The LeBron Thread

[bklynstoops]

Wow check out Bissinger's new op-ed to the Times re: Lebron

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/opini ... inger.html

he's exactly right, but I doubt his "handlers" are interested in that kind of growth. Any team willing to let him rule the organization like he did in Cleveland is going to end up exactly like the Cavs.

I don't know. Wes has said he is likely to go to NY and so I don't think we can immediately judge his handlers as bad guys who are looking only to control him and keep him small. If so, Wes would never have smiled and implied what he did about NY.

not so much that they want him to keep him small, but that they are going to look for a situation where he (and consequently they) have a lot of say in the dealings of the team. Guys like WWWes, their game is pampering kids, making them think they have the players' best interest at heart. In the end, it may gain them more influence and power, but it may never lead to a player maturing or winning a championship. The Op-Ed author's point is that lebron needs to be challenged, by fans, the media, his teammates, and his coach so that he can take the next step in his maturity. His handlers probably aren't about that.

We'll see how it goes. I can't see him having the kind of influence in NY or Chicago like he did in Cle. One way or the other, we'll see what the kid is made of.

[truth serum]

That-a-boy, Buzz!

[BLACKFEET 2010]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... th_knicks/

Just for the sake of the thread.
Isn't it the obvious choice? These next 40 or so days are gonna be horrible.
I expect a Clippers then Mavs rumor to follow.
But it's good to know this dude knows what Lebron must do to cement his legend.
LBJ62NYC2K10!

[BLACKFEET 2010]

Sorry. Didn't see it was posted already.

[BLACKFEET 2010]

Where can I find Wes saying he believes Lebron will bolt to NYC?
Can someone provide a link?

[Jstarks3]

he didnt say it, it was more implied than anything.

[VinnyTheMick]

Where can I find Wes saying he believes Lebron will bolt to NYC?
Can someone provide a link?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... james.html

"World Wide Wes," as he is affectionately known, is also quietly emerging as an important player in the Knicks' pursuit of LeBron James. Wesley is known to be a friend and confidant of LeBron, who can become a free agent on July 1. With that in mind, it probably doesn't hurt that Wesley and Knicks president Donnie Walsh have become Best Friends Forever.

Walsh even asked Wesley to personally oversee Eddy Curry's offseason workout program. Despite the Knicks' extensive - and expensive - roster of assistant coaches and fitness trainers, Walsh took the unprecedented step of outsourcing Curry's training regime.

Wesley is not a paid employee of the Knicks. He is, however, a long-time friend of the agent for both Curry and LeBron, Leon Rose, having grown up with Rose in South Jersey. When Curry returned to New York 40 pounds lighter earlier this month and began scrimmaging with teammates, Wesley was at his side at Knicks practice in Greenburgh, N.Y.

The Knicks' association with Wesley doesn't guarantee that the club has the inside track on signing LeBron. But as one team executive noted, "We're leaving no stone unturned.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... z0oReffHUF

[czoneny]

Man these next 40 days are gonna be some rough stuff. It's like being in purgatory not knowing where you are going or which direction the franchise is going in. Heaven would be an LBJ/Bosh combo and Hell would essentially be maxing out David Lee. Wes is the most influential person in basketball and he is pretty tight with Donnie from back to the Pacer days. I think these Bulls stories are all smoke screens, fake hustle even. We will see July 8th I suppose.

[ezmoney707]

Isiah: LeBron should come to Knicks

Former Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas had a nightmare stint in New York, but he still would recommend to LeBron James to accept the daunting challenge of being the Knicks' savior.

Thomas, head coach of Florida International, told Sid Rosenberg on Miami radio yesterday that James should welcome the task of performing where the microscope is sharpest and passion is greatest.

"Yeah, I would, because the fans show up every single night," Thomas said. "They may boo, but they are there. The media is definitely tough on you. But there is no more passionate fans. That passion can be stirred to love you to death or to hate you.

"As an athlete, a competitor -- at least me -- you want to be in that arena. I want to feel that sweat, I want to feel that intensity. I want to feel that emotion. That's what I thrive on."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/i ... z0oQfeDMdu

Although they missed out on the millions in commission money that Goodwin pocketed from LeBron’s endorsements, the benefit to Wes and Rose was astounding. (Wes denies any financial quid pro quo with Rose.) Rose recently brought his practice to the Hollywood talent agency CAA, putting at his disposal multifaceted promotional services and nearly unlimited resources. And his sudden clout was showcased during the first round of the 2006 NBA draft, when the New York Knicks selected six-foot-eight-inch swingman Renaldo Balkman, a pick that caused ESPN’s Chad Ford to say, “Renaldo Balkman?… He averaged fewer than ten points per game…. No other team would’ve taken him in the first round…. Wow.” Greg Anthony called the selection of Balkman “befuddling” and later hypothesized that Isiah Thomas had selected Balkman and Temple University guard Mardy Collins because both were clients of Leon Rose, and that taking these players in the first round might help them in the pursuit of free agent LeBron James.

A month later, LeBron signed a three-year contract with the Cavs. And the Knicks still suck. But the implication was out there: Leon Rose has the power to influence the NBA draft and the larger marketplace.

