WAITING ON LEBRON

Everybody loves Lebron James. Well, probably everybody except diehard Kobe Bryant fans. For the most part, what’s not to love? He is a once-in-a-lifetime athletic specimen. He has the body of a tank with the speed of a corvette. He’s like some rare genetic combination of Karl Malone and Allen Iverson. Simply put, athletically speaking, he’s ridiculous. His outside shot is improving right before our eyes and it seems he can do everything except one thing: sign the contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Why is this Lebron? A couple of years ago when James, along with the Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade, signed an extension for fewer years than what is allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, it seemed like a great move. At that point, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a middle of the pack Eastern Conference team, and they seemed either unable or unwilling to put the pieces around James that would bring a championship to Cleveland.

Fast forward to 2009. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the three teams, along with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, that are considered favorites to win the NBA championship. The front office have stepped their game up by resigning Anderson Varejao and trading for Mo Williams, who blossomed into an All-Star along side Lebron.

So what’s the problem now Lebron? There seem to be four major factors that an athlete considers when deciding which team to play for: salary, the ability to contend for a championship, location, and endorsement money. The NBA salary structure already guarantees that no team can offer Lebron a contract that is close to what the Cavaliers can as far as salary and the amount of years are concerned. As stated earlier, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the league and a favorite to win the NBA Championship. As far as location goes: the man is playing in his home state, mere miles away from where he grew up. Conventional wisdom used to tell us that Lebron should be in a major market to maximize his endorsement potential. Because L.A. doesn’t seem likely because of Kobe Bryant, it is assumed that New York would be his destination. However, it has been proven that with the emergence of the world wide web, and an overall shrinking of the global community, Lebron can command just as many endorsements if he plays in Cleveland and simply handles his business in New York.

So why is Lebron refusing to sign an extension at this point? Hip-hop icon Nas has a song on his 2001 album, Stillmatic, entitled “2nd Childhood,” where he breaks down the lives of various people in their twenties and early thirties who still want to re-live their days as a teenager, and refuse to grow up. Why do I bring this up? Maybe Lebron James is in his second childhood. Maybe he doesn’t want to leave Cleveland at all. Maybe he’s not even considering it. Maybe he just wants that old high school feeling of being recruited. Remember the game in New York against the Knicks where the fans openly displayed signs, chanted, and virtually begged him to come to New York. Well, that’s ten times better than some college coaches begging you to come to their school and put off going pro. Maybe he wants to show up at the start of free agency on July 1, 2010, flash a big smile, hold up a #23 Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and say, “I’m re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers!”

The question is do we really need that? Better yet, Lebron, do you really need that? Lebron James wants to be a legend in the same way that the greats that came before him are legends. Not only in the sense of amazing athletic achievements, but also doing it with the class. Well Lebron, you are well on your way and here’s how you can continue: don’t make the people wait another year. After the 2009 season is complete, whether you win the championship or not, do yourself and every basketball fan in the world (outside of New York) a favor. Sign the damn contract.

Bohannon Deshannon