http://twitter.com/Avery_Bradley
TP: nice catch!
I think the argument came full circle at "role and assets." Ray is a(n old, disgruntled traitor, but...he is still a) person. And as such, the motivations behind his decision can't be neatly placed into one category ("business") or another ("personal").
The sympathizers make a good point in that we can only infer as to what personal factors motivated Ray's decision. Furthermore, I don't think we can even label them as such in black-and-white. Many folks are happy to leave money on the table or take on a lesser role for peace of mind, however that may look - fewer hours, proximity to friends/family, congenial environment, a coffee shop on the 8th floor of the bldg (the same as your new office!!!), nice bennies, a cool supervisor, or a very successful company that thinks what you do is awesome, even though the people you're around every day don't seem to think so anymore. These are the motivating factors that, on a daily basis, we all experience to some degree. The way we realize, understand, value, etc. them, however, if obviously much different. Regardless, while we consider them "personal" because they're laden with "feelings," they're very much pertinent to common "business" decisions. Some of these factors, especially when lumped together, can make an enormous difference on a person's well-being and, subsequently, on their productivity at work. And I think this holds true for everyone. How common is it to see an individual experience a great deal of success due, seemingly in large part, to not only competence but an engaging, charming personality? (see Scal-money, Brian)
I was in the "hate 'em" camp at the end of the season when you could feel the move was gonna happen. I reached a new level of hate when I saw the picture of him, Spoelstra, Riley, and a random child. I think I was angriest the night before with Lebron's FB pic and Wade's tweet - that most obnoxious, to me, because they knew it was happening and just wanted to be pricks about it. I'm still peeved by his decision and I want to see him fail as often as possible.
But I do think, in the end, that both camps are right. I think Ray is still the same Ray we always knew - a champion, a guy of high character and, without question, one of the greatest shooters of all time. I think he has changed though, too. From my vantage point, he needed to do some soul searching this year - with Avery's emergence, his injuries, surgery, the big shots, the ups and downs of last season, sweating out another trade deadline, and almost making another Finals... that was nuts for him, I'm sure, and he definitely had to bang his head against the wall to figure out what was going to be best for him and his family in these last years of his career. This time, I think those little intangibles (the coffee shop) were a little more important to him... and, even though the new place doesn't guarantee all things will be perfect, it's lookin pretty [dang] good and, if nothing else, it's a fresh new start where he can take the reins a bit to ensure he goes out in these last years on his own accord.
The off-court issues obviously factored in: Rondo, trade scares, KG's new bathrobe... and I think that really surfaces at the 27 mil demand (if rumor is true)... but I don't think, outside of that incident and maybe some internal disputes, that he sought out to screw the Cs or get revenge. He may have had some "we got 'em, love" with his wife their first night in Miami, or high-fived some friends, but the guy at the press conference was not empowered, omnipotent, arrogant... if anything, to me, he looked kinda upset. And not upset b/c he acted out of anger or spite, but because he had just made a difficult decision that he knew would hurt a lot of people and, now, he has to go into a new working environment hoping for the best, with new considerations for his future, and a lot of soul searching yet to lay out the last few years of his legacy.
I'm content with this perspective, hope you guys find one too. Might be easier when we see Bradley start tearing it up next winter. I'm giddy still thinking about him dunk the ball right after he dislocated his shoulder for the 19th time.
Topic: Danny Ainge "I feel like Ray left us to go to Miami" (Read 15246 times)