Skip to main content

tv   Larry King Live  CNN  July 8, 2010 9:00pm-10:00pm EDT

9:00 pm
if you don't have a hit movie in two years they're going to lock your -- up. >> american adventurist, attached to helium balloons and floated from england to france. people in mexico asked exactly how many balloons? that's it for us. and "larry king live" starts right now. >> larry: tonight, in just minutes. one of sport's greatest guessing games is going to be over. the world will finally know who nba superstar lebron james will play for next year. cleveland? new york? chicago? miami? l.a.? new jersey? lebron could change the financial fortunes of cities. by playing there or not. we have got live reaction from
9:01 pm
across the country. plus steven a. smith, john sally, and rick fox here with their takes on the lebron james' sweepstakes. it's next on "larry king live." >> larry: good evening. we have cameras around the country where millions are holding their collective breath. they'll be delirious with joy feeling the pain any minute now. we are going to meet lebron james' high school basketball coach, john sally, former nba star, chomping at the bit to let us know what he thinks, the one, the only, stephen a. smith, with a startling revelation coming, and rick fox, former l.a. laker and boston celtic and star of spike tv's pros vs. joes. when i sat down, this all really started after the season when lebron james did his first interview with us, at his home in akron, early june.
9:02 pm
we talked about his free agency and his big decision. here's what he said then. in your head, is there places you would look to go? i am not going to ask you to commit, but if you want to commit, do it right here? >> for me, i think my ultimate goal is winning championships. and i understand, that me going down as one of the greats, will not happen until i, you know win a championship. so for me, the team that i decide to go to, or staying in cleveland, that ultimately has the best chance for me to win a championship, not one year, but multiple years or for me to continue to get better and help the team win. i think ultimately would pea be decision. >> larry: can we say it will not be a poor team, a team of players who you do not calculate would be there to win championships? because you can't play forever? >> no, i cannot play forever. that is absolutely right. but the team that i go to or
9:03 pm
whatever the case may be will have the opportunity to win championships multiple years and not just because of lebron james. >> larry: it would have to be a good team? >> absolutely. >> larry: do you lean at all to the place you know the best. do they have an edge going in, your home team? >> absolutely. absolutely. because this city, these fans, has given me a lot. and in the seven years, and you know for me it is comfortable. i have a lot of memories here. it does have an edge. >> larry: anybody with any knowledge of basketball knows the miami heat would be the best right now. they have added chris bosh and kept dwayne wade. we'll get our panelists' forecast. first to stephen a smith and interesting news. >> miami herald news leaked out a little over an hour ago, the miami heat pulled their full page welcome lebron ad out of "the miami herald" scheduled to show up in the papers tonight after his announcement.
9:04 pm
so right now people like predic miami, going to the heat, we're ear up in air, nobody can know what he is going to do right now. all of this transpired in the last to minutes. >> drew joyce, you and lebron go back a long way. he said you are like a father figure to him. were you involved in any counseling in this? >> not at all. i have been a fan like everyone else, anxious and waiting to find out what his final decision is. >> larry: what do you think of the ad being pulled, john sally? >> i think, like stephen is down there. for him to be down there he had a pretty concrete idea that that was going to happen. for him pulling the ad, he'll have a new york jersey with number 6, like when dr. j wore number 6. >> larry: no chance, bulls,
9:05 pm
cavaliers? >> no he has to go to new york, the handshake with jay-z, he knows his way around, he's going to get a driver. >> larry: jay-z with the nets? >> yeah, he gets to hang out with jay-z. >> larry: clippers, nets, forget? >> get out of here. >> larry: cavaliers, knicks, heat, bulls. >> i'm going with the knicks. >> larry: rick? >> i usually follow the money. i think new york pretty much laid out the plan. >> larry: the money he will make more in cleveland. >> he would make more in cleveland, overall the prediction of $1 billion down the road with championships in new york, marketing, madison avenue effect. global effect of new york to his brand is, is something that you can't, find in any other city. i've think the pulling of the ad, mitd have been just a typo, an edit, could have been an error. they may be saying thank you, lebron for showing up. >> such a nice guy, rick. >> larry: when i sat down with lebron in june, we ran through some of the major teams in the
9:06 pm
