E Pluribus Unum

Is LeBron James the man? It seems a silly question that has no actual consequences. No, he is not the man in the same way Michael Jordan was. He is not Michael Jordan. He was never Michael Jordan. He will never be Michael Jordan. So what? How many people are (besides Kobe)?

The End.

Everything has changed.

Long-time Cleveland fans know that the only real way to deal with the series of miserable sucker punches that comprises our area’s sports history is to be pessimistic. Last night, a new generation of Cleveland fans learned the same thing. The jerseys of our Chosen One were set afire; watching the wine, gold, and white burn on SportsCenter seemed to be a fitting metaphor for… something. For everything we thought we understood, even within the reference frame of a city sport scene that hasn’t seen a professional title in decades.

We had to know he was leaving. But we thought he would stay. How could he leave? He was King of Cleveland.

LeBron James “The Decision” Bingo

LeBron glares knowingly into your soul

LEBRON TV SPECIAL BINGO!

Instructions: Print out the LeBron James “The Decision” Bingo Card (PDF). Select any nine of the following events that you believe might happen, and arrange them in any way you want on the card. Play against friends watching with you, or against others on our Facebook Fan Page. Cross out the appropriate box in the grid whenever any of the actions on the card take place. When you get three in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally), shout “BINGO” and let us know that you’ve won on our Facebook Fan Page or tweet us @paintsdudes.

• You can tell which eye is Stuart Scott’s glass one

LeBron James to the Chicago Bulls. And how.

Since we have spent the last year or so wading through the murky waters of free agency, don’t you think it’s about time we started drawing some conclusions?

But before we come to any real conclusions, a little role play. Imagine yourself as Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant. In just your second week on the job you are faced with the prospect of having to trade away the best player in franchise history in a do or die sign and trade, or watch the two time and defending league MVP simply leave town as an unrestricted free agent. Of course, there is also the possibility of resigning him, but I think the chances of that are very small.

Glad I’m not that guy.

Conclusion #1: The only one that really matters.

Where Amazing Happens

They say when you have a song stuck in your head you just have to play it out until it has left your inner conciousness. That’s kind of how I feel about Reggie Miller these days. I just feel that the guy needs a little respect. The guy was just as clutch as anyone not named Michael Jordan in the history of professional basketball, never playing with anyone better than him. The thing that does it for me (other than Reggie’s exuberation) is Larry Bird’s stoic expression.

Yesterfar

I Paid My Money

“Michael Jordan” and “failure” are two phrases not usually used in the same sentence, unless antonyms are the goal. And with the news that MJ plans on becoming the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats rather soon, a fair amount of skepticism has bandied about whether or not Jordan can be a good if not competent owner.

Big Game James

Perhaps it is appropriate to characterize James Worthy as one of the luckiest players ever to play in the Association. Drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982, the 21 year old Worthy immediately became a member of one of the top two teams in the NBA. Imagine if Worthy had been selected second by the San Diego Clippers, we probably wouldn’t be calling him “Big Game James.” Imagine coming into the league right out of college and trying to establish yourself as a talented player while playing under the likes of Bob McAdoo, Norn Nixon, Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It is possible that Worthy might not even be in the Hall of Fame today if it weren’t for the fact that he was drafted by the Lakers.

During his three seasons at North Carolina, Worthy played with one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled by a collegiate program. During the 1982 season, Worthy stared for the Tar-Heels alongside Sam Perkins. Joining them was a curiously talented freshmen guard named Michael Jordan. This trio carried the Heels to the 1982 Final Four, and eventually to the NCAA Championship game. Worthy and the Heels squared off against Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas, with the Tar Heels prevailing on a late jumper from none other than Michael Jordan.

That year, Worthy was rewarded for his exploits in Tar-Heel blue; he shared National Player of the Year honors with Virginia’s Ralph Sampson after averaging 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Worthy was also a consensus first team All-American. As always, Worthy was at his best in crunch time; he scored 28 points on 13 of 17 from the field and provided a key steal that helped seal a Carolina victory in the 1982 NCAA Championship game. The legend of “Big Game James” was born.

Frame It Properly

I watched the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks and it got me thinking about Kevin Durant. Then I thought about LeBron James and how they will ultimately be judged at the end of their careers.

The part of their career’s that will be most scrutinized will be the number of championships they win, if any at all. Is that the fairest objective measure of greatness relative to another player?

Switch it to Respect it

LeBron James spoke out about his desire to see the number 23 retired from the NBA, even if it means changing his number. He has already picked his future number, 6, and has stated that he is going to start a petition and get every NBA player to sign it so that the number 23 will never be worn again as a show of respect for Michael Jordan and his status as the greatest there ever was.

Observations on the Cleveland-Miami Game

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both look to prove something tonight.

“TNT has the best games” – The Franchise

The Champ and The Franchise are the only two guys watching the game so far tonight, should be a good time.

Season Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers

For the Cleveland Cavaliers history does not matter. For a franchise that owns one division title and one Eastern Conference title, there is not much to be said about the team’s history. Sure the Cavs have come close a couple of times, and even with past franchise studs like Austin Carr, Mark Price, and Brad Dougherty, the Cavs have never been within reach of the Championship the City of Cleveland desires.

Season Preview: Chicago Bulls

Team History:

The Chicago Bulls before Michael Jordan is similar to the history of the world before the introduction of language; we know it was there, but we have no clue what actually happened (except Jerry Sloan, which might make him a cave drawing). Once Jordan hit Chicago, the franchise was transformed from a so-so team into one of the greatest of all time. Jordan, the greatest of all time (don’t try to deny it), led the Bulls to some of the greatest moments in the history of the league.

After some mighty struggles with the Pistons and Celtics in the 1980s, the Bulls brought in the still unproven coach Phil Jackson to coach the young Bulls that had the infamous Jordan and a young up-and-comer Scottie Pippen. The Bulls would go on to win three championships in a row (the first threepeat for Jackson) from the 91-93 seasons. Jordan retired, shocking the world (kind of like Barry Sanders, only a lot bigger) and the Bulls dropped from Champions to near champions with Pippen leading the charge. Jordan came back (the first time) and the Bulls went on to post another threepeat. One of those seasons, the Bulls posted a 70-12 record, the most wins in NBA history.

Season Preview: Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats have a short history, dating back to 2004. The Bobcats are an expansion team that replaced Charlotte’s old team, the Charlotte Hornets, when they left for New Orleans. What the Bobcats may lack in experience is more than made up for by the experience of their owners, such as Michael Jordan and Nelly. You know the Bobcats must be special based on their notable owners.

Even though North Carolina did not have access to our Inside The Name series, it seems that they followed our guidlines quite well, having both a basketball team and a football team named after ferocious felines.

Season Preview: Washington Wizards

Since yesterday’s Sacramento Kings preview was so well received by our dozens of fans, we have decided to continue the series today with the team with the 2^nd worst record in the NBA, the Washington Wizards.

History: