The Is LRMR Good For the NBA Debate… A Cautionary Tale for the NBA

August 3, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

If history repeats itself, NBA Commissioner David Stern, and the owners he represents around the league, better start brushing up on Boxing History 101.

The Decline of Boxing

The sport of boxing, which was once considered one of the premier sports in the United States, has been diminished almost to the point of irrelevance. While there are many factors that have contributed to the sport’s slip into obscurity, one of the key issues that has threatened the viability of boxing is the selfish “pay-day” mentality of its athletes.

The history of boxing has been always been defined by its great fights: Ali versus Frazier, Joe Louis versus Max Schmeling, Sugar Ray Leonard versus Marvelous Marvin Hagler, The Rumble in the Jungle. These were all fights slated to determine which fighter was the best, and the sport thrived as a result. Nowadays, fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather allow contract disputes over paychecks and other trivialities to get in the way of those potentially great battles, the types of battles that would benefit EVERYONE in the boxing world.

Boxing promoters such as Don King, Bob Arum, and Lou DiBella have helped to facilitate a shift in focus for the sport, and a greater emphasis has been placed on the fighter at the expense of the event. These “super fighters” have become more important than the “super fights” by usurping the authority of the boxing sport. Now, boxing is driven by the whims of its biggest stars, not the needs of the sport.

What is important to the sport has been superseded by what is important to the athlete.

Premier bouts were moved first from network to cable broadcasts, and then from cable to pay-per-view. Why? So the fighters and promoters could draw bigger paychecks. The problem is that the move to pay-per-view has restricted the accessibility of the sport, and the general public has lost interest because it cannot easily (or affordably) view the greatest matches.

Boxing condoned a system where the athletes and promoters were allowed to be self-serving and focus on their personal benefit, rather than the benefit of the game. Selfishness and greed have completely changed the sport of boxing, and it is all bad.

Boxing’s journey is the history lesson the NBA needs.

LRMR Marketing, the brain-child of LeBron James and his high school buddies, has essentially become a boxing promoter in the NBA. It has started to shift the focus of the sport away from the most important event – the game – and onto the athletes themselves.

Celebrity over Substance

LRMR has already orchestrated countless scenarios where pre-game and pre-season activities are becoming a bigger spectacle than the games. From choreographed pre-game introductions and LeBron’s puff of baby powder to “The Decision” and the fiasco that was the 2010 free agency season, LRMR has successfully placed their premier athlete on a pedestal above the league itself.

The result of these actions? The future of the NBA (at least for the next several seasons) has been scripted through back-room deals between selfish players rather than on the court, where it SHOULD be determined. LRMR, behind the free agency of LeBron James, has staged a coup where IT (and not the competition of the league) has set the course of events for the NBA. LRMR’s machinations have also cheapened the value of ESPN, an organization that claims to be a legitimate sports NEWS source. LRMR hijacked the network and turned it into yet another tool for self-promotion.

First, a full hour was reserved… dedicated prime-time coverage (with almost no notice) so that LeBron could make a 30-second statement. This statement was not that he would be running for Congress, or that he was retiring from the game, or any other sensational news story that would normally warrant this kind of attention. No, he was just announcing the team he intended to sign a basketball contract to play for. And he took a FULL HOUR!

Then, last week, an article was published on ESPN.com that highlighted the escapades of LeBron as he threw a lavish Las Vegas party. However, the article (which portrayed LeBron James in a less than favorable light) magically vanished from the website just minutes after it was published.

Those incidents have cheapened the value of ESPN as a viable organization by giving the appearance that it is nothing more than an extension of LRMR Marketing. Rather than risk the ire of a sports celebrity and get on his bad side by remaining UNBIASED in reporting, ESPN has sold its agenda to the latest pop-culture star.

The Snowball Effect

LeBron is not the lone stud in LRMR’s stable of celebrity talent. New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul (who happens to be another buddy of LeBron’s) has joined the three-ring circus at LRMR Marketing, and cast aside the seemingly sound (and successful) advice of his previous representation to get his moment in the sun.

Following the lead of the league’s newest prima donna, Paul feels he is OWED a championship, and with the help of LRMR has attempted to force a trade so he can join his own version of an All-Star roster.

Although no charges or allegations have been made regarding specific actions, warnings have been issued across the league against tampering.

The league does not usually issue a tampering warning when a player wants an early out from their current contract, so why issue one in this case? If you read between the lines, the implication behind that warning is very straightforward – LeBron and LRMR Marketing have already proven once that they are willing to negotiate the future of the NBA in closed-door, back-room deals, and it is assumed that they will do it again.

All of these actions by LRMR Marketing, and the two athletes whom it represents, have done nothing but cheapen the value of the NBA. They have chipped away at the competitiveness of the league in an attempt to take (rather than win) a championship via the path of least resistance. They have demonstrated that player collusion (whether permitted by the rules or not) to use to manufacture an ideal situation. They have shown that their motivation is self-service, even if it comes at the expense of everyone else in the league.

I am not advocating a system where a player should have no say in their future. However, a delicate balance must be maintained between the two. In the battle between teams and players, if either side assumes “control” over the other it is bad for the league.

The NBA is a league centered around TEAM competition. The interests of the league are best served when the overall competition of the league and its TEAMS (not players) are protected. When individual players begin to chip away at the level of competition in the league, all in the pursuit of self-service, it is bad for everyone involved.

