Cavs 95, Bulls 86
–Here is what Larry Hughes said to me and Lisa Salters from ABC before the game. Lisa couldn’t believe it and made sure he knew what he was saying. Here it is:
“I play to enjoy myself, some people take this the wrong way, but winning a championship is not what I base everything on. I was given an opportunity to play basketball, travel around and have fun doing it and that’s what I want to do. I wouldn’t take being unhappy and not being myself and winning.
I would rather enjoy myself with 18,000-20,000 people watching the game and the people sending fan mail and those things and be happy…I didn’t come here to play the point guard, that’s just it. I came here to run the wing, just like he was running the other wing. I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that.”
I do understand that Larry did make sacrifices when he played for the Cavs. I do understand that he was not playing in a system that thrilled him. But I cannot believe he is saying he would rather have fun — read: getting to run around the way he wants and take lots and lots of shots — than win. I thought winning is fun, sitting at home at watching the playoffs is no fun according to most NBA players I’ve known. I can see not playing at all, just sitting on the bench. But if you are a big part of a winning team, I thought that was desirable. Very few players in this league get everything they want, most of the time you have to settle. As long as Larry was being paid what he was being paid, I’d think some settling would’ve been acceptable. That’s the other thing, the comment about just winning and getting paid. Larry earned $4 million in bonuses over the last two years because the Cavs hit win targets in his contract. The more the team won, the more he did get paid. That said, in the playoff run last season, even before he got hurt, I didn’t get the sense that he was happy. I never saw that joy from him, so I think this is probably more than just lip service, I think he really means it.
So I suppose today was interesting for Larry. He got 20 shots, he got 23 points, he got shut down in the stretch run by LeBron and then had to watch as LeBron carried the Cavs to a win. Under his terms, I suppose it was a happy afternoon. Plus he said he got to see his pet bulldogs, which he said was the only thing he missed in Cleveland.
–The Cavs offense continues to be a sloppy mess. Not just because nobody knows where they are supposed to be at times, but because the player groupings aren’t always right. Mike Brown just wanted to talk about defense after the game and that is his way, he thinks that the Bulls went on an 18-3 run to take the lead in because the transition defense was poor. He’s not wrong, but I look at the Cavs going 1-of-15 from the field and taking a bunch of bad shots. Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace playing together, it has to be done now that it appears Zydrunas Ilgauskas is going to be out for a week or more with a bad back, but it drains the options. I think Joe Smith has to play a bit more and he’s got to have plays run for him to keep the defense honest. The Cavs didn’t remember they had him until the fourth quarter. Also, I think the small lineup with Varejao, James, Devin Brown, Damon Jones and now Wally Szczberiak should be used more, Mike seems to forget that change up.
–That said, the Cavs did spread it out in the fourth and that got Smith and Wally involved and they delivered. But LeBron’s play down the stretch was impressive as always. Especially the way he drove and dunked to put the Cavs up four points. The ball hit the deck so hard after he slammed it through, it bounced more than 20 feet from the basket.
–After the game, LeBron got drug tested for the fourth time this season. Several other Cavs said they have only been tested twice so far and not in months. They don’t let you take a shower before you get tested and LeBron was gulping down water so he could get it over with. In the NBA they have random testing after games, you never know when it is coming.
Recap:
Pregame
Starting lineups
Bulls: Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Luol Deng, Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah
Cavs: Delonte West, Devin Brown, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao
Officials
Joe DeRosa, Eric Lewis, Bill Spooner
–Zydrunas Ilguaskas is at home with a back strain. The Cavs are not saying how long he may be out.
–Bulls coach Jim Boylan has made adjustments to his norma starting lineup to put Hughes and Gooden in there so obvious reasons. When they were announced Larry was booed but got some cheers, Gooden got all cheers. That figures.
–Wally Szczerbiak made it back from New York to play in the game. His son was born yesterday.
–Larry said before the game that being happy was more important to him than being on a winning team. More on that later.
