"I Used To Play Kobe Until I Played LeBron..."

It is way too early to start speculate on the future of LeBron James.  Come on, ESPN did it in September ... before the NBA preseason even started.

Then LeBron opens his mouth and says something that makes you go "hmmm..." as he did on Thursday after the Cavs-Heat game.  The King said he wants to honor the Greatest of All Time by leaving the No. 23 and wearing No. 6 next season.

Somewhere, Dr. J is wondering when LBJ will honor him?

Anyway, here's the video.



Bulls fans, the first thing you thought to yourself is that LeBron is coming to Chicago.  I know that's what you were thinking, because that's what I was thinking.  James has yet to be linked to Chicago, other than this speculation from former Chicago Tribune scribe Sam Smith.  However, James-to-Chicago is not as far fetched of a dream as some might think.

If LBJ23 turned into LBJ6 and came to Chicago, he would be joining the most talented team he has been a part of since coming to the NBA.  (Yes, more talented than the Cavs team that actually made the NBA Finals a few years back.)  You think I'm using this as hyperbole?  Not a chance.  This is the Game 1 line-up the Cavaliers trotted out before being dismissed by the Spurs.

• F LeBron James
• F Drew Gooden
  
• C Zydruna Ilgauskas
• G Larry Hughes
• G Sasha Pavlovic
  

Without James on board, the Cavs would have been average at best, but more likely would have been preparing for another NBA Draft Lottery sitting next to Elgin Baylor.

The Bulls gave James a taste of how things could be in Chicago with a 86-85 win Nov. 5 on The King's Court.

Derrick Rose scored 14 points and dished out 11 assists in that game, and would probably be the most dynamic player James has ever teamed with, and would be without a doubt the best point guard to start with him since the '08 Olympics.  Luol Deng scored a game-high 15 in the win, and would give James the wingman he would need on the perimeter to team with.  Deng is averaging 17.4 points per game, the best he's done since breakout 2006-07 season.  Joakim Noah is a level above Sideshow Bob Anderson Verejao and is turning into the double-double machine John Paxson expected him to be when he came out of Florida.

The best thing the Bulls have going for them, unlike the last time they cleared out cap space for big-name free agents, is that it is 2010.  Chicago won't have to worry about players being scared off because they would have to follow Michael Jordan's legacy.  The Bulls have had four different head coaches (plus three interim coaches) since the Jordan Era ended.  Chicago has made the playoffs and has even won a playoff series since that time.

If LeBron went to New York, as many speculate that he will, he would join another rebuilding process.  And all the endorsement deals -- deals he could get while playing in a market such as Chicago -- would not be worth the effort put forth having to make up for playing on a mediocre team.

Despite the talk about the Nets, I don't see it happening because the team has still yet to relocate to Brooklyn.  Sorry, Hova, but the Meadowlands isn't a place fit for a king.  Miami could be an intriguing destination, if Dwyane Wade didn't talk like he was leaving Chicago.

Which brings up a dream scenario similar to the one you had last night about that supermodel crawling into bed last night only to find out it was your wife, your dog ... or both.

The Bulls have enough cap money cleared for two (count 'em, two) high-priced free agents.  There has been idle chatter about James & D-Wade wanting to be teammates in the NBA.  I don't have to tell you about Wade's Chicago ties.

Do you see where I'm getting at here?

In this era of the NBA, a team needs three stars to win a title.  Look at the '09 Lakers (Kobe, Gasol, Bynum), '08 Celtics (Pierce, Garnett, Allen) and '07 Spurs (Duncan, Parker, Ginobili) and figure out what they all have in common.

A trio of Rose, Wade and James would not only be just another run-of-the-mill contender, they would also probably be the No. 1 contender.  It would be a challenge each player, hungry for a championship, would be up to taking.

And while I come on this blog and rant about how Jerry Reinsdorf mismanages his basketball team because of his investment in his baseball team, Reinsdorf knows how to make money and knows that you need to spend money to make it.  Reinsdorf made Michael Jordan the highest paid player in the game throughout his NBA career, especially during the championship years.

