LeBron Talks About Free Agency in 2010
LeBron (photo. Mannion)All of the 300 media outlets who were at the Izod Center last night are ringing in this morning with what LeBron said regarding his free agency in 2010. Nobody got the exact same quote, even though he only spoke about it for 90 seconds with everyone’s holding their recorder high in the air hoping to capture his quiet statements.
It’s next to impossible to glean anything of major consequence about his future destination from his words. We’ve watched LeBron very closely for a long time now, and realize one thing: He would not do anything to jeopardize any of his future opportunities to make money – whether that’s in Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, Europe, Dubai, anywhere.
Judge for yourself – here’s the general gist of what I got:
“When I decide to make a decision, it’s where I can win multiple championships. You do what’s best for you and your family, you do what’s best for your career. Loyalty definitely has a big part to do with it. Every night I go out and play hard – that’s what loyalty is.”
“But it’s hard because it’s a business. A franchise is going to do what’s best for the franchise, and the players – when a player does what’s best for the player, it comes back and almost looks bad. But when a franchise decides to give up on a player, then it’s OK. So we’ve got to do what’s best for us.”
“You hear so much about it, it’s hard to avoid. It gets funny. I’m not thinking about making a change. I’m used to being in this uniform. No matter where you go, or if you ever move somewhere else, it doesn’t matter. Home is going to be home. I have to be smart about it and I have to be patient.”
LeBron tries so hard to look good all the time – both on and off the court – it’s understandable that he doesn’t want to say anything that would make him look bad. And here, one little thing that could even be interpreted the wrong way, could undo years of hard work in the public eye. For a guy who says all the right things about everything else – about playing 100% on every play, about being a leader – this is one subject he needs to keep his mouth closed about.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:07 am
izzy says:
“And here, one little thing that could even be interpreted the wrong way, could undo years of hard work in the public eye.”
I personally have not understood the whole Lebron circus. The man is free to sign and play where ever he wants. I believe there are many posts/articles dictating his loyalty to Cleveland?!! Why? If you were offered a job outside your home state, where you could grow and accomplish more as an employee, would you not take that job? Why should an athlete feel any different?
And he makes an extremely good point about a franchise cutting players, and its deemed in the best interests of all involved. But when an athlete does something for himself, its selfish. The pendulum has to swing both ways.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Dagomar says:
Lebron’s words are pretty much spot-on. And, for the record, he’s not saying anything new. This is the craziest media circus I’ve seen in the NBA so far . . . and it’ll probably continue no matter where he goes. Are the reporters for 29 other cities (and who knows how many locations around the world) really that desperate?
November 19th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Jah says:
It’s become a big deal because the media has MADE it a big deal. This is how they (the media) stay in business…by putting attention on things that may (or in this case, may not really) matter to the people.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Marco says:
I like it that he thinks about winning championships at first, other players just care about the money and recognize with the age of 40 that they have no ring…
November 19th, 2008 at 9:44 am
John says:
Lebron will come to Miami and play on big market city , with D-Wade and they will win 6,7 rings ,,,
November 19th, 2008 at 9:44 am
PALakerFan says:
“Multiple championships” – why doesn’t he just say, “I’m going to play with Kobe, Pau and Bynum”. That’s the only way he could win multiple championships. The Lakers are going to win a few anyway, he might as well chip in.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Marco says:
@PALakerFan:
I’m a big Lakers fan, too. The will def. win some championships, but of course LeBron can win some somewhere else.
Put him on any other average team and add someone like hot running Bosh for a unbelieveable one-two combo
November 19th, 2008 at 10:13 am
dunkonU! says:
i think it will be better for Lebron not to play for the lakers coz KOBE will not want to share the spotlight with Lebron.. I think it’s better 4 LBJ to stay with the CAVS or move to NY or Brooklyn …. if his after the ring b4 the money i think it he would have a higher chance of winning in NY because players love to be in NY….. plus D’Antoni is a great coach!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:00 am
penske1 says:
Uhh, Lebron isn’t going to take mid-level exception money from any team, and that’s all the Lakers would have to offer.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Mamba says:
Basically Bron is gone in 2010,
Sorry Cleveland, but thats what I read between those lines,
With numerous teams being able to put out max offers it will come down to who he feels is in the best position to win,
As much as I would love to see him in LA that will never happen – I really think he goes to an east coast team,
Miami with D Wade would be a very nasty option, but I wonder if they could afford to have both,
At the end of the day I still think he goes to NY
November 19th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Kobeef says:
Lebron is just trying to be clear with Cleveland fans that he plans to leave so it is not a big surprise.
Don’t worry Cleveland fans, “home is always going to be home” for Lebron, even when he plays for the Nets in Brooklyn.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
PALakerFan says:
I was just shittin’ about the Lakers. Lebron would not want to take a pay cut or be 2nd banana to Kobe. However, he could lead a team like Orlando or Portland with young talent and bigs to a ring. But we all know he wants to be the man in New York, the mecca of basketball and the center of the money universe. It’s gonna be Brooklyn.
And D’Antoni is a regular season coach. A modern day Nellie who can always win in the regular season but gets ousted in the playoffs.
Lebron will convince a young big to go with him to Brooklyn. Maybe Bosh?
November 19th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Football Fanatics says:
If Lebron leaves the Cavs, I could see him in New York or possibly Houston.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:20 am
amanda gordon says:
lebron is not going to the west, so he is either staying where he is or going out to the knicks or to brooklyn with the nets