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I feel something needs to be said on how most if not all fans of Cleveland sports feel right now. I have to say LeBron's name in this thread although I'll try not to use it in the future. First of all, let me address the whole situation. Some fans had their doubts on LeBron following this post season. Mostly because he was back to back MVP's, and he had some questionable comments following some of the games. Following the most disturbing moment in Cavs history that some may never forget, which was Game 5, LeBron seemed disengaged from the game and had some interesting comments during the press conference. He said that he spoiled the fans with his play, only has had a few bad games in his career, and feels bad for himself when he played like that. No reaction to losing a home playoff game. Rather, he decided to comment on his state of being. Following what could've been one of the most uninspiring triple doubles in Game 6, LeBron seemed dejected from the fact that they just got eliminated from the playoffs. The most petrifying image was when he was so quick to tear off his Cavs jersey once he reached backstage. It seemed like he was so eager to do this. Following another disappointing season, Cavs fans were going crazy. All they heard leading up to July 1st were all the possible scenarios pertaining to where their "hometown hero" could land. Leading up to that feared day, LeBron appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live", where he said that the Cavs have an edge. The interview seemed very weird, because LeBron came off as though he had no feelings after being eliminated from the playoffs and wanted to delve into the free agency period and discuss it before it even happened. Once free agency started, fans were very nervous. To that point, LeBron still had no contact with Dan Gilbert whatsoever in terms of any moves he would've liked to have been done for the betterment of this franchise. LeBron continued to draw out his "decision" and hold Cleveland fans hostage. No hometown hero would do this. When it was announced that LeBron would announce his decision on ESPN through an hour long special "The Decision", Cleveland fans thought that it was a guarantee he was staying. ESPN runs through the Cleveland moments in terms of terrible sports moments, and "The Decision" would perfectly add along to those moments. The fans were confident because they believed that there was no way LeBron James would do us like that on national television. Why would he? Why would he hold us hostage for weeks long and proceed to announce his departure in the worst way possible on live TV to humiliate us? The day came. His posse personally hired Jim Gray to ask the questions. Therefore, LeBron could pick the questions and know how to answer them. In effect, he controlled every aspect of this show. He hid behind the Boys and Girls Club donation. As the show began, he showed very little emotion. If he was leaving Cleveland, he would at least cry or show a hint of emotion, right? Nope, not one bit. When he announced he was "taking his talents" to the South Beach, the dagger slowly entered into the hearts of Cleveland fans. He did do us like that. And the funny thing is, he showed no emotion. After seven years you did us like that. Then to top it off, refers to Cleveland as "that city". He permanently removed himself from this city by referring to it as "that city". Then ESPN asks him about what it would be like to play with Barack Obama? Yeah, that's the question on everyone's mind alright. Michael Wilbon congratulates him on making the decision? That's like congratulating me when I come to work one day. It happened. ESPN now could go over Cleveland sports moments once more, and conveniently the show was called "The Decision". The following show continues to show footage of Cleveland fans soaking in their own tears. He really just did that. On live TV, knowing the history of Cleveland sports, he did us like that. More so, owner Dan Gilbert, after