WITNESS Protection

Like a gladiator who just slayed the mythical 3 headed beast, Dirk Nowitzki stalked off the court in a focused frenzy. His emotions welling up so forceful that only his immense amount of jersey fabric shielding his face covered the tears that started to flow.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks had just won the NBA Championship, and all was right in the world again.

Akin to Luke Skywalker or Dark Knight type of story, the villainous trio of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and likable Dwayne Wade were struck down by the force. The force of camaraderie, the force of teamwork, the force of knowing one’s role in a setting. While the Miami Heat put on this show of best buddies goofing around and the tired press conferences with LeBron flanked by Dwayne as if he was there for moral support or to finish each others’ sentences. The rest of this team was discovered to be exactly what most thought they were. Soulless mercenaries. Mike Bibby gave up $6 million plus to bring his defense? 3-point shooting? dribbling skills! Zydrunas brought a cool nickname in Big Z. Mario Chalmers showed some passion and by the time Udonis Haslem showed up, you could see some fight in the dog. Chris Bosh has an extensive bowtie collection (pure speculation). Dwayne Wade appeared to be the only one with an actual pulse and passion for winning. Maybe it’s because he is the only one who has won a title, save for Eddie House, who got to play in the 4th quarter. The 4th quarter where over-hyped, over-marketed, under-fundamentally sound LeBron James started on the bench.

The largest free agent in the recent history of the NBA started the 4th quarter of the NBA final game in which his team had to win or go home, on the bench. Not even mentioning that he had 72 year (age approximate) old Jason Kidd guarding him when Dallas’ wasn’t playing zone, 2 time MVP Bron Bron, was a deer in headlights on the interstate with cars whizzing by and instead of grabbing his teammates by the scruff of their necks and rallying them up for a defensive lockdown, he pissed himself and sat down. LeBron filled his stat sheet in the first 3 quarters of each game, even logging his trademark triple double in Game 5. Ultimately, the 4th quarter is where the will to win disappeared in the Chosen one. The King had no Castle, only jesters. The Empire crumbled and as valiant as D-Wade and Chalmers tried, the might of J.J. Barea, Jason Terry, Yoda (J-Kidd), Tyson Chandler and Dirk were simply too much for the hired guns to handle.

Miami Heat - WITNESS PROTECTION

On the other side of the coin, the Dallas Mavericks. Cleveland’s team! Dan Gilbert, (CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and former LeBron James employer) immediately sent a supportive, yet vindictive tweet that couldn’t have been said better, by 100 thousand former LeBron fans. Jason Terry, a lovable loser who had tattooed the Larry O’Brien trophy on his right bicep, finally was vindicated and we can all appreciate his energy as he ran LeBron James ragged. Jason Kidd, who in his 17 year career, has dealt with coming close to an NBA championship twice, a rough divorce, years of playing on thin teams and critics saying he had nothing left in the tank. Truth is, he was just on cruise control and he hit the nitrous in the playoffs! JJ Barea was the sparkplug to the engine. Like an informercial, I just kept hearing the announcer yell, “It slices, it dices, it shreds your defense!” Tyson Chandler was all-world. He incarnated Rodman with the tip rebounds and battled Haslem, Joel Anthony & Chris Bosh each game. Finally, Dirk. Class Act. Champion. Good stuff.

The main thing that perplexed me, was watching the last 5 minutes of the game, realizing the Miami Heat, playing in front of their white T-shirt clad fans down by 8 points had every chance in the world to take control of the game and force a Game 7. Instead of full pressure defense or running set plays or at least getting to the rim. A lackadaisical half court defense ensued with a 3 point shot being taken by LeBron and Chalmers. Brick and Brick. Dallas comes down the court with Nowitzki draining jumpers that look like they’ve been dropped from the rafters by angels. Even with the stink of desperation sinking in and the emotion in the arena being sucked out, Miami still had a chance. But alas, no passion, no heart, no desire to win. Walking around, half hearted efforts finally vanquished by another Dallas drive or Nowitzki jumper!

