Tribe Weekend Review: Take Two in Baltimore
May 17, 2010Contest Time!
May 17, 2010As suspected, the LeBron James speculation juggernaut continues to roll through despite the next round of the NBA playoffs officially underway. The latest slew of rumors seem to all draw us back to Chicago as this continues to be one of the five likely landing spots for James as he enters a free agency period on July 1.
The Daily Herald – a suburban Chicago news source – is reporting that James phoned Chicago point guard Derrick Rose shortly after the Cavaliers were eliminated in Game Six against the Boston Celtics this past Thursday. While the conversation was allegedly very short, the fact that the Chicago Bulls have approximately $20 million in salary cap space and one of the better, young point guards in the league make the entire report intriguing to many. Also a scoring threat, James and Rose could provide the Bulls with their best tandem of talent since the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Adding some fuel to the fire are unconfirmed reports of certain members of LeBron James’ represtation team being seen in Chicago-related apparel over the weekend.
Given the Bulls’ recent firing of head coach Vinnie Del Negro, there continue to be rumors swirling about University of Kentucky coach John Calipari being linked to Chicago in the future. Being seen with James’ agent Leon Rose on more than one occasion over the last few weeks – and even sitting near the Cavaliers’ bench during Game Five against the Celtics – there are now reports that James and Calipari are being “shopped” as a team to those cities with coaching vacancies. New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers are also in this rarefied group. And of course, the rumors also involve one power broker William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley.
But are the reports true?
“LeBron likes Cal, he would play for Cal,” said ESPN’s Chris Broussard shortly after these reports broke. “But the notion that he is demanding [John] Calipari be his next coach – whether it is in Cleveland, Chicago or New Jersey – is just not accurate according to my sources.”
If one was to assume that James’ biggest attraction for a future suitor is in fact winning, James will have to not only select a coach that he likes, but one that he is sure will be able to lead him to a championship. As a head coach in the NBA, Calipari has seasons of 26 and 43 wins with the New Jersey Nets, respectively, prior to his firing in 1998 after a 3-17 start.
“These guys are all friendly and do talk together,” Broussard continued. “But this conspiracy theroy is a little out of whack.”
Internet gambling site Bodog.com had recent updates regarding James and the player-based “prop” bet that lists odds on his 2010-11 home. Cleveland still leads the way, barely, with 8/11 odds. Chicago has closed in rapidly over the last week from 20/1 to 2/1.
Regardless, the fans in the Windy City appear ready to welcome James to town. In the first 24 hours after the Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs on Thursday, the Bulls sold more than 500 new full-season tickets and a team official estimated call volume at about 50-times the normal level, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
22 Comments
Can we have a steel cage death match with the brand new Knicks season ticket holders and the new Bulls season ticket holders?
The winner gets Joe Johnson.
Maybe World Wide Wes could arrange the draft so that John Wall and the rest of the Kentucky players all go to Chicago too.
Yawn… Wake me up in July
“‘ho’s better: lebron, or god? trick question…”
This is all so AWESOME. I can’t even bring myself to watch any more of the playoffs. Knowing the Cavs should be there and also that each game, I’m sure, includes a “Where will LeBron play next year” segment. No thanks. I’ve decided to reacquaint myself with these “family” people that live in my house and eat my food.
Still don’t see this happening.
If you look at the Bulls roster outside of Rose they are the cavs from a few years ago. The Rose/Lebron combo would be a bang up back court but Lebron knows with Dwight Howard around the front court is extremely important and the Bulls don’t have it.
I doubt he want’s to live in Jordan’s shadow either, if the celtics series happened in Chicago Lebron would have been shunned.
Whatever happens, I hope people stop pathetically begging the arrogant SOB to “stay.” I don’t want him to leave, mainly from an economic standpoint for the city, as I’m not sure the kid has what it takes to win and more importantly, if he does “stay,” he’s just gonna sign for another 2 or 3 years and pull this same BS.