I'll take a risk here and say on the record that I have a feeling he would be willing to do it again.

So, if LeBron James really wants to honor Jordan's legacy, he would come to Chicago and build one of his own.

Then he could admire the retired jersey in the United Center rafters for 41 games a year.

The Central is the center of attention

The Central division can be summed up in two words: LeBron James.

Chicago is riding high after the best first-round NBA playoff series in history against the Boston Celtics, but they are no match for James' Cleveland crew. All eyes will be in Cleveland as James and The Big Witness begin their march for a championship.

Oh, and regardless if Cleveland wins a championship, James will sign with Cleveland. So all you fans of other central teams, don't start getting your hopes up for the summer of 2010; he isn't going anywhere.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

This is probably the easiest call to make as far as a division winner goes. The only way Cleveland loses the division is if James gets injured for an extended period of time. Shaq should add to an already dominant team and Anderson Varejao will continue to look like an all-star from all the nifty passes he receives from James.

I suppose Cleveland could lose the division if Delonte West shows up to work with his collection of 18 guns one day (Too soon? I know, disgruntled employee jokes aren't funny, they're dangerous people).

2. Chicago Bulls

It pains me to write this, but they have established themselves as the second best team in the division. Derrick Rose was great last year, and assuming he added a jump shot during the offseason, he is going to be near unstoppable at times. And did Joakim Noah cut off Kareem Abdul Jabbar's hands and surgically connect them to his arms? I'm not sure when Noah got that soft touch he has been showing, but it scares me.

The Bulls will also be one of the deepest teams in the league, boasting, Kirk Hinrich Jannero Pargo, Taj Gibson, Brad Miller and James Johnson. The shooting guard position has some questions, but John Salmons is a good, consistent player.

3. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have received a lot of criticism this offseason, but they are not as bad as some people think. Yes, they overpaid for Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, but people cannot forget they are both still very good players. Rodney Stuckey should continue to improve and Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are always a handful.

They have plenty of question marks on defense, except for Stuckey and Prince who are both top notch. They also don't have much in the front court other than Jason Maxiell and at times Chris Wilcox. They better hope Austin Daye was the right choice, because they will need all the help they can get up front.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

I refuse to ever pick the Bucks to finish last. And I also actually think they are better than the Indiana Pacers. Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut NEED to stay healthy this season as there is not much firepower behind them. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute should break out as one of the league's best defenders and Brandon Jennings is going to at least make people remember Milwaukee has a basketball team again.

The darkhorse: Hakim Warrick. Expect big things out of him this season. He had a great preseason and I think he will turn heads. The Bucks are also deep at the forward position with Warrick, Ersan Ilyasova, Mbah a Moute, Carlos Delfino and Joe Alexander. Rebounds will be key for this team.

5. Indiana Pacers

Some experts think they are on the upswing, but as long as Jim O'Brien is coaching it won't matter. Brandon Rush seems ready to bust out and Danny Granger is one of the league's best players. Roy Hibbert is good, but O'Brien loves Josh McRobert's facial hair so he will play the wrong person most of the time. Everyone debates Tyler Hansbrough's worth, but it wont matter because this team isn't going to win many games either way. That's just what happens when you don't have a bench.

They lost Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels in the offseason; two huge assets off the bench. Now they boast intimidating players such as Solomon Jones, Luther Head, A.J. Price and Travis Diener. Sounds scary (for Pacers fans).

LeBron (More Like LeFraud!) James Exposed

Alright, well, TMZ has got the infamous LeBron James getting dunked on video and you don't even have to wait 'til their show comes on TV. It's already online for you.

Allow me to set the scene for you.

• Xavier's Jordan Crawford drives the lane.
• LeBron is too slow (lazy?) in shifting his feet.
• Crawford dunks on James.

