Rick Meyer
Veteran
As a Yankee fan, I now know how the rest of the country feels.
Miami Heat- NBA Triple Threat!!!
- Thread starter groveChuck
- Start date
Tom Marshall
Actor!!!!!!
True. It's a good place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there (again)!
You said it, Rick! :beer:
GRENCH
Well-known member
Lebron's a great guy. I actually met him once. He made a decision that alot of young people make. He has spent a life time in Cleveland. Gave it his all and it didn't happen. Now it's time for plan B. And the true kicker is that he is still young enough to become a Champion in Miami. And mark my words "if he plays with a new found Heart and Intensity based on Maturity and Will this whole Cleveland thing will become a distant memory". I remember the anger people felt back in the 80's when the Colts left Baltimore. Now no one cares. Manning is 1 of my favorite players, lol. I believe we are going to see an entirely different man in Miami. Pain has a way of maturing people. Until some artist experience pain they never reach there true potential. They say that pain becomes a well that you can draw strength from. Well Kobie went through hell and came back up smelling like roses. I believe James will do the same along with Tiger and a couple other fallen heros. Because that's what Champions do. Off the court James is a true champion. On the court he will prove to be the same.
The only truly pissed person in Cleveland should be Shaq!
The only truly pissed person in Cleveland should be Shaq!
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Rick Meyer
Veteran
Wow, you really put those professional athletes way up there.
GRENCH
Well-known member
Super fan?
Super fan?
Not really. I just have seen how people with alot of money can act and Lebron is pretty down to earth. You can't judge everyone based on what you see on the news. Plus this guy is really young. I just give people a chance is all. I'm not so judge mental is all.
Super fan?
Not really. I just have seen how people with alot of money can act and Lebron is pretty down to earth. You can't judge everyone based on what you see on the news. Plus this guy is really young. I just give people a chance is all. I'm not so judge mental is all.
groveChuck
U-matic Member
D-Wade on the critics (Barkley )
D-Wade on the critics (Barkley )
Dwyane Wade on Miami Heat critics: 'I have a big smile on my face'
'I'm playing with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Why would I care what they say?' Dwyane Wade said of the Heat's critics.
Dwyane Wade said Wednesday he is pleased with how the Heat's supporting cast is coming together and took issue with Charles Barkley and others who have criticized LeBron James' decision to join the team.
Barkley said he's disappointed that James decided to ``piggy-back'' on Wade and Chris Bosh, instead of trying to win a championship on his own.
``The worst thing I've heard is from a colleague, Barkley, saying if he was 25 like LeBron, he wouldn't team up with guys,'' Wade said.
``But when he got older, he tried to team up with Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon. Why wait until you're old and you have nothing left in the tank? . . . I always say Barkley says things to keep himself relevant.''
Asked whether Barkley -- his partner in T-Mobile ads -- would still be programmed in his cellphone, Wade said, ``I'm not taking him out of my [Fave] Five.''
As far as other critics are concerned, Wade said, ``I have a big smile on my face. I'm playing with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Why would I care what they say? . . . No matter what owners, [general managers] or players say, we will have to play. We understood when we did this, there would be some backlash.''
Wade said other NBA people who have criticized the Heat are ``trying to get press. We've been taking all the press. We're not going to keep firing back. We're not overconfident. We know the Lakers are the champions. They are the team everyone is shooting for and they should be.''
ROSTER SHAPING UP
Wade is delighted the Heat re-signed Udonis Haslem, added center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and is expected to add swingman Mike Miller and forward Juwan Howard.
``The team is coming together well, better than expected,'' Wade said. ``The hard part is out of the way. We've got the big three. We still have a lot of people that want to be a part of it that we can add. We want to make sure we wait and add the right people.
``The locker room has to be right. Everyone might not have the right personality to deal with this. We don't want any wrong links on this team.''
Wade said Heat president Pat Riley has welcomed his and James' suggestions.
``We've been doing a good job letting coach know the guys out there and he's been doing a good job letting us know we can get them,'' Wade said. ``We're all working together.''
On the addition of Ilgauskas, Wade said, ``LeBron really wanted Z here. I was all up for it. Riles was all for it. It's going to be great to be able to drive and kick it out to a big man who can shoot.''
