Loyalty

[wdleehi]

When have the Celtics not traded very good players?


Didn't they trade a finals mvp?

[Eddie20]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

[Celtics18]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

Now that's loyalty right there.  Way to stick up for your buddy, Josh.

[Roy H.]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

This is the same Josh Smith that is so loyal that he is (once again) seeking a trade off the Hawks.

[Celtics4ever]

These guys are loyal to themselves these days.   It's been that way since free agency...

[bdm860]

The fact that Pierce didn't bolt when we were terrible means something.  

Isn't pretty much common knowledge that Pierce was going to demand a trade in 2007 if we got the #1 or #2 pick and didn't flip it for a star?

The fact that Dirk struggled so long in Dallas without going ring hunting means something.  

Man did Dirk every struggle.  Going to the playoffs 10 straight seasons before this year, going to the Finals once, having the 6th best record in NBA history another season, and having an owner willing to spend whatever it takes to win and constantly re-stacking the roster.   

Your points are poor I think.


The fans aren't loyal to the players.  I've heard booing at Celics games, I saw a lot of empty seats at Celtics games between '93 and '07.  I've seen a lot of threads claiming we should trade our Big 4 now and over the last 3 seasons.

The teams aren't loyal to the players.  The Celtics traded away Perk, traded away Antoine (who loved playing in Boston), traded away good guys and fan favorites like Eric Williams and Tony Battie during like a 5 game winning streak, didn't reward James Posey with a contract after he helped us win a championship, etc.

Why should the players be loyal to the fans or teams?

And that's just looking at the Celtics who have one of the best owners and GM and some of the best fans in the game.  It gets worse when you look at other teams.

[Kiorrik]

Loyalty is a luxury in business. It only works if both sides invest in eachother.

[LooseCannon]

These guys are loyal to themselves these days.   It's been that way since free agency...

There are some players who seem to have loyalty towards certain places.  Ben Wallace and Jeff Foster, two low-priced veterans who a lot of fans on this board would like to see in a Celtics uniform, seem to be guys who want to retire in their current locations.  I respect Foster's loyalty enough to not even put him on my wish list.

Players aren't loyal to corporate management.  Why should they be?  They're loyal to teammates and coaches who earn their respect, to friends and to family.

Teams can't afford to be too loyal to players during their playing careers, but there are other ways to show loyalty through post-career opportunities.

[Finkelskyhook]

Yeah I used to feel the same way...but if those guys played in today's NBA, they might have switched teams too.

It's incredibly rare what Pierce is doing and what the Celtics are in turn doing for Pierce.

In sports today you have no choice but to be loyal to the team and not the players.

They will break your hearts more often that not otherwise.

Why wouldnt these guys try to make as much money as possible?

I know I do in my profession.

Pierce has expressed his feelings about the roster and then gone about his business.  I respect that.  The grandstanding of the messiah and the snitchster...Not to mention Paul...Isn't worthy of the same respect. 

[CelticHooligan3]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

Count me as one jumping off the josh smith bandwagon almost as soon as i got on. If this guy is that dumb and closed minded to make a statement like this i want him nowhere near our team.

Guy you get played millions to play a game. Players really lose touch fast with the common man sitting in those seats. Which to me is ironic since most of them come from families and households where they'd be lucky to see even one game a season.

It has nothing to do with loyalty. They are loyal to their wallets we are loyal to our organizations. If they cant understand that tough. They can go cry about it and wipe their tears in their wads of cash. Where was the loyalty to us as fans when they held out to get a deal that never came during the lockout?

Simply put all this loyalty talk is ridiculous. Its cliche at this point but yes it is a business. Get used to it and dont cry to the media. Its a turnoff as a fan to even hear that sorry.

Rondo playing with a busted arm solidified his own legacy as a trooper. And a guy who will play in pain. A positive repuatation is something you cant buy. You earn it. He essentially made himself look good. He can market himself as a tough guy and a good teammate now. I dont wanna hear the sob story.

[contramundum]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

Count me as one jumping off the josh smith bandwagon almost as soon as i got on. If this guy is that dumb and closed minded to make a statement like this i want him nowhere near our team.

Guy you get played millions to play a game. Players really lose touch fast with the common man sitting in those seats. Which to me is ironic since most of them come from families and households where they'd be lucky to see even one game a season.

It has nothing to do with loyalty. They are loyal to their wallets we are loyal to our organizations. If they cant understand that tough. They can go cry about it and wipe their tears in their wads of cash. Where was the loyalty to us as fans when they held out to get a deal that never came during the lockout?

Simply put all this loyalty talk is ridiculous. Its cliche at this point but yes it is a business. Get used to it and dont cry to the media. Its a turnoff as a fan to even hear that sorry.

Rondo playing with a busted arm solidified his own legacy as a trooper. And a guy who will play in pain. A positive repuatation is something you cant buy. You earn it. He essentially made himself look good. He can market himself as a tough guy and a good teammate now. I dont wanna hear the sob story.

