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Lebron James Ethers Charles Barkley
- Thread starter Black Mamba
- Start date
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Is this the Ether? Because that's about as real as it gets.
James is mainly shook because KD going to the Warriors was a move the Cavs had no hope of matching. He is still demoralized by the move and the season is already half way over. To be fair KD to the Warriors was an incredibly bullshit move, but given the NBA's infatuation with rings it's understandable.
I like it. Still not as good as Shaq asking Charles what he knows about winning a championship back to back.
Good. Fuck Barkley. LBJ can ether that dude all day. He has earned his spot in NBA history and silenced the critics. All that's left are the haters, and they make noise no matter what; Charles included.
Dude is right, he has carried the most popular player in the NBA extremely well in comparison to most that have held that mantle. And because the lame ass haters cant saddle him down with Gambling issues, Arrests, or Domestic problems they reach and reach and reeeeeach like fucking stretch armstrong.
So go ahead and let them souls burn slow.
Dude is right, he has carried the most popular player in the NBA extremely well in comparison to most that have held that mantle. And because the lame ass haters cant saddle him down with Gambling issues, Arrests, or Domestic problems they reach and reach and reeeeeach like fucking stretch armstrong.
So go ahead and let them souls burn slow.
teruterubozu
Member
Rekting a TV talking head who gets paid to say stupid shit.
Seriously. The court jester is getting under the King's skin. Hilarious.
Royce McCutcheon
Junior Member
Why can't the best player on the team complain
Spuck-uk
Banned
Barkley is so much better at shit talking than LeBron will ever be, even in his retirement.
DasPenguin
Member
Exactly. Although LeBron couldn't be more wrong about being friends at that time. Barkley took more physical abuse in a season in the paint than LBJ takes in ten years. Getting beaten to death by elbows in the back on a nightly basis is the biggest reason why post players were done when they started to turn 30. Comparing SG to PF relationship is stupid anyway. Try asking Laimbeer, Oakley, Rodman or some other PF how good friends they were while facing each other every night.
But what I'm the most tired about criticism towards Barkley is "hey you never won anything." Yeah, he only put up triple-doubles and played out of his mind when he got to the Finals. And he wasted his prime playing with guys like Armon Gilliam and Charles Shackleford. Shaq's comment about Charles going to Houston was the dumbest ever. Every one of those stars was over the hill at that point. That's like Carmelo and Wade teaming up today. Now if they teamed up 6-7 years earlier that would be like what Miami did.
The best players Charles played with in his prime were Hersey Hawkins and Mike Gminski. Shaq played with Penny, Kobe and Wade. And even though Charles went to the Finals with the Suns, his prime was spent in Philadelphia. I would like to see Shaq (or LBJ, or Michael or whoever) try to win with those 76ers teams.
And I love that LeBron is talking about politics and is being more vocal, but he should do that even when he messes up. That's the difference between Barkley. He owned his mistakes. If LeBron has any controversy or something doesn't go like he wanted, he completely disappears from the media. Or did you see him talking after the Boston or Dallas series? It's easy to be vocal when you are at the top.
Fried Food
Banned
I got more respect for James after reading that. I never really disrespected him but yeah
x24hrs2livex
Banned
Cash Chuck in the studio How bout dah?
Bron is a crybaby. Lebron was just deflecting the real issue.
Bron is a crybaby. Lebron was just deflecting the real issue.
SafeinSound
Member
Well, he's right
x24hrs2livex
Banned
Lebron complains to the media, that's a no no. Even if his complaints are valid (they aren't) as the leader of the team you address the issue with management and the team not with the media.
Wade did this recently and was rightfully blasted by his fellow Bulls teammates for it.
Murdered.
????? Where am I wrong?
Have some critical thought instead of just posting stupid goddamn gifs
Or maybe this works better
ForsakenLotus
Member
I mean, fair enough with LeBron's points and all, but Chuck's criticisms are also valid. The Cavaliers are the only team in the luxury tax. They have assuaged to his demands on players like JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, etc. They recently got Kyle Korver, another good role player. Even though I don't disagree that they need a better backup point guard, no team is perfect and complete, and hearing him complain about the roster in the middle of a losing skid sounded like a tantrum.
