Where is the loyalty?

[illestmcsgt]

Remember back when Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, and now Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and even Kobe Bryant played on the same team their whole career? All hall of fame players and soon to be in the HOF that won rings except for Stockton and Miller. They could have left and went ring chasing with another team. But, they chose to stay with the same team and retire.

I respect all these players even Kobe Bryant for not taking the route LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and soon to be Dwight Howard took. These players I can NOT respect for they all requested trades to other teams. That's the ultimate way to quit on your team and cry about not winning. Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important. Now Ray Allen already went from Bucks to Sonics and Celtics to Heat. Still it's a great example of why today the NBA is not about loyalty, it's a shame.

[Neurotic Guy]

Remember back when Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, and now Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and even Kobe Bryant. All hall of fame players and soon to be in the HOF that won rings except for Stockton and Miller. They could have left and went ring chasing with another team. But, they chose to stay with the same team and retire.

I respect all these players even Kobe Bryant for not taking the route LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and soon to be Dwight Howard took. These players I can NOT respect for they all requested trades to other teams. That's the ultimate way to quit on your team and cry about not winning. Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important. Now Ray Allen already went from Bucks to Sonics and Celtics to Heat. Still it's a great example of why today the NBA is not about loyalty, it's a shame.

Slight tweak to your very good list -- Pierce and Kobe both went about as close as you can get to requesting trades.  Had their team's GM's not responded quickly and successfully, both likely would have gone that route.

In addition -- we do live in a communication age that can't be compared to even 10 years ago, never mind 40-50 years ago.  Russell, West, and any of the 80's guys may very well have been less loyal than we think.  We know Russell was not enamored with the City at all --- he may have made many requests to be traded that we just never heard about.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Remember back when Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, and now Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and even Kobe Bryant. All hall of fame players and soon to be in the HOF that won rings except for Stockton and Miller. They could have left and went ring chasing with another team. But, they chose to stay with the same team and retire.

I respect all these players even Kobe Bryant for not taking the route LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and soon to be Dwight Howard took. These players I can NOT respect for they all requested trades to other teams. That's the ultimate way to quit on your team and cry about not winning. Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important. Now Ray Allen already went from Bucks to Sonics and Celtics to Heat. Still it's a great example of why today the NBA is not about loyalty, it's a shame.

Slight tweak to your very good list -- Pierce and Kobe both went about as close as you can get to requesting trades.  Had their team's GM's not responded quickly and successfully, both likely would have gone that route.

And in some ways I understand Pierce and Kobe doing that (Pierce more than Kobe, Pierce had pretty much spent his whole career in a rebuilding process, it was time for a change to happen).

I can respect trade requests, as long as it couched in the "you better get me real help here, or I'm out".

As opposed to someone like Howard, who's had skilled teams with him, and where building towards something and pressured the GMs and ownership to make bad move to appease him (and incorrectly at that) when he's looking to bolt.

[ScottHow]

I'm not sure when free agency started, but that is a key factor to player movement. But your point is taken, Players playing with one franchise for their whole careers is a dying breed.

Let's hope Rondo is one of the few.

[Neurotic Guy]

Remember back when Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, and now Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and even Kobe Bryant. All hall of fame players and soon to be in the HOF that won rings except for Stockton and Miller. They could have left and went ring chasing with another team. But, they chose to stay with the same team and retire.

I respect all these players even Kobe Bryant for not taking the route LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and soon to be Dwight Howard took. These players I can NOT respect for they all requested trades to other teams. That's the ultimate way to quit on your team and cry about not winning. Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important. Now Ray Allen already went from Bucks to Sonics and Celtics to Heat. Still it's a great example of why today the NBA is not about loyalty, it's a shame.

Slight tweak to your very good list -- Pierce and Kobe both went about as close as you can get to requesting trades.  Had their team's GM's not responded quickly and successfully, both likely would have gone that route.

And in some ways I understand Pierce and Kobe doing that (Pierce more than Kobe, Pierce had pretty much spent his whole career in a rebuilding process, it was time for a change to happen).

I can respect trade requests, as long as it couched in the "you better get me real help here, or I'm out".

As opposed to someone like Howard, who's had skilled teams with him, and where building towards something and pressured the GMs and ownership to make bad move to appease him (and incorrectly at that) when he's looking to bolt.

I agree.   The thing that bugs me most about Ray Allen's departure it that he took less money to LEAVE a contender.

[Lord of Mikawa]

In the old days basketball organizations controlled players to a greater degree. So its apples to oranges.

[NoraG1]

Remember back when Bill Russell, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, and now Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and even Kobe Bryant. All hall of fame players and soon to be in the HOF that won rings except for Stockton and Miller. They could have left and went ring chasing with another team. But, they chose to stay with the same team and retire.

I respect all these players even Kobe Bryant for not taking the route LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and soon to be Dwight Howard took. These players I can NOT respect for they all requested trades to other teams. That's the ultimate way to quit on your team and cry about not winning. Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important. Now Ray Allen already went from Bucks to Sonics and Celtics to Heat. Still it's a great example of why today the NBA is not about loyalty, it's a shame.

Slight tweak to your very good list -- Pierce and Kobe both went about as close as you can get to requesting trades.  Had their team's GM's not responded quickly and successfully, both likely would have gone that route.

In addition -- we do live in a communication age that can't be compared to even 10 years ago, never mind 40-50 years ago.  Russell, West, and any of the 80's guys may very well have been less loyal than we think.  We know Russell was not enamored with the City at all --- he may have made many requests to be traded that we just never heard about.

I will not respect Kobe or even Tim Duncan and frsankly quite a few players you mentioned on that list because of the teams they had around them for so many years were so GOOD. What sane player would leave a situation like that?

[soap07]

Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important.

And they were wrong.

[Lord of Mikawa]

Do you think Stockton and Miller wanted to win a ring? Of course they did, but they thought being loyal to their team was more important.

And they were wrong.

By the time they got the feelings of loyalty, they were there so long it was pointless in trying to leave.

[Luther4]

it is amazing!

[alley oop]

Kobe Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats and he demanded to go to the Lakers.

[Freebo]

I'm not sure how a 17yo can demand much

[alley oop]

I'm not sure how a 17yo can demand much

I don't know the whole story, but I've seen video of him saying that the Charlotte Bobcats knew he would only sign with LA.

[Mr Green]

Kobe Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats and he demanded to go to the Lakers.

Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, not the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats didn't exist back in 1996.

At the time the story was that Charlotte arranged for the Lakers to send Vlade Divac to Charlotte in exchange for whoever they told Charlotte to draft with the 13th pick, which ended up being Kobe. But I do remember reading that Kobe would have gone higher except there were rumourss that he would only play for the Lakers.

Anyway, that was 16 years ago and is now water under the fridge.

[mqtcelticsfan]

Ah yes, the good old days where there were such loyal players as Wilt, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, Jordan, Barkley, Erving, Wilkins and countless others played on only one team in their entire careers.