"Get out of here with it's for charity. Boys and girls club, my ass. It's for his boyz. And to get girls. At the club.9:51 PM July 6th via mobile web"
So I won't go into any more depth than the linked column and pasted Tweet about why James is a prima donna. I'm just trying my turn at predicting and analyzing LeBrima Donna James' potential destinations.
I'm prefacing this analysis with two things; first is that no one really knows where James is headed and he could end up on any of these teams: Clippers, Nets, Knicks, Bulls, Heat, Cavaliers. Second is that I clearly have no inside information and am more or less doing this for fun.
When Baron Davis agreed to sign with the Clippers two years and one day ago, he thought he would be joining Elton Brand in Los Angeles. Four days later when Davis actually signed, Brand had left the west coast for Philadelphia in what has proven to be a non-beneficial decision for both players. As Davis got duped into signing with the Clippers by a player who didn't even stay in L.A., I think it would be poetic justice for James to give Davis the supporting star for whom he's been yearning. Add to that the return of last year's No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Blake Griffin, and you would have a legitimate playoff contender.
Unfortunately for Davis, this probably won't happen. James will be furthest from home in L.A., would have to share the city with five-time champion Kobe Bryant and New York City can offer just as much as L.A. in the way of celebrity attention and personal brand elevation. With that being said, the Knicks and Nets round out the top three teams that could offer James the increased attention he so strongly desires.
Beginning with the Nets, who still play in northern New Jersey but plan a move to Brooklyn, James would be more spoiled under the ownership of Mikhail Prokhorov than he would with any other team. The Russian business mogul knows no limitations for his budget and wants nothing more than an NBA title. Rest-assured that if LeBron didn't get the supporting cast he wants upon signing, he would have it within a couple years via ridiculous trades and free agent acquisitions.
The Knicks can't offer the same limitless luxuries of the Nets' owner, but it can boast the NBA's most storied arena, Madison Square Garden, in addition to the brightest of all the league's spotlights. Besides the fact that James tends to light up the Garden every time he plays there, he'll have the business world by the tail not only during his career, but upon retirement in 10 or so years. And let us not forget that LeBron wears a Yankees hat in what seems like every public appearance, including to a Cleveland Indians home game. The signing of Amar'e Stoudemire makes the Knicks even more attractive to James - or does it? Sure, he's a talented big man who has put up good numbers, but he's highly-vulnerable to the Steve Nash Syndrome that plagued Shawn Marion upon leaving the Suns. That is, it is more difficult to score when you don't have one of the best point guards in the league on your team. Add to that the fact that Stoudemire is injury prone with his bad knees and Oakley-protected eyes. Maybe if the Knicks had landed Carolos Boozer instead of Stoudemire, I'd be more inclined to believe that James might sign there.
Ahh, yes - Carlos Boozer. The unsung hero of this free agency class who signed with the Chicago Bulls. The same franchise that was home to the game's all-time best player, Michael Jordan. It appears that James' personality is more passive than killer, and the idea of competing with Jordan on a historical scale in the same city in which a statue of Jordan was erected (right outside the Bulls' arena) is hard to fathom. But it seems to be even less of a problem when you consider who James would have to work with in the Windy City. Derrick Rose is one of the game's great young point guards and only entering his third season in the league as a 22-year-old. Boozer is one of the more reliable posts in the NBA and won't reach 30-years-old until next November. Add to that the fact that he played for Jerry Sloan's disciplined Jazz team for six seasons, was James' teammate in Cleveland in 2003 - 2004 and wouldn't want to hog any of the spotlight from James, and suddenly you have a viable trio around which you can build a title contender in a basketball-supported city. (And though I cannot stand Joakim Noah, he's a maturing energy player who will continue to make great contributions.) Chicagoans are probably still a little disappointed that native Dwyane Wade stayed in Miami instead of coming home and this would soften the blow.
You can't blame Wade for staying in South Beach, though, since former Raptors forward Chris Bosh joined him on the Heat. Now Wade has filled the big-man void left by Shaquille O'Neal after the two won a title together in 2006. But here's the thing about Bosh - he's never won a playoff series, and that was on a team for which he has been the star for years. Add to that the fact that he was only named second-team All-NBA one time, and it's clear that he's not the mega catch that everyone made him out to be. An all-star? A worthy starter? Bosh is definitely both of those, and may turn into the league's premiere post while in Miami, but for now he may not be the big man Wade and James need if they want to win a title right now. Honestly, though, I'm probably splitting hairs with that point because Bosh is a good player. But if anyone has to take less money for all three to be able to play in Miami, it should be him. (Especially so they could keep Michael Beasley.) One legitimate reason for James to avoid Miami, though, is that he, like Bosh, would be a supporting player in the fans' minds. Wade has already brought the city its first title and as long as he is on the team I can't see how anyone else - even James - could become the top dog.
The one place where James undoubtedly holds the key to the city, and the ability to change all the locks whenever he wants, is Cleveland. It's essentially where James grew up, it's where he has already reached an NBA Finals series, and its where he will most unconditionally be loved. The problem is that the supporting cast is not only weak, but unlikely to get any better this offseason. Other stars simply don't want to play in Cleveland. Whether it is because they do not want to share the spotlight with James, or because they simply realize that Ohio, for the most part, sucks, no one will join James in his home city. Before signing with Miami, Bosh himself openly said he wanted to play with James next season, but wouldn't do so in Cleveland. If James does not choose Cleveland, and worse yet remains in the Eastern Conference, he will probably be shunned by his lifelong neighbors for, well, the rest of his life.
All things considered, I think James' best choice would be Chicago or Miami. The Bulls offer the reliable, humble Boozer as well as the young and talented Rose at point guard. Miami would be a great choice as well as Wade (who already has a title) and Bosh's talents speak for themselves. If LeBron truly, truly wants to win sooner than later - he'll be a Bull or a Heat. (That's how you say that, right? A Heat? Maybe a Hot?) But if he wants to be loyal, loved, and continue to build his own legacy, he'll stay in Cleveland, which is what I believe he'll do. I don't care what all the reports are saying - it has been reported as a done deal that James was going to multiple places since free agency began July 1. Until he announces his team tonight on his ridiculously vain hour-long special, and even further, until he actually signs the contract (free agents can't officially sign until tomorrow, July 8) I won't believe anything. Whether James already has his mind made up we cannot say. Where he is going is even less in doubt. The choice seems to be simple (although it is surely anything but): win now with Chicago or Miami, or stay the path with Cleveland. Some people are going to be thrilled with James' decision, others are going to be hurt and confused. I think James will be a mix of both.
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All the teams that cleared salary cap space for James and don't land him should do one or two things depending on who they sign. The teams who do sign a big name with the money they cleared (apparently the Heat, sort of the Bulls and Knicks) should strongly consider lowering ticket prices next season, and surely not increase them. You could let the Heat off the hook for this task because they got the other big fish in Wade and signed what many people believe to be the best supporting character in Bosh. But the Bulls and Knicks, who got Boozer and Stoudemire, respectively, need to make sure not to punch their fans in the gut anymore than LeBron could do tonight.
And for the teams who don't land one of the top free agents (Wade, Bosh, James, Boozer, Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki), they definitely shouldn't waste that money on a less-deserving free agent just because it is available. Lower your ticket prices and pursue someone like Carmelo Anthony next season. It's the right thing to do.
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LeBron's latest Tweet at about 10:05 a.m.:
KingJames
Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.
Really? Your own third person, vein hash tag of #lebrondecision? Give me a break.
My question: Is it true that Delonte West was nailing your mom?