Also, by all accounts LeBron is a good dude. I really dislike when decent people bring up character flaws in another person as opposed to debating their points. As hominems are not flattering and make you look petty and worse.
Also, by all accounts LeBron is a good dude. I really dislike when decent people bring up character flaws in another person as opposed to debating their points. As hominems are not flattering and make you look petty and worse.
old manatee
Banned
This is what happens when you don't let women play.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Lebron isn't wrong but...neither is Barkley. Complaining about roster moves when you're surrounded by 3 max contracts, two of whom are all Stars playing the best ball of their careers, and you have 3 or 4 of the best role players in the league (Jefferson, Thompson, Korver, Frye), is nuts. There's nothing wrong with personnel on that squad. They're playing like shit on D, missing makeable FTs, and turning the ball over too much.
Lebron is just lashing out now, breaking his usual wall of public decorum, because he is genuinely frustrated at the losing streak. It's probably good for the Cavs in the short term, because we haven't seen Lebron play mad in a little while.
Lebron is just lashing out now, breaking his usual wall of public decorum, because he is genuinely frustrated at the losing streak. It's probably good for the Cavs in the short term, because we haven't seen Lebron play mad in a little while.
I appreciate a good roasting but lebron comes off as being defensive here.
Nothing he said negates what Barkley was saying. Instead he attacks Barkley personal character.
The cavaliers have the highest payroll in the league on a roster that Lebron James himself hand picked. Seriously
- Pushed for Cavs to trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love upon his return.
- Got a coach fired and made them hire a close friend
- Got his friends on the team paid huge contracts (Tristan Thompson agent is Rich Paul)
And now he complains that the owner isn't spending enough when the Cavs are spending more than any other team in the league. They won the championship last year and Dan Gilbert lost 40 million dollars.
This would be like if the Dodgers in baseball or Real Madrid/ Manchester City in soccer complaining that they aren't spending enough.
I like Lebron and want to see him win another championship but I think this time he is wrong. You can't complain about the roster of a team being bad when you essentially hand picked it yourself.
Nothing he said negates what Barkley was saying. Instead he attacks Barkley personal character.
The cavaliers have the highest payroll in the league on a roster that Lebron James himself hand picked. Seriously
- Pushed for Cavs to trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love upon his return.
- Got a coach fired and made them hire a close friend
- Got his friends on the team paid huge contracts (Tristan Thompson agent is Rich Paul)
And now he complains that the owner isn't spending enough when the Cavs are spending more than any other team in the league. They won the championship last year and Dan Gilbert lost 40 million dollars.
This would be like if the Dodgers in baseball or Real Madrid/ Manchester City in soccer complaining that they aren't spending enough.
I like Lebron and want to see him win another championship but I think this time he is wrong. You can't complain about the roster of a team being bad when you essentially hand picked it yourself.
I mean he's right in the fact that the cavs gave him everything. Right now they are experiencing a rough patch.
Even lebrons teammate called him out and said "this is the team we have, let's make it work."
That said this was straight ether. I like chuck but he talks a lot of shit. It was bound to come back on him.
Even lebrons teammate called him out and said "this is the team we have, let's make it work."
That said this was straight ether. I like chuck but he talks a lot of shit. It was bound to come back on him.
DasPenguin
Member
Exactly. And this is where Gilbert got in trouble with the first time. He tried to bring all the players to Cleveland that LBJ wanted (like Shaq), and while doing so the team aged and they were over the cap. LeBron didn't like it and moved to Miami with two superstars. Coming back to the weak Shaq argument about Houston: that's like Barkley saying in '88 that man, I don't want to do this, and then joining either the Lakers with Magic and Worthy or The Bulls with MJ. You don't think he wins titles then?
Now it's the same thing: if you go deep into the playoffs your roster starts to age, you have to start paying players and you are once again over the cap. To my knowledge Gilbert has paid for everyone that LBJ wanted to keep. And they brought in Korver. He's already paying the luxury tax, so what more can he do? There's no point crying to the media about "needing another playmaker". He can do that privately with the organisation. Or what, you change teams again because you have no time to waste?
