As I frantically tried to catch up on the LOST series finale, having started it over an hour late due to work, I received a text from my brother and a phone call from my father. Both of them were watching the finale, in real time, from northern Wisconsin, on a vacation I was unable to attend. I, using the discipline I've acquired in my life, ignored them both as I finished the show. Finally, after everything was said and done, I opened the text message:
"I'm happy ... Amber's a little annoyed but ok, and dad is confused. How do you feel?"
Without hesitation, I responded:
"Beautiful. Simply Beautiful."
And that, in a nut shell, describes the ending to this fantastic series. I have a bad habit for hyperbole, but I feel the same way walking away from this finale that I did walking away from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. As I walked away from the theater having watched the final installment of the trilogy, I knew deep inside that it was the best movie I had seen on a variety of levels. Tonight I can say with total confidence that this show is the greatest show I have ever seen, and again it hits on a variety of levels.
LOST, at its core, is a show about characters. We spent hours of our lives learning the back story of over a dozen characters, down to seemingly needless facts, such as the history behind Jack's tattoos. You know, come to think of it, that episode ("Stranger in a Strange Land") just plain sucked. But we learned these details, and we built this ... rapport with the characters. And tonight's show, at its core, gave us complete closure on those characters that we had grown with.
LOST also is a show about a mystery, and for a show that has always been built on its ability to leave you hanging, tonight's finale left me with surprisingly few questions remaining, and seemingly none of consequence. We know what the Island is. We know what happens to each major character in the show. We know what happened to the vast majority of characters, and we have a pretty good idea what happened to others. Outside of the importance of Walt I don't think a single major mystery remains, and for a show that opened so many questions wrapping it up in this manner is impressive.
Without going into too much detail, because I certainly hope that any of you who haven't watched this show will do so, I can only echo my brother's words tonight: "Greatest. Show. Ever." This show has ... had ... everything you could ever want. Mystery. Intrigue. Compelling Characters. A dominating storyline. The finale delivered everything I could have asked for. I would encourage all of you who haven't done so to delve in. It's well worth your time.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Bizarre!
Take a look at this picture, taken at a meal involving three parties with "influence" in the greater New York area:
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Center of the picture)
- Rap "artist" and general tool, Jay-Z (right side)
- And the newest bad boy in town, New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov ... or as Bill Simmons calls him, Mutant Russian Mark Cuban. He's six foot seven, a billionaire 13 to 18 times over, and sounds like a bad guy in a Die Hard movie.
I'm so excited for the Prokhorov era I might actually have to learn how to spell his name so that I can avoid having to look it up every time I want to write about him. The fact that this event, breakfast with these three men, actually happened ... well, it blows my mind. This could be good...
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Center of the picture)
- Rap "artist" and general tool, Jay-Z (right side)
- And the newest bad boy in town, New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov ... or as Bill Simmons calls him, Mutant Russian Mark Cuban. He's six foot seven, a billionaire 13 to 18 times over, and sounds like a bad guy in a Die Hard movie.
I'm so excited for the Prokhorov era I might actually have to learn how to spell his name so that I can avoid having to look it up every time I want to write about him. The fact that this event, breakfast with these three men, actually happened ... well, it blows my mind. This could be good...
The End
"It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress." ~ Jacob
When Jacob said that at the end of Season 5 I'm thinking he probably was mentioning the exact set up that we find ourselves with heading into the granddaddy of all series finales this Sunday. LOST, which has been among the most critically acclaimed and debated shows in TV history, will reach its conclusion this Sunday night, and there is only one thing that I know for sure: they will leave us wanting more.
It's just the style of the show to leave you with your head spinning and your heart wanting more. I would be shocked if we find ourselves with a nice, neat conclusion that makes everyone happy. I think this will end much the same way that the Soprano's did: the way the creator wanted, not the way the fans wanted. This year has already been a controversial year to say the least, with some serious missteps in the eyes of many fans. From the third-of-a-year story arch taking place in the temple, to the seemingly needless introduction of characters such as Zoe, Dogen and Island Lennon, and even through the less than satisfactory placement (and perhaps execution) of the long anticipate Jacob/Smokey backstory, it seems that the writers have been stepping on landmines every step of the way.
