2010 NBA Free Agency: The LeBron Theories
With the Cavs Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics Thursday night, the entire focus of NBA news switched not to who would go on to win a championship, but what would happen with free agency in the summer of 2010, and more specifically LeBron James?
Long before this season the rumor was LeBron to the New York Knicks. Whenever they have gotten rid of a decent player it was billed as "clearing cap room" so they could make a play for LeBron. But after waiting for so long for the Cavs to surround him with decent talent, why would he want to start that process all over again in a different city?
Now that the Cavs season has ended, the Chicago Bulls have replaced New York as LeBron's most likely destination (according to media reports). But if LeBron really wants to have a Michael Jordan-like legacy, he would have an awfully hard time doing it in the city that Jordan did. Every move he makes will be compared to Jordan (like he doesn't get enough of that all ready).
Staying in Cleveland doesn't seem like the popular pick, but it IS the most obvious and most likely. If you think of all the BEST players in NBA history, they made their names with one team; they didn't just bolt as soon as they got the opportunity. This helped them build their legacies, and it would be hard for LeBron to have the same impact as someone like Jordan if he leaves mid-career like so many predict he will. Jordan will always be remembered as a Chicago Bull, Larry Bird will always be a Celtic, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant will be remembered as Lakers, Gary Payton was a Seattle SuperSonic, etc.
Some have said LeBron wants to be the first billionaire athlete, and in New York he would have the best chance at this. The largest media base in the country would give him the most exposure, the best chance at endorsement deals, and the most potential for jersey sales. Some have gone as far as to claim NBA commissioner David Stern actually WANTS LeBron in New York. If LeBron is in fact all about the money then there is a better choice, and we will see LeBron playing in CHINA in 2011.
Why would he choose to decline playing against top competition in the NBA to play in a Chinese league? It would be a long-term strategy that could end in more money than he would see anywhere in the U.S. Of course this would require patience, but he would be the most famous athlete in the largest country in the world.
The 2008 Olympics showed just how much the Chinese loved basketball, and how they appreciated the American players even though they were going to be playing the Chinese team. Imagine if LeBron actually PLAYED in China, on a Chinese team in front of Chinese fans.
Still not sure why this makes sense? What if LeBron were to gain Chinese citizenship, and play for China in the 2012 Olympics? If LeBron were to lead China to a gold medal in basketball he would be the biggest celebrity athlete in the history of the world. Nearly every person in China would buy his jersey, he would get more endorsements than anyone in the world, and on top of all that he could always go back to the NBA and try for that title that has eluded him so far in his career. It would also ensure he would no longer be in Michael Jordan's shadow.
Maybe it doesn't sound realistic, but it may be LeBron's best option.
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