Rob Ryan Interested in Head Coaching Gig
January 15, 2010While We’re Waiting – Mr Rainmaker, Staff Retention, and Some Sweet Caps
January 16, 2010
Shortly after WFNY came to be, I asked a simple question that touched a nerve and many people responded. With the calendar creeping ever closer to summer 2010, I wonder if the sentiment has changed at all?
Here’s the question, and I’ll give you my response. Which would you rather have- an NBA title this season for the Cavs, but then LeBron James signs elsewhere, or no title this season but LeBron resigns for 5 years? I’m not guaranteeing a title in those 5 years, so take your chances. Which would you rather have? (Yes, I’m aware that those are not the only options but this is my game.)
I love watching LeBron play. Sometimes he frustrates me with his shot selection, and I really don’t like the way he complains to officials all the time, but he is simply the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen. He is certainly the best player I’ve seen wear a Cleveland uniform (sorry, I never saw Jim Brown.) I love that we have a player nobody on the other team can really stop. I love that the game really isn’t over as long as he’s around.
But I want a title. One time. One parade before I die. One SI special edition. Even if LeBron stays for the next five years you can’t guarantee me a title can you? Not in this league. Knees and ankles blow out. Crazy trades make teams nearly invincible (Boston and the Lakers come to mind.)
If the Cavs win this year and LeBron leaves I would be upset, but there would always be the memory of the year we won it all. What about you?
62 Comments
Definitely the ring. When you are 30 years old and start to wonder if you are ever going to see a championship in your life, you take one when you get the chance.
I would take the title and then he can sit on the back of my 10 speed and I will bike him to New York. I want the title. Nothing since 1964. Just one.
I’m all for securing a title. If Lebron leaves, we’ve still got the Buckeyes and upstart Browns to invest our hopes in. When OSU won in ’02, it bought some grace years in which not winning a title wasn’t the end of the world. I imagine it would be similar w/ the Cavs
bye dawn aponte.
this is a very good (and challenging) question. i’ll go with keeping lebron for five years. i would feel pretty positive about getting a title in that span……
resign him! i would rather have the opportunity to watch this freak athlete and one of the best bball players of all time than have him play for another team. of course i want the cavs to win a title but if lebron stays there is a very good chance they will some time. plus we have a feared time and I LOVE that. i love the announcers at a hawks game or blazers game saying “well they are getting there but they arent up there with the bostons the orlando’s and the clevelands”
YES
I’d take either one. If we could be guaranteed that either of those things would happen, I’d say, great. I think it would be a tragedy if LeBron left, but it wouldn’t be so bad if he did so after bringing a title to his hometown. Ben makes a good point, that he’ll always be our guy.
But Mr. Cleaveland makes an excellent point @ #8 too. And I do know that if the Cavs don’t win a title this season, it won’t upset me nearly as much as LeBron leaving would.
LeBron resigning. I want the guarantee that at least on Cleveland team will be worth watching.
pretty sure this is the same answer I gave the first time around, but being a purely selfish person (wanting the cleveland championships to come in the order of tribe, browns, cavs), i’d have to say wait the 5 years… because we all know manny acta & holmgren are coming through!
/half sarcasm
[…] but I’m curious about what people think. Consider this a sister piece to Rick’s “Should I stay or should I go now?” piece from […]
One-and-done doesn’t do it for me, and if anything that choice reflects the loser’s mentality that permeates this city like a plague (see a few of the ‘woe is me’ posts above for evidence). Why should we be satisfied w/ one title when LeBron could lead this team to a half dozen? Has a superstar player EVER left his team after winning a ring? I’ll take the chance of LeBron bringing a DYNASTY to this city rather than a one-off championship. I know how desperate we are for a winner, but wanting a championshp so bad that we sacrifice the best athlete this town has ever seen is frankly pathetic.
To answer the ?: I want both…I’m greedy and a sports championship deprived beaten down born and raised Clevelander who is tired of having to make choices – I want it all – a championship and to keep LeBron James! Ferry needs to suck it up and use the combination of Hickson, Gibson, Jackson, Z and a sign and trade of Wally like Dallas did with Keith Van Horn and he needs to go out and get the Cavaliers the much needed scoring frontcourt player, preferably PF, that they need to win a championship. The Cavaliers will not win a title with JJ Hickson as their starting PF it’s that simple and Leon Powe while being a nice bench player won’t be the answer. He’s simply another role player. The time for LeBron and all role players is done, it’s time for another All-Star to be added – Antwan Jamison, David West or Al Jefferson. THERE IS NO TOMORROW, THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
Bye-Bye LeBron…..Give Cleveland a title and take your a$$ on!