May 22, 2013

The New Four Horsemen: LeBron, Wall, Calipari, and Worldwide Wes?

February 1, 2010 by 43 Comments

First, a disclaimer – I think Kentucky Men’s Basketball coach John Calipari is a complete slime-ball, used car salesman cheater. He seems like a nice guy in interviews, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is dirty.

Lebron James spent his off day Saturday afternoon sitting courtside at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY with his good buddy/advisor William Wesley, aka World Wide Wes, watching Lebron’s “friend,” John Wall and the Kentucky Wildcats crush the Vanderbilt Commodores 85-72.

Lebron was the “Y” in the celebratory “Kentucky” cheer on the floor in front of over 23,000 adoring fans. They adore Lebron all of a sudden because the man they now treat as a God, Calipari, says so. His Cats debuted the brand new Lebron shoe on Saturday, which they of course all loved. Lebron has also been seen plenty wearing Kentucky Basketball gear, completely out of nowhere this year.

Why you ask?

LBJ and CalipariWell because the worst kept secret in the college game is that Wesley “advises” Calipari. He also has been known to “advise” some of the top high school players in the country over the past several years – the one and done kids. Players with known ties to WWW include former Memphis Guards Dajuan Wagner (Wesley’s god son), Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, and this year’s stud, Wall. Wall was a heavy Memphis lean until Calipari bolted for Kentucky. UK, a school that Wall never considered, all of a sudden became his choice.

The Lebron/WWW connection began back when The King was in High School, and since then he has gained influence in Lebron’s camp. WWW has even been listed in an outstanding GQ piece as the most powerful man in sports. Nobody knows who pays him. Yet his fingers are all over the game of basketball, college and pro, with so many of the top players. From Lebron to Allen Iverson to Michael Jordan, Wesley is in with then all. That’s not even bringing into account the relationship he has with agent Leon Rose – Lebron’s agent. Said super-agent David Falk in the GQ piece ““Leon Rose doesn’t have any clout. Wes has clout.”

This brings us to John Wall. The best player in the college game and the sure #1 overall pick in this summer’s draft, is also allegedly under the wing of Wesley. The worst team in the NBA, by leaps and bounds,  is currently the New Jersey Nets; a team that is about to have a new Russian billionaire owner,  oodles of cap room, and a soon to be built new arena in Brooklyn. If they land the first pick in the lottery, Wall will no doubt be their man.

Fanhouse beat me to print, but it has been in my mind for a while. I just hate to speculate on Lebron’s future. After all, he put out the moratorium on all free agent talk, and who am I to disobey The King? I know the theory seems outlandish, but it isn’t as far fetched as you would think. Wall ends up in New Jersey. With all that cap space to sign potentially two max players, a young budding center in Brook Lopez up front, a new splashy arena, and the bright lights of New York, The Nets all of a sudden could look pretty appetizing to Lebron and his “team.” Oh, did I mention, they don’t currently have a Head Coach? Dare I bring up the name John Calipari for the opening?

As for his relationship with Wall, Lebron has said the following:

“Yeah, I have a relationship with him,” James said. “A really good relationship. With not only John, but his family. We talk all the time.”

Now I have no idea what WWW would get out of advising Lebron to go to the Nets. For all I know, Wesley could be telling Lebron to sign a three-year deal in Cleveland, then hit the market at age 28 the next time he would be a free agent. In the end, it’s still Lebron’s decision.

Again, I hate the topic of Lebron free agency speculation, but seeing the Calipari/WWW/Lebron/Wall connection all together this weekend sparks some thought. And after all, that is what we try to do here at WFNY – try to make you think!

Calipari’Lebron photo via UK Athletics


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  • Nate8146

    I guess I’m not all that concerned about the Nets, just because they are so abysmal. Is their talent better than their record? Sure, but as of yet, that talent has not coalesced into anything other than one of the most putrid half seasons in the history of the NBA. I don’t believe that LeBron’s decision is ONLY about winning, but ultimately I think its the trump card, he doesn’t want to wait another 2-3 years to be a top team again. I understand the Nets, with LBJ and Wall might be a great team, but we don’t know that, we don’t know how those pieces fit together. I guess my concern about the Nets is eased b/c I don’t see LeBron leaving a sure contender for a team that MIGHT be a contender…but I could be wrong.