When the merciful ending arrived and the victors received their spoils, there was an earnest sincerity in the way they celebrated as they deserved the title.

To the Miami Heat,
The Boston Celtics send their Thanks, the Cleveland Cavaliers send Pity and Closure and the Dallas Mavericks could care less. They got the hardware!

NBA Finals Prognostication

@cavsformavs

With in essence a best of 3 series remaining, I make my prognostication, which ironically is still the same as if the series was a best of 7.

I pick the Dallas Mavericks in 7 games.

I think the talent of Miami is strong as long as the Big 3 all bring something to the table, but like a tripod, if you can take a leg out, then it will not stand.

Dallas on the other hand seems to lack the same endurance as the Heat, but I believe experience and sheer WILLPOWER & Heart will prevail.

Cavericks in 7.

I mean the Maveliers in 7.

Go Mavs!

Shooting Stones in a Glass Stadium.

lebron-james photo borrowed from "by Esther Steinfeld"

Shooting Stones in a Glass Stadium.

LeBron James decides to take another shot at the already belittled Cleveland Cavaliers who are fighting but more realistically slogging their way through a dismal season trying to avoid being the lowliest team in all of the NBA.

The other night, the Cavs were almost doubled up by the 2-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers 112 -57. In the waning moments of one of, if not, the most forgettable game of the season so far, LeBron James decided to take to Twitter and drop his petty tweet.

“Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!” … Ouch. This felt similar to the moment a fight starts and one fighter gets that jelly-legged punch to the gut, and when the rise back up from the shock, there is left cross and uppercut waiting. Boom! Pow! Whaaaam!

Fast forward 24 hours to LeBron injuring his ankle in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers 111-105. AWESOME!

Now, LeBron has been trying to run from his tweet, ever since it made headlines. His excuses are straight out of Jim Caldwells book of rambling fallacies. Spare us LeBron. You tweeted a low down & dirty message and in hindsight you realize it wouldn’t be received well… Sounds familiar… How did you make this “Decision”?

Bottom line is your “friends” at your Management company, especially Maverick are just plain sloppy when it comes to Public Relations and although you are at your core a good person with strong roots in Akron, your guidance and “shoot from the hip” actions of recent have dinged your reputation and potential legacy deeply.

As a former fan of the Cavaliers and yourself, I freed myself from the burdens of perennial losing as you did, I just did it quietly and respectfully.

Go Magic & Celtics! and why not. Go Clippers!

LeBron James makes Dan Gilbert a Martyr!

LeBron James makes Dan Gilbert a Martyr - Sean Dreznin's Blog

LeBron James makes Dan Gilbert and the citizens of Cleveland Martyrs!

Cavalier fans want to pay Dan Gilbert’s $100,000 fine

By Trey Kerby

While Dan Gilbert’s rage in Comic Sans didn’t do him any favors with David Stern, Jesse Jackson or Miami Heat superstars, it did win over some pretty important people — Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Distraught by the loss of their marquee player, Cavs fans embraced Gilbert’s guarantees and disgust with LeBron James(notes). Now they’re taking things a step further than just agreeing with him — they’re helping him.

After being hit with a $100,000 fine for his ode to anger, Gilbert received an offer of his own from some Clevelanders who totally agree with everything he said, if not his font choice. From the Associated Press:

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has more fans and friends than he ever knew.

His emotional, controversial letter criticizing LeBron James for leaving to join Miami spawned an outpouring of fan support for Gilbert. A team spokesman said the team has received thousands of e-mails and phone calls, including some from fans offering to help Gilbert pay a $100,000 NBA-imposed fine.

Well, that’s nice. Very nice. Probably not allowed by the NBA in any way, shape or form, but it’s the thought that counts.

And while Gilbert is more than happy to take people’s money in the form of high-interest loans, he has opted not to accept these fans’ offers to pay his fine.