–The Bulls are a jump shot team, where Larry fits in, and they are very streaky. Keeping them from getting easy baskets on their drive-and-kicks will be important if the Cavs want to win. They are also not a team that does well in close games, which would be the Cavs advantage later.
–With Varejao and Wallace playing together so much, it will be interesting to see how the Cavs operate on offense. It seems easy to press and trap James, which teams are figuring out.
Halftime — Cavs 42, Bulls 39
–This is a putrid display of offensive basketball. All the Bulls do is chuck it and the Cavs are a total mess on offense. They have no idea where they are supposed to be, everyone is looking at each other like they don’t know who is moving where. If not for LeBron, who had 23 points, not just junking it and shooting the Cavs would be in terrible shape.
–Not having Ilgauskas takes away a focal point on offense, it is easy to dump it into him and then set things up from there. But when LeBron is out of the game with no Ilgauskas, it looks terrible. Why there are no plays run for Joe Smith in that position, I have no idea. If there were strides made on offense against Minnesota, there’s been a step back today.
–So far this has been Delonte West’s worst game with the team, he’s not in rhythm and he’s not pushing the ball effectively. He’s running the court but seems to be out of position or at least his teammates have been.
–Larry Hughes got six shots up in his first six minutes on the floor. That fits in nicely with the Bulls mentality. Krik Hinrich looks to create for others and, actually, Drew Gooden has made some nice interior passes, but it seems the Bulls mostly seem to just want to shoot jumpers. The next pass Ben Gordon makes to set up a teammate will be the first today and all Andres Nocioni, who was one of my favorite Bulls, is just hoisting 3-pointers. He took one in transition that was contested with no other Bulls down the floor. Now, that’s not how the Argentineans play, I know that.
–Can you tell I’m sickened by the offense I’ve seen in this half?
Postgame
Stars
LeBron, 37 points, six rebounds, six assists
Szczerbiak, 17 points
Hughes, 23 points, five rebounds
Quotes:
LeBron: “I just live for the fourth quarter. When the games are close, that’s when I like to do work. I know how to turn it on and turn it off. It’s just a comfort level I’m in right now that’s at an all-time high.”
Gooden: “Trying to stop LeBron, I kind of got the other end of the stick. You know how it goes.”
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Wow, revealing comment by Larry. Some people are “happy” because they are on a winning team. And getting way too much money. Have fun scoring 20 PPG for teams going nowhere for the rest of your career.
larry fits right in with the bulls. that whole team launches terrible jumpers all game. gooden is the only guy who doesn’t look like total crap.
if not for lebron where would this team be ? i’ve been saying all along , the cavs need an athletic 2guard would can score(18-20 a night) and create for others , outside of lebron , that player just don’t exist on this cavs roster .
and a coach who knows how to coach offense as well as defense
Normally I would be all over an athlete for a comment like Hughes’, but when you have suffered as much personal tragedy as he has (death of his brother, etc.), finding some happiness in your profession is worth some sacrifices (winning).
Even in Chicago the road leads to 40%:
Hughes: FG/FGA – 8/20
“Can you tell I’m sickened by the offense I’ve seen in this half?”
Brian, this is the coach you go out of your way not to criticize strategically. What else is new?
It is a known fact that most NBA teams run the same stuff with different terminology but yet Mike Brown’s slop has the most complex play calls in the league.
No one in that organization has suggested simplifying the termanology so players dont think themselves into inactivity?
They look better with West Smith Wallace and Wally.
Good trade for boat shoes. This team is going places.
And if I hear one more comment or article about Lebron leaving town I have one thing to say to Adam Polak.
I am not going anywhere. LBJ circa 2006.
How could we trade Drew Goodens? He had a double-double. Ferry, what is wrong with you?!
No offense Henry, but I can name for you millions of people who deal with personal tragedy every day…ever have someone die unexpectedly, or had someone fight off disease, or lost a child, or wrecked a car…etc. And all those people in the ‘real world,’ have to go back to work, and do their job…period…end of story.