running. watch. are you humbled by the fact that the mayor of new york city, gotham wants you to play there? >> well, absolutely. >> larry: the mayor of new york. >> absolutely. and the mayor of new york he is great. he has done some great things. it is humbling. and not just from the mayor of new york, you have the president saying -- >> larry: go to chicago. >> you have other cities and other people wanting you to be part of their city wanting you tee be part of their franchise. it is very humbling. i work very hard at my craft and what i do. so it pays off. >> larry: you said is has to be a good team? >> absolutely. >> larry: there is another good team where offers, speculation is, how about the clippers which would put you in the same city as kobe in the same arena as kobe, with a team with nice young players? >> really good players. and i think everyone, in clipperland is looking forward
9:07 pm
to blake griffin coming back and being healthy. chris cayman, really good players, baron davis, some really nice solid pieces that if they add a free agent here or there could be a really good team. >> larry: stephen smith do you think we will be really surprised in a couple minutes? >> i would be shocked. i have been reporting he is going to the miami heat. i will go down with the ship. if i'm wrong, i'm wrong. i haveer than that. talking marketability. i was speaking on my radio show, what he pointed out is it is not about cities in the united states about your terms of marketability for a global iconic figure like lebron james. it is about china, where the money is being made. he signed a lesser contract with nike, seven-year deal previously. lesser than that now. less money. why? because he gets royalties,
9:08 pm
directly from what they ultimately generate from china. so, you have a situation where if you are chasing after the dollars and those dollars emanating from china then ultimately your marketability is not going to be affected. championships determine the stricter your marketability, cache right now, he comes to new york not winning with the defense. not winning with amare stoudemirech goes to chicago, a belter chance. not going to win in cleveland. proved that. and d-wade, a superstar. chris bosh is a star, he is a superstar. it is south beach. it's pat riley. it's no state taxes. all of that stuff. makes no sense for me to, for me to go anywhere else. it's not my decision. it is his. so be it. >> larry: drew joyce, you are in chicago. you coached him in high school. the president of the united states would like to play him in chicago, like him to play there, and he told me that he grew up a bull fan. do you give the bulls a big shot here? >> me being here honestly has nothing to do with his decision.
9:09 pm
i'm here on business. you know -- i'm going to be a homerch going to be the one who sticks with i believe he is going to stay in cleveland. i think that what stephen said is very, very true. he can be a global figure anywhere he chooses. it is not about madison avenue, as much as it used to be. and, you know, i think that he is going to stay home. >> larry: rick fox, speaking of home, what about -- the heart carries a lot of weight. and his heart embellished in cleveland, akron? >> it sure is. it's been his life. he has known nothing else. he had success. cleveland cavaliers, the leading team, last two years record wise. they have fallen short. if you look at personnel. may not be the strongest lineup from one to 12. you put him with 11 other guys. granted miami with dwayne wade, chris bosh, stronger top three than you will find anywhere in the like. a guam
9:10 pm
a game of basketball. you need two more starters and a bench. championships are won in the paint. their weakest positions in cleveland were in the paint. and you know can he say good-bye to home. there is a lot of people there supporting him. >> you don't say bye to home. we were on the team where literally kobe couldn't win with shaq. shaq couldn't win without kobe. kobe won this year, it was really, he had paul gasol who could have been mvp of the final. when they talk about you can be marketable anywhere. think about this. new york city is still leading our country. >> i think vegas now. >> most visited players. when you get a new york jersey, they're talking, you are on madison avenue. a lot changes. i think staying in cleveland is great. but the fans will love you to death if you don't win a championship they will hate you. >> there is no security? >> larry: sid rosenberg, sports radio host, for wfan in new york city. wqam where i was in miami not
9:11 pm
qam, in the city. at 40-40 club in new york. the bar is owned by entertainer jay-z, a major basketball fan. sid, with the news that this ad has been pulled out of "the miami herald" tomorrow what do you make of that what are your thoughts? >> well, i think an opportunity for the knicks to grab lebron. like you said, here at jay-z's club, a raucous, excited crowd. the knickerbockers announced amare stoudemire. it wasn't enough. felt like they wanted more. announcement of lebron james coming to madison square garden would beep what this crowd needs. the herald pulling the ads, larry may be the linchpin for lebron to be a knick. >> larry: are you amazed, knick, nothing has liked? >> i am. absolutely amazed. in this era of social media where everyone has a twitter, where everyone has an opinion, some people have stood pretty strongly on their predictions in this case with stephen a. smith
9:12 pm
an 1:02 away from having leaked the prediction. >> larry: let me get a break. come back with more. when we know it you'll know it. get the opinions of many. and tom arnold will join us. don't go away! at ge capital, we've been financing taylor guitars for over eight years, helping them build a strong dealer network. bringing music to people... i like that. ♪ ♪ [ bob ] i didn't know you could play. i didn't either. ♪ my sunglasses. ♪ people say i'm forgetful.
