Has it really been nearly
four years? Why yes, it has.
On July 8th,
2010, LeBron James, known in some circles as The King, and others, as the “Best
Basketball Player on the Planet, orchestrated a fantastical media extravaganza
entitled “The Decision.” James had spent
the first seven years of his career playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where
he amassed an impressive array of honors and recognition, including 6 All-Star
appearances, and two League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards…but zero NBA
Titles.
Tomorrow night, the Barclays
Center, in Brooklyn, NY, will host the 2014 NBA Draft. By the time the Draft officially ends in the
wee hours of Friday morning, less than 96 hours (4 days) will remain until the
onset of this year’s Free Agent Class.
An always-important dimension of any NBA season took on added importance
yesterday, as LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, announced that James will
exercise the early termination option in his contract and become a Free Agent
on July 1st.
In the original “Decision,”
James, a native of Akron, Ohio, elected to leave near-by Cleveland, and “Take
his talents to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.” In Miami, he joined Heat star Dwayne Wade,
and Toronto Raptor star Chris Bosh joined them both. The Big 3, as they have become known, went on
an impressive run, appearing in 4 consecutive NBA Finals; losing to the Dallas
Mavericks in 2011, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013, and the San
Antonio Spurs in 2013, and losing in a rematch this year to those same Spurs.
It is important to note that
this year’s LeBron Show will likely be very different than the media event of
four years ago. Then, there was a fairly
broad expectation that James would seriously consider leaving Cleveland, and
little surprise when he did. This year,
while it is certainly conceivable that he will leave MIA, it will not evoke
much surprise if he ultimately opts to stay in South Beach.
It is no surprise that
LeBron chose to opt out. MIA was
summarily spanked by San Antonio in The Finals.
They managed one victory, and that, only by a couple of points, while
losing the other four games by 15 points or more, including two maulings at
home in MIA. Ultimately, James may not
wish to leave the Heat, but he certainly wants Pat Riley and the Heat to ensure
that the team is more competitive moving forward. If I were to hazard a guess, I’d surmise
Riley got the message loud and clear.
In addition to the
possibility that the outcome (leaving his current team) may be different, my
gut suggests he will not replicate the elaborate backdrop for his 2014
“Decision.” Mr. James endured a
resounding backlash for his handling of that situation. While I did not find it as off-putting as
some did, LeBron has usually been amazingly media-savvy. He is one of the more successful product
pitchmen in contemporary culture. My
expectation is, no matter what his “Decision,” LeBron will communicate it in a
more understated manner than he did in 2010.
In the coming days, there
will likely be quite a buzz regarding the possible destination that LeBron
choose. Some have reckoned that he may
lead the formation of a new Big 3 with Carmelo Anthony as a key player. There are a few teams that stand out in the
mix, including the Houston Rockets, where he could join Superman and the Beard,
also known as Dwight Howard and James Harden, the Chicago Bulls, who are also
expected to vie for the services of Carmelo Anthony, the Los Angeles Lakers,
who could create the cap space, but would not have a robust supporting cast,
were they to do so, the Dallas Mavericks, though Dirk Nowitzki would likely
have to absorb a sizeable pay cut, the Los Angeles Clippers, though they might
have to jettison both DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin, in which case they
become a lot like the Lakers.
There are also teams that cash
rich, but cachet poor, like the Charlotte Hornets, the Phoenix Suns, and
Washington Wizards. I’m ready and
willing to be surprised, especially in the case of the Hornets, but I put the
chances of James “Taking his services to on of these three teams nestled
between slim and none, and resting closer to none.
That leaves the team that I
believe sits in the catbird seat in this year’s LeBron sweepstakes. Suffice it to say, I have no inside intel,
but in my humble opinion, “The Decision, Part II,” will end just as the
Decision did; with LeBron in South Beach.
The NBA rules of engagement allow MIA and all teams to exceed the cap to
re-sign their own players. MIA needs to
re-tool, and certainly have the motivation to do so, and…I think they will.
I’m done; holla back!
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