" and that Gilbert's comments about LeBron joining the Miami Heat put the basketball star in danger!

Gilbert said last week about LeBron:

"He has gotten a free pass. People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

And Jackson's response?

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship — between business partners — and LeBron honored his contract."

Yikes!

Thoughts??

[Image via WENN.]

Rev. Jesse Jackson is callin’ out Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert for acting like a slave master angered at losing his runaway slave! Pop the hood for Jackson’s explosive retort to Gilbert’s comments regarding Lebron James signing with the Miami Heat.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson blasted the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday for treating Miami-bound LeBron James like a “runaway slave.” The civil rights leader slammed owner Dan Gilbert for calling James “disloyal” and “a coward” in an open letter to Cavaliers fans. “He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Jackson told The Associated Press. “His feelings of betrayal personify a slave-master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave.” Moments after James, 25, who was born and raised in Ohio, announced in a hour-long ESPN special Thursday that he was going to South Florida, Gilbert ripped his former franchise player. “You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal,” Gilbert told Cleveland’s long-suffering fans on the Cavaliers Web site. Gilbert called James “narcissistic” and “heartless.” He even put a hex on the two-time NBA MVP, writing “the self-declared former ‘King’ will be taking the ‘curse’ with him down South.” Jackson described Gilbert’s lambasting of James as “mean, arrogant and presumptuous” – and an insult to NBA players who choose to exercise their labor rights. “LeBron is not a child, nor is he bound to play on Gilbert’s plantation and be demeaned,” Jackson said. “He has been a model citizen and has inspired the children of Akron, Cleveland, the state of Ohio and the United States.”

Jesse has a point. Dan Gilbert has been way out of pocket with his comments! Do you think Jesse goes too far with the slavery analogies though? Thoughts? Source