Bye! Bye! Cleveland!

Unfortunately, the hype around where the big name NBA unrestricted free agents (such as Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, and Amare Stoudemire to name a few) are going is more interesting than the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. As Orlando takes it on the backside from the Celtics, the rumors swarm like flies at a picnic, over where these free agents will land. Of course, the most rumors center on the 2-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Lebron “King” James! Actually, the rumors started two years ago, when the media started asking Lebron if his friendship with rap artist and entrepreneur, Jay-Z, would lead to a business relationship after Jay-Z became a minority owner in the New Jersey Nets franchise and was instrumental in the franchise’s move to Harlem, NY. Two years later, the question to where Lebron will be next season has not been answered.

Will it be Chicago? Or will it be Miami? Maybe he will go to New York? Or just maybe, he will stay in Cleveland? I don’t know the answer, but let me take you through my process of elimination and try to narrow it down to the possible choices that make sense in my thinking. First, we will start with eliminating Chicago. I believe Lebron will not go to the “Windy City” for three reasons. The first reason is the Bulls have already made Derrick Rose, the 2008 NBA #1 draft pick, the face of their franchise. This may start internal friction between the two young superstars, plus the chemistry of the Bulls young team is almost set and adding a new team leader would destroy this cohesiveness. Secondly, the persona of Michael Jordan will forever live in Chicago and no one will ever replace his stamp on Chi-Town. Although Lebron loves MJ, he does not want live in his shadow. Last but not least, the NBA is not hurting financially in the Chicago market. Ultimately, David Stern, NBA commissioner, will have some input on what is best for the league and not just Lebron. If you don’t believe me just think about how Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett ended up in Boston. “The Big Ticket” clearly stated there was no way he was going to the Celtics and a week later he was holding a jersey and smiling from ear to ear with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at the press conference. That wasn’t by accident or choice on the players part. Think about it.

So since Chicago is out of the picture, what about Miami? South Beach is one of the most exciting and eclectic cities in the world. Known for its beautiful beach, 24 hour nightclubs, extravagant restaurants and hotels, this city never sleeps. Not to mention, Miami has tasted a championship on its palate before and they would love to have another parade. The question is could Lebron and Dwyane Wade co-exist on the same team? They did it on the Olympic team, but that was only temporary and they had to share the spotlight with a team full of all-stars. I feel neither one of them would be comfortable playing the role of “Robin.” Obviously, D-Wade didn’t like it with Shaq and now that Lebron tried to use “The Diesel” to get him a championship, I’m sure he wants a fresh start as the big cheese in town again. Also, like Chicago, the NBA is not hurting financially in Miami.

So where is Lebron James going to play at next year? I can honestly say I don’t know, but I know it won’t be in Chicago or Miami. If I had to make a choice I would say somewhere in New York. I just can’t see him staying in Cleveland, because he is a business man more than a loyalist. He loves Cleveland, but his goal of being a billionaire athlete can’t be met by staying a Cavalier. He needs a bigger than life market and New York has the allure like no other. The question is will he be playing in MSG or Harlem?