Sounds almost as exciting as watching paint dry. The most over-hyped throwing down of the hammer in basketball injury. Even Jamaal Tatum thinks that dunk is weak!

Let's hear it for LeFraud James, everyone.

Cavs Beat Magic, Delay The Inevitable

37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists was all LeBron James needed to send the Cleveland Cavaliers back to Florida for Game 6.

Sorry, Cleveland. You will have to wait until at least Saturday night to implode.

LeBron's First "Like Mike" Moment

Ghosts of Craig Ehlo had seemingly made their way from what used to be Gund Arena as the Orlando Magic seemed poised to take a 2-0 lead out of Cleveland and back to Orlando.

Needless to say, LeBron James exercised those demons.



With his game-winning from-way-downtown-bang! 3-pointer, James turned the table on Cleveland hoops history. And for Hedo Turkoglu, who is known as "The Turkish Jordan," he might now be known as "The Turkish Ehlo."

And for good measure...

LeBron, you tease!

Photo Credit: Sparty & Friends

Ever since the LeBron 1.18.09 commercials began to surface, I have been intrigued.

But I had no inkling on what it could be.

Was he going to announce the loophole in his contract that allows him to opt out after the 2009 season? Maybe it was the announcement that the Cavaliers offered him a blank check to stay in Cleveland forever? Or possibly it was a Maury-style presser in which LBJ announces the paternity tests were in and he was not the father.

Instead, LeBron James announced he would be signing with the Cleveland Browns.

In a fictional kind of way.

Plenty of leakage of pictures and video of LeBrown making his NFL debut with his home town team. Catching passes. Blocking field goals. Doing some sort of And-1 football stuff. All for a frickin' State Farm commercial.

Poor Browns fans. They ran through more quarterbacks in one season than the Bears have in 10. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards went from All-Pro to no show. And like his namesake in that Shakespeare play, Romeo Crennel was off'd when it was all said and done.

And then, for a few dollars in advertising revenue, LBJ23 has the nerve to toy with the hearts of football fans that will see their former franchise battle for the AFC Championship tomorrow.

And to be honest, the only person I could think about when I checked out these links was SIU sports information director Tom Weber, an avid Browns supporter who always takes notice when I wear my uncle's Browns hoodie to interviews.

I'm sure he would appreciate the opportunity to line Edwards to the right, James wide to the left with Brady Quinn tossing bombs to each.

Instead, LeBron will continue to toy with the hearts and souls of Cleveland fans.

What's next? BronBron batting for the Indians?

The Next Piece of the "LeBron 11809" Puzzle Revealed [Sparty and Friends]
Video of LeBron's "Big Announcement" [Awful Announcing]

Reason #108 why LeBron ain't Mike

LeBron James is the second best player in the NBA.

I'm not slighting King James, by any means. I would take him on my team in a minute, trading everyone on the Bulls not named Derrick Rose to do so.

But when you have the chance to turn Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden, Luol Deng and even Rose into a poster and you settle for jump shots, then you might want to reconsider a career.

Hey, the Browns need some help. Can BronBron be Bo? Maybe.

And yes, LBJ scored 28 points, grabbed 14 boards and dished 7 assists, but he missed 14 straight shots during a crucial point in the Chicago Bulls' overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I know he's still relatively young, but he was an NBA Finalist and an Olympic Gold Medalist. So it's not as if he does not know how to win. It is not as if he does not know how to hit the big shot. It is not as if he has not shown to be shy when it is time to take that shot.

I'm just saying when Michael Jordan had the chance to posterize Craig Ehlo, he did it. A lot. Rumor has it Ehlo sees a shrink three times a week as he tries to recover from all the times Jordan victimized him throughout his career.

And before this No. 23 calls it quits, I expect him to find one Bulls player to torture for his entire career.

Placing Prospects: Why LeBron should stay

Before the news broke today that LeBron James would consider signing an extension, I had the Cleveland Cavaliers on my mind. Not because I was thinking about where the King would be in two years, but because I was about to go watch Davidson vs. Purdue at the Conseco Fieldhouse for the John Wooden Tradition.