trying to reach LeBron for the weeks leading up to this, didn't even get the right to find out about the decision until 9:01 P.M. on that day. An owner who personally catered to LeBron James and his group for 5 years, doing whatever it took to satisfy him, is told by LeBron's agent Rich Paul less than a half hour before the decision, that he's leaving. Now onto Dan Gilbert's comments. He did go out of line with the title guarantee. However, Cleveland fans just got humiliated on live TV by someone who they believed was their hero. They needed a voice. The only person who has the notoriety to give them that voice was Dan Gilbert. Dan Gilbert expressed the sentiments of ALL Cavs fans that night. We were betrayed. Did LeBron have a right to leave? Yes. But after 5 years, you give your decision through your agent only minutes before your decision. In effect, he held the Cavs hostage for weeks. It's been only a few hours, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer's newspaper cover comes out: http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/497065/lebron-gonejpg-d7728841873976bb_medium.jpg What an empty feeling? Life goes on, but how much bitterness goes through the mind of a Cleveland fan to see that. Trying to cope, somehow only one day later LeBron is in a Miami heat uniform, being lifted by a forklift with his other two buddies, dancing, guaranteeing titles, getting the key to the city, and smiling. A little more than a day ago, he was at Cleveland State University playing hoops. And now he's doing this? He says he wishes he brought a championship to "that city". How did all of this fanfare happen? In the spur of the moment? There's no way all of this could be set up less than a day after the announcement. This is where the dagger goes a little deeper into Cavs fans. We are upset that he left, but we are pissed at how he did it, and that will echo how we feel about him for the rest of our lives. http://cavs.ohio.com/2010/07/lebron-responds-to-gilberts-scathing-letter/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter And now, Cleveland as a sports town is off the map. People wonder if this was contrived all the way back in 2006 when LeBron and the other two singed three year contracts. People wonder if it was contrived when LeBron changed his number to 6 while in Miami, finding out that 23 was retired there. LeBron had the key voice in every move the Cavs made. From getting Jamison to Shaq to Mo, he put us in this position. There's even a conspiracy that LeBron switched from Amare to Jamison last minute because he thought if Amare came then the Cavs would win a title. If the Cavs won a title, there's no way he could've left. He made it easy for him to leave. From the disturbing exit from the playoffs to the elbow situation. As Skip Bayless correctly says, it always came across as though LeBron always thought he was "doing Cleveland a favor" by being on the Cavs. He always made it clear he was not a fan of Cleveland. From never wearing Browns or Indians apparel when he went to games, rather wearing the opposing teams gear, to never promoting the Cavs at all, it always seemed as though he had no loyalty at all. The way everything transpired was such treachery. This was betrayal, not a decision. There is so much being covered up, and Cavalier basketball is left on the bottom of the spectrum. LeBron handled this matter the worst way it could've been handled, and there are clues and speculation that this was a scandal all along. Cleveland fans are left to deal with it, and the only video describing our feelings that will be shown on ESPN frequently will be the video of LeBron's jersey being burned because it puts the negative light on our fans and the positive light on LeBron. It's a new day. We can move on. But when you consider moving on and forgetting vs. going off on LeBron, you have to realize that this town was so loyal that you have to talk about it and go off on LeBron. Thanks for reading and at least trying to see how this city and all of Northeast Ohio feels.

