LeBron James and Joe Johnson in New York?

I first heard of Ric Bucher’s comments about LeBron James wanting to team up with Joe Johnson from The Knicks FanBlog. Go to their site to see the video of Ric Bucher making those comments. Basically, Bucher has a source that says LeBron James would love to play with current Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson. 

Take note, Knicks. 

It’s not going to be easy landing LeBron James this summer, but the Knicks have the ability to go to LeBron this summer and say, “Listen, go pick any other free agent that you will want to play with for the next six years and we’ll sign you both.” 

Although it could be possible that LeBron may want to play with another player more than he wants to play with Joe Johnson, having LeBron pick Johnson would be ideal for the Knicks because Johnson is most likely not going to get a max contract like Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh. Signing LeBron at the max and Johnson a bit below the max will leave some wiggle room for the Knicks to add other players, but let it be LeBron’s choice first. Leave the “wiggle room” factor out of it. If he wants Wade, do it. If he wants Bosh, do it. Do whatever is necessary to get LeBron playing 41 games a year at the Garden.

My hope is that the Lakers win the title again this year, leaving LeBron wanting to join forces with another NBA star in order to surpass the Lakers. My thinking is that LeBron will come to terms that he’ll need another monster name on his side in order to upheave the champion Lakers and win multiple titles in the future. If he can’t win it all in Cleveland this year with Antawn Jamison and a supporting cast that includes Shaq also, then going to a team that has the financial flexibility to sign any two max deals it wants is optimal for LeBron.

It’s going to come down to either Cleveland or New York for LeBron this summer and if he really wants to play with Joe Johnson or another star player, like people say he does, then we may see a new No. 6 lighting up New York City.

Will Loyalty Really Keep LeBron From New York?

Marc Berman of the NY Post quoted Knicks forward Al Harrington in an article today who said, “A lot of teams would love to have him [LeBron] and the Knicks are one of them. But if he’s as loyal as he says, I would think it’s very hard for him to leave, especially because he’s home. If it was a different city, maybe not as much a connection, but at the end of the day, he generates every single thing for this whole state. It would be tough for him to make that decision to leave.”

Is LeBron’s loyalty to his home state strong enough to keep him in Cleveland, Ohio? Does loyalty exist in sports today? 

I believe loyalty exists to some extent, but some players follow the money and some players go where they have the best chance to win a title(s).  

LeBron wants to win. He’s made that clear. He can make a little more money by staying in Cleveland, but I don’t believe that the extra salary will affect his decision.

It is some people’s belief that if LeBron wins a championship this year it will be easier for him to leave Cleveland because he’ll have given the championship-starved city a much needed title. Other people believe that winning a title this year will lead him to choose to remain in Cleveland in order to establish a legacy and win multiple titles in the city. 

On the other side of the coin, some people believe if he doesn’t win a title this year then he’ll have a better reason to leave because the Cavs have had their chance to put the right players around LeBron to win and couldn’t do it. Other people believe that if he doesn’t win then he’ll want to stay in Cleveland in order to keep the city’s hopes of a winning a title alive.

I side with the group that believes if LeBron wins a title, he stays, and if he loses, he leaves. Where he goes if he leaves is still a mystery, but New York is definitely up there.

There are many opinions out there and we can sit here and speculate all we want about whether LeBron is going to leave Cleveland or not, but we’ll have to wait until the summer to find out for sure. It sure is fun to dream, though, isn’t it?

McGrady Trade Means Possibly Two Max Contracts

With arguably the biggest free agency period in NBA history approaching and some of the game’s biggest stars possibly changing scenery, the matter of selling points becomes critical in persuading free agents to play for your team. Unlike in the uncapped sport of baseball where a free agent usually goes to the team that throws the most money at him, players in the NBA can only be signed to a certain “max” contract.

Permitting a team has the cap space, a player can sign a max contract in any city. In baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers can’t contend with the New York Yankees when it comes to spending in free agency. In basketball, the Milwaukee Bucks can contend New York Knicks due to salary caps and max contracts. The financial monster known as New York doesn’t have a leg up over the competition in basketball like it does in baseball. 

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LeBron James Over MSG: A Cleveland Sports Fan’s Nightmare

That’s right Cleveland sports fans. That is LeBron James in the advertisement. That is New York City he is above. That is the world’s most famous arena he is residing over. That is where the New York Knicks hail. That is where LeBron James can become a billionaire. That is where Cleveland sports fans don’t want to see him go.

The Cleveland sports fan has been through enough. The last time a professional team in Cleveland won a championship was in 1964 (Browns NFL Championship pre-Super Bowl era). In 2004, Cleveland was named the most tortured sports city in America by ESPN. They lost their Browns for three years in the late 90’s. Their talented Indians go where the money is and escape Cleveland.  Their Cavs have never won an NBA title. Current Browns coach and former Jets coach, Eric Mangini, gave the Jets a future (Sanchez and Edwards) to add bodies to the Brown’s roster. The Indians traded away a horse called CC Sabathia to the Brewers who pitched Milwaukee into the playoffs and earned a mega-million dollar contract with the Yankees. This city is in pain.