But the great thing about this show, and about all the work that they have put into it, is that with one episode all of that can change. Last spring, after the season 5 finale, I told my dad "they have set themselves up with Matrix like potential, only for TV." What that meant was very simple: it was either going to go down in history as the greatest show of its kind, or as a colossal disappointment. With some of the episodes this year (most noticeable "Dr. Linus," "Ab Aeterno" and "The Candidate") having knocked it out of the park, I'm fairly certain that the finale will make the season, and therefore the show, a success. Lost is the rare show that can succeed when revealing huge answers (Richard's backstory in "Ab Aeterno") as well as delving directly into the inter-personal relationships of the characters (the sinking of the sub, and subsequent deaths in "The Candidate"). I get the feeling that there is very little backstory/answers left to be revealed in the minds of the writers; now we are just going to find the resolution of the characters, as well as the ultimate meanings of the flash-sideways.
And, to that end, I'm not going to over think and try to predict what is going to happen. I've tried to predict the ultimate meaning of the show, but while I've gotten close a number of times, it is clear that the intentions of the creators are far more complex than what I was wanting. Instead, I'm going to sit back, and watch the ending of a show which will likely never be replicated again: a network television drama with a large ensemble cast, filming at expensive locals, with total creative rights given to the writers rather than the TV executives desires. This will not happen again, at least not anytime soon. And for that reason alone we should appreciate the ending of LOST. Maybe it would have been cooler, in my mind, if Richard had been a more central character this year, and maybe it would have been nice if they had killed Jack off early to prove a point (although, I have to admit, his 180 this year has been fun to watch). But I'm not in control of the story development, and I don't want to be. I've always loved the fact that LOST shocked me, and kept me on my toes. Now there is two and a half hours left for them to blow my mind. I'm confident they'll get the job done.
When Jacob said that at the end of Season 5 I'm thinking he probably was mentioning the exact set up that we find ourselves with heading into the granddaddy of all series finales this Sunday. LOST, which has been among the most critically acclaimed and debated shows in TV history, will reach its conclusion this Sunday night, and there is only one thing that I know for sure: they will leave us wanting more.
It's just the style of the show to leave you with your head spinning and your heart wanting more. I would be shocked if we find ourselves with a nice, neat conclusion that makes everyone happy. I think this will end much the same way that the Soprano's did: the way the creator wanted, not the way the fans wanted. This year has already been a controversial year to say the least, with some serious missteps in the eyes of many fans. From the third-of-a-year story arch taking place in the temple, to the seemingly needless introduction of characters such as Zoe, Dogen and Island Lennon, and even through the less than satisfactory placement (and perhaps execution) of the long anticipate Jacob/Smokey backstory, it seems that the writers have been stepping on landmines every step of the way.
But the great thing about this show, and about all the work that they have put into it, is that with one episode all of that can change. Last spring, after the season 5 finale, I told my dad "they have set themselves up with Matrix like potential, only for TV." What that meant was very simple: it was either going to go down in history as the greatest show of its kind, or as a colossal disappointment. With some of the episodes this year (most noticeable "Dr. Linus," "Ab Aeterno" and "The Candidate") having knocked it out of the park, I'm fairly certain that the finale will make the season, and therefore the show, a success. Lost is the rare show that can succeed when revealing huge answers (Richard's backstory in "Ab Aeterno") as well as delving directly into the inter-personal relationships of the characters (the sinking of the sub, and subsequent deaths in "The Candidate"). I get the feeling that there is very little backstory/answers left to be revealed in the minds of the writers; now we are just going to find the resolution of the characters, as well as the ultimate meanings of the flash-sideways.