9:13 pm
maybe that's why we go to so many memorable places. love the road you're on. the subaru outback. motor trend's 2010 sport/utility of the year.
9:14 pm
9:15 pm
>> larry: joining our panel now is tom arnold, comedian, actor, former host of the best damn sports show period and performing july 30th at comedy festival in san bernardino, what do you think of all this? >> i think there is a lot of emotion going on in cleveland. heard he can't move back there afterwards. the guy has given 25, 26 years of life to that place. like a marriage, larry. a seven-year marriage he has had with the team. a long marriage as you and i well know. i know people are upset. he will always be a part. you can't take away someone's hometown. >> larry: what are you saying, tom?
9:16 pm
>> he never got to go to college. i think he is going to miami or some where. i feel bad for cleveland. but i am a chicago cubs fan. i know that pain. >> larry: i am going to see cubs tonight. >> i know you are, you're rooting for the dodgers. >> larry: speaking of cleveland, the sports director at sportstalkcleveland.com joins us from the winking lizard tavern -- the winking lizard. what's the mood there, erol? >> you know what? larry, i tell you one thing, as long as there is enough beer here and everybody is going to be okay. behind me, we are all, one thing about cleveland, when we gather together in cleveland, has anything to do with sports. we expect something bad to happen. so, that's what we are waiting on, some bad news. >> larry: stephen smith reported that "the miami herald" canceled an ad scheduled to run for the
9:17 pm
miami heat tomorrow, welcoming lebron to miami. does that build your hopes? >> no, actually, you know what, i got that scoop from you guys with my earpiece in. and, i spread that rumor around, nobody, nobody budged on it. we don't believe it until we hear it. >> larry: all right, stephen smith, now that you have to hedge your bet a little, where would you lean, hennidging your bet? >> i don't hedge bets. i go don wiwn with the ship. if i had to hedge, chicago, acquisition of boozer, combined with derek rose, den gcg. i wouldn't want to have to inherit the legacy of michael jordyn. if i was going to be big, bad, bold. i would do that. to me it comes down to miami,
9:18 pm
new york because of the billion, got to remember, james dowland, chairman for new york knicks and cablevision present aid package to lebron james showing him if he came to new york he can make up to $2 billion. i don't know how plausible. say $2 billion to a young 25-year-old man you will definitely get his attention. again about the miami heat right now. until i hear him say otherwise i'm convinced that's where he is going. >> larry: and we will be right back with more. the tension builds. don't go away.
9:19 pm
when i use expedia, my friends at work think there's more than one "me." ...because on our trips, i always get there faster. see, expedia lets me mix and match airlines. so i can take one airline out... and another home. so with more flight options, i can find the combination that gets me there and back quickest. with a little help from expedia, my friends will think i can be everywhere at once. where you book matters. expedia.
9:20 pm
9:21 pm
>> larry: we are back. by the way, president obama had words of advice for lebron. here's what he told me when i interviewed him at white house in june. >> lebron, i have had a chance to meet him. wonderful young man, amazing talent. what i said to him was, i didn't say it to him, i said it to marv
9:22 pm
albert, he needs to be in a place where he has got a coach and a team around him that can do what phil jackson and the bulls did for michael jordan. michael jordan couldn't win the championship on his own. all about having a team concept that works. he hasn't quite gotten that yet. he needs to find that situation. i will be honest with you, my folks in chicago may be mad at me for saying this, but i think it would be a wonderful story if lebron says i'm going to stay here in cleveland. he is from ohio, you know, that is a town that, has had some tough times. for him to say, i am going to make a commitment to the city would be a wonderful thing. but he has got to -- make sure that he has got a team around him and a coach that he respects, he has bought into the team concept, he is willing to be coached, and, and if he does that he'll have an even more remarkable career than he has
9:23 pm
had. >> larry: dru joyce, his high school coach, where would you look him to go? >> well, you know -- i respect everything, you know, your esteemed panel has suggested. but there is a couple things, you know, one you don't win 60 games in the nba and have a bad team. i think they, they won 60 games. and there were some things that maybe they could have done differently in the playoffs that could have pushed him a little bit further. so i am thinking they're not that far away. and maybe -- maybe the key is byron scott. i think that we're kind of overlooking what he might bring to the table. so, i would love to see him stay in cleveland. i think that -- miami has some definite high points. you know, i think chicago -- they lack, they lack really some, really a real bona fide
9:24 pm
