DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum LeBron Fuels New York / New Jersey Rumors

LeBron aware that Nets, Knicks looking to snag All-Star in future

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

Updated: June 30, 2008, 7:33 PM ET

NEW YORK -- All that LeBron James-to-the-Knicks speculation might be focused on the right city but the wrong team.

It appears, judging from James' comments Monday, that the Nets might be James' preferred destination if he opts out of his contract in the summer of 2010 and becomes an unrestricted free agent.

James listed New York as his favorite city Monday (his hometown of Akron, Ohio came in fifth behind Washington D.C., Dallas, and Los Angeles) as he took part in a one-day USA Basketball media blitz, and he also gave an answer to a follow-up question that'll make Knicks president Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni cringe.

"My favorite borough? Brooklyn," James said, choosing the proposed future home of the New Jersey Nets over the borough of Manhattan, where the Knicks play their home games. "Brooklyn is definitely a great place here in New York City, and some of my best friends are from Brooklyn, so I stick up for them."

James is personal friends with the performer Jay-Z, who owns a small piece of the Nets, but James said that relationship would play no role in whether he decides to leave Cleveland -- either when his contract expires in 2011, or if he exercises his opt-out in 2010. The Nets made a major financial move on draft night to position themselves to make a maximum offer to James in the summer of 2010, shedding Richard Jefferson's contract when they dealt him to Milwaukee for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. If New Jersey chooses to trade Vince Carter for a player or players whose contracts expire before the summer of 2010, they'll have more than enough room to offer James a maximum salary.

LeBron James and Team USA were in New York Monday for photo shoots and a team pep rally at Rockefeller Center.

The Knicks have also made clear that their No. 1 priority is to clear cap space for the summer of 2010 when James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade can all become unrestricted free agents. But they'll have to move Zach Randolph and at least one other player already under contract through 2010-11 -- Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries -- in order to get far enough below the cap to make James a max offer.

If James waits until 2011 to become a free agent, the Knicks are positioned to have enough room to make a max offer.

James is a frequent visitor to New York, and he constantly hears pleas from Knicks fans -- and a few Nets fans -- to relocate to the nation's media capital two summers down the road. The Nets plan to relocate from East Rutherford to Brooklyn in 2010 if owner Bruce Ratner is able to clear the final hurdles that have delayed the building of his massive Atlantic Yards project in central Brooklyn, which will have the Nets' new arena as its centerpiece.

"They have a right to dream about it, and I can't take that away from them. My friendship was way before Jay was part-owner of the Nets, and I loved the Garden way before I got to the NBA," James said. "For some reason when I get to the Garden I always play well, so they want me to do it 41 games instead of just two nights a year."

Knicks fans were in abundant supply at midday Monday as James and the rest of Team USA were introduced at a Nike press conference at Rockefeller Center, and James played to the crowd like a true showman -- sprinting with a wide smile and open arms into bleacher seats erected at both ends of a temporary court, embracing dozens of youngsters clad in blue "United We Rise" T-shirts.

Earlier, James waved demonstrably at a boatful of tourists from the deck of a ship the team chartered for a photo shoot in New York Harbor with the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop.

"I never thought about doing it, but once you get out there & I'm a big kid personally, I got two young sons at home and I know what they like, so anytime I get around a group of kids it's like a kid in the candy store for me. So, I'm happy I was able to put smiles on those kids faces," James said. "It made my day, totally."

The crowd ate up his act, as did his teammates.

"Was that New York-driven? No, I think it was James-driven. That's who he is," Kidd said. "He's a kid, he's full of energy, he has a lot of personality ... LeBron just has a lot of personality -- you see it in the commercials -- and that's him, and for him to interact with the kids, it might put a little stress on security, but for the kids to be able to touch him and see him in that light, you can't ask anything more than that."

Chris Sheridan is an ESPN.com Insider. He has covered the U.S. senior national team since the 1996 Olympics.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3468173

He leaves, someone torches his mansion.