So yeah…I feel for Larry Hughes and his personal tragedy…the same way I feel for any and everyone who has bad, unexpected things happen to them.
At the same time…it’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who chose to go to Cleveland over Washington for more money…then has complained that the offense doesn’t suit his game…and whine about everything that he has to do, and didn’t do all that well.
I don’t know many players good enough to play in the NBA…who are ‘happy’ on losers…
except losers…
Overall it seems Mike Brown has truly brought a defensive awareness and develop defensive intensity (usually).
I just hope he is able to let go of his control of the offense and bring in an assistant that can make that happen. I mean he can direct it -just let go of the control factor or whatever and bring in someone who can really get the offensive play making going.
Good riddance, Larry!
There’s a lot of confusion on the court but I’m impressed with the new players and haven’t been as aggravated as I used to get with Hughes and Gooden.
In fact, I’ve seen each of the new players do little things that impress me–Wallace gets rid of the ball quickly when he rebounds, West isn’t great at any one thing but seems heady settling the team down at times then pushing the ball at others, etc., etc. Much better than the boneheaded stuff that used to happen every game from the old mix.
They’ll get better and Brown will find the right combinations.
I might be totally wrong, but I already see how the new players are going to fit in really well with Lebron and company. It’s obviously going to take a few more weeks (and maybe more so we can get Boobie/Sasha back), but I’m excited for where I think this team will be come playoff time.
Also, no blood testing means no HGH test. I wonder how many of the players use it?
“but winning a championship is not what I base everything on. ”
lol good riddance, enjoy shooting 35% elsewhere.
Thoughts on the game:
1. If you had to predict what would happen in this game before it started, anyone who has watched the cavs for the last few years would’ve guessed something like this: The Cavs will trade baskets and the game will be close going in the fourth. Hughes will get his points but eventually, he will take some terrible jumpers and sink his team while Lebron takes over the game and wins it for the Cavs.
Not exactly a surprise today. What I felt all along about Hughes is that the biggest reason he couldn’t be on the team was not that he took too many shots or shot too low of a percentage (those came in a close second), but that he was so “me first” about getting those shots that he was willing to take them at the absolute worst time. Notice that today, when Lebron was ready to take over or Joe Smith got hot, you didn’t have anybody racing around taking 18 footers with 16 seconds left on the shot clock just because he wanted to get “his shots.” Windhort’s report today is a reflection of everything we saw from Hughes during his time in Cleveland. He wanted to get his come hell or high water. I didn’t matter what was best for the team.
I hope Chicago enjoys their team now because you have Hughes and Ben Gordon who both LOVE to take bad jumpers early in the shot clock at crucial points during the game. Unless it happens to be a game where both make more than 1 out of every 3 (their usual), the Bulls won’t win too many 4th quarters.
2. I don’t miss Drew Gooden’s defensive lapses or penchant for taking bad shots at all. I do, however, miss his rebounding. At this point in his career, he’s a better rebounder than Ben Wallace.
3. Obviously Z was out tonight but there is no reason to be trying to get Andy the ball in the post or around the free-throw line. I know he will hit from time to time but he and Wallace both should be garbage men. When playing enough minutes, both should be able to get 8-10 points a game on second chance points around the rim without having to get the ball in the normal offense (obviously then, they shouldn’t be playing together).
4. I would love to see Szczerbiak starting. Devin Brown has played well but the Cavs need to give Lebron a viable scoring threat in the starting lineup. The more Szczerbiak gets comfortable with Lebron, the more efficient he should be on the offensive end. When Gibson comes back, I think the move makes even more sense because then you can still bring some scoring off the bench.
5. This team isn’t very good right now and won’t be for some time. They are still going to lose a few games over the next couple of wins that would seem on paper to be easy wins.
