More on Lebron

by Tommy Dee on May 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

For those of you who think that Lebron will stay in Cleveland, the Post’s Mike Vaccaro thinks that it would be refreshing if he did.

“…OK. I’ll just say it. There is nothing — and I mean nothing — I would rather see on God’s green sporting earth than LeBron James as a Knick. Basketball is my wheelhouse sport, the game I played and thus care about more than any other. And as a guy who gets to see a lot of terrific sporting events up close, I can tell you this, too: there is nothing — nothing — that beats a big game at Madison Square Garden. Nothing. And there is nobody — nobody — who would guarantee a full decade’s worth of big games at the Garden than James, if he were to actually follow the Knicks’ make-a-wish blueprint and sign on after next season.

It would be magic every night, 41 nights a year, plus playoffs . . .. . . and I hope it doesn’t happen.

Ugh. Did I really just type that? Do I really believe that? I can’t believe I am admitting this but: yes, yes, I do. I think LeBron James belongs to Cleveland, belongs to the long-suffering fans of Northeast Ohio, belongs in a forever place in that city’s pantheon of heroes right alongside Jimmy Brown and Bob Feller and Otto Graham.

I think James — a product of Akron, which would never admit to being a suburb of Cleveland but surely is close enough to be considered at least a twin city — should play his entire legendary career in front of his friends. He should play in front of his family, in front of fans who have waited since 1964 to see one of their teams win a championship. He should play in front of fans who have endured The Drive and The Fumble, who lived through Edgar Renteria and blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2007 ALCS, who survived Ted Stepien’s ineptitude and Art Modell’s treachery and probably would tell you the wait was worth it to see the havoc LeBron and his crew are wreaking in these NBA playoffs.

I know, I know, I know: This isn’t the way a big-city sports fan is supposed to think. This isn’t the way a big-city sports columnist is supposed to behave. We are supposed to be hyper-parochial. We are supposed to lecture James about all that awaits him here in Fun City, all the endorsements, all the bright lights, all the opportunity that lies outside of basketball. We are supposed to make a disparaging comment about Cleveland, maybe liken it to the kind of city where “Cats” or “Les Miz” or “Miss Saigon” would visit before taking the show to Broadway, to New York, to the varsity…”

Wow, a member of the NY media who’s rooting against the King in NY.

For me, if he doesn’t come here, I won’t be too disappointed for long because, like Vaccaro says, he’ll be doing the right thing for Cleveland and I can live with that.

He just won’t be doing the right thing for himself from a business standpoint and, to me, I just can’t believe Lebron would allow himself to make a poor business decision. He’s too calculated.
  • J-Knick

    What Mike Vacccaro says doesn’t make sense to me. Sure, it’s a nice story that a superstar like James plays for his hometown. Most superstars dont have that opportunity.

    But playing his whole career in Cleveland ? well that’s a little sad actually.
    If he brings a championship this year or next to Cleveland, the story would be complete and he could go for another challenge … here in NY :-)

  • CircleLimit4

    I think Lebron’s goal is get as many rings as he can, not necessarily to challenge himself. If he wins it all this year or the next he won’t be going anywhere, mark my words. He’ll turn the Cavs into his 90′s Chicago Bulls.

    It’s not like LBJ is a big fish in a small pond in Cleveland, he’s already the biggest fish in the NBA. If he doesn’t win by summer of 2010, then he’ll go where he thinks the most rings are.

  • bob knick slave

    if the cavs win it all this year,LEBRON might start thinking he could win 3 in a row or perhaps 4 outta 5.if that did happen,nobody would care that he ONLY played in cleveland,he would just go down as one of the ALL-TIMERS.staying in cleveland wouldnt hurt his NBA importance one bit

  • Jeff Cykiert

    “He just won’t be doing the right thing for himself from a” (basketball) “standpoint and, to me, I just can’t believe Lebron would allow himself to make a poor” (basketball) “decision. He’s too calculated.”

    LeBron is a ball player before a business man… Sporting heroes and eternal legends are not made in bank accounts.

  • Jeff Cykiert

    How is 1 ring ‘complete?’ He has the chance to create a DYNASTY. Do you people forget the meaning of that word, and how it is the most sacred accomplishment in all of sports? What if he could pull off winning 7 rings in Cleveland. I’m not saying that is likely, and it will have to involve more luck than anything else, but a dynasty is clearly in the making and the team will only get better from here on out, so in no way, at all, would 1 ring be a ‘complete’ story.

    LeBron can run around chasing money, go down as a hall of famer, be a ‘billionare,’ and maybe win a couple rings, or he can strive to do something that less than a few men have ever done, and cement himself in place as the best player of all time.

  • Jeff Cykiert

    circle limit got it right; If he wins this year, than he HAS to believe that he has a VERY good chance of winning a few in a row, maybe even 5 over the next 7 or so years… So, if he thinks that is possible, how could he POSSIBLY leave… that would be absurdly foolish.

    A year ago, every single new york media member who wanted LeBron to come here constantly repeated the theory that cleveland could not surround him with a good enough cast to win a ring, and that because of THAT (inability to get the ring) he would leave.

    Now, all the same journalists have become aware that a ring is all but immenent, so they now claim that the ring will be what allows him to go… Makes no sense to me.

    If he wins this year, he has a very large chance to create a real dynasty… The leader of a dynasty is bigger than any superstar in NY or LA will ever be, no matter where he is. If you think he is going to pass up a possible dynasty, you are just wrong…

  • Jeff Cykiert

    Would LeBron rather finish his career being compared to Tim Duncan, or Patrick Ewing?

  • Jeff Cykiert

    “It depends how much money he will make in each situation” is not the right answer…

  • J-Knick

    Take it easy Jeff, this is only my opinion

    Yes I think that Lebron bringing a championship to Cleveland would be a great story by itself.

    And Yes I think that, if after this, Lebron comes to NY and wins a championship, he will become a legend. Winning in NY is not the same as winning in Cleveland. You won’t get a crowd singing your name on Time Square by winning in Cleveland.

    You might argue this and I understand your point. Now neither of us are able to read Lebron’s mind to know which challenge he’s finding the most exciting.

  • J-Knick

    Well I guess only him knows that … and what about being compared to Tim Duncan with three rings or Patrick Ewing with one ring ?

  • http://sublingualviagra.21publish.com Viagra alternative.

    Viagra….

    Buy cheap viagra. Viagra pills. Viagra….