Well Barkley's job is to analyze the NBA and what is going on so that is what he is doing. Lebron has been whining to the media about the cavs roster so CB is commening on it. Lebron isn't incorrect but neither is Barkley. Lebron kept the cavs hostage with his 1+1 contracts so he could have the power to sign who he wanted. Lebron wanted Love he got him, he wanted Thompson, Miller (who isn't on the team any longer) and Smith cavs signed him. Wanted Blatt fired cavs complied.
Lebron created this roster so I don't understand why he is upset at the cavs front office? I think Lebron is realizing that the super team he created cannot complete with the super duper team the warriors created. Not fun going through the season knowing you have no shot at a title is it Lebron?
Lebron created this roster so I don't understand why he is upset at the cavs front office? I think Lebron is realizing that the super team he created cannot complete with the super duper team the warriors created. Not fun going through the season knowing you have no shot at a title is it Lebron?
TheOohChild
Member
Isn't it kind of Chuck's job to talk about the NBA and Lebron James? Should TNT outsource a comment from Bill Russell every time they need need a hot take on Lebron? Lebron coming off like a spiteful baby.
If the Cavs lose and aren't any better in a few years, I actually think this is what'll happen next time he can hit free agency. Super team redux with Melo/Wade/CP3.
I'm going to quote this again from the OP because people keep missing the point:
I remember people laughing same time last season saying that TT was terrible and Love was lovelorn. Blaming Lebron for those contracts. Then Cavs won the ring and everybody shut up. Lebron did his job and delivered.
Complaining about talent is part of the job of the franchise player/best player on the team. Barkley did it himself when he was a player. Barkley's wrong as a commentator now.
Barkley is wrong. James job is to whine and continue to prod the organization. If he was the owner or the GM, James would just go out right now and sign the playmaker he's asking for.
I remember people laughing same time last season saying that TT was terrible and Love was lovelorn. Blaming Lebron for those contracts. Then Cavs won the ring and everybody shut up. Lebron did his job and delivered.
Complaining about talent is part of the job of the franchise player/best player on the team. Barkley did it himself when he was a player. Barkley's wrong as a commentator now.
A bunch of 34 year olds?
metalslimer
Member
After getting Cleveland a chip ovet a historically good team he can say what he wants. I do think that he is pissy because they are heading towards a sweep against GS
He doesn't want to be 3-5 in the finals
He doesn't want to be 3-5 in the finals
DasPenguin
Member
But that would be like Houston with Barkley and Hakeem and they wouldn't win.
But hopefully I never have to hear the "you didn't win a title shut up" argument ever again. Nobody would win with those Sixers teams and Barkley was a machine in the playoffs. Also commenting about unpaide debts is super weak stuff. Is LeBron aware that he gets paid hundreds of millions of dollars because of guys like Barkley made the league popular while making 3 million a year? Yeah, that doesn't sound petty at all.
The more I think about this, the worse LeBron is looking in this situation. At this point I'm starting to wish for another Dallas-esque meltdown from LBJ just to see how vocal he is then. He was snickering around and making fun of Dirk having the flu, but suddenly disappeared from the media when he didn't play well.
In fact, he's the NBA's Trump: willing to insult everyone else, can't take a hint of criticism. And that has been going on for years now. Also doesn't understand how dictionary works and creates controversies out of nothing (the whole posse fiasco). Thin-skinned manchild. Sounds familiar.
LeBron is complaining about a championship roster that he wanted and that will go to the Finals again. Barkley was complaining about the Sixers trading every good player they had (Gminski, Cheeks, Moses) so they could bring in guys like Armon Gilliam, who played the same position as Charles and wasn't any good. There's just a slight difference there.
I mean if he wants to do that that is fine. Paul is injury prone, Wade will be 36 and Melo will be 34. Not sure how that is better than who they have now.
metalslimer
Member
Say what you will but being called a member of a posse is fucking insulting especially as a black man
Phil deserves to be raked over the coals for that one
There's nothing wrong with complaining, but you do it internally. You don't go to the media and make it a public thing.