And, to that end, I'm not going to over think and try to predict what is going to happen. I've tried to predict the ultimate meaning of the show, but while I've gotten close a number of times, it is clear that the intentions of the creators are far more complex than what I was wanting. Instead, I'm going to sit back, and watch the ending of a show which will likely never be replicated again: a network television drama with a large ensemble cast, filming at expensive locals, with total creative rights given to the writers rather than the TV executives desires. This will not happen again, at least not anytime soon. And for that reason alone we should appreciate the ending of LOST. Maybe it would have been cooler, in my mind, if Richard had been a more central character this year, and maybe it would have been nice if they had killed Jack off early to prove a point (although, I have to admit, his 180 this year has been fun to watch). But I'm not in control of the story development, and I don't want to be. I've always loved the fact that LOST shocked me, and kept me on my toes. Now there is two and a half hours left for them to blow my mind. I'm confident they'll get the job done.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The "King" Has Fallen
It's hard to believe that it's been over a month since I've posted here; it's even harder to believe what all has happened since then. In the past month we've seen big news in all the major sports, in TV, in politics ... I've really been letting you all down, since we've seen big news in all the areas that I promised to deliver commentary on. Well fear no more! Today, we'll tackle a big topic that is freshly relevant: what to make of LeBron James?
In case you haven't been paying attention, LeBron has fallen from grace in a big way lately. For the second straight year he set himself up as the likely king to the throne, and yet for the second straight year he is home before the finals even started. I'm hard pressed to determine which exit is more surprising: last year's shocking exit at the hands of Orlando, or this year's shocking defeat at the hands of Boston.
In both cases LeBron and his Cavs were heavily favored, but at gunpoint I'd have to go with this year's exit because of the way it happened. Last year LeBron played his game, at least. This year? His egg in game 5 was shocking, and watching his team literally quit in the final two minutes Thursday night was even more eye-opening. Let me ask you something: do you think that at team led by Michael Jordan would have ever just quit? I don't think so; in fact, I doubt that a team led by Magic, Larry, Bill Russell, or even Tim Duncan would have quit. We've seen Kobe quit on his team a few times when they didn't have the talent to make it (the years between Shaq and before Pau Gasol), but never when they were the top dog. Even Kobe could have done better.
LeBron now has the onus of being a two time MVP, while having not even made it out of his own conference in the years he was selected as MVP. It's almost unbelievable that this man, who seems to be so clearly the best in the game, can't pick his team on his back and carry them to at least the Finals. In the history of the NBA only once has someone one two straight MVP awards without being able to win his conference: Steve Nash. And we all know what I think about him (hint: over-rated).
So now Cleveland has to wait out the Summer of LeBron, and the odds are higher now than ever before that he will ditch the Cavs for either: A) Greener Pastures, or B) more money (in terms of endorsement dollars). Cavs fans may try to tell you differently, but it's not like he hasn't had talent around him: Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Shaq among others indicate that he had enough talent to win if he really is that good. He may not have had a "Scottie Pippen" but he certainly had better than the other layers of MJ's teams. He just didn't have MJ's insane drive to win, and that's something that you can't replicate. It's either there (think Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Derrick Jeter and Lance Armstrong) or it's not. You don't develop it.
The big question, then, becomes this: where will LeBron go? If I had to put my money on it, I'd say that the following is the breakdown of likely LeBron destinations:
1. Chicago 30%
2. Dallas 20%
3. New York 15%
4. Cleveland 15%
5. New Jersey 10%
6. Miami 5%
7. LA Clippers 5%
There will undoubtedly be even more teams taking a chance to get him, but, in reverse order, here is why I think these seven are the teams with at least a punchers chance:
7. Los Angeles Clippers - 5% chance
Why they are a player - Everyone knows that LeBron's contract with Nike pays him more if he is playing in one of the big media markets: NYC, LA or Chicago. So, for that reason alone, an LA team has to be on this list. It's the Clippers, rather than the Lakers, for a few reasons. First and foremost, Kobe and LeBron couldn't co-exist, the Lakers don't have the cap space, and they would never trade Kobe for LeBron in a sign and trade because Kobe's golden years, and his icon status among Laker fans are too valuable. Secondly, the Clippers actually have the better grouping of young talent: Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin are a nice place to start a team with or without LeBron. Third, they have the cap space and are in the right city; if LeBron really wants to be king, what better way than stealing LA away from Kobe and the Lakers? All in all, the Clippers give LeBron three things he desperately wants: young talent to help him, the money to pay him, and the market to support him.
Why they don't have a chance - Two words, one man: Donald Sterling. Sterling has recently been slammed in the press because, well, he's a racist. Let's just say that I don't see LeBron being able to survive as a major icon if he took a well established racists money.
