Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Not only did LeBron James not want to play for the Nets, he also thinks the league could do without the team altogether, and that doesn’t sit well with New Jersey coach Avery Johnson.
James said Thursday that he’d like to return to the days when teams had three or four stars per squad and that contracting the likes of the Nets and Wolves might be a good start to achieving that.
“I disagree,” Johnson told reporters Sunday. “Maybe the league would be better if we didn’t have three stars on one team.”
James turned down the Nets, Knicks, Bulls and a host of other interested teams to sign as a free agent with the Heat, which also added Chris Bosh and re-signed Dwyane Wade.
“Imagine if you could take Kevin Love off Minnesota and add him to another team and you shrink the [league],” James said Thursday. “Looking at some of the teams that aren’t that great, you take Brook Lopez or you take Devin Harris off these teams that aren’t that good right now and you add him to a team that could be really good. Not saying let’s take New Jersey and let’s take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I’m not stupid, it would be great for the league.”
Johnson met with James in July during New Jersey’s courtship and felt that he took the Nets’ interest seriously. The coach said he might discuss James’ comments with him the next time the teams meet. The “king” gets a reprieve until April 3 for that to take place.
Johnson, meanwhile, is focused on his improving team and the Nets’ impending move.
“We’re going to Brooklyn. We’re not going to contract,” Johnson told reporters.
-AP