The first volleys of trading and free agency have swept across the NBA battlefield. Let’s examine the first trades fired and what they’ll mean to their prospective teams. Only trades involving two teams swapping players who weren’t subsequently cut will be analyzed. New York acquires Anthony Randolph, Ronnie Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike from Golden State for David Lee David Lee would be superfluous with Amare Stoudemire in tow, so the Knicks shipped him off for solid depth and a potentially high reward in Randolph. Randolph is a long, lean forward who runs like a gazelle, falls in love with his inconsistent jumper, plays zero defense, and has a limited understanding of the game. However, If he can gain some upper body strength and put things together, he could become a big time player in an up-tempo offense somewhere down the road. Turiaf will always play hard on defense, even if his undersized frame mitigates the success rate of his efforts. He’ll block shots, rebound, and make plays simply on his competitive spirit. Azubuike can defend a little, shoot a little, handle a little, and run the floor. He’s not a bad backup wing, especially in an uptempo offense. Still, the pickups do little to plus the gaping holes the Knicks need plugged at the guard and power forward/center position. Grade: C- Golden State acquires David Lee from New York for Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike. Lee has terrific rebounding instincts and an extraordinarily quick second jump which allows him to dominate the glass. Aside from Dwight Howard, Lee probably has the most rebounding range in the NBA. His ability to rebound, make quick outlet passes, and run the floor will add another dimension to Golden State’s fast break. He doesn’t need the ball offensively, but he’s an excellent screen-slipper and finisher with both hands around the rim, particularly his left. He’s also improved his game to the point where he’s a dangerous mid-range jumper. He’s far too quick off the dribble for centers to handle, forcing them to give up space for him to shoot 18-footers at will. Of course his defense is deplorable, but in Golden State that’s hardly a footnote. With Golden State’s get-up-and-go gameplan, expect him to put up even bigger numbers than the gargantuan totals he produced under Mike D’Antoni. Getting him for filler amounts to the basketball equivalent of highway robbery. Grade: A Milwaukee acquires Corey Maggette from Golden State for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric. Maggette fills a major hole in Milwaukee’s lineup. He’s a ferocious baseline player with a penchant for ducking in, sealing weaker defenders, and finishing or drawing fouls at the hoop. Looking at the Bucks roster, you’ll see a team devoid of interior finishers. Andrew Bogut is solid up front, but John Salmons takes too many dribbles to get to the hoop, Brandon Jennings is a pathetic finisher, Luke Ridnour is soft, Michael Redd’s career is in limbo, Jerry Stackhouse is running on fumes, Kurt Thomas is strictly a jump shooter, and Ersan Illyasova has trouble finishing among the trees. Acquiring Maggette gives Milwaukee’s offense much needed muscle power to go with the team’s heart and scrappiness. Sure, Maggette’s as ball-hungry as they come, but he hasn’t played for a coach with a strong personality in years. He’ll always play hard on offense if he gets his touches, but looking at Milwaukee’s roster, he’ll be a primary option down low. Plus, if he overdribbles or takes too many quick jumpers, he’ll have to deal with Scott Skiles and a number of well-respected veterans who will make sure he falls in line. Defensively is a different story as Maggette’s never been a good defender. The hope is that he improves by osmosis and provides enough offensive production to offset his lack of defense. Grade: B+ Golden State acquires Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric from Milwaukee for Corey Maggette. Taking on players is the secondary aspect of this deal. Golden State is more than happy to shed Maggette and free up more ball time for Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Bell is a defense-oriented guard who is too small to defend shooting guards, and too slow to defend point guards. He’s a respectable shooter and playmaker but is hampered by lack of size. Gadzuric can run the floor and his active on the offensive glass, but he has no offensive game to speak of and gets pushed around defensively. He’s strictly a third center. Each will be lucky to see more than spot duty. The Warriors are perfectly fine with that. Grade: B+ Sacramento acquires Samuel Dalembert from Philadelphia for Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes. Dalembert is a terrific weak side shot blocker and springy rebounder who will clean up some of the mistakes of Sacramento’s novice perimeter defenders. He also displays poor judgment and will take two or three jump shots per game that are beyond his range. Still, his clean up defense will help Sacramento’s offense stay in games, and he’ll feed off the cookies provided by Tyreke Evans’ penetrations. He’s a short term upgrade over Spencer Hawes, with Hawes lacking the potential to become anything more than a journeyman center. Nocioni had no future in Sacramento’s plans, and had fallen out of favor by clashing with Tyreke Evans. Grade: B Philadelphia acquires Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes from Sacramento for Samuel Dalembert. With Dalembert set free, the Sixers will have more playing time available for Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, and Thaddeus Young. While no player in that trio is a center, the Sixers will be able to split Brand and Speights at the center position, while having the other split time with Young at the four. If the lack of size is an issue, Spencer Hawes won’t embarrass himself by playing major minutes at center. Noccioni used to be a plus defender and a versatile scorer but he’s lost a step. His defense is no longer exemplary, and he has trouble finishing in a crowd. He can still shoot the three, and he still plays hard, giving the Sixers’ bench more teeth than it has with Jason Kapono. Grade: B New Jersey Acquired Quinton Ross from Washington for Yi Jianlian. Defense is Ross’ stock-in-trade—he offers virtually nothing on the offensive end of the floor. At worst, he’s an upgrade over Trent Hassel, and an indicator of what the Nets think of Yi after two seasons. Grade: C Washington acquires Yi Jianlian from New Jersey for Quinton Ross. Softer than a sponge, Jianlian is little more than an oversized shooting guard. Yi offers little without the ball so it’s a wonder why the Wizards traded for him when they have so many players who’ll need the ball to be effective next season. Grade: F

