There have been discussions of it for years. It’s slowly been increasing; a major article here, a random rumor there. But now, with July and the free agency period just four months away, we’ve finally come to it.
Everyone and their momma has an idea on what LeBron’s going to do.
Now, to be clear, I think fan speculation is great. I’ve waxed on elsewhere about the opportunity that the Nets offer him (a blank slate in a new part of the biggest city with a ‘pick-your-coach-and roster’ in short). And I think for people to say “Don’t talk about it because we don’t know” is ridiculous. It’s fun for the fans, and there’s simply no way to avoid talk about arguably the biggest free agent signing in the history of sports. So it’s going to be talked about.
That said, you also need to steel yourself against the now increasing flood of reports of sources claiming to know exactly what LeBron will do.
First we had Roland Lazenby’s talk of LeBron headed to Hollywood. Now we have the New York Post speculating that LeBron is considering a three-year deal instead of a long-term one, and they go on to speculate that New Jersey is clearly out of contention, given their uncertain status. This despite the fact that all prior legal hurdles have been cleared for the arena in Brooklyn, the high likelihood of the new owner being approved, and the massive ability for the Nets to improve quickly, which quite frankly, dwarfs that of the Knicks. But there I go again, speculating.
Speculation is fine, if baseless. What’s important is to remember that no one knows what LeBron’s going to do. There is no inside track. It’s too big of a decision, from a management team that knows the best thing about the decision is the increased attention it garners his brand. He very well could sign a three-year deal as the Post suggests, giving him the power to do all of this over again in three years. Or he could realize that this is an enormous opportunity given the fact that the league’s CBA will be restructured next year and could leave him with a significantly smaller contract in three years.
Tracy McGrady, who I jokingly referred to as ‘delusional’ (boy did that piss off some Knicks fans) a few days ago, actually had the best perspective on this. No one knows, not even James’ inner circle.
It’s fun to think about, to talk about, to debate. But keep a guarded eye up in regards to ‘inside reports.’
