Paging King James. King James to LA, Please.
You gotta love Bill Simmons. On the eve of the NBA Draft, he produces this hilarious history lesson on the LA Clippers, holders of the #1 overall pick tomorrow night. And there appears no question that they will select Blake Griffin with the pick.
A few of my favorite "milestones" in Clipper history that Simmons calls out:
Summer 1983: Cummings gets diagnosed with a potentially deadly condition called heart arrithymia. He can keep playing but has to start taking a super-strong heart medication called Cordarone. At this point, God is running out of ways to torture the Clippers and settles on just blowing out random ACLs for the next few years.June 1984: Blessed with the No. 8 and 14 picks in the greatest draft in NBA history, the Clips whiff on No. 8 (Gordon, taken just ahead of Kevin Willis and Otis Thorpe) and pick Michael Cage at No. 14 (two picks ahead of John Stockton). Would you rather have Gordon and Cage or Willis and Stockton? I thought so. Blake, please tell me your sneakers are on. As soon as you hit the last line, start running.January 1988: The Clips sign Michael Phelps to a 10-day contract. Only the Clips could sign the other Michael Phelps.
Amazing stuff. Here's a fun summary:
Our final tally of post-1976 injuries to marquee Clippers players: five career-altering knee injuries (Livingston, Manning, Harper, Smith, Nixon), one career-ending ruptured disc (Johnson), one career-altering back surgery (Vaught), three season-ending torn Achilles (Brand, Archibald, Nixon), one heart arrithymia (Cummings), and multiple foot stress fractures (Walton). Every one of those guys was a top-three player on the team or headed that way.Final number of rookie forwards drafted in the top nine or higher by the Clips since 1976: Dantley (6), Brooks (9), Chambers (8), Cummings (2), Williams (4), Manning (1), Smith (3), Ferry (2), Kimble (8), Augmon (9, traded), Murray (7), McDyess (7, traded), Wright (7), Odom (4), Miles (2), Chandler (2, traded), Wilcox (8), Griffin (1).Draft picks the Clips could have made had they just drafted Player B instead of Player A since 1976: Vandeweghe; Wilkins; Willis; Stockton; either McDaniel or Mullin; Price; Pippen, Jackson and Lewis; Rice; Brandon; either Grant or Jones; one of Wallace, Stackhouse or Garnett; Kobe; one of Pierce, Carter or Bibby; Okafor; either Stoudemire or Butler; and Granger.
Now given this awful history, Simmons is pleading for Blake to flee the country rather than sign with this 'debacled' franchise. (I gotta give Emmitt Smith credit for the word in italics. Thank you, Emmitt.)
But, I say to Blake, "Sign. Sign now. And play your can off this season, raising the play of Gordon, Davis, and Camby and laying the groundwork for the LeBron sweepstakes in 2010."
I know it's outrageous, and I've been on record on this blog before for suggesting it, but LeBron needs to be a Clipper. Even PTI's Michael Wilbon has gone on record in support of my idea. (He didn't give me credit, though.)
Seriously, LeBron. If you really buy into the hype about your kingship; if you really think you are the next MJ; if you really are the best player on the planet -- and I think we can all agree you do, you do and you are -- then sign with this young and talented Clipper squad next year, go head to head with an aging Kobe in LA, challenge the Gods and reverse this Clipper curse. Imagine bringing a title to LA...FOR THE CLIPPERS! The CLIPPERS, LeBron. Seriously, what better way to cement your status as THE KING than by resurrecting (well to resurrect would mean that this thing was once alive, which is debatable) this franchise?
I'm telling you, do it. Make it happen. If anyone can reverse this franchise's fortunes, it's you Mr. James.
Then again, you better consider a secret deal to allow you to use HGH to recover from the knee injuries that seem inevitable for Clippers players.
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14 comments:
Simmons has the best job in the world. Who else can get 3 days' pay for studying the L.A. Clippers?
Make it happen, LeBron. I'd be much more entertained with stories of how you became the latest and greatest of Clippers to suffer from sort of tragic misfortune than I am of stories about how you've arrived before you've actually arrived.
(Cue the snarky comeback from Bitner about Kobe being threatened by another alpha-dog in L.A. in 3-2-....)
Oh cry me a river, Chris!
:)
Kidding.
I actually agree with you on this. The hype is nauseating and while he hasn't disappointed in his opening act, he hasn't won anything either. Let's keep level heads on his historical status until he gets there. That said, winning one for the Clippers franchise, even if that's the only one he ever wins, would have to put him in the top 10 to ever play. Maybe even top 5.
If anyone could bring the Clippers out of the darkness I think it would be Lebron. They probably have a better cast than the Cavs do.
I would like to see the Jazz grab that Jordan dude fromt eh Clips. Bring a moderate presence into the middle to open up stuff outside.
well, so much for that idea...
Shaq's a band-aid. A smart one, though, with all the cap space he'll free up after this season. He'll be in shape and motivated. If they can keep his legs fresh for the post-season, he'll be a big asset. Still can't defend the pick and roll worth a lick and he's still not the guy you bank on for offense late in games, so I'm not sure it does much to beat an improving Orlando.