The NBA should learn from the state of boxing as it exists today. The more control that individual players have over the game, the more the viability of the league is eroded away.

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The 2010 NBA Under The Radar Pick Up Debate… Bell Joins Jazz Ensemble

July 21, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

The Utah Jazz took an early hit when the 2010 free agency period kicked off, immediately losing Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer.

After reaching the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the losses of both Korver and Boozer to the Bulls presented a sudden and serious obstacle to the team’s chances of stretching that run into a fifth season.

In response to the loss of Boozer, the Jazz landed Al Jefferson, who brings him with the potential for even greater production that Boozer had while at a much cheaper price. But it is the new shooting guard who will have the most valuable impact on the Jazz roster – Raja Bell.

Already once a fan favorite in Salt Lake City, this signing serves as a bit of a homecoming for Bell who previously found success in Utah under head coach Jerry Sloan. The experience that Bell already has in playing for Sloan, combined with the support he will undoubtedly receive from the fans upon his return, should make for a very smooth transition as Bell returns to the Jazz once more.

But sentimentality is not the reason this is such a solid pickup for Utah.

What really makes this the prize under the radar pickup is the combination of solid offensive and defensive perimeter play that Bell brings with his game.

It was his defensive prowess that made Bell a standout during his first Utah Jazz campaign (as well as elsewhere around the league). A two-time winner of the NBA’s All Defensive honors (in 2007 and 2008), Bell has a very quick and aggressive style in moving to the ball, and he is able to apply constant pressure to opposing shooters on the outside. It is precisely that perimeter defense which will be invaluable to the Jazz, who ranked 16th in the league last season in allowing three-pointers.

As for his offensive credentials, Bell may not have earned All NBA honors but he IS one of the top three-point shooters in the league. Just four seasons ago Bell led the league in three-pointers made with 205 while he was playing with the Phoenix Suns. And, his CAREER three-point shooting percentage of .412 ranks as the 11th best mark ALL TIME.

The only knock against Bell is the fact that he basically missed the entire 2009-2010 season because of a wrist injury. Bell is confident that he has fully recovered from that injury, though, and will in all likelihood prove to be a solid upgrade on both sides of the ball from what Kyle Korver offered the Jazz last season.

Bell is one of the league’s all-time best from beyond the three-point arc, he plays some of the best defense in the league, and he is returning to a team and coach that he previously found success with, in front of fans who are ecstatic to see him back on their side of the ball.

That sounds like a successful, low-profile signing to me!

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The Biggest NBA Free Agency Mistake Debate… “King” Leaves His Court in Disgrace

July 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

The biggest mistake of the NBA free agency period had nothing to do with the signing of a player, the loss of a player, or a contract given to a player.

Instead, the biggest mistake was the decision of LeBron James to announce the decision of LeBron James to the whole world on a televised hour-long special that became the worst decision of them all.

When Mark Cuban is the person calling you out for poor media relations you KNOW you screwed up!

Perhaps if LeBron James had taken his two words of advice and undergone some “media training” he would not have seen his celebrity stock drop as much as it has. And don’t let yourself be fooled by the things that LeBron says, he cares MUCH more about being a celebrity than his words may lead us to believe.

If he DIDN’T care about being a celebrity he would have never scheduled the hour-long “Decision” on ESPN in the first place. Likewise, he would not have made such a spectacle out of his free agent status for the past two years.

Ironically, it is that one thing that he had hoped to boost the most through this whole fiasco that is the one thing to suffer the greatest.

While LeBron’s stock as a basketball player may remain exceptionally high, his stock as a celebrity superstar has PLUMMETTED since his foolish announcement into a prime-time special. The announcement of this prime-time special drew immediate backlash from fans and the media alike, and people who were already growing tired of the overblown coverage and obsessive scrutiny of LeBron James’ every action were finally pushed fully into the realm of disgust.

Where He Went Wrong

LeBron’s FIRST mistake was to entrust his larger-than-life persona wholly to a group of buddies rather than to consult with trained professionals who have been involved in exactly this type of situation HUNDREDS of times. This is not an episode of Entourage we are talking about, after all. This is the NBA, and as Mark Cuban implies, there are certain people who are more qualified to navigate this situation than others.

As much as Richard Paul, Maverick Carter, and Randy Mims (the “R”, “M” and “R” of LRMR Marketing) may have LeBron James’ best interests at heart, this was one time where friendship should NOT have superseded the need to make a sound BUSINESS decision.

There is a reason that no athlete before LeBron had ever tried to pull of the publicity stunt that he did – it is a TERRIBLE idea. Perhaps if he had employed some people with the actual experience of having been in this situation more than once in their lives – or had at least solicited their advice – he could have avoided one of the biggest publicity screw-ups of all time.

LeBron and his own versions of Turtle, E, and Johnny Drama allowed their egos to cloud their judgment. They believed they knew better than everyone else. Which, after all, is why LeBron fired his “professional” agent. He wanted to entrust his most important asset – his brand – to people whose only qualification was that they sat next to LeBron in algebra class.

What he and his pals failed to recognize is that it is a bad idea to string six different professional franchises (and MAJOR markets) along for two years so that you can then break almost ALL of their hearts via a self-aggrandizing television “event” that serves only the purpose of self-service and self-promotion.

It is simple common sense -if you must upset more people than you will make happy, you should do so DISCREETLY.