“The humbling offer by so many is another reflection of the strength of Cavs fans and the people who live and work in this region and are always the first to step up and have each other’s back,” Gilbert said. “I will pay this fine myself, but would be grateful and highly appreciative for any fan who redirects the dollars they kindly offered to contribute towards this fine to the Cavaliers Youth Fund, which will positively impact our region’s kids through the numerous local charitable groups the Cavaliers Youth Fund supports.”

Even though it’s gotten him in some trouble with the league, Gilbert’s pretty much nailed the PR part of losing LeBron James, at least in Cleveland. He showed the fans he was upset just like them, and that’s sure to help them want to stay attached to the team. Now, he’s trying to turn his fine into something good for the area. Good thinking, really.

Maybe all it will take for Dan Gilbert to become a beloved figure in Ohio is the loss of the best player in Cavaliers history. Every owner should try it.

Good versus Evil … NBA Style

summer-of-lebron

An article by Mitch Lawrence on Fox Sports that sums up an emotional response that I have had. The battle of Good vs. Evil in the NBA… In reality, guys like Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan going against the martyrs such as Kobe Bryant, the new pariah LeBron James and other rancid personalities including Ron Artest, Gilbert Arenas, Joahkim Noah, etc is good for the NBA, but I couldn’t agree more with Mitch Lawrence about this miscarriage of justice in putting this team together.

For me, its not about the, “What’s best for _______________ (Insert full NBA name here) _____________ (“And my family”) but more about young superstars in their respective prime, bolting the city’s that loved, worshipped and basically let them call the shots about teammates, plays, staff, etc. LeBron is 25, and he was in Cleveland for 7 years. He seemed to not put a full effort into the playoffs this year, as he had done in the past, which makes me think this collusion agreement had already been discussed and agreed upon with the 3 guys far in advance. (See Bill Simmons article, which eludes to this through a past reader comment and observations)

NBA needs a little more hater-ade
Fox Sports — Mitch Lawrence

Look who’s back in the NBA. Our dear, old friend, hate.

If you heard Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert wig out over LeBron James’ defection to the Miami Heat, you know that hate is alive and well.

To be honest, it’s good to see. It’s good to see Cavs fans burning James’ jersey after he stuck it to his hometown team and quit on the Cavaliers one more time, just for good measure. It’s good to see Gilbert post a 400-word diatribe on his team’s Web site, where he laid out James as if he were Kevin McHale putting the clothesline to Kurt Rambis.

Gilbert called it an act of “cowardly betrayal.’’

We agree, because after all the Cavs did for James in his seven-plus seasons, King Bailout didn’t even have the decency to tell Gilbert face-to-face that he was leaving town. After he kept Gilbert in the dark during free agency, he owed him that much. But LeBron wimped out, just as he did against Boston. He had one of his cronies call Gilbert with the worst news to hit Cleveland since Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore.

It was also good to see Gilbert then take his bitterness up a few more notches, accusing James of tanking in several playoff games, including his epically feeble performance in Game 5 against Boston, which turned out to be his last home game as a Cavalier.

“He quit,” Gilbert said. “Not just in Game 5, but in games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar.”

Hate rules!

The NBA will have no comment on Gilbert’s assault-and-battery of one of the game’s top stars, because the league doesn’t know what to make of it. The league was unprepared to deal with all the craziness brought on by the great gold rush of 2010, let alone the unprecedented public vitriol an owner had for his franchise player.

“He has gotten a free pass,” Gilbert told the Associated Press the night of “The Decision,’’ knowing his comments would be transmitted to the farthest points on the globe. “People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is. It’s not about him leaving. It’s the disrespect. It’s time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I’ve been holding this all in for a long time.’’

FOX SPORTS POLL
Dan Gilbert’s reaction to LeBron has been … 37%—-Ridiculous ******* 63%—-Righteous!

Can you feel the hate? The world is a much more interesting place when people are at each other’s throats and don’t hide their true emotions. Sort of like the NBA back in the ’80s, when Boston and L.A. used to meet in the Finals. Or when the Knicks and Heat or Knicks and Bulls played in the ’90s.

But lately, the NBA has the scene of one, big sickening love-fest, starting with the players. Everybody’s buddies. The top guys even get to play together on Team USA, fostering the dangerous alliances we see today.

