NBA Free Agency: Was The New York Knicks' Pitch to LeBron James a Joke?
Let's get this straight.
The New York Knicks spent the past two years detonating their roster in hopes of snagging one of the big fish (namely, LeBron James) in the free agent class of 2010.
They worked tirelessly to clear cap space, willingly taking 60 cents on the dollar for Zach Randolph (earned his first All-Star berth in 2010) and Jamal Crawford (the league's most recent Sixth Man of the Year) in exchange for financial freedom in 2010.
Then they tried to sell James, the league's two-time reigning MVP, on signing for less than a maximum contract in an attempt to entice James, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Joe Johnson to New York this summer.
They tried to tell James that New York was the only city that could transform James into a billionaire, promising that he'd become a global brand. They even brought in Interbrand, one of the world's premier marketing consultants, to convince James with figures about his future pulled from thin air.
Did no one in the Knicks office mention that their "woo LeBron" gameplan had holes like Swiss cheese?
For starters, you're selling James—a guy who went on Larry King during the NBA Finals and said his biggest priority was "winning"—on the promises of fortune and fame.
The Knicks wanted to sell James on the LeBron brand, while James' sole focus theoretically revolves around the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Am I the only one seeing a disconnect here?
Admittedly, the Knicks were pretty screwed from the get go on July 1. Their one major advantage over opposing teams—loads and loads of cap space—had been nullified by radical cap-clearing moves from the Bulls, the Nets, and the Heat in the past few weeks.
With the Heat, Nets, and Bulls all in position to potentially lure two max free agents to their cities this summer, New York's empty-cupboard roster suddenly didn't have the appeal it once held. Why would you willingly choose to play on a team with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler as its best players when you could join a Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah combo, or a Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and Brook Lopez trio?
Needless to say, the Knicks' sales pitch had to go back to the drawing board, as they couldn't rely on the basketball-centric logic that would make Chicago and New Jersey such appealing destinations.
But, seriously, this was the best they could come up with?
This was the plan intended to make years of Knicks fans' suffering tolerable?
Bringing in Interbrand to put New York's financial impact in terms of dollars and cents was a savvy move by the Knicks management, no question. If LeBron swallows Interbrand's figures as fact and truly believes New York would be the gateway to becoming a billion-dollar athlete, it only helps N.Y.'s otherwise-weak case.
Yet, Interbrand also failed to even acknowledge the Nets in the LeBron-arms race, a mistake that could come back to haunt them. The Knicks certainly haven't forgotten about the Nets, after the Nets owners plastered a 200-foot mural of themselves right outside Madison Square Garden.
Who's to say James believes Interbrand's figures, though? Who's to say Interbrand has any freaking idea how much a potential championship is worth in each city? Did their exclusion of New Jersey from their projections diminish their credibility in James' mind?
Don't count Michael Jordan's agent, David Falk as one who believes N.Y. is the marketing mecca it once was.
In a recent interview with a local Chicago radio station, Falk explained, "As big as New York is," he explains, "this is not '96 anymore. Twitter, Facebook and all of the social media I think you can be on Neptune and be a brand if your name was LeBron James. ... New York offers New York. I think it is a really nice place but I don't think the marketing advantages like you had ten or fifteen years ago area as relevant as today."
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with Falk.
As ESPN's Henry Abbott wisely said: "I don't doubt that a player is somewhat more valuable in New York City. That fanbase is enormous, and deep-pocketed, and Knick players do have better endorsement deals and a bigger presence in national and international media than they would have elsewhere. But how much more can they earn? Up to 15% sounds about right."
Interbrand placed the potential value of winning a championship in New York at $236.77 million; that's $50 million more than their projection of a title's potential worth in Cleveland and over $100 million more than Chicago, according to their figures. It can't be stressed enough that these figures are pulled out of thin air.
Interbrand also acknowledged that "winning championships is the most important driver of brand value" for James.
What Interbrand didn't calculate, however, was which teams would provide James with the easiest road to a championship. Judging by their current roster, it sure ain't New York.
If James' No. 1 priority is to win an NBA championship, why would he consider joining a team that's (realistically) at least two or three years away from winning a title?
Yes, in the land of sunshine and lollipops, LeBron can win 10 titles, bring himself and New York unparalleled fortunes, and earn his VIP access to the "billionaire athlete" club.
But the NBA isn't Candyland.
And yet the Knicks' proposition to James was as equally fantastical as Peter Pan.
Are you surprised to hear this from Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in that case? "LeBron [is] interested in Nets pitch but not so much New York."
If New York operated in reality these past two seasons instead of living in a fantasy land where they were the premiere NBA franchise and players would fall over themselves for a chance to restore the Knicks to glory, they'd have set themselves up to have a real, legitimate chance at LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh.
Instead, they set themselves up for the Danilo Gallinari show for the next five seasons.
Knicks fans…it's probably becoming time to start calling for Donnie Walsh's head.
The summer of 2010 is looking more and more like a never-ending nightmare in New York.
