Who comes after Le'Bron?

[Originalman]

One of the enduring traits of the Coli is willful obtuseness and trying their hardest to pretend their twilight zone represents a mainstream view

This site as retarded as reddit. You got nuts on here saying a man who is going to be the second or number 1 scorer of all time (and who holds countless playoff records for pounds, rebounds, steals, assists and 3s) has no skills, no moves and can only score because he is big.

Like lebron is michael olowokandi or something.

I don't know if some of these kats who say this....just say it for attention or if its because they really just got 4 brain cells.

 

[Oatmeal]

Devin booker

 

[FAH1223]

The NBA needs to market teams.

And market a group of superstars.

LeBron is clearly going to play till he’s 40.

In 4 years, you’ll have Zion, Luka, LaMelo entering prime years

Embiid if he’s healthy may still be dominant.

Same with Giannis if he can get a shot.

NBA isn’t in a bad spot.

You also will have guys emerge.

 

[Originalman]

Dirk really doesnt have a german accent.

Yep he lost a lot of his accent after his first 4 or 5 years in the league. He really worked to speak english without an accent.

I mentioned years ago that probably more so than any white player since Bird..dirk had the ability to go mainstream big time. For the simple fact he was a great player, wasn't injury prone, played in a big city, had an owner that would make sure his teams were talented and had almost no german accent and spoke english very well and very clear.

But his main issue marketibility wise was dirk being a guy who shied away from the spot light, was an introvert and really didn't have a personality. He was basically a white tim duncan.

Speaking of accents porzingis is another one who has almost no accent. Which besides his talent I believe that was seen as a plus with the knicks when he was drafted as being good to help market him to the fans.

Many people remember how the rockets and league use to have to encourage yao to speak because he didn't like to speak english around the media due to his shyness.

People forget that sports is a job and just like the real world at work. A lot of folks don't want that spotlight and responsibility. Most just want to do the least amount of work they can (while getting paid well) and go home. They don't want to be that high performer who are the big time folks in management that work 120 hours a week. Make good money but got all that responsibility and spotlight if shyt goes wrong.

Same thing with sports. Many players wouldn't mind having the league star money and fame. But many don't want that spot light and not being able to have a life without all the scrutiny.

You got to be physically and mentally strong to have to carry a league year after year after year.

shyt when MJ retired in 93 he mentioned one of the reasons was he was sick of the media criticizing him all the time and how he wanted a life without eyes on him 24/7. Folks forget that whole article in the 93 playoffs vs the knicks about him gambling had him hot as shyt and felt the media did him dirty.

 

[Swagnificent]

Breh lebron came into the league in june 2003. The allegations with kobe happened in July 2003.

Of course kobe wasn't gonna be the media darling after that. Every endorsement left him in 2003 except for nike.

Then after the allegations and the civil court case the media wouldn't shut up about it for dame near the entire decade until 2008 and beyond. But even then he only had a few endorsement deals and most of them except nike were only aired in cali.

Yes his name was bigger by the late 2000s and beyond. But his marketability was not on the same level as before 2003 when he had all types of endorsement deals and appearances.

I don't think I disagreed with anything you posted. I said the media turned on Kobe after 2003. However, despite the lack of commercials or media love, he was still the most popular player in the NBA for the decade.

You don't need me to post the difference in reception Kobe got at the 2008 Olympics versus the one LeBron got. Bron himself said last year he thought he was famous until he showed up in China with Kobe.

 

[Pure Water]

Teams need identities in the NBA.

 

[hotbeezie]

Well I been at the crib working on my jumper so you never know.

 

[MJ Truth]

If by face of the league you mean media push, then he definitely was the NBA's Golden Boy in the early 2000s after Jordan retired. He was the guy being pushed the most as the "next Jordan". He had all the commercials back then. McDonalds, Sprite, Adidas, etc. His own video game on Nintendo. And so on. However, it all changed after the rape charges in 2003. That is when he was no longer being officially promoted as the face of the league. Despite no longer being a media favorite Kobe's popularity with the people only increased in the mid to late 2000s.

So there was short period where Kobe was the media favorite but it didn't last as long as Jordan and LeBron.

I mean a singular face of the league. Shaq, Vince, and Grant Hill were all getting the same type of media push Kobe was getting. And Iverson had a whole separate wave that may have eclipsed all of that.

 

[Swagnificent]

I mean a singular face of the league. Shaq, Vince, and Grant Hill were all getting the same type of media push Kobe was getting. And Iverson had a whole separate wave that may have eclipsed all of that.

