Never has there been more speculation and conversation about a player’s free agency than with LeBron in 2010. From the start of the season to his last game in Boston, every blog and sportswriter has been guessing, analyzing and theorizing about where LeBron might take his game. This blog is no exception. We’ve got our tinfoil hats and our crystal balls and we think we’ve made some pretty good decisions about where he should end up. As far as it goes we think that he could likely end up on either the Bulls or the Knicks or stay with the Cavs. We’ve compiled some strong arguments for each. To start things off, here are 5 good reasons for Lebron James to go to New York.
1. It’s New York.
Would you rather live in a penthouse on the Upper East Side and play on the biggest stage in the world or live 30 minutes from your hometown in a city full of cursed sports franchises? New York loves LeBron and LeBron reciprocates. If the Knicks were to sign him, he’d keep doing what LeBron does- Amazing us. Only now he’d do it for one of the most well-known sports teams in the most well-known city in the world.
2. Supporting cast: David Lee/Toney Douglas
Everyone talks about how the Knicks will be a bad place for LeBron because there’s no one on the team. While it is true that the New York Knickerbockers have done everything they could to shred their roster and increase their cap room, they still have some solid players. David Lee is one of the hardest working centers in basketball, and, game in and game out, leaves everything he has on the court. After his rookie season, Toney Douglas is looking like he’s going to shape up to be a solid guard- especially with shooting around the perimeter. If you add LeBron to the equation, he can either dish it to his big man under the hoop or swing it out to his guard or take it to the hole himself. The best part- The team is young and has room to bring in another veteran player for LeBron.
3. Mike D’Antoni
D’Antoni is one of the most unique and clever coaches in the NBA, and his 7 second offense is perfect for LeBron. D’Antoni has been waiting for the 2010-11 season ever since he signed with the Knicks, because now he can start coaching a real team. Even if they don’t get LeBron, D’Antoni will turn whatever they end up with into a competitive powerhouse. Another plus is that D’Antoni and James already have a coach/player relationship after the 2008 Olympics, showing that they can work together and win.
4. Chasing the dream
Could you imagine having the God-given talent, charisma and body that LeBron James has and ending up thirty minutes from where you went to high school? Have you been back to your hometown and seen your old friends from high school that still hang out? They’re a regular bunch of winners, aren’t they? LeBron is haunted by the fact that he still lives at home essentially. He’s the face of modern basketball all over the world and he’s still living at home essentially. The boy has the skills and the drive to play anywhere in America, and you can see in his eyes that he wants to go where the stars shine brightest.
5. A King-Size Throne for a King-Size Ego
I may have already covered this in point one, but it should be underscored that the kid has game. Statistically speaking he is hands down the best player on the planet right now (especially if we leave all of that leadership and drive and intangible stuff out of the conversation). Moving LeBron to New York puts him in a prime position to be what he has always dreamed of being- the biggest star in the world. New York will cheer for him. There will be parades. He will have instant access to the world’s premier advertising agencies. He will constantly be available for cameos in movies, TV shows, commercials, ESPN headquarters. He will be the center of attention in the Big Apple. He could potentially bring NY their first basketball championship since 1973. As much as I’d like to think that there might be better opportunities for him elsewhere, New York will offer him one thing nothing else has yet- immortality.
Chris Kirkham is a professional blogger and video producer with a B.S. in Journalism. He hates the Lakers more than any team in any sport in any country on earth. Even more than the Patriots. You can follow him on Twitter, if you’d like, or argue with him in the comments below.
