Like the Stench of a Dead Woodchuck Rotting Under the Porch…
We interrupt the turmoil in Berea with more rumors, innuendo and bravado surrounding Cleveland’s best athlete. (No, we’re not talking about you Winslow.)
Another day, another story about LeBron’s imminent departure from the Cavaliers. This time the story comes from Detroit, where Joe Dumars is dumping Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess (nudge, nudge, wink, wink- see you in 30 days) for Captain Practice and his expiring contract. The goal of this trade? A chance at a title this year, but if you ask others in the national (ahem, ESPN) spotlight, this move is about freeing up cap room to sign not just LeBron James, but Chris Bosh as well. (So Toronto, how do you like being drug into this saga…)
Last week, it was Spike Lee who had the ‘inside scoop’ that LeBron was going to the Knicks. From Dime magazine-
Dime: What has LeBron said to you?
SL: He wants to come to New York. He told me people are putting this stuff about him coming to Brooklyn because of Jay-Z. First of all, this Brooklyn thing is no wrap. That’s not a done deal.Hova’s his boy, but that’s going to determine where he leaves, if he chooses to do so.
Spike was also on Morning Joe last week, (video here, thanks Mike) and mentioned something about Lebron, but it wasn’t quite as definitive. Now, the hosts of the show held nothing back insisting that LeBron to NYC was a done deal, but remember these people live in New York. In fact, Spike clearly says in that piece “if LeBron chooses to leave…”
Spike isn’t the only New Yorker who is banking on LeBron choosing the Knicks over Cleveland, as the New York Daily News got into the act last week. Of course, Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that Dallas or Los Angeles are more likely to lure Akron’s favorite son away, but for certain he has one foot out the door.
We’ve done the piece about why LeBron shouldn’t leave. We’ve talked about LeBron’s comments ad nauseam.I asked a couple other Cleveland writers what they thought of the Spike Lee comments, and here they are…
Screamin’ Steven A. has long screamed that people in LeBron’s inner circle have told him the same thing.
If she were still working as a psychic, Miss Cleo would tell you that spirits from the netherworld have it on good authority that LeBron is going to the Big Apple.
If you check under his shorts, I hear that LeBron has an N tattooed on his left buttcheek and a Y inked on the right.
The Yankees have a standing offer for LeBron to play shortstop for 5 games if he were to join the Knicks.
Inside of LeBron’s new mansion near Akron, contractors have constructed his theater room to look like the inside of Madison Square Garden.
At Christmas, LeBron gives mini Statue of Liberty paperweights to everyone.
Who cares. Seriously.
Reading these comments is comical to me. First off, I’m sure Lebron had a conversation with Spike Lee and he told Spike and Spike only “don’t worry, I’m coming to the Knicks in two years. Book it. But don’t tell anyone.” In watching Lebron closely, I’ve noticed that he is the master of telling people what they want to hear at the right time. Saying that Lebron is going to New York because he told Spike Lee is like saying that he is 100% staying in Cleveland because at a rally to get people to register to vote earlier this month in downtown Cleveland, he told the crowd “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
The truth is nobody knows what Lebron’s going to do. I don’t even think he knows. There is no way of knowing what the Cavaliers, the Knicks, the Nets, or any other team will look like in two years. Two years ago, the Celtics were a joke and the Heat were the NBA champs. That tells you all you need to know.
One thing is certain for Cavs fans…we are never going to hear the end of this “story”. At least, not until LeBron re-ups with the Wine and Gold.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Wow the Mavs sucked tonight against the Cavs. We could have used Lebron.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Spike Lee was also the guy that said Renaldo Blackmon was a great pick and was exactly what the Knicks needed.
The Pistons idea is a big dream. Sorry, but all their cap space is going to get chewed up on extensions for their young talent. Amir Johnson and Stuckey are nice players but are not the same as Billups, Hamilton, Wallace and Rasheed in their primes. (I do like the trade for the Pistons though).
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!! LeBron wants to leave Cleveland?!? I DID NOT KNOW THAT! These guys must have fantastic sources. Seasoned journalists with years of experience to help guide their judgment on whether or not to their share conversations with athletes, journalists like…like…Spike Lee? Doesn’t he make movies?
Maybe we should make a game out of this. Seriously. Could WFNY have a tally board running or something? This could get entertaining.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I hear that if Obama is elected President, he’s going to announce at his inauguration that he is going to forgo his own salary for two years and fold the Department of Homeland Security in order to save budget space for Lebron.
Secretary of State? (look at his popularity in China)
November 4th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I agree. Let’s make this into a game. Let’s call it:
Things Sports Reporters Write About When They Run Out Of Column Ideas!
