LeBron-a-thon over, now what?

Don’t blame ESPN for this over-the-top made for TV flop, they did what any news outlet would have done in getting an exclusive story EVERYONE would have wanted to release and milked for all its worth.

Jim Gray has not been the same reporter since hounding Pete Rose at the All-Star game and was tamer than a docile old dog in not asking LeBron James how he explains his “loyalty” to Cleveland and Ohio by leaving.

If James thought he had pressure before, it’s only going to be worse with much higher expectations moving forward. Dwayne Wade already has a ring and Chris Bosh is the third wheel to fit this tricycle. For casual fans of the NBA, it is assumed the new Three Amigos or Miami Thrice will win a few championships over the next several years.

That could well happen, but this is far from guaranteed. Forget about touches, sharing the ball and late game shots, that will work out over time. One difference between Boston’s Big Three and the South Beach Buds is the Celtic players were all adequate to superior defensive players. This is not the case with James, D-Wade or Bosh. The first two are good at getting into passing lanes and earning steals, but as straight-up defenders, most of the bouncers on Ocean Drive are more of a challenge to beat.

This means finding league-minimum players that can play defense and be adequate contributors on offense.

Hopping into the hot tub time machine, back to the mid-1970’s, the Philadelphia 76ers were similar to what Miami is trying to accomplish. They brought together superstars Julius Erving, George McGinnis and top line scoring guard Doug Collins (that’s right, the analyst and coach). In their time together, they went to the conference or NBA Finals four times, but never were crowned champs.

No question the Heat is to be taken seriously and the Los Angeles Lakers might have one more title in them, but the rest of the league is starting to flux, making this a good opportunity for this threesome to combine their super hero powers.

The Commish David Stern has to be thrilled having this buzz about his product and it will more or less continue right onto the opening tipoff in late October.

One last thing, Miami is now the betting favorite to be NBA champs at every sportsbook I checked today.

View other thoughts: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/lebron-james-chasing-celebrity-not-championships-070910

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5367298

Related LeBron fallout:http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=196407

LeBron James Sweepstakes

This whole LeBron James saga has taken on a life of its own and opinions certain very as to what others believe he should or will do.

(Read below)


http://espn.go.com/nba/
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/LeBron-James-is-packing-his-beach-bags-for-Miami?urn=nba,254632

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Looking-at-best-options-for-LeBron-James


Personally, I believe his final decision will speak more to his character and honest beliefs than anything else.

If he’s truly interested in winning championships, there are three locations, Miami, Cleveland and Chicago.

The Heat offers the best chance to win now with D-Wade and Chris Bosh already in the fold. People are comparing this to Boston Celtics “Three Amigos”, but it is clearly not.
Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were all players who had enjoyed lengthy careers and were on the back side of peak performance when they got together. A James, Wade and Bosh connection has all three right in the heart of their best years and let’s not forget egos. Can it work, without a doubt, but each will have to give up a part of their game and other pieces are still necessary.

To stay in Cleveland, James has to trust ownership and front office that they will find the right pieces to bring a champion home. Best financial deal for LeBron in terms of contract and Betty White’s pleas are hard to ignore.

Chicago is not as good as it looks, at least at the moment from talent perspective. Derrick Rose would be a huge upgrade for James from the guard spot, however many of the rest of the Bulls players are somewhat similar to what the “King” has played with in Cleveland.

If James were to sign with New York or New Jersey, that would explain his true motive, building his brand. In a perfect world, the Knicks and Nets would have to make flawless decisions over the next three years to even be considered as legitimate conference contenders. Neither organization has shown the intelligence to make that happen, however both have dollars or rubles to put together package and marketing potential is endless, but presently so could the team losses.

Best guess here is Miami or Cleveland.