LeBron James 2010 Free Agency: What Are We Witnessing?

Leading up to this summer, we knew the NBA 2010 free agency story would dominate the media and be a hot topic of discussion around the world, but I never thought it would magnify to this degree. 

All of the trade talk, speculation, and rumors have shown that seemingly everybody has an idea of what King James should do.  LeBron James and the NBA 2010 free agency class has been the most discussed sports story of the summer.

The 2010 free agency saga has overshadowed numerous sports stories including the World Cup, French Open, NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup.

The World Cup is starting a week from today, but here in the States all we hear is, “LeBron, LeBron, LeBron.”  There have been great, compelling tennis matches in the French Open for two weeks, but everything has taken a backseat to the King.

There are championships being played in the NBA and NHL, but yet there has been more hype around LeBron.  The Celtics and Lakers rivalry is the greatest rivalry in basketball, but there are far more stories being written about LeBron.

Chicago, one of the possible thrones for the King, if you will, is two wins away from grabbing the Stanley Cup.  However, the only thing the folks in Chicago want to know is, “When is LeBron coming, and who is he bringing?”

The summer of 2010 has been highlighted by the bulk of basketball fans for about two years.  The first time we caught a glimpse of what could be was two summers ago during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. 

The “Redeem Team” rolled through its competition at those Olympics, and ever since, the sports world has been salivating over the possibilities of what could be.

The 2008 Olympics was the first time we saw LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh play together (outside of non-competitive All-Star games).  They went up against and defeated the best players in the world with basically no obstacles.

Those Olympics put down the foundation for what has already been the wildest, most publicized free agency period in sports history.  Once we became aware that these superstars could coexist and dominate together, we realized the possibilities could be infinite.

I have to admit, up to this point, all the buzz and rumors have been entertaining.  The speculation has become a spectacle within itself.

We have seen images of LeBron wearing the home jerseys of his potential destinations, we have seen cities put billboards begging to bring the King, and we have seen everyone from experts to fans that claim to know where LeBron could and should end up.

No one truly knows what will unfold with this saga—not even LeBron.  All we can do is speculate, but I think it is important to step back at times and collectively reflect on everything.  We are watching history being made right in front of us.

We are witnessing the greatest free agency class of all time. We are witnessing a kid from Akron, Ohio with the fate of the NBA in his hands. We are witnessing LeBron James begin a new chapter of his career, wherever he decides to play.