It’s one thing to play the Tim Duncan card like it appeared he was doing… difference is, Tim Duncan did this kinda thing in good faith over the course of his career. LeBron will hold us or whoever else gets him hostage forever, and it will do the team building objective and the fanbase no favors in the long run. At some point, you gotta stop kissing up to him.
Begging him to stay when he keeps showing clear signs of doubt and unfaithfulness is like begging a girlfriend to stay/come back even after it’s become apparent that she’s ambivalent towards you AT BEST. If she overcomes her ambivalence, fine. But, have some dignity and don’t sit there begging on your knees.
I’m trying my best to read as little as possible about LeBron James this summer. Any mention of the phone call being placed to say, “I’m never coming there.”
That being said, if he sign with the Bulls, I am done with the NBA. Done.
Of all the places LeBron could go, I think Chicago would piss me off the most. New Yorkers are self-entitled, arrogant d-bags. There or Jersey would “make sense.” Chicagoans are supposed to fellow Midwesterners and know better. I’m really starting to hate those people.
also….as much as it pains me to say, I would be open to Calipari. The guy bombed in the NBA, BUT that was 14 years ago. He was 37 when he started coaching in the NBA, that is honestly pretty young for a head coach.
Don’t get my wrong, personally I think Cal is bad guy flat out, but you can learn a lot in 14 years…so maybe this time around the outcome would be different.
Stay tuned for 1:00 PM… I discuss Chicago and the uncertainties it raises for LeBron.
WHAT CHANNEL CRAIG?!? MY COMPUTER’s TV TUNER NOBS FELL OFF AND THE REMOTE IS TOO FAR UNDER MY DESK.
Of all the places *besides* Cleveland that LeBron can go (and let’s forget about Miami, I just don’t see that happening), Chicago is the only other one that has anything resembling useable parts of a basketball team.
I think he’s either wearing a Cleveland or a Chicago uniform next year, that’s just my hunch.
Frankly, I think it would be dumb for him to go anywhere.
1. He makes more contract money here.
2. BEST TEAM IN NBA. As we well know there is no certainty of winning it all, but you give yourself as good a chance here as anywhere.
3. You think there’s pressure here to win? Try being in a Major media market.
4. Team make up. Ya, we’re over the cap, but most will be expiring contracts so we can make trades for what we need. This was built to win this year but Ferry has shown he can be sneek thief to pick up best player available.
5. No shadow. You’ll never be the next Jordan to Chicago. It’s still Jordan’s town and will never be any others. You’re just inviting comparison by going there, and you’ll never out do the town’s inflated memories of their hero.
6. Miami’s weather is nice, but it isn’t the best sports town. There’s too many other things for people to do. What sports icon ever played in Miami? I can only think of Marino, and do you really want to be the next Marino?
I wouldn’t want to live around Chicago, because that toll road is murder.
Wait, Lebron’s a free agent this summer?
You know, this is providing some much needed clarity.
Why should I care? Just saw that local “We Are LeBron” video and am actually embarrassed for the city, myself, all of us. God help us if we’re hanging on the whim of the over-entitled, 25 year old grand winner of the gene pool. Politicians, go save the city by finding some real business to bring to town, stop groveling before the nation thinks that this kid is all we have to offer. Sports fans, let’s all get a life. LeBron, it was fabulous watching you. Just go play where you want and be happy. Not interested in participating in your adolescent media drama.
someone needs to remind lebron that it was a paxson that was dumb enough to let carlos boozer out of his contract in cleveland. what has a paxson (albeit a different one) done that is so special in chicago? Ferry has, for better or worse, proven he can be creative and get big deals done (deals that were done with lebron’s blessing!). paxson in chicago has not done anything special at all, except having Rose fall into his lap. does Lebron really want to put his future into the hands of a paxson? i hope someone reminds him how dumb a paxson is/was in cleveland – yes the guilt by association card!
I’m not really big on Lebron James but I’m a big Derrick Rose and Chicago Bulls fan, so nething that can get them 2 that next level I’m all 4 it.
Jay Harris’s ear just got word that this ‘package’ deal has been denied by the Bulls.
@ AJ..why the hell are you on this site then
and Im so sick of corruption in sports
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