Honestly, what did he EXPECT to happen? That folks in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Cleveland (his own home town) would actually stand up and CHEER?!

And the reaction that he received following “The Decision” should not have been a surprise. The almost IMMEDIATE public backlash to the announcement of his upcoming announcement (it sounds stupid to even DESCRIBE it) was a clear indication that this was going to be a bad idea. But instead of reading the writing on the wall and changing his mind to possibly salvage the situation, he tried to cover up the mistake by hiding behind a charity.

Perhaps he thought the token gesture of allowing all the proceeds to go to the Boys and Girls Club would make up for (or COVER up) all the pomposity he had demonstrated up to that point.

He was wrong.

The Cost

LeBron James went ahead as scheduled. Hidden in a room many miles away from the millions of hearts he was about to break, cowering behind the cover of a room full of children, he announced his decision with a statement that matched the arrogance he demonstrated all along.

The result became the biggest media blunder to take place since Howard Dean’s infamous scream cost him his candidacy for President of the United States.

While he will almost certainly get his beloved championship, it will come at many costs, including his celebrity status and his legacy as a basketball player.

Once considered the darling of the NBA this prized athlete, who had the potential for limitless success on AND off the court, now finds himself viewed as a pariah. The public has soured so much towards LeBron James that he even chose not to attend the ESPY awards earlier this week – which turned out to be his first wise decision in a while. At the awards ceremony, a chorus of “BOOs” followed nearly every mention of his name. The subject of his “Decision” was the focal point of much parody throughout the evening, also.

If that was his reception at a sports-related event in Los Angeles, just imagine the perception in Cleveland.

As far as his basketball legacy is concerned he can forget about ever being considered the “Greatest Player of All Time.” How can he catch up with Michael Jordan’s legacy when he will now always be trailing Dwayne Wade’s?

Think about it: If LeBron James goes on to surpass Jordan by winning seven championships, that means that Wade will have won eight.

LeBron James will never be considered “the man” in basketball again. He is now going to be forever remembered as being on “the team.” His singular accomplishments will always be overshadowed by the fact that he required the assistance of other All-Stars to get the job done.

I hope the championship is worth it, because it cost LeBron his home, his reputation, and his legacy.

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The Dan Gilbert Tirade Debate… The New King of Cleveland

July 14, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

After LeBron James’ spectacular “Screw-you” to the city of Cleveland, Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert published a letter to Cavalier fans (a.k.a. Clevelanders), lambasting LeBron’s classless and shameful display of self-glorifying betrayal, then reaffirming his commitment to them with a pledge that was loaded with spite, malice, and just a hint of implied vengeance.

It was petty, it was ill-advised. And it was PERFECT!

Make no mistake. This was not a knee-jerk reaction kicked off in a passionate fit of rage. It was a calculated tactical maneuver, and it accomplished much more than just an airing of grievances. Most importantly, it was Gilbert’s only REAL option.

Dan Gilbert may be a part of the NBA, but he ultimately answers to the Cleveland fans. The rest of the NBA can be as mad at Gilbert as they want to be. It is Cleveland that gets Gilbert’s focus and concern.

It does not matter what the various sportswriters around the country, or Jesse Jackson, think about Gilbert’s letter. It does not matter what LeBron James thinks about Gilbert’s letter. They don’t have to deal with the people of Cleveland. Dan Gilbert does.

And although those people are tired of being perpetual “losers” in sports, that is not the real source of their frustration. There is a giant chip on Cleveland’s collective shoulders, and when LeBron announced – and then followed through with – his hour-long special telling the world that he was leaving Cleveland… it was the final straw.

What REALLY upsets Clevelanders today is being the butt of everyone else’s joke.

Many people may not understand that, including Browns’ owner Randy Lerner and Indians’ owner Larry Dolan. Lerner has been criticized in Cleveland as being an absentee owner who cares more about his British soccer team than he does his NFL franchise. Dolan is often viewed as a clueless, careless saboteur whose only priority appears to be keeping payroll at a minimum.

Dan Gilbert, by contrast, gets it.

When LeBron James made a public spectacle out of the suffering of the good people of Cleveland, turning heartbreak into an hour-long television extravaganza, Gilbert fought back. He stood up for the fans of his beloved team, and used his position of power to tell the world exactly what the people of Cleveland felt.

He not only spoke on behalf of the people of Cleveland, he spoke directly to them. On a night which was intended to be a victory for LeBron James, it became a victory for Cavs fans. Dan Gilbert managed to steal the spotlight, and the event that was supposed to be all about LeBron became instead the night that Cleveland struck back. It secured not just one, but several victories for Gilbert.

First, it made Gilbert into the new “King” of Cleveland sports. Many different athletes and sports figures have claimed to understand the fans, but Gilbert was the first to stake his reputation on it in a very long time. Rather than remain politically neutral, as so many in the sports world are apt to do today, Gilbert drew a line in the sand. He knew that his comments would upset some people, but accepted that as a small price to pay to demonstrate where HIS loyalties really lie.

His comments were not selfish, and they were not patronizing. They were raw, emotionally charged, and GENUINE sentiments that eloquently verbalized what all of Cleveland was feeling. They were also a little bit crazy (just like many of us).