I was excited to see America's sweetheart Stephen Curry light up the Boilermakers for a ridiculous amount of points and hopefully confirm a destiny I have had in mind for the young scorer since I first saw his brilliance last March.

Curry did not light up Purdue though. In fact, he only scored 13 points and went 5-for-26 from the field. But even the best have off nights and I still believe Curry is the one who has the power to sway James' decision for what jersey he will wear in 2010.

The Davidson junior is the exact player James needs in his offense. James has needed a "pure" scorer to play alongside for years and has yet to find a perfect match.

With Larry Hughes, he had to fight for his shots since Hughes would put up ill-advised shots or he just was never healthy. After Hughes left James had no options except for the occasional good game from Donyell Marshall or Daniel Gibson.

Now James has Mo Williams and Delonte West which is a better situation but still not perfect. Williams is a good scorer but I saw plenty of him in Milwaukee and I know he just doesn't click with other elite scorers like a Michael Redd.

Williams will score his and then let someone score theirs and then score his and so on. It's never a real fluid relationship like the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen relationship James desperately wants. While West has been solid this year, he is more of a utility man that will do whatever the team needs him to do and cannot be James' personal wingman when he has rebounds, defense and assists to worry about.

Enter Stephen Curry.

Curry can shoot lights out. He shoots off the pass and at 6'3 he is tall enough to score off the dribble and drive the lane. The most important aspect of Curry is his lack of ego yet complete confidence in his game. Curry doesn't need to score 30 points a game, but when his number is called he knows he can perform.

When James needs the help Curry could become the person that is virtually impossible to stop. When he starts hitting on all cylinders you need to double team him and when you double him then James makes you pay.

Curry is expected to be picked around the 20th slot, and the Cavs will be picking in the upper 20's come draft time. The Cavs should do everything they can to land Curry, even if they have to trade someone like Williams, West or even Anderson Verajo.

Watching Curry throw up shots with confidence despite struggling all game was further proof he is ready to be James' go-to man. He won't be selfish like Hughes, but he will be more dangerous than Williams and West and give James the perfect outlet pass every time down the floor.

So LeBron, don't sign anything yet. But if Curry becomes a Cav, take the extension because I think he would bring a ring with him.

New York 2010? Don't do it LeBron

If LeBron James paid any attention to the team he torched tonight, he would realize that New York isn't the place to go in 2010.

First, let's look at The King's Line in Wednesday night's win over the Knicks:

21 points 5 steals 6 assists 5 rebounds

That's a pretty impressive 28 minutes 9 seconds of work. If I could be that productive in that short of a time span, I'd be a straight-A student and the best sports writer in the history of the world.

Ah, to be an underachiever.

But back to James.

All this 2010 talk is too much for me, but to be honest, this guy is too good for the Knicks. But to be honest, I understand why he would want to go there.

He gets a couple of incentives picked up for moving into a major market and that's nice. He will surely be handsomely rewarded, likely being the highest paid player in the history of the NBA ... and how can you reject that. He would not only be the face of the NBA, but the shining sports image of one of the world's greatest cities.

Those are things you really can't deny.

But that team is awful. And let's be honest, it's not going to get any better in two seasons.

The Knicks only have four players under contract for 2010: Eddy Curry, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Jared Jeffries. That group isn't going to be confused with the Dream Team any time soon. Curry is fat and still probably stuck at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Gallinari will flop, just like the last foreign player the Knickerbockers drafted. I thought Jeffries was still at Indiana until I looked at the Knicks projected 2010 roster.

The only talent on that roster is Chandler, who is a solid fantasy basketball player with three-position eligibility as head coach Mike D'Antoni is slowly turning into a poor man's Shawn Marion.

That's nice, but that's not going to win you a championship. And after winning a Gold medal, an NBA ring would be the only thing LBJ needs to cross off his to-do list.

