LeBron staying in Cleveland

[Ricky Tan]

Mr.James will not be going to another city if he wants to be considered in the same league as Kobe and Jordan,Magic,Bird who all won championships with the teams that drafted them.

Leaving will make him look weak

[justdonating]

Lakers didn't draft Kobe. It was the Charlotte Hornets. Lakers traded Vlade and I believe Elden Campbell for the rights to Kobe......

[darealist2]

He outgrew Cleveland..

NY or Chi bro

[HAMMER411]

Originally Posted by Ricky Tan

Mr.James will not be going to another city if he wants to be considered in the same league as Kobe and Jordan,Magic,Bird who all won championships with the teams that drafted them.

Leaving will make him look weak

HUH????? YOu are missing the entire point here...Every example you gave had outstanding coaches and organizations that surrounded these players with the best they could get to ensure success and championships...It is obvious Cleveland has and will not do this....

Julius Erving..Nets, nothing...Sixers, well
Kareem A. J...Bucks..Well, then the you know who!
Chaimberlain..Warriors to the sixers...

It goes on and on, those players just Lucky their organazions understood the value and invested in the long term....Cleveland...Not so smart..

Just my opinion...

[iggs111]

First off, he can give a **** if leaving "makes him look weak." This kid has dollar signs in his eyes and so does his "team" Cleveland has all but exhausted every option they have to get him a Championship. If couldn't do it the last 2 years what is he gonna do in the future with the same core? You think he want's to wait around for them to rebuild? Doubtful. Unfortunately, I really do think he is coming to Chicago. If not, it has to be New York. But again, what will he do there by himself? None of us know and we wont for at least a month and a half so how about we just wait til then.

[GFootsXtreme]

You have conveniently forgotten about Shaq here
Kobe won his 1st 3 only because Shaq was there to get it done
Yes Kobe is now the man and was excellent then also, but not what he is today

Wade can't do a darn thing without Shaq either
Wade was carried all the way to the Finals when he finally broke out and played great
Without Shaq he never even would have gotten close

If you ask 100 people where Shaq started his NBA career I would bet 95 of them would say LA. They conveniently forget that which is forgetable

Like LBJ's time in Cleveland. It will be but a footnote in history when they say he "started his career in L.A. before moving to ________ where he won 3 championships."

[Keith]

Originally Posted by HAMMER411

Julius Erving..Nets, nothing...Sixers, well

Hammer--not for nothing, but Erving won 2 ABA championships with the Nets. He had talent around him. Guys like Larry Kenon, Billy Paultz, Wendell Ladner, they were all solid players. I know. I used to go to the games (my family had Nets season tickets when I was a kid and they played at the Nassau Colisseum).

[home dogs]

Originally Posted by GFootsXtreme

You have conveniently forgotten about Shaq here
Kobe won his 1st 3 only because Shaq was there to get it done
Yes Kobe is now the man and was excellent then also, but not what he is today

Wade can't do a darn thing without Shaq either
Wade was carried all the way to the Finals when he finally broke out and played great
Without Shaq he never even would have gotten close

If you ask 100 people where Shaq started his NBA career I would bet 95 of them would say LA. They conveniently forget that which is forgetable

Like LBJ's time in Cleveland. It will be but a footnote in history when they say he "started his career in L.A. before moving to ________ where he won 3 championships."

There is no way if you aks 100 people who know anything about the NBA where did shaq start would 95 say LA everyone knows he started in Orlando and he dominated there also.
Lebron looked exhausted against the Cavs and he looked around and saw his teammmates suck. IMO to play with Rose and possible one other big name player will be too much for him he will take the bait and go to CHI

[sancho]

IMO chicago is next step and ground work was laid with talk of changing number and honoring MJ

[Bisket]

Originally Posted by Ricky Tan

Lebron staying in Cleveland

[Romanowski]

I think hes staying too, there really isnt a more attractive place to go except maybe chicago

unrestricted free agent still means the max deal for any team not named the cavs is 5 years

While clev can offer a 6 yr

it really comes down to what is the top priority for him, winning or money

Even on such a small market team, his image was still international, and he was marketed as such

So whats the reason to go to the Knicks? they are far away from winning, he can make more in NBA salary and roughly the same in marketing money, dont make sense Even if they lure someone else still 2-3 years best case to be championship caliber..

New Jersey was a possibility, with the new owner, maybe a maverick, plus the possibility of John Wall, but they didnt win the 1st pick...

that leaves Chicago, and longer shot Miami, both nice places to live, both offer a winning formula, but still less money than Clev per rules...

I certainly think Clev is the favorite to retain him

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Romanowski

So whats the reason to go to the Knicks? they are far away from winning, he can make more in NBA salary and roughly the same in marketing money,

I disagree there Romo. He comes to NY and he becomes a media superstar--which I don't think he can do in Chicago or Miami. Certainly not Cleveland.

One other thought, you have to factor in that the players like playing for D'Antoni, which makes NY attractive as well.

[Romanowski]

Ok, Pat Riley would likely come back to coach in Miami in the event Lebron goes there, its moot

what does mega superstar mean? and why cant he achieve that in cleveland if he hasnt already?

You mean like star in music videos? I mean I guess, right now hes already international

anything more your focus on the game suffers.. In any case, there are pluses and minuses to all the possible destinations

He needs to decide whats more important to him, if its winning, and in the near future

hate to say it but Clev still is the best chance, they need a new PG, Mo Williams doesnt cut it

[GFootsXtreme]

If you really think about the situation in Cleveland --

they have had their chance. What is it exactly that Cleveland will do NOW that they didn't or couldn't do last year...the year before...the year before? Their GM does what he does, they got Shaq. Their coach is what he is, and they had their chance to change him out after last year's frustrating playoffs...this year was the same.

I think it comes down to LBJ making a decision on whether or not he believes in Cleveland's organization. I tend to think he has had enough and wants another situation.

I still cannot see LBJ being advised to go to NY, simply because D'Antoni is a proven loser in the playoffs. The last thing LBJ needs is to go to a place where the coach focuses on winning a lot of regular season games and then having no real strategy in the playoffs.

Of course the ads and everything else are important, but also think about the nightlife. The guy is 25 and has to hang out in Cleveland every night? Where...at the warehouse district? LOL that's the real crux of it. He has too much money to sit around the Cleveland area when there is so much going on elsewhere.

[GFootsXtreme]

I am a big Paxson hater for a lot of good reasons

But I will say this -- the Bulls as an organziation has never been quieter...ever. To me that is a sign that something is in the works, who knows what though. Maybe another trade to get Ben Gordon back? LOL....I hope it's about LBJ