shooter. i don't know if that is the right place. but, again, you know when you look at things -- from the perspective of, you know, superstars and paring up guys, yeah, miami seems like the best place. but, you know, honestly, you, you -- i -- i think we are overlooking that the cavaliers haven't been that far away from it. >> larry: well said. mr. salley? >> if you win 60 games two years in a row and don't win a championship, your team is bad. >> larry: what do you mean bad? >> you are not good enough. when you get to the 60 games, that's the end of your contract for the year. the playoffs are all pride. you only get playoff money. your team needs to be a better team. if you can't win 15 games and win the championship you are not a god team. >> look at all the fans. >> no, you can't forget the fans. the fans get a vote. they get a vote. if this, if this were on fox they would have a vote. and they would have little
9:25 pm
people and monkeys and it would be crazy. they would make a spectacle of this. but the fans deserve it. look at the fans. >> fans is great. those people are going to be at the bar anyway it's summertime. that's what they do. >> larry: rick, where would you like him to go? >> i would look to see him win. i would like to see him win a championship. when i look at the landscape in terms of personnel all due respect to the coach who has been with him since highle school, similar to what john was saying, cleveland may have the best record. i've don't think they're the best team. i think the best style of play for him is in new york which is up tempo, suits him. >> how many years before they win it? >> three. three. >> next year? >> the lakers are the champions right now. >> the air i breathe at championship level due to kobe and shaq. no disrespect. when you look at cleveland's team, you see, a lebron, you don't see a second guy that is of his caliber. now, dwayne wade, chris bosh. >> larry: if chris bosh had gone
9:26 pm
there? >> another one of the problems. free agents don't want to sign and trade. chris bosh left $30 million on the table. >> he hasn't signed. he announced but hasn't signed. everything could change. lebron could say, the team he is going to tonight. tomorrow change his mind. wake up and feel bad. how many times has that happened to us? that's the thing you have to remember. >> larry: stephen, forgetting, aside from where you think he is going, from a personal standpoint, where would you look him to go? >> well i am sick and tired of people playing games. i am a native new york would love to see him in new york. they don't play any defense. he's got no shot of winning a championship there until they improve that. which is years away. scratch that. look at the chicago bulls. they have youth. a lot of talent. but youth, very limited shooters. especially they traded a player to the washington wizards. by the way, lebron james has to live up to michael jordan. unless he wins six championships. he fell short. scratch that. look at the cleveland cavaliers,
9:27 pm
seven years, no rings whatsoever. you have the talent. engaged in taking pictures of one another. posing doing all that stuff during the regular season, then folding like cheap tents when it counted. scratch them. it comes down to being along side a superstar in dwayne wade who has proven he can get it done you. have got an all-star in chris bosh who you know can play, you got a man with five rings, running the organization, who by the way would probably step down to come and coach you guys in the locker room and oh, by the way it's south beach. no state taxes. i don't understand what the complications are about it. can we please stop playing games and trying to fool america. we know what time this is. >> i love stephen. 100% right. 100% right. >> larry: why was the ad pulled? >> forget about this. shaq and kobe were on the team with you the year earlier, rick. >> until phil jackson got there. then came up with a system is how you won the championship. >> system of basketball. >> the system.
9:28 pm
byron may be a guy from pat riley's school hasn't won as a coach at that level. i am telling you everything can change when lebron going into -- >> his heart is in ohio. his heart. >> no, his mama is in ohio. >> she was on our mother's day show. she was hot. yeah. >> his mama is hot. >> take his career to new york. >> larry: all right. we have just learned he picked miami. >> wow! >> that's it. stephen is 100%. >> larry: you were right. why did they pull the ad, stephen? >> it was a ploy. it was a ploy. you want to build the suspense. if you pull the ad you have everybody wondering which means they'll watch the special even more. and that would be that. >> larry: here is what lebron james had to say just moments ago about his decision to go to miami. he said, only a very small number know of his decision. he wanted to figure out the best chance for me to win and to be happy. he said i want to thank all six
9:29 pm
teams that i sat down with. it has been unbelievable and a humbling experience. he said, decided it this morning, said he went day-to-day, woke up one morning think this team. wake up another morning think another team. this morning i woke up and had a great conversation with my mom and i was set. he also said -- i don't have any doubts about my decision. we will take a break. come back. and get all of our panels' thoughts on lebron james, a heat. don't go away. to get 0% apr financing on every new 2010 cadillac model. like the cts sport sedan. the most acclaimed vehicle in its class and a "car and driver" 10 best, three years in a row. or the all new cadillac srx luxury crossover. and even the most acclaimed luxury suv ever, the cadillac escalade. summer brings out the best in all of us. hurry in to get 0% apr financing on every new 2010 cadillac during cadillac's "summer's best" sales event, going on now at your cadillac dealer.
