Howard Beck

LeBron, KD, everybody.

But I think it's important at a time like this when we're about to see the backlash because of the parting.

to remember what he has meant to them.

So, you know, there were 17 teams in the league when the Bucks win the championship with Kareem.

There's 30 now, obviously.

So it's a different landscape.

You only had to win two rounds to get to the finals back then too.

So there's like the, you know, everything is different and it's always hard to compare eras because of those like just fundamental differences.

But also back then, though Kareem, you know, and maybe was the first to do this, I want out and I wanted to go to New York or LA.

I want a big market.

That's like the norm now, right?

Which is why it's even all the more important and impactful that Giannis has spent 13 seasons with a small market, cold weather team at a time when superstars do not go to these places.

And if they do go, because they get drafted there,

They're getting out the first chance they get most of the time, right?

He has been, you know, loyalty is overdone, but he's been more loyal the most.

And everything has limits.

And his limit is, you know, I'm 31 and I need to win more championships and it's not going to happen here, which is reasonable.

Wait, does this mean you're also like, if you had to build a team from scratch exercise, you're taking Jalen Johnson over Jalen Brown or Cade?

I mean, Jalen did win finals MVP when they won the championship and conference finals MVP.

So it's not like he hasn't had his moment to shine and to get recognition for his abilities to be kind of the lead guy.