Dear LeBron James (re: Contraction)

You wouldn't have been talking that contraction mess if you were still in Cleveland...

via ESPN:

LeBron James welcomes the New Jersey Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the NBA, and said that he never intended to advocate contraction in recent comments he made about the league's "watered down" talent level compared to the 1980s.

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday. "I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth. I was just saying how the league was back in the '80s and how it could be good again. I never said, 'Let's take some of the teams out.' "

James found himself Monday in a position of yet again having to clarify some controversial comments. On Thursday, he told reporters before the Heat's game against the Phoenix Suns that he would like to see more stars playing together instead of them being spread out throughout the league.

He also made specific references to the Nets and Timberwolves, including promising forward Kevin Love, in reference to the number of premier players toiling along with struggling teams. James was portrayed in some reports as advocating contraction and the loss of NBA jobs at a time when the league and players' association are haggling over a new collective bargaining agreement. James, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, said he was speaking only in hypothetical terms when he suggested what it might be like to remove Love, the league's leading rebounder, from the struggling Timberwolves, or to see some of the Nets' better players on teams that could contend for a championship.

"Imagine if you could take Kevin Love off Minnesota and add him to another team and you shrink the [league]," James said Thursday. "Looking at some of the teams that aren't that great, you take Brook Lopez or you take Devin Harris off these teams that aren't that good right now and you add him to a team that could be really good. Not saying let's take New Jersey and let's take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I'm not stupid, it would be great for the league.

I always cringe when athletes begin trying to wax philosophical about the business side of sports, especially basketball and football players. For the most part, these fellows accomplished nothing in the way of education, and what few who do are not in positions high enough to warrant an opinion. Such is your case, oh verbose King James. LeBron, I'll admit it, most people were wrong about the Heat. You guys are doing pretty well right now, though the season is still young. Your move to the Miami Wades has turned into the ultimate sports media frenzy, with the sports world hinging on every play you make and every word you speak. The latter (your words), as profound as they may be when dealing with basketball, need to be chosen more carefully when dealing with off-court issues.

LeBron, you and the Heat have indeed made it so that no one can compete unless they begin stockpiling stars in a soccer-esque power struggle. You're essentially the Barca of basketball. Teams like the Timberwolves and Nets (just to keep your example going) that have promising talent but no superstars are constantly being blasted. While you guys may have highlights for days, your team is eventually going to get boring to watch, much like the league you imagined after contraction. What grinds my gears the most about your statement is that you didn't even know what contraction means! C'mon son... Didn't Gloria ever tell you not to use a word if you don't know the definition? Yes, you would've caught a little bit of crap if you admitted to not knowing, but that's better than making a base statement, then having to retract it.

Just because the league is now a cakewalk for you and Chris Wade Bosh, it doesn't mean certain teams shouldn't have a fighting chance. Lord knows you and your boys were some of those players who probably would've wasted their careers if you didn't show up at D-Wade's doorstep. And who's to say that Kevin Love won't turn into an unstoppable force (unlikely, but a necessary comparison) by the end of the season? Who's to say Devin Harris and Brook Lopez won't develop a chemistry like Magic and Kareem (also unlikely)? Who's to say the Nets won't sweep you guys (highly unlikely, as well) in the Playoffs? The point is, LeBron, that you're IN the league. Talking about the league as if you're an GM isn't your place. Play the game and leave the business to Jay-Z and Prokhorov, unless it has to do with sneakers or Dr. Dre commercials.

Lastly, Bron, the league is far from 'watered-down'. For the first time in a while, I can say that every team has considerable talent. Maybe not every team is capable of running others off the court every game like your team, but on any given night, I guarantee Kevin Love and Mike Beasley (who's killing) can shock you guys. This is the NBA, LeBron. The same league that the 2007 Golden State Warriors roughed up the #1 seed Mavericks... The same league where guys like Chauncey Billups can go from a bust to Finals MVP... The same league where even the most physically gifted player (coughcoughDwightHowardcoughcough) can be shut down by a role player. Don't forget that, Bron Bron. Fans love underdogs just as much as they love your highlights, and every underdog has his day, whether you see it coming or not. Maybe if you guys sweep the Playoffs, you can talk. If you don't, though, all that contraction crap you were talking will be just as 'watered-down' as the Miami Heat without their three-headed monster...

Dear Dwight Howard & Amar'e Stoudemire

If these are the best that the league has to offer, the big man might be extinct in 20 years...

NOTE FROM EDITOR:This week is a sad, yet exciting week for any basketball junkie.. including myself. With the NBA Finals beginning on Thursday, we've got to recap the playoffs and what we've seen so far. Here's a tribute to the mythical species of skilled big men...

