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it's obvious he's going to be in Brooklyn in a few years..
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8114040?MSNHPHMA
Every playoff defeat for the Cavaliers, every wayward bounce on a 2-for-18 night from the field, comes tethered to big-picture consequences for a city that never sleeps when LeBron James is on its mind.
How will Cleveland ever survive another two years of not knowing what needs to be known?
It's not fair, this idea that every postseason step — forward or backward — is a referendum on whether a 23-year-old local will choose to spend the balance of his career in a market as small (relatively) as a referee's whistle.
The Cavaliers deserve to keep James home for the core of his prime. They've already landed him in one NBA Finals. They've already honored their commitment to competing for a le by making the in-season deal for Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West, taking payroll and luxury tax hits along the way.
But neither life nor the NBA pecking order is fair. So when the Celtics beat the Cavaliers by a 76-72 count in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semis, and beat them on a night when James could've used a Pippen to cover for his Jordan, the larger issue looms over the Cavs like the Boston banners above.
James will be a free agent in the summer of 2010, meaning the Cavs have this postseason and next to convince him that he can forge the same forever bond with Cleveland that Brett Favre shared with Green Bay. If management fails to make the sell by then, it might have to trade James in February, 2010, rather than run the risk of losing him that summer as a free agent without getting a superstar in return.
The Lakers took that free-agent gamble with Kobe Bryant, newly minted MVP, and it paid off; Bryant turned down a deal with the Clippers because he realized he couldn't wear the colors of second-class L.A. citizens.
James will face a far different choice. If the Lakers are all set with Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum as their contending cornerstones for the foreseeable future, the Knicks are among the franchises building business plans around the courtship of LeBron.
In fact, Donnie Walsh wouldn't have accepted the presidency of the Knicks if he didn't think it was feasible that the team could get far enough under the salary cap to wine and sign James.
The Nets are also expected to join the bidding, as minority owner Jay-Z is a close friend of LeBron's who has made no secret of his desire to see James someday pack the new arena the Nets are supposed to be putting up in Brooklyn.
But just as Bryant couldn't convince himself to sign with the Clippers, it's hard to believe James would settle for the JV team in the world's leading varsity market. The Knicks might even steal Hank Steinbrenner's sales pitch, the one he gave to The New York Times to convince Alex Rodriguez that his opt out was a cop out. "Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?" Steinbrenner asked of A-Rod.
James wants to go in as a Yankee, which is precisely why he wore the team's cap — much to Cleveland's dismay — during last year's Division Series. He has big-city dreams, LeBron does. The lifelong Yankees fan is also a lifelong Madison Square Garden fan. Back in March, after managing 50 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds on the Knicks' home floor, James beamed as he said the following:
"This ranks really high, just because of the point of where it happened, the mecca of basketball. I've dreamed about playing well in this building. To get a standing ovation in the greatest basketball arena in the world is a dream come true for me. It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
James was caught up in the moment, and said nothing to suggest he's unhappy with anything the Cavaliers have or haven't done. LeBron wanted Jason Kidd to be his point guard in the worst way, and GM Danny Ferry didn't accommodate him. But that turned out to be a good thing, as Kidd looked positively Jurassic in Dallas while being run out of the first-round gym by Chris Paul.
Ferry added some shooting and rebounding and toughness to the roster, and so far it's gotten the Cavs to the second round. On truth serum, LeBron might admit he wished Ferry could've landed a Gasol-level talent to give him the second legitimate star usually needed to win a le.
He also might admit that the presence of such a star in Cleveland still won't be enough to convince him to re-sign with the Cavs.
James doesn't keep Warren Buffett as an adviser for nothing. Buffett is the guy who sent A-Rod back to the Yankees. The Oracle of Omaha is perfectly capable of betraying his small-market roots and convincing LeBron that the closer he gets to Madison Avenue, the better.
Like Tiger Woods, James wants to be a billionaire with an off-the-court empire that no other athlete can touch. The good citizens of Cleveland are telling him there's no reason he can't be that person as a career Cavalier.
Their pitch wouldn't be hurt at all by an upset victory over the Celtics and a surprise repeat run to the Finals. Only James was dreadful Tuesday night in Boston, matching John Starks' 2-for-18 in Game 7 of the '94 Finals, missing a layup for the tie in the final seconds, and committing 10 turnovers. LeBron managed the worst 12-point, 9-assist, 9-rebound performance in playoff history.
"I missed a lot of shots I know I can make," he said. "I missed layups. Those layups I've made my whole life."
Nothing is a gimme for Cleveland, not even the extended employment of LeBron James. So the Cavaliers face more pressure, series by series, than any other team still alive in the postseason.
