Lebron James is not going to leave Cleveland. I am making that prediction right now. As homage to my buddy Knox, it’s a “Guaransheed.” There are too many reasons for the King to stay, and in no particular order of importance they are:
· Money. The Cleveland Cavaliers can offer Lebron more money than any other team in the league. For the simplicity’s sake and not delving deep into the NBA rulebook, the Cavs can offer Lebron a six year maximum contract, while other teams could only offer him a five year max contract, albeit he could not receive quite as much per year.1 I also don’t think he would get any more money in endorsements by moving to Chicago, L.A., or New York. Lebron is a super-duper-uber-star; he is going to make tons of money regardless of where he is.
· The Jersey Change. At the beginning of the March, Lebron officially submitted a request to the NBA office to change his jersey number from 23 to 6 next season. Now, you may say that this is trivial, but that’s where you are wrong. The thing is, if Lebron were to move to another team next season, he could choose whatever number he wants. He only has to submit the request if he wants to stay in Cleveland. Whether you believe this is important or not, I think that this shows Lebron wants to stay.
· The Cavs are designed for LeBron. The 2009-2010 Cavs are almost perfect for Lebron. He has a plethora of outside shooters, Antawn Jamison can be a viable second scoring option, he has a role player who will do whatever it takes to win in Varejao, and he has two centers, which although they are old, can still hold their own. No other team can offer that type of support for Lebron, except maybe the Trailblazers, who unfortunately doesn’t have enough money to throw at Lebron (although it isn’t going to happen, I can only dream. Lebron, Brandon Roy as his Pippen, Andre Miller running the point, a healthy Greg Oden patrolling the key. I get giddy just thinking about this).
· Ohio is home for Lebron. This reason also may seem insignificant, but really I think it holds some weight. Lebron has spent his whole life in Ohio. He grew up there and has played basketball there his entire life. He built a mammoth, 30,000 square foot house in Ohio. While he could still leave, it seems that Lebron still has very strong attachments to Ohio.
· Legacy. This may be the biggest thing. Lebron wants to leave a legacy and go down as the greatest player ever. He does not want to be the next MJ; he wants to be the only Lebron. That’s part of the reason he is changing his jersey. 23 is synonymous with Jordan, and while there have been plenty of other famous players to wear 6, James will surely eclipse them in terms of popularity. Furthermore, most of the great champions stayed with the same teams; Russell with the Celtics, Kobe with the Lakers, Jordan with the Bulls, Magic with the Lakers, Bird with the Celtics… When Lebron’s career is over, he wants to make the strongest case he can for GOAT (Greatest of All Time). It seems that players who move around a lot have that knock against them—they couldn’t win with one team, they weren’t loyal enough, etc.
All told, I could be completely wrong. Lebron will ultimately do what he thinks is best for him and his family, and rightly so. It just seems that Lebron has so much to keep and gain by staying in Cleveland and much to lose by leaving. Whether I am right or wrong, only time will tell…
· Money. The Cleveland Cavaliers can offer Lebron more money than any other team in the league. For the simplicity’s sake and not delving deep into the NBA rulebook, the Cavs can offer Lebron a six year maximum contract, while other teams could only offer him a five year max contract, albeit he could not receive quite as much per year.1 I also don’t think he would get any more money in endorsements by moving to Chicago, L.A., or New York. Lebron is a super-duper-uber-star; he is going to make tons of money regardless of where he is.
· The Jersey Change. At the beginning of the March, Lebron officially submitted a request to the NBA office to change his jersey number from 23 to 6 next season. Now, you may say that this is trivial, but that’s where you are wrong. The thing is, if Lebron were to move to another team next season, he could choose whatever number he wants. He only has to submit the request if he wants to stay in Cleveland. Whether you believe this is important or not, I think that this shows Lebron wants to stay.
· The Cavs are designed for LeBron. The 2009-2010 Cavs are almost perfect for Lebron. He has a plethora of outside shooters, Antawn Jamison can be a viable second scoring option, he has a role player who will do whatever it takes to win in Varejao, and he has two centers, which although they are old, can still hold their own. No other team can offer that type of support for Lebron, except maybe the Trailblazers, who unfortunately doesn’t have enough money to throw at Lebron (although it isn’t going to happen, I can only dream. Lebron, Brandon Roy as his Pippen, Andre Miller running the point, a healthy Greg Oden patrolling the key. I get giddy just thinking about this).
· Ohio is home for Lebron. This reason also may seem insignificant, but really I think it holds some weight. Lebron has spent his whole life in Ohio. He grew up there and has played basketball there his entire life. He built a mammoth, 30,000 square foot house in Ohio. While he could still leave, it seems that Lebron still has very strong attachments to Ohio.
· Legacy. This may be the biggest thing. Lebron wants to leave a legacy and go down as the greatest player ever. He does not want to be the next MJ; he wants to be the only Lebron. That’s part of the reason he is changing his jersey. 23 is synonymous with Jordan, and while there have been plenty of other famous players to wear 6, James will surely eclipse them in terms of popularity. Furthermore, most of the great champions stayed with the same teams; Russell with the Celtics, Kobe with the Lakers, Jordan with the Bulls, Magic with the Lakers, Bird with the Celtics… When Lebron’s career is over, he wants to make the strongest case he can for GOAT (Greatest of All Time). It seems that players who move around a lot have that knock against them—they couldn’t win with one team, they weren’t loyal enough, etc.
All told, I could be completely wrong. Lebron will ultimately do what he thinks is best for him and his family, and rightly so. It just seems that Lebron has so much to keep and gain by staying in Cleveland and much to lose by leaving. Whether I am right or wrong, only time will tell…
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