9:30 pm
♪ dr. scholl's back pain relief orthotics with shockguard technology give you immediate relief that lasts all day long. dr. scholl's. pain relief is a step away. .
9:31 pm
9:32 pm
>> larry: it ain't the money is it? >> the money is going to come. it's not about the money. i mean, i think right now if i stop playing the game of basketball, i'm set. my family is set. >> larry: for life? >> for life. not about the money. it's all about winning for me. >> larry: on a personal note, i live for 20 years in miami, left in '78 to go up to washington. and when i left they did not have an nba team. so i am very happy for city. i saw the dolphins come there, broadcast dolphin gamesch now to see that he has won a championship already, a strong possibility they might win another. i live in los angeles, grew up in new york, have a nice feelings about miami getting this. now, okay, how good, dru joyce, will this team be?
9:33 pm
>> wow, i mean, it's crazy. it will be a great team. the one thing about it i think all three of those key players are -- are, they have a relationship, they have played together. i know dwayne and lebron have a special relationship. and i don't think anyone's ego is going to get in the way. i think they're going to put their heads together and, work hard to make it, you know, to make it what they all want. and they're all winners and they all want championships. i know -- that -- you know this was -- what, lebron wanted more than anything. i knew the decision wouldn't be about, the dollar so to speak. i think that, you know, ultimately, in my heart, i wanted him to stay in cleveland. in my head, you know, i knew that miami was probably, when they signed chris bosh. probably going to happen. >> larry: pat riley looked very happy after the meeting with lebron. we have more of lebron's comments to his fans in cleveland. lebron just said "it's hard to
9:34 pm
explain to them, but my heart of the seven years i gave was everything. those 20,000 fans saw me grow from an 18-year-old kid to a 25-year-old man. my heart will also always be around that area. the greatest challenge for me was to move on. in a perfect world, i would have loved to stay. but it's time to change." we have all discovered those thing do's happen in life. stephen smith you turned out to be right. now how good will they be? >> they're instantly the favorite to come out of the east and represent the eastern conference in the nba finals. anything less will be unacceptable. a flat out failure. the only team they have an excuse to lose to in the nba at all is kobe bryant and the los angeles lakers. the r rechtwo time champions th excuse to lose to a single solitary other team. no excuse whatsoever. you have lebron james, you have dwayne wade, you have two of the three quintessential pre-eminent
9:35 pm
stars in the game. you have an all-star forward in chris bosh. you have a guy, pat riley, who better come from upstairs to come downstairs to coach the team. as much as we love him, he has a bright future. pat riley made his career. you can't have him patrolling the locker room with the personalities, stars in your locker room. this is big time. this is as big as it getsch this has the the potential, not there, but has potential to be jordan/pippen. there is no excuse on the face of this earth for this team not to represent the eastern conference in the nba finals next year. anything less would be a flat out failure. >> larry: stephen in the future, try to be more direct in your comments. >> yes. >> larry: we have more comments from lebron. here's what lebron said, "when i called my mom i thought i would hear a different reaction. she said it was a great move. it was ultimately going to make me happy. when i heard that from my mother it was out relief i was looking for through out this whole process." rick, how good will this team be
9:36 pm
you, play aid lot of ball and played on championship teams? >> i have. i caution because i played on teams that were stacked with talent. i can think of kobe bryant, shaquille o'neal, karl malone, gary peyton. not in their prime. we were projected to win 80-plus games. it takes role players, it takes veterans that understand how to play the game. more importantly it takes a system of basketball. i will bring the triangle to the forefront here. if, you look at how many championships have been won the last 12 years, last 14 years, 12 of them land with the triangle system of basketball. that's all, one other coach i would have played for pat riley in my life i would have wanted to play. >> larry: are any of the guys going to take a cut in pay? >> they all are. they will. the cap. they have to sign guys like you guys they need role players. >> guys are going to go down there. let me tell you. i played in chicago for $365,000, the minimum didn't make me any difference. i was playing with the greatest player of all time.
