I think staying is the best thing for his legacy, he won't be seen as a mercenary and he'll continue to be associated with one team like most of the greats are. And from a cynical standpoint - he'll get paid, he'll continue having ownership set to appease his every whim, if he continues getting bounced early from the playoffs he'll still have the cover of bad teammates, coaches, GM, whatever but if he wins with his "small market hometown team" it is because he is the GOAT and it may not take 6 titles.
They weren't better situations until after they went there: Kareem went from a thirty-eight win team to a thirty win team, and that team was mediocre at best until they managed to get Magic Johnson. And Shaq left a team that had made back-to-back trips to the ECF to go to a team that went out in the first round the previous year. There's no reason to believe that the 1996-97 gd lakers, minus Shaq, would have been any better than the 1996-97 Magic.
That may have been the result but both left for non-basketball reasons. Kareem wanted to be traded to NY or LA, presumably to be in an area with more practicing Muslims. The Lakers were down after Wilt's retirement and although he was a perfect replacement they would not dominate the NBA until Magic (and soon after Worthy) arrived. Shaq walked away from a 60 win team that was one year removed from the NBA finals to join the Lakers who were struggling mightily post-Magic so that he could be in Hollywood and spend the offseason working on his acting and hip hop careers. Had Kobe not turned into Kobe the Lakers likely would have remained a middle of the road playoff team losing out to the Blazers, Kings and Spurs.
Interesting!
It's like the Heat is building like the Kings but with the older more establish versions.
Wade is almost like Evans , but Evans is bigger, stronger, and younger
Bosh maybe close to how Cousins will get attention down low, but cousins is younger, bigger, and plays more defense.
Too optimistic maybe on Evans and Cousins, but the future is bright for the Kings.
Anyway, Heat should improve dramatically with Bosh coming in. Probably better for Toronto if Heat would do a sign and trade with Beasly in the package. At least they get a highly underused former number 2 draft pick for Bosh.
I could not see Lebron following in. But maybe some F.A. like Mike Miller, Felton, Kwame Brown would join in the party in Miami. That is already at above most team in the East.
I know that he informed anyone that would listen that he would only play for LA or NY but wasn't he selected to consumate the trade? It never came to a stare down, at least that's how I remembered it. Besides that, until Vlade came off LA's books they could not sign Shaq.