So who can be the least bit surprised when two megastars, James and Dwyane Wade, trash the time-honored tradition of leading their own separate teams. Joining forces normally doesn’t happen until players are well past their primes. When Karl Malone jumped to the Lakers in 2004, he was a week short of his 40th birthday, and he had been busting his butt, trying to win a ring, in Utah for 18 years. By that late date, nobody was offended by the move.

But here, James quit on the Cavs when he’s still only 25. And Wade threw his buddy a life preserver when he’s still only 28.
If this is a new model for building teams, somebody needs to take a hammer to it.

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Scolds LeBron in Open Letter to Fans

we-are-all-witnesses-lebron-james-546522_1024_768

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Scolds LeBron in Open Letter to Fans

In the wake of LeBron James’s decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted an open letter to fans on the team’s website. Mr. Gilbert, the 48-year-old chairman and founder of Quicken Loans Inc. and Rock Financial, became the majority owner of the Cavs in March 2005. (Read related article: LeBron James to Sign With Miami Heat.)

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner

For now, LeBron, the Prince of South Beach, is still the King of Nothing.

we-are-all-witnesses-lebron-james-546522_1024_768

He may wear the annointed crown, but he sits, in his checkered purple and white shirt, ringless.

That situation may change in less then a year as the Miami Heat looked poised to challenge the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers for the title.

The other contenders are either a year older or a player removed from seriously challenging, at this point, on paper.

Boston Celtics… The same argument of age and being too old applies this upcoming season as well.

Orlando Magic.. After losing Hedo Turtle-glue, they just seem to be missing something… Maybe its Rashard Lewis sucking more then a black hole… actually, I think I just gave Rashard his new nickname! Kobe is the “Black Mamba” and Rashard is the “Black Hole”.

Phoenix… No Amare = No Chance

Dallas… Hey look its Dirk Nowitzki and a first round playoff loss!

Denver… Carmelo has NY on the brain… Denver goes, at best, 2nd round

Utah… Blah

San Antonio… Age and injuries are getting the best of this TEAM.

Atlanta… Haha… Joe Johnson robbed this team for all they are worth… $120 million for Joe Johnson… and for David Blaine’s next act he will put Atlanta in a block of ice and they will remain there until Mike Bibby and ZaZa move on or shoot better then 30%.

Chicago… Derrick Rose & Carlos Boozer will put them into the playoffs and they will put up a good fight, but we don’t see them going to the finals.

Milwaukee… A strong TEAM, but not finals worthy.

Charlotte… Snoozefest, unless Jordan laces em up… nevermind.

Portland… We actually like Portland this season…maybe the dark horse that loses to the lakers.

Finally, the Los Angeles Lakers… Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Artest, fisher/Blake, etc… If Bynum is healthy, then Lakers are just too big inside for the Heat, but If the load falls on Gasol and Odom, then certainly there is a chance that the Heat can score enough to win the series. Ultimately, the strength of having 3 great scorers like LBJ, Wade and Bosh is the speed and agility with which they attack, score, counterattack on fast breaks. The con is, the speed of play on the playoffs sloooooows down tremendously and the game becomes a defensive battle to the fullest! This is where we see a roster of 3 stars and some random characters falling short. Defensively.

We see the Lakers 3-peating.

But maybe the Heat will sign Carmelo as well.

The best take I have read on LeBron James and his arrogance!

summer-of-lebron - from the Day & A Dream Blog

This article speaks for itself, so no commentary from me… It as if my alter ego was writing this the entire time!… Just enjoy!

Free Agency in the NBA has turned into the WWE.

Some do it the right way (Kevin Durant), some have learned to do it the right way (Kobe Bryant after making ESPN his own television channel when he almost left the Lakers back in 2005) but LeBron James? Just doesn’t get it.

If holding an entire city hostage for over two years and telling them that you might release them from their captivity on a “decision day” isn’t a cheap way of breaking up with someone, tell me differently. If making yourself bigger than the sport merely because people have been blowing BP oil up your rectum since middle school isn’t cheap (and also pretty arrogant), tell me differently. Sadly, you can’t.

