LeBron In Portland?
What do the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers all have in common?
Each team has been mentioned as a potential suitor for LeBron James in 2010, when his contract expires with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Email
PrintComments
I would LOVE to see him come here.
“Pay-Up”-Bayless, Roy, LeBron, LMA, and Oden. Sick, sick sick, line up!
It’s just not going to happen. I think he’ll end up in NY.
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
... and take less $$$ so Wade can sign there, too.
Steve Nash will already be there waiting.
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
Will he be on the Knicks though?
The Knicks’ roster is so bare boned right now! They better pull it together and also better show that D’Antoni’s coaching style can win in the post-season or else they’re not going to look like a great option.
--
by CaptainSexyJacob on Jan 6, 2009 6:22 PM PST up reply actions
if the article's speculations are right
then it’s NY/NJ, LA, or to a lesser extent Boston. I think Boston makes the least sense though because 2 more years on PP, KG, and Ray are going to make them no better than Cleveland, and potentially worse with a declining future.
The dream/nightmare scenario for the NBA is if he does something like sign with the Lakers for a mid level exception or some other sham value that is way below his market rate. This would be an instant ratings and earnings bonanza for the league, but would effectively create a HUGE hole in the salary cap structure whereby big market teams all of a sudden have a major advantage again over small market teams – the main advantage the salary cap is supposed to help level. Welcome to the MLB competitive balance model.
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
That's all well and good
…except Lebron wants to get PAID. And big time.
"Respect everyone, fear no one." -TP
He would get paid
mega, mega, mega bucks in endorsements. His agent could say, “Well, we’re playing in L.A. now, that’s worth a lot more, isn’t it? Oh, and he’ll be in the Finals every year now, that’s worth a lot more, isn’t it?” Mega mega bucks.
When he was saying he wanted to win lots of championships, I thought he was talking about L.A. Cleveland’s success this year, if duplicated again next year, might be the one thing keeping him from doing something like that.
Of course, if we win 70 games next year, we might move into that discussion, too. But endorsements will never be even close to as big in Portland. Even with Nike.
If you can't convince them, confuse them -- Harry Truman, U.S. President
Nike
I always chuckle when people bring up Nike or Adidas when talking about reasons why players might come to Portland. It’s like, so what if their corporate offices are in town? They got planes. They’re multinational corporations. They can go wherever they need to go to deliver their suitcases full of cash.
If it goes down that way
then the NBA essentially ends up like the Euro clubs – teams sponsored by businesses. That would be horrible.
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
With Nike, Addidas, Reebok,
Pepsi, Budweiser, Miller, etc etc etc …corporate dollars flowing through..never mind the named/sponsored arenas – - where is the corporate sponsorship NOT evident ?
Do you know what you are?...You are What U is..You is what U Am..A cow don't make Ham...you ain't what u Not...so see what you got..You are what U is..And that's all it 'tis.... F.Zappa
Maybe
Paul Allen could buy a little new shoe company that could sponsor LB for millions….
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
Great idea!
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 7, 2009 12:18 PM PST up reply actions
Portland is one of the most popular teams, even in this small market. I think one example that people always cite is San Antonio: they were the champs and no one really cared. I think that had more to do with their brand of basketball (kind of boring) than anything.
Portland hardly play an exciting brand...
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
From a financial perspective regarding endorsements and worldwide exposure, LeBron James ...
would be an outright idiot to sign with a team that plays in the hinterland known as the Pacific Northwest.
by AK1984 on Jan 6, 2009 5:44 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I love the Pacific Northwest, but I realize that most people who live elsewhere ignore us here.
It’s sort of how I like my hairstyle, although numerous women out there aren’t overly attracted to it.
Portland = Terrifying
Hes gonna stay in the least conference to avoid playing us.
"When I have the ball, I experiment." #5
As good as Lebron is...
I don’t really think Lebron fits on the current Blazer team. He requires the ball in his hands (and that’s where you want it) but so does Roy. Purely from that standpoint, I don’t think the two would coexist well, unless it was determined that either could really develop the skill to play off of the ball.
On top of that, whether he takes a max deal or not, it generally doesn’t work out well for teams when they have too many max contract type players…there’s just not enough touches to go around.
You are correct
LeBron does not fit our current Blazers team because they are a bunch of softies. :-P
won't happen
because LBJ longs for the big lights of the big city which Portland will provide no better than Cleveland. If he did come here we would make it work, the ability for our players to “co-exist” would either happen or they would be moved. LBJ is a franchise player, Roy is on his way to being a franchise player. Roy would defer to LBJ can you imagine Roy as a second option? Holy crap that is potent. Gitter done KP!
by The Natural ala Mode on Jan 6, 2009 10:46 PM PST up reply actions
Nike and the Blazers in bed together??
Ah! You all forget… Blazers team president Larry Miller is a former Nike executive. I bet he could pull a few strings for Bron Bron to get his paycheck.
And, if LeBron still wants more money, then Paul Allen could legally adopt him and make him the sole heir to his fortune.
Beat that!
PA adopts me and makes my his sole air
Lebron has got plenty of money all ready
by southern oregon on Jan 6, 2009 8:15 PM PST up reply actions
George Soros…
adopts Paul Allen and Bill Gates who then co-adopt LeBron, the Blazers win 15 championships, the world ends.
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You could hurt somebody in the first row with a shot like that" -
Mike Rice, Portland at Denver 12/22/08
I dont think
LeBron should be a Blazer. I found it very interesting that that Blazers were mentioned in this article because I never saw them as a potential suitor. But this is very interesting.
I dont think LeBron would be a Happy Trail Blazer un less we were winning countless titles but I think he realizes he can get immediate return from other teams, and enjoys that we include him out crazy future ideas.
So let us wise up, and disclude this crab man from our realisitic future!
Roy To The World
by Outlaw is Rejector on Jan 7, 2009 12:39 AM PST reply actions
Not about money exactly
While I don’t see him taking the mid-level, I don’t think its accurate to say what he cares about most is money. I think he cares about fame and adulation. I think goo-gobs of money tie into that in a vanity kind of thing, and signifier that he the best in the world, famous beyond basketball.
What this also means is he is not going to want to play along side Dwayne Wade or Kobe Bryant (and quite frankly, those aren’t the kind of guys that are looking to share the lime light either). He needs a sidekick, a Scottie Pippen, and those are #1 guys. I think even Bosh doesn’t want to be a sidekick.
We fans think championships and winning and history are the most important things. While most NBA player undoubtedly think those things are important, they do (and should) consider other factors with just as much weight; money, happiness, ego.
Portland's gonna land him
in 2020
-Shad
"If a doctor ever gives me six months to live, I want it in basketball time." - Marc Acito
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