Read More http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/20070 ... z0oS8csWTP

When i was thinking about Isaih saying this i was like that seems odd as bad as everyone wanted him out of New York, then i thought about the connection that was made about the Balkman/Mardy picks and i remember it all went back to Bron and his agent. I'm not one to dive into conspracies, but the WWW connections, with Lebron, his agent, even our own GM, hell even our assistant GM (Allan Houston)

Wes knew everybody else in the group, so he made a point of getting to know who we were. He peppered us with questions: Who was Leandro? Where did he play? He found out we were visiting from Brazil and joked, ‘I’m going to come to Brazil, and I want you to organize for me to have sex with a di¬fferent woman every day.’ ” Then Wes said, I want you to meet my close friend Allan. Allan was former Knicks star Allan Houston. Barbosa’s knowledge of the NBA was limited. He knew about Michael, Magic, and Larry. But Allan Houston? Dole leaned in and told him about Houston’s seven-year, $100 million contract. Barbosa, who was making $3,000 a month in Brazil, was awestruck. Before long, Barbosa and Dole were sitting in the back of Wes’s Mercedes

Read More http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/20070 ... z0oS9FXq00

If you read this article you can see what type of dude were dealing with. This article is from 2007 mind you and you can see some of the events in this article that were discussed coming to fruition.

[sh00n]

I originally made this as a Bulls wall (I think he ends up in Chicago, personally), but I've had a ton of requests from Knicks fans to make a New York version. I seriously fudged up the #6, and I apologize for that, but the angle and the fact that no one on the current roster has a 6 in their number at all made it difficult.

It's sized at 1900x1200, and to download it click the link and the click the Download link to the right of the image. Cheers and good luck to you guys in landing him!

1900x1200

[Smoke24]

Leon Woods couldn't have had better clients than Balkman and Collins for us to choose from?

[Childs2Dudley]

Why would I put this as my background before he's signed?

1. It's a jinx.

2. It'll be pathetic to see that background on the day he decides he doesn't want to come here.

Thank you for making it but I'll wait a while.

[Subway Token]

looks like miss cleo already knows where lebron is going. this video was posted april 14, 2010 before the season even ended lol

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQOV3KHjAM[/youtube]

Ok ummm WHAT!!!! lol, dude even if that person picked New York I would still not take that seriously. I mean if Wizards fans get hope after that, that would be pathetic lmao

What the hell............ I can't trust an African psychic that says "mad props."

[Childs2Dudley]

I didn't know Osi Umenyiora was such a crybaby.

Meanwhile, Giants' Osi Umenyiora wrote on a Playmaker Mobile website that James should avoid New York.

"Personally, I think he should stay in Cleveland. I will say this, if he does come to New York, don't have a bad game. Not one, because Knick fans will come down on him. It goes both ways."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/m ... z0oSdtBvA0

Makes me ashamed to be a Giants fan.

[K_ick_God]

LeBron James' pal claims Knicks are favorites

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, November 28th 2008, 9:41 AM

LeBron James' future will be debated and analyzed for the next 20 months. There are already whispers that the Knicks are the early leaders to land the potential free-agent-to-be in 2010.

One person who may have intimate knowledge about LeBron's next move is William Wesley, a close friend and adviser to the Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star. Wesley is regarded as a powerful insider among the NBA's top players and executives, with connections to everyone from Michael Jordan to James.

When asked during Wednesday's Knicks-Pistons game at Auburn Hills if he feels the Knicks are the favorite to sign LeBron in two years, Wesley smiled and said: "Barack Obama could use Donnie Walsh to clear salary-cap space for the country."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... z0oTCWhh6q

[K_ick_God]

My new hero, Buzz Bissinger:

[K_ick_God]

Isola also states that Donnie Walsh is careful to avoid public statements about LeBron James because he knows how controversial the idea of James joining the Knicks is around the league.

"The Knicks president is more mindful of tampering than any other team executive because he knows that few want to see LeBron end up in New York and will do anything to prevent it," writes Isola.

[EchelonNYK]

Ban this man, immediately..

anyone here promoting LeBron to New York prematurely should be too..

[moocow007]

looks like miss cleo already knows where lebron is going. this video was posted april 14, 2010 before the season even ended lol

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQOV3KHjAM[/youtube]

Ok ummm WHAT!!!! lol, dude even if that person picked New York I would still not take that seriously. I mean if Wizards fans get hope after that, that would be pathetic lmao

What the hell............ I can't trust an African psychic that says "mad props."

The cloud of smoke must have REALLY messed up her mojo. Had she had the mojo going, she'd have realized that Obama is from Chicago and a big fan of the Bulls. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

[moocow007]

he's exactly right, but I doubt his "handlers" are interested in that kind of growth. Any team willing to let him rule the organization like he did in Cleveland is going to end up exactly like the Cavs.

I don't know. Wes has said he is likely to go to NY and so I don't think we can immediately judge his handlers as bad guys who are looking only to control him and keep him small. If so, Wes would never have smiled and implied what he did about NY.

not so much that they want him to keep him small, but that they are going to look for a situation where he (and consequently they) have a lot of say in the dealings of the team. Guys like WWWes, their game is pampering kids, making them think they have the players' best interest at heart. In the end, it may gain them more influence and power, but it may never lead to a player maturing or winning a championship. The Op-Ed author's point is that lebron needs to be challenged, by fans, the media, his teammates, and his coach so that he can take the next step in his maturity. His handlers probably aren't about that.

We'll see how it goes. I can't see him having the kind of influence in NY or Chicago like he did in Cle. One way or the other, we'll see what the kid is made of.

IF SO, then it's a lot less likely it'll be in Chicago. Reinsdorf is about as tightly wound and controlling as any owner in the NBA.

Dolan is also no laisez-faire guy either but he's been historically pretty much hands off in terms of actual basketball decisions, leaving it up to people who are not "idiots when it comes to basketball" (paraphrasing his own words). So if Walsh is willing to deal with it (and I'd imaging he will cause everything he's done so far, the entire picture, the big shabang has been James) I'd give the clear advantage in that area to the Knicks.