LeBron and the Knicks – Could Jay-Z Cost the Nets by Accident?

Frank Doyle looks at LeBron James’ options after Cleveland fail again in the playoffs.

LeBron answered his critics with a triple double last night but it still didn’t save Cleveland from more gut-wrenching sports heartbreak. And now it’s going to be another anxious summer by the banks of the Ohio as the city waits and wonders if LeBron will stay in his home state or seek other suitors. He is LeBron James – anything less than Championships, plural, will mean that his career will not have lived up to his talent. And that would be a pity on a number of levels.

The argument for staying put is that Cleveland is LeBron’s home town, and that’s a powerful argument. Cleveland is one of the great sports town and for its disappointments to be lifted by one of their own – well, grown men crying tears of joy in the streets for weeks afterwards is what you’re looking at there.

The argument against LeBron staying put is that the Cavs don’t seem to know what to do with him. LeBron is a superstar, but Michael Jordan became a legend partly because the Bulls were able to integrate him into the team. In Cleveland, it seems to be LeBron and some other guys. Every year they say it’s different, every year it turns out the same.

If it’s all about Championships, then Chicago is the instant fit. If LeBron puts on the Bulls jersey then Chicago instantly becomes NBA betting favorite for the title next year. Instantly. The problem with Chicago is that there’s no way the Bulls will ever be anything other than Jordan’s team.

Maybe in fifty years’ time there’ll be room, but right now, LeBron would still be in Jordan’s shadow. Even though Jordan’s not only ten years gone, but owner of the Bobcats now. The legend remains and pervades the United Center. It is the House that Jordan Built, after all.

And LeBron is bigger than that. For LeBron, it’s not just about Championships. It’s about carving a legend that can be seen from space. And in Chicago, that legend is Jordan, and will always be.

LeBron James becoming a New York Knick will not fast track LeBron to a Championship. In fact, he’ll be further from one than he is currently with Cleveland. But if LeBron wants to become a legend, then New York is the best place to do that. It’s not fair that New York has the cultural dominance that it does, but it’s not going to change anytime soon either. And the New York Daily News has been pro-active – to put it lightly – in setting up a website to woo LeBron to New York.

Jay-Z might be a part-owner of the Nets, but his performance of Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys at Game 2 of the World Series is exactly the reason why the Knicks are in the mix – nothing you can’t do, feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, New York, New York, New York. A siren song from a city to a superstar. This could be a nervous summer in Cleveland.