The Official Lebron James 2010 prediction thread

[Nets fan 93]

i would really like to see lebron in a knicks uniform that will be crazy. I hate the nets jersey.

HA enjoy it!

[RedBlackAttack]

HA enjoy it!

This picture is as close as it is going to get. Only one player since 1996 has turned down a max contract from his team (an extra $20 million) to bolt to another city (Shaq to LA).

Since the Cavs can easily be considered annual contenders now, there really is no reason for LeBron to turn down that money, allowing him to play for a championship quality team in his hometown and instead take a step backwards, both monetarily and in terms of closeness to a title contender.

The move really makes very little sense. Keep dreaming, though.

[Nets fan 93]

Just because only one player has done it since 1996 doesnt mean anything... Lebron gets to play in a bigger market, Brooklyn is his favorite city, Jay-z is his friend... the cavs make the playoffs but never win the ring... dont you think he is tired of that? he knows he is the team... w/o his assists his team would win brobably single digit games...

Think would Lebro rather play w/ old slow Z or young Lopez and young Yi- who can have a big increase in stas in his coming to NJ not sharing time w/ CV31...

In a couple of years I garuntee Devin will be better than Delonte West..
Lebron wont have to do all the pg work that he would have to w/ the Cavs... Also iw we trade VC for an expirer and some young talent we also can offer King James the MAX contract...

Us Nets fans arent scared one bit.... He loves Brooklyn...
Devin, ???, Lebron, Yi(devolped), Lopez(devoped) = CHAMPIONSHIP

[RedBlackAttack]

I will make this a multi-part answer for easier reading.

Just because only one player has done it since 1996 doesnt mean anything... Lebron gets to play in a bigger market, Brooklyn is his favorite city, Jay-z is his friend...

A. LeBron has way more friends in Cleveland/Akron than in Brooklyn. His entire family lives in northeast Ohio.

B. Market size is vastly overrated in this day and age. It isn't 1950 anymore. LeBron is one of the most well known athletes in the world. Only people in Cleveland and New York care what jersey he is wearing. I have already engaged in long-winded diatribes about how technology and the global market has effected the notion of 'market size' and I really don't feel like explaining it again, but I will if I must.

C. Jay-Z owns less than 1% of the Nets. He is barely even a footnote in the organization. Maybe Kobe and Usher are bff's, but I wouldn't expect Bryant to make a move that could effect his entire career based on a guy that is barely affiliated with the team.

the cavs make the playoffs but never win the ring... dont you think he is tired of that? he knows he is the team... w/o his assists his team would win brobably single digit games...

A. Only one team wins a ring each year. LeBron just finished his fifth year in the league and is still just 23 years old. He already has a finals appearance and a playoff series record of 6-3 (better than almost every other superstar in the NBA over the last three seasons).

The Cavs were the closest team to the Celtics last year. Acting as though there is no opportunity for him to win a ring in Cleveland is ludicrous. The team wasn't that far away this past season.

B. If LeBron is the difference between the Cavs nearly winning a 7th game on the road against a team that proceeded to roll through the ECF and Finals and winning single digit games, he is the best player ever.

If you hadn't noticed, the Cavaliers organization and coaching staff have put together, possibly, the staunchest defensive and rebounding team in the entire league. That includes contributions by LeBron, but isn't limited to him.

The Cavs win in the playoffs because of defense. Sure... the scoring by LeBron helps, but the team around him is built for the playoffs.

Think would Lebro rather play w/ old slow Z or young Lopez and young Yi- who can have a big increase in stas in his coming to NJ not sharing time w/ CV31...

CV31? LOL! You are stretching...

Honestly? I think Z may be better than both of those guys.

In a couple of years I garuntee Devin will be better than Delonte West..
Lebron wont have to do all the pg work that he would have to w/ the Cavs... Also iw we trade VC for an expirer and some young talent we also can offer King James the MAX contract...

I see we have another poster that doesn't understand the intricacies of the NBA bargaining agreement. The Cavs can offer LeBron $20 million more than any other prospective team... THAT is the max. So no... the Nets can't offer him a max contract. Only the Cavs can do that.

...and I think Delonte West is a perfect fit for LeBron. The only thing missing from the Cavs' lineup is a post threat, which may be addressed this offseason.

[DeuceWallaces]

You sit here and act like there's no chance or no reason.

He just said his favorite city was NY and his favorite borough was Brooklyn. Slight coincidence with all the talk don't ya think? He also listed his hometown as 5th. Why won't he just say I'm staying in Cleveland? It would be quite simple, even if it's a lie which plenty of players do until they take off.

Also don't act like there's no monetary advantage being in NYC compared to Cleveland. His endorsements would blow up in NYC or Chicago compared to Cleveland. It's also obvious he at least somewhat enjoys the spotlight and desires to be more than just a basketball player, and NYC would offer that chance like no other city.

There are just as many reasons to support him leaving as there are staying.

