All over and the Magic head to the finals against the Lakers...

Hehe...what exactly were we "WITNESS" to?? The fact that while he is no doubt a good player, and possibly one day the best, right now LBJ, still is not a winner. Did he even want the ball in the last quarter??!! NOPE!! Until he shows me that he REALLY wants to win, he is still a long way from the true KING!!

MJ has nothing to worry about right now. Go Magic!!

until Lebron has a pippen (who was probably the 2nd best player in the league) then i dont think it's fair to compare them at all. Jordan didnt win anything until he had another good player either

Absolutely true ELG, I agree with your post, but MJ would've tried to take over the game in the last, in an elimination game like that today, even as a young player. LBJ seemed to be deferring to West in the last a lot. I was so impressed by LeBron in Game 5's last quarter, he was the best i've ever seen him in that. Where was that in the last 12 today? That's all i'm saying. I just wanted to see that will to win and it just wasn't in his eyes today.

As for Pip being 2nd best, maybe he was, open to debate. Who do you think could be LBJ's "Pip", and how do the Cav's get him? I think maybe an Igoudala type? Josh Howard? There ain't many options in the "running mate" mold ATM. Maybe more of a PF option, Boozer perhaps?

Ok heres my new conspiracy theory.

Stern doesn't want Lebron to win in cleveland. So hes making them lose, so lebron will leave, and then he'll move to new york, and kobe will be in his decline then (2 years time) and lebron will be the next big city star.

Beautiful.

He was probably tired, his team was like the worst best team ever. it's such a low quality league atm

It was disppointing to see LBJ walk off the court at the end without congratulating his opponents.

Now that I agree with. A lot of ordinary good teams around right now, with one superstar, and not much else. Cavs, Heat, Mavs good examples.

but the owners/coaches are trying to build all the time...they just cant get decent players to play the supporting role...

better recruiting and retaining players of value....

not going to go anywhere i wouldn't think...they will need to build around him...

Awesome result! The Magic really deserve their shot at a title. Have loved the way they have played during this years playoffs, so I hope they knock off the Lakers too.

Its going to be an interesing off-season now for the Cavs. What if Lebron comes out and says he is opting out at the end of the season? Do they trade him? Or can they convince him to stay with some smart trades and signings?

They have a lot of guys out of contract and several entering their last year, so there are a few options for the Cavs. You'd think the expiring contracts of Wallace, Big Z, Varejao and Pavlovic could be used to good effect (over $36mill worth there). They might be able to bring in something from teams wanting to be players in next years FA bonanza with that.

They definitely need a legit 2nd star though. Mo Williams clearly wasn't enough. Its gotta be a guy who can score against the best when its crunch time in the playoffs. It would be interesting if that guy was Boozer. He burned the Cavs all those years back when they let him become an unrestricted FA in the understanding that he would resign with them - but instead jumped ship when Utah offered him more money!

Speaking of a low post threat for the Cavs... can anyone tell me why James has never developed a post up game? I reckon he needs to think seriously about doing that, because late in the playoffs, good opponents just clog the lane and really nullify his effectiveness. If he could develop a good back to the basket game, I think he would be much more dangerous in crunch time. Not too many opponents would be able to stop him making hook shots and turnarounds in the paint!

I just want to say that watching Orlando play was a pleasure to watch. They move the ball so well and if they keep hitting those trey's like they did against the Cav's, then it really opens up the inside play of Howard.

I hope they play like this against the Lakers as it will be beautiful basketball to watch.

Magic to beat Lakers in 6 IMO

Here here LC. Watching the ball move with passing is so much more entertaining than 1 on 5 offense. And it creates so many more open looks at the basket.

If the Magic win it all, will Shaq have to eat his words about Ron Jeremy??

Seriously Pippen the second best player in the league...are you on drugs. Pippen without Jordan was a flop, he showed this when Jordan retired!!
LeBron doesnt make the ppl around him better, until he does he will still be on his knees looking up to Jordans standards.

