I can't see him opting out of a team that's just three-peated. They were discussing this on a Bill Simmons podcast and couldn't come up with an example of a star for any team who has opted out after winning a title, let alone three. It would be an unprecedented move.
Tony Parker is a bad man
- Thread starter floydvane
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I can't see him opting out of a team that's just three-peated. They were discussing this on a Bill Simmons podcast and couldn't come up with an example of a star for any team who has opted out after winning a title, let alone three. It would be an unprecedented move.
thejumper5
Well-Known Member
The best comparison might be a guy like Bill Walsh, who coached the 49ers to 3 SBs in 8 years before retiring after winning the 3rd. There's a big difference in that he didn't go back into coaching for several years, but there are definitely parallels in other walks of life besides being an athlete.
GoHawks24
Well-Known Member
Good point. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. Wade may not even be there by then though, or Bosh. I highly doubt the Heat are willing to lock either Wade or Bosh up with long-term deals.
I should clarify that they were talking about just NBA teams, and it does happen in football and baseball. But football and baseball have a lot more random champions. In the NBA winning a title almost always is a long process, teams don't just get thrown together ('08 Celtics exlcuded) and win titles, it's a multi year process and there's not a lot of turnover among the top teams. I think this makes the NBA postseason the best in pro sports because the best team really does win almost every year.
I think it would be hard for LeBron to have to start over in his prime with a new team, but I could be wrong and he may see it as an opportunity to say I'm good enough now that I can win with any team. It will be interesting though.
If you could remove the emotional connection between Wade and the Heat, it seems like it would be an easy decision to make. If they offer the Bobcats Wade for the fourth pick, or move him the following year, I don't think Charlotte says no to that. The Heat get McLemore or McCollum or Oladipo, get back to a manageable salary situation with room to keep bringing in quality role players. But it's not that simple in real life.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I'd put the NHL postseason right above the NBA. It's similar in the way the teams are structured, as you outlined, but I like that it's still unpredictable. You don't see teams thrown together to make a title run for just a couple years, but you do see upsets, which adds an extra element, IMO. Plus, the games themselves are exciting (see last night's Stanley Cup Game 1 as an example).
It might not be the most popular sport in the U.S., but hockey has a lot going for it on the ice. In the commissioner's office, not so much.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Wade is definitely on the downside of his career. He's still got a little left in the tank, but his age and style of play have taken their toll on him. I would bet he's in Miami for another two years before either retiring or trying to stay on with another team, because like you said, Miami can't simply move Wade. He's meant way too much to the franchise to make a move like that so simple.
Jim Irsay on line 1 for you...
trj
Well-Known Member
Definitely will not get any flukes, no NC st. or Villanova, no team getting hot at the right time like the NFL playoffs.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
And it was a pretty controversial move when they let Peyton go. He chose to do it, but that didn't make the decision simple. There's more to consider than just on-field performance with players like Manning or Wade.
And it was a little different b/c Manning was dealing with a LT injury and the Colts had fallen into the basement, so the promise of a high draft pick was on the table. So yes, I agree - not a simple decision.
And it was a little different b/c Manning was dealing with a LT injury and the Colts had fallen into the basement, so the promise of a high draft pick was on the table. So yes, I agree - not a simple decision.
^ to clarify, I mean the Wade decision is not a simple one. I doubt the Manning decision was simple either, but there were a couple factors that probably made that less controversial than the Wade decision would be (especially if Wade keeps producing in this series like he did last night).
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
The other thing about the nba at that point was that Jordan was going to receive the benefit of %90 or more of the calls.
They've had to stop most of that since Tim Donaghy reviled what they were doing.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
Never seen anybody break down Lebron with the frequency Park has been able to.
Jjgoiowa11
Well-Known Member
True dat.
I think the Spurs win tomorrow night. They have been the all around better team the entire finals. Plus Tim Duncan has exposed the Heats post play weakness against a true talented center. Timmy D and the boys will find a way to crush the Heat's dream of a repeat.