I can agree with most of that.  However I think the real question here is, as fans (or consumers if you will), what do we expect from this team and its management?  Many of us who remember the various generations of Celtics (for me it started with DJ, Bird, Parish and McHale) and we remember rooting for, as one poster put it, the guys who wear the laundry.  Now we warm up to these guys because they wear green, but as they prove themselves they become what the jersey embodies.  To most of us, a celtic uniform is the uniform of a champion.  Gutsy, tenacious and skilled are the words that come to mind when i think of all the legends who have worn that laundry over the years.

Rondo vs. the Bulls in 2009 as well as the broken arm moment go down in history as genuine Celtic moments.  As fans it's hard to let that go, as consumers desiring another championship it might be easier to swallow.  Are we fans or consumers?  Maybe a little of both? 

Yeah it is easy to be a bit jaded about loyalty after the lockout. On that point I think anyone can agree.

But listen - you can't just put anyone out there in a Celtics uniform and WHAM they're a Celtic.  You have to do crap like Rondo did.  You have to have the longevity of Paul Pierce.  When KG screamed "anything is possible" that was a Celtic moment.  We know our guys when we see em, we see Celtics on non Celtic teams.  When we see these guys ball and hustle, we know that somewhere inside there's green blood.

So if you want to see Chris Paul replace Rondo and you just CANT BELIEVE that anyone would keep a one who shot 57% from the stripe last year over CP3 then just remember not all of us think with that badass basketball brain, some of us are just loyal to a fault.

[Celtics18]

Josh Smith weighs in:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/01/smith-baffled-rondo-on-trading-block/

“Rajon didn’t talk much about it but let me do it for him,” Smith said. “It’s mind-boggling to me to see people talking about getting rid of a player who [dang]-near broke his arm during the playoffs last year for his team and kept playing. We’re talking about arguably the best player in the playoffs for his team energy-wise, defensively and offensively. It’s a sick joke. For anyone to talk about getting rid of him, one of the elite point guards in this league and a true point who passes first and shoots second … it just reminds me of what I already knew, that the NBA is strictly a business. They can try to make it as family oriented as they want to, but at the end of the day it’s a business. And the fact is there is no loyalty in the NBA or any other profession. It’s always business.”

Count me as one jumping off the josh smith bandwagon almost as soon as i got on. If this guy is that dumb and closed minded to make a statement like this i want him nowhere near our team.

Guy you get played millions to play a game. Players really lose touch fast with the common man sitting in those seats. Which to me is ironic since most of them come from families and households where they'd be lucky to see even one game a season.

It has nothing to do with loyalty. They are loyal to their wallets we are loyal to our organizations. If they cant understand that tough. They can go cry about it and wipe their tears in their wads of cash. Where was the loyalty to us as fans when they held out to get a deal that never came during the lockout?

Simply put all this loyalty talk is ridiculous. Its cliche at this point but yes it is a business. Get used to it and dont cry to the media. Its a turnoff as a fan to even hear that sorry.

Rondo playing with a busted arm solidified his own legacy as a trooper. And a guy who will play in pain. A positive repuatation is something you cant buy. You earn it. He essentially made himself look good. He can market himself as a tough guy and a good teammate now. I dont wanna hear the sob story.

I can agree with most of that.  However I think the real question here is, as fans (or consumers if you will), what do we expect from this team and its management?  Many of us who remember the various generations of Celtics (for me it started with DJ, Bird, Parish and McHale) and we remember rooting for, as one poster put it, the guys who wear the laundry.  Now we warm up to these guys because they wear green, but as they prove themselves they become what the jersey embodies.  To most of us, a celtic uniform is the uniform of a champion.  Gutsy, tenacious and skilled are the words that come to mind when i think of all the legends who have worn that laundry over the years.

Rondo vs. the Bulls in 2009 as well as the broken arm moment go down in history as genuine Celtic moments.  As fans it's hard to let that go, as consumers desiring another championship it might be easier to swallow.  Are we fans or consumers?  Maybe a little of both? 

Yeah it is easy to be a bit jaded about loyalty after the lockout. On that point I think anyone can agree.

But listen - you can't just put anyone out there in a Celtics uniform and WHAM they're a Celtic.  You have to do crap like Rondo did.  You have to have the longevity of Paul Pierce.  When KG screamed "anything is possible" that was a Celtic moment.  We know our guys when we see em, we see Celtics on non Celtic teams.  When we see these guys ball and hustle, we know that somewhere inside there's green blood.

So if you want to see Chris Paul replace Rondo and you just CANT BELIEVE that anyone would keep a one who shot 57% from the stripe last year over CP3 then just remember not all of us think with that badass basketball brain, some of us are just loyal to a fault.

Welcome and TP!

[Fan from VT]

These guys are loyal to themselves these days.   It's been that way since free agency...

Those uppity players. All "choosing where they play" and stuff. They should be happy they have it so good. Poor owners. Can't count on nobody. Sure was more loyalty back in the day. Sure is easy for the owners to be loyal to players when the negotiation was basically "You are not allowed to play anywhere else, so if you want to play basketball at all, you have to take this offer." Aaaah, loyalty.