Kobe was the face. At the 98 All-Star Game the billboards around NYC featured him and Jordan as the star attractions. As big as Shaq was always gonna be second fiddle in terms of popularity. Its why he left Orlando cause even Penny was seen as the face of the league ahead of him. Grant Hill like Penny fell of due to injuries which cleared the way for Kobe.

Vince is interesting cause he did have huge hype in 2000. But I don't remember him having commercials all over TV like Kobe. I don't even remember any memorable Vince Carter shoes or shoe commercials. Maybe it was the fact he played for Toronto but despite his all-star game popularity, he really never had the sort of commercial appeal Kobe, Iverson, or T-Mac had.

Remember in the early 2000s Kobe was the main pitch man for McDonalds and Sprite. Those are were massive commercial campaigns on the level Jordan got in the 90s with Gatorade. I don't remember any other player in the early 2000s with that caliber of commercial appeal. Corporate America was not using Iverson to sell burgers and soft drinks. Only Kobe was getting that level of endorsements.

 

[LexDiamonds]

Kobe was the face. At the 98 All-Star Game the billboards around NYC featured him and Jordan as the star attractions. As big as Shaq was always gonna be second fiddle in terms of popularity. Its why he left Orlando cause even Penny was seen as the face of the league ahead of him. Grant Hill like Penny fell of due to injuries which cleared the way for Kobe.

Vince is interesting cause he did have huge hype in 2000. But I don't remember him having commercials all over TV like Kobe. I don't even remember any memorable Vince Carter shoes or shoe commercials. Maybe it was the fact he played for Toronto but despite his all-star game popularity, he really never had the sort of commercial appeal Kobe, Iverson, or T-Mac had.

Remember in the early 2000s Kobe was the main pitch man for McDonalds and Sprite. Those are were massive commercial campaigns on the level Jordan got in the 90s with Gatorade. I don't remember any other player in the early 2000s with that caliber of commercial appeal. Corporate America was not using Iverson to sell burgers and soft drinks. Only Kobe was getting that level of endorsements.

Vince lead the NBA in All-star votes in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. Impressive for him to do that here in Canada. I think he definitely had more appeal than T-mac until he kept getting injured.

 

[Swagnificent]

Vince lead the NBA in All-star votes in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. Impressive for him to do that here in Canada. I think he definitely had more appeal than T-mac until he kept getting injured.

Nice finds. Now that you posted them, I do remember those commercials. 2000-03 Vince was one of my favorite players to ever watch.

 

[Kinguno]

Every day we get closer to the day where the best basketball player in the world isn’t an American so I think who ever is next has to lead their country against the US and beat them in the Olympics.

I believe the talent and skill level is the highest ever in the league but a majority of the players are closer in talent and skill than ever before so it makes it look bad that night to night there isn’t that much separation except for the top guys and new new guys

 

[NOSaintsFan02]

Easily Zion.

The All Star Game should have solidified it to yall. They put him in the starting lineup. Interviewed him mid game. Showed his mic'd up moments.

They giving my dawg that Roman Reigns "we shoving him down yall throats whether you like it or not" push

 

[DoubleClutch]

G league already pushing hard for jalen green. He could be the next Kobe.

 

[Ziggiy]

Kobe was the face. At the 98 All-Star Game the billboards around NYC featured him and Jordan as the star attractions. As big as Shaq was always gonna be second fiddle in terms of popularity. Its why he left Orlando cause even Penny was seen as the face of the league ahead of him. Grant Hill like Penny fell of due to injuries which cleared the way for Kobe.

Vince is interesting cause he did have huge hype in 2000. But I don't remember him having commercials all over TV like Kobe. I don't even remember any memorable Vince Carter shoes or shoe commercials. Maybe it was the fact he played for Toronto but despite his all-star game popularity, he really never had the sort of commercial appeal Kobe, Iverson, or T-Mac had.

Remember in the early 2000s Kobe was the main pitch man for McDonalds and Sprite. Those are were massive commercial campaigns on the level Jordan got in the 90s with Gatorade. I don't remember any other player in the early 2000s with that caliber of commercial appeal. Corporate America was not using Iverson to sell burgers and soft drinks. Only Kobe was getting that level of endorsements.

Vince had a TON of commercials. Gatorade was pushing him hard with the “Gatorade Fierce” brand. He had Mcdonalds. And he had those Nike Shox ads







I think that the “three headed monster” of the 2000’s was Vince, T-Mac, and Iverson. One could argue that Iverson that was “face”’of the league in a counter culture type of way. He wasn’t traditional but his impact was undeniable. EVERYBODY at one point wanted to evoke Iverson’s swag