Fact is, there aren’t any real winners in the LeBron James Reality TV Show. I wanted to call it “The LeBrachelorette” but Bill Simmons already swiped “The LeBrachelor”. Hijacking ESPN for an hour and let the media show the world what a true verbal tip kissing contest looks like tops it off. Even if he decides to join the team of “superstar” Dwyane Wade and “good second fiddle” Chris Bosh or even lands himself in New York to try and resurrect the Knicks from their own failures as a franchise or the “nice” move of staying in Cleveland, there’s no real interest in LeBron the player anymore.

Understand this, not once all season did LeBron seem like winning a championship was on his list. No, becoming a free agent was. The Dr. J “super nice” gene rolled inside of him like the human centipede and stayed there for four months and when that “killer instinct” decided to show up – it was too late. Yes, I’ll be in the crowd of Houston Rockets fans who seem a little put off by the fact that Les Alexander and Darryl Morley picked up no big named free agents but I’ll also be in the crowd of overall NBA fans who wishes it were just a basketball association again.

Instead, players are more concerned about building brands and creating legacies off the court instead of winning, skipping step two of the Michael Jordan Steps to Becoming A Global Icon. Step one was to do a series of unforeseen things on a basketball court, set records and get close to tasting victory. Step two was to actually win. For seven years we’ve been pushed on this LeBron train as if we were granted such a privilege to watch him play basketball. The return for it? Two MVP awards, one conference championship, building the city of Cleveland back into a basketball town, one NBA Finals sweep (2007), one Jordan Crawford dunk at a basketball skills camp, one reference by Pusha T of the Clipse, one alleged rumor of Delonte West & Gloria James. In other words: not much winning there.

No matter where he goes, somebody is losing. And if it’s Cleveland, I’m prepared to see a story on CNN about mass suicides and secession talks to Canada with Rick Perry brokering the deal.

For this full article and others, visit Day & A Dream Blog, here <—–

The Day the Music Died… Part II

Jay-z and Beyonce

On the Flip Side, the rumors are just that. RUMORS. White static awash in a sea of speculation. I think I saw him wearing an orange cardigan, it must mean he is going to play for the Heat!

Chad OchoCinco ( I cannot believe I am referring to him as OchoCinco, I mean c’mon…really?) says NY is the place for LBJ as #6 with Amare. Does anyone else think Amare Stoudemire was only good when he had a point gaurd to actually pass him the ball to score on fast breaks.
He cannot rebound, does not play defense and isn’t a very good compliment shooter to LeBron who likes to burn 23 of the 24 seconds off the shot clock before jacking a “3″. Who is gonna get that rebound?

Anyhow, here is another rumor for all of us, dreading tonights announcement… Will Bron Bron turn his large shoulders on Cleveland… does he owe them any loyalty? Is he prepared to leave Usher for Jay-Z? or Gloria Estefan and Will Smith… you have heard the song Miami… Thats when I recomitted to thorough Q-tip cleansings… Really Will… Mee-Ammm-eee?
If LeBron leaves Cleveland with a black hole of angst and unsatisfied closure, then I to will leave the NBA as a true fan and return to being a bandwagon martyr with no true allegiance, only casting my support behind underdogs and rallying against the soul stealing Goliaths.

There is so much wrong with the triple dose of hired guns in this Miami scenario and while it is similar to Boston and the big 3. That story was written a bit different, in the feel there was hope, for class act players Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth) and Kevin Garnett (mired in Minnesota as a 100% guy for what seemed like eternity) and Paul Pierce, the quiet, yet ornery superstar. Hope that they could pull it together for a competitive season, and boy did they ever. Nothing is impossible, but then again, not much losing is possible if these 3 come together, and the feeling I get is not one of hope, but of greedy, young, seedy domination.

