Would LeBron Consider this?

[Sanjan]

If there was a euro team offering lebron 30 mil a year (or significantly more than the max nba deal. If its not possible for the sake of the discussion assume it is) what do you think the chances are he jumps ship?

I picked lebron because he has mentioned publicly a desire to be a global icon.

Do you think losing a star like lebron would change the NBA salary cap?

We might not lose any of the big names of todays game, but i have a feeling in the future the talent pool will dilute and become more global. If i were lebron i think i would take the deal.

[TrueRain]

Eh...I doubt it. Highly doubt it.

[cgf]

Money can make anything happen, you think Shaq wouldn't go to europe for 50 mil per? I don't think it's likely to happen with an established star, but young prospects could come into play in the euroleague's assault on the NBA talent pool.

[jax98]

If he did, it'd be some fun box scores.

[Whateva]

If he did, it'd be some fun box scores.

Fun, why ?? I dont think he would do the same stats in Europe. I would say 22ppg 6rpg 3apg 2spg

[jax98]

I assume you're kidding, but just for the heck of it..

His physical tools and versatility would allow him to have insane scoring outputs against Euroleague opponents. He won't see the same flow (or amount) of athletic big men or speedy perimeter defenders. Giving the green light, he should have no problem breaking 40+ every single night.

Keep in mind that a Euroleague team does not bring over LeBron James to have him be yet another role player who will play within limitations. You bring LeBron over to explosiveness and high scoring games. You bring him over to have a consistent scoring treath who can create his own (and others') offense night in and night out.

[SA37]

Not at this point in his career. That's a ton of money to say no to, but he makes so much with Nike and other endorsements plus, come 2010, he's going to really bank (I think he could get a deal starting at around $17-19 million).

If LeBron got that same offer at 32, maybe.

[Whateva]

NO. Im not kidding. European basketball is different. First of all, games are 40 min long, so he could never average 30 like in the NBA. The best scoreres in Europe average around 20ppg, Dominique Wilkins also averaged 20 ppg in Euroleague.
The game is more based on teamwork, shooting, fundamentals, passing the ball , there is zone defense more often , the game is not so depending on the physique like in the NBA.
Not just 1on1 like in the NBA.
Also assists do not count the same way in Europe, the leaders have around 5/6 assits, usually PG's.
I think he would do 22ppg 6/7 rpg 3/4 apg 2spg 1bpg. He could play some 4 .

[jax98]

Yes, I know all this.

But my point is:

You bring LeBron over to be LeBron.

You don't bring over LeBron to just be another integrated part of the offense. You need him to be the offense. Not that he's the one who has to do all the scoring, but that he's the centrum and foundation of the offense.

Otherwise you might as well sign an NBA MLE type player.

[fivas14]

he would leave for 30 million a year. So would Kobe.

[Silk Wilkes]

Kobe would definitely go, at least he can speak Italian. I'd love to see a Euro team offer Lebron a huge deal, i wanna see what he would do.

[Cybulski37]

Doubt it. It's not like LeBron's ONLY motivation is money(although some people would lead you to believe that, and then say he's definitely going to NY despite the fact that he'd lose tens of millions of dollars).

[Malinhion]

No, he wouldn't.

Even though he would put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers in euroleague.

[ponder276]

NO. Im not kidding. European basketball is different. First of all, games are 40 min long, so he could never average 30 like in the NBA. The best scoreres in Europe average around 20ppg, Dominique Wilkins also averaged 20 ppg in Euroleague.
The game is more based on teamwork, shooting, fundamentals, passing the ball , there is zone defense more often , the game is not so depending on the physique like in the NBA.
Not just 1on1 like in the NBA.
Also assists do not count the same way in Europe, the leaders have around 5/6 assits, usually PG's.
I think he would do 22ppg 6/7 rpg 3/4 apg 2spg 1bpg. He could play some 4 .

Rudy Fernandez averaged 21.2ppg in just 28mpg, and LeBron is an infinitely better scorer than Rudy - I like Rudy, he's a great shooter, but he can't even get by his man without a screen. LeBron has a career average of 41.1mpg in the NBA, I'm sure he could play AT LEAST 36mpg in Europe. Even if he only scored at the same pace as Rudy, he'd put up 27.1ppg in 36mpg, but he'd score at a way faster pace than Rudy. The best players in Europe are bad starters/good bench players in the NBA, there's nobody there even close to LeBron's skill level, I'd honestly expect LeBron to put up around 35ppg, and just be generally unstoppable.

[kooldude]

NO. Im not kidding. European basketball is different. First of all, games are 40 min long, so he could never average 30 like in the NBA. The best scoreres in Europe average around 20ppg, Dominique Wilkins also averaged 20 ppg in Euroleague.
The game is more based on teamwork, shooting, fundamentals, passing the ball , there is zone defense more often , the game is not so depending on the physique like in the NBA.
Not just 1on1 like in the NBA.
Also assists do not count the same way in Europe, the leaders have around 5/6 assits, usually PG's.
I think he would do 22ppg 6/7 rpg 3/4 apg 2spg 1bpg. He could play some 4 .

wasn't Nique like 39 when he went to Europe?

[jefe]

If there was a euro team offering lebron 30 mil a year (or significantly more than the max nba deal. If its not possible for the sake of the discussion assume it is) what do you think the chances are he jumps ship?

I picked lebron because he has mentioned publicly a desire to be a global icon.

Do you think losing a star like lebron would change the NBA salary cap?

We might not lose any of the big names of todays game, but i have a feeling in the future the talent pool will dilute and become more global. If i were lebron i think i would take the deal.

Oh, he definitely go, as a child I'm sure he dreamed of one day winning a Euroleague championship - just like all of us American basketball players.

[Neal04]

Doubt it. It's not like LeBron's ONLY motivation is money(although some people would lead you to believe that, and then say he's definitely going to NY despite the fact that he'd lose tens of millions of dollars).

I'm not exactly how true this is but I heard somewhere that Lebron's deal with Nike would double(e.g. it's at 20 million a year now, so it would go up to 40 million a year) if he went to a bigger market like New York, Chicago etc. Even though he'd lose millions from his NBA contract he'd easily make that back up in his in endorsements.

BUT like I said I don't know how true that is.

[Heat3]

If Lebron wants to be a billionaire he'd go. Depends on how he can take advantage of the marketing. He could sign a one year deal and if it proves not to be profitable he can come back to the nba.

[HMFFL]

Doubt it. It's not like LeBron's ONLY motivation is money(although some people would lead you to believe that, and then say he's definitely going to NY despite the fact that he'd lose tens of millions of dollars).

I'm not exactly how true this is but I heard somewhere that Lebron's deal with Nike would double(e.g. it's at 20 million a year now, so it would go up to 40 million a year) if he went to a bigger market like New York, Chicago etc. Even though he'd lose millions from his NBA contract he'd easily make that back up in his in endorsements.

BUT like I said I don't know how true that is.

His Nike contract will increase if he does indeed jump ship to a bigger market once he becomes a free agent. The Nike contract that he signed is for seven years, so I'm positive it's going to increase once he continues the relationship with them, and by doing so he's only going to make even more money. However, it's not like his NBA money will ever compare to the endorsement money he's going to make.

[PPAW4Life]

30 mill. a year?

He'd be stupid not to go.