Though Wade, James and Bosh took less money than the maximum permitted, Wade took the least of the three in order to accommodate Haslem, his close friend.
``I wanted to play with U.D. the rest of my career. I was going to be do everything in my power to make sure Udonis stays here. I'm just as happy for U.D. as I am for myself.''
Wade acknowledged, "I will never be the highest-paid player on my team, and I never have been. I'm fine with that.
The sweet thing about all this is me, Chris and LeBron don't make the most money in the NBA.
They can't say it's the money. We've done this to really win.''
• On Derek Fisher, who re-signed with the Lakers: ``Derek was a great opportunity if we could have gotten him. Hopefully, we'll pick up another point guard. [But] we've got a lot of ball-handlers on this team -- myself, LeBron, Mario Chalmers. Mike Miller can handle the ball as well.''
D-Wade on the critics (Barkley )
Dwyane Wade on Miami Heat critics: 'I have a big smile on my face'
'I'm playing with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Why would I care what they say?' Dwyane Wade said of the Heat's critics.
Dwyane Wade said Wednesday he is pleased with how the Heat's supporting cast is coming together and took issue with Charles Barkley and others who have criticized LeBron James' decision to join the team.
Barkley said he's disappointed that James decided to ``piggy-back'' on Wade and Chris Bosh, instead of trying to win a championship on his own.
``The worst thing I've heard is from a colleague, Barkley, saying if he was 25 like LeBron, he wouldn't team up with guys,'' Wade said.
``But when he got older, he tried to team up with Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon. Why wait until you're old and you have nothing left in the tank? . . . I always say Barkley says things to keep himself relevant.''
Asked whether Barkley -- his partner in T-Mobile ads -- would still be programmed in his cellphone, Wade said, ``I'm not taking him out of my [Fave] Five.''
As far as other critics are concerned, Wade said, ``I have a big smile on my face. I'm playing with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Why would I care what they say? . . . No matter what owners, [general managers] or players say, we will have to play. We understood when we did this, there would be some backlash.''
Wade said other NBA people who have criticized the Heat are ``trying to get press. We've been taking all the press. We're not going to keep firing back. We're not overconfident. We know the Lakers are the champions. They are the team everyone is shooting for and they should be.''
ROSTER SHAPING UP
Wade is delighted the Heat re-signed Udonis Haslem, added center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and is expected to add swingman Mike Miller and forward Juwan Howard.
``The team is coming together well, better than expected,'' Wade said. ``The hard part is out of the way. We've got the big three. We still have a lot of people that want to be a part of it that we can add. We want to make sure we wait and add the right people.
``The locker room has to be right. Everyone might not have the right personality to deal with this. We don't want any wrong links on this team.''
Wade said Heat president Pat Riley has welcomed his and James' suggestions.
``We've been doing a good job letting coach know the guys out there and he's been doing a good job letting us know we can get them,'' Wade said. ``We're all working together.''
On the addition of Ilgauskas, Wade said, ``LeBron really wanted Z here. I was all up for it. Riles was all for it. It's going to be great to be able to drive and kick it out to a big man who can shoot.''
Though Wade, James and Bosh took less money than the maximum permitted, Wade took the least of the three in order to accommodate Haslem, his close friend.
``I wanted to play with U.D. the rest of my career. I was going to be do everything in my power to make sure Udonis stays here. I'm just as happy for U.D. as I am for myself.''
Wade acknowledged, "I will never be the highest-paid player on my team, and I never have been. I'm fine with that.
The sweet thing about all this is me, Chris and LeBron don't make the most money in the NBA.
They can't say it's the money. We've done this to really win.''
• On Derek Fisher, who re-signed with the Lakers: ``Derek was a great opportunity if we could have gotten him. Hopefully, we'll pick up another point guard. [But] we've got a lot of ball-handlers on this team -- myself, LeBron, Mario Chalmers. Mike Miller can handle the ball as well.''
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groveChuck
U-matic Member
Some Wade quotes:
"It just feels surreal to everybody," Wade said Wednesday, still digesting this fantasy-turned-reality of LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining him on the Heat.