6. Miami Heat - 5%
Why they are a player - South Beach ... the weather, the women, the lifestyle. Those who are in the know say there are only a handful of "destination" cities for NBA players, and Miami is one of them for all the reasons mentioned above. Beyond that, LeBron could dictate which other max player he wanted to play with because of Miami's cap space, and logically it would mean that he and Dwayne Wade would be able to play together. If you remember a few years back Orlando tried this: Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady together. Well, imagine if Miami could actually make that idea work: two superstars, one Florida city, Championships will follow.
Why they don't have a chance - In NBA history when has this worked: two superstars, in their prime, on the same team? Both Wade and James need the ball in their hands in order to succeed, and it's tough to envision them working it out. Besides that, this is Wade's team, and James wants to be a singular sports icon; doesn't exactly mesh well. Even if they decided to let Wade walk, sign James and Chris Bosh, the talent around them might not translate into anything better than what James would be walking away from in Cleveland.
5. New Jersey Nets - 10%
Why they are a player - I know what you're saying: "What!?!? The Nets?!?! You must be crazy!!!!" In a traditional world, I would be, but there are two things the Nets have going for them in the present, and one thing in the future. First, they have a billionaire Russian owner, considered to be Mark Cuban on steroids (so to speak), and he's looking to make a splash. LeBron is the way to do it. Second, with one of the Lopez brothers inside, and with the possibility of drafting John Wall or Evan Turner in this draft (courtesy of their 70 losses last year), LeBron would be coming into a situation with young talent around him, making the turnaround that much easier, but nonetheless very impressive (can you imagine if he took the Nets from 12-70 to 55-27?). In the present tense, both of these items, a rich owner with deep pockets and young talent to help, make the Nets look surprisingly attractive. Add in the third thing, that the Nets are due to play in Brooklyn at some point in the future, and LeBron could end up owning New York through the back door. All in all, a pretty attractive package that the worst team in the league can offer.
They they don't have a chance - Come on now: do you really think that "King" James is going to go from a team that was the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs two years in a row to the team that brought up the rear of the whole league last year? Beyond that, the move to Brooklyn isn't 100% certain, and it won't be until it actually happens. Furthermore, what happens if the Nets lose the lottery and draft 4th? Too much uncertainty for James, who isn't in the gambling stage of his career: he's in the title winning stage. That makes the Nets seem highly unlikely.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers - 15%
Why they are a player - It's simple: they've been a contender the last two years, a factor a few years before that, and they've proven a willingness to spend to surround LeBron with talent. Beyond that, they do, you know, represent his hometown more or less. If LeBron stays he will continue to become a local legend while moving towards the global icon status he craves. And he won't have to break the hearts of all those Cleveland fans who haven't gotten over the past 50 years of sports history ... and may never get over it if he leaves in the middle of the night, like the Browns did in the late 1990s. If LeBron leaves he will be villianized, booed every time he plays in Cleveland for the rest of his career. It has to be on his mind: those who love him the most would hate him with the most venom if he chooses to bail on Cleveland.
Why they don't have a chance - With apologies to Bryan Bucher, the Cavs took a huge blow during this year's second round series because LeBron can now leave and claim that the team can't help him get there. He'd be lying, of course: he's not likely to end up with more talent and better owner if he goes elsewhere (save a few places), but he now can present a semi-logical argument. Beyond that, while they can pay him more in NBA dollars if he stays (reportedly $30 million more than any other team, barring a sign and trade), he would lose out on the endorsement dollars that he would garner in any major market. Cleveland was never meant to hold on to LeBron; it's just sad (for them, not so much for me) that he didn't deliver a championship banner before he bolted.
