Prince James and his obnoxious 1-hour special
Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 at 12:00 pm by Meerkat in Basketball, LeBron James, NBA Basketball
Somebody please hold my hair for me. I’m about to puke from all this media coverage over the decision (and i get it, i am contributing as well, i hate myself, so don’t hold my hair, i don’t deserve the luxury). If Tiger Woods called for a press conference tonight at 6pm PST, ESPN headquarters would implode. And I completely agree with 3D that this 1-hour special is a mistake.
After spewing all that, yeah, like everyone else I will watch the first 15 minutes of the show tonight to find out Mr. LeBron’s NBA destination.
Let’s ignore all the sources, reports, and speculation for a few minutes shall we? Let’s just focus on what we believe what Prince James desires most. Championships and a global brand. What we don’t know right now is … which one is higher on his priority list?
Cross off the Nets and Bulls from his options. The Nets have no supporting cast. The Bulls just don’t have the finances after signing Boozer to realistically get James now (assuming they’d wanna keep a lot of their good players).
And actually, I think you can cross off (with pencil) the Cavaliers. The Cavs are the home town favorite, the town he has had in his pocket for the last 7 seasons, but with simply the same team there now … I can’t see James staying if championships is what he desires most. Remember, he loves to wear his Yankee cap to Indians games and he always says he’s an Akron guy, not a Cleveland guy.
So I’m down to Knicks and Heat.
If LeBron wants championships, the decision is easy, it’s Miami with Wade and Bosh. Sure his numbers will be weaker playing with two other star players, but the pressure will be off his shoulders and evenly dispersed over 3 studs. And James would not have to play like a super hero every night like he did in Cleveland. Oh, what will possibly shy LeBron away from South Beach is the fact that LeBron James the global brand will take a big hit from the inevitable shadows of Wade and Bosh playing on the same team. It’s hard to walk around town as King when your teammate (wade) already has a ring and you don’t. It’s hard to be the man, when you got two other men standing next to you. We’ll see if LeBron’s ego keeps the South Beach Super Team from forming.
The New York Knicks.
After all this drama, hype, rumors, sources, reports, yadda, yadda … does he announce tonight he’s a Knick? Ya see, LeBron wants it all. He wants to be the man, be the hero, be the championship winner, be the global icon, be the king of the biggest city. LeBron wants to be Derek Jeter. He wants to hang with Jeter and Jay-Z when he’s not dunking on fools in Madison Square Garden.
I don’t see how LeBron and Amare will win championships together. Amare is an offensive-stud-slash-ass-clown, not a selfless defensive minded team player (see Kevin Garnett). Maybe the Knicks are gonna pull in another stud (tony parker?) before the season via free agency or sign-and-trade? Who knows. Doesn’t matter. If LeBron has stars in his eyes and Spike Lee in his ear (probably promising him his own documentary) he’s gonna go cash in on his global appeal to superzie his brand. And James is only loyal to Akron, his family, and his boys … not to Cleveland. So the bright lights of Broadway may be too enticing to pass up.
Right now, I think it’s a coin flip between a Knicks uni or a Heat uni.
Maybe there’s a backroom deal that James plays in South Beach for a season to get a ring, then bolt for NYC in 2011?
Alright, where’s that bucket at, I gotta puke my guts out so I don’t have this LeBron stuff in my system anymore. At least until 6pm.
The 1-hour show (ripped from the NY Daily News):
| The show will take place at the Boys & Girls Club (above) in Greenwich, Conn., which is a short jumper from the Knicks’ training facility in Greenburgh. N.Y. | |
| According to ESPN, James will announce his decision within the first 10 minutes of the program, so you better tune in right at 9. | |
| Jim Gray, famous for grilling Pete Rose during the 1999 World Series, will conduct the interview. According to ESPN, Gray was handpicked by Team LeBron. | |
| James will also be interviewed, via satellite, by “PTI” co-host Michael Wilbon. |
Meerkat
08. Jul, 2010
According to Tom Penn, I was off on my Chicago prediction. The Bulls do have the cash space to afford James and Boozer.
Chicago would give LeBron everything he desires, except hanging with Jeter and Jay-Z all the time.
El Rey
08. Jul, 2010
I like the one-hour special.
All the pomp and circumstance is fitting for the King.
The bigger question is WTF is there a Boys and Girls Club doing in Greenwich Connecticut? Like I’m pretty sure that having all the kids get dropped off by their nanny’s in the Bentley is a sign that place doesn’t quite fit in.
3D
08. Jul, 2010
That’s what you get for coming out w/ an article right after mine saying it’s not financially possible for James to go where I think he should!
stake
08. Jul, 2010
Right Rey, I’m surprised they would even be allowed to build such a thing. Its probably a temporary structure that’s going down shortly after the circus ponies leave.
Meerkat
08. Jul, 2010
I think he should goto Chicago as well … I just heard from some talking head (before i wrote post) that the Bulls would have to do some major financial shifting to fit LeBron into their payroll. And I had to much to say to put into a comment.
All that being said, I don’t think he wants to follow MJ and have to look up at them banners every home game.