9:37 pm
we won 72 games. the difference is there is only one ball. all three of the guys are slashers to the basket. scottie pippen was a point guard that fed and ran the triangle. a system that they worked in. these guys aren't working in a system. pat riley was a young coach when he won the championship with, with magic johnson. >> larry: we have got a heat fan at ape b bar in miami. ed, what is your reaction? >> it is amazing, larry. i am very excited in the city of miami and all of south florida is incredibly excited about what is to happen and seeing the greatest show on earth come to our town. and we are very excited. >> larry: soy you, therefore, expect, immediate victories, right? >> yeah, pretty much so. i mean it is going to take a while for them to mesh. i really believe that after a while. basically just going to watch a highlight reel every night you go to the arena to watch them play wherever they go around the
9:38 pm
country to play the other teams. i think it is going to be an amazing show we are going to witness. the greatest thing that's ever happened in the nba. >> larry: well put. will it not, tom be the biggest draw attraction in the league, no doubt? >> it will. except you have to remember the lakers are still the champions. lakers, best player, kobe bryant played worst game in game seven against the celtics. the other guys came up and they won. that's what you have got to make sure that they have the guys and they don't just focus on the big three. i mean it is going to be a huge draw down there. i hope so. i hope people show up on time to games. but we'll see what happens. they have to get through the staples center. >> championship, john, big guy in the league. championships are won in the paint. you win with rebounding and defense. all due respect to chris bosh. i would take gasol over bosh. >> larry: who is the miami center? >> i don't know. >> shaq, shaq. >> shaq is trying to sell his house.
9:39 pm
lebron move in. all move in. bachelors. >> yeah, dwayne wade. >> move into shaq's big house. that would be a video. i would want a reality show just of the house. >> that tall. i have seen him. next door neighbor for eight years. >> what were you doing -- >> larry: is sid rosenberg still with us? >> i am. i am. >> larry: all right, sid, what's the disappointment in new york? >> very, very somber, larry. let me say this. i had the most to gain out of any body, i am a sports talk show host at wqam. i think this is a cowardly decision, horrible for the nba two have two of the three best players in the world on the same team. three of the top 13 players in the world on the same team. i have a lot to gain working in miami. heat fans are happy. but the balance of power in the league is a disaster now. i disagree with stephen smith. i've don't think orlando is as good. the lakers are as good. he should have been here in new york with the knicks.
9:40 pm
a place to make money. make this town. and relevant again. a bad business decision and bad for the nba. >> larry: does qam have the rights to the games? >> no, larry, if they did. i would be happier! >> larry: so, sid, who is, i associate so much with new york is happy that it is going to be down there. >> talk radio guys are -- >> he didn't want to get beat up. >> they act like it is the league did this. it was one man, who was, that is a brave decision, leaving your hometown and what he did. you cannot say it was not brave. >> larry: sad reaction from errol, at winking lizard tavern in lakewood, ohio where there could be a couple of arrests tonight. errol, how would we describe the mood in ohio? >> right now we have got a lot of angry people here, larry.
9:41 pm
one thing -- they don't believe lebron should have stayed. there is a lot of bad thing that are happening behind me right now. everything, lebron is coming down. and we're a resilient city. worst things happen to us when it comes to sport. we are going to bounce back. and we want to put a team together that is going to continue. >> larry: i'm not hearing them too clearly. what was he saying? >> he was saying that they own lebron james. he is their property. and that's, i understand the fans getting upset and everything. but also a lot of them were smiling. because if you are a chicago cubs fan or cleveland fan you are used to this. this is why, you know? you are eternally optimistic. >> why would you stay? you are right he is going to stay, given them everything. like the coach said. they won 60 games and couldn't win the championship. >> high school, before that? >> this guy is literally changing the league.
9:42 pm
in baseball when steinbrenner goes and gets the players and stacks up the yankees it doesn't hurt major league baseball. >> how do you go from loving some one that much to suddenly hating them. except in my marriages. >> larry: stephen, would you say there is going to be hatred in cleveland, stephen? >> possibly so, who cares. that's number one. number two, more importantly, lebron james had to make this decision because he has spoken to dwayne wade about it months ago. it was his idea to team up in miami. dwayne wade didn't think it was possible until lebron james brought it to his attention. number three, let me address what sid rosenberg had to say as if somehow, some way he has become a basketball expert. it is clear that anybody that watches the new york knicks, knows that they can't defend john salley on crutches. they can't play any defense. you don't win championships when you don't play defense. anybody that knows anything about basketball, knows that. pat riley knows it. phil jackson knows it.