  • Harv 21

    wish my name was Worldwide Wes.

  • Matt#2

    Deacon Blue

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udne9JTds5A Troy Smith Trade from Ravens to the Browns

    Calipari is a cool guy, maybe even an astute businessman, but in the world of college sports this dude is slithery.

    Coaches like him get all the money, all the glory, then they leave the program they are in, under investigation to go get more money.

    Keep LeBron away from Calipari.

  • Matt#2

    “new Russian billionaire owner”
    I thought the Cavs ownership was pretty flush, too.
    Does the Russian billionaire have special sauce?

  • Matt

    I thought the Brooklyn deal was no where close to happening yet…isn’t it being held up by all sorts of red tape?

  • 5KMD

    I wouldn’t be surprised if Cal was trying to get LBJ to play for kentucky next year. I mean he still has eligibility right??

    what a slimeball.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    As I said to some people this weekend, James was the same way with Stephen Curry. It doesn’t mean LeBron’s going to Golden State…

  • Matt#2

    Lebron and Calipari, in the photo above, aren’t exactly showing palsy-walsy body language.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    @ Matt#2 – vodka sauce. Ba-Zing!

  • DCBucks

    Wall is the second best player in college basketball behind Evan Turner. That is all.

  • Matt#2

    “Wall is the second best player in college basketball behind Evan Turner. That is all.”

    /Hijack

  • Anthony

    Ugh, Calipari is such a sleazebag – dating back at least to his time at UMass. I hope this was just an appearance by LeBron for the debut of his shoe at UK (and a chance to watch Wall in person), and not the start of an ongoing relationship between the him and Calipari.

    And I don’t know how much it really matters (since the front office has obviously changed), but remember that Calipari was head coach of the Nets from ’96 until he was fired during the strike-shortened ’98-’99 season.

  • Swig

    OMG LEBRON IS GOING TO RESIGN FOR 3 MORE YEARS!!! YES YES YES YES SYEYSEY YESYE YSEY …

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Andrew

    Everyone always talks about the Nets having a billionaire owner, but that’s so irrelevant. The Nets can’t spend any more on LeBron James than any other team in the NBA.

    As for this whole scenario, it’s a joke. LeBron’s not going anywhere because of “friends”. If he was going to play wherever he had friends and business connections, he would have to play for 10 teams at once. Like Scott said above, we went through this exercise last year with Stephen Curry. I think LeBron values a lot of things more than playing with a rookie who he happens to know through WWW. Not saying he’s not going to New Jersey, but if he does, it will be because of Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh, not John Wall.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    @ Andrew – that being said, if the Nyets get the #1 pick, I will admittedly be nervous.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Andrew

    @Denny: But why only if the Nets get him? If John Wall is the connection and the draw, then we should theoretically be nervous no matter who gets the #1 pick.

  • MrCleaveland

    @15 Denny

    The “Nyets”? Ha ha ha, classic!

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    Because of all the ancillary things going on there – Brooklyn, the fact that they actually have a good core of young guys, the whole situation.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    Calipari is shady look how he departs collegiate programs which always seems to coincide with an NCAA investigation. I’d get a kick out of Kentucky suffering the same fate and Calipari leaving to coach in the NBA perhaps at NJ. Although his bread is probably to buttered in the NCAA so he’d probably just find another crack to slip into like a roach.

    As for LeBron and the Nets c’mon now lets be realistic all this “love affair” with John Wall reminds me of the talk regarding players on the Cavaliers like Gibson and Hickson. You can’t honestly tell me a player with the stature of LeBron James is going to hitch his wagon to a freshman drafted by one of the worst teams in NBA history are you?

    Btw I’d take Evan Turner myself to me he’s a more complete player and will make more of an impact then Wall will but that could be my Buckeye biasness speaking.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Andrew

    “Brooklyn, the fact that they actually have a good core of young guys, the whole situation.”

