Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, prepare yourselves. That’s because this summer, the LeBron James show could be coming to a city near you. On July 1st he adds to his resume, which already includes an MVP, an Olympic gold medal, and the honor of being the youngest player ever to score 15,000 career points. After being picked apart by Boston and having the spotlight stolen by Rajon Rondo, LeBron clearly has some thinking to do. Aside from that, while he was cold as ice in Game 5, there were no heirs to his throne in Cleveland who stepped up to help the team weather the Celtic storm; rather, Cleveland got blown out in their worst playoff loss ever. While it is difficult to forecast the future of LeBron James, the skies are starting to clear up and it is getting more and more difficult to see if LeBron will don the crimson and gold next season.
On July 1st, LeBron James becomes the most coveted free agent in sports history.
At only 25 years old, LBJ has established himself as the most dominant force in basketball today, just won his second straight MVP this season, an award he appears to have a stranglehold on for many seasons to come, as seems to only be getting better. He is one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, and behind marketing powerhouse Nike, he has gone from simply being a great sports star, to a brand.
Wherever he ends up lacing his sneakers next year, he is certain to change the fortunes of that franchise forever. He alone can elevate a team from the outhouse to the penthouse, from contender to champion, from champion to dynasty. He’s also certain to bring national attention to whomever he plays for, as well as other free agents looking to ride his coattails to an elusive NBA championship.
So who will be the lucky winner of the LeBron James sweepstakes? Lets take a look at some of the teams in the race
THE FAVORITES:
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Why they’ll win: Simply put, LeBron is Cleveland. Don’t believe me? “If he signs with another team I’m fairly sure our downtown will slide directly into Lake Erie.” Says Ben Kohn, a lifetime Cleveland resident, and Cavs diehard. “He’s rapidly becoming the only reason Cleveland is even culturally relevant, and he immediately becomes the hometown messiah if he leads us to a championship.” Pretty heavy.
LeBron James has lived in the state of Ohio his entire life. He became the most famed high school basketball player ever while playing with St. Vincent/St. Mary’s High School, in Akron. He jumped to the professional ranks immediately from there and was drafted first overall in 2003 by, you guessed it, the Cavs, a franchise that he turned from a laughingstock to a perennial contender. He is synonymous with the city and the state.
That’s without taking into account the success of the team. The Cavs are currently cruising to the best record in the NBA this season and will surely go into the playoffs as the favorites to win it all. It’s hard to imagine him leaving if they were to accomplish that.
Why they won’t: LeBron exudes superstardom; he is as synonymous with that as he is the city of Cleveland. With that said, how does someone that big, stay in the Midwest for his entire professional career? It’s easy to imagine him making a move to the East or West Coast and becoming the “global icon” he so greatly desires to be.
Another major consideration is that the Cavs were in a similar situation last year, among the favorites to win it all, and underachieved, getting waxed in the Eastern Conference Finals by Orlando Magic. Another performance like that could make him further consider moving on.
Finally, though they’ve tried, the Cavs have yet to provide LeBron with a young wingman to grow with. They have a lot of money invested in several aging veterans, with the idea that winning a championship now would allow them to keep their superstar. All of this makes it unlikely that the team can improve itself around James over the next few years if they were to resign him
The verdict: They have to be considered the favorites at this stage in the game. By all accounts LeBron James loves Cleveland, and the feeling is certainly mutual. Other teams will put on a full court press when free agency starts, at the moment, it appears to be the Cavs race to lose.
New York Knicks:
Why they’ll win: The brightest lights. LeBron James may be Cleveland, but his personality, his fame, and his aura are New York. Success in the Big Apple is different, and the chance to do it on the grandest stage may be too much for him to pass up. Also, the Knicks offer him two opportunities that no other team can.
The first is the chance to revive a franchise with a cherished history and a rabid fan base. Since the turn of the millennium, the Knicks have gone from one of the most well run and well-respected franchises in sports to basketball’s running joke. Bad contracts, bad trades, and off court controversy set them back for years, but that all changed when Donnie Walsh replaced Isiah Thomas as president of basketball operations. In the last two years, Walsh has furiously trimmed the fat, moved the bad contracts, and hired a player’s coach in Mike D’Antoni, with the vision of a clean slate for this summer. For LeBron.
That’s the second opportunity, the chance to play on a team that is built from the ground up around him. The Knicks have enough cap room to sign a second superstar (and there are many on the free agent market this off-season) to play Robin to LeBron’s Batman, and will be in the running for every veteran looking to sign cheap and play with a championship caliber team. The X-factor is D’Antoni, who’s run and gun offense was tailor made for his unique skill set.