He'll be more hated than Modell, IMO.

True !....but only IF we by that time have proven that we will Not spend the $ to build around him as these other teams appear ready to do....In that case I can't blame him for leaving , because it's Not about the $ , it's about winning an NBA Title....

This thing just won't die.

He didn't say anything to "fuel" the rumors, other than he likes the city of New York...well whoopdeedoooo

And if anyone torches his mansion, they would be shaming our city.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think I'd rather hang out in NYC than in Akron. That's just me though. I think people are reading way too much into this. I doubt most athletes would rate the city they play in as their favorite city, unless they play in LA, NYC, Miami, or possibly Atlanta or Chicago.

Here's a guy who thinks otherwise...

Hey, you can spell 'world' without N-Y-C
June 29, 2008
By Gregg Doyel
CBSSports.com National Columnist

Maybe it's because I live in Ohio, and nobody -- but nobody -- belittles my state. (Unless I'm doing the belittling. Goes without saying.)

Maybe it's because the alleged star of this story is the city of New York, either Manhattan or Brooklyn, and nothing -- but nothing -- bugs me more than the beatification of all things New York.

Or maybe it's because the whole idea is stupid, and I seem to be the only person who gets it.

All of the above, probably.

Because LeBron James isn't going to New York -- not to the Knicks, not to the Nets, not to anyone -- in 2010.

That's not the party line, of course. The party line in NBA circles has LeBron opting out of his contract with Cleveland after the 2009-10 season, with the Knicks and the Brooklyn-bound Nets already doing what they can to gussy themselves up. That was one of the biggest storylines to come out of last week's NBA Draft -- the Knicks' and Nets' efforts to shed salary, improve their young talent and in general make themselves more marketable for the LeBron Sweepstakes in two years.

The unspoken shot at Cleveland, and therefore Ohio, and probably the entire Midwest, makes me want to puke.

Bunch of bumpkins out there. LeBron needs to play in a real city.

The assumption that LeBron would leave Cleveland for New York (or Los Angeles or Chicago) is so 1990s. A decade ago, the argument would have made all the sense in the world. If a superstar wanted to be treated and feted like a superstar, he had to go where the media was. That was New York, or Boston, or L.A.

Now the media is everywhere. The Internet is everywhere. Television cameras go everywhere. And something else that cannot be overlooked:

Wherever LeBron James plays, that city is a major media market.

The NBA could plant a new franchise in Wichita, and if the Cavaliers traded LeBron James there, Wichita would be on television so much you'd be sick of it. And I mean no offense to Wichita. If CBSSports.com tells me tomorrow to move from Cincinnati, and gives me a choice between Wichita and New York, I'm picking Wichita. Unlike so many in the media who believe the world revolves around Manhattan, I don't need New York.

Neither does LeBron. Why would he? To get himself a $90 million Nike deal? He got one of those out of high school, some small city called "Akron" in the nothing state of "Ohio."

LeBron needs New York? Why? To get himself an iconic commercial featuring, I don't know, four likenesses called The LeBrons? Been there, done that.

To have his own action figure? LeBron has one of those. LeBron is close to surpassing $200 million in endorsements from that backwater state of Ohio, and he's just 23 years old. If Tiger Woods needs a loan in a couple years, he's calling LeBron. And the area code will be 216.

LeBron doesn't need New York. Now then, New York needs LeBron. Totally. The Knicks suck, the Nets are irrelevant, and the basketball-loving media in that area simply will not tolerate it. Fine. But let's get this straight: LeBron James has done just fine by LeBron James in Cleveland, and if Danny Ferry would stop screwing it up, he can win NBA titles there. LeBron doesn't have to become a moth and chase the light of New York. He's a light bulb unto himself, capable of convincing Amare Stoudemire or Chris Paul or another superstar of that ilk to flit to Cleveland.