James,
The difference between Hughes and all those people in the “real world” is that they don’t have all the options he does. When you have the option to make just as much money in a number of different situations, it is entirely rational to desire the situation that puts you in a better situation to showcase your skills and to make you happy. As an athlete, maybe you should never be happy on a “loser,” but a human being paid market-rate either way, one will always prefer the situations that makes you personally happy and that allows one to exercise their ability to the fullest level.
I don’t care that Hughes is gone, but I also harbor no ill-will toward him. He filled his role decently, but he was not what the Cavs needed. No harm, no foul, and no need to boo him.
…
Combining those last few thoughts, wasn’t bringing in Delonte supposed to be the key to getting Lebron easy shots? Of course, they’re easy on the breaks, and that monster dunk in the 4th came off a hand-off screen from Delonte with a follow-up screen from Andy, but with Delonte’s skill on the drive and kick, should Lebron just linger on the wing and fly the rim as the defense collapses on West? Isn’t that what happened on his monster put back dunk? Why only in transition?
I think it was early in the 4th, maybe late 3rd, sometime during the Bulls run. Andy got the ball in the post, 4 or 5 feet out of the paint along the baseline. He faced up and bricked a jumper, prompting Hubie Brown to say “Any time Varejao or Ben Gordon face up, give them the jumper.” It’s so true! Ben Gordon sucks! But I think he meant Wallace.
Speaking of Ben Gordon, he had one little hot spell in the late 3rd and ended up 5-13. I think his spot is off the bench because he’s a poor man’s Ginobili. On a bench with 3 other role players, he can dominate the ball and get his points, but he’s just not versatile or efficient enough to get a lot of touches over the course of the game.
Meanwhile, Sczcerbiak (spelled it right without checking! w00t!) went 6-13. One more FG than Gordon and yet he seemed far, far better. Good reason to track eFG% or true FG% or points per shot. Each of Wally’s 17 seemed to count for a lot.
…
http://www.lecavs.com/2008/03/lebron-could-win-pamplona.html
Trying to score with Ben Wallace on the court is hard enough…but trying to score with Ben Wallace and Andy at the same time? They’re lucky if they hit the rim from 12 feet. I realize that Mike Brown’s hands are tied with Z being hurt, but geez, why not go small and put LeBron at the 4 on defense, or start Joe Smith and sub Andy in for Ben when necessary? I think Smith can play starter’s minutes for a week–he was starting for the Bulls, and all he has to do is defend the post, funnel his man toward Wallace or Andy, and jog down and hit wide open 16-footers on offense. Why weren’t the Bulls doubling LeBron as soon as he caught the ball? Why are the Spurs the only team that has figured this Cavs offense out? This team really was a mess on offense until LeBron started taking every shot in the 4th, but I like what’s on the horizon with Gibson getting healthy. The shooting that Damon Jones and Wally bring when they’re on the court together is fantastic, but neither of them can guard anyone on the opposing team, so much like Ben and Andy, they really shouldn’t be out there at the same time. At least Gibson can sort of stay in front of the quicker guards, even as they bully him all the way to the basket. Bottom line is, Ferry did his job…now it’s up to Mike Brown to make logical decisions and put the right combinations of players on the court. And finally, D-Brown is no star, but I hope he plays well enough to keep Sasha on the bench for the rest of ‘08. I can’t stand watching that sleepy-eyed stiff pick up horrible reach-in fouls in the 1st QTR and then barrel over people at the other end. Why did we re-sign him? Because he was soooo excited to get into camp, work on his game and solidify his starting position? The Cavs should have called his bluff and let him play a year in Europe…or 10 years…
matt: actually, you spelled it wrong – 2 ‘z”s and only 1 “c”. and i doubt he’ll start given his defensive liabilities. but wally was hustling pretty good around the floor even if he does resemble a glacier.
dumb cavs fan: accurate namesake vis a vis your comment about gooden; his offensive foul during crunch time wasn’t very smart either.