It's a huge honor being called the best big men of this era, but what happens when the title is undeserved? What happens when the dire lack of traditional centers and power forwards places the premium on size, strength and athleticism rather than knowledge of the game, skill and intangibles? What happens when basketball's two best big men.. aren't?

First off, let's get at you Dwight. Yes, I've been your biggest critic since you've gotten to the NBA. But, in all honesty, it's warranted. Dog, you haven't gotten any better since 2004!! It's been 6 years.. 6 seasons in the NBA, and you're still virtually the same player you were when you entered. You still are a dunk and layup machine and can erase damn near every shot thrown at you, yet there are points at which I wonder about your testicular fortitude. Dwight, you can be completely erased from a game, given the proper personnel guarding you. Kendrick Perkins proved it this year. Pau Gasol & Andrew Bynum proved it last year. Rasheed Wallace proved it the year before that AND this year.

You don't look too happy there, Dwight.. Shaq looks the same as he always does: dominant...


Dwight, if someone is rougher than you, you fold. The Playoffs exposed how your team falters when you get taken out of the paint. And you call yourself Superman... Shaq ought to slap the S right off your chest. No, he still can't shoot free throws, but the man has the best post moves I've ever seen. If Shaq is anywhere within 15 feet of the basket, there's little chance of stopping him. I don't think I'll ever be able to say that about you. What makes matters worse is that you have Patrick Ewing on your sideline. Quick history lesson: Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest centers of all time. Had he not (ironically, because he used to live in the paint) missed a layup, we'd probably be talking about him and a Finals ring. Even so, how has none of the man's teaching not rubbed off on you? You don't have a jumpshot, drop step or face-up move to speak of. It's mind-boggling how easy your athleticism could be used with some skill, dude. Seriously, before next season, call Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Walton, and ask them for some help, because your post game is SAD.

Now, on to you, Amar'e. I've always liked you. You had a fiery demeanor and a 'don't look at me that way, n*gga!' swagger since you were drafted out of high school. At first, you had the Dwight Howard syndrome, with not a move to speak of. Then, I guess playing with Steve Nash rubbed off on you and you developed a nice mid-range jump shot. Kudos. Also, kudos on getting by all of those injuries. There were a good 3 years that I thought your career might be over. That said, you need some coaching on defense. I mean, damn! When your team can't count on you to get a rebound, much less defend their best post player, what really is your purpose for being on the court? You can't be a one-way player as a big man. Maybe it works as a combo guard (see: Jamal Crawford), but as an elite big man, you shouldn't be struggling against mediocre centers.

Nene's good.. But not that good.... Guess he's good enough to make a poster out of you...


I got another bone to pick with you too, Amar'e. What's with you playing the background all the time on your squad? Is Steve Nash that good of a leader or are you just waiting until he retires to take hold of that team? I hate to break it to you, but Steve's only got one hand's worth (at most 5 years) left in the league. He won't be making everything easy for you by tossing the ball exactly where it needs to be for you to score anymore. Things are going to get harder. It would behoove you to grow a pair and start taking over games when necessary. Not as big a beef as Dwight, but think, you probably would have been at Game 7 with the Lakers had you gotten the rebound off Kobe's airball.

To both of you, this letter is a harrowing reminder of what happens when you don't hone your craft as a big man. Guards can get away with specialization, but not franchise-caliber centers. You two are heralded as the best of this generation, but when held up against prior ones, you guys just pale. Shaq, Olajuwon, Ewing and whatever other 90s big men you want to bring up would have dumped on you two in their heydays. That's not to say the two of you won't get better; it's just an observation from a week and a half of watching the two of you play inconsistently. Sigh... Maybe next year...

NBA x Mickey D's

I've never been one for mixing artery-clogging fast food with the peak of physical activity in basketball, but anytime good old Mickey D's hooks up with the NBA, I will be watching. LeBron has, for the last few years, been the face of the league, while Dwight Howard is another recognizable face in what I like to call 'The New School' of stars in the NBA. The same goes for Dwyane Wade. During this past Super Bowl, all three of the superstars were featured in new advertisements. Dwyane Wade was in a new commercial for his sneaker with Air Jordan, while LeBron & D-12 debuted their new McDonald's commercial. This ad is easily drawing comparisons to the Michael Jordan & Larry Bird commercial from the early 90's. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird had distinct personalities and visible chemistry in their commercial. LeBron & Dwight?? Not so much. Regardless, for every kid that pisses their pants upon seeing CGI dunks, this commercial should wet their whistle. Check out the old-school one, too...