For once, a major sports figure made the choice to stand WITH Cleveland, and Clevelanders will forever love him for that. That love has already begun to manifest itself in the public outpouring of support from Clevelanders who have even gone as far as offering to help foot the bill for their owner’s $100K fine.

Second, it helped Gilbert (at least in the short term) salvage the “business” of the Cavaliers.

LeBron James sells tickets, there is no way around that fact. Now that LeBron is gone, Gilbert is left with a franchise that must find a way to still sell those tickets. He needs to give the fans a reason to come and watch games, because, in all honesty, wins have officially become a lot harder to come by for the Wine and Gold.

Gilbert’s VOW to beat LeBron in a race to a championship may be far-fetched, but it serves as motivation. It lets fans know that he is not quitting on them, so they should not quit on him. It gives fans a glimmer of hope, and that glimmer will be enough to ensure the Cavaliers do not fall into obscurity.

Once more, a Cleveland franchise must brace itself for rebuilding, and Gilbert let those fans know that there is a light at the end of that tunnel. He has demonstrated a full commitment to doing everything in his power to make each of his franchises successful in the past (unlike Lerner and Dolan), and the fans genuinely believe him when he promises an even greater commitment moving forward.

It is small consolation, but it is enough to keep the Cavaliers relevant.

There is also a superstitious victory.

Cavaliers fans have dealt with their own “curse” for many years now. We have tried every way to break the curse, except one. That was the one thing that Gilbert just did – he put the maloik on someone else. Who knows, maybe all that the curse was waiting for was a new home.

The NBA may have fined Gilbert $100K for his comments, and outside the city of Cleveland Gilbert may have lost some respect and/or credibility. But those are small prices to pay. The cost of a token fine and some bad PR outside of Cleveland are nothing compared to what he gained amongst his constituents INSIDE of Cleveland – where it ACTUALLY matters to him.

It doesn’t matter what folks in Seattle, New York, or Poughkeepsie think about what Dan Gilbert does or says. Dan Gilbert’s world is Cleveland, and today he is her favorite son.

Victory – Gilbert!

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The Dan Gilbert Tirade Debate… What’s Eating Gilbert’s Grape?

July 14, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan.

The world has been wondering “What was Dan Gilbert thinking?” when he typed up the now famous Open Letter to Cavaliers Fans.

Well, I will tell you this much: He wasn’t thinking about the damage he was doing to the future of his fan base. He wasn’t thinking about how insulting the intelligence of the people of Cleveland could come back to bite him. And he certainly wasn’t thinking about the damage he was doing to his credibility. The $100,000 fine imposed by NBA commissioner David Stern should be the least of Gilbert’s worries right now. He should be concerned about how much more despondent and depressed Cavs fans are going to be when they finally wake up and realize they’ve been lied to by the one man they should have been mad at all along.

I am sure that the Cavaliers faithful will ardently disagree, but it’s true. The people of Cleveland have no one to blame for LeBron James leaving Cleveland EXCEPT for Dan Gilbert. To prove my point briefly examine the reasons LeBron left. It obviously wasn’t for the money. The Cavaliers were offering him the most cash and longest contract, and all those inflated projections of him earning the biggest payday from endorsements in New York obviously did not have enough sway to win LeBron either. It clearly wasn’t a lack of love and fan support in Cleveland. Cavs tickets holders and viewers were ravenous in their fanaticism for James. Bleacher Fan himself openly admitted that every usable inch of the city was dedicated to LeBron love in Cleveland’s campaign to stay. I seriously doubt he would get that much loyalty anywhere else. So, it pretty much boils down to exactly what LeBron has been telling everyone for quite some time – he wants to win championships.

Gilbert knew what LeBron wanted, but failed to deliver. He could have gone after a Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh himself if he wanted to do everything in his power to get James to stay. Even making a deal to sign a star, like Amar’e Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer, the way the Knicks and Bulls did in their pursuit of James would have been better, but Gilbert didn’t. Are we really to blame James for leaving, when he publicly stated he would like to win championships, and even went as far as to indicate interest in playing with guys like Wade? No! Gilbert failed to put the Cavs in position to retain LeBron and he should shoulder the blame for his leaving. But he doesn’t even do that, instead he points all the blame on LeBron in a temper tantrum of dramatic middle school girl proportions.

The self-indulgent rant does far more long term damage than good. It promises things Gilbert and the Cavs can’t possibly backup. Guaranteeing the people of Cleveland a championship before LeBron wins one may feel like a good thing to say, but it is irresponsible at best. It’s like losing your job and then telling your depressed wife and kids, “It’s going to be alright, I’m going to win the lottery!” Sure, making such a promise may dry up the tears if the family is desperate enough to believe it, but sooner or later when the cash doesn’t show up the fear and hurt comes back tenfold, and the family learns that daddy is a liar. That is exactly what Gilbert has done to the people of Cleveland, except winning the lottery may be a more realistic goal than the Cavs even sniffing the playoffs without LeBron James for the next five years.

Gilbert’s thoughtless words should not be praised as the work of a caring owner or even a business strategist that gave his people hope after a huge loss. Rather his statement should be interpreted for what is – a cowardly attempt to focus the blame on someone else. Gilbert’s letter should insult the intelligence of the people of Cleveland. He is clearly trying to give the city a common enemy, someone besides himself to serve as the scapegoat, and LeBron fits the bill. It is an age old strategy. Redirect people’s anger and fears into hate for a mutual enemy. It’s a cheap trick that appeals to the basest side of human nature. Hitler used the same hatemongering theatrics to turn the Germans’ frustrations after World War I into power and support for himself. Before I start drawing Jesse Jackson comparisons for statements on the LeBron situation that border on lunacy, no, I am not calling Dan Gilbert Hitler. I am merely pointing out that he is using old tricks that the people of Cleveland shouldn’t fall for.

