djohn2oo8
05-19-2010, 10:08 AM
In Chicago to play golf at a suburban country club -- yes, he still gambles on 10-foot putts -- Michael Jordan was asked The Question by one of the organizers. No, it wasn't whether LeBron James (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/lebron-james/3704)' mother had an affair with loaded-gun-toting teammate Delonte West (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/delonte-west/3841), a rumor her attorney strongly denies, but, rather, where her precious Bron Bron will play next. Normally, Jordan doesn't speculate on the business of others, but this week, he couldn't resist in opining like everyone else.
"Chicago,'' he said.
It brought to mind a conversation I had with Jordan after one of James' first NBA (http://nba.fanhouse.com/) appearances in the United Center. LeBron was brilliant that night, and in a corridor by the locker rooms, after Jordan had watched the performance from a suite, I asked him if James ever could match his legacy in sports. "What do you think?'' he shot back, apparently wanting me to answer no. I didn't answer then, needing time to see a body of work.
I will answer now.
No. Hell, no.
Which is why James would be making a gigantic mistake in signing with the Chicago Bulls (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/bulls), an idea gaining momentum with every passing day -- and every painfully off-key note sung by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Cleveland-based celebrities, who are urging James to stay with the Cavaliers (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/cavaliers) in a "We Are The World'' video spoof called "We Are LeBron.'' Why would James want to follow in the mammoth footsteps of Jordan, who won six titles with a supporting cast that succeeded only because of his presence, when LeBron has failed so far with the same task in Cleveland? Even if James meshed with precocious point guard Derrick Rose (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/derrick-rose/4387) and maturing post player Joakim Noah (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/joakim-noah/4287) and won two or three championships, the accomplishment would fall far short of Jordan's dominant reign in the 1990s.
They built a statue of Jordan outside the arena. Since then, the Bulls (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/bulls) have stumbled embarrassingly, winning exactly one playoff series in a dozen years and allowing the formerly nondescript Blackhawks to rule the winter and spring. The bronze slab off Madson Street has become a dunking reminder of what Jordan was and what the world never will see again, and if James is a smart entrepreneur, he'll avoid the trap of following a legend whose triumph he can't possibly duplicate. Why would he want every postseason loss to be magnified, every turn of his career compared to that of the greatest player ever?
The Bulls are appealing because they offer young, top-level talent when the other LBJ-contending franchises do not. He must resist the urge anyway. Chicago never can be LeBron's town when it always will be Jordan's town. It must have tickled James when President Obama, never reluctant to fire off a sports observation even when his presidential reign lacks significant impact, told his advisers last week that his allegiance to Chicago sports teams still hasn't waned -- and that he wants James to join the Bulls. "He doesn't want to tamper. But as a Chicago fan, the president thinks LeBron would look great in a Bulls uniform,'' senior Obama adviser David Axelrod told ESPN.com. James has bragged about having the president on speed dial. You don't think a 25-year-old who has talked openly about becoming a force in American business and eventually owning a sports team -- he's on pace to become the second billion-dollar athlete, two years behind Tiger Woods -- wants Obama on his side in all matters? Curiously, the president seems to be swayed by what should be trivial matters in this county, and Obama might be the influence that gives Chicago the edge in The LeBron-a-Thon.
But he and his business team must find a destination that doesn't heap more pressure upon James' ever-increasing burden to win championship. The anticipated NBA Finals matchup with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers blew up, with Bryant capable of double-upping James with back-to-back titles. James, meanwhile, took home two straight league MVP trophies that reflect his regular-season mastery but will diminish in meaning if he never wins a championship.
At least Chicago, a city comfortable in its skin and capable of moving on quite well if James doesn't come, isn't participating in embarrassing plea campaigns. The New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, launched a full-blown wooing of James on his radio show. "I think it would be great for New York if he comes here," Bloomberg said. "If he calls me and says, what's it like to live in New York, I'll give him a big sales pitch for New York. I love living in New York. My kids love living in New York. I think LeBron James would love living in New York.''
But the Knicks, who have spent two years compromising their competitiveness and angering their fans to clear salary-cap room for James, have little in the way of quality talent. Sure, it would be crazy to return to Cleveland, where he is expected to be the savior of a town that can't win in sports or life, where he'll almost certainly never claim a championship and thus leave a crater in his ultimate resume. Yet a couple of losing seasons in New York will further sour embittered local fans who have no sense of patience or understanding, even if the King is playing in Madison Square Garden.