    That all exists without John Wall. My point isn’t that the Nets aren’t appealing, it’s just that I think John Wall is such a small part of this. I’m nervous regardless of where John Wall is playing basketball next year.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    @ Andrew – I’m not even worried that it’s Wall, and he and LBJ are supposedly buddies. I’m worried about the Nets getting a #1 or even #2 guy (Turner scares me too, though not as much since he’s a natural 3 IMO) in addition to having that cap space and the ancillary stuff. I’ll be very relieved if the Nets don’t end up with the #1. If they do, I’m donning my tin foil hat.

  • Doug

    I think the Nets get Wall no matter what and here’s why. If they finish with the worst record, they are guaranteed a draft pick between 1-4. If they don’t get #1, I think they’ll trade their pick (2-4) plus Devin Harris for the #1 hoping that Wall gets them more interest from free agents even if not Lebron.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Andrew

    In my opinion, there are 2 teams we should be very worried about, and that’s New Jersey and Chicago. We should be very worried about New Jersey regardless of whether they have the top couple picks. They have the cap space to add another really good player, plus have a good/someday-maybe-great young center in Lopez and good wing players in Harris, CDR, and Lee. Most importantly, they have the lure of New York and Jay-Z, and in the past couple years, I have learned to fear those 2 more than anything. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, it’s going to be because he wants more of the limelight.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    And if we’ve learned anything about “Limelight”, it’s that Rush can melt faces.

  • MrCleaveland

    I notice that in the picture, the cheerleaders are holding up cards with letters on them. Is that because Wildcat fans need help spelling Kentucky?

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    @ Mr Cleaveland – they actually hold up O H I O signs in the Shoe :[

    Based on my rough math, OSU fans need help spelling a word NEARLY HALF THE LENGTH of the word Kentucky.

  • http://www.twitter.com/davepurcell Dave P.

    Hey, MrCleaveland makes a “Kentucky people are ignorant” joke. That’s original. Spend some time in the Watercooler at the Orange & Brown Report and let me know how you feel about NE Ohioans somehow being superior.

    Hey, brilliant sports fans, how many times has Calipari been nailed for anything by the NCAA?

    Zero.

    What I like about this site is that it’s not the usual idiotic commentary that you find on too many boards. The “everybody knows” schtick plays too often at most places — you know, like “everybody knows that LeBron is going to leave the [poop]hole that is Cleveland first chance he gets” — but usually not at this one.

    Marcus Camby took money from an agent, and Calipari was responsible for that how?

    Derrick Rose was cleared by the NCAA to play, and then subsequently had his score questioned. He took the test in Chicago before he was on the Memphis campus. John Calipari is responsible for that, too?

    Feel free to try to support your claims with facts. I’ll be waiting.

    Cheers,
    A Kentucky native now living in Akron

  • The Other Tim

    Didn’t Calipari already soil the bed in New Jersey once?

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com TD

    Dave P. – just because he personally has never been nailed, doesn’t mean he is 100% clean. They are all dirty, but name me another coach who has had not one, but two of his teams have their Final Fours vacated. Where there’s smoke…..

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @Dave P I laughed at Mr. Cleveland because I found it “ironic” that cheerleaders appeared in the background showing LeBron James making the “Y” in Kentucky.

    @28 Tim I think your right, I forgot about that!

  • MrCleaveland

    @27

    Sheesh, Dave, relax. I would have made the same harmless little joke if a similar picture had been taken at Harvard. Touchy touchy.

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  • BW

    “Everyone always talks about the Nets having a billionaire owner, but that’s so irrelevant. The Nets can’t spend any more on LeBron James than any other team in the NBA.”

    It’s not significant in terms of the actual deal LeBron signs, but more in terms of the level of luxury the team could enjoy (ie better locker rooms, etc etc)

  • MaimLarry

    Calipari had two of the teams he coached vacate a Final Four appearance right after he left. If that doesn’t say something, I don’t know what does.

  • Scooter

    First of all, I love that the guy from Kentucky doesn’t know the difference between ignorance and stupidity, yet he is mad about being called stupid…Second, I don’t know enough about Calipari yet to call him a sleezebag or whatever we’re using here, but the facts don’t look to be in his favor…LeBron should definitely stay away from him…by staying in Cleveland! There are no sleezebags there…where’s that sarcasm button?