V’s offense is visibly better this season IMO. IIRC he actually made a midrange jumper during the game that looked like a decent stroke. but he & wallace should probably score the majority of their points off the pick & roll, and being open when teams collapse on lebron driving to the basket, running the break, and second chance points.
i think BW has commented that pavlovic plays better when he has family in town – SP’s improved play right before he got hurt coincided with SP’s dad returning to the US from europe. assuming family stays in town, i expect pavlovic to play well enough once he recovers.
i just hope that hughes’ quote gets splashed all over the chicago papers – and they see what kind of bargain they got in return for dumping wallace’s contract.
I could go on and on about what Larry Hughes said and the absolute arrogance of his remarks. Truly amazing, After all that I find it extremely amusing that when Ben Gordon is on the floor, especially in the 4th quarter, guess who’s brining the ball up?
Let me get this straight, barryc … Count Pavlovic’s career as an NBA zombie was the result of family being stuck overseas cruising Transylvania’s red light district? There have been plenty of silly apologist excuses for various Cavaliers players over the years, but “Dad had to bite prostitutes in Paris, Prague and London” is a new one.
Dan Gilbert needs to stay out of the booth and hire Erin Andrews to sit between Austin and Fred. Ratings would skyrocket.
“I didn’t come here to play the point guard, that’s just it. I came here to run the wing, just like [LeBron] was running the other wing.”
Did I miss something? If I remember correctly, we also didn’t bring you here to play the point guard, Larry. We brought you here to be a slasher and a scorer, and to take some of the scoring pressure of of LeBron. But you played so poorly at shooting guard in between your myriad of injuries that the team had no choice but to play you at the point, where by the way, you played slightly statistically better and the team won more ballgames. Oh, I forgot, you don’t care whether or not the team you play for actually wins.
larry is a douche. on the one hand, i can’t fault him for wanting to be happy. everyone wants to be happy. but on the other hand, as a fan (or a teammate), you never want to hear your highest paid player say that winning is not their top priority. winning is ALWAYS the top priority, jackass.
and maybe i’m just dumb, but i don’t see how he’s going to fit so much better into chicago’s “system”. if he couldn’t knock down the open looks that he got playing off LBJ, explain to me why he’s suddenly going to start hitting shots in chicago. the crazy thing is, hughes can take it to the rack and usually finish – it just seems like he’d rather hoist up crappy jumpers.
lastly, with all the injuries, we really need a coach who can manage the rotations and run plays for our scorers. over these next few weeks i think we’re really going to see how coaching is a weak spot for this team.
It’s not Larry’s fault, he just wasn’t in rhythm.
The translation of Hughes’ quote is he wants to be the star even if it’s a bad team. The quote is humorous and the important part is we all win. We’re rid of him and he can clean out his Chicago locker when the playoffs start.
I kinda agree with Taco-pants the coaching during the game leaves some things to be desired.
Thoughts on the Cavs win over the Bulls:
- This Bulls team is terrible, which is why a loss to them at home would have been a major problem. Fortunately, the Bulls proved how terrible they are by letting the Cavs outscore them 27-10 down the stretch.
- That LeBron James dunk was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, this was yet another game when the Cavs *needed* LeBron to have an amazing game, otherwise they would have lost. I don’t like the thought of LeBron having to carry this team in February, instead of saving some energy for the playoff run. Grinding against Chicago is not necessary.
- Wally has had two decent games in the wins he’s played in, and two terrible games in the losses. Wonder if that’s going to be a trend. I liked how not all of his shots came from the outside. He has done a decent job defending small forwards so far, not so much against smaller players.
- We haven’t seen too much of it since he came back, but Varejao made signficant developments in his offensive game over the offseason, especially in his now-reliable 10-12 foot set shot. It’s not pretty, but he’s shown he can hit it consistently. Then again, the Cavs refused to run set plays for Gooden’s (much more reliable) jumper, so I don’t expect Andy to get too many looks regardless. Andy’s post game on the other hand is still, um, a work in progress.
