The Decision

As a casual NBA fan and someone who, for the most part, is genuinely annoyed by the "LeBron Watch" era of sports news, it's still hard not to speculate where James will end up.  The general consensus is that it's a six-team race:

Category I: We have the cap space, but that's about it.

6. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

LeBron James wants to be the name of all names.  He will play second fiddle to no one on this planet, which is why you can all but cross the Clips off the list.  Not only would LeBron not be the center of the basketball universe on Los Angeles' other basketball team, but he wouldn't even be the main attraction of a city that breathes Kobe Bryant.  Not going to happen.

5. NEW JERSEY NETS

The Brookly...excuse me, New Jersey Nets, are intriguing.  With an ownership team consisting of hip-hop legend Jay-Z and a Russian billionaire who openly admits his love for the game of basketball doesn't extend nearly as far as his love for women, and lots of them, the Nets look like a dream come true for any up-and-coming star.  There's just one problem: they play in New Jersey...for now, at least.  You better believe that ownership wants the Nets to move to Brooklyn, and that yesterday wouldn't nearly be soon enough.  For the present though, New Jersey is not a serious option for James.  Proximity to New York and young players like Devin Harris and Derrick Favors are appealing, but LeBron wants to win, too.  The story would be drastically different if the New Jersey Nets became the Brooklyn Somethings overnight.  The King of Kings County? Possibly. But LeBron James, the pride of...Newark, New Jersey? Probably not.

Category II: Sorry, I couldn't hear you over how awesome our city is.

4. CHICAGO BULLS

The Bulls aren't far from contention. You could do worse than playing alongside the likes of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and 80 million dollar newcomer Carlos Boozer. You could do worse than playing in the third largest market in the United States.  You could do worse than playing in front a crowd that witnessed the Michael Jordan era...or could you?  Because if the King signs the dotted line to spend the rest of his career in Chicago, rest assured the comparisons to the Airman would be nothing short of incessant.  "It only took Jordan X games to do this, but it's taking LeBron X + Y." The Bulls are a real option for James, but only if he's alright with being the Second Coming of something that already transcended legendary sports lore.  And I don't think he is.

3. NEW YORK KNICKS

If the city of New York had a husband, LeBron James is the equivalent of her personal trainer who has openly and intensely flirted with her for the past three years.  The New York apparel, the ads in New York newspapers, even  the custom shoes commemorating the Yankees 27th World Series championship are all indicative of one thing: LeBron James likes New York.  Even though the amount of money James makes is absurd as it is, putting on the Knicks uniform will put his endorsement revenue through the ceiling.  But as appealing as I'm sure the fame and money can be, I truly believe LeBron when he says he wants to win.  And unless I'm a total sap (and I might be), he's not going to New York.  

Category III: The Superteam...sort of.

2. MIAMI HEAT

Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James is one hell of a trio, plain and simple.  Assuming all three make the amount of money they're supposed to, the Heat will essentially be filling the rest of their roster with guys who will play for the veteran minimum.  I don't consider myself a huge NBA fan.  I don't claim to know the game as well as many others do.  But in order to build a winner, don't you need role players off the bench?  Don't you need guys that aren't even close to superstars, but make much more than the minimum?  Didn't the Lakers need Derek Fisher?  Didn't the Celtics need Eddie House and James Posey in 2008?  I'm sure it's true that James, Bosh, and Wade would all enjoy playing together.  I'm sure it's true they'd take less than the max so it wouldn't be necessary to move Michael Beasley.  But as far as 'superteams' go, doesn't this one look like fool's gold?  If LeBron wants to go where his chance to win multiple titles is highest, then Miami it is.  But this is no 1927 Yankees team.  I know the Heat would be good, very good, but would this be enough to lure LeBron away from home?  My guess is no.

Category IV: The Favorite

1. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Michael Jordan didn't need to run away from Chicago to win six NBA titles.  Kobe Bryant didn't need to run away from Los Angeles to win five.  Admittedly, I don't know if LeBron cares that he'd be running away from Cleveland if he left, all I know is that he would be. So what if he goes to Miami/New York/Chicago and wins three titles in four years?  He'll always be known as the superstar that needed to scamper somewhere else to get it done.  What's more, is that Northeast Ohio is James' home.  Don't be fooled by the glitz and glamor of New York or the hallowed basketball ground of Chicago; LeBron loves his home state.  When you're so far in the black, does it really matter if Nike tosses you a few extra sheckles to put the Knicks jersey on?  I don't think so, but I guess that's far easier to say when the money isn't inches away from your face.  Do I think LeBron is a saint? No.  Do I think he's one of the good guys? Hardly.  Do I think he's completely enveloped in his own ego and self-worth? Absolutely.  But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to go down in history as the greatest who ever played the game of basketball.  LeBron James' best shot at immortality is to stay home and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 


-TJ