With 1.9 second remaining in the game and the Cleveland Cavaliers trailing by a 2-point field goal, LeBron James, upon securing the inbound pass from Anthony Parker, slipped, regained his footing and then hoisted a 30-foot attempted that rimmed out.
The missed 3-point attempt resulted in the Cavs losing 118-116 to the Denver Nuggets, just their 12th lost in 55 games.
After missing the winning shot James, looking upset, disappointed and like he wanted to cry, hurried off the court. He failed to congratulate his boy Carmelo Anthony, who moments earlier converted the winning basket with James guarding him. James also ignored his teammate Shaquille O’Neal, who tried to dap him up as he exited the court.
Now if King James gets this bent out of shape with a loss, especially considering that the Cavs were and are the procurers of the best record in the League, what would make someone believe that he will go suit up with the dysfunctional New York Knicks.
Folks who believe James will take his sword to New York need to just stop it.
If it wasn’t for the eternal ineptness of the Los Angeles Clippers the Knicks would be the laughing stock of the League. Larry Brown gets fired as the head coach after just one season. Isaiah Thomas in the midst of that firing found himself on the hot seat by being sued for sexual harassment. Stephon Marbury, who would eventually become entangled in a bitter and ugly divorce from the Knicks, was engaged in the Thomas lawsuit; and then just last year the Knocks – I mean Knicks, hired Mike D’Antoni, who was unable to win anything of significance with a more talented roster in Phoenix. Since 1999 when James Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden, took over the reign of my favorite team as a child growing up, the Knicks have compiled a record of 348-472. They have taken stock in the bottom tier of the League since Dolan’s inaugural year when they won 50 games and played in the NBA Finals before losing to the San Antonio Spurs. Needless to say, but I will, the losses have been plentiful, while the wins have been few.
With all these facts, how I ask, do New Yorkers and many pundits believe James will exit Cleveland in 2010 and land the new “Flight 23” on the runway of Two Pennsylvania Plaza at basketball’s Mecca?
I don’t get it and here’s why!
The Mission
King James has an intense desire to win. That was obvious as he pouted after losing a regular season contest. In that fire to win the Lawrence O’Brien trophy, James is nearer to accomplishing that goal with the Cavs than he’ll be with the Knicks. While analyst continue to yap about Bron-Bron not having anyone to play with in Cleveland, I submit that if James is a varsity player and his teammates play like the J.V., then those dudes playing at the Garden must be the intramural squad. Yes the Knicks have $21 million in cap space and could add on some other attractive free agents, and the Cavs are paying the luxury tax, which means they really need to win now, but it’s my guess that no other marketable free-agent is interested in coming to the Big Apple to become rotten in Dolan’s barrel.
The Mecca
If New York remains the Mecca of basketball it’s only because of reputation. There hasn’t been a championship team in New York since 1972; New York hasn’t fielded an All-Star in 10 years (can you guess who they were?), nor have they had a player be named to the All NBA team since 1996-97. At this point Chicago, Los Angeles or San Antonio is more of a Mecca than New York. As a matter-of-fact, Cleveland has been to the Finals in more recent years than the Knicks – Cleveland, with James, is more of a Mecca.
The Money
This is a no-brainer. This ain’t the New York Yankees or the MLB were any team can throw any kind of cheddar at a free-agent. No team is able to back a brinks truck up to James’ bank with more cash in it than the Cavs. However, is money really a part of the equation?
The Meticulous Notoriety
Once upon a time an athlete, a la Reggie Jackson or Wayne Gretzky, coming to New York meant a tremendous boost in fame and fortune. Buy did we forget that James, who entered into the League as famous as those already in the League, signed a $90 million contract with Nike and a multi-million deal with Sprite before he left Akron. Madison Avenue executives can MapQuest their way to Cleveland. Derek Jeter plays in New York with the most prolific baseball franchise ever. He’s won several World Series; is articulate, debonair and has that New York swagger, yet he possesses no more commercials or endorsements deals than James does. So what is the draw for James? Oh yeah, and how many times have you seen the Knicks playing on TNT or ESPN in the last seven years?
If there is truly a reason for James to pack up his talent and move East will someone school me because I’ve yet to hear one! The Cavs have a lot more time remaining on the clock. James will continue to don blue and orange in 2010; except it will be Cavalier blue and orange, not the blue and orange of the Knicks. But the Cavs’ management need not miss their attempt to convert shots on enhancing roster moves for the years moving forth.
Reggie Williams, an award-winning editor and journalist, is reachable at rwilliams@itsflawless.com