I'm ready to jump off the ledge.

You are using hypotheticals and then saying we're retarded as a result of your hypothetical scenarios... Sensible. Get off Bron's satchel

The ONLY way people wouldn't be mad at LeBron is if he stayed in Cleveland and won at least five Championships, and he'd stll be criticized by many people. -If he goes to New York, you'd say he's all about money and doesn't care about winning. - If he goes to Miami, you'd say he can't win anything on his own(even though no player in NBA history has), and needed D-Wade to help carry him. -If he stays in Cleveland an doesn't win any Championships, you'd say he was stupid to stay there and that there is no point in loyalty if you know your team can't win. -If he stays in Cleveland and wins 5+ rings, you'd say that he was too afraid to handle the big lights in New york, and missed out on hundreds of millions of dollars. He just can't win in this situation because many of you are retarded.

As some may know #23 is retired by the Miami Heat in honor of Michael Jordan. We all know the story behind LeBron changing his #. So...Tip his plans?

You really need to do some research or watch some Bulls games. You are trying to downgrade Scottie Pippen, who was one of the premier players in the league at the time, and Jordan also had one of the best rebounders of all-time on his team. It's no coincidence that when he didn't have Rodman or Grant, he never won a title.

You're missing greatness

Obviously you didn't read what he wrote. Either that or you're just ignorant.

Definetly Rooney, that fukn twat. Glad to see his constant complaining and whining to the refs didn't pay out as his country was sent home in the first round.

Noone here is saying the Heat are the best team in the world CURRENTLY. However by the end of the year I am very confident the team will have acquired the savvy veterans and chemistry needed to win it all and dethrone the Lakers sending Phil "Colonel Sanders" Jackson into retirement in a disapointed state of mind. Tough to acquire a base of players better than Wade-Bron-Bosh though.

The movie is "Downfall"

That's not fair and very misleading. Wade was the best player of the 2008 Olympics, leading the team in scoring and shot 67% for the entire Olympics (including leading Team USA in scoring against Spain). LeBron also shot 60% and was played all 5 positions for the team. Kobe managed to shoot his NBA % of 46% and only 59% from the FT line. Melo was money in the 2006 and 2007 FIBA games, but didn't play that great in the Olympics. The team that won bronze together was 4 years ago and included many other current stars. If you put that bronze medal stigma on James/Wade/Bosh and say they'd need Kobe or Melo to win, then you have to do the same to Deron/Paul/Howard/etc.. And I know those guys aren't on a "super-team", but in the next few years they are going to have to form similar duo's/trio's to have a shot at winning championships.

Chris Bosh was 6th in RPG in the NBA last season. Acquiring a Center that can rebound and box out big guys will not be a big problem. It is easier to find a Kendrick Perkins than a star. The stars have been assembled. All that's left is to find hungry role players willing to do their role. I'm sure Shaq is begging to come to Miami and he can defend guys like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum better than anyone. Joel Anthony is a decent big off the bench and was top 15 last year in Blocks despite playing less than 20 MPG. I've heard nothing but good things about Pittman who could be a solid player. Shaq/Juwan Howard plus guys like this will get the job done just nicely.

Welcome to the Heat fan base, how have your first 3 days been?

There's no one in this world I dislike more then [expletive]ing Jesse Jackson. We get it, you're black. You aren't a slave, never will be, times have changed. Jackson is the primary reason for people being racist in this world, and is just as bad as any slaveowner.

Charlotte was one of the best defensive teams in the NBA last season, and they lost in the first round. It doesn't matter what round, what game...the point is, stats are distorted when you alter the environment. Kobe had games where he struggled against Boston. If another player dominates Boston, that doesn't mean he's a better player than Bryant...because maybe that same player struggles against more teams. Maybe Boston is built to handle Bryant, but not some other player that plays differently. What if Monta Ellis averages more points per game than LeBron or Wade this upcoming season? Does that make him a better player, or a better scorer? I don't think so. He could average more than Melo, for all we know. How many points will Amare average, now that he's on the Knicks? What if the Heat were to trade Wade to the Kings, for Evans? Wade would average 30+ on that team. It's not that difficult to understand. Statistics don't prove much. And with that said, it relates to the topic because rings do matter, just as much as stats, just as much as visuals, just as much as overall skills you can see just by watching the players. Players win rings without doing anything (Morrison). Players put up big numbers without winning rings (LeBron). Problem is, someone like Bynum is a very good center in the league, top 2-3 offensively, doesn't do much (15-20 minutes per game) and still wins rings. But he's good because we can tell from his post moves and how he challenges shots...things that don't show up in the statsheet. Rings are important to the player. Rings aren't important when we are judging that player's overall abilities. Rings are extremely important to that player's legacy, or greatness.

So Beasley is now ruined because he was traded to a team where he can actually play more minutes, and have more freedom on offense? Alright.

A bit too early for predictions, free agency isn't even over yet and there is plenty of time for trades

LMFAO!!!! WHAT A GAYFISH YOU ARE!!!!!!!