Instead of creating a lasting legacy in a city that would do anything for him, he will go to a city that will view him as a circus act and eat lettuce and wear hot pants as they roller skate to the arena to watch the Heat destroy teams like Indiana & New Jersey and Memphis… BOring… Lets Go GRIZZ!!!

Did Ochocinco and Dudley just ruin LeBron’s “Look At Me” party?
Free agency isn’t even a week old and it’s already an insufferable avalanche of sources, reports, rumors and attention-grabs.

Yeah, we all know that LeBron is going to announce his decision in a 1-hour special on ESPN tomorrow night at 9 (hosted by Stu Scott.. which is about right considering the tone of this offseason) and preceded by a 3-hour SportsCenter. It was supposed to be this big “look at me” moment…

Except Chad Ochocinco and Jared Dudley might have spilled the beans already. Earlier today, Ochocinco tweeted this:

6, of course, is going to be LeBron’s new number. Then Jared Dudley borrowed Ralphi’s Ovaltine secret code ring and came up with this:

Dudley knows Amar’e, obviously, so there’s some credence to that…. he probably didn’t just decipher Chad Ochocinco’s… ummm… “cleverly” disguised tweet.

So we’ve got two pro athletes suddenly tweeting at the same time that ‘Bron Bron is going to become a Knick. They sure as hell could be wrong. But if they’re right.. then they just blew the surprise.

It would also mean LeBron James just booked an hour long special on ESPN to publicly kick Cleveland in the nuts. The city that loved its native son… that suffered through sports humiliations like having the Browns ripped from their football loving hands… could be tuning in to have one of the biggest stars in their city’s history stand their in front of a national TV audience and profess his love for someone else.

For full article, click here <—–

The Day the Music Died.

we-are-all-witnesses-lebron-james

Reports are leaning towards LeBron James joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and leaving the Cleveland Money($30 million smackeroos), Cleveland Fans (Who are yearning like Cubs Fans for a title for the City. Period. — At least the Cubs fans enjoyed NHL titles, NFL titles and maybe even a little White Sox title action) and poor little Cleveland/Northeast Ohio Economy (Estimates have downtown Cleveland, which is on its heels from a poor economy and bad Indians teams, losing $20 million annually due to LeBron’s leaving)

If LeBron leaves to form this Tri-Fecta of Tyranny or Triage of Terror in Miami, then I denounce the NBA. I will go out and buy all the Kansas City Royals/Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Clippers, basically every team that has no money or chooses to spend very little money and therefore never competes with the created $$$ Oligarchy. (i.e. – NY Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys… basically teams that spend all kinds of sick money in search of glory and legacies whether they ruin the integrity and fandom of the sport in their pursuit.)

Here is an article I read today from FOX Sports…

LeBron James move from Cleveland to Miami appears increasingly likely as the clock counts down to his decision.

LeBron James heads the list of free agents on the open market.

Free agency buzz: Latest big news
Heat win big with Wade, Bosh
Whitlock: Blame ‘Bron’s entourage
FOX Sports Ohio: Please don’t go
Rosen: LeBron’s best option now
Kriegel: Knicks overpay, as usual
Hench: Enough already, LeBron
Rosen: Amar’e-D’Antoni, not again!
Lowry: Too much LeBron coverage
Rosen: Crazy contract offers
Hill: NBA will be a different place
FOX Sports Ohio: LeBron tracker
Ranking the top 10 free agents
Summer of LeBron page

Numerous reports Thursday morning said James is likely to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat, a development that positions the team as an immediate NBA contender.

Newsday reported James was leaning toward Miami, and ESPN has reported James will join the Heat barring a change of heart before his scheduled announcement.

“I’ll be watching,” Wade told The Associated Press. “We’ve scheduled it. I’ll make sure I’m in front of the TV (Thursday) at 9 to watch like everyone else.”

Opting for Miami could cost James millions of dollars in salary. The Cavaliers could sign James to a six-year contract for about $125 million. Assuming he splits the available cap space evenly with Bosh and Wade, the most James could get in Miami would be five years and about $90 million. The difference is somewhat mitigated by the lack of a state income tax in Florida.

For the full story, click here <—-