In hopes the NBA's poster child reads this blog (and I don't see why he wouldn't) here are my two cents in three simple words.

Come to Chicago.

Before I you click over to College Humor, hear me out.

LBJ could join Derrick Rose, Chicago's very own budding star and the kind of pure point guard he has yet to play with that would compliment (not cramp) his style. He could play along side ultra-scrappy uber-pest Andres Nocioni.

Rose, LBJ, Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah looks like a more competitive lineup than James, Chandler and talentless scrubs.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Kobe > LeBron: Game, set & match

Allow me to get this out of my system, please.

LeBron James is a man among boys.

He's a point guard in a power forward's body.

He cuts through defenses like a hot knife through butter.

He passes as if he has eyes in the back of his head.

He has the potential to be one of the all-time greats.

But when push came to shove in the Gold Medal game, Kobe Bryant threw the punch.

Bryant put the entire United States on his back and scored 13 fourth-quarter points en route to bringing home the Gold for the Redeem Team. It was sweet redemption for Bryant, a part of the 2004 team that finished with a bronze medal.

And months after his championship aspirations were dashed by the Boston Celtics in June, it looked like Kobe took out his frustrations on Pau Gasol and the Spaniards.

Yes, Dwyane Wade led U.S. scorers with 27 points, but when Team U.S.A. needed a key basket all eyes were on Kobe and he did not disappoint. He was ESPN classic "en fuego" and Spain "couldn't stop him, they could only hope to contain him" ... and they couldn't.

As Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Chris Paul enter their primes, Team U.S.A. should only get better as they try to reclaim the strangle-hold they had on the world's top spot.

And just like Superman, Kobe will be there when you need him the most.

Did Stat Boy just use Mo Williams and Jeff Blauser in the same sentence?

Apparently, LeBron James doesn't read this blog. And why would he? He's a multi-millionaire currently overseas trying to bring the gold home to the U.S.A. But if he did, maybe he'd be less than thrilled if he had read yesterday's blog, his excitement would be a little more tempered. Or maybe not? We'll let my alter-ego "Stat Boy" handle this one.

Mo Williams' addition to the Cavs looks like one of those "if you can't beat 'em, steal 'em" kinda deals. He lit up the Cavs in to the tune of 26 points, nine assists and more than six rebounds per game. The four game sample size isn't much--but it's still something to take note of.

• In a March 22 108-98 Bucks victory, Williams scored 29 points, grabbed 5 boards and dished out 13 assists.
• In a Feb. 26 105-102 victory, Mo dropped a season-high (and presumably a career-high) 37 points to go along with six assists and seven rebounds.
• In a Nov. 20 111-107 triumph, Williams scored 20 points with 9 assists and six rebounds.

In closing, Mo averaged 28.6 ppg, six rebounds and 9.3 assists in the Bucks' three wins against Bron-Bron's Cavs. That's 11.4 more points, 2.5 more rebounds and three more assists than he averaged over the entire NBA season.

Those are some pretty intriguing numbers if you ask me.

Here's hoping (for LeBron's sake) that Mo Williams isn't to the Cavs what Jeff Blauser was to the Cubs.*

*Jeff Blauser was an All-Star Atlanta Braves shortstop. Blauser hit .351 with a .431 OBP and a 1.023 OPS in 78 career games against the Cubs. In two seasons as a Cub, he hit .230 with a .343 OBP and .703 OPS.

In response to 'LeBron gives Cavs 'A' for Williams trade' (Akron Beacon Journal)

Just Wondering

Since LeBron James donated $20,000 of his own hard-earned cash (because carrying the likes of Eric Snow and Damon Jones to the NBA Finals is harder than Chinese math) to Barack Obama's campaign, it makes me wonder who John McCain has in his corner.

Arizona hoops coach Lute Olsen? How about D'Backs shortstop Stephen Drew? Maybe Matt Leinhart has some political ties to the Arizona senator.

I wonder who's next to step out to support the campaign trail for either side.