Gilbert’s actions and words have absolutely destroyed his credibility. The man’s comments about LeBron never winning a championship until he does “right” by Cleveland more closely resemble a gypsy curse than they do a public statement by an NBA owner. How can he be taken seriously as an owner or businessman when he releases letters with the validity of Miss Cleo fortunetelling?

Even though Gilbert has temporarily closed his mouth, the drama lives on in his propaganda. His recent claims, that he is rejecting the good people of Cleveland’s offers to pay his $100,000 fine, prove as yet another self serving media ploy. He even panders for the alleged donations to go to the Cavaliers’ Youth charity because there is nothing to defuse an ugly situation like philanthropy. He is spinning a punitive action which was intended to teach him to give pause before turning public statements into a campaign for Cavalier love for their owner. We don’t even know if these donors truly exist, and if they do they have obviously sipped way too much of the Gilbert’ Kool-Aid. (FYI – it comes in two new flavors, Lunatic Lies and Unfulfilled Promises. The latter is harder to swallow.)

The letter may temporarily buy Gilbert some time, but when the smoke clears, Cavs fans will realize his promises were empty. When they finally call on Gilbert to deliver, it will be much worse than if he simply acknowledged LeBron’s contributions to the city and helped the people move on.

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The NBA Free Agent Double Standard Debate… We Are All Witnesses… to a Crime

July 8, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

Thank goodness it all ends today!

My office sits right in the heart of Cavalier Country (or perhaps LeBron Land is the more appropriate term), right next door to Quicken Loans Arena on East 9th Street in Downtown Cleveland. Outside of my office window sits one of the hundreds of banners hung all over town to tell LeBron James how much the city of Cleveland loves him. Outside and below my office window for weeks stood groups of people who were literally REQUIRED by their employer to stand, waving similar banners, blowing air horns, and inciting traffic to honk back at them.

Why? As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes, “So that these hard-working people can “beg a diva who doesn’t care about them to accept a $100 million contract.”

Sounds ridiculous, right?! Well, it is.

LeBron James has made a joke of himself (a WEALTHY joke, perhaps, but a joke nonetheless), and a joke of the good people of Cleveland. Whatever his decision, his actions leading up to tonight’s pathetic excuse for a serious announcement will have forever altered the relationship he has with the city he once claimed as his home.

If he leaves, he will join the ranks of Art Modell as one of the most vile, despicable people to have ever associated their name with Cleveland sports. If he stays, the pain and anguish that he put the city through will nevertheless hang like a shadow over the collective hearts of Cavs fans everywhere.

They will forgive him, but they will never forget.

And although this abhorrent display of pompous selfdom has reached a fever pitch since Free Agent season began on July 1, it is actually the culmination of a process that began several years ago.

Do not fool yourself into thinking that this circus developed organically, either. The NBA, and the greater sporting world at large, has actually been little more than pawns in a game that LeBron James and his cohorts around the league began playing more than two years ago. They have manipulated the league and its fans like puppets in a show, all designed to build up towards the climax that will be “The Decision.”

For the past two years LeBron has strutted all over the NBA like a tease on prom night, feigning interest in anyone who would bat an eye in his direction just long enough to get them worked up to a near frenzied state – only to a cold shoulder just at the point where it would make them crazier, rather than turn them off.

He has been very blatant in his intentions, and spoken openly about how excited he was to play the field when the 2010 period of free agency opened. He made it known that he would openly solicit all suitors, getting team officials and fans alike salivating at the possibility of having “The King” grace their own court.

For two years LeBron has dangled his free agency like a carrot on a stick, all for one reason – to inflate his already overinflated value. Unfortunately for everyone who is NOT LeBron James, his strategy worked.

So what did Dwayne Wade, Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, and Joe Johnson do? Like a shark smelling blood in the water, they joined in on the fun.

And of course the scavenging media quickly followed. Every tweet from one player to another, every piece of clothing that one of the players wore, and every game played in the city of a prospective future employer became a headline story. And when James, Wade, and Bosh allegedly met for a “summit” (the fact that it was even dubbed a summit is ridiculous) to seriously discuss all options and strategize what would be the best thing for each of them to do, the process which started out as little more than a self-marketing campaign took the plunge into full-fledged collusion!

If this three-ringed extravaganza had been put on by team officials trying actively to recruit LeBron and company, they would have immediately been punished. The NBA prohibits collusion among team officials because they don’t want teams to have the ability of manipulating league conditions to manufacture an unfair advantage over the players or fans.

That rule does not apply to players, though, and so LeBron and his buddies were permitted to run unchecked, and the result was the manipulation of EVERYONE, all for their own selfish gain. It was a vicious cycle that continued to feed itself, ultimately snowballing into one of the most absurd and ridiculous sports spectacles ever.

A pack of free agents, led by LeBron James, was able to completely monopolize the free agency process.

What would have surely been an intense period of contract negotiation instead transformed into a sports version of “The Bachelor.” with the free agents each holding open court to see which teams would jump highest and bend farthest to give all they had.