Their window of opportunity may be closing before it ever really opened. The Mavericks and Suns are going, going, gone as contenders because their leading players are turning stone-cold old.
The Cavs? Their franchise player remains a good three or four years away from his best basketball.
Cleveland had better get good and lucky in a hurry, or LeBron James will play that best basketball in a different jersey.
it's obvious he's going to be in Brooklyn in a few years..
unless he is going to pull a Jordan and actually play for the Yankees, he won't be playing in New York. The guy who wrote this is not a sports writer- he is just a writer and does not understand that the Knicks are handcuffed for the next 3-4 years with terrible contracts. Unless the bums on the Kicks start producing ungodly numbers to increase their trade value, there is no way they could clear the cap space to sign Lebron, unless LBJ wants to go there bad enough and agrees to a MLE. Most sports writers know about this aspect, but this guy just wants to speculate and thinks that the NBA works like MLB.
I don't see Lebron leaving Cleveland unless they just totally go to and do nothing to get him any help at all.
Mark Stein, 2006:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...arc&id=2513615
As scared and reluctant as the long-suffering fans on Lake Erie were to believe this, after every sporting tragedy to befall them over the years, LeBron is a proud Ohioan. He gives back tons of money to his community as an All-Star philanthropist. I've said it before and I'll say it again: LeBron grew up in nearby Akron and DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE. What he really wants is to be the guy -- the first modern-day athlete in any sport -- who beats the Cleveland curse.
LeBron, 2008:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/p...?urn=nba,70377
LeBron James on whether he has ever thought about playing for the New York Knicks: ''No, that might be worse than that fan running out on the court.''
James on whether he's ever thought of leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers: ''You don't think about it. I am in a great situation. I am home, my family gets to see me play, the organization has been nothing but great to me. I have no reason to think about going anywhere else at this point.''
i can see him going to the BROOKLYN NETS....with his freemason friend JAYZ
Nah, the Knicks are Cap strapped only until 2010, the exact time LeBron becomes free.
In 2009-2010, they own some huge expiring contracts that can be used in a trade such as Zach Randolph's I believe.
I give it a 85% chance that LeBron will be a Knick sooner rather than later, he's just biding his time. The Knicks are the perfect team for LeBron, he will make tons more money in endorsements. And what better city to try to realize his goal of becoming the first billionaire athlete? I give him 0 chance of staying in Cleveland beyond 2010.
If you were a possible all-time great player, would YOU stay with the Cavs or go to any major city and get paid 2-3x more money (in endorsements), wouldn't you? Add in the fact the Knicks have 2 good draft years ahead and pretty much a limitless budget.
Writers on the "LBJ to NYC" bandwagon are starting at a false premise: that LeBron "needs" to go to a bigger market. He doesn't. He's already one of, if not the, most marketable player in the Association to the point that fans of other teams hate on him endlessly for being "shoved in their faces." He's already big in China- ing China. He'd be a megawatt superstar if he played in Cleveland, New York, Utah, or Nome. LeBron doesn't need a market, he is a market in himself.
The reality is that LeBron doesn't need New York- New York needs him. The Knicks and Nets are both in a shambles, the Knicks especially. It's a great basketball town in serious need of a man on horseback to ride in and save the day. It's been decided that that man is LeBron. That desperate need for a pro hoop savior, combined with the New Yorker and East Coast Media type's ingrained disdain for a one-horse town in flyover country like Cleveland, is the reason for all this talk. It has nothing to do with LeBron needing to go to a bigger market, that's really besides the actual point.
BTW, LeBron going to Brooklyn would be the equivalent of him going to the L.A. Clippers. The upcoming move, the new arena, and Jay-Z won't make the Nets the #1 team in that town. The Knicks will always be New York's first team, and MSG will always be its basketball kaaba stone. Brooklyn isn't New York, the Nets aren't the Knicks, and that will never change. And the Knicks won't be anywhere nearer to a le in 2010 than Cleveland will be. LeBron is smart enough to know that championships are the true measure of greatness in the NBA. He'll make his move or non-move with that more than anything in mind.
If he wasn't from Akron I probably would agree with you, I still don't know if he will leave or not, but I can say he loved being able to have his friends and family that live in the area drive 25 minutes to come see him every night. I also know he is building the biggest home in Summit county which I'm sure he would like to live in for a couple years. I also heard him say that he loves having his kids grow up around their grandma...so again who knows, but if he wasn't from Akron none of this would even be in the picture.
I can see your points and Thunder Dan's about Akron.
There are two motivating factors:
1) LeBron NEEDS New York or another major market
2) It's Kobe's World right now, not LeBron's
3) LeBron is on a team that will never win the Championship
4) New York is an up and coming franchise again
Now let me explain.
