KG and Pierce to Nets?

[NovU]

I admit that. That actually was the point, because I felt Ray has been attacked unfairly in the past couple weeks in the discussion involving Celtics movement and so on.

[Jackal]

LoL.

Ray Allen is a bitch.

[shadowgrin]

Looking for fairness in sports is as ridiculous as considering curling a legitimate sport.

phpBB [video]

phpBB [video]

Just wanted a reference to curling so I can post those.

[Andrew]

I'm pretty sure to be a "ring chaser", at least in the derisive sense that term is often used, you have to be without a championship and sign as a free agent with a legitimate contender. That doesn't describe Paul Pierce.

[Sauru]

I didn't blame PP for his situation but rather gave credits to Ray for not taking a better offer financially.

this right here. no need to argue anymore. even you admit he is a ring chaser.

the man took a lesser role and less money to play for the defending champs. that is the exact definition of a ring chaser.

[NovU]

Ray's a ring chaser. In case you forgot, we've established that already long time ago, and also that it's been a tradition historically, near end-career players going to the contender for meaningful seasons. If we want to stop this, one solution would be going NHL and sign players to 10-15 year contracts.

[Andrew]

Pierce sold KG on move to Nets

Paul Pierce felt like the writing was on the wall. The Boston Celtics were headed in a different direction, particularly after the departure of coach Doc Rivers, and Pierce had resigned himself to the fact that he would likely be traded from the only NBA team he’d ever known.

He heard the rumors about being waived by the Celtics and following Rivers to Los Angeles. He heard whispers about a deal that could have gotten him to Chicago. But then word came that Brooklyn was interested, and they wanted Kevin Garnett to come with him.

Pierce went into recruitment mode with a chance to bring a bit of familiarity to his next NBA destination, and he knew the Nets had an honest-to-goodness chance to compete for a title if they were able to lure away Boston’s veteran core.

[koberulz]

I'm pretty sure to be a "ring chaser", at least in the derisive sense that term is often used, you have to be without a championship and sign as a free agent with a legitimate contender. That doesn't describe Paul Pierce.

Forcing a trade would work, too.

Although I'm not sure I'm happy with any definition of the term that doesn't cover what Wade, Bosh and LeBron did. Although given that LeBron was the last of the three to sign, I guess it does at least cover him.

[NovU]

I'm not sure if he could have won 2 of last 3 championships if he was still with CLE. I do think it was a ring chase move because he was frustrated with how things went down as a Cavalier and Wade being a good friend and a goat didn't hurt the cause either.

[Sauru]

I'm not sure if he could have won 2 of last 3 championships if he was still with CLE. I do think it was a ring chase move because he was frustrated with how things went down as a Cavalier and Wade being a good friend and a goat didn't hurt the cause either.

he may not have won the last 2 titles in Cleveland but he would have won a ring there at some point. he went to miami to take the pressure off of him. he could not handle it the way the greats have. to use current players, he is no kobe bryant. his skill cannot be questioned but his heart and head are very suspect imo

[Andrew]

I'm pretty sure to be a "ring chaser", at least in the derisive sense that term is often used, you have to be without a championship and sign as a free agent with a legitimate contender. That doesn't describe Paul Pierce.

Forcing a trade would work, too.

That too, yeah.

All in fairness of course, "ring chaser" probably shouldn't be a derisive term. After all, any player with a competitive drive wants to win it all at least once in their career and that might sometimes require a change of scene; even more so as a player nears the end of their career and wants to be part of something special (either for the first time or one last time) before they call it a day. Everyone in the league is chasing a ring, there just happens to be a few different ways of going about it and they're all technically as legitimate as one another. Of course, some don't feel like they're on the level or resonate as being particularly noble or impressive, even though there's technically nothing wrong with them.

[[Q]]

usually ring chasing also involves you signing for the league minimum or one of the exceptions and/or bench riding your way as the 12th man to a ring.

[Sauru]

there are many ways to ring chase it would seem.

[benji]

usually ring chasing also involves you signing for the league minimum or one of the exceptions and/or bench riding your way as the 12th man to a ring.

[[Q]]

to continue the trend:

this was only one of TWO (Yes, TWO) images of him in an actual lakers jersey on google search. and judiging by the court, it looks like a preseason game at the Honda Pond

there are many ways to ring chase it would seem.

that's why i don't consider lebron a ring chaser, because he still signed for a (near) max deal, it's not like a bunch of top players took minimum deals to win a ring together

plus t that point, you could consider any free agent signing a ring chase move since that's the main goal of almost every nba player

[Andrew]

In other words, we need a new term.

