Almost. There.

I do have to admit that I was right. But I also have to take the fall for being somewhat off…for weeks, months, IDK how long I’ve been touting the fact that LeBron was headed out of Cleveland. At first I figured he was headed for the New York Knickerbockers. I know that an atrocity they’ve been for a while now, but they had positioned themselves to have a shitload of money coming off the books in time for his impending free agency. I thought the notion of playing in the Garden, the mecca of hoops around the world, would be enough to entice him to make the switch.
Then I changed my tune when I learned of his ‘close’ relationship with Jay Z. when Bron is available, the Nets should be prepping to enter into their new downtown Brooklyn digs. I surmised Jay could offer LBJ enough in terms of a contract, exposure and marketing tie-ins to make him just a lucrative as Michael – though not quite on Tiger’s level. I assumed playing for black NY out in Brooklyn in the Carter Center would fit the bill for the impending Global Icon and be enough to sway him from the lure of the world’s most famous arena. (I say black NY cuz if/when Jigga opens the joint out in Brooklyn, tell me how many white people are going to head out there to see them? This team rightfully should cater to a different community than the Knicks. Why go head to head when you can’t replicate the MSG experience? Make it about the fans and get a different ‘demographic’ [read: blacks and people of any race who have been priced out of the Garden.])
Now I am again altering cleffs. With the recent ‘trend’ of guys headed to Europe, I figure the allure of the game will keep calling James’ name. (And by trend I mean that Josh Childress just signed for roughly $30M AFTER taxes.) So let’s run down what Bronnie can do across the pond. He’s gotta be good for some ludicrious amount of money per year – forty-fifty million? He’ll play to a packed house every night and bring the game to a whole new audience, give the Europeans a different view of basketball.
The last of which brings me to my biggest point. King James said years ago that he aspires to be a Global Icon. What better way to do it than take your game on tour? how else could he do it? The Globetrotters? This ain’ the 50s. Dwight Howard didn’t go to Kansas for a year then start whistling Sweet Georgia Brown before hitting the Ell. (Not to diss the HGT. they’ve served their purpose, but they’re more show than game. LeBron would probably want more game than show.) So now I think he’ll hike across the pond after his contract expires in 2010. He can play there for say two years, the culmination of which will be the 2012 Olympics – in Europe – and his Leer Jet can stop off in Great Britain while on his way to Brooklyn to play to a packed house for Hov’s Nets.