LeBron Changing Number: Gotta Give Props, Where Props Are Due!!
by chi_till_eye_die on Nov 13, 2009 1:14 AM CST
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PrintFirst of all, this will probably be the only fan post I ever put up. But I gotta say this, and I want all of you bulls fans to let me know what you think. I just caught highlights of the Cavs/Heat game. At the end, Lebron was interviewed, and he wanted to give a shout out. To who, you may be wondering...Well, to The Greatest Player of All Time, that's who. Michael Jordan was in the Heat arena to watch Lebron and Dwayne play tonight. Lebron said that he was honored and flattered that the best player to ever play the game would take time out of his day to come watch him play. Great sentiment, great words. However, that's not the part that compelled me to want to write this. It was what James said after that showed his respect to MJ. Lebron said that next year, he was going to change his jersey number because "no player should ever wear #23 after Michael wore it. If he cant get the NBA logo (respect to Jerry West), then he should have his number retired throughout the league". WOW....that statement really blew me away. I know LJ watched MJ playing ball when he was growing up, and that MJ was his idol, but that respect that he showed MJ to change his jersey number was something unseen or unheard of. Much props to you Lebron, you give props to where they are due, and so will I...To you.
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lebron is gonna play for the heat
who also retired 23…i think more than anything it sounds more like lebron is going to play somewher else, and his new jersey he will have a new number….also cocky guy…maybe lebron came to watch dwayne wade play. If dwade was 6’6…i think he would be the next true Jordan. More than kobe or lebron, wade attacks the rim, like jordan, wade suffered a bad injury and everyone questioned if he could attack the way he did…what did wade do? like jordan he improved his shot, his conditioning, and he continued to attack the rim. Hes not a great shooter, but hits impossible big shots, defensively he locks guys down, he sets up guys, he works hard, practices….
Can we get wade already…cuz im on the wade in chicago 2010 bandwagon…and the future looks nice from here….
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
I am too
Wade is amazing, truly amazing. Been that way since college. Made guys at Marquette look great beside him and is making guys like Haslem look really freaking good. Imagine what he could do with real talent that hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet (Rose, Tyrus, Noah, Deng)….ouch.
hey, do what kobe did
and switch your number to increase your jersey sales, cause everyone will have to buy another one ;)
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
(even if he stays with the cavs, that is)
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
by Jaina on Nov 13, 2009 7:42 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
good point
recced…i didnt think of that….
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
by piccolomair on Nov 13, 2009 11:10 AM CST up reply actions
That was my first reaction
Do the players take home a portion of the revenue from sales of their jersey?
12/31: Fire Vinny Del Negro.
by NBA Observer on Nov 13, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
As I posted in the other thread on this:
He had me right up until he said:
Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.
by JeffD on Nov 13, 2009 9:06 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
LeBron is shamefully media-concious
does he have a genuine thought ever?
But it works with his apparently new idol too. I heard about Jordan’s appearance through some John Hollinger tweets. This was great.
MJ here next to Riley. Has now seen more of Heat than Bobcats.
Riley: “How are the Bobcats doing?” MJ: “Which team are they?”
Riley: “How are the Bobcats doing?” MJ: "I don’t have any pets.
Riley: “Do you like Charlotte?” MJ: “Which one is she?”
Riley: “What’s your cap number?”MJ: “Still a size12!”
Maybe this will all work out if we give Jordan the league-wide jersey retirement, and then he can go away on some sex boat forever.
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Nov 13, 2009 10:39 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Im knew here, so i want to be clear on this
Do you dislike MJ????
Eat. Sleep. Pray. Watch chicago play.
P.S.
You've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a shit about what you think.
by chi_till_eye_die on Nov 13, 2009 6:19 PM CST up reply actions
yfBB doesn't do nostalgia.
And MJ’s post playing career only looks good in comparison to Issiah Thomas’s.
"Then you need a center so if the ball gets stuck between the rim and backboard he can reach up and knock it loose instead of having to spend 15 minutes trying to hit it with a broom stick." – Sam Smith
by Granny Waiters on Nov 13, 2009 8:11 PM CST up reply actions
Is Hell Frozen?
"I think it’s safe to say Noah and Rose are the future."
by Belize on Nov 13, 2009 11:46 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Classic LeBron posturing, but he is pretty smart in emulating the whole fake charm from Kobe and MJ.
The 2009 White Sox....like a 40 degree day.
I've been waiting for him to do this
I always thought it was a bonehead move on his part to pick #23. Its was soooo unoriginal at the time and I’m glad he’s finally doing the right thing.
The real reason he picked that number was because he THOUGHT he was going to be better than Mike. Well it looks like that theory has taken a hit. Huh Lebron?
by Bulls Mouthpiece on Nov 13, 2009 11:58 AM CST reply actions
Shoutout to the intelligent poster who said Lebron would never come to Chicago because he couldn't have his #23.
You know who you are.