Truth be known, there is no ideal address for James. Chicago has the imposing Jordan shadow. New York has a murky future and a coach, Mike D'Antoni, who emphasizes mad offense when James is a stickler for defense and rush-back blocks. The New Jersey Nets have a new Russian owner ready to spend big money, along with a quality young big man in Brook Lopez, but James wants no part of playing in downtown Newark for a losing team for two or three years until the new Brooklyn arena is ready. When the Washington Wizards won the No. 1 pick Tuesday night in the draft lottery -- much-needed good luck for a franchise that suffered the death of owner Abe Pollin, endured the Gilbert Arenas firearms debacle and deserves better for new owner Ted Leonsis -- the Nets likely were knocked out of the running for point guard John Wall, in whom James has taken a strong interest off the court. Picking third, the Nets might end up with Wall's Kentucky teammate, big man DeMarcus Cousins, which won't be nearly enough to lure LeBron to the swamps.
I would run naked on the beach if he signed with the Clippers, a nonsensical second-rate address for one of sport's biggest attractions. Clippers fans are throwing a parade to support James' candidacy, begging the question of how 20 or 30 people can throw a parade. The Lakers can't make it happen under the cap without dismantling a team that could win multiple titles. It leaves, as the most practical destination, a city where he'd have sun and warmth in the winter, possibly a Hall of Fame coach after the buffoonery of Mike Brown and, in Dwyane Wade, an explosive colleague and close friend who has won a championship.
Welcome to Miami, LeBron, where Pat Riley has the rings and the every Heat game might be televised nationally in one of the biggest collaborations in sports history. That's where you play the next four or five years, big guy. The Heat are beckoning Wade to re-sign with a campaign on the team's Web site, but to date, there is no such effort for James. Maybe the marketing people might want to start ramping that up, because the pairing is more possible than anyone seems to think. And maybe Riley, still gooing up his hair after all these years, might want to promise James he'll shift to the sideline for a bit.
While James hasn't ruled out Cleveland, seemingly everyone else has. "It's all about winning for me and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that, but at the same time I've given myself options to this point," he said. The Cleveland fans don't want to hear about option. Near Quicken Loans Arena, they've hung a banner that says of the hometown kid: "Born Here. Raised Here. Plays Here. Stays Here." A 74-year-old woman wrote him a letter on behalf of the LeBron James Grandmothers Fan Club, 212 members strong. "That little town truly and deeply loves you, win or lose, for the fine person you are and the kindness you have shown to Akron," wrote Ruth Wine, like James an Akron native. The Cleveland Orchestra has put together a classy, stay-put video on You Tube. Then there's the governor and the celebs in their goof spoof.
"Please stay, LeBron. We really need you,'' they sing to the "We Are The World'' chorus. "No bigger market's gonna love you half as much as we do."
Another verse: "Just tell us, King, what changes we must make. We'll name a street LeBron, if that's what it takes.''
It's called the Road out of Hell. And if it leads to Chicago, the heat just might turn unbearable for a legend suddenly in limbo.
FWIW
http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2010/05/18/my-advice-to-lebron-dont-play-in-chicago/
"Chicago,'' he said.
It brought to mind a conversation I had with Jordan after one of James' first NBA (http://nba.fanhouse.com/) appearances in the United Center. LeBron was brilliant that night, and in a corridor by the locker rooms, after Jordan had watched the performance from a suite, I asked him if James ever could match his legacy in sports. "What do you think?'' he shot back, apparently wanting me to answer no. I didn't answer then, needing time to see a body of work.
I will answer now.
No. Hell, no.
Which is why James would be making a gigantic mistake in signing with the Chicago Bulls (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/bulls), an idea gaining momentum with every passing day -- and every painfully off-key note sung by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Cleveland-based celebrities, who are urging James to stay with the Cavaliers (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/cavaliers) in a "We Are The World'' video spoof called "We Are LeBron.'' Why would James want to follow in the mammoth footsteps of Jordan, who won six titles with a supporting cast that succeeded only because of his presence, when LeBron has failed so far with the same task in Cleveland? Even if James meshed with precocious point guard Derrick Rose (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/derrick-rose/4387) and maturing post player Joakim Noah (http://nba.fanhouse.com/players/joakim-noah/4287) and won two or three championships, the accomplishment would fall far short of Jordan's dominant reign in the 1990s.
They built a statue of Jordan outside the arena. Since then, the Bulls (http://nba.fanhouse.com/team/bulls) have stumbled embarrassingly, winning exactly one playoff series in a dozen years and allowing the formerly nondescript Blackhawks to rule the winter and spring. The bronze slab off Madson Street has become a dunking reminder of what Jordan was and what the world never will see again, and if James is a smart entrepreneur, he'll avoid the trap of following a legend whose triumph he can't possibly duplicate. Why would he want every postseason loss to be magnified, every turn of his career compared to that of the greatest player ever?
