When Kingdom Come

At 12:01 am Thursday morning, it became official. Some just call it another day of summer, some call it the start of Christmas in July, but there are those select few who call it “The Start of NBA Free Agency.” Entering this year’s 2010 free agency market, the loud noise of ringing phones could be heard Thursday morning. As team GM and Executives made a mad dash to start contract negotiations with the most talented class of free agents the NBA has ever seen.

But even with the moment upon us, there is still, what is being described as, a large amount of uncertainty with one individual player. Similar to a child not knowing what they are going to find in their gift box come Christmas morning. It is also a mystery as to where the most coveted player and talented player in this year’s free agent market, LeBron James, will end up.

Teams like the: Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks are all prime organization looking to land LeBron James. It is because these teams have dropped so much salary cap space that they will now be able to sign multiple big name free agents and create a possible wining team.

But don't think LeBron is the only big name play out on the market. He is just one of the many high value players like: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, and more that are all looking to get signed. Never has a free agency period seen this much talent for the taking. A radical outcome could ultimately change the NBA for years to come. Players all going to new teams with a power shift taking place right before our eyes.

Because of this opportunity for a major shift in dominate basketball power; a major issue has come into play for LeBron James. What is more important? “Winning or salary and the attention.” It is this simple, but difficult, question that forces LeBron to possibly look beyond the person who is writing the biggest check, and see the team that instead has the better winning team to offer.

To many, it would be considered the best move for LeBron James to take a deal with the Chicago Bulls. The simple reason being that he would be able to play with a young nucleus of players like super-stars Derek Rose and Joakim Noah. This would give James a chance to get his payday and win in the process. But on the other hand, there are those who say that if LeBron were to go to the Bulls, it would hurt his ultimate legacy.

A move to Chicago would lessen LeBron James’s legacy due to the fact that Michael Jordan will always be the man in Chicago. If James would want to become the big icon of basketball around the world. How could he do that if Jordan would outnumber him in NBA Championships with 6? For James to reach to reach that all-time stadium status, and become the all-face of the Bulls Franchise, he would have to win 7 Championships. Could that really happen?

On the flip side, what if LeBron went to Miami? There have been talks about the possibility of top free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all going to play for the Miami Heat next year. The Heat have cleared enough room to make that possible. Never under estimate the influence of a person like Pat Riley who lurks in the up stars front office. He has his ways to make things happen.

 But could three big name players really play on the same team? There were reports that the three meet this week to discus the chances of them playing together. But it was later reported that Chris Bosh thought it the idea of them all playing together was pie in the sky, and did not see it happening. With comments like that, it does not really sound like an All-Star team get-together in Miami would actually come to be. But let’s be real, you never know?

And the final two teams that experts believe are in on the LeBron James sweepstakes are the New Jersey Nets and the New York Knicks. Both teams have an interesting situation at hand that could get them the King James.

The Nets are lucky because, to some extent, they appear to have the closest thing to George Steinbrenner in a owner in "Mikhail Prokhorov." This man wants to win, and is willing to spend money to get there. LeBron has to like what he sees in a owner like Prokhorov, and must want to play for a owner who wants to win just as bad as he does. The only thing that holds Nets is the reality that they are missing pieces to a winning team. they could sign another player on the market that is not as expensive. And remember, they have Devin Harris. But then again, there must be a reason the Nets were the worst team in the NBA last year.

And then there were the New York Knicks. In a nutshell, they stink and the fans have been dying for a good team at the Garden. But the Knicks have the chance to turn their losing ways around. They have to do these two things. (1) The Knicks front office will have to eloquently explain to LeBron that they have the money to sign LeBron and another top player. (2)They will also have to explain that they have the power next year to sign another player, like a Carmelo Anthony, who could make their team even better. With bad contracts and money coming off the books each year. The Knicks will have the power to show that to some extent, they can go out and still make improvements once LeBron were to sign with the Knicks. A move to the New York Knicks would be trying to build a team back up and making a winning team out of a losing one. But the great city and media hub that is New York would bring great reward if he were to do well in New your City. We will have to see if the New York City lights are bright enough to wow LeBron James.

At the end of the day LeBron still has to ask him self another question, “Does he want to leave the Cleveland Caveliers?” There are rumors out that he feel emotionally connected to the city of Cleveland.. Apparently it would mean the most to him to win with the Caveliers. The lets be real, it would ultimate truth is that it would be the best for his legacy if he won with the Cleveland Caveliers. But in the end, LeBron has done everything he can to help this team win. The Cavilers don’t have the pieces like the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls have to be at that championship level. But maybe in the end, the home fans and home cooking will be to great to with stand and he will come on home.

So the ball is on LeBron’s court. The teams are coming at him with offers, and until he wins himself a NBA championship, “his kingdom come will not be done.”