Yes, I get the whole Jay-Z thing. The rap mogul owns the Nets and, because superstars run in cliques, he has buddied up to LeBron to the point where they're super tight, like, OMG! And LeBron might well like to play for Jay-Z. That would be natural. But does LeBron want to leave what he has to play in a city that wouldn't cater to his every whim?

Look at it like this. The Cavaliers went to China last preseason because LeBron wanted to go. His marketing team -- they have those in Ohio -- has been eyeing the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as another step in the LeGlobalization of LeBron, and having the Cavs play there last fall was a boon not only for LeBron, but also for the NBA. It takes two teams to play an exhibition game, so the Cavs were joined in China by the Magic, but NBA commissioner David Stern could barely remember. This is what he said before the game:

"Having the Cavs there is very exciting," Stern said, "as well as the Magic."

New York? The Knicks wouldn't have gone to China just to please LeBron. If the Knicks or Nets actually did land LeBron, they'd immediately make it clear that he's simply part of the franchise. In Cleveland, LeBron is the franchise. Everyone understands. LeBron wields power in Cleveland he would never have in New York. What's more, LeBron loves northern Ohio. He's one of the biggest boosters at the University of Akron. He gives and gives and gives to kids in Akron and Cleveland. He's a legend there, and he's only 23. If he leaves for another city, he's not a legend. He's a mercenary. I just don't see it happening.

Besides, LeBron doesn't need New York. He's the crossover prince of sports culture -- an interesting Tiger, a safe Kobe -- which means he doesn't need to be in the monster city to draw monster attention. Last year his marketing people (they have those in Ohio) put together a summit in Akron with executives from some of the biggest companies in the country, powerhouses like Nike, Coca-Cola and Microsoft, and spent two days talking about the multinational growth of LeBron James.

At one point LeBron took the stage and mocked shock that such a high-falutin' group would come to his neck of the woods. He said, "Who would have thought we could get you guys to Akron, Ohio?"

This was no shock, and he knew it. Even if the financial and media world is centered in New York, LeBron James doesn't have to go there.

When you're LeBron James, the world comes to you.

This guy deserves the Pulitzer!!!

i love how espn tries to make something out of nothing...

"oh my god, he said he likes new york, that means he's going there!"

"oh my god, he has a yankee hat on, he's going there!"

lolz

i think its funny, personally...

lebron could leave cleveland, sure, i mean, we're cleveland, it wouldn't be the first time an elite athlete left us...

but to draw conclusions from what he says? i mean, they do realize he is one of the most coached up athletes in the world of sports, as far as saying the right thing...

i didn't believe him when he said he loves cleveland, and he can't see himself anywhere else, and i don't believe the hype that the new york media/espn creates...

especially guys like stephen a smith, who are constantly wrong to the point of where you should always bet against them.

lebron could leave, it could happen, but some of the reasons that espn's staff come up with are pretty freaking funny...

if #23 does leave, it will be for the right reasons, not because he's going to go hang out with his buddy, who by the way is a minority owner of the nets

he's going to do it, because he sees that his prime is approaching, and the situation in cleveland isn't going to get any better...

and if he stays? it will be one giant lolfest for all of us to enjoy...

At this point ... if I'm LeBron ... I'd be saying things like this just to mess with the New York media. He's already come out several times and said that if Cleveland can put a winning team around him, he'll stay here. But they keep pressing the issue. Might be fun to get them all worked up, and then make them look stupid when he re-signs here.

i've always been on the "danny ferry really isn't that bad" boat...

for one, being an nba gm isn't like being a mlb gm...

drafts are pretty obvious... you don't get as many steals as you would in the nfl or mlb... the best players are usually found in the lottery... every now and again you find a carlos boozer or a tony parker, or a michael redd...

danny ferry walked into a bad situation... the only positive he had was the cap space, which he used to sign the top free agents, nobody on here, or really, in cleveland, was complaining about larry hughes or donyell marshall, or damon jones...