"I hit up LeBron [on Tuesday] night and I told him I'm looking at ESPN and I see his name scroll on the bottom and it says 'Miami Heat forward LeBron James.'
"I just said, 'Man, it's crazy.' And he said, 'Yeah, I just saw the same thing.' "
Behind his cool countenance, Wade feels every bit as exhilarated as the most fanatical of Heat fans. And he's intoxicated by the possibilities of what this threesome can achieve.
"It's beyond exciting," he said. "I don't think we even really know how excited we're going to be."
When Wade walked down an AmericanAirlines Arena hallway last Friday, about to be soaked in the adulation of 13,000 screaming Heat fans, his eyes started darting.
"I was looking to my left and to my right, and it took me back to the All-Star Game," he said. "I was like, 'This is not real.' We were laughing. It was like, 'We can't believe we're playing together.' Just like every one else can't.
"Players from other teams are probably still like us. They're probably asking, 'How did that happen? How did those guys check their egos and get together?' People believe that athletes have these huge egos, and we all have egos, yes, but not bigger than winning.
"This was the best thing for all of us to do. It shows a lot of the three guys to want to get together in the prime of their careers and say, 'Let's do something amazing for years to come.'"
Much has been made of how Wade, James and Bosh accepted less money than the maximum permitted - a notion that once seemed unfathomable for players of their caliber. Because James and Bosh were involved in sign-and-trades, each was eligible to receive $125 million over six seasons. So was Wade.
Instead, James and Bosh accepted $110 million, and Wade took $107 million, over six years. Combined, they left $48‚million on the table.
Part of the money that Wade sacrificed was used to create salary-cap room to re-sign his close friend, Udonis Haslem.
"People are saying, 'Well, you're making millions of dollars. How can you say that's a sacrifice?' Well, that's your millions of dollars to sacrifice," Wade said.
"This whole team is built on sacrifice. Myself, LeBron and Chris led the way. And everyone who is going to come and be a part of it is going to have to sacrifice. That is going to be our motto this season."
Here's all you need to know about Wade's selflessness: He didn't think twice about giving up some of his money to keep Haslem. And he has no problem pocketing a smaller paycheck than James and Bosh will get.
"Once we got down to crunching the numbers, we needed extra money [for Haslem]," Wade said. "[I said], 'It doesn't matter. Take it from me. It's not about the dollars. I want Udonis here. We want Udonis here. Udonis wants to be here. Let's get it done.' "
Wade made a few interesting points this week as he reflected on the free agent whirlwind.
For starters, he said he didn't need to do a sales job on James and Bosh to join him in Miami.
"I didn't have to sell them on it," he said. "I've known LeBron and Chris since we all came into the NBA together. They understand me. They know how highly I think of the Heat organization and everybody knows about the city of Miami."
He also disputed the notion that he and James have been planning this, plotting this, for years.
"Everybody wants to speculate this has been something that has been going on for seven years," he said. "It's funny to read that. None of that is true. It wasn't LeBron and I saying four years ago that we're going to play together. You cannot do that."
And he made clear he wanted two great players to join him, not just one.
"There are a lot of misconceptions on how much talent it takes to win a championship," he said. "It takes at least two but it really takes three to be a dynasty. That's what we want to be."
Because of the players' willingness to sacrifice money, Wade has been taken aback by the criticism nationally - mostly directly at James.
"Chris Bosh said it best: A lot of people don't like it, but we do," Wade said. "You show me one person or one team who wouldn't have done this, and I'll show you a liar."
In a sense, the Heat has become the basketball version of the Yankees, a star-laden team loved by some, loathed by others.
Does Wade like that comparison?
"Any comparisons, if it's good comparisons or if it's bad comparisons, it's not going to change us at all," he said. "It's not going to win you games and it's not going to lose you games.
"It's all fun. It sells papers. It starts off well on ESPN. It has given the National Basketball Association the publicity it needs in our down time."
One reporter suggested this team will be an NBA version of the Beatles.
Wade smiled.
"Chris Bosh's mind was racing," Wade said. "I was like, 'You know what, C.B.? None of us have seen anything like this before, even though LeBron has his own shining star and I have mine. This is all new to all of us and we just have to deal with it the best we can."
