Lebron, Lebron, Lebron

Have you heard of this guy that plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Supposedly, he's pretty good. Some call him "King James", but he was born Lebron Raymone James in Akron, Ohio. Tonight, Lebron will decide his legacy when he chooses where he will play basketball for the foreseeable future.

If Lebron chooses to leave Cleveland for somewhere else, I think his legacy is destroyed. If he goes to Miami (which is the hot rumor), he can win six rings, and I don't think it rebuilds his image. Lebron is turning just the ANNOUNCEMENT of where he is going to play into a three ring circus. When Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, came back from his gambling suspension, I mean retirement in 1995, he did so by issuing a statement that simply said "I'm back." Lebron James is handpicking his interviewer (Jim Gray) and holding his decision on national television (ESPN. I am surprised he didn't ask to go to the Oval Office so he could have Obama get him some network TV time from the Press Briefing room at the White House) from a secluded bunker in Greenwich, CT. He could be the biggest villain in Cleveland sports history supplanting Art Modell, who took a whole football team out of Cleveland moving it to Baltimore. I also contend if Lebron was just playing for the Cavaliers, but from Saginaw, MI or Waco, TX, it's not a big deal if he leaves, because he is not a native Ohioan. Would you rather get 1 ring for a habitually losing sports city, or 6 rings in a city to where each year you don't win the championship, it's a failure.

Now, let's look at the final choices (let's just go ahead and throw the Clippers out, because my 3 year old and 2 year old have a better chance of playing with the Dutch in Sunday's World Cup Final).

1. Miami Heat: Some people list them as the favorite in the clubhouse. But, I think this would be one of the worst places he could go. It is a ready made championship, Lebron doesn't have to work for it as much, he just becomes another piece. Besides, Miami will never be his team. It's D-Wade's team. Imagine if Michael Jordan had gone to the Celtics or Lakers, and Bird and Magic had been a little younger. Jordan would be no where near as famous and remembered with either the Celtics or Lakers, as much as he was with the Bulls.

2. Chicago Bulls: It's Michael's team, it's Michael's town. If you win 5 rings, Michael won 6. If you make a 30 footer at the buzzer, Michael sank a 31 footer to win one. If you sneeze, Michael sneezed quieter, or louder, however you feel to put it.

3. New Jersey Nets: The Kremlin controlling Lebron? Child please. Plus, in some people's eyes, Jersey is New York's arm pit.

4. New York Knicks: The league needs the Big Apple to be important. They haven't been in the mainstream eye since Patrick Ewing was there. Plus, Lebron is buddies with guys like CC Sabathia, and those folks (it's worked out for CC so far by the way) so he's hanging with his buddies. Also, Lebron would be playing in the world's most famous arena 41 times a year.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: The hometown team. Lebron's legacy will never be as strong anywhere else. Weakness is your supporting cast is about as strong as that of Tim Lincecum's biceps. But, you have an experienced NBA coach and a winner as a player (Byron Scott). I think help would be on it's way, it may just take a year or so. There are plenty of players out there the Cavs could trade for to help in the post or on the wing (David West, PF New Orleans, Al Jefferson, PF Minnesota, Gilbert Arenas, SG Wizards, Chris Kaman, C LA Clippers, Zach Randolph, PF Memphis, Marcus Camby, C LA Clippers, Elton Brand, PF Philadelphia,). Granted, some of those players would be gambles or reaches, but the other thing is maybe you can trade for a big superstar (i.e. Chris Paul) or someone of that ilk to help. I think 1 ring in Cleveland is greater then 4 in Miami. The reason I say that is no one has won a ring in Cleveland, while Dwayne Wade took Miami's championship virginity years ago.

The one thing I do think though is Lebron James PR team has put him in such a negative light, it's going to take some time to recover from this. I think for the goodwill aspect, he must return to Cleveland. Otherwise, I think he is going to come off as a selfish, me first, childish, spoiled sports villain. The one thing I do think is worth taking note of, is TNT/NBA TV's David Aldridge stated that this media truck goes both ways. So, Lebron can think he has ESPN in his pocket and everything like that, but if it goes the other way, and Lebron has negative publicity, then he has got to take the bad with the good.

Lebron, Lebron, Lebron, he is enough to drive Jan Brady crazy.