Fantastic to see Orlando win, played better despite some pathetic Ref calls, will be interesting to see what happens in the GF series

a flop. Yeah nice one, he was also getting old which usually means you get worse.

Skud, agreed on Pippen. He was really important to Jordan, but nowhere close to 2nd best player in the league. Not close. Not ever.

I really didn't care much for the Magic previous to the Playoffs. But - WOW(!) they are a beautiful team to watch, they play such an aesthetically pleasing game of basketball (while still being effective on both ends). Unlike some other teams (read: most) that have made the finals the last few seasons.

GO MAGIC!!!

Lebron walked off without shaking hands and skipped his press conference...all class

Probably saw a big performance bonus from sponsors go sayonara...

I said (back in the day) that i didn't like the carry on after game 2 - maybe he was embarrassed about that? Who knows...

Like i said after that game - it's easy for me to have a go (and its a fair point) but - they were carrying on like they had won the series...

Give the kid (Lebron) a break, he carries his team for the entire playoff series and then his teammates go missing when he needs them the most. He might have been both physically and emotionally spent by game 6.

Pippen may not have been the 2nd best player in the league but he was clearly the 2nd best player on 6 championship teams. The Cavs need another All-Star if they are to challenge for a championship.

Magic's D was too good and too smart. Make LeBron shoot long jumpers or force him to kick it out by swamping him in the lane (ala Jordan rules - as the commentators noted). The other Cleveland guys were never going to win it. Well done to Delonte West who was reasonably consistent and Verejao works hard but Big Z, Mo and the entire Cavs bench (with the possible exception of Gibson the last two games) went missing when it mattered most. Orlando too deep and too talented.

BTW - How smart is Courtney Lee for a rookie? So composed.

Now to the Lakers - Odom is going to have to play awesome - he is the X factor I think. I also think the Lakers will need to start him or else Shard will be tearing some new ones.

I'm quite sure Pippen steped his game up scoring-wise the year aftr MJ first retired, and the Bulls went from a 57 win season to a 55 win season. Can't really say Pippen was a flop.

Courtney Lee totally reminds me of Sam Cassell on the 94 Rockets team... A late 1st rounder who became an integral part of a Championship team as a rook...

Ironically they both have hemaphroditic first names as well... Hmmmmm...

Pippen, second best player in the league after Jordan... hahaha.... I don't think so..

Just quickly...thought I would chime in on the Pippen debate. Consider the following:

Pippen led the Jordan-less 1993/94 Bulls to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and finished third in the NBA's MVP voting that season. Pippen was only headed for the league MVP title that season by league MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, and David Robinson (who won the scoring title that season due to a last day 71-point explosion if you recall). In his best individual season, Pippen led the Bulls in scoring and assists and was second in rebounds.

Pippen had a tremendous season in all facets of the game. The leading vote-getter for both the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team, he ranked eighth in the league in scoring (22.0 ppg), 23rd in rebounding (8.7 rpg), 19th in assists (5.6 apg), and second in steals (2.93 per game).

Pippen also won MVP honors at the 1994 NBA All-Star Game.

Link: http://linky.com.au/tgqq6

And Pippen is also listed as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players...

The two names you mentioned LC were better than Pippen.

Yes I agree...didn't say they weren't. I was just pointing out that he was third - behind two of the greatest NBA centre's of all time. All three of them are in the NBA's top 50 players of all time. Only Jordan could have topped those two names before him.

PS - ask yourself who he Pippen was ahead of in MVP voting that season?

Let me help you...Names like Charles Barkley (92-93 MVP), Karl Malone (All-NBA first team that year and 97-98 NBA MVP), John Stockton (All-NBA first team that year), and Latrell Sprewell (All-NBA first team that year). Malone and Stockton are also in the top 50 NBA players of all time.

He was also ahead of other big names such as Dominique Wilkens and a young Shaq - both top 50 NBA players as well just to name two more.