But let's be clear about this: "We're here to win a championship," Wade said. "We're not here to sell jerseys. We're not here to pump up ratings."
Wade welcomes expectations, but has been careful to say that the two-time defending champion Lakers "are the team everyone should be shooting for."
Said Wade: "[Charlotte guard] Stephen Jackson said it best: They're not going to run from us. We don't want anybody to run from us. It's not going to be easy. [But] I don't feel pressure yet. It's still basketball. We are going to have fun. We're still young men. We can't put the pressure on ourselves like we're going to run the country. We're not Barack Obama."
Wade then ponders this question: How will James and Bosh make him even better?
"When you play with players that are just as talented as you are, it makes your job a lot easier," he said. "It makes the game easier. No double teams. No triple teams. You're not worried about just me. You're worried about other guys as well.
"I think the biggest thing that's going to change is our defense. LeBron every year competes for Defensive Player of the Year. Even though I've been snubbed twice on All-Defensive first team, I've been a pretty good defender. And Chris is an underrated defender."
Wade can't wait to get started.
"Right now, it's surreal," he said. "Every day that goes by, we get more and more to understand this thing has really happened."
"It just feels surreal to everybody," Wade said Wednesday, still digesting this fantasy-turned-reality of LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining him on the Heat.
"I hit up LeBron [on Tuesday] night and I told him I'm looking at ESPN and I see his name scroll on the bottom and it says 'Miami Heat forward LeBron James.'
"I just said, 'Man, it's crazy.' And he said, 'Yeah, I just saw the same thing.' "
Behind his cool countenance, Wade feels every bit as exhilarated as the most fanatical of Heat fans. And he's intoxicated by the possibilities of what this threesome can achieve.
"It's beyond exciting," he said. "I don't think we even really know how excited we're going to be."
When Wade walked down an AmericanAirlines Arena hallway last Friday, about to be soaked in the adulation of 13,000 screaming Heat fans, his eyes started darting.
"I was looking to my left and to my right, and it took me back to the All-Star Game," he said. "I was like, 'This is not real.' We were laughing. It was like, 'We can't believe we're playing together.' Just like every one else can't.
"Players from other teams are probably still like us. They're probably asking, 'How did that happen? How did those guys check their egos and get together?' People believe that athletes have these huge egos, and we all have egos, yes, but not bigger than winning.
"This was the best thing for all of us to do. It shows a lot of the three guys to want to get together in the prime of their careers and say, 'Let's do something amazing for years to come.'"
Much has been made of how Wade, James and Bosh accepted less money than the maximum permitted - a notion that once seemed unfathomable for players of their caliber. Because James and Bosh were involved in sign-and-trades, each was eligible to receive $125 million over six seasons. So was Wade.
Instead, James and Bosh accepted $110 million, and Wade took $107 million, over six years. Combined, they left $48‚million on the table.
Part of the money that Wade sacrificed was used to create salary-cap room to re-sign his close friend, Udonis Haslem.
"People are saying, 'Well, you're making millions of dollars. How can you say that's a sacrifice?' Well, that's your millions of dollars to sacrifice," Wade said.
"This whole team is built on sacrifice. Myself, LeBron and Chris led the way. And everyone who is going to come and be a part of it is going to have to sacrifice. That is going to be our motto this season."
Here's all you need to know about Wade's selflessness: He didn't think twice about giving up some of his money to keep Haslem. And he has no problem pocketing a smaller paycheck than James and Bosh will get.
"Once we got down to crunching the numbers, we needed extra money [for Haslem]," Wade said. "[I said], 'It doesn't matter. Take it from me. It's not about the dollars. I want Udonis here. We want Udonis here. Udonis wants to be here. Let's get it done.' "
Wade made a few interesting points this week as he reflected on the free agent whirlwind.
For starters, he said he didn't need to do a sales job on James and Bosh to join him in Miami.
"I didn't have to sell them on it," he said. "I've known LeBron and Chris since we all came into the NBA together. They understand me. They know how highly I think of the Heat organization and everybody knows about the city of Miami."
