A Gentleman’s view.

Dog you have to feel me on this one!

I know Jason Whitlock has been doing this longer than I have and my shtick is politics, but I have to make strong objections to the conclusion he reached in attempting to advise a King about his future.  His is the advice of one who no longer has any fire in his belly and awaits his bell being tolled. As a 55 year old who has finished three marathons and 10 half marathons, who still runs, and looks forward to my next marathon with fire in my belly, I say all challenges lie before us. He, Jason Whitlock also dismisses the real value history lends to the choice the King will have to make when it comes to his future, let’s be perfectly clear here, this is sports where history is everything and LeBron is facing an opportunity that only can come around as often as does the Hailey’s comet!

First, lets crush his premise, Cleveland is your home and you should stay there and make the media come to you because there you are loved and will be protected. Michael Jordan left his home in North Carolina and just obtained full control of the Charlotte Bobcats, you can bet he is still revered there and they will want that team to succeed as time goes on.  No matter where life’s adventures and travels lead you, you can always return home and there it will always be. There are opportunities in Boston, Chicago, New York; Knicks and Nets, Philadelphia, Washington and Detroit for upgrading or overhauling existing rosters and many teams have been clearing cap room in anticipation of the availability of talent this summer. There is honor in bringing championships to the beautiful City of Cleveland and it has been a long time in coming. It would be received in a grand fashion and be remembered through the state for all time. But you will have no glory, LeBron. King James, life sometimes offers one of unique gifts such as yourself larger responsibilities, historic responsibilities such as those attached to the gloried franchises of the professional basketball industry like the ultimate pilgrimage of baseball players to the Yankees. You then become part of something much bigger than just winning multiple championships; you become legendary like Larry Bird and his relationship to Celtic history and Magic Johnson with the Lakers. There was more to it than just a media driven heated rivalry in the Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson heydays of the ‘80s,so was the Bulls vs. Pistons, it also helped drive the frenzy of the fans on both coasts of the country in a way that was great for the business of basketball.

While Cleveland may offer safety and as many championships as the town can afford to surround you with King, you will never obtain the ultimate props you could if you could bring glory back to the Knicks for 4, 5 or more championships and great for the city and even more so the NBA and it’s business of basketball. Make no mistake this is about more than the business of basketball, the business of entertainment, but the history of basketball as well. The return to glory for the Nets who had glory days in the ABA before the merger or the Knicks as recently as 1970 in this town would be huge beyond anything that has happened here in a long time. The star that pulls that off would almost be guaranteed first ballot entry to the hall of fame.

He was right about the coach thing, there is a need for a extremely high profile coach in whatever city you wind up in, Popovich would be ideal and he could share in the glory of bringing a franchise back from the dead. The possibility of the Knicks franchise featuring the King ‘LeBron James’ in the full spectacular of Madison Square Garden holding court to the likes of future playoffs series with the Celtics or the Bulls on the way to a showdown in the finals against Kobe and the new look Lakers. Basketball would be beholden to you for all time. I feel you on the number thing, looks even better as a tribute. The number 6 is fine. Just remember one thing; sports is about history and history will be about many things with sports  being  just one of them. Just think of the challenges all of those playoffs will present you with, all of the potential glory of those victories teamed up with the right accompanying players.

It could be you against D-Wade, or teamed up him with against Boston’s new big three that will have to take place in Boston as KG starts to fade, Wallace retreats and Pierce’s fire burns out. Time dictates all of these things will take place, and the Spurs will be renewed as will the Jazz or Rockets. The one hero who takes up the challenge of resurrecting said franchise and beats you just twice or three times in Cleveland on the way to the finals will be considered ten times more larger than life having done so no matter how many you win in Cleveland, it might as well be you, King James.  No manner of championships in your hometown will ever garner you that type of hero worship or praise, but just three would place you among the basketball gods in just the right town and the King will go down as the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. Isn’t that what you want King? Don’t worry LeBron about the help you will need to win a championship to bring a franchise back from the grave, the wise men of basketball history playing today will want to take part in that type of experience and the will gladly come to where you are to help you win. This is bigger than just the crowns and the rings, this is about history!

© 2010, agentleman.