King or Prince? LeBron James to Choose Tonight
Will LeBron James Leave Cleveland to Play for the Miami Heat?
At 9:00 PM tonight, LeBron James will announce his NBA intentions during a 1-hour ESPN special "The Decision". The hype that has surrounded James, considered the grand prize of the 2010 free agency class, has built to a media-driven speculative frenzy. The waiting has been reported to end by 9:10 PM - but what will ESPN do with the rest of the allotted hour?
ESPN.com is reporting that while the deal isn't done, "several sources with knowledge of the situation" say that LeBron James is headed to the Miami Heat. Joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, forming a super-trio of All-Stars, could very well earn King James his first ring. ESPN's Chris Broussard stated that the front-runners in the James decision are the Cavs and the Heat, but LeBron's choice will come down to money and home or a championship-which does James want more?
NBA salary caps provide two distinct scenarios. LeBron James has the possibility of making $30 million more over the life of a contract by staying with the Cavs, but can Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert and new coach Byron Scott attract the talent to finally give the North Shore its coveted NBA title? If James heads south, he, Wade and Bosh will each have to give up some money in order to play together.
Cleveland Cavaliers fans will spend today rubbing every good luck charm in their arsenal in hopes that LeBron James holds HOME as a higher priority than jewelry - specifically, an NBA Championship ring. The city of Cleveland has been doing its best to convince James they want him to stay. My personal favorite was probably the "Please Stay LeBron" video (now removed) released in early May, although celebrity chef Michael Symon's offer to travel to James' home near Cuyahoga Falls to prepare an "Iron Chef"-style meal was pretty good, too.
If James takes his ESPN opportunity to announce that he is leaving the Cavs, he may surpass Art Modell as the most hated man in Cleveland. For months after Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, my cousin's answering machine repeated "Art Modell Assassination Hotline".
This morning, LeBron James is trending on Twitter and his official Facebook page is filled with fans and foes. Throughout the day, the media will continue to build the frenzy to James' announcement sometime after 9:00 PM tonight. Until then, the question remains:
Will LeBron James remain King James in Cleveland? Or will he demote himself to Prince James in Miami?
Sources: ESPN.com ; LeBron James official website
LeBron James official Facebook Page ; Michael Symon official Facebook Page ; Esquire.com
Published by Debbie Henthorn - Featured Contributor in Business & Finance and Lifestyle
Debbie has been blessed with an incurable wanderlust. Former jobs included extensive travel throughout the United States, making it possible for this self-proclaimed "food/beer/wine geek" to taste the countr... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentThanks Mike! According to reports, Wade, Bosh & James would all have to take a lower salary (what's a mill or so among friends?) in order to play together. The most money over the life of a contract would have been with the Cavs, about $30 million more over 6 years. LeBron's stock has lowered due to the PR fiasco with the "Look at Me" show.
I thought the whole LeBron thing was a total farce. He went to Miami, where the most money is... what would anyone expect? And ESPN's coverage was abysmal at best.
LeBron is an egomaniac and ESPN is a joke. A one hour show, seriously? MJ never pulled this kind of nonsense and he was bigger in the 90's than LeBron is now.
LeBron is bigger than Cleveland. I'd like to see him in Miami, or even better, stay in Cleveland.