- As Hubie Brown said, when Ben Wallace gets the ball in the paint on penetration, he should go straight to the hoop for a dunk. Just catch and go up, don’t worry about the foul. Wallace seems to hesitate on occasion, bracing for the contact rather than going up. And with his 40% free throw percentage, it’s is almost as bad as a turnover.
- What happened to Luol Deng? He went from being an overrated up-and-comer to a player who looks like the 3rd or 4th best player on a good team, a rich man’s Mickael Pietrus. Then again, he was born in a city called “Wow.” Which is cool.
- Hondo17’s comment above about Gordon not touching the ball down the stretch is dead on. I know that Gordon has been wildly inconsistent this year, but he has a history of making clutch shots in close games. And yesterday he took three shots in the fourth quarter, making two. Meanwhile, Larry Hughes went 2 for 7 in the fourth.
Go Cavs.
Mike C.
Are you serious?
First off, since when is it a crime to be happy in one’s career? And since when do the same things make different people happy?
I work in the corporate world, so let’s look at it from that standpoint. For those with the know-how, ability, and opportunities, there is every possibility for them to be extremely successful, climb the corporate ladder, etc. And yet, this isn’t what makes everyone happy. It is for some; not for others. So, according to your reasoning, Brian, these people are foolish because they have the possibility of huge success (winning) in front of them, and yet choose a different route because it makes them happier? Apparently, material success leads to happiness. That’s news to me.
And money? Apparently you completely missed the point of Hughes’ comment. Here’s what he said: “I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that.” In other words, he was asked to sacrifice so that (a) the team could win, and (b) everyone could get paid. By saying that didn’t make him happy, he’s actually saying that “getting paid” is NOT what made him happy. So when you ask why he’s not happy with all the money he’s making, you COMPLETELY miss the point.
Let’s go back to the corporate world. That same person, were s/he to pursue a career path that would be considered “successful,” could be making really good money (relative to the “normal” American, not relative to athletes). And yet, many do not strive after that, because other things make them happy. So, are you telling us that the people for whom their happiness isn’t relative to the amount of money they make are fools? I’d suggest exactly the opposite.
You know, there are some people that are talented basketball players, that also have that competitive drive. It is not just playing, but winning, that gives them joy. But HOW DARE YOU try and lump everyone together, as though the same thing makes everyone happy? Not everyone is LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. Winning isn’t the end-all, be-all for everyone. For some people, it is just PLAYING basketball that is enjoyable. And for those people, it’s not unfathomable that being forced to play in a way that goes against their game, against their style, etc., is uncomfortable, makes them feel out of place, and makes it difficult for them to enjoy playing the game of basketball. I say, kudos to Larry Hughes for recognizing that it’s playing, not winning, that makes him happy. Kudos to him for recognizing that he wasn’t happy with the demands of his current job, and needed a change. And big kudos to him for having the balls to admit that success and money don’t necessarily drive him.
And shame on you for implying that it should. In an ever more material world, Larry Hughes has enough perspective to understand what’s important — enjoy your life, and do what is meaningful and fulfilling for you, whatever that may be. And you turn around and throw fuel on the fire consuming our society, denigrating him for not being materialistic enough, and for not caring more about winning than about enjoying the game. God, I hope you don’t coach any kids’ sports!
But here’s the reality: Larry Hughes and Brian Windhorst have both shown their hand. Hughes values other things above materialism and winning, and good for him. Brian Windhorst is materialistic and places an unhealthy emphasis on winning.
Shame on you.
So Herm Edwards was wrong? You DON’T play to win the game?
I truly hope the cavs are not planning on bringing back billy thomas a dn kan daniels, instead they should try to sign some waived vets. like brent barry , maglore, tyrone lue or even fred mcmurry, I mean flip murry, some one who can contribute and not just an extra body.
I love watching the finger wag, Josh. Please keep it up.