  • http://www.twitter.com/davepurcell Dave P.

    Scooter, I know the difference between ignorance and stupidity, and nothing I said indicated that I don’t. If you want to continue arguing intellect, you’re welcome to contact me at my faculty address at Kent State.

    MrCleveland: sorry, I don’t have a sense of humor over jokes about my home state. Spend 30+ years getting teased for the same thing and you might get tired of it, too.

    As for Calipari — yes, the two vacated Final Fours look terrible. Can’t disagree with that. If there’s any smoke, I’d say the Rose incident is the more suspicious of the two given Worldwide Wes’ potential involvement. I don’t blame Cal for the Camby/agent thing.

    The larger problem is that the NCAA clearly engages in selective enforcement. And if you don’t believe this, explain to me why Duke’s 1998 Final Four was not vacated despite a more egregious violation of the rules than the Rose incident:

    http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12096928

    Cheers…

  • GP

    Your suggestion that Wall followed Cal to UK, and that’s somehow wrong, is ridiculous. Players don’t commit to schools; they commit to coaches. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.

  • Dave

    Nice typo. “Wesley is in with then all.”

  • okay…

    “UK, a school that Wall never considered, all of a sudden became his choice”

    Umm…you’re aware that Wall took not one, but TWO unofficial visits to UK last yer whe Gillispie was the coach, right? Remember that, The trips that caused him to have to sit out two games this year?

  • Syrin

    More hate Calipari talk from people who don’t look beyond the headline. This “sleeze ball” raised over a million dollars for Haiti in less than a week’s time. As Dave has stated very clearly, the events at Memphis and UMass were not his fault as shown to us by the NCAA investigation, and even a cursory review of the actual facts. I can’t help but feel this is little more than jealousy thinly disguised as a journalistic endeavor, but hey, it takes real guts and conviction to call him a sleeze bag while ignoring all the positives he brings, eh? Not every coach can be Pitino, Mike Leach, Pete Carrol, Kelvin Sampson, etc. etc. etc. Guy treats his players well, is involved in the community, is respectful, and has on the court success. AWFUL! Now, let’s all cheer Pete Carrol’s recruiting class for the class act that is lane Kiffin, eh?

    Morons.

  • Syrin

    From today:

    http://www.wkyt.com/blogs/tvtimeout/84201657.html

    This sleeze ball is out of control.

    Morons.

  • Duuuuuuuumb

    1. “a school that Wall never considered, all of a sudden became his choice.”

    Not true. Wall visited UK twice under Gillispie and before he was fired listed UK, Duke and Florida as his final three.

    2. “is also allegedly under the wing of Wesley.”

    Allegedly? Who alleges? Wesley has been at one UK game this year and any relationship he has (which is not much of one at all) stems from that game. They have no prior relationship.

    There is a reason Cleveland is Cleveland and the second-class attitude permeating from this article sums it up nicely. If LeBron leaves, it’s because your city is the gooch of the US and your coach is an idiot. Not because some guy sweet talked him into it.

    PS…..you can’t continue the façade of legitimacy unless you edit your articles.

  • 319kush

    I think there are many truths to everything that’s been said, and yet still many unknowns. First off coach cal is no better than a street pimp for the nba! Now I’d like to point out something bob knight said while he was at indiana, he said kids are more worried about what sneakers there school wears than anything these days. We all know the close ties wes has to nike. And as stated in GQ he did get his start selling sneakers. so are sneaker companies handing out money like campainge contributions? Wes is sideline at ever junior nike camp in the nation, maybe the world. Him and coach cal pimped away pearl’s pride of 11 while the kid and his mother were at a nike summit(bruce pearl was overseas). Derek rose is the only question in my mind, if he’s wes’s boy how does he wind up with adidas? Tyrek’s swooshed up, kentucky is one of nike’s main schools now, wall I swear has new pe’s every game, and right before cal left memphis they went to nike. So maybe the real horsemen are nike, wes, cal and the nxt phenom to renig his verbal

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