LeBron has already stated his financial goals of being a billionaire, obviously money means much to him. Him going to the Knicks instantly raises his money making potential...for every Cleveland fan, there are 10 Knick fans. For every dollar he makes in Cleveland, there's $10 waiting for him in New York. Plus he fancies himself as a mogul, New York is the epitome of Mogulism and the center of commerce.
It's Kobe's world. Kobe is the #1 best known player in the WORLD and finished #1 in MVP voting. The #1 one team on NBA.com? Lakers. Even with the best stats in the NBA, LeBron finished 4th in MVP voting behind a newcomer CP3 and an older guy in KG. You think LeBron and his Bank account likes being #4 in MVP voting? Do you know how much money he lost in potential earnings by being #4 in MVP voting?
Cleveland is NOT a sexy team. It's like playing for the Spurs...no matter how good you are, you will never be in the spotlight. Look around the news and advertisement today, who do you see? On ESPN, it's CP3's world, KG is on all the TV commercials, Kobe is everywhere.
When's the last time you saw a nationally televised LeBron commercial? How many times have you seen it? Now look at how famous Kobe is for jumping over a car in his new ultra lightweight shoe.
The spotlight and hype for King James has faded quite a bit this year, it's on a downward trend because above all else, he's not a winner.
The Knicks are a team on the rise. Starbury is gone after this year. They have a top lottery pick probably for the next 2 years. All of Isiah's damage will be washed clean by 2009/2010. The Knicks will be a powerhouse by 2011, regardless of whether LeBron will be there. LeBron could make them into a champion.
There isn't a sexier, richer, more adoring city than the Knicks....the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics and Bulls are the 3 biggest NBA cities. Nets by Association too. Miami because of the millionaire lifestyle. Those are the only 6 destinations for LeBron in 2009/2010. I might have missed one like Portland, but I am 100% sure he won't remain a Cavalier.
As far as Akron goes, don't you remember growing up and trying to get as far away from home as possible? He'll have his "home" there but he knows his future is not in Akron.
If you think LeBron is big now, wait until you see him in a Knicks uniform...you know it and most importantly, HE knows it.
Last edited by Allanon; 05-07-2008 at 06:22 PM.
I am shocked he ever even signed that extension as long as he did.
I think there is more of a chance NY ruins LeBron than the other way around.
I was surprised Redd didn't go to Cleveland too. I am also surprised Booz went to Utah. He already has all the money in the world from outside of basketball. He should take a cut and go to a team that needs a star. He would be great in Orlando, or Dallas.
Booz went to Utah because of the Money.
New York needs a star and a savior more than anybody else, you know LeBron would just love to be that star and laugh his money to the bank as well. The Knick fans are pretty much begging him to come, why would he say no? Money is no issue for the Knicks and you get to play in the Mecca of basketball in front of thousands of Millionaires and Billionaires.
LeBron did the right thing by signing the extension, he gave back to his hometown. Very, very nice of him and +1 in karma even though it hurt his pocket book and value.
1 year ago, LeBron was THE MAN, this year he's taking a back seat to Kobe, CP3 and KG. I think he'll think that he took one for the team and paid his dues... now time to get back on track to rule the world.
The East is WIDE-OPEN in 3 years as both the Pistons and Celtics will be on the downside. LeBron + some other good guy and decent roleplayers in New York would be #1 in the East.
Last edited by Allanon; 05-07-2008 at 06:42 PM.
1.) LeBron knows he needs to win big to truly up his marketing potential. Just going to New York won't get it done. LeBron without a ring in five years is Tracy McGrady. LeBron without a ring in five years and in a Knicks uniform is Tracy McGrady cross-pollinated with Alex Rodriguez. Any bump in his marketability will be offset by his team's lack of success, if it comes to that. In the NBA, the real superstars have les. It doesn't matter where they play. Ask Patrick Ewing.
2.) I'm not going to get into a Kobe-LeBron pissing contest, I have no interest in that. I will point this out, though: Kobe Bryant has arguably been the best player in the league for the last five or six years, if not longer. Yet he just now won his first MVP. You and I both know he didn't win the MVP because he plays in Los Angeles; he won it as a by-product of his team being the best in the stronger conference. When Kobe was the best player in the league for a mediocre team, he got beat out for the MVP by a six-foot Canadian and a seven-foot German. Where was the market then?
BTW, what does Kobe have, in triplicate, that LeBron doesn't have?