3. New York Knickerbockers - 15%
Why they are a player - Madison Square Garden. New York City. The big lights, the biggest basketball Mecca in the world. If LeBron were to come to NYC and deliver the Knicks their first title since the 1970s he would be the icon worldwide, and would have a special place in NBA history. He would be payed much more than anywhere else due to his endorsements, he would be a part of the upper-cultured elite in NYC, and he would be able to establish himself as a brand to compete with Jordan. A little known story in NBA lore centers on MJ's free agency following the 72 win Bulls title year of 1996: the Knicks came to him and told him he had accomplished all he could as a Bull, in the city of Chicago, and that a move to NYC, bringing a title to that city, would be the cherry on top of his career. He would cement his legacy as the Greatest of All-Time. Of course, MJ turned them down, resigned with the Bulls, and won two more championships. What he wouldn't want to admit, and what might surprise you though, is this little tidbit: the Knicks offer caused Jordan to pause, if only for a moment. The greatest ever, in his prime, with a title winning team around him, coming off the best year in NBA history ... NYC made him pause. New York has a special commune with the NBA's greats. LeBron wouldn't be human if he didn't close his eyes and dream about what it would be like to be the star at the center of it all.
Why they don't have a chance - You'll notice, from above, that the Knicks have only one real thing to offer James: the city and whatever mystique is left. Sure, they might be able to sign two max-contract players, pairing James with (most likely) Chris Bosh. But to do that they'd have to let their only other decent player, David Lee, walk. It would be James, Bosh ... and who? James would be entering a situation with less talent around him than in Cleveland, worse ownership, and for what? A pipe dream of someday bringing the championship back to a city that has all the allure in the world, but none of the deep ties that Cleveland does? If the Knicks could make MJ pause ... even though they couldn't pay him nearly as much as Chicago ... then they will probably be able to make LeBron giddy with excitement. But he would be signing up for nothing but a wing and a prayer of winning it all, and he'd have to do it almost by himself ... something he's proven he can't do thus far.
2. Dallas Mavericks - 20%
Why they are a player - Simply put nearly every NBA player wants to play for Mark Cuban. The facilities he's put in are state of the art, his players are 100% supported, and he has deep pockets. They could easily package Erick Dampier's contract with Caron Butler, and say to Cleveland "take it or lose him somewhere else." And, with that, a sign and trade would be consummated. LeBron get's his Cleveland max ($30 million more than other places) while joining a team with Dirk, Kidd, Jason Terry and others. He plays in Dallas, a city of growing importance in the nationwide sports scene, and become a huge draw. More importantly, he becomes the player who puts Dallas over the top, making them the hands down favorite to win the NBA title next year. He even gets to sit back and smile as he watches the Lakers, among others, scramble to reload in anticipation of having to play the Mavs.
Why they don't have a chance - Given the choice of completing a sign and trade and getting something in return, or just watching LeBron walk, Cleveland very well might choose letting him walk and not being known as the franchise that traded LeBron. "If he wants to go to NYC, fine, let him, we'll beat him" might be the mentality. Without the sign and trade, Dallas has no cap space, and therefore no hope. That said, this has a better chance of happening than most people acknowledge, simply because Cuban likes to shake things up, and he's always tried behind the scenes to make the big trade (he came close with Shaq a few times).
1. Chicago Bulls - 30%
Why they are the player - This year LeBron saw first hand that the Bulls had two pieces needed for a championship team: a go-to budding superstar (Derrick Rose) and a tougher than nails interior presence (God help me, Joakim Noah). He knows that they have the Luol Deng contract, making him either a nice fourth piece, or even a potential sign and trade option (making Chris Bosh joining LeBron in Chicago possible). He knows that with that talent around him he could dominate the East for the next decade, and win a fistful of NBA titles. No team in the NBA sets him up better to succeed, while also delivering a major media market. And, for the man who wants to be the global icon, what better way to establish yourself on top of the mountain than letting the very fans who watched MJ reach that peak evaluate you. If James could garner "greatest of all time" hype in Chicago, everyone would have to consider it to be legitimately possible. Chicago doesn't have the greatest ownership, but it gives James by far the best balance of the three areas he's looking for: ownership, media market, talent to win. If LeBron wants to start making his case as G.O.A.T., Chicago is the place to do it.
Why they don't have a chance - After watching LeBron fade as if he didn't have a spine in this year's playoffs, what makes you think that he'd have the fortitude to take on Jordan's legacy this head on? The Bulls may get the consolation prize, Dwayne Wade, and win a few titles anyway. If James is smart, this is where he goes. He knows this. Everyone knows this. But he'd have to have some serious guts to lay siege to Jordan by calling the United Center home.