But it seems you’re assuming Hughes has some kind of higher purpose that makes him happy, while most others seem to assume that his path to Nirvana lies in obtaining more freedom to take bad shots.
I haven’t seen any evidence of the former theory, and way too much evidence of the latter.
I wasn’t too annoyed with Hughes’ confession that he doesn’t really care about winning. I was actually more annoyed with Lebron’s arrogance in pointing out that he can “turn it on” whenever he wants.
Hey, LJ, how about turning it “on” during quarters 1-3 instead of waiting until there’s 12 minutes left in the game? That way, you can take a well-deserved rest in the 4th quarter and the rest of us won’t be subjected to nail-biters against the Milwaukees and Chicagos of the world.
Josh, Josh, Josh… You would be correct (that “Hughes values other things above materialism and winning”) except for the millions he gets, so the materialism argument does not work. And his attitude would be fine in almost any other profession.
But this is the highest level of the game, and it’s not good enough. Not good enough for the fans who pay his salary, not good enough for his teammates.
The old saying is that to win a championship, you need a superstar, an all-star or two, and 8 players who will run through a brick wall. A happy-go-lucky chucker does not fit the bill, as a player on /my/ team at least.
But as a person, I like the guy. I just don’t want him playing for my team.
If you don’t want to win Larry, first and foremost, then that’s fine. Pack it up. Retire. Realize it’s time to check out.
If you won’t honor your obligation to the fans and teammates, which is to give all, all the time, in an single-minded effort to WIN, then fine. But then don’t take the check: that is stealing — stealing money, but more than that, that’s stealing from the team’s, and fan’s, trust, spirit and heart. Do whatever you want to make yourself happy. All good, I hope you find what you are looking for. But don’t show up on an NBA court Larry, you no longer belong.
If they ever tested for human growth hormone, I’d be kinda curious how James’ test would come back. He may test negative for Sean Kemp’s secret stash, but I truly wonder about the other stuff for which they don’t even test.
Besides, if my understanding of it is correct, the NBA’s drug testing for pot and steroids is pretty much a joke. First offense is counseling, a second offense is a fine, a third offense is a five-game suspension. Whoopie. And the counseling and fine stuff is kept confidential. Who’s running this drug testing program, Bud Selig?
TPH, I’ve got to agree, in that some of James’ comments lately have come off as pretty damn cocky, even though we all know he’s just a monster at this point and that he can back it up too. And I was actually glad at least there is one writer out there who realizes James should be the MVP rather than Kobe:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_experts/post/Why-Kobe-Bryant-is-not-your-MVP;_ylt=Ai78a3tIFj4gw9HerDYCyVM5nYcB?urn=nba,69681
Josh, you are a fool. Get down off your high horse and look at the facts.
Hughes wants it both ways. He wants to have fun, not work hard and not worry about winning and losing. But he also wants to be paid like a professional who’s job is to win games. If all he wanted from basketball was a good time, he could quit and head down to the local park and play. But no, he wants to be a professional basketball player, so he can get paid like one.
Don’t for a second think that Larry Hughes doesn’t care about the money. The only reason he is in Cleveland is because he thought the offer from the Wizards was so low that it was offensive to him and his overwhelming basketball talent. He turned down a six-year, $72 Million deal because it wasn’t good enough for him. But somehow I don’t think his desire “just to have fun” was brought up during the negotiations with the Cavaliers.
I’m amazed that people are coming to Hughes’ defense here. He knew what he was getting into when he signed the contract. He’s one of the few lucky people on this planet who has made enough money that he can *stop* doing the job he doesn’t like and find something else, but he’d rather just give a half-assed effort and keep collecting the check.
Hughes is a disgrace, and while I don’t expect him to care what I think, I can’t believe that people would be supporting his decision to be a disgrace.