[Sauru]

that's why i don't consider lebron a ring chaser, because he still signed for a (near) max deal, it's not like a bunch of top players took minimum deals to win a ring together

plus t that point, you could consider any free agent signing a ring chase move since that's the main goal of almost every nba player

i have never considered lebron a ring chaser. my opinion on him has always been, he cant handle the pressure of being the main. he cant handle putting a team on his back. yes you need players to win, no one man can do it all but the greats want the pressure. they want people to depend on them. lebron does not want that. hell kobe chased shaq out of town so people knew he was the man, lebron ran himself out of town to join with the top free agents and form a super team

[shadowgrin]

i have never considered lebron a ring chaser. my opinion on him has always been, he cant handle the pressure of being the main. he cant handle putting a team on his back. yes you need players to win, no one man can do it all but the greats want the pressure. they want people to depend on them. lebron does not want that. hell kobe chased shaq out of town so people knew he was the man, lebron ran himself out of town to join with the top free agents and form a super team

Wisdom that comes with age.

[Jackal]

OMG YOU GUYZ ARE THE HATING AGAIN?! LEBRON GOAT AND WADE IS ALSO GOAT AND NOT ONE, NOT TWO LOTS OF RINGS OMG!!!!!! LEBRON IS PRESSURE COOKER HE LOVE IT AND HE WINNING AND I FANZ OF HEAT FOR ALWAYS NOT ONLY NOW OKAY?!?? ALWAYS I HAS HEAT BLOODUH IN MY VEINS NOT BECAUSE THEY ALL GOOD PLAYERS IN MIAMI BUT THEY HAS SWAGGER SINCE ALWAYS HEAT FAN 4 LYFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NovU]

i have never considered lebron a ring chaser. my opinion on him has always been, he cant handle the pressure of being the main. he cant handle putting a team on his back. yes you need players to win, no one man can do it all but the greats want the pressure. they want people to depend on them. lebron does not want that. hell kobe chased shaq out of town so people knew he was the man, lebron ran himself out of town to join with the top free agents and form a super team

I guess Wilt couldn't handle the pressure either. Bill >>>>>>>>>>> Wilt? LoL

[Moz]

I guess Wilt couldn't handle the pressure either. Bill >>>>>>>>>>> Wilt? LoL

He already won a title even before the Lakers trade and it's more about Alex Hannum leaving the sixers that's why he got apathetic with them and demanded to be traded

[Andrew]

I guess Wilt couldn't handle the pressure either.

According to some of the Hall of Famers who played against him, there is some truth to that.

[NovU]

On a side note, this entire 'pressure' talk is stupid. Only reason it exists for LBJ or Wilt is because of the teams they were drafted by and because they wanted to win. Look at general perception on Wilt, how much of a loser he was and how Bill was the true winner of the era. Silly Celtics and Lakers fans talking and acting all righteous how their stars didn't fold to the pressures when it's much easier to be Bill/Kobe surrounded by great players than Wilt/LeBron with bunch of nobody & has-beens while playing for a much less attractive team/venue.

Like Kobe didn't want out... now hear me shaking my head SMH.

[Jackal]

Yeah, how stupid are you guys for thinking players will go play with the best players because they are the best players, place be damned.

Small market teams just don't win championships okay? Places like Milwaukee, Seattle, Detroit & San Antonio are just not worth the effort. Miami has like a bazillion championships to their name so it's totally logical to go to such a large market where they had legit superstars in their past. Much easier to surround players in Miami with it's attractive team/venue before Lebron/Bosh/Wade.

LoL.

[Andrew]

it's much easier to be Bill/Kobe surrounded by great players than Wilt/LeBron with bunch of nobody & has-beens while playing for a much less attractive team/venue.

You could perhaps say that for LeBron, not so much Wilt. Bill Simmons breaks down the "Wilt's supporting cast sucked" myth in The Book of Basketball and he played in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles; not exactly small markets. That's not the only reason people talk about them wilting under pressure though. As far as LeBron is concerned though, outside of shooting below 40% and getting outscored by Danny Green through the first three games of the 2013 NBA Finals, that hasn't been an issue for him since 2011.