LeBron James Donated $20K to Barack Obama's Campaign (Fanhouse)

LeBum James?

When LeBron James scored 25 consecutive points during the 4th quarter and overtime against the Detroit Pistons in game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, I told everyone, this was the greatest performance ever in the NBA playoffs.

Yes, better than Jordan's 63 in the Garden way back when. And more impressive than Magic Johnson playing center replacing Kareem Abdul Jabbar in game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals (and oh yeah he was a rookie and won MVP.)

Many Jordan and Magic fans didn't agree with my opinion on James' performance on that mystical night at the Palace of Auburn Hills. They all agreed with one thing though, that James would be one of the greatest players to ever play on the hardwood.

Now let's take a left off memory lane and make a right back to reality road. After two games against the Boston 3 Party or the PGA Tour (Pierce, Garnett and Allen) or whatever you want to call them, James is 8 for 42 in the series.

And no, the Cavs did not add Jerome James to the playoff roster and forced him to shoot jumpers at gun point, where Talking about LeBron James, the same player who scored 25 consecutive points in Detroit against a Pistons team that was known for their defense.

OK so I know what your going to say, the Celtics had the best defense in the NBA this year. That is true, but did any defense of any kind stop Jordan from making opponents look foolish guarding him? Did double teams stop Larry Bird's lights out shooting in the post season? The answer to both of these questions is: No! Every great player plays to the occasion, and King James looked more like the Queen with his performances in games 1 and 2 against the Celtics.

If you haven't looked at either of these games or looked at a box score (or living under a rock) you would probably awake from hibernation saying: well, the Cavs and LeBron can't stop Garnett, Pierce and Allen, there is just no way! Well your sadly mistaken because the PGA Tour in this series has been rained out.

Garnett scored 28 points while Pierce and Allen where no where to be found as they combined to score 4 points (well Pierce scored the total 4 points, I wanted to include Allen just for the effort.)

The Celtics miraculously win 76-72. In Game 2, the sun started to peak out of the gray clouds and The Big 3 started to come alive again with Pierce scoring 19, Allen putting in 16 and Garnett contributing 13 points and grabbing 12 boards in a 89-73 win, but the Celtics still didn't look like the team that won 66 games this year. Bron Bron and the Cavs had a chance to take advantage of the Celtics and have the series at least tied 1-1 heading back to Cleveland, but they let that opportunity slip away.

Now I guess you're going to say this: LeBron dont have good players around him. I hate to break this to you but that is weak! Michael Jordan had Dave Corzine and Sam Vincent to share the ball with in his early career but he was still able to dominate with what he had. And yes, the rest of the Cavs players did not shoot well neither, but still if you are one of the best you have to play the role!

Everyone is not perfect, in fact we have had moments at our jobs where we didn't work to our potential, if it's being a construction worker or flipping burgers. Let's just say that your a construction worker coming into work and you have a bad day. You don't get what you want built on schedule, not at the time that you usually get your assignment finished (keep in mind I don't know anything about construction work, this is an example, so bare with me) there is still the next day and you will get it done.

But the construction worker don't just finish the job and leave a few nails missing from the house and let the whole thing crumble to the ground, he has the foundation still standing. LeBron has to be like that construction worker. Yes you had a bad game (or two) but don't let the house fall to the ground missing a few nails.

The greats in the game adjust to whatever situation it is. If your jump shot is not falling take it to the cup. If you cant go to the hole, than create your own shot or dish it off to someone else. LeBron has emerged as one of the best in the NBA, but what makes you great is performing and winning in the playoffs. Without any research I could assure you that Jordan or Bird did not have 2 back to back stinkers in the playoffs like this.

One thing to keep an eye on is this, what LeBron are we going to see? The one that dominated the Pistons in game 5 in Detroit last year and off to being on of the greatest to ever play this game. Or a one hit wonder, that only tasted the finals once and never gets back to the large stage again.

Stay tuned and continue to watch this series, even though the first two games were eye sores.

- Da Carter