And so, if nothing else, the Cavs epic collapse has opened the door to the most interesting summer in recent NBA history, and (perhaps) in all of NBA history. The Celtics, by beating the Cavs, might have dramatically shifted the course of NBA history. Had LeBron won the title this year I don't believe he ever would have left Cleveland: it just doesn't work that way. But now all bets are off. Here's to hoping that he makes the right choice (Go Bulls!).
In case you haven't been paying attention, LeBron has fallen from grace in a big way lately. For the second straight year he set himself up as the likely king to the throne, and yet for the second straight year he is home before the finals even started. I'm hard pressed to determine which exit is more surprising: last year's shocking exit at the hands of Orlando, or this year's shocking defeat at the hands of Boston.
In both cases LeBron and his Cavs were heavily favored, but at gunpoint I'd have to go with this year's exit because of the way it happened. Last year LeBron played his game, at least. This year? His egg in game 5 was shocking, and watching his team literally quit in the final two minutes Thursday night was even more eye-opening. Let me ask you something: do you think that at team led by Michael Jordan would have ever just quit? I don't think so; in fact, I doubt that a team led by Magic, Larry, Bill Russell, or even Tim Duncan would have quit. We've seen Kobe quit on his team a few times when they didn't have the talent to make it (the years between Shaq and before Pau Gasol), but never when they were the top dog. Even Kobe could have done better.
LeBron now has the onus of being a two time MVP, while having not even made it out of his own conference in the years he was selected as MVP. It's almost unbelievable that this man, who seems to be so clearly the best in the game, can't pick his team on his back and carry them to at least the Finals. In the history of the NBA only once has someone one two straight MVP awards without being able to win his conference: Steve Nash. And we all know what I think about him (hint: over-rated).
So now Cleveland has to wait out the Summer of LeBron, and the odds are higher now than ever before that he will ditch the Cavs for either: A) Greener Pastures, or B) more money (in terms of endorsement dollars). Cavs fans may try to tell you differently, but it's not like he hasn't had talent around him: Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Shaq among others indicate that he had enough talent to win if he really is that good. He may not have had a "Scottie Pippen" but he certainly had better than the other layers of MJ's teams. He just didn't have MJ's insane drive to win, and that's something that you can't replicate. It's either there (think Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Derrick Jeter and Lance Armstrong) or it's not. You don't develop it.
The big question, then, becomes this: where will LeBron go? If I had to put my money on it, I'd say that the following is the breakdown of likely LeBron destinations:
1. Chicago 30%
2. Dallas 20%
3. New York 15%
4. Cleveland 15%
5. New Jersey 10%
6. Miami 5%
7. LA Clippers 5%
There will undoubtedly be even more teams taking a chance to get him, but, in reverse order, here is why I think these seven are the teams with at least a punchers chance:
7. Los Angeles Clippers - 5% chance
Why they are a player - Everyone knows that LeBron's contract with Nike pays him more if he is playing in one of the big media markets: NYC, LA or Chicago. So, for that reason alone, an LA team has to be on this list. It's the Clippers, rather than the Lakers, for a few reasons. First and foremost, Kobe and LeBron couldn't co-exist, the Lakers don't have the cap space, and they would never trade Kobe for LeBron in a sign and trade because Kobe's golden years, and his icon status among Laker fans are too valuable. Secondly, the Clippers actually have the better grouping of young talent: Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin are a nice place to start a team with or without LeBron. Third, they have the cap space and are in the right city; if LeBron really wants to be king, what better way than stealing LA away from Kobe and the Lakers? All in all, the Clippers give LeBron three things he desperately wants: young talent to help him, the money to pay him, and the market to support him.
Why they don't have a chance - Two words, one man: Donald Sterling. Sterling has recently been slammed in the press because, well, he's a racist. Let's just say that I don't see LeBron being able to survive as a major icon if he took a well established racists money.
6. Miami Heat - 5%
Why they are a player - South Beach ... the weather, the women, the lifestyle. Those who are in the know say there are only a handful of "destination" cities for NBA players, and Miami is one of them for all the reasons mentioned above. Beyond that, LeBron could dictate which other max player he wanted to play with because of Miami's cap space, and logically it would mean that he and Dwayne Wade would be able to play together. If you remember a few years back Orlando tried this: Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady together. Well, imagine if Miami could actually make that idea work: two superstars, one Florida city, Championships will follow.