those guys didn't adjust to the cavs, they didn't live up to expectations, and one of them (hughes) was not dedicated to winning

danny ferry also walked into a situation where draft picks had been flushed down the toilet by prior management...

being an nba gm isn't really that tough of a job....

the browns found josh cribbs and derek anderson from the bottom rung of the league...

but, danny ferry won't be finding any key pieces from the d-league, or from undrafted free agents, it just doesn't work like that...

i actually have faith that he is going to use our expiring deals to bring in that second guy, and then all the detractors can shut up for a few days...

honestly, i can see some people on here, and really in general, start talking about 2016, or whenever it is, when lebron will leave (if he re-signs with the cavs) because they are that miserable...

and honestly, we have 2 years until his free agency hits, that is a long, long time, a ton can happen...

Nice post..

I got a kick outta the 2016 comment

I debated the ranking between OSU and the Indians. Right now, I think, OSU could take number 2 - it is debatable though. Depending on the year, those rankings could change. In the 90's...hands down, that ranking goes to the Indians. Hell, they may have been number 1 after Modell moved the team. But, the Indians really only have tons of fans when they're good. I remember those games at Muni when my Dad and I were 2 of about 2,000 people there. Sure, the Indians winning the WS would cause mass hysteria in Cleveland, but that isn't happening anytime soon (unless they make some huge moves between now and the deadline this year). Cleveland is a football town, first and foremost. And I was raised on all things Cleveland, and NOT OSU (that came later, after I attended OSU)

As for Ferry, I never said he's done anything wrong. Just saying he needs to get that piece in there and if he doesn't and LBJ leaves, then it's on his shoulders.

Your right, when I think of Ohio State fans I think of Columbus. No doubt they are big here but this is Browns/Indians town.
Ferry has sucked ass at the draft for the most part but been able to find a few gems here and there. If LBJ leaves he leaves b/c he won't win here. The man is already a millionaire,, he wants the hardware to go along with it. Like Dan marino. he made the cash, had the stats and was the face of their franchise but never won it all. Who wants to be remembered like that? It will hurt b/c it seems to always happen and hopefully we can get him what he needs to win.

the way i see it, i think lebron wants to stay...

but he also realizes that the deal the cavs will offer him, is for 6 years, that is a long time... he'll be 31 when that deal is over, and he will be on the back end of his prime...

he doesn't want to spend that time on a team that constantly underachieves, a team that just isn't good enough

i don't think the cavs underachievers though... i think mike brown gets everything out of his teams...

they took the best team in basketball, the eventual nba champs, to a seventh game, and on the road, almost nearly won it...

a year ago, he took a team that wasn't supposed to win the east, to the nba finals...

the celtics had 3 all star caliber players, probably 3 guys that could end up in the hall of fame (allen and garnett are probably already in, pierce is right there)

the cavs have lebron, and a bunch of small complimentary pieces...

a lot of experts think you need a trio, a "big 3"

duncan, ginobili, parker

allen, garnett, pierce

bryant, odom, gasol (it will probably be bryant, gasol, and bynum next year)

williams, boozer, kirilenko

i don't think we need 3 superstars, we got to the finals, and almost beat the eventual nba champs with one

i think if we add more guy, someone who can deal with pressure late in games, that would be enough to get us a championship

i've said it a few times, in the nba, you have that small group of elite teams

over the past few years, it's been san antonio, detroit, phoenix, dallas

and this year you can throw in the lakers and celtics

it's a small group, almost like a fraternity, of teams that know how to win, that play good every night during the season so that they can better themselves with homecourt in the playoffs

the cavs are probably the first team on the outside of the group, they are like the 13 year old kid who's good enough to play with the 16-17 year olds, but still ends up with some bumps and bruises...

if they add one more guy, someone that can handle the ball, score around 20 points a game, they will enter that group...

i'm probably well known as a mike brown supporter, but the one thing that gets me is how this team underachieves during the season, forget getting beat by the elite teams, they don't beat the teams they are supposed to beat...