Looking at the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, its great to see big Shaq already on it. He is probably the NBA's greatest dancer as well haha.. Also good to see great players from the Ninetys which made the game so fun to watch in: Barkley, Malone, Pippen, etc

So Pippen may not have been the second best playr in the league behind Jordan, but he was not far behind.

Mo Williams to LeBron is nowhere near a Scottie Pippen. The closest and most accurate to Jordan and Pippen IMO would be Malone & Stockton, and Shaq & Kobe (Maybe even throw in Shaq & Wade).

Thats fair enough saying Pippen was a huge advantage with Jordan over Lebron and Mo Williams. However, I would say all the other players in the Cavs team is better then all the other players in the Bulls team. So I would say at least its a tie and at best Cavs have the better team all up.

At the end of the day the difference is the Bulls had an offensive system that benefits the whole team. The Cavs offence of give the ball to Lebron and the rest just wait for him to create or score is shit and hence why they will be at home watching the NBA finals on TV.

Well done to the Magic! They play very entertaining team basketball the way its meant to be!

well Bulls had a sweet coach, and cavs have one that can't make the most basic adjustments.

Looks like the Cavs will be entering the Shaq sweepstakes again.

the King will be BACK ..... in NEW YORK !!!

LeBron's excuse for storming out aftert he loss

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

Competitor ...pfftttt
Talk about a bad sport and a bad example. Loosing is no excuse for bad sportmanship - look who see boxers hug each other after trying to knock each other out for 12 rounds ... no excuse
He was probably more upset he lost out on all the endoresment deals for a Lebron v Kobe - coming form a guy who tuly believes he is the 2nd coming !!!

I was just about to post that quote, Speedy. I love the way he says "I'm not being a poor sport", and then proceeds to describe how he is being a poor sport.

The needle on my LBJ contempt-o-meter just went up a notch.

wow what a sore loser Lebron is! Hopefully most of you lose more credit for him and appreciate Kobe more!

yeah herese - I just found it really bad example how he just stormed out of there - if the new generation is looking up to this guy as their "hero" what kind of example is that setting - and what kind of people are we going to get it in the next era - the "me" first selfish generation - if it isn't already here !!!

to the other extreme ..I remember the days when Isaih and Magic patted a kiss on each other (not that it was a gay thing or anything? well hope not) before the Finals games and then preceded to beat each other up on the court .. but respect shown before and after

I can just see it now. Dcanwade going through all his notes saying to him self "HOW is this possible!!?? What did I MISS?!! It was meant to be Lebron vs Kobe!!!". Well I can tell you dcanwade you didn't miss anything! What actually happened was David Stern came on Hoops SA and saw that you were onto his conspiracy theory and as a result he aborted the mission! :P

Ah dcanwade looking like the fool now (even if you were looking like a fool all along to most people)! From originally suggesting the whole NBA season is fixed like Wrestling! That it would be Lebron vs Kobe this year! Then when you came to the realisation that it might actually not turn out that way, you started changing your tune suggesting the whole NBA season isn't actually fixed but the umpires are the ones that determine the game. Clutching at straws!! Well in the game yesterday I would say the officials massively favoured Orlando Magic! Hopefully that is the last we hear about your crap conspiracy theory!

Doesn't have to be either-or, KJ... you can have contempt for both LeBron *and* Kobe! :D

I agree on the conspiracies though... glad they can be put to bed, finally! I don't think the officials favoured anyone in G6, personally... thought they did a great job.

Maybe KingJames is really David Stern trying to throw you off the scent Dcanwade.... lol.

Who'd have thought that Melo would out"class" LeBron... Melo has made real progress in the soft aspects of being a star off the court while LeBron is still struggling with the most basic courtesies...

And yeah LeBron's quote pretty much sums up the wide gulf between the guys physical skills and gifts and the other aspects that make a player a bona fide star... soft... interestingly Pippen was a similar sulky player as well...

haha true hereschenes, I was just trying to win some points for Kobe. I use to hate Kobe like you all do but have came to appreciate what his about. Still I would rather see Orlando winning it however I think Lakers will.