Teams cut their own throats for two full seasons, all on the promise that they would be “allowed” to talk to James, Wade, and the other free agents. Fans across the country had to endure frustration, grief, and anguish, all on the hope that it would be worth it after July 2010.

The problem is that only one team can sign LeBron James and/or Dwayne Wade, so what about those other teams? The New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, for example, had dumped every possible contract they could to make as much cap room available as possible. If they should fail to land any of the marquis free agents (Amar’e Stoudemire will be playing in the Big Apple, but by himself that is small consolation) the teams will both be hamstrung for the NEXT three to five years, after having willingly committed suicide over past seasons.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another organization completely crippled by this power heist the players have committed. LeBron James had worked the system so much in his favor that the Cavaliers literally NEED him to sign with them. They had invested so much time and money into supporting him that if he leaves, the team will be crippled. They will have no means to begin the rebuilding process, and would simply be cast aside like a used up husk, all because LeBron James no longer found value in their organization.

What will happen to the Cavs?

When the curtain falls on this Shakespearean tragedy, many teams will be left in utter ruin, all so that four or five free agents could get maximum contract offers (AND maximum exposure). They have hijacked the entire NBA, and forever altered the course of professional basketball.

If the NBA wishes to regain ANY control over the situation to prevent this from ever happening again, the league needs to impose the same restrictions on free agents as it does on team executives. The “business” of basketball should play out in a business-like fashion, with the same rules applying to both sides of the bargaining table. Without that EQUAL responsibility, you end up with what we are “Witnessing” today, which is a one-sided free-for-all, where the whims and egos of a few can assume far too much control over the many.

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The Getting LeBron James Debate… Show Me the Money

June 30, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

The future of LeBron James is a topic we have debated regularly on this site. Our most recent edition debated the team that would provide the best fit for LeBron.

When the city of Cleveland was brought into the conversation, Sports Geek wrote about the various business aspects of why LeBron should stay in Cleveland, and pointing them all back to one single point – Cleveland gives LeBron the best chance to win a championship.

Obviously, that statement is debatable (especially in light of the latest rumors that Miami could be poised to sign Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, AND LeBron). What is not debatable, however, and what ultimately leaves the city of Cleveland in the absolute BEST position to keep LeBron is this: No other team can offer LeBron James the long term salary that the Cavaliers can.

I know that LeBron talks about wanting to play in a city that gives him the best opportunity to win a championship, but every single team in the NBA can make an attempt at that argument. What those teams cannot do is pay him.

LeBron James could make as much as $30M EXTRA by staying in Cleveland. For him to leave the Cavaliers and play somewhere else, he would essentially be PAYING $30M just for what he PERCEIVES as a better opportunity to win a championship.

Is LeBron James at a point in his career where he is so DESPERATE for a championship that he would actually sacrifice $30M that was on the table to get it? I don’t think so.

If we are still having this conversation in another ten years, and LeBron STILL has not won a championship, then I think his level of desperation would put him in the mindset that sacrificing money for the legacy of a ring would be worth it.

That is not the case today.

LeBron James is only 25-years old, and is the most talented player in the NBA. He has won back-to-back league MVP awards, and no matter where he ends up playing basketball, that team will be a postseason threat.<br.

There can be no denying that LeBron James has a very bright basketball future STILL ahead of him, and that he will remain in contention to win a championship every single season of his career no matter WHAT jersey he wears. Time is not yet running out for LeBron, and he knows that.

While he may be hungry to win that first championship, it is a mistake to classify him as desperate.

As much as LeBron talks about wanting to win a championship, or loyalty, or any of that other fluff, his motivating factor is and always has been his ego (I don’t mean to imply any negative connotation from that). As with all of us, LeBron is going to make the decision that best serves him. Every choice he makes will be made to provide maximum boost to his already well-established legacy.

While he has publicly stated a desire to win a championship, he has ALSO publicly stated that he wants to be a billionaire athlete, and that comes only one way – making as much money as possible, as quickly as possible.

For LeBron James, there is only ONE team in the NBA that gives him the opportunity to meet BOTH of those goals – the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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The Tom Izzo Decision Debate… Izzo Isno Mercenary

June 17, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan.

It has been well documented in this space that I am a fan of Tom Izzo. In fact, the other writers here at TSD poke relentless fun and me both in their articles and during production meetings because of it. For the record, I have no ties to Michigan State University or to Izzo personally. I do, however, have a great deal of healthy respect for the man. Simply, he is one of the best coaches ever in the history of college basketball. Exactly half of his teams have made the Final Four in the last 12 seasons. Twelve! Outside of John Wooden and Dean Smith – two legends – only Izzo has had more sustained, consistent success. It is a powerful and true statement.

It makes perfect sense for Izzo to stay put in East Lansing and continue building a program he has engineered to national prominence. Izzo is a practical coach; you see it in his decision making during games and his management of various personalities on this team. Even in recruiting. Some coaches go after the elite type players where academics are a question mark. Not Izzo. Izzo recruits players for four years. He expects that. It is a rarity, but a practicality, that college basketball is largely missing.

If a person is one of the best active coaches in college basketball, and has the opportunity to become one of the best in history, why would they potentially compromise that rare legacy based on twice the salary and a professional superstar’s silence?

As alluded to already, Izzo is in rarified air when it comes to the greatest college basketball coaches of all time.