i think he's too defensive minded during the year...

in the playoffs? he's great, one of the better coaches... a close carbon copy of popovich...

but during the year, i think you need to stress offense a little more, because teams will take shots in regular season games that they won't take in a playoff game, the game itself is just totally different...

and then usually around march, you start making that adjustment, you start getting more physical, and start trying to play for less possessions...

the cavs should come into the year on a quest to take homecourt in the east, boston may be the champs, but in my opinion, they don't own the east...

phil jackson said it best, the elite teams get 40 before 20...

meaning if you think you're championship caliber, you should win your 40th game before you lose your 20th, and i agree completely.

Breaking News on ESPN, Baron Davis is opting out. There is no link for it, but it was on the bottom line during this Gladiators game...

I just saw that as well...reel him in!

I agree.

Ferry isn't the problem.

we don't have the money... unless gilbert goes WAY over the cap...

i can't believe he opted out though, he was due 17+ million this year...

NO ONE has cap room, not just us. Only teams that do are Philly and like 2 other teams. Maybe Washingto decides to go after him instead of resigning Gil. It woudl be cheaper for them...

This is gonna be interesting.

I believe we could still get him through a trade via GS sign and trade.

Yup, we don't have the cap space to offer him a deal. Gilbert likes to spend money....but it's going to cost a lot more than just a big contract to get him (The Cavs will be paying a HUGE luxury tax too).

that's why i'm shocked he'd opt out...

if we could pull a sign and trade, that would be awesome...

baron davis is not my first choice, but to get a bona fide ball handler like he is, i'll take it...

actually, we could be a frontrunner... if you think about it...

golden state knows they can't keep him...

so if we package up some expiring deals, and maybe andy, we could do it...

elton brand has opted out as well...

he says that he wants to stay with the clippers, but i don't know if i believe that or not, he's due about 16m...

we have interest in him, but so does chicago, as they could package up a ben gordon, or a chris duhon, maybe even kirk hinrich, to bring in brand (whom they dropped the ball on a few years ago) to go alongside #1 pick derrick rose...

antawn jamison was just signed, which means gilbert arenas will most likely stay in washington...

yeah well obviously ferry is working the phones as we speak...

I am really interested to see how this goes down, add Elton Brand to the list. It just said on the bottom line "Elton Brand opts out of contract, but intends to resign with the Clips. He was due 16.8"

Come on Ferry!

Hmm..

IMO Brand is gonna have a new home.

one thing this does do to us, is lessen the class of '09, in which we'd have a boatload of money to spend...

both guys would have been free agents (add gilbert arenas to the list)

but now that class lessens... allen iverson could be the top free agent after next season...

i think we have to make a move, right now.

Very Good Point..

What about Andy, Sasha, DJ and 09 First rounder for Davis?

Edit: I forgot to add DJ


Prolly not enough?

i actually think golden state could have some interest in wally...

i know wally was awful for us, but think about it...

think about nelson's style of play out there, run and gun... quick 3's in transition...

he fits their system perfectly, and if he doesn't, they have just cleared 13 million in cap space...

they have to have some interest in him...

I am sure they would have interest in Wally, but in a perfect world, I would love to somehow hold on to Wally's contract. If somehow we could get Davis while still having Wally and Snow for a big deadline deal and/or an 09 free agent, WOW!

with brand, arenas, and davis all opted out, and looking for new deals, here is what the '09 class will look like...

allen iverson
jason kidd
mike bibby
drew gooden
rasheed wallace
al harrington
jermaine o'neal
corey maggette
lamar odom
shawn marion
ron artest
carlos boozer
andre miller

there are a few other decent players, and i also didn't include anyone with restrictions, like some of the better young guys in the league (williams and paul are both restricted, like new orleans or utah is not going to match aything)

it's a decent group, there are some good players, i think shawn marion could fit the cavs well, but the 3 best players in that class are elton brand, baron davis, and gilbert arenas... a few come close, but those are the big 3...