ESP you got me! and while I am the commissioner you can bet Aaron Bruce will never make it into my League! :P

I don't think any help is required for that one Mr. Stern.

Heheh, yep why hasn't dcanwade come on to comment about this?

What I can't believe is how much everyone has changed their tune. After the first two playoff rounds, both 4-0, everyone was saying Cavs are awesome, the team is playing well, etc. Does one series loss change all that? I don't think its panic stations time. You should always listen to trades, but I wouldn't dismantle the team altogether. Do you write of Mo after one bad series? He hasn't been playing much playoff ball, maybe he will play better next year. Don't forget he was an all-star.

He was an all-star due to injuries to two other players. He was over-looked at first, he was over-looked again, then he finally made it.

But still deserved to be there IMO. Okay, he had a crap series, but he had a good year besides that.

I think West and Mo are still keepers for the Cavs this off season. See what you can get with your expiring contracts.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner...."

Haha!! This is what i dislike about the guy. What exactly have you won LBJ, that makes you call yourself a winner?? Maybe a High School championship? Did he? The "winner" i saw out there during Game 6 was Dwight Howard. He picked up his team, and took them to the Finals, you hid on the wing, while Delonte West tried to pull YOUR team back into it.

Winner? He only proved to me more, that as of now, he is still a massively skilled loser. All the money and endorsements in the world, don't make you a "winner". Now go and shoot your next commercial, clown!

his a winner in life .... lol
too bad all his money can't buy him class !!

I don't actually think he "hid on the wing". I think it was one of the first times that LeBron actually doubted himself. I think he knew that he wasn't shooting well and that Orlando was swamping him when he got in the lane and let someone else have a go. he probably also knew that someone else also needed to step up if they were to win. West did a really good job.

I personally would have liked to see the Cavs play Wally and Gibson together more and try and make Orlando pay when they collapsed on LeBron's penetration.

As far as next year goes I think they are in trouble. Mo and West are good but undersized - they need a Pietrus type player. Also they have BIG problems in the front court. Big Ben has talked about retiring and Big Z and Joe Smith are well past their primes (Z is a liability at times). Vaerjao is great except they will have to cough up heaps of dough for him as he is an unrestricted free agent. If they do that then LBJ probably becomes harder to keep after 2010. They could try and get Shaq but do you think the Cavs would have won the Orlando series with SHaq playing? I doubt it - he may have got Howard into some more foul trouble but Howard would be way too quick for him at the other end.

Anyway - I'm looking forward to how the Lakers try and stop the Magic offense. I think Lakers in 6.

I think the talk of LeBron needing a Pippen-type second guy to help him is spot on. Put Pippen in that team and Hedo averages about 6 points a game. Then you play LeBron on Lewis and you make someone else score enough to beat you.

I think the Cavs guards were the big disapointment of the series. Shot poorly and got beaten by Courtney Lee and Alston. Imagine is the Magic had Jameer Nelson?

Also, Howard is just too quick for Big Z and Varajeo. Gasol would have been as well.

Huge props to Pietrus as well. I've said before that he reminds me os a Stephen Jackson on the '03 Spurs team who basically won 2 or 3 games off hitting dagger 3's and defending the other teams scorers.

Anyone else think Howard would be unguardable if he had a 10-12 foot jumpshot and actual post moves other than the drop step? Scary to think about

Sorry if this has already been posted, but its a great article by David Aldridge about LeBron walking off after the Cavs were eliminated
LeBron needs to take a lesson from another Cleveland icon

Great article TP.

Brilliant article by Aldridge there TP. If only LBJ would read it.

Nice find TP.

the King simply cares so much about winning - that's all that matters to the King that he was so shook with emotion and frustration - that he had to leave.
You would leave too if there was a disaster happening in your life !! ... the problem with the King is he cares too MUCH