Cleanthony Early to the New York Knicks

[Dan]

It's starting to look like Cle's worst enemy is Cle.

Baker and Early ended up in the exact same environment. Baker worked his ass off and made the roster. Cle hung out with strippers until 3 AM and got shot in the process.

Baker says he's a finance major, so everyone can probably figure out what he's going to do with his money. Early bought a lot of bling, which he lost by hanging out with strippers at 3 AM and getting shot.

Not to mention that Ron put his head down, worked his ass off for a year and got an $8 million contract. Cle's $500k may already be gone.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Woah. Can we quit casting stones at one of the greatest Shockers in modern history and one of the key pieces to our recent FF and undefeated season? Few--if any--of us have been spared the humanity of making mistakes and stupid decisions. It's not our place to judge.

Of course, this is not to say we shouldn't celebrate Ron's hard work and attitude.

[ShockCrazy]

Woah. Can we quit casting stones at one of the greatest Shockers in modern history and one of the key pieces to our recent FF and undefeated season? Few--if any--of us have been spared the humanity of making mistakes and stupid decisions. It's not our place to judge.

Of course, this is not to say we shouldn't celebrate Ron's hard work and attitude.

Sports fans are crazy sometimes. First Cle is among the top 1000 people in the world who do what he does(imagine that for a second), he shouldn't have to fight for the meals he wants in a team environment. Second almost every single contract for professional athlete places nutrition requirements on the team for meals provided, since it seems very obvious that this is something important to Cle, I'm certain this was explicitly called out. The team clearly wasn't motivated to do follow through(I am not not shocked at all given from what I've heard about the Greek league from other players). Imagine being in a country where you don't speak the language and most don't speak English, and having a dietary restriction that enables you to perform at the highest level for your job, but your work has no interest in helping you figure it out. Would be pretty difficult right? What else is he to do? "Suck it up for 150K?" I wouldn't expect any person in any professional capacity to go along with that, but because he's an athlete a class that we seem to have unreasonable expectations of because "it's just a game". Sorry /rant.

[proshox]

A lot of assumptions being made about how hard Cle worked while part of NY. Going further, some pretty incredible victim blaming about the robbery. He was in a Uber... I can't imaging being held up in an Uber.

With that stated - I doubt Cle's reaction on twitter was in his best interest. He needs a mentor to help guide him through being a professional and all that includes.

[Kung Wu]

Cle hung out with strippers until 3 AM and got shot in the process.

Hey, that's a low blow -- leave your mom and sister out of this!

[Aargh]

Woah. Can we quit casting stones at one of the greatest Shockers in modern history and one of the key pieces to our recent FF and undefeated season? Few--if any--of us have been spared the humanity of making mistakes and stupid decisions. It's not our place to judge.

Of course, this is not to say we shouldn't celebrate Ron's hard work and attitude.

I don't bwelieve I was casting stones. I believe I was reporting actual facts.

[shockmonster]

A little judge mental for reading stories in the paper. What he did in NY sounded bad but we really don't know where Cle is now or the exact story behind Greece. He may be searching for himself (unlike Ron who seems to be doing very well with decision making), but I hope things are better than a story infers.

[jdshock]

Without adding anything further to the discussion (the norm for me), I just want to state how great Ron is. Ron is the exception to every rule. Ron is out here rollin' up in his Sonata despite having $9 mill guaranteed.

If everyone were Ron Baker, the world would be much different. It's probably not fair to compare every former player to Ron. I know I certainly don't want him to be the measuring stick for me.

[Kel Varnsen]

I think we can say a couple things with certainty:

1. Regardless of the details, the optics of this situation are not good for Cle.
2. Cle has shown suspect judgement at times in the past.
3. When #2 is true, #1 is magnified.

Hope he lands back on his feet and matures a little bit through this process.

[Stickboy46]

A lot of assumptions being made about how hard Cle worked while part of NY. Going further, some pretty incredible victim blaming about the robbery. He was in a Uber... I can't imaging being held up in an Uber.

With that stated - I doubt Cle's reaction on twitter was in his best interest. He needs a mentor to help guide him through being a professional and all that includes.

This .. I don't see how anyone can blame him for getting robbed/shot in an Uber. Doesn't matter where he was coming from, that was a planned set up.

Now posting private messages with your boss on twitter is a no win situation. He made a choice to be Vegan (which just IMO, I don't see how that can be in your best interest as an athlete). That's fine, but to blow up over the fact that there was Feta Cheese on your salad is a little much.

[WSUwatcher]

I doubt Cle's reaction on twitter was in his best interest. He needs a mentor to help guide him through being a professional and all that includes.

Actually, he has a very good one available in his former teammate Ron Baker -- but most guys don't look to someone their own age or younger to find a mentor, even when he's right there and would no doubt have some words of wisdom to offer.

[pinstripers]

This .. I don't see how anyone can blame him for getting robbed/shot in an Uber. Doesn't matter where he was coming from, that was a planned set up.

I have never Ubered, but I sure as hell wouldn't do it wearing thousands of dollars of jewelry.

[shockmonster]

This .. I don't see how anyone can blame him for getting robbed/shot in an Uber. Doesn't matter where he was coming from, that was a planned set up.

Now posting private messages with your boss on twitter is a no win situation. He made a choice to be Vegan (which just IMO, I don't see how that can be in your best interest as an athlete). That's fine, but to blow up over the fact that there was Feta Cheese on your salad is a little much.

C'mon. The time, the place, who he was with, friends, etc. etc. I taught my kids from teen age years to make good decisions to protect themselves. In both Wichita and especially in New York. There are people out there who will hurt and kill you. He has to take responsibility for bad decisions. You can make all the justifications and excuses you want and it just doesn't wash. Stupidity isn't an excuse. Lol

[shocker43]

Some of these replies are mind blowing.

[Ol skool]

I have never Ubered, but I sure as hell wouldn't do it wearing thousands of dollars of jewelry.

Where would you wear it?