Why they won’t: Signing with the Knicks is the ultimate gamble. Sure, the chances are very good that a second superstar signs along side LeBron, but what if the dice come up snake eyes? There isn’t a great, or even a very good core on the team currently, and no matter how good he is, he’d be entering a significant downgrade in terms of the talent level he’s used to with the Cavs, and why would a superstar entering his prime want to waste even a second of it in a rebuilding situation?
The verdict: There are so many variables that go along with a LeBron-Knicks marriage, but for all the risk involved, it also presents the highest reward opportunity, in terms of what his success would mean for his legacy and his icon status. They’re just behind the Cavs in the race and have a chance to rise based on what LeBron wants to do with the rest of his career.
A Puncher’s Chance:
Los Angeles Clippers:
Why they’ll win: Of all the teams that can offer him a him a max contract, the Clippers have the most young talent for LeBron to grow with. Blake Griffin, this years first overall pick, is coming off of a season long knee injury, but showed great explosiveness on both ends of the floor in college and has the potential to be a dynamic post presence for years to come. Second year guard Eric Gordon has flashed superstar potential as well as a versatile guard who could provide Lebron with something he’s never had, another wing player with an alpha dog mentality who could take the ball handling and scoring burden off of his shoulders for a stretch if need be. These two, as well as veterans Chris Kaman, and Baron Davis would round out a very imposing and well balanced starting 5, if Lebron were to jump ship.
Why they won’t: No matter what, the Lakers will always be number one in L.A., is Lebron going to want to play second fiddle to anyone? Don’t forget the long history of front office ineptitude and questions as to who will become the new coach and general manager next year.
The Verdict: While the dynamic of Kobe Bryant’s Lakers rivaling LeBron James’ Clippers would make for great headlines, it probably isn’t worthwhile for LeBron.
Chicago Bulls:
Why they’ll win: Derrick Rose. The second year point guard is emerging as one of the best players in the NBA, pairing the two would create matchup nightmares for every team in the league. Stylistically, Rose is the perfect player to pair with him because he is a multi-talented ball distributor, who is athletic enough to run the floor with LeBron, and a big enough scoring threat that he will demand a lot of the attention James typically takes up. Chicago also offers the big city dynamic, while also allowing him to stay within his Midwestern roots.
Why they won’t: Michael Jordan. Lebron is changing his number from 23 to 6 when this season is over, why? Because in the NBA, there is only one 23, and that’s MJ. Chicago is the only place where LeBron’s success will forever be overshadowed by the past history of another individual. The degree of difficulty of replicating or surpassing Jordan’s prolific resume is extremely high, it doesn’t seem worth it to try when there are so many other cities that would appreciate his greatness on its own.
The verdict: While Chicago offers him a great combination of what other cities offer, the Jordan factor would make it entirely to complicated for him, especially when he is so hell bent on creating his own legacy.
Miami Heat:
Why they’ll win: Dwayne Wade. Wade is unquestionably the best player of any that Lebron could potentially play with in the upcoming years. Wade already boasts something LeBron doesn’t, an NBA championship ring. The two seemed to have a good connection when they played together for the United States in the Olympics, and they’d form arguably the most terrifying wing combination in league history. Oh, and spending your mid-twenties in South Beach isn’t a bad reason either
Why they won’t: Dwayne Wade. While it’s a dream to put the two of them together, it’s hard to imagine it working out in real life. While both are immensely talented, they are the same type of player, superstars who need the ball in their hands and the scoring load on their backs. What happens in crunch time? Who gets the ball? Ego’s would clash, no matter how high character both guys seem to be.
The Verdict: Perhaps the most intriguing option of them all, but LeBron deserves his own team around him, and with Wade it would never really happen. Scary (and fun) to think what would be if it did though.
The Wild Card:
Los Angeles Lakers
Why they’ll win: A little known fact about this off-season is the fact that Kobe Bryant has an opt out clause in his contract, and he very well may exercise it. What a way to replace him, then with the player who has arguably taken his title of “best player in basketball?” It was recently reported that sources close to coach, Phil Jackson have said that LeBron wants to be a Laker, and really why not? They offer everything the Knicks do, plus a championship caliber roster and one of the most accomplished coaches of all time, if Kobe were to leave, this one would seemingly be a no brainer.
Why they won’t: Kobe Bryant has had entirely too much success with the Lakers to move on. Bryant and Jackson survived a tumultuous past, and have moved on to another championship and a strong relationship, at least on the surface. Could the rumors of the Lakers and Lebron sniffing around each other prompt a move? Perhaps, but unlikely
The Verdict: A fun pipedream, if Kobe ever left, they would have to be elevated to favorites along with the Cavs and Knicks, but that’s a huge if as of now.
Consider this the trailer for this summer’s biggest blockbuster. While there is still a lot of question as to how the story ends, one thing is for certain. LeBron James will get rave reviews wherever he goes.