Why they don't have a chance - In NBA history when has this worked: two superstars, in their prime, on the same team? Both Wade and James need the ball in their hands in order to succeed, and it's tough to envision them working it out. Besides that, this is Wade's team, and James wants to be a singular sports icon; doesn't exactly mesh well. Even if they decided to let Wade walk, sign James and Chris Bosh, the talent around them might not translate into anything better than what James would be walking away from in Cleveland.
5. New Jersey Nets - 10%
Why they are a player - I know what you're saying: "What!?!? The Nets?!?! You must be crazy!!!!" In a traditional world, I would be, but there are two things the Nets have going for them in the present, and one thing in the future. First, they have a billionaire Russian owner, considered to be Mark Cuban on steroids (so to speak), and he's looking to make a splash. LeBron is the way to do it. Second, with one of the Lopez brothers inside, and with the possibility of drafting John Wall or Evan Turner in this draft (courtesy of their 70 losses last year), LeBron would be coming into a situation with young talent around him, making the turnaround that much easier, but nonetheless very impressive (can you imagine if he took the Nets from 12-70 to 55-27?). In the present tense, both of these items, a rich owner with deep pockets and young talent to help, make the Nets look surprisingly attractive. Add in the third thing, that the Nets are due to play in Brooklyn at some point in the future, and LeBron could end up owning New York through the back door. All in all, a pretty attractive package that the worst team in the league can offer.
They they don't have a chance - Come on now: do you really think that "King" James is going to go from a team that was the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs two years in a row to the team that brought up the rear of the whole league last year? Beyond that, the move to Brooklyn isn't 100% certain, and it won't be until it actually happens. Furthermore, what happens if the Nets lose the lottery and draft 4th? Too much uncertainty for James, who isn't in the gambling stage of his career: he's in the title winning stage. That makes the Nets seem highly unlikely.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers - 15%
Why they are a player - It's simple: they've been a contender the last two years, a factor a few years before that, and they've proven a willingness to spend to surround LeBron with talent. Beyond that, they do, you know, represent his hometown more or less. If LeBron stays he will continue to become a local legend while moving towards the global icon status he craves. And he won't have to break the hearts of all those Cleveland fans who haven't gotten over the past 50 years of sports history ... and may never get over it if he leaves in the middle of the night, like the Browns did in the late 1990s. If LeBron leaves he will be villianized, booed every time he plays in Cleveland for the rest of his career. It has to be on his mind: those who love him the most would hate him with the most venom if he chooses to bail on Cleveland.
Why they don't have a chance - With apologies to Bryan Bucher, the Cavs took a huge blow during this year's second round series because LeBron can now leave and claim that the team can't help him get there. He'd be lying, of course: he's not likely to end up with more talent and better owner if he goes elsewhere (save a few places), but he now can present a semi-logical argument. Beyond that, while they can pay him more in NBA dollars if he stays (reportedly $30 million more than any other team, barring a sign and trade), he would lose out on the endorsement dollars that he would garner in any major market. Cleveland was never meant to hold on to LeBron; it's just sad (for them, not so much for me) that he didn't deliver a championship banner before he bolted.
3. New York Knickerbockers - 15%
Why they are a player - Madison Square Garden. New York City. The big lights, the biggest basketball Mecca in the world. If LeBron were to come to NYC and deliver the Knicks their first title since the 1970s he would be the icon worldwide, and would have a special place in NBA history. He would be payed much more than anywhere else due to his endorsements, he would be a part of the upper-cultured elite in NYC, and he would be able to establish himself as a brand to compete with Jordan. A little known story in NBA lore centers on MJ's free agency following the 72 win Bulls title year of 1996: the Knicks came to him and told him he had accomplished all he could as a Bull, in the city of Chicago, and that a move to NYC, bringing a title to that city, would be the cherry on top of his career. He would cement his legacy as the Greatest of All-Time. Of course, MJ turned them down, resigned with the Bulls, and won two more championships. What he wouldn't want to admit, and what might surprise you though, is this little tidbit: the Knicks offer caused Jordan to pause, if only for a moment. The greatest ever, in his prime, with a title winning team around him, coming off the best year in NBA history ... NYC made him pause. New York has a special commune with the NBA's greats. LeBron wouldn't be human if he didn't close his eyes and dream about what it would be like to be the star at the center of it all.
