If money is the root of all evil, there’s going to be a lot of bad karma in the NBA in a few days.
As July 1 looms near, the world of sports is buzzing with NBA free agency talk and swirling rumors of player loyalties and alleged tampering on the part of league executives.
Multiple players will garner maximum contracts this offseason, paying out one-year salaries of close to $20 million. Despite trying economic times, the only sure thing in the pursuit of talent is the huge money many free agents will be paid.
Unlike Major League Baseball, the NBA has a maximum salary players can make. This summer, that’s probably for the best.
If it came to a bidding war, LeBron James would not be an Ohioan much longer.
Thankfully, Cavaliers fans still have hope. LeBron won’t make less money in Cleveland than he will anywhere else. He will receive a maximum contract in any city with any team. Where LeBron ends up will depend on his motivations.
LeBron has spent seven years in Cleveland, and although he has perhaps cemented the title of “league’s best,” there is one title he has yet to obtain- an NBA title.
The blame has been passed from one party to the next, and there’s probably some credence to each accusation. Management failed to make the right moves. LeBron tanked in the playoffs.
The fact is, playing the blame game is futile. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for two 60-win seasons in two years, and two premature exits from the NBA playoffs over that same span. What matters now is where LeBron will be next season.
As a Cavaliers fan (and unfortunately, an Indians fan as well), I’ve felt the sting of close calls turned heartache. If LeBron leaves, former Browns owner Art Modell will breathe a sigh of relief. His moniker as most hated man in Cleveland sports will be passed along to a young basketball player once heralded as the savior of the city.
LeBron has a legacy to worry about. The “Akron Hammer” has always called Ohio his home. Cleveland fans have called LeBron their own. He is hope for the city and perhaps the only chance Cleveland will have at a title in the foreseeable future.
Fame or loyalty? That is the real question LeBron faces.
The appeal of cities like Chicago and New York has to be a lot to deal with. After all, LeBron is trying to build a dynasty, not just on the court, but off the court and away from the entertainment business. There is no denying the opportunities are greater from LeBron in bigger cities with better economies and brighter lights.
The lights haven’t gone out in Cleveland, though. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has always shown a willingness to cater to LeBron’s desires by dishing out money to bring in quality players. In the last three years, ex-General Manager Danny Ferry completely dismantled and reassembled Cleveland’s roster time and again to appease LeBron and demonstrate his faith in the face of the franchise.
It’s time for LeBron to put a little faith in his franchise.
It’s been a common theme in professional sports since the dawn of free agency. Contracts end and players move on to greener pastures. For LeBron, the grass could be greener on the other side-for now.
There are no certainties in sport. Good teams lose. Great teams lose. And great players lose. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, there is no guarantee he will win titles or solidify a positive legacy in the NBA.
The closest thing to a guarantee LeBron will get this summer is the love and admiration he will receive from Cavaliers fans if he stays in town. For a 25-year who has called Ohio his home his entire life, that should be more than enough.
I guess we’ll find out soon.