Archive for the '2010 Where Will He Go?' Category

Free Agency Update

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NoYork
on December 3, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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phxcle_091202_07

I didn’t think LeBron’s refusal to talk about free agency could stop the media, but it certainly has been effective. There are still stories every now and then about where LeBron will be in 2010, but there has been a sharp decline. If only Tiger could do the same…

The only scenario I’ve heard recently was LeBron to Charlotte on the strength of Michael Jordan’s legacy. While it is true that LeBron thinks very highly of Michael, I don’t see him imprisoning himself in Charlotte with the Bobcats. LeBron has made it clear that he wants to be part of a championship caliber team. That’s been his reason for considering leaving Cleveland since the beginning, so Charlotte doesn’t seem like a reasonable possibility.

As the season continues New York and New Jersey are looking less and less feasible as well. The Nets recently set the record for most consecutive loses to start an NBA season and the Knicks have only won four of their first nineteen games. If LeBron truly wants to go to a winner, the city of dreams seems like a nightmare in the making.

LeBron once again showed his loyalty this week when he criticized Coach Brown for not playing Z against the Dallas Mavericks. Undoubtedly one of the best teammates in the NBA, LeBron has continually supported and involved his team during his time in Cleveland. I just can’t see him turning his back on these guys at the end of the season.

LeBron’s free agency is getting more complicated with every Cavs victory and every new handshake the team comes up with. LeBron can’t leave for a team that’s below average and it seems that he wants to be the leader of a championship team. I’m not convinced that LeBron would be willing to go to Miami and play on Wade’s team. I’m sure he’d love to have Wade in Cleveland, but he’s not going to play second fiddle to anyone.

This is a dilemma that Cleveland fans should be delighted to have. I’m happy to see Hickson developing as a player, despite his slight drop in efficiency lately. It’s also good to see Delonte back on the court getting consistent minutes. The better the Cavs play this season, the higher the chances that we’ll have LeBron next year. Let’s keep stacking up these W’s.

Artest wants LeBron to sign with New York

Published
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NoYork
on November 25, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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Is Ron Artest a fan of the King?

Is Ron Artest a fan of the King?

Ron Artest has told the media that he hopes LeBron James will sign with the Knicks next season. The next logical thought is why does Artest want LeBron to go to New York? Although many times logic and Ron Artest aren’t mentioned in the same breath, I will do my best to marry these two opposing forces. Apparently Artest would like his Lakers to meet the Knicks in the NBA championship. “It would be a huge thing to see L.A. and New York in the championship. Someone’s going to New York.”

Artest hopes that someone is LeBron, because he believes LeBron is strong enough to handle the attention that comes with playing under the bright lights. Artest said that many players are scared to go to New York, “That’s the one thing I hear from the players recently. People don’t want to play in New York. They fear having a bad game, fear the fans. If somebody does go there, you got to be able to have a heart.” It seems the one player that he feels could handle New York is James, “I know LeBron could,” said Artest.

Of course this seems to be just another random thought from Artest. He doesn’t mention speaking to LeBron or seem to have any real purpose for making the comments. Artest ended his thoughts with this
“I love New York. When my career’s over, maybe I can do something with the organization. Maybe coach or something.”

Artest as coach of the Knicks, can you think of anything more frightening?

Whole article here

Nets are one step closer to Brooklyn

Published
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NoYork
on November 25, 2009
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Another rendering of the arena

Another rendering of the arena

Yesterday New York’s top court ruled in favor of the Atlantic Yards project. Bruce Ratner’s $4.9 billion dollar project can now move forward, bringing the Nets one step closer to Brooklyn. Although there is much to be done Tuesday’s ruling was positive for the Nets for a couple reasons.

First off this ruling impacted whether or not Mikhail Prokhorov would spend $200 million to own 80% of the team and 45% of the arena. With this legal victory Prokhorov will most likely move along with negotiations to become the majority owner of the Nets. This also has a major effect on the Nets appeal in the free agency game. The organization plans to play in their new arena in the 2011-2012 season, although some speculate that the arena will not be complete until June 2012.