He also disputed the notion that he and James have been planning this, plotting this, for years.
"Everybody wants to speculate this has been something that has been going on for seven years," he said. "It's funny to read that. None of that is true. It wasn't LeBron and I saying four years ago that we're going to play together. You cannot do that."
And he made clear he wanted two great players to join him, not just one.
"There are a lot of misconceptions on how much talent it takes to win a championship," he said. "It takes at least two but it really takes three to be a dynasty. That's what we want to be."
Because of the players' willingness to sacrifice money, Wade has been taken aback by the criticism nationally - mostly directly at James.
"Chris Bosh said it best: A lot of people don't like it, but we do," Wade said. "You show me one person or one team who wouldn't have done this, and I'll show you a liar."
In a sense, the Heat has become the basketball version of the Yankees, a star-laden team loved by some, loathed by others.
Does Wade like that comparison?
"Any comparisons, if it's good comparisons or if it's bad comparisons, it's not going to change us at all," he said. "It's not going to win you games and it's not going to lose you games.
"It's all fun. It sells papers. It starts off well on ESPN. It has given the National Basketball Association the publicity it needs in our down time."
One reporter suggested this team will be an NBA version of the Beatles.
Wade smiled.
"Chris Bosh's mind was racing," Wade said. "I was like, 'You know what, C.B.? None of us have seen anything like this before, even though LeBron has his own shining star and I have mine. This is all new to all of us and we just have to deal with it the best we can."
But let's be clear about this: "We're here to win a championship," Wade said. "We're not here to sell jerseys. We're not here to pump up ratings."
Wade welcomes expectations, but has been careful to say that the two-time defending champion Lakers "are the team everyone should be shooting for."
Said Wade: "[Charlotte guard] Stephen Jackson said it best: They're not going to run from us. We don't want anybody to run from us. It's not going to be easy. [But] I don't feel pressure yet. It's still basketball. We are going to have fun. We're still young men. We can't put the pressure on ourselves like we're going to run the country. We're not Barack Obama."
Wade then ponders this question: How will James and Bosh make him even better?
"When you play with players that are just as talented as you are, it makes your job a lot easier," he said. "It makes the game easier. No double teams. No triple teams. You're not worried about just me. You're worried about other guys as well.
"I think the biggest thing that's going to change is our defense. LeBron every year competes for Defensive Player of the Year. Even though I've been snubbed twice on All-Defensive first team, I've been a pretty good defender. And Chris is an underrated defender."
Wade can't wait to get started.
"Right now, it's surreal," he said. "Every day that goes by, we get more and more to understand this thing has really happened."
Cedar Point isn't in Cleveland. It's in the 419, baby!
(I really have nothing to add to any basketball discussion . . . )
(I really have nothing to add to any basketball discussion . . . )
Richard J. Johnson
Joystick Member
CEDAR POINT IS THE SH!T!!! we go every other year!
groveChuck
U-matic Member
D@mn- Miami lost the first game, against the Celtics. A season opener that felt like a playoff game.
Wade was rusty, managing just 13 points.
But LeBron scored 31 (a record in a Heat debut) after a slow start (21 in the second half), Bosh settling for 8 points/8 rebounds.
Behind by 19 at one point, Miami cut Boston's lead to 3, then lost by 8.
Wade had played only 3 minutes in 1 pre season game before hurting his hamstring, then dealing with child custody court after his divorce.
Lost Mike Miller til January. Signed Stackhouse.
The team has barely played together. They're not clicking. Yet.
Tomorrow night @ Philly. We'll see if they gel any better. Stay tuned...
Wade was rusty, managing just 13 points.
But LeBron scored 31 (a record in a Heat debut) after a slow start (21 in the second half), Bosh settling for 8 points/8 rebounds.
Behind by 19 at one point, Miami cut Boston's lead to 3, then lost by 8.
Wade had played only 3 minutes in 1 pre season game before hurting his hamstring, then dealing with child custody court after his divorce.
Lost Mike Miller til January. Signed Stackhouse.
The team has barely played together. They're not clicking. Yet.
Tomorrow night @ Philly. We'll see if they gel any better. Stay tuned...