1. LeBron James is leaving Cleveland!
2. Old Records vs. New Records!
3. There should totally be a college football playoff!
…
November 4th, 2008 at 2:31 am
I loved Adrian’s (Yo Adrian!) article. The grand-no holds barred-free for all-smack down-main event-royal rumble-death match just got another contestant. We now have New York, New Jersey/Brookland, some Greek city, Dallas and Detroit eye poking, choking, groin kicking, and super-plexing each other for the right to the King. So let the payroll dumping, bad trading, buyouts, passing up on free agents, one year contract and all the other stupid decisions that GMs around the league will make until the day after Lebron makes his choice. That day, will be the most beautiful day of the whole process, because that day, when the reality sets in, there will be several teams in complete ruin and even more GMs in the unemployment lines. Failure due to hubris is great to watch. Especially the hubris gained from listening to the likes of Spike Lee, Jay-Z, “World Wide” Wes, and Steven A Smith (no personal agendas here!), instead of the guy whose decision it actually is.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Wojnarowski LOVES writing about this subject; I’ve read at least half a dozen stories by him on Lebron’s leaving (Nets, Knicks, Mavericks, now Pistons). I get the feeling that he was burned by someone in Cleveland and publishing these “stories” gives him a feeling of redemption. He’s not even a good writer. I was able to see his ending the article with the line about it going to be an agonizing two years in Cleveland right after he said it the first time. BORING.
November 4th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I love your site, but do you have to post every Lebron leaves Cleveland rumor? I guess it’s current in regards to Cleveland sports, but it’s daunting to read a different rumor every week when in truth only one person knows what he is going to do. All these idiots in NY need him to come so it’s all just a bunch of crap they write- we shouldn’t give them the time of day
November 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Uh, Rick… it’s spelled Stench.
Chalk one up for the grammar police!!!!!
I have to agree with Danny a bit – every single trade that happens between now and Lebron signing a new contract will be perceived as teams angling for Lebron.
What annoys me most is it’s all about Lebron, and not about Wade, Bosh, Pierce, Nowitzki, Yao, Kobe, Gasol, Redd, Amare, or DeShawn Stevenson (ha!!!). http://www.realgm.com/src_freeagents/2010/
The list of free agents in 2010 is amazing, and any team would be plenty happy to get any of those guys. Howevaaaaaaaa there is only one truth and that is that Lebron James is leaving Cleveland. I can’t wait for them to be wrong about this and not own up to it at all. Worse than weathermen.
November 4th, 2008 at 9:17 am
@ Danny and WFNY
See thats why I think a Tally board or something would be nice. You mock the people who don’t realize the truth that Danny has (only one person knows where LeBron is going) while at the same time have some fun with it. Well, I would have fun with it at least….
November 4th, 2008 at 9:29 am
WE MUST GET ON THIS!!! We need a seperate WFNY page for this that can serve as a reference to call out every one of these pathetic “journalist’s day off” articles.
Every article should have a name of author, date, city LBJ is going to, reason, and quote from (likely anonymous) source.
If you google “Lebron leaving Cleveland” – there are 634,200 links as of today. I’m down to help w/ the research!
November 4th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Unfortonately for us, I think where there is smoke, there is fire. I don’t think this story would keep coming back if there wasn’t some truth to it.
My hope that this is part of some scheme by LeBron to put additional pressure on Cavs management.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
What i don’t understand is why it’s a different thing with each team…
Knicks – Bigger Market
Nets – Bigger Market + Jay-Z
Dallas – ??
LA – Bigger Market
Now it’s Detroit?! Detriot isn’t a huge market, and it’s a dying city, isn’t it? So why would he go there? Oh, yeah, because of the awesome GM that is Joe Dumars.
wow. maybe Oklahoma City should be in the running because LeBron could go to a new NBA city and rule the place…
or how about Toronto because he wants to go “International”
How about a WFNY post that lists every NBA team and the “reason” he would go there?
November 4th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Interesting idea Josh…
November 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I’ll help write it…
November 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I understand that he could possibly leave, but there is nothing I can do to change it. I, along with everyone here, should just enjoy him for the next 2 years and worry about it afterwards. There is no use discussing every article that comes out about it because all of our heads would explode and it would take away from what we have now.
It’s like they say about life- if you knew when you were going to die, the rest of your life would be meaningless and you would not be able to enjoy yourself. All you would be doing is thinking about death- the way life works now, you just live one day at a time (sound like Eric Wedge now), enjoy the moment, and don’t take tomorrow for granted. The same should be said for something like having the best basketball player on your team- just enjoy it now because there are 29 other fanbases that would love and appreciate having Lebron play for their team for one night, regardless of what he would decide the next day. We have him for 2 years!
November 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
If Lebron wanted to leave Cleveland, he would’ve done so two years ago. All the reasons people think he will leave Cleveland in two years applied two years ago, and he still chose to stay. So, why should anyone think he’ll change his mind?
November 4th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
[...] King James: Will LeBron and Chris Bosh sign with the Pistons? Cav fans hope not. [WaitingForNextYear] [...]
November 4th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
way to drag winslow’s name into a non-brown’s topic rick…didn’t realize he said he was the best athlete in cleveland…just saying
November 5th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Danny nailed it. Let’s just watch some basketball.