"Toney Douglas came off the bench to score 16 points in 17 minutes Saturday against Milwaukee. He finished 6-of-9 shooting, including four three-pointers."
was it me?
i did say lebron wouldnt come to chicago, but i dont remember if i added the jersey part of it…
On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!
by piccolomair on Nov 13, 2009 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
I think smash! would be the only one here who would take the time to remember for innocuous events like these,
and post condescending comments about it as if we should never doubt his omniscience.
No, not you:)
I had a funny back and forth with another guy who made this long post about how Lebron would never come to chicago because he’s attached to his #23 and the Bulls are the only team that wouldn’t let him wear it. He was serious, too…
"Toney Douglas came off the bench to score 16 points in 17 minutes Saturday against Milwaukee. He finished 6-of-9 shooting, including four three-pointers."
Anyway I find it funny that he just now sees the error in his ways
He’s trying to take credit for supposedly trying to, “save 23,” when he’s the main culprit at wearing the jersey number. To me that looks dumb, why didn’t he think that 7 years ago?? He’s been disrespectful about the number all these years and just now wants to show Jordan respect. I don’t get it. He basically just admitted that it was a poor choice for a number. Which I thought all along.
by Bulls Mouthpiece on Nov 13, 2009 12:23 PM CST reply actions
i never liked anyone wearing it
but i mean, only riley was on board with the retiring the number league wide. only thing i like about riley. :P
but the league should do it.
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
well to be fair
he wouldnt have had the same kind of influence had he made this statement at the start of his career.
at this point in his career he has established himself and earned respect in the eyes of most in the league (even if he is a dick) so by doing it now he can actually possibly cause this to happen
he is right
it should be retired throughout the league…
i cant stand it we guys like devin brown get to even go near that number
I'm cuckoo for Kukoc!!!
I agree
The number should be retired throughout the league. What he did for the game as an individual is unmatched. I think Lebron did the right thing.
The Dude Abides
Lebron....the cat that told his mom to sit her a$$ down on national t.v?
This ain’t about honoring nobody, this is a P.R move to earn brownie points!
ive been trying to decide whether or no to post this for months
But I’m gonna just put it out there and you can do what you will with it. My cousin has some friends whose parents are NBA insider type guys. One works for the Grizzlies and the other used to play ball with Tim Hardaway back in HS so he hangs with ball players and runs bball camps and stuff. Anyway, these dudes know LeBron and each time the Cavs come to town, my cousin gets the awesome seats AND goes into the locker room to take pics with LeBron and everything, which kinda makes me jealous cuz hell I wanna meet LeBron too. But anyway, my cousin has been swearing for the past year that LeBron has been talking about wanting to be a Bull cuz he idolizes MJ and wants to be a superstar global MJ-like icon/all-world basketball player and all that stuff. Apparently he’s really on MJ’s sack (like everyone else who watched him play). I never think too much of it cuz I’m a “ill believe it if/when I see it” type of guy. But damn it would be awesome if it happened. I’m just a hardcore Bulls fan who likes to play ball and not a hardcore blogger or stats guy so ill leave it to you all to figure out what needs to happen salary cap wise and all that. But I don’t see why its any less plausible for LeBron to come here over NY if we can pay him. He’s not going to the Nets. The Nets? So then if he does come here would that make Hinrich the new Paxon? Lol. But I just wanted to put that out there even though it’s kinda useless speculation. In other news, can we all take a few minutes and pray for Salmons. He has been god awful lately. He needs an excorcism or some holy water or something. A colon cleanse? Root canal? I don’t know but he needs SOMETHING. Fuck! Go Bulls! Have a good weekend everyone.
by Rosenscrubs on Nov 13, 2009 2:19 PM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
yea, salmons needs some kind of something to get back to making shots....
but as far as LJ coming to chicago, heres how I, being a die-hard bulls fan, can see it happening (in my mind). Every1 knows MJ came into chicago to play for a bulls team that was barely alive. He came in, showed a winners mentality, and it rubbed off….not right away, mind you. It took some years of building and re-building, but His Greatness took a team of mostly scrubs, and turned it into a Dynasty. Now hear my logic out….Lebron, as good as he is, can never ever match the greatness and the accomplishments MJ did personally and for the bulls. However, imagine him coming to a bulls team that is struggling (hmmm, sound familiar) and then show them a winning mentality (again, rings real familiar) and finally helps push this team over the hump, ala Jordan…..Now, if he ever has been compared to MJ, or has been told he would be better than MJ, WHAT OTHER WAY COULD HE (if at all possible) SOLIDIFY THAT IDEA BY BRINGING A CHAMPIONSHIP TO CHI TOWN?? In my wacky mind, this is completely logical, if LJ wants to be as good as or better than MJ, he needs to come in, take over where MJ left off in chicago, and start the dynasty all over again…..
Eat. Sleep. Pray. Watch chicago play.
P.S.