Despite the fact that moving the Nets to Brooklyn makes them more appealing to free agents, their 0-14 start has to be hurting their chances at LeBron. Without a solid group of players and no guarantee that the Nets will move to Brooklyn before 2012, I can’t see LeBron seriously considering them as an option. The only way I think LeBron goes to the Nets is if he signs a one year extension with the Cavs after this season, then reevaluating the situation in 2011.This is a long shot at best and personally I’m glad to see another team falling out of the race for LeBron.

Read the whole article here.

What do Nike’s mural and A.I. have in common?

Published
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NoYork
on November 20, 2009
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What's the big deal?

What's the big deal?

So what do Nike’s plan to put up a new mural in Cleveland and Allen Iverson’s potential signing with the Knicks have in common? If you ask the people that are keeping a close eye on LeBron’s free agency, they will tell you that both would be significant occurrences.

Iverson has not signed with the Knicks, although the organization is seriously considering signing the 34-year old scoring machine. The reason that Iverson signing with the Knicks ties into LeBron’s free agency is their agent, Leon Rose. While it is true that Rose represents both LeBron and Iverson, it’s unclear what this means for next summer. Is it possible that the Knicks signing Iverson could somehow give them the upper hand when it comes to signing LeBron? The answer is a resounding NO in my opinion.

The next issue is Nike’s plan to hang the 10 story mural (pictured above) in place of LeBron’s famous chalk toss across from the Q. First let me say that I think this mural is lame compared to the current landmark in downtown Cleveland. This is not what has Cleveland’s design review committee upset though. They are focused on the absence of any reference to the Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. Some see this as a sign (a huge sign) that LeBron might be heading out of town after this season. I think Nike just wants to sell their new line of apparel and LeBron has no idea what he’s going to do yet.

The fact that these two occurrences have people guessing shows that LeBron’s silence hasn’t done much to quiet the whispers around Cleveland. I’m fine with Iverson going to New York and I hope that the chalk toss doesn’t get replaced by Lizard LeBron, but for now I’ll be satisfied when LeBron’s wrist injury has healed.

Read more about the mural here.

Also, let me apologize for the lack of videos lately. I’ve been trying to help my man Isaac Jefferson get across the pond. Videos coming soon!!!

Free Agency Rumors

Published
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NoYork
on November 14, 2009
in 2010 News and 2010 Where Will He Go?
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Although LeBron has decided to stay quiet about free agency, the media is doing exactly the opposite. I’ve never seen another player’s free agency handled this way by the media. LeBron has helped to create the hype by flirting with New York as much as he does, but some of the rumors are mind boggling. I’ve taken a look at three different scenarios below…

One of the most outlandish destinations for The King has to be Dallas. The argument was that Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd would be great complementary players for LeBron and Mark Cuban’s deep pockets would add the other pieces. There’s absolutely no way LeBron goes to a team that’s OLDER than the Cavs. The Cuban argument doesn’t work for me either. Although he’s loaded he doesn’t bring in great players. He paid DeSagana Diop $32 million over 6 years, enough said.

Another destination that was rumored for LeBron was the Los Angeles Lakers. The logic was that LeBron would go to LA as part of a sign and trade. It was reasoned that Kobe has three or more high level years left then he’d turn the team over to LeBron and play second fiddle. The first red flag should have went up when you read that Cleveland was going to trade LeBron. Even if LeBron went to team management and said he was going to leave I don’t think they would trade him. The city would never forgive the Cavs for trading LeBron. The next red flag goes up when you hear Kobe Bryant and second fiddle in the same sentence. This is an insane rumor started by a beat writer for THE CHICAGO BULLS!!! Why was this ever even written?