John Wooden, one of my all-time favorites, coached at two universities in his entire career. Few remember his early days at Indiana State (1946-1948), but his legendary coaching days at UCLA from 1948-1975 are well documented. His level of sustained success as a coach in college basketball is thought to be unapproachable again. His ten national championships will likely never be repeated by any coach.

Dean Smith has the second most wins all time as a head coach in college basketball, and coach North Carolina into national prominence from 1961 to 1997. He won national championships 11 years apart, and was a regular winner of conference and regional tournaments. He is an institution in the state of North Carolina. His ability to stay in one spot and be successful, though, has extended his institution status well beyond the confines of a single state and promoted him to legend throughout basketball.

The reality is, Tom Izzo is in the conversation with these coaches. Part of the successful model Izzo is following by making the right decision to stay at Michigan State is coaching at one institution for a long period of time… like Wooden and Smith. He is still relatively young at 55 years of age, and has only been head coaching at Michigan State for 15 seasons. He will have ample opportunity to win additional championship and reach many more Final Fours. When all is said and done, Izzo will be in the conversation as one of the five best coaches in college basketball history. If he were to abandon this path to assured legendary status now, his accidental ambition would be compromised. The potential of coaching LeBron James and winning an NBA title simply is not worth that.

Another reason Izzo is smart for staying at MSU is because his style of coaching is far better suited for college basketball than professional basketball. Simply, the motivations for collegiate athletes and professional athletes (who often become mercenaries, bouncing from team to team for more money or playing time) are different.

College athletes do not have leverage with coaches. Coaches are in control and can punish, reward, inspire, and motivate accordingly. Izzo is a master at this. When he needed to bench his best player, point guard Kalin Lucas, early last season for not being the type of team leader the team needed, he did. He had every possible button to push at his disposal. In the professional ranks, can any of us imagine Izzo getting away with benching LeBron – either from the fans OR media OR players? If Izzo believes that is the right decision to make, in college he has the power to make it. In the NBA, a notoriously and frustratingly player’s league, he does not.

Professional athletes are mercenaries. Loyalty to team or cause takes a back seat to earning potential and contract value nearly every time. Rare is the case when professional basketball players turn down a big contract because they BELIEVE in what their team is doing. Izzo is the type of coach that must never be in a position where he has to convince a player to believe. Trust is important. Back to our previous analogy, would LeBron trust Izzo that sitting on the bench, healthy, is in the best interests of the team? No.

The NBA is full of players that demand more money or more playing time, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are no random exception to this obvious truth. The quality of character which Izzo pursues in the players he recruits would be a more difficult pursuit in the NBA. Izzo would simply be a coach in the NBA, not a coach and GM as he is in college. The difference is stark and no easy adjustment.

Despite Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert’s best efforts, Izzo is not the type of coach to simply be plugged in to coach up professional assets. He’s an emotional person, he’s a believer. The NBA strips players and coaches of the idealism college basketball thrives on, and Tom Izzo has mastered. Yes, Izzo made the right decision by staying true to who he is as a person – a legendary college basketball coach in the making.

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The Tom Izzo Decision Debate… Izzo Izz NOT Making the Right Decision

June 17, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Sports Geek.

Tom Izzo is allegedly a great coach. Our very own Sports Geek even goes so far as to laud Izzo on his ability to coach up teams to perform better than their raw talent would otherwise dictate. Sports Geek also gushes worshipful praise upon Izzo’s hallowed visage for his ability to stay strong and find success, even when the odds appear to be against him.

Yet, when Izzo’s feet were held to the fire, he shied away from an opportunity to advance his career, nay, his legacy. This “legendary” coach, who has undeniably had success in college, just didn’t have the guts to take the leap to try and coach the “big boys” when the real pressure was on.

Why the sudden and apparent cowardice? Izzo could not get CONFIRMATION that LeBron James would be playing in Cleveland. If he had gotten that confirmation, he would be packing his bags for Lake Erie as you read this article. But since that guarantee was unavailable to him, he will instead remain a big fish in the little pond of college basketball.

Translation – Izzo just didn’t want to have to put forth the EFFORT of possibly having to rebuild a successful team in the NBA. Instead, this coach whose alleged greatness comes from his ability to build, coach up, and maintain a successful basketball program tucked tail and ran when the opportunity came for him to put his money where his mouth was.

Tom Izzo would rather “safely” coach college kids against the likes of Thad Matta, Ron Zook, and Fran McCaffery than he would test his mettle in coaching better, professional basketball players against better coaches like Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, and Stan Van Gundy.

Sports Geek will argue that Izzo is one of the few coaches who has the unique opportunity to finish his career in the very place he started. He will also argue that NCAA coaches have not traditionally found success after attempting the transition to the pros. Both of those are feeble attempts to justify a decision to play it safe, rather than make a decision to challenge yourself to do something great.

And it is not like he would be coaching the New Jersey Nets.

Consider the situation that was presented to Tom Izzo.

On one hand, LeBron James stays with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that case, Izzo inherits the best player in the NBA, on a championship-ready team, with the undying support of one of sports’ greatest fan bases and all for an owner who has publicly promised to do everything in his power to make the Cavaliers a championship team (which, in fairness, he has absolutely backed up).

