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April 17, 2010

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Home » Sports » Basketball

LeBron uncertainty clouds Cavs series

Source: Agencies | April 17, 2010, Saturday | Print Edition

CLEVELAND Cavaliers open its first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls under a cloud of uncertainty about whether LeBron James will jump teams if it cannot clinch the franchise's first title.

James is one of a number of high-profile players who could opt for free agency this summer, and anything short of a trip to the finals should weigh heavily on whether the six-time All-Star is wearing a new uniform next season.

For years a hot topic around the league and in sports pages has been what team the forward will play for next season as he heads a list of possible free agents that include Miami's Dwyane Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh.

"For LeBron James, taking an early exit from the playoffs with Cleveland might really seal his fate there," said Robert Boland, professor of sports management at New York University said.

"They can offer the most money but if they are not going to be able to be the team that can create a champion for him then he probably will think that the bigger stage and marketing opportunities will be more lucrative elsewhere."

Since entering the NBA in 2003 as Cleveland's first overall draft pick, James has done just about all he can except win a championship. He was voted top rookie, won a scoring title, MVP honors and was a captain on the US basketball team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2008.

"King James" is 25 years old, in his seventh season and could finally complete his resume as the Cavaliers enter the playoffs as the top seed for the second straight year. But some support a view that winning a championship with the Cavaliers could actually convince James, born just outside Cleveland in Akron, Ohio, to seek new surroundings.

"Even though it's not likely he is going to leave, the likelier scenario is if he wins a championship," Marc Ganis, president of sports consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd, said.

"Because then he can say he left a winner and left his community a championship team."

The New York Knicks, a team fresh off its third straight season with at least 50 losses, has been clearing salary space ahead of the expected star-studded class of free agents and are considered to be James's biggest pursuer.

But given the NBA's salary structure, the Cavaliers are allowed to pay James more money than any other team. That could mean James may have to pick between the bright lights of New York City or sticking with an established team.

"In this era of globalization of sponsorships I think it's pretty much a fallacy to assume that he will go to a market that would maximize his sponsor appeal," Rick Horrow, a sports lecturer at Harvard Law School, said.

"LeBron James is a global icon and I don't think it's a matter of whether he is headquartered in New York, Cleveland or otherwise to maximize his global corporate revenue."
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