Why they don't have a chance - You'll notice, from above, that the Knicks have only one real thing to offer James: the city and whatever mystique is left. Sure, they might be able to sign two max-contract players, pairing James with (most likely) Chris Bosh. But to do that they'd have to let their only other decent player, David Lee, walk. It would be James, Bosh ... and who? James would be entering a situation with less talent around him than in Cleveland, worse ownership, and for what? A pipe dream of someday bringing the championship back to a city that has all the allure in the world, but none of the deep ties that Cleveland does? If the Knicks could make MJ pause ... even though they couldn't pay him nearly as much as Chicago ... then they will probably be able to make LeBron giddy with excitement. But he would be signing up for nothing but a wing and a prayer of winning it all, and he'd have to do it almost by himself ... something he's proven he can't do thus far.
2. Dallas Mavericks - 20%
Why they are a player - Simply put nearly every NBA player wants to play for Mark Cuban. The facilities he's put in are state of the art, his players are 100% supported, and he has deep pockets. They could easily package Erick Dampier's contract with Caron Butler, and say to Cleveland "take it or lose him somewhere else." And, with that, a sign and trade would be consummated. LeBron get's his Cleveland max ($30 million more than other places) while joining a team with Dirk, Kidd, Jason Terry and others. He plays in Dallas, a city of growing importance in the nationwide sports scene, and become a huge draw. More importantly, he becomes the player who puts Dallas over the top, making them the hands down favorite to win the NBA title next year. He even gets to sit back and smile as he watches the Lakers, among others, scramble to reload in anticipation of having to play the Mavs.
Why they don't have a chance - Given the choice of completing a sign and trade and getting something in return, or just watching LeBron walk, Cleveland very well might choose letting him walk and not being known as the franchise that traded LeBron. "If he wants to go to NYC, fine, let him, we'll beat him" might be the mentality. Without the sign and trade, Dallas has no cap space, and therefore no hope. That said, this has a better chance of happening than most people acknowledge, simply because Cuban likes to shake things up, and he's always tried behind the scenes to make the big trade (he came close with Shaq a few times).
1. Chicago Bulls - 30%
Why they are the player - This year LeBron saw first hand that the Bulls had two pieces needed for a championship team: a go-to budding superstar (Derrick Rose) and a tougher than nails interior presence (God help me, Joakim Noah). He knows that they have the Luol Deng contract, making him either a nice fourth piece, or even a potential sign and trade option (making Chris Bosh joining LeBron in Chicago possible). He knows that with that talent around him he could dominate the East for the next decade, and win a fistful of NBA titles. No team in the NBA sets him up better to succeed, while also delivering a major media market. And, for the man who wants to be the global icon, what better way to establish yourself on top of the mountain than letting the very fans who watched MJ reach that peak evaluate you. If James could garner "greatest of all time" hype in Chicago, everyone would have to consider it to be legitimately possible. Chicago doesn't have the greatest ownership, but it gives James by far the best balance of the three areas he's looking for: ownership, media market, talent to win. If LeBron wants to start making his case as G.O.A.T., Chicago is the place to do it.
Why they don't have a chance - After watching LeBron fade as if he didn't have a spine in this year's playoffs, what makes you think that he'd have the fortitude to take on Jordan's legacy this head on? The Bulls may get the consolation prize, Dwayne Wade, and win a few titles anyway. If James is smart, this is where he goes. He knows this. Everyone knows this. But he'd have to have some serious guts to lay siege to Jordan by calling the United Center home.
And so, if nothing else, the Cavs epic collapse has opened the door to the most interesting summer in recent NBA history, and (perhaps) in all of NBA history. The Celtics, by beating the Cavs, might have dramatically shifted the course of NBA history. Had LeBron won the title this year I don't believe he ever would have left Cleveland: it just doesn't work that way. But now all bets are off. Here's to hoping that he makes the right choice (Go Bulls!).
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