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

On the other hand, LeBron James decides to leave Cleveland and play elsewhere. In that case, Izzo would STILL inherit a tremendous supporting cast that is just one superstar short of NBA championship contention. He would also STILL be coaching for a very passionate fan base, AND working for an owner who PROMISED a championship (note – that promise did not come only on the condition that LeBron stays in Cleveland).

As owner of the Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert has committed to winning a championship – no strings attached. If LeBron James leaves Cleveland, Gilbert would not just throw his hands up in the air with an attitude that “we tried our best” and then just pack it in and call it quits. Instead, if LeBron suits up elsewhere next season (and that is still a VERY big IF), Gilbert still has the means and the motivation to keep the Cavaliers in contention.

Let’s be real – LeBron James does not EQUAL a championship. Yes, his talent puts his team in a great position to PLAY for a championship, but in the 64-year history of the NBA there have been 64 different championship teams, and NONE of them included LeBron James.

Tom Izzo had an opportunity to do something that very few basketball coaches will ever find, and that is to coach in the NBA. The fact that other college coaches such as Rick Pitino and John Calipari failed to make the transition is poor and cowardly justification for Izzo not to try, especially when considering Pitino’s teams in New York and Boston, and Calipari’s New Jersey Nets, were nowhere NEAR as well-equipped as the Cavaliers for success, with or WITHOUT LeBron James.

Izzo had the opportunity to coach some of the most talented basketball players in the world on the game’s biggest stage – for a LUDICROUS salary – all of which would have been supported by an owner with some of the deepest pockets and arguably the most ambition in all of the NBA. And he turned it down. Why? Because he only has a CHANCE of having LeBron James on his team, rather than a guarantee.

No matter how successful Izzo may be in his future seasons at Michigan State, it will not compare with the success that he could have found in the NBA.

When you consider the qualities that have made Izzo a great coach for the Spartans, along with the opportunity that he was being presented with, it seemed to be a perfect fit.

Izzo made the wrong decision!

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Posted by Sports Geek

The Overshadowing the NBA Finals Debate – Letting Tomorrow Worry About Itself

June 15, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer.

This is a very exciting time for the NBA!

Everyone has been talking about this upcoming season of free agency for a long time, now, and rightfully so. It will likely set the course of the NBA for the next three to five years.

The whole world is waiting to find out where LeBron James will sign on to play basketball. Once that question has officially been answered, the rest of the dominos will fall quickly, and many team rosters will be completely overhauled. Some teams have literally spent years preparing for the possibility of wooing LeBron, or one of the many other elite free agents who will be available, and when the dust settles, the face of the NBA could look entirely different than it does today.

But has the talk of free agency overshadowed the NBA Finals? Absolutely not, and the reason for this is simple – the drama of speculating about what may happen pales in comparison to the drama of what is taking place TODAY on the NBA court, a fact supported both by the media and the fans.

No one is talking TODAY about Lebron James.

From a media perspective, every sports outlet in the nation is focusing on one thing – which team will win game six of the NBA Finals? Don’t believe me? Check it out… here are the links to the NBA pages for ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and NBA.com. Every single cover story is about the same thing – game six.

As far as the fans are concerned, TV ratings for the NBA Finals have all INCREASED this year. Game one of the series actually featured a 20 percent INCREASE in viewership over the numbers from last season’s game one, sparking a trend that has continued throughout the entire series. In fact, game five of this series actually has posted the highest TV ratings of any single NBA Finals game in more than half a decade (and that INCLUDES the 2007 NBA Finals between these same two teams).

Interest in the NBA Finals has not been higher than it is right now for a very long time.

If anything, all of the free agency talk has actually enhanced, rather than overshadowed, the Finals by generating ongoing interest in the NBA overall.

To begin with, this NBA Finals feature the latest installment of the undeniable best rivalry in the NBA, as the league’s two most storied franchises are once again battling it out on a championship stage in yet another very competitive Finals series.

This season features the 12th time these two teams have faced each other in the NBA Finals, and marks the tenth time the series has gone to at least six games. And although the Celtics hold a staggering lead in the head-to-head department, there is no denying this rivalry continues to be the most intense and exciting as there has ever been in all of basketball, and that the 2010 matchup is worthy of addition to this already storied legacy.

On one hand, you have the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the top player in the game today, Kobe Bryant. The Lakers, who are defending champions, have played as one of the top teams in the league all season long. They are coached by Phil Jackson, who is arguably the best coach in NBA history (with the only possible exception being the Celtics’ own former head coach, Red Auerbach), who could claim his 11th NBA championship (I wonder if they make championship toe-rings), should the Lakers prove successful.

On the other are the Boston Celtics reached the Finals, seemingly against the odds, by playing as the best team of the 2010 postseason. No team had a more difficult road to the Finals since the team first had to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers and then Orlando Magic (the two teams BELIEVED to be the best in the Eastern Conference), all just for the CHANCE to face the Lakers.

There is just no way that rumors about where guys like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh might play could compare with drama like that. And while stories about these players may surface and capture a headline or two, those headlines are very quickly trumped by the stories about something much more relevant to the game of basketball TODAY – The NBA Finals.

While people may be excited about the intrigue and suspense surrounding the upcoming period of free agency, the drama and intrigue of awarding a championship will ALWAYS supersede it. The question that is most burning on the minds of NBA fans today is, “Who will be the champions?” Only AFTER that question is answered will people FULLY focus on the question, “Where will LeBron play?”

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