CLEVELAND -- LeBron James told CNN's Larry King that the Cleveland Cavaliers "have an edge" when it comes to signing him when the free agency period begins on July 1.
James answered "absolutely" when asked by King if Cleveland has an edge to re-sign him due to his familiarity with the team. The interview was taped Tuesday at his home near Akron and will air Friday on CNN's "Larry King Live," capping the program's 25th anniversary celebration on the network.
"Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it's comfortable. So I've got a lot of memories here. And -- and so it does have an edge," James told King.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5238743
I've heard that William Wesley of World Wide Wes has said LeBron to Chicago. Maybe he's talking out his ass, but Wes is a credible source with ties to Rose, Calipari and LeBron.
Bull .
smokescreen.
hmmmm throwing everyone off the scent.
<----------------------
westaaaaaaaaaaaaaacked
damn, I hope they keep us in the loop with up to the minute updates.
A team with a new coach and half of the roster is banging your mother. Real incentive to re-sign.
29 teams are gonna have a season, one squad will be happy ....same applies on July 1st when the LeBron sweepstakes kick off.
Give me a good reaction gif any day.
Remember, CLE fans don't want him any more.
lol knicks.
No
Cavalier
Sorry.
I've said all along that LeBron isn't going anywhere. We'll see how it plays out.
i think he'll sign wherever Delonte West's mom is residing.
"For Lebron, it's more like Leaveland"
- Lefty
ofcourse they have an edge it is all about the money
STFU, asshole
makes since since the president told him to get his ass their
wonder when noah will be gone
of course they will sign him, that's how sign and trades work afterall
S&T, Philadelphia, Elton Brand + draft rights to the Villain.
Kareem to LeBron: Take Your Time
By Chris Tomasson
LeBron James is getting plenty of advice approaching July 1, which only looms as one of the most-anticipated days in NBA history. But not many people giving that advice have the credentials of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar is the leading scorer in NBA history, a record James one day could challenge. The trade of Abdul-Jabbar from Milwaukee in 1975 to the Los Angeles Lakers is likely the biggest shift of teams by a player in NBA history. And James, if he bolts Cleveland after likely becoming a free agent July 1, also could offer a challenge there.
"The only thing I would tell LeBron is take your time,'' Abdul-Jabbar said in an interview with FanHouse. "There's a lot to think about. I would just tell him to take his time.''
There are dissimilarities between the situations of Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 and James 35 years later. Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant 7-foot-2 center while James is a 6-8 small forward. And Abdul-Jabbar was traded, while James would be a free agent if he opts out of his contract.
But there might end up being similarities. Abdul-Jabbar, now a Lakers special assistant, had enough clout to ask for a trade from a slipping Milwaukee team, and have the Bucks scramble to accommodate him.
James, if he decides to move on, could end up having the Cavaliers put together a sign-and-trade. Regardless of how it might happen, such a high profile changing of teams would be similar.
"It's going to be a tough choice for him,'' Abdul-Jabbar said of James, a native of Akron, Ohio. "Because they certainly want him to stay in Ohio and he'll be wooed now by other teams. He's got to figure out what makes sense personally and then professionally. There's two factors to it. Where he's going to be comfortable and where the team is going to factor [in terms of winning].
"[Ohio is] home for him. You know he's got to be comfortable there. He's lived there his whole life, all of his professional career. It's really up to him. Maybe he wants to be in Orlando or Miami and forget about winter. Who knows?''
Although not a free agent, Abdul-Jabbar did some work with the Bucks in shopping to find him a new team. He wanted first to go to the Knicks in his native New York, but a deal couldn't be arranged. He then agreed to go to Los Angeles, where he had played college ball at UCLA.
But where Abdul-Jabbar, who played with the Lakers from 1975-89 after being with the Bucks from 1969-75, really could end up providing advice is if James switches teams. Abdul-Jabbar knows what it's like to have the pressure of fans in a new city expecting an instant le.
"It really was [a lot of pressure] because we didn't have the nucleus when I first got (to the Lakers),'' Abdul-Jabbar said. "We got Earvin [Magic Johnson in the 1979 draft], and all of a sudden that changes. ... Fate plays a lot with it. The draft pick they got from New Orleans ends up being Magic, and it turned it all the way around.''
The New Orleans Jazz had signed aging free-agent guard Gail Goodrich from the Lakers in the summer of 1976. Under rules at the time, the Lakers got compensation, and it turned out to be the 1979 top pick that landed Johnson.
The Lakers didn't make a single Finals appearances in Abdul-Jabbar's first four seasons with them. But they won the le in the first season Abdul-Jabbar was paired with Johnson, and added four more in the 1980s.
"Not only Magic, but [Michael Cooper] came that year [playing in 82 games after being in just three the year before as a rookie],'' said Norm Nixon, a Lakers guard from 1977-83. "Jim Chones came that year. So you had a better team all around [Abdul-Jabbar]. It took a few years.''
Abdul-Jabbar had won three MVP trophies before he was traded, and added three with the Lakers to make it a record six. James, 25, has two MVPs in seven seasons, so it's not out of the question he could catch Abdul-Jabbar there.
As for championships, Abdul-Jabbar won five of his six after switching teams. So James, who has no les and just one Finals appearance, would have plenty of work to do there.
When it is confirmed like half of yall will have a hard on to run here and make a thread about it.
lebron to kareem: you were never a free agent, leave me alone
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