Posted by crzymdups:

it's easy to spin things either way but anyone who thinks lebron is champing at the bit to stay in cleveland, oh for a team whose big off-season moves have been to get 45yr old shaquille o'neal and 52yr old anthony parker is spinning themselves a little, too.

you think lebron doesn't know that the cavs are the milwaukee bucks without him? you think he doesn't know that the knicks are automatically a top three team in the east with him? if he doesn't "know" it, he certainly believes it. he's lebron james - he's an arrogant, successful mega star and probably does believe that he can single-handedly turn around the knicks.

i believe he's got a greater chance of staying in cleveland because of the money on the table. but if you don't think that the knicks are an option on his radar for the summer of 2010, you are kidding yourselves.

if it's such a lock he's staying in cleveland, i'm sure he'll sign an extension to his deal any day now, right? he's eligible. let's see him sign it. show cleveland how much he loves the mistake by the lake and how he wants to be on a minor stage for the rest of his basketball life.

a 25yr old superstar wants no part of coming to the biggest city in the world and playing for one of the most storied franchises in one of the most famous buildings in basketball. right. okay. i'm sure he'll sign his extension to stay happily in cleveland tomorrow. i bet he's thrilled at the prospect of shaq's fat butt blocking his path to the hoop. i bet he's THRILLED. :rolls eyes:

Posted by GKFv2:

LeBron isn't 37 years old. Besides,f you remove Lebron from that current Cleveland team they win no more than 30 games. How is that any different than here? I don't think LeBron is coming but let's be frank here - the only reason the Cavs are title contenders is because of Lebron. If he leaves, right back to the lottery they go. the same thing goes for any lottery team. If Lebron joins your team, you will be in the playoffs at the very least.

Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

LeBron isn't 37 years old. Besides,f you remove Lebron from that current Cleveland team they win no more than 30 games. How is that any different than here? I don't think LeBron is coming but let's be frank here - the only reason the Cavs are title contenders is because of Lebron. If he leaves, right back to the lottery they go. the same thing goes for any lottery team. If Lebron joins your team, you will be in the playoffs at the very least.

The Cavs have a better roster then the Knicks even their best players can't get better then a mid-level contract what does that tell you about the talent level here.

I don't consider Lee and Nate our "best players" but that's besides the point. Their guys weren't free agents so we can't compare the situations. The only guy that was a FA for them was that clown Anderson Varejao who they ended up overpaying to keep. You really think Mo Williams is that much better than Nate Robinson? That someone like Anthony Parker or JJ Hickson is better than Chandler? Igaulskas? Daniel Gibson? No.

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

LeBron isn't 37 years old. Besides,f you remove Lebron from that current Cleveland team they win no more than 30 games. How is that any different than here? I don't think LeBron is coming but let's be frank here - the only reason the Cavs are title contenders is because of Lebron. If he leaves, right back to the lottery they go. the same thing goes for any lottery team. If Lebron joins your team, you will be in the playoffs at the very least.

The Cavs have a better roster then the Knicks even their best players can't get better then a mid-level contract what does that tell you about the talent level here.

I don't consider Lee and Nate our "best players" but that's besides the point. Their guys weren't free agents so we can't compare the situations. The only guy that was a FA for them was that clown Anderson Varejao who they ended up overpaying to keep. You really think Mo Williams is that much better than Nate Robinson? That someone like Anthony Parker or JJ Hickson is better than Chandler? Igaulskas? Daniel Gibson? No.

Yes and Yes! If Lee and Nate aren't a best players then who is? Chandler, Gallo, Larry Hughes, if this the case then the team is worse then I thought.

Posted by EwingsGlass:

Posted by BigC:

Posted by EwingsGlass:

I am with Martin on this. There are too many die hard fans of the NY teams with disposable income to think that there will not be a positive impact on his income through marketing deals, shoe sales, jersey sales and simple publicity. NY is the world capital. You are delusional if you think there is no effect. Is Nate Robinson, a sixth man on the Knicks, the 10th highest selling jersey if he isn't in NY? I don't think it is likely.

Nate winning the slam dunk contest at his height is the reason why his jersey sells. If Nate did not win that slam dunk contest I doubt that he would be number 10 in sales. Nate has personality plus game. Nate also knows how to market himself. If it was just about playing in New York then Charlie Ward jerseys would have been selling through the roof.

I don't agree that winning the dunk contest is the sole reason. There is still a NY element to his sales. Why is David Lee 14th overall then, if not for a single feat? What has he done this year and explain that without resorting to NY market demographics. He is "white" and averages a double-double? Troy Murphy is white and did that too.

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/kobe-tops-nba-jersey-sales-again/

Click the link and scroll down... the Knicks as a team overall are 3rd in jersey sales, next to the Lakers and Celtics. The Cleveland Lebrons are 4th. You are telling me that the NY Lebrons don't jump to first?

The Lakers, Celtics and Knicks each have at least two players in the top 15, but every player other than the Knicks players are all-stars. Explain that. In fact every player other than Derrick Rose that is in the top 15 are All-stars-- that is, except for the Knicks' players.

I think you are wrong.

NY has far more purchasing power than Cleveland. It is a fact. Lebron is still the 3rd most bought jersey, but if he were in NY he would sell more jerseys. He would sell more shoes. He would sell more tv ads. Its that simple.

Excellent post sir, can't argue with data.

Posted by McK1:

Posted by EwingsGlass:

Posted by McK1:

perhaps Lee's jersey sells because the nba focuses on marketing him. Allstar weekend his rookie and sophomore year...Team USA...The nba overseas program...

and none of these things have anything to do with being a Knick

[Edited by - McK1 on 07-20-2009 3:46 PM]

Come on, are you really denying that NY has something to do with it? I bet you can name at least 10 other players without really trying with the same NBA marketing pedigree as Lee (i.e. rookie-sophomore game, team USA alternate, overseas program who don't sell as many jerseys. Where is Paul Millsap? OJ Mayo? David Lee has more marketability than OJ Mayo? Lee and Robinson are the best players on the Knicks, so their jerseys sell better than say Duhon or Chandler. Buy, if Lee and Robinson are gone, you think Knicks fans are going to buy Paul Millsap jerseys? NY has a market that wants to buy jerseys. A superstar can step in and collect that reward solely by playing in NY.

are they marketed as much as Lee?

are they a part of the overseas program?

Lee was also on celebrity family fued and celebrity apprentice. the NBA pushes Lee.

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by GKFv2:

LeBron isn't 37 years old. Besides,f you remove Lebron from that current Cleveland team they win no more than 30 games. How is that any different than here? I don't think LeBron is coming but let's be frank here - the only reason the Cavs are title contenders is because of Lebron. If he leaves, right back to the lottery they go. the same thing goes for any lottery team. If Lebron joins your team, you will be in the playoffs at the very least.

The Cavs have a better roster then the Knicks even their best players can't get better then a mid-level contract what does that tell you about the talent level here.

I don't consider Lee and Nate our "best players" but that's besides the point. Their guys weren't free agents so we can't compare the situations. The only guy that was a FA for them was that clown Anderson Varejao who they ended up overpaying to keep. You really think Mo Williams is that much better than Nate Robinson? That someone like Anthony Parker or JJ Hickson is better than Chandler? Igaulskas? Daniel Gibson? No.

Yes and Yes! If Lee and Nate aren't a best players then who is? Chandler, Gallo, Larry Hughes, if this the case then the team is worse then I thought.

Yes and yes to what? You really think that roster without LeBron would be so good? give me some of what you're smoking.

Yes that Mo Williams is much better then Nate and the whole Clev supporting cast for that matter.