Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen is a regular columnist for thehoopdoctors.com, Bleacherreport.com, UpperDeckblog.com, and his own site, Hoops Haven.
When it comes to something as big as the impending free agency next Summer of Lebron James, as the game’s most exciting player, it seems that everyone from fans, to announcers, to former players have an opinion. Since virtually everyone loves and respects Ervin “Magic” Johnson, why not get his opinion on where Lebron might wind up. Lebron should value Johnson’s opinion since he greatly influenced Alex Rodriguez’s decision to join the Yankees a few seasons ago, and is among the NBA’s most prudent and successful businessmen.
On a recent trip to NYC recently, Johnson revealed that he believes that the NY Knicks would be the ideal stop for the NBA’s most marketable star. But he also thinks that the Knicks will have to sign another marquee free agent like Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, or Yao Ming prior to trying to woo “The King” to play his home games at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. He feels that the motivating factor in where James winds up will be determined by which team is the closest to winning a title. With both the NJ Nets and the Knicks rosters so barren of talent, either team would have to bring in additional players besides James to turn around their fortunes in 2010.
Johnson also stated that although James and Dwayne Wade have expressed interest in playing together, it just wouldn’t be a good fit since both players dominate the ball so much in games. That is why a more of a supporting player like Stoudemire or Ming, if healthy, would equate to more wins in a shorter period of time.
Essentially the move will come down to what drives Lebron the most. If it is winning, he may ultimately decide to stay in Cleveland which to this point has the best talent around him. If he wants to become a savior to a franchise or become one of the most wealthiest players on the planet, there is no better place than in New York. The endorsement deals alone would push his net worth through the stratosphere. If he could somehow help turn the Knicks into a contender, he would join Willis Reed and Patrick Ewing in NYC legendary status.
For those of you who have grown tired of seeing or hearing about where Lebron will play, wait until after the season, it’s about to get worse.
