LeBron Thinking Twice In Signing A New Deal With Cleveland

[kevin02]

So this all started over lebron wearing a yankee's hat! If you watched Lebron's when he offically became MVP oof the leauge at his former HS in Akron. Mo Williams was wearing a yankees hat. Do you think Mo Williams is planning on going to New York? NO! The Yankees hat is simply a fashion statement. The only way a hat Lebron wears would mean anything to what team he play's for is if he was wearing a hat of another NBA basketball team.

[Andrew]

I don't think many would argue that. It wasn't the first time this has come up, merely the latest in a series of "The Yankees Hat means something!" speculative opinion columns.

[Sauru]

personally i think he should be fined for wearing a yankees hat. infact i think everyone who wears one should be fined. if you walk down the street with a yankees hat on i want a cop to stop you and give you a ticket for it. hell that cop should lay a beat down on ya also

[Hedonist]

Source: LeBron James tells recruit he'll stay with Cleveland Cavaliers - ESPN

The Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news followed by some potentially terrific news on Sunday. In a last-ditch effort to recruit Trevor Ariza away from the Houston Rockets, LeBron James told Ariza he would remain with the Cavaliers past 2010, according to a person close to Ariza.

Even that wasn't enough to get Ariza, who verbally committed to join the Rockets last Thursday, to change his mind and go to Cleveland.

But the Cavaliers will gladly settle for the consolation prize; if indeed James' statement to Ariza was more than an empty sales pitch.

"Trevor asked LeBron if he would be in Cleveland after next season," the source said.
"And LeBron said, 'I'll be there. Of course, I'll be there.'"

...

[benji]

And benji said, "He said that. Of course, he'd say that."

[The X]

Also from the linked article that I believe pertinent but Hedonist left out:

Ariza, who had accepted a five-year, $33.5 million offer from the Rockets last Thursday, also received telephone calls from James and Shaquille O'Neal. When James told Ariza he'd be a Cavalier past next season, Ariza was less than convinced.

"He thought it was just a recruiting tool," the source said. "LeBron definitely said it, but until he signs the contract it doesn't mean much."

[Hedonist]

I found it on another forum and the same piece was quoted. I skipped through the rest of the article but missed that.

[Andrew]

A little strange, all the same. If Ariza was concerned about going to a team that would be in position to contend for titles for a few years to come, the Rockets don't strike me as an ideal option.

[Sauru]

him going to the rockets shows me he wants to handle the ball alot more. why else go to a team that just lost its best player for who knows how long

[Andrew]

True, with Yao out indefinitely and McGrady out for at least the first couple of months he will have the opportunity to shine.

[Hedonist]

Source close to LeBron James denies ESPN report that he told Trevor Ariza he was staying with Cleveland Cavaliers

[The X]

Of course Lebron's going to deny it

[dopeboy]

He did already..

[Hedonist]

I wonder if he's going to deny this too...

Xavier's Crawford dunked on King James

AKRON, Ohio -- The word when I arrived at the LeBron James Skills Academy was that Monday's best highlight came in a pick-up game featuring the college players and James himself. According to the collection of NBA scouts and other folks here, Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunked on James pretty good. So I had to find out whether it was true.

"It happened, and it was bad," said Michael Gilchrist, the top player in the Class of 2011. "That was something to see."

Sorry I missed it.

Nike does not want you to see that dunk

AKRON, Ohio -- You want to see video of Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James?

If so, too bad.

Because you're not going to see it.

Thanks to Nike.

Turns out, there were at least two cameras rolling Monday night when Crawford dunked on James during a pick-up game here at the LeBron James Skills Academy. It was a two-handed jam, the kind that would've circulated quickly on YouTube. But Nike officials eliminated that possibility shortly after the dunk happened by allegedly confiscating tapes from various cameramen.

Freelance photographer Ryan Miller was one of the cameramen shooting the game.

He told CBSSports.com that Nike Basketball Senior Director Lynn Merritt took his tape.

"He just said, 'We have to take your tape,'" Miller said. "They took it from other guys, too."

Worth noting is that there is no policy against filming at the LeBron James Skills Academy, and Miller said he had been filming all day without incident. Nobody ever told him to stop. Nobody ever said there was a problem ... until after Crawford dunked on James.

"LeBron called Lynn over and told him something," Miller said. "That's how I knew his name was Lynn. LeBron said, 'Hey, Lynn. Come here.'"

Minutes later, Miller said Merritt demanded his tape.

"There's nothing I can think of besides LeBron just not wanting it online," Miller said. "It's a good story to tell people, I guess. But then again, I'm kind of pissed. I lost my tape."

[Stress Fracture]

Why does Nike don't want to show the video?

[Sauru]

why do people make such a big deal over getting dunked on? its worth 2 points just the same as a open dunk or hitting a mid range jumper. if you play basketball (seriously) for any extended period of time you will eventually get dunked on so who gives a shit

[The X]

why do people make such a big deal over getting dunked on? its worth 2 points just the same as a open dunk or hitting a mid range jumper. if you play basketball (seriously) for any extended period of time you will eventually get dunked on so who gives a shit

Agreed. Just keep on playing, grab ball, inbound it & keep playing as if they made a layup.

[Andrew]

I don't entirely disagree and I think what LeBron/Nike did there was ridiculous and unnecessary but I couldn't fault LeBron for feeling a bit humiliated. A dunk is an emphatic move and one could argue that to be dunked on is to be really shown up as a defender, as your opponent has gotten all the way to the hoop for the highest percentage shot in the game. That part I think is reasonable, as reasonable as getting riled by an opponent calmly swishing jumpers in your face but as you said, you keep playing. What's unreasonable is confiscating the tape.

[Hedonist]

why do people make such a big deal over getting dunked on? its worth 2 points just the same as a open dunk or hitting a mid range jumper. if you play basketball (seriously) for any extended period of time you will eventually get dunked on so who gives a shit

I guess because it was an 'unknown kid' that did it...

Apparently somebody did manage to get to a pic of it:

[Stress Fracture]

^ Good job on the editing.

[kevin02]

I know this topic is basicly dead right now but im going to try to start it back up. Before I say any of this i want to make sure everyone knows im a cavs fan and i don't want Lebron too leave. Ok im not sure who else heard this but in a interview Lebron made it seem like he wasn't sure he was going to be here. When Lebron recievied the MVP award he said im not aloud to say if im staying in cleveland but i will say im very happy here. After that i was sure he was going to stay. at first after the interview i thought he was just trying to negotiate and get new york's and maybe a few others teams hopes up so maybe they would offer him a bigger contract. But then Lebrons going to get a max contract no matter where he goes so there is no need to negotiate. I know i defended lebron about the yankees cap and if he leaves still don't think the yankees cap has anything to do with it. Overall though im am a little frusterated with the cavs. Even though the cavs have really improved after they were already one of the best team in the leauge it just doesn't feel like it did last year when we had great chemistry and were playing great. Although everything im saying could make no sense and i could just be saying this because im a little mad about lebron. I still don't think he'll leave but i do think its possible he will leave.

[Andrew]

LeBron's latest comment is that his loyalty is to Akron, though did mention that he loves Cleveland at the same time that he acknowledged that 2010 could take him "somewhere else." The speculation won't end anytime soon but as long as the Cavs remain in the thick of the title hunt, I like their chances of keeping him beyond this season.

[jettdaking!]

i hope LeBron should not re-sign with Cleveland. he should test the free agency market... it gives him more swag.

[Andrew]

Unless he leaves the Cavs for the Bulls - which I feel confident in saying he won't - I'd actually prefer to see him stay in Cleveland.

[Alpha_]

yeah ur right SIR...