The Bulls are appealing because they offer young, top-level talent when the other LBJ-contending franchises do not. He must resist the urge anyway. Chicago never can be LeBron's town when it always will be Jordan's town. It must have tickled James when President Obama, never reluctant to fire off a sports observation even when his presidential reign lacks significant impact, told his advisers last week that his allegiance to Chicago sports teams still hasn't waned -- and that he wants James to join the Bulls. "He doesn't want to tamper. But as a Chicago fan, the president thinks LeBron would look great in a Bulls uniform,'' senior Obama adviser David Axelrod told ESPN.com. James has bragged about having the president on speed dial. You don't think a 25-year-old who has talked openly about becoming a force in American business and eventually owning a sports team -- he's on pace to become the second billion-dollar athlete, two years behind Tiger Woods -- wants Obama on his side in all matters? Curiously, the president seems to be swayed by what should be trivial matters in this county, and Obama might be the influence that gives Chicago the edge in The LeBron-a-Thon.
But he and his business team must find a destination that doesn't heap more pressure upon James' ever-increasing burden to win championship. The anticipated NBA Finals matchup with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers blew up, with Bryant capable of double-upping James with back-to-back titles. James, meanwhile, took home two straight league MVP trophies that reflect his regular-season mastery but will diminish in meaning if he never wins a championship.
At least Chicago, a city comfortable in its skin and capable of moving on quite well if James doesn't come, isn't participating in embarrassing plea campaigns. The New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, launched a full-blown wooing of James on his radio show. "I think it would be great for New York if he comes here," Bloomberg said. "If he calls me and says, what's it like to live in New York, I'll give him a big sales pitch for New York. I love living in New York. My kids love living in New York. I think LeBron James would love living in New York.''
But the Knicks, who have spent two years compromising their competitiveness and angering their fans to clear salary-cap room for James, have little in the way of quality talent. Sure, it would be crazy to return to Cleveland, where he is expected to be the savior of a town that can't win in sports or life, where he'll almost certainly never claim a championship and thus leave a crater in his ultimate resume. Yet a couple of losing seasons in New York will further sour embittered local fans who have no sense of patience or understanding, even if the King is playing in Madison Square Garden.
Truth be known, there is no ideal address for James. Chicago has the imposing Jordan shadow. New York has a murky future and a coach, Mike D'Antoni, who emphasizes mad offense when James is a stickler for defense and rush-back blocks. The New Jersey Nets have a new Russian owner ready to spend big money, along with a quality young big man in Brook Lopez, but James wants no part of playing in downtown Newark for a losing team for two or three years until the new Brooklyn arena is ready. When the Washington Wizards won the No. 1 pick Tuesday night in the draft lottery -- much-needed good luck for a franchise that suffered the death of owner Abe Pollin, endured the Gilbert Arenas firearms debacle and deserves better for new owner Ted Leonsis -- the Nets likely were knocked out of the running for point guard John Wall, in whom James has taken a strong interest off the court. Picking third, the Nets might end up with Wall's Kentucky teammate, big man DeMarcus Cousins, which won't be nearly enough to lure LeBron to the swamps.
I would run naked on the beach if he signed with the Clippers, a nonsensical second-rate address for one of sport's biggest attractions. Clippers fans are throwing a parade to support James' candidacy, begging the question of how 20 or 30 people can throw a parade. The Lakers can't make it happen under the cap without dismantling a team that could win multiple titles. It leaves, as the most practical destination, a city where he'd have sun and warmth in the winter, possibly a Hall of Fame coach after the buffoonery of Mike Brown and, in Dwyane Wade, an explosive colleague and close friend who has won a championship.
Welcome to Miami, LeBron, where Pat Riley has the rings and the every Heat game might be televised nationally in one of the biggest collaborations in sports history. That's where you play the next four or five years, big guy. The Heat are beckoning Wade to re-sign with a campaign on the team's Web site, but to date, there is no such effort for James. Maybe the marketing people might want to start ramping that up, because the pairing is more possible than anyone seems to think. And maybe Riley, still gooing up his hair after all these years, might want to promise James he'll shift to the sideline for a bit.
While James hasn't ruled out Cleveland, seemingly everyone else has. "It's all about winning for me and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that, but at the same time I've given myself options to this point," he said. The Cleveland fans don't want to hear about option. Near Quicken Loans Arena, they've hung a banner that says of the hometown kid: "Born Here. Raised Here. Plays Here. Stays Here." A 74-year-old woman wrote him a letter on behalf of the LeBron James Grandmothers Fan Club, 212 members strong. "That little town truly and deeply loves you, win or lose, for the fine person you are and the kindness you have shown to Akron," wrote Ruth Wine, like James an Akron native. The Cleveland Orchestra has put together a classy, stay-put video on You Tube. Then there's the governor and the celebs in their goof spoof.
"Please stay, LeBron. We really need you,'' they sing to the "We Are The World'' chorus. "No bigger market's gonna love you half as much as we do."
Another verse: "Just tell us, King, what changes we must make. We'll name a street LeBron, if that's what it takes.''
It's called the Road out of Hell. And if it leads to Chicago, the heat just might turn unbearable for a legend suddenly in limbo.
FWIW
http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2010/05/18/my-advice-to-lebron-dont-play-in-chicago/