Cleveland isn’t a major economic force by any means and isn’t even on the same planet when it comes to New York. The New York metropolitan area yields nine professional sports teams while Cleveland has only three. New York teams for the most part are the strongest teams financially in each sport (Islanders are the exception). New York teams (for the most part) can buy talent while Cleveland has no way to retain homegrown talent. New York teams add misery to the Cleveland sports fan.

The line must be drawn at LeBron James. LeBron is Cleveland’s hope. He is the one bright spot in Cleveland sports. He defines the word “superstar”. Will he give Cleveland fans the chance to break the city’s championship drought and re-sign with the Cavs? Cleveland’s been so close to winning (‘97 Indians, ‘06-’07 Cavs) but fell short. LeBron James and the Cav’s give this city the best shot at a championship and they have a chance to do it every season as long as LeBron stays. Don’t count on the Indians or Browns winning any time soon. The Indians have lost some talented players over the last few years (CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez) and the Browns’ organization is in a disarray.

In LeBron’s quest to become a billion dollar athlete, he is going to consider playing in the city where that advertisement sits. New York wants him. Knicks and Nets fans are putting up with being the laughing stock of the NBA for a chance to sign LeBron James in 2010.

The hopes and dreams of one city is glaring over another. All a Cleveland sports fan can do is hope that LeBron and the Cavs win a title this season because if LeBron leaves, it may be years until the city ever gets close to a championship again.

Knicks Host LeBron, Cavs and Yankees

The annual appearance of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers always causes a stir in New York but this year had a different feel than in years past. Not only were the Knicks hosting LeBron and his Cavs, they were also hosting the World Champion Yankees and their ticker-tape paraders.

LeBron, an avid New York Yankees fan, never disappoints when he plays at MSG and the crowd never lets him leave without asking him to return in blue, white and orange one day. During this meeting LeBron scored 33 points with eight rebounds and nine assists. He credits MSG.

“It’s this building,” James said after the game. “This building’s very special.”

LeBron has played at the Garden 11 times in his professional career. He averages a little over 30 points per game there including a 52 point performance in ‘08-’09 and and a 50 point performance in ‘07-’08. The Cavs are 7-4 at the Garden with LeBron.

“I don’t know who made the schedule for the Cleveland Cavaliers to only be here once, I’m kind of disappointed in that,” James said.

The Cavs 100-91 win over the Knicks could be the last time LeBron James comes to MSG as a Cav. Barring an unlikely playoff appearance by the Knicks, it will surely be his last appearance at the Garden until after the 2010 free agency period. Knicks fans are hoping that the next time he steps on the MSG hardwood, it will be as a member of the Knicks.

LeBron James 2010

LBJ 2010 – it’s the goal of many teams in the NBA but only realistic by some. A little less than a year from now Cavs star LeBron James will have made a decision and signed a contract with a team for well over $100 million. Whichever team he signs with will be getting a LeBron James who will be transitioning into his prime about two or three years into the contact. It’s scary to think we haven’t seen the best of LeBron James yet.

Where will LeBron land in 2010? The three front-runners right now have to be the Cavs, Knicks and Nets (only if they move to Brooklyn) in that order. Beyond those three teams I have no idea. Could Miami go after LeBron if Wade leaves or maybe even if Wade stays? I wouldn’t count on it. Lebron wants to be a billion dollar athlete and that kind of money can’t be made in many NBA cities.

It will be interesting now that Russion billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is taking over the majority ownership of the Nets. If Prokhorov can get the Nets to Brooklyn then the Knicks and Nets may be in a dead heat for Lebron behind Cleveland because money won’t be an issue anymore for the Nets. Prokhorov’s pockets are deeper than cablevision’s. The Nets also have Jay-Z to help lure Lebron in. Donnie Walsh must be scared to death that Prokhorov is taking over the Nets. Without Prokhorov, the Nets chances of moving to Brooklyn are slim and their chances of getting LeBron are none. Prokhorov’s presence with the Nets not only changes the landscape in New York area basketball but changes the landscape in the entire NBA.

My gut feeling tells me LeBron will say goodbye to Cleveland and head to the big apple. If the Nets move to Brooklyn, It’s a toss-up which team he’ll go to. The Brooklyn Nets would be very enticing. If the Nets can’t get to Brooklyn then I believe we’ll be seeing LBJ at MSG for years to come.

Rumor: Cablevision Would Give LeBron His Own TV Channel

Frank Isola of the NY Daily News has reported there is a rumor that Cablevision will give LeBron James his own TV channel. Cablevision owns the Knicks and the channel would help the Knicks be able to sign LeBron for less (will still be an enormous contract though). The salary cap numbers will most likely be going down so the TV channel allows LeBron to make more money by coming to New York and helps the Knicks’ salary figures.

Rumor: Boozer for Lee

David Lee has recently expressed frustrations about his current situation with the New York Knicks.  The Knicks won’t pay Lee what he wants and interest for Lee around the league has declined.  Now it looks like the Knicks will try to take advantage of this.  According to John Coon of the Desert News, the Knicks are looking to deal David Lee in a sign-and-trade to the Jazz for Carlos Boozer.

Boozer is in the final year of his contract and would become a free agent next summer.  If the Knicks could acquire Boozer, then sign him to an extension, it may help them land a star in 2010.  Boozer and LeBron James played together during the ‘03-’04 season and then Boozer left the Cavaliers after that season on a bad note.  This would be a tremendous deal for the Knicks if they could pull it off.