Personally, I find it sort of amusing that a 20-something kid making $30,000 annual gross “in the corporate world” is comparing himself to a guy nearing 30 who makes $14 million annual gross. As if there is any valid comparison in any way, shape or form in their respective existential “happy” worlds. Something is being lost in the translation here.
I always get a kick out of guys who say they’d play the game “for free.” “For the love of the game.” That is, until they’re “insulted” by their latest contract offer. Suddenly, where did all the love go?
I think its also worth noting that a professional athlete who says he doesn’t care about winning is also essentially saying, “I don’t care if my coach has a job. I don’t care if our GM has a job. I don’t care if the lower-level players have jobs. I don’t care if the owner loses money. My happiness is much more important.”
You can’t defend that which is indefensible.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebronjayz022508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Just linked to your site from Bill Simmons at espn.com and I think that Cleveland is more of a contender after the trade. I thought Hughes was bad news but wow.
Also I had never heard of players getting drug tested. Nice insight. See y’all at the finals (again).
Just wanted to let Larry know that he can play ball with some friends and I on Wednesday night at the rec center. We always play to a tie, and everyone scores 20 to 24 a game. And if you want to bring any of the millions that you made to give it to us schleps, maybe help pay for our gym time.
Dear Larry: I mees youz soo mucho. When I hoostle to
get reebund and pass zee ball to yuuz and yuu jack up
zee clanker I can geet anuder reebund and paad mee stats.
Howw can eye hold out agin for mucho dinero when I doont
have de reebounds off yerz clankers. Pleez com bak too
de Cavaliers. Walzee an Jo and Dewontee mak der shoots
an eye get no reebounz. I mees you an Ben is mad two
becuz he want to cache yur clankers heer an you not heer.
Hee sayz he cannut renegotiat becuz you clankers is not
heer no more. Ans alzo Z got a bad back frum caching you
clankers and he mad cuz he cannut pley. You betta com
baack Laree.
You freend, Da Wild Thing
Even three days later, I find Larry’s quote the single most hilarious athlete quote I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe he said that on national TV…..
I have really enjoyed some of the well written responses here — I have been a member of the “stop taking shots larry” club for several years now. I am also a member of the “stop committing turnovers, sasha pavlovic” club — i liked the above quote that talked about him bowling over people. I agree with the majority and cannot really agree with Josh — and by the way Josh, you should eventually learn that the “HOW DARE YOU?” approach isn’t really the best one when people are making extremely reasonable arguments. Oh Larry is so above materialism – give me a break.
I think Larry has a right to be happy, and he has a right to value jacking up shots over winning. But if he is going to claim those rights, and if you are going to DEFEND those rights, then what about the rights of the Wizards, Cavs and now Bulls, in knowing that they are getting some half-assed “i don’t care” player before spending millions of dollars for him?
You want to be happy, fine. You want offensive freedom to jack up truly horrible shots, fine. You want to be a 39% career shooter, fine. You suck, that is another story. But if that has been your feeling all along, then you have flat out lied to the Cavs and lied to the Bulls, if not the Wizards. In the “corporate world” that is sort of going down the “fraudulent inducement” route. Larry was able to get these monster contracts because he “materially misrepresented” a key issue — that winning meant something to him. In the “corporate world”, that is illegal. Your corporate metaphor sucks on so many levels, but here’s just one. If a person doesn’t want to move up to higher and higher positions, and make more and more money, then fine. That’s fine. Kudos. But for them to SLACK off in their job? To perform selfishly? To undermine the goal of the group, of the corporation, to benefit their own sense of happiness? That is a person that, should they make their feelings known, should be fired.
I harbor some ill will towards Larry just because I gave him love when he was only pretending to care about winning. Well I’m not pretending. I fucking love this team. And I am very, very interested to hear some Chicago reaction to this story. How do the Bulls feel about their teammates priorities? The fans?
Love the stuff, guys. love the cavs. lebron shouldn’t leave it to the last minute, but damn is it exciting to watch.
go cavs.
go indians.
go browns.
go buckeyes.
brian