I worry that the Cavs aren't putting guys around LeBron that he can continue to develop with. Even if they catch lightening in a bottle and win a championship next year, they're going to have to semi-rebuild again in 2010. Moe Williams and Varejao need to be the 4th and 5th best players, not the 2nd and the 3rd for the long term.
'Irregardless' of what happens next season, my position remains the same. The only reason he shouldn't go to the Clips is if the Cavs sign Bosh and one other major piece in 2010. I agree with Chris this is a one-year fix and even as a stand alone transaction, it's not sufficient to change their destiny next season. They need at least one more talented guy that isn't 6-3 or shorter.
I can't believe you're seriously pushing the Clips card, B. First of all, Sterling will never pay enough to keep LeBron happy. He's the only owner happy to have a piss-poor team if he can turn a profit on it. I heard the nets 8 figures on the Clippers every year. I don't know of any other team that doesn't take what profits they make and put it right back into the team.
If we can acknowledge that the biggest thing that will keep LeBron from re-signing in Cleveland would be a Cavs' unwillingness to put good talent around him, AND they're willing to pay a little luxury tax, what's that say for any prospects for the Clips? To say nothing of the fact that he'd get less exposure. Even though networks would be happy to pick up more Clips games, the Staples Center is all but locked in to giving the Lakers all the prime home dates and times. So you'd have the coveted NBA prime-time Monday night game against MNF. Ooooooh!
There he is! Laker Fan everybody! No need to say Snobby Laker Fan because that would be superfluous and redundant.
LeBron will get prime slots no matter where he goes. They will put LeBron and Kobe in any prime slot they have, even if they aren't playing each other on that night. You're telling me Thursday night TNT wouldn't want a twin bill of LeBron followed by Kobe or vice versa? Or a Sunday ABC double header? Or a Christmas special? Bron Bron will get the spot as many times as Kobe will, even if LBJ is sporting the Red White and Blue, baby.
Another idea: Eric Gordon, Marcus Camby, and Blake Griffin, all of whom love and prefer the number 23, should vacate that number for LeBron. Send the message loud and clear. Sterling should start the campaign now. It will make him the most money. It's economics.
You missed my point with your blind, irrational hatred for one of the greatest franchises in sports.
Of course TNT, ESPN, and ABC will pick up Clippers games whenever they can. But they'll be limited in their selection in that the Clips don't get prime home dates or times due to their contract with Staples which, while favorable to Sterling, is unfavorable to Clips pub.
For what it's worth, I bear the Clips no ill will. I think the best thing for them would be to somehow manage to get a new owner and move back to San Diego. I think they're pitiable, not hateable in any way. They deserve good management and the best opportunity for fan support, just like any sports franchise does. Right now, they have neither.
There's just no way that LeBron becomes a Clipper as long as Sterling is there. Tightwad, along with the Staples Center situation that Chris points out - just ain't happening unless major changes occur.
I just think, though, that Ferry significantly increased his chances of keeping LeBron by showing LeBron that the team would go out and get people that could put them in a position to win (whether or not Shaq is actually that person). Getting Shaq is a much bigger statement and commitment, in LeBron's eyes, than Ben Wallace and Mo Williams. Even if Shaq is only there for a year, Ferry can say with a straight face to LeBron, in 2010, should it not work out with Shaq, that they would go out and find someone who could work.
Specific to actualy playing basketball, while Shaq won't do much better at defending the pick n roll than the old crapfest of centers, he can handle Dwight by himself in the post (by 'handle' I mean, at least the Cavs won't need to send double-teams, not "shut down DH"), and will be more of a nuisance to Howard on the other end, creating more foul trouble situations and making DH work harder for rebounds/blocks that came easy for him in the ECF when he was the only effective big guy in the key, ala George Mikan.
Sterling spends just enough to make him what he wants to make. He would spend a little more to make a lot more. And that opportunity to make a lot more money than he makes now is by luring LeBron. He would have to dump Dunleavy, something he's been unwilling to do because of financial reasons, but he would do it (imho) if it meant getting LeBron.
I know I'm crazy and what I'm proposing isn't even in the realm of possibility. I guess I just want to see LeBron do what would be truly amazing: Win with the Clippers. It would be absolutely must-see, dramatic sports.
And, btw, I can't believe Dwight Howard just got compared to George Mikan. Holy cow! What a traveshamockery! At least give him some athletic comparison, someone who doesn't wear glasses on the court. He's a young Russell or Wilt more than he's a Mikan.
(I know you're just referring to the fact that he was the only real big guy, but I couldn't resist calling you out.)
you're right. george mikan just turned over in his grave. using the same logic re: jordan/lebron, howard is not worthy of mikan comparisons until howard wins the title, right?
but fine: dhoward is like wilt so long as russell isn't on the court.
btw, won't the pre-game rituals for Cleveland just be off the charts? Will it become a SYTYCD competition? Will this team end up having the best-ever chemistry?
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