Next up is the article by Chris Broussard with the headline “If Bron bolts, Miami makes most sense.” There was a lot of backlash from this article, but Broussard even said at the end of the column, “Is this all fantasy? Certainly not my fantasy. I’m from Cleveland, so I hope The King stays put.” For that reason I don’t understand why anybody is upset with Broussard for writing this article. In all reality it makes sense that if LeBron left he’d go to Miami. LeBron and Dwyane Wade together has the makings of a championship team for years to come. There’s less state tax in Miami which means LeBron wouldn’t be taking as big of a hit financially for not signing with Cleveland (who can offer him more than any other team). Miami is a great place to live and the city would embrace him. However, LeBron would have to go to Wade’s team. Although this is an intriguing scenario for many NBA fans, I don’t see LeBron’s ego letting this happen. LeBron wants his legacy to be winning, but is he willing to take a backseat to Wade? I don’t know the answer to that but, of all the possibilities mentioned, this is the one that makes me a little nervous.

LeBron done talking about free agency

Published
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NoYork
on November 11, 2009
in 2010 News, 2010 Where Will He Go? and Videos
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During a pre-game interview last night LeBron told reporters that the free agency talk was growing old. He added that he was done addressing the issue this season. He cited the fact that he needed to focus on the current season and not add any more distractions to the Cavs.

After being very cordial with the media in New York and saying he was leaving his options open for 2010, LeBron has had enough of the free agency talk. One thing is for sure the Cavs don’t need any more distractions. The Delonte West issue is far from resolved as he did not dress for tonight’s game. Add that to Shaq’s recent divorce drama and mix in the one of this season’s hottest stories, LeBron’s contract and you forget the Cavs are actually playing basketball.

It’s for the best that LeBron doesn’t talk about this issue for the rest of the season, but don’t expect the talk to go away. Every day there is a new scenario on where LeBron might end up next year. It is the topic of conversation across the NBA and it will continue to come up as the season continues.

Business LeBron strikes again…

Published
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NoYork
on November 9, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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He didnt mean that, hes just excited about the game - Business LeBron

"He didn't mean that, he's just excited about the game" - Business LeBron

On Friday night LeBron James said something that professional athletes don’t dare to say. “A max deal or anything like that doesn’t really matter to me at the end of the day. It’s all about winning for me.” I’ve been waiting to hear this statement my entire life.

This was the moment where Jerry Maguire remembers why he’s a sports agent. This was the moment where sports became about winning again. This was the moment that the NBA Players Association feared. This was the moment that money didn’t matter. This moment lasted for two days!

Today LeBron clarified what he meant on Friday night, “Let’s get this clear: I said the max contract doesn’t mean more than winning. I didn’t say ‘I don’t need a max contract’ or ‘I’m not going to get a max contract.’ All I’m saying is that winning is more important to me than money at the end of the day.” What?

Perhaps I misunderstood the statement made on Friday night. “A max deal or anything like that doesn’t really matter to me at the end of the day. It’s all about winning for me.” When I read this statement I believe that LeBron would be willing to take less money and possibly keep cap space open for another great player to come to Cleveland. This quote said winning is more important than money.

In my mind this was the quote I’ve been waiting to hear from a great NBA player for years. Then it happened, and not only was it an NBA player, it was LeBron James. It was my favorite NBA player saying he was willing to give up an extra couple million for a title. Professional athletes don’t say this type of thing until they’re over the hill. Not until they are nearing 40 and their knees aren’t what they used to be. Their athleticism has faded and their fingers are ringless. Then Karl Malone and Gary Payton play for less money in a last attempt to get that elusive ring.

But now you have a player in his prime seemingly saying that he’s willing to sacrifice, financially even, for the good of the team. LeBron has always been a team player, but this was taking it to the next level. This was something no one else would do. It lasted two days.

LeBron’s newest quotes sound a bit more realistic. “I didn’t say that I don’t need a max contract or that I’m not going to get a max contract. All I’m saying is winning is more important to me than money, at the end of the day.” If this quote seems illogical or contradictory to you, then you’re correct. It is contradictory. Winning is more important than money, but I’ll be getting a max contract. At the end of the day winning is the most important thing, but I’ll still be getting paid.