You've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a shit about what you think.
by chi_till_eye_die on Nov 13, 2009 3:09 PM CST up reply actions
Who wants to hear SVG's opinion? Anyone?
“It’s a nice gesture, but he (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson. Baseball did it because it had historical significance,‘’ Van Gundy said. "There actually were guys before Michael who could play the game. Then you should retire numbers that (Bill) Russell, Wilt (Chamberlain), and certainly Oscar (Robertson) wore. I understand LeBron didn’t grow up watching those guys, but still. ’’
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/lebrons-desire-for-nba-to-retire-jordans-no-23-is-misplaced/#cont
I guess MJ resentment just runs in the blood.
The 2009 White Sox....like a 40 degree day.
so i guess
hockey retiring gretzky’s number was historical significance too? :P
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
But Gretzky didn't piss anyone off. Much easier to honor someone that everyone secretly loathes.
Now Bill Russell? There’s a guy the league can suck up to in spades.
The 2009 White Sox....like a 40 degree day.
by Ozzie Montana on Nov 14, 2009 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
HERES A FRIENDLY REMINDER, JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT
6× NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
5× NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002–2003)
6× NBA Finals MVP (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1987–1993, 1996–1998)
1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988–1993, 1996–1998)
1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
2x Gold Medal Winner in the Olympics (1984,1992)
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
1× NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion (1982)
1982 ACC Freshman of the Year
1× ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year (1984)
1× USBWA College Player of the Year (1984)
1× Naismith College Player of the Year (1984)
1× John R. Wooden Award (1984)
1× Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
2000 ESPY Athlete of the Century
1990s ESPY Male Athlete Decade Award
1990s ESPY Pro Basketballer Decade Award
THE ONE AND ONLY #23 MICHAEL “AIR” JORDAN
Eat. Sleep. Pray. Watch chicago play.
P.S.
You've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a shit about what you think.
by chi_till_eye_die on Nov 14, 2009 2:10 AM CST reply actions
I love Jordan, think he was the greatest ever, appreciate Riley paying tribute by retiring the jersey, but I think this opposing viewpoint that I saw on TrueHoop has some merit:
Dwight Jaynes on the idea of retiring Jordan’s jersey league-wide: “It may be the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard of. Especially for teams that Jordan beat or publicly scorned — like Portland. Not only did Jordan hand the Blazers a loss in the NBA Finals, he has on a few occasions talked about how lucky he was never to have played here. … I would hope we could somehow retain the impression that this league belongs to competitors. It belongs to the people whose will to win aspires to be as great as Jordan’s. And to honor those people, don’t ever hang another team’s player’s laundry in the rafters of their house.”
I kind of feel the same way, though at the same time any franchise that has been so scorned by MJ should probably not have a player wearing #23 anyways, official retirement or not.
Maybe Lebron will switch to 45.
riley was burned by jordan more than once
he still had the respect to retire his jersey. it just a symbol of respect and acknowledging that he was the greatest.
Half the casinos in Las Vegas should retire MJ's number too
After all, MJ has single-handedly helped keep some of them afloat during the recession.
by Big D on Nov 14, 2009 12:30 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Here is the marketing strategy behind it
No point in LBJ wearing 23 if he can be as good as MJ or even better (maybe he won’t but he has the potential) So he is changing number without being arrogant. Preparing his future and looking good while at it.
#6 should be retired as well
My original thought when I heard the report of LBJ requesting the league retire Jordan’s #23 was…Yes he might be coming to the Bulls. Then I got home from D.C. got on blogabull and started to read the post. Then I realized (thanks to some of the post) the second greatest basketball player IMO was #6….Bill Russell! Here is Bill Russell’s basketball career: Regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Russell anchored the Celtics teams that won nine, eight in succession, NBA world championship titles in 1957 and from 1959 through 1966, and two more in consecutive seasons in 1968 and 1969…A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965)…A 12-time NBA All-Star in his 13-year career, missing the team in his rookie year (1956-57)…Was the 1963 NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player…Is the Celtics all-time leading rebounder with 21,620 rebounds (an average of 22.5 per game), and led the NBA four times in this department…Was on the All-NBA first team in 1959, 1963 and 1965, and the NBA All-Defensive first team in 1969…Named to the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1970; 35th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1980 and One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996…Was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975…Declared the Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers’ Association of America in 1980…Was Head Coach of the Celtics for three seasons, 1966-67 through 1968-69, finishing with a record of 162-83 (.661) and two world championship titles in 1968 and 1969. Now here are just a few links that tells the rest of the story about Bill Russell…….Did MJ have to endure? I say no. Bill Russell IMO has done more for basketball and humanity then MJ, yet there is no talk of the league retiring his #6
http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4114/Russell-Bill.html
http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4110/Russell-Bill-Civil-Rights-Advocate.html
http://www.suffolk.edu/19879.html
someone just got his copy of 'the book of basketball'
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Nov 16, 2009 2:46 PM CST up reply actions
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