9:43 pm
doc rivers knows it. and anybody that knows basketball knows it. he can bring up anybody he wants. but the fact of the matter it is it comes down to miami, l.a., boston, orlando having outside shots. that's about it. you can't, it can't, explain it any simpler than that. he, he should know enough about of the game of basketball. and if he doesn't he certainly should not think about debating me. >> larry: sid, you're entitled to equal time. >> listen, i have the utmost respect for stephen smith. the man does know the game. in this case he is just entirely wrong. i know just as much basketball as he does. boston plays defense. garnett is broken down. orlando has two good players. pat riley's teams play defense. now they have three best offensive players in the world. stephen a., come on! >> that's what i am saying. miami is the team to beat. that's what i said. >> larry: you both agree there. all right. you are agreeing to disagree. i don't know what over you are
9:44 pm
disagreeing. >> rick. >> i just don't think that boston. even the lakers, stephen a. off the championship can, gasol their second best player. fourth best on miami. don't think kobe bryant as great as he is, good enough to beat the miami heat basketball team. the balance of power has been mangled by lebron going to miami. that is unarguable. >> it's arguable and debatable. >> larry: let me get a break, guys. and we shall. >> it's sports. >> larry: as macarthur to manila. >> give stephen some lipatur. just gettingos a little too expensive. with progressive, you get the "name your price" option, so we build a policy to fit your budget. wow! the price gun. ♪ ah! wish we had this. we'd just tell people what to pay. yeah, we're the only ones that do. i love your insurance! bill? tom? hey! it's an office party! the freedom to name your price. only from progressive. call or click today.
9:45 pm
...into a free year's supply? be one of thousands to win free honey nut cheerios for an entire year... its great taste helps make lowering cholesterol a non-challenge. just see specially marked boxes for details.
9:46 pm
9:47 pm
>> larry: dr. sanjay gupta at the top of the hour. >> tonight on "360" we're keeping them honest in the gulf where the future of fishermen, restaurant owners, really everyone is being decided hundreds of miles away in washington or london.
9:48 pm
we'll talk to locals to night about what they're facing. and you are wondering where all the oil being scooped out of the gulf is actually going. would you believe this, it's being dumped in mississippi and other places as well. randi kaye, found out one small town didn't want the oil there, bp dump it it anyway. a look inside the fda fish testing lab, see what is being done to make sure gulf seafood is safe to eat. a lot of stories, those and more at the top of the hour. larry. >> larry: that's "ac 360" 10:00 p.m. eastern, 7:00 p.m. pacific. noticing chris bosh will be there with dwayne wade. when i talked with lebron, hope we got this ready to show. there was a story out that he was going to get together with other big name free agents and they were going to figure out a game plan. i asked him to comment. watch. there is a story circulating, don't know if it is true, i wrote it down. you can tell me. that you are going to get
9:49 pm
together. you, with bosh, and wade, and stoudemire, lee, nowitzki, and, is this funny? >> little committee, free agent committee. >> larry: free agent committee, no one can stop you. you are all free agent. can't tell you not to do this. what if you go there and i go here and we go here, is that possible? >> uh -- i don't know to that extent. but it would be fun. it would be fun to get all the free agents together and, you know figure out a way how we can make the league better. figure out a way -- >> larry: how can you do that? >> if we could, you know if it was like baseball we would all go to the same team. >> larry: are you the ringleader of the group? >> i amount ringleader. >> larry: you can bet he spoke with them. a sportscaster, at american airlines arena in miami, which
9:50 pm
will be packed every home game this year, kim, are there people there? >> well, larry, there are people here, if my photographer could pan over. people have gathered at the arena, when the news came, they have a giant television scream above us, the fans erupted when they heard lebron was coming. here on biscayne boulevard you can hear a parade of cars honking, letting people know how happy they are. and it its a lot like the feeling in the world cup when the united states won a game. you can get the great feeling. this isn't the about the country it's about the miami heat and lebron james coming. and i tell you, you talk about bringing three players together, free agents, lebron, dwayne wade, chris bosh, pat riley, you have three biggest superstars all willing to take less money to come here to play together. quite a deal here in miami, larry. >> larry: thank you, kim. he has his own campus bar and
9:51 pm
grill plantation. mention that, because it's quite a hot spot. >> those people are still out there from the super bowl, same people. >> larry: he pointed out they are going to have to take a cut to make it all work. >> they are. that's impressive. in today's age, i usually follow the money, follow the athletes that followed the money. he stayed true to his word, going where it's the best chance to win. he broke down the last playoff run, carrying that team for seven years. maybe he needs some help. maybe he needs a dwyane wade and chris bosch to help him carry that load. >> they'll take outside money, too, three of them they'll make extra money. >> they need a big man because chris bosh doesn't want to play power forward. besides that, this is what's going to happen. >> you're done. you're done. >> trust me i'm done. i could barely walk here to larry. i'm telling you, it's going to be a great thing for his body. no state tax. one thing everybody, like steven mentioned. the money is there. >> larry: time now for cnn's hero of the week. it's a night of heroes, isn't