Professional sports is a business and LeBron has said many times that he will approach his contract as a business man. On Friday night an athlete spoke to reporters in New York. An athlete who would give up millions of dollars to win championships. On Monday the business man returned. At least I had a weekend when I thought someone in professional sports wasn’t all about the money.

As I think about LeBron’s retraction I can’t help but visualize a Nike commercial. Athlete LeBron is addressing the media, glowing in the bright lights of New York. Fresh off an amazing performance he can’t control himself, he just wants to win. He always has. That’s why he started playing sports, to be a competitor, to be the best. Athlete LeBron smiles and reports that he’s about winning, a max contract isn’t as important as the Almighty Dollar. Kid LeBron looks up from his iPhone, shocked to hear something so refreshing. He lets the quote sink in, then smiles as he imagines meeting Athlete LeBron at center court for next year’s championship celebration.

The camera then pans over to Business LeBron who is hanging his head already thinking about how to fix this “situation.” His Blackberry starts vibrating and he knows he’s in for a long weekend. Wise LeBron is in the back of the room, out of the spotlight. There’s a glint in his eye. The young man understands. To be so young and to already recognize that winning is all that matters. Wise LeBron sees a lot of himself in Athlete LeBron. The shot fades with Wise LeBron smiling silently to himself. Then a huge Nike sign is plastered on the screen and you’re reminded that it’s all about the money.

Talk is cheap. Contracts are expensive.

CC Sabathia’s message to LeBron James

Published
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NoYork
on November 8, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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Former Cleveland Indians pitcher CC Sabathia was at Madison Square Garden on Friday night to watch the Cavs take on the Knicks. During an interview his message to LeBron was very interesting…

Off camera I imagine that CC added, “There’s nothing like winning in this city, but not even LeBron could make the Knicks a winner”

LeBron James Gives Back to New York?

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NoYork
on November 6, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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LeBron is holding an event called “Gift of the Game” in New York City today. The event is sponsoring open gyms for high school aged basketball players throughout the city as LeBron looks to give back to New York. This event only adds to the hype and speculation surrounding the Cavs only visit to MSG this season.

LeBron sent “an open letter” to New York as part of the event which starts off by saying, “Thank you for welcoming me back to New York City, one of my favorite places in the world to play. The Big Apple has always been good to me so I wanted to do something special to show my appreciation.” The letter then goes on to explain the event in further detail.

Read LeBron’s letter to New York here.

“July 1 is right around the corner”

Published
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NoYork
on November 6, 2009
in 2010 Where Will He Go?
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Is “July 1 right around the corner” as LeBron said on Thursday before the Bulls game? I think July 1st is a long way away, and LeBron should be thinking the same thing. Perhaps I’m over analyzing the quote but, as the Cavs are now 3-3, the focus should be on this season and finding ways to win games.

LeBron’s latest comments have to make any Cavs fan uneasy. When speaking about tonight’s game against New York he said, “There will be a lot of intensity. The fact that we only play there once, there’s going to be a lot of energy to see the team and see us and see me. July 1 is right around the corner so it’s going to be really exciting.”

As if hearing LeBron say that his free agency is right around the corner isn’t enough he went on to say, “I don’t tease. I have never teased the New York media by saying I was coming to New York or playing for the Knicks. I say the same thing every time. When July 1 gets here, I’m going to approach it like a businessman and approach it the best way for LeBron and his family, but I’ve been a Cav for seven years now and I’ve never given any indication of leaving.

“For me to say I’m not going to be a Knick or I’m going to be a Cav, or I’m not going to be a Cav and be a Knick, I’m not going to say that right now because I did a three-year contract for a reason. I want to keep my options open.”

LeBron won’t be revealing his plans any time soon. Even if he plans to stay in Cleveland he can’t tell the media. Leaving his options open forces the Cavs to do anything to improve the team. Cavaliers management knows that the team will be devastated without LeBron so they will literally do everything they can to keep him in Cleveland. If LeBron plans to leave he’s not going to ruin the team chemistry for the current season.

One thing seems to be certain, LeBron enjoys the attention. Tonight’s game will be overshadowed by the 2010 talk and LeBron is just fine with that.