If Cleveland wins 60 games and is a bona-fide le contender, LeBron will win an MVP. He finished fourth this year not because of the city-name on the front of his jersey, but because his team won 45 games and was a middle-of-the-pack playoff qualifier in the weaker conference. You can't say in one breath, "It's all about the market" then in the next, "It's all about winning". It's either the former or the latter. I say it's the latter. As for LeBron's supposed fade from the national consciousness... you do know about the Vogue cover, right? That generated a little bit of buzz, last I checked.
3.) You can proclaim New York's imminent rise all you want. I see a 59-loss team that still has a lot of work to do before it is in a position to contend for anything, let alone a le. And Cleveland won't just let LeBron walk. We'd see a sign-and-trade before that, which means anyone who wants him from the Cavaliers will have to strip-mine their future in draft picks and young players to get him. In essence, LBJ will basically be starting over where he began in 2003. You really think that holds any appeal for him?
LeBron might be a mogul-in-training. He's also a compe or. His hero MJ became a superstar for his game, but he became an icon for his jewelry. LBJ is going to go to where he has the best chance to win a le, or stay where he has the best chance to win a le. les are the key to immortality and true fame in this game.
4.) LeBron already had one chance to blow town and head for a bigger market, in 2006. He didn't then. Why is there any reason to be certain things will have changed so drastically from then to '10? My guess is he re-signs with the Cavaliers, stays here his entire career, wins les in the Wine & Gold, while all the while the coastal pundits gossip excitedly about his departure to a big market which should be happening any minute.
Look at it this way the Cavs are in a relative small market. Why wouldn't the NBA want thier marquee player in New York?
Last edited by Armando; 05-07-2008 at 07:42 PM.
Lebron just wants to win.
He'll be a Spur soon.
Book it
OK, Lebron leaves town because he choked the game away himself. This writer is stupid. Lebron may or may not be leaving but to say he has no help when it was clearly Lebron himself that was doing all the choking is re ed.
LeBron on the Spurs??? That would be monstrous...and will never ing happen...ever...Lebron just wants to win.
He'll be a Spur soon.
Book it
SO he will just leave his huge mansion?
LeBron will have a HUGE mansion "out in the country (Cleveland)" and a luxury Apartment in Manhattan.
You guys make valid points, I'm not pissing on the Cavs, I just don't think he's staying beyond this contract. There's too much money to be made out there for the Mogul in Training and he'd be crazy not to take it. If he were like Jerry Sloan who still has a farm or non-flashy like Tim Duncan who just wants to win, he'd be fine staying in Cleveland.
I think staying in Cleveland is hurting his market value and from what I understand of the trades, they don't have room to get better next year.
Until LeBron gets another super guard next to him (CP3, DWill, DWade, Tony Parker, Monta Ellis, etc), he's not going to win a ring. I think Portland is the only non-big market team that has enough talent to tempt him with rings.
But I see Lebron as the basketball mogul and the King of New York.
Spurs should sign him when they relieve some cap space in the near future.
Its unlikely but its certainly not impossible.... Spurs will have the cap space to sign a big league contract in 2010... And Spurs offer the rings... Plus, who WOULDNT want to play with Timmy D?
Regardless if its LeBron or not, Spurs can, and most likely will, make a HUGE singing in 2010.
your an idiot if you honestly think Lebron NEEDS New York. He is 23 and probably the most recognizable face in the NBA. He is much bigger than Kobe was at his age. He doesn't need New York...and to tell me that the Knicks have more upside than the Cavs is laughable. The Cavs have the salary situation to make huges moves the next 2 offseasons- where the Knicks don't. The Knicks don't even have a coach
The Cavs have plenty of tradeable assets this offseason in large expiring contracts, and will have a ton of money to spend the following offseason. They are fine.
1987 -- Spurs draft David Robinson
National media in 1987 -- "He'll just sit out a year and then sign with the LAKERS!!! YESSSSSS!!!!!!"
National media in 1990 -- "He'll play out his contract and sign with the LAKERS or the CELTICS soon enough!!! YESSSSSSS!!!!"
National media in 1993 -- "He's a soft pussy."
1997 -- Spurs draft Tim Duncan
National media in 1997 -- "He'll play a couple years among the people who clean our houses and then go to the KNICKS!!!!! YESSSSS!!!!"
National media in 2000 -- "He's going to ORLANDO!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!"
National media, later in 2000 -- "He only signed a three-year deal!!! YES!!!!!"
National media in 2003 -- "Tim Duncan is boring."
--------------------------
2003 -- Cavaliers draft LeBron James
National media in 2003 -- "He'll play a couple years in the Mistake on the Lake and then go to the KNICKS!!!!!! YES!!!!!"
National media in 2006 -- "He only signed a three-year deal!!! YES!!!!"
National media in 2010 -- "LeBron James is overrated."
dwight howard?
amare stoudemire?
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