Kobe, i Lakers, Siena, il Real Madrid

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13. I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him. Don't you want to find the Ali to your Frazier and have that rival pull the greatness out of you? That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their team. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done. Hell, that's what Kobe would have done.
In May, after the Cavs were ousted in the conference semifinals, I wrote that LeBron was facing one of the greatest sports decisions ever: "winning (Chicago), loyalty (Cleveland) or a chance at immortality (New York)."
I never thought he would pick "HELP!"

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A disgusted Walt Frazier put it simply: "He took the easy way out."

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Agent: Lee heading to Warriors


By Chad Ford

New York Knicks forward David Lee got some good news, once LeBron James announced his intention to join the Miami Heat.

Lee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN.com that Lee has agreed to a sign-and-trade worth $80 million dollars over six years with the Golden State Warriors.

"There was a lot of different ways this could have gone and I needed [the Knicks] to help," Bartelstein said. "They were great about it."

The deal will send Lee to the Warriors for Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike among others.

Knicks GM Donnie Walsh has coveted Randolph for years and feels he'd give the team another long, athletic forward to pair with Amare Stoudemire and Danilo Gallinari in the frontcourt.

A number of other teams including the Raptors, Suns, Timberwolves and Nets had made pitches to Lee in the past several days.

"David loved his time in New York," Bartelstein said. "They gave David an incredible opportunity the last few years."

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Ormai in Italia siamo alla legislazione automatica: ogni reato di cui è accusato Berlusconi viene automaticamente cancellato da una legge apposita. Speriamo che prima o poi Berlusconi si faccia una canna. (Daniele Luttazzi)

God saves, but Buddha makes incremental backups.

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Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

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Sources: Heat clear space, deal Beasley

The Miami Heat quickly followed up their triumph in the LeBron James sweepstakes by finding a taker for Michael Beasley.

But they had to virtually give away the No. 2 overall pick from the 2008 draft to do so.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the Heat agreed Thursday night to a trade that will send Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who can simply absorb Beasley into empty salary-cap space and furnish Miami with additional financial flexibility to continue the dramatic transformation of its roster.


To complete the trade, Minnesota must only part with a 2011 second-round pick to acquire Beasley. The teams have also agreed to a swap of unspecified future first-round picks.

As ESPN.com reported earlier Thursday, Miami was previously working on a four-team trade that would have turned the Heat's acquisition of Chris Bosh into a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors while also sending Beasley to the Charlotte Bobcats. The Houston Rockets were also involved in that deal, which called for the Rockets to ship swingman Jared Jeffries to Charlotte and take back Bobcats center Tyson Chandler.

The Raptors, though, have held firm all week on their determination to participate in a Bosh sign-and-trade only if they have to take back draft picks, while also creating a large trade exception through Bosh's departure. The four-way proposal, which was introduced Wednesday, would have required Toronto to take back at least $3.1 million in contracts from Houston, which the Raptors were unwilling to do.

The Heat and Raptors have been exchanging sign-and-trade proposals for the past two days since Bosh and Dwyane Wade committed Wednesday to signing with the Heat in a package deal. Now that the Heat are no longer asking Toronto to take back Beasley, sources say that a Bosh sign-and-trade that could net him a six-year deal as opposed to a five-year deal is likely to go through by week's end, with Toronto getting the package (draft considerations and a trade exception) it wanted from the start.

The Wolves -- who have been aggressively shopping power forward Al Jefferson in various trade scenarios for weeks -- have a logjam in the frontcourt that extends beyond the ill-matched pairing of Jefferson and Kevin Love, having recently signed free agents Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic.

But Minnesota, sources said, is convinced that it will trade Jefferson before the start of next season and felt it couldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire a talent like Beasley without surrendering any assets.

Beasley has averaged 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in his two seasons since the Heat drafted him out of Kansas State. But trading the lefty power forward proved more difficult than Miami anticipated, thanks to lingering questions about the 21-year-old's maturity after various off-court missteps.

The move technically leaves Mario Chalmers as the only Heat player under contract until Miami's new star trio all sign contracts, but Beasley's exit will create sufficient cap space for Heat president Pat Riley to offer max-contract money to James, Wade and Bosh.

All three players, however, have spoken this week of their willingness to accept less than max money to help Miami fill the many holes on the roster created by the aggressive roster-stripping crusade Riley has been on since training camp.

Sources said that the Heat have not abandoned hope of convincing free-agent swingman Mike Miller to sign in Miami once they determine exactly what sort of first-year salaries with work for the Team USA trio.

Miami has also begun looking at minimum-salary options for its backcourt, with a search that sources say has focused on Heat alumni Jason Williams, Mike James and Keyon Dooling along with Earl Watson.

Sources added that the Heat -- so confident that they would eventually manufacture a deal -- told Beasley on Wednesday to prepare to be dealt and asked him to scrap a voluntary workout Thursday morning on the Heat's practice floor. Charlotte was highly motivated to acquire him, sources said, but Minnesota had the requisite cap space to do so without involving any other team.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5365794

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Ormai in Italia siamo alla legislazione automatica: ogni reato di cui è accusato Berlusconi viene automaticamente cancellato da una legge apposita. Speriamo che prima o poi Berlusconi si faccia una canna. (Daniele Luttazzi)

God saves, but Buddha makes incremental backups.

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I heard Cristiano Ronaldo is going to the Heat as well.

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