Also, that whole team, from the coach to the players is all Lebrons doing. Whether he's willing to admit to it or not. So for him to complain about what management is doing, is BS, because all they've done is try to make him happy and done what he's asked.
I am not saying that as a criticism about Chuck having no right to talk smack and have his own hot take because he never won one. What I mean by what I say is that he never won a championship that is why he will not understand where a defending champ is coming from and I think what he's saying is wrong. Sure, LeBron is talking a lot publicly about things that should be behind closed doors like demanding the management to do something, but it's not uncommon to hear these kind of things from champions as a way to make public pressure for owners to make moves and spend cash. Imagine, had Dirk demanded Cuban to spend more money rather than save after their championship, he would not be wasting his remaining prime years to rebuilding hell. If you are a defending champion and the franchise player, you are not letting your team be complacent, especially when your rival teams got better than your team. And we're talking about Cleveland Cavaliers here. A team that was historically better off tanking to get better players rather than signing free agents lol.
Besides, it's not like he's asking for an all-star point guard. He's just asking for a serviceable point guard, which the team lacks big time and their management has yet to address. Chuck is just exaggerating stuff like LeBron's asking for CP3 lol.
CrunchyFrog
Member
Yeah this was my takeaway too. Lebron comes off worse in this exchange.
17 Seconds
Banned
i used to like chuck but he's just a bitter old man these days. it's true that lebron shouldn't be complaining about the roster around him, but i'm glad he finally went in on charles.
I think Lebron is upset that the cavs said no expense would be spared yet they let Dellavedova and Mongov walk.
I agree with the cavs on this this though. Mozgov at 16m a year is grossly overpaid. Dellavedova is an average NBA player at best and is making 10m a year.
Cavs sign both these guys for the money they got their payroll would be 155m and still won't get this team past the warriors. At some point the cavs have to draw the line.
DasPenguin
Member
Maybe it's me being European and all and we take words on their definitions, and to me it didn't seem like an insult. I doubt Phil meant it as one. If it's a racial thing or has such connotations then I can understand that. But this getting upset thing has happened so many times by now, can we agree on the fact that he can't handle criticism? He loves to dish it out though.
lmao this is nonsense and you're revealing your biases now
a meaningless difference. Lebron wants to win Championships, Barkley did too. But were in a position to comment on their roster
Different organizations require different approaches. Lebron didn't complain like this at Miami. Cleveland has always been dysfunctional and continuing to complaining is part of the process there.
iwannaseethereceipts.gif
LeBron is no Iverson.
dragonyeuw
Member
They're both right in different aspects. Lebron has spent the last 7 years either playing quasi GM or moving about to where the deck looks properly stacked. He's got one of the best PGs in the game in Kyrie, one of the best rebounders in the game in Thompson, one of the best PFs when on his game( Love), and a quality lineup of role players and shooting specialists tailor-made for Lebron's strengths as a playmaker. The east is hardly much of a challenge for that team to at least make it to the finals like the past 2 seasons, warts and all. Teams go through rough patches, fight through it and come out better than ever. Shit, last year was full of drama eventually leading to a coaching change, the end result was the team won it all. So STFU and play.
On the flipside, there's a little too much 'back in our day' whining being floated about nowadays, which Barkley often goes on about( as do many other former players). Yes, today isn't like yesterday, nor will it be like tomorrow. Things change.
On the flipside, there's a little too much 'back in our day' whining being floated about nowadays, which Barkley often goes on about( as do many other former players). Yes, today isn't like yesterday, nor will it be like tomorrow. Things change.
DasPenguin
Member
Critiquing someone for attacking people for financial things when they are doing their job on television is not bias. He is acting like a child in this case. He can't take criticism but loves to dish it out. This is clear by now, or how many examples do you need?
Cleveland has put together a championship roster and Gilbert has done everything in his power to keep LBJ happy. Twice. They have the highest payroll in the NBA. Again, what is he complaining about? And if he wants to add another player (which Gilbert has shown he is willing to do), why doesn't he go tell him that? "I have no time to waste." Class act.
And I know, LeBron started to complain about Riley the second he left Miami. Couldn't do it there so had to wait a bit.
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