[RedBlackAttack]

You sit here and act like there's no chance or no reason.

He just said his favorite city was NY and his favorite borough was Brooklyn. Slight coincidence with all the talk don't ya think? He also listed his hometown as 5th. Why won't he just say I'm staying in Cleveland? It would be quite simple, even if it's a lie which plenty of players do until they take off.

Also don't act like there's no monetary advantage being in NYC compared to Cleveland. His endorsements would blow up in NYC or Chicago compared to Cleveland. It's also obvious he at least somewhat enjoys the spotlight and desires to be more than just a basketball player, and NYC would offer that chance like no other city.

There are just as many reasons to support him leaving as there are staying.

Sure... there are reasons for leaving. I never said that there weren't ANY monetary advantages to playing in New York, but they are vastly overrated (there really is no escalator in his Nike contract, btw). Also, if it really comes down to money, he will have $20 million more reasons to sign with Cleveland than the Nets. That isn't exactly money that you sneeze at.

LeBron isn't already in the spotlight? He has hosted SNL and the ESPYs already. What Knick, Net, or Laker has done either of those things?


Read the article that I posted above. I'm not saying that LeBron will positively stay in Cleveland. I think that roster moves made between now and '10 could be the decider, though... not Jay-Z, not which borough is his favorite, and not the fact that Akron is his 5th favorite city.

Honestly.... I can't believe Akron is THAT high on his list.

[Nets fan 93]

^^If the Heat only win 15 games with wade most of the season.. you dont think the Cavs will? they were defeated every game w/o him

[final.wrath]

I have a feeling we will be seeing LeBron in a Knick jersey............

NY fans rejoice. This will be HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

did you not even read the original post?

[RedBlackAttack]

^^If the Heat only win 15 games with wade most of the season.. you dont think the Cavs will? they were defeated every game w/o him

There is a difference between saying that a team would stink without its star player and that a team doesn't contribute anything when said star player is on the floor.

Sure... the Cavs would stink without LeBron. But, with his scoring and playmaking added to a team that is built on defensive fundamentals and crashing the boards, you have a mix that is capable of contending for championships.

[final.wrath]

redblackattack the markets are about TV and how many people Nike and other Lebron brands can reach. selling jerseys is nothing compared to that income.

they reach a lot more people if lebron is in new york, because a lot more people will watch the nets compared to the cavs, especially with a megasuperstar like Lebron on the team. NY sports fans will watch in record numbers.

the NBA salary is not where he gets most of his income. its contracts with companies like Nike. So by moving to New York and playing for less money in terms of his NBA contract, he's more than making up for those couple of lost millions when all of his off-the-court income increases dramatically.

[Nets fan 93]

redblackattack the markets are about TV and how many people Nike and other Lebron brands can reach. selling jerseys is nothing compared to that income.

they reach a lot more people if lebron is in new york, because a lot more people will watch the nets compared to the cavs, especially with a megasuperstar like Lebron on the team. NY sports fans will watch in record numbers.
the NBA salary is not where he gets most of his income. its contracts with companies like Nike. So by moving to New York and playing for less money in terms of his NBA contract, he's more than making up for those couple of lost millions when all of his off-the-court income increases dramatically.

Got that right, thanks for making a nets fan happy again, and NY and NJ and maybe PA will watch not just NY..

[final.wrath]

whoops double post

[final.wrath]

Got that right, thanks for making a nets fan happy again, and NY and NJ and maybe PA will watch not just NY..

hell the lower half of new england too

[Nets fan 93]

hell the lower half of new england too

Not to mention the Giants, Yankees lol wow That would be insane...

[RedBlackAttack]

redblackattack the markets are about TV and how many people Nike and other Lebron brands can reach. selling jerseys is nothing compared to that income.

they reach a lot more people if lebron is in new york, because a lot more people will watch the nets compared to the cavs, especially with a megasuperstar like Lebron on the team. NY sports fans will watch in record numbers.

the NBA salary is not where he gets most of his income. its contracts with companies like Nike. So by moving to New York and playing for less money in terms of his NBA contract, he's more than making up for those couple of lost millions when all of his off-the-court income increases dramatically.

Like I said, the supposed escalator in LeBron's Nike contract based on market size does not exist. There is absolutely no evidence to support the notion that LeBron's deal with Nike will increase depending on where he is playing. He already has an absolutely huge deal with the company (a record shoe deal, in fact).

It isn't as if he is playing in Antarctica. The Cavs are on national television more than almost every team in the league and the Cavs have some of the league's highest viewership and they are one of the league's biggest road draws.

More importantly, LeBron is a global star. He is absolutely huge in Japan and China. Do you really think the Japanese and Chinese give a sh!t whether he is in a blue and orange jersey or a wine and gold one?

We have entered a global market and that goes for sports, too. Whatever extra viewership he would get from playing in a bigger market is a relatively small portion of the fans all over the world that watch him play and couldn't care less what club he plays for.