9:52 pm
it? keeping critically ill patients alive on a wing, a prayer and a full tank of gas. when pilot cathly brussaud saw people struggling to pay transportation costs to get medical help they needed or foregoing care all together, she and a grew of volunteer pilots and drivers stepped in. watch. >> when a person gets cancer, they have to deal with the stress, the financial part of it. people lose everything. they will stay home and die. and that's just not acceptable. my name is kathy brussard. i started the houston ground angels and we provide free air transportation and free ground transportation for medical patients coming in and out of the houston area. there's probably 300 people volunteering their car, their gas, time. >> when i see them, they give me hope. they'll tell me, stay there with
9:53 pm
us, fighting. >> if i could help somebody -- and i'm sorry for crying, but if i can help somebody make their life a little better, then that's what it's all about. it's not about me. >> kathy and her volunteers have completed about 6,000 air and ground missions since 2001. to nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to cnn.com/heroes. we'll be back with our remaining moments after this. ♪ you're the one ♪ who's born to care this life was protected... ♪ seems you've always been right there ♪ this life was saved... ♪ soothing sadness ♪ healing pain and this life was made easier... ♪ making smiles appear again
9:54 pm
because of this life. nursing. at johnson & johnson, we salute all those who choose the life... that makes a difference. ♪ you're a nurse ♪ you make a difference
9:55 pm
thanks to the venture card from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned an l.a. getaway twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card. no matter what we're buying. and since double miles add up quick... romans! get em! [ garth ] ...we can bring the whole gang. [ sheep bleats ] it's hard to beat double miles. whoa -- he's on the list. but we're with him. [ male announcer ] introducing the venture card from capital one with double miles on every purchase every day. go to capitalone.com. [ indistinct shouting ] what's in your wallet? [ indistinct shouting ] band now we're insuring overts do18 million drivers. gecko: quite impressive, yeah. boss: come a long way, that's for sure. and so have you since you started working here way back when.
9:56 pm
gecko: ah, i still have nightmares. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> larry: that was the reaction in miami when lebron said that's where he's going. lebron has just said this about his fans in cleveland. the seven years we had were like no other. at the end of the day, i feel awful i'm leaving. i feel worse that i wasn't able to bring an nba championship to
9:57 pm
my city. i hope the fans continue to support me. you're laughing. you don't think they will? >> it's like a marriage. if you have children with the other person, you will always be -- just like championships. we'll always love shaq in l.a. because he has three championships. >> you don't want to hang around your babies all the time. >> larry: john salley did mention it's a five-man game, he will need help in miami. here is the ringer who is going to join them. watch this. >> i don't want you to spring your ankle or anything like that. >> larry: that's all i need, to get injured. >> i don't want to mess your nba career up so we'll shoot a little bit. >> larry: i think he was missing to make me feel good. >> really?
9:58 pm
>> larry: yeah. drew joyce, his coach, do you think pat riley will come back to coach him? >> it will be great. i think lebron needs that kind of leadership. so, i think it would be a great thing for him, pat, to come and coach him. as a coach, wow, how could you walk away from that opportunity to be involved at that level, with that kind of talent around you? and to be able to not just take those individual pieces, but then to mesh them into a team and a team that could win, that's a great accomplishment. i don't care how good the players are. when you can take all those different egos and all that talent and then make it a team, that's what coaching is all about. >> steven, do you think pat riley will come down and coach? >> that remains to be seen. i want to apologize, i'm here in albany, new york, and i didn't hear him correct me. i owe him an apology.
9:59 pm
to answer your question directly, it's tough because it's best for pat riley to be the coach of this team. the problem is dwyane wade loves him as an executive but doesn't necessarily look forward to him as a coach because pat riley is such a task master, he wears and wears on you and guys want to save their legs for the postseason and things of that nature. obviously he's a five-time world champion. that's what you prefer, but still a tough call for those guys for pat riley to coach again. >> larry: how do you react to the apology from mr. smith? >> i don't know, larry. i don't feel like it's all that sincere, but lebron james made a cowardly decision. i have a lot to gain being in miami, but a cowardly decision. here is is a knick fan. >> new york is the place he should be. >> agreed. steven a., you know i

398 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on