July 1st is here and, as we all know, LeBron James has decided that he will become a free agent. LeBron now has a difficult decision ahead for him.
Will he stay with his hometown team the Cavs?
Will he go to the bright lights of New York so he can become a global icon and so we can hear Empire State of Mind like a million more times whenever they show a promo of him.
Or will he go Chicago, the team that he might have the best chance of winning a title with?
In this post, I am going to take a look at all the possible teams where King James might end up and assess the possibility of him going to that team.
The Los Angeles Clippers
Okay I think we’re done laughing now.
Actually, I’ll give another minute if you need it………………….
Okay then.
There really hasn’t been a lot of buzz on this but it has been mentioned a few times. I really can’t think of another reason why LeBron would want to go here besides that it is a big city. There are too many cons in there to count. First off, no one cares about the Clippers; second, if you think LeBron is getting hammered now about Kobe being better than him, imagine if they were in the same division and Kobe would be able to kick his ass 4 times each year. There are so many more reasons not to expect this to happen but I don’t want to get into them.
- Pros:Â Big city and, ummmmmmmm, that’s it
- Cons: No one cares about them. Gets deeper in Kobe’s shadow. Horrible Owner. Bad Team And many more.
- Chance of Going There: No way in hell
The New Jersey Nets 
Things are starting to look a bit better for the Nets after a disappointing season during which they went 12-70.
They got a cool Russian owner, Â Mikhail Prokhorov, who is willing to spend money, and they are going to have a new arena built in Brooklyn.
Could LeBron be in their future too? I don’t think so.
Think about this: does LeBron want to leave a 61-win team to go to a 12-win team that almost had the worst record in the history of basketball just so he could hang around with Jay-Z? To counter that, like a lot of teams in the running, the Nets could also sign another star.  Still, there are more problems that could scare LeBron away, like a bad coach and the fact that the new arena won’t open until 2012…which means he has to spend two more years in Newwww Jeerrrssseeyyyyyy.
- Pros: Cool Owner. Jay-Z is around. A few good young players.
- Cons: 12-70 last season. The Brooklyn Stadium wont open till 2012 and oh yeah they went 12-70!!!
- Chance of Going There: Unlikely
The Miami Heat 
The Heat talk has started to heat up lately, mostly because a lot of people have started thinking about LeBron and Wade playing together plus another superstar (if they take a “modest” salary around the $10 million dollar range.) But there could be some chemistry problems that occur.
First off, who’s going to be the #1 player, Wade or LeBron? LeBron is a better player then Wade but Wade led them to a championship in 2006 and has been their leader since then. Who is going to take the majority of the shots? Who is going to handle the ball during crunch time? Who going to take that last shot? These problems can occur very quickly, just remember the 2004 Lakers.
- Pros: Wade plus Superstar X. Great town to live in. Great chance to win a title.
- Cons: Possible chemistry problems. Fair weather fans. Bad role players. Not a very qualified coach
- Chance of Going There:Â Very Possible
The New York Knicks 
The LeBron-playing-for-the-Knicks phenomenon started when he signed a 3 year deal with the Cavs in 2007. Sports pundits, especially Skip Bayless, a notorious douche bag, were counting the seconds until 2010 at which time they thought LeBron would leave Cleveland for the bright lights of New York.
Well it’s not looking good for them, because New York is definitely not the best situation for LeBron.
New York has a crappy roster with a coach who runs a flawed system. D’Antoni is a Don Nelson-like coach; he has an all offense and no defense system, and you can’t win a championship like that.
To get enough money for another star they would probably need to do a sign and trade in which they would give away their best player David Lee. I also don’t understand the thought that if James would play in New York that would make him a global icon. LeBron James is the most or second most famous basketball player in the world right now; I don’t think he can get much bigger then he is already.
- Pros: Great City. Some say he can become a global icon (but I don’t agree). He could be the hero of New York if he wins a title,
- Cons: Tons of pressure (Imagine if LeBron had a bad postseason in New York like he did in Cleveland, if you thought he got hammered here in Cleveland he would have been murdered by the New York media.) Horrible supporting cast. Spoiled fans which could turn on him. The first time he plays in Cleveland he may be murdered. Seriously we would really pissed off if he went to New York. I am not joking and remember we still have Delonte West.
- Chance of Going There:Â Very Unlikely
The Chicago Bulls
The Bulls look like Jame’s best chance for winning a title right away. They already have Derrick Rose, a superstar point guard, a solid power forward/center  in Joakim Noah, and another possible superstar if LeBron joins. But Chicago might have similar problems that The Heat could have had: to many superstars on one team.
Rose, LeBron, and a free agent like Bosh could clash because of not enough shots. I am not saying that they are selfish players, but when you’re huge superstars like those guys are, it’s hard going from 22-28 points a game to 16-20 a game.
Also there was another 23 that played for Chicago who won 6 titles and 5 MVP’s which King James would have to live up to. If King James has a great career in Chicago and wins like 3 or 4 titles or more he still won’t be considered as good as His Airness.
- Pros: Great chance to win a title. Good supporting cast. Good young stars. Plenty of cash.
- Cons: No matter what happens he will still be stuck in Michael’s shadow. Tons of pressure. Looks like a ring chaser if he leaves which would ruin his legacy.
- Chance of Going There: Very Possible
The Cleveland Cavaliers
This is where King James began his career, where he won 2 MVPs, where he led them to their first NBA Finals, and where he is the pride and joy of his hometown.
Could LeBron really be leaving Cleveland? Umm maybe.
There has been some evidence that proves why he might want to leave, but there is also plenty of evidence for why he might (and should) stay in Cleveland.
Throughout his career, LeBron has cared very much about his legacy. Since high school LeBron has been called the next Jordan-like superstar and has cared very much about obtaining that title. He knows the only way to be considered the next all-time great is to win not one but multiple championships. What do Bird, Magic, Jordan, and Kobe all have in common? They all won multiple titles with the teams that drafted them. (I know Kobe was drafted by the Hornets and they traded on draft day but close enough.)
If LeBron leaves and goes to chase a title, it could really taint his legacy. It looks like he had to be in the perfect situtaion for him to win and that he couldn’t achive it by himself.
Also remember he doesn’t have to win a title next year. He could sign back with Cleveland, maybe wait a year or two so Cleveland can clear some cap space, then they could make some trades or sign some free agents and they could be as good as some of these other teams. Plus, the Cavs are the only team where LeBron has the most control. In Cleveland he could choose what free agents he wanted to play with or what coach he wanted. I don’t see that happening with any other team.
- Pros: Good chance to win a title. Has more control in Cleveland than any other team. Can pick his coach. Has the best fan support. Would become a god if he stayed and won a title.
- Cons: Has a better chance to win a title next year with another team. Cavs played poorly past two playoffs. If he leaves he will be murdered when he comes back to play vs the Cavs.
- Chance of Staying Here: Very Possible.
Well it seems that LeBron has a difficult division ahead of him. Rumors have him going everywhere (well besides the Clippers). ESPN now has to make a huge deal after any tip from a “reliable” anonymous source who probably doesn’t know anymore about what LeBron is thinking then you or I do.
Remember it’s The King’s choice, not ours; let’s just hope he makes the right one (and picks Cleveland!!!!).
