Is Lebron Worth It?
Lebron James is a man and phenomenon all wrapped into one. He is the most buzz worthy and marketable basketball player since Michael Jordan. Lebron was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a senior in high school way back in 2002, and the hype machine has only been spun into greater motion since then. His impending free agency has been a topic of conversation since 2007, and now that it is finally almost here, it seems to have grown into THE sports story of the year. Most people wonder where he will and who will win the Lebron sweepstakes, but I feel like the big question is this: is he really worth it? No matter where he goes, he will have more money than most of us can ever dream of and that is just in his first season. “King James” can either stay with his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, for a maximum contract of six years and $125.5 million or sign with another team for a maximum contract of five years and $96.1 million which is a salary drop that I would love to be able to contemplate. Lebron is no longer just a basketball player, but he is also an enterprise. Bringing him into your team seems like a no-brainer, but as with many things in life, there are plusses and minuses to inking Lebron to a contract this summer.
There are many benefits to signing Lebron James to any team this summer. The most obvious benefit will be the instant notoriety and financial boost that will come to the team that puts his name on the dotted line. Lebron James sells tickets and clothing apparel. He fills seats in arenas which puts money in owners’ pockets which is something that any NBA owner will think of. The financial gain cannot be overlooked. He practically single handedly saved the basketball for Cleveland. He brings instant credibility as a basketball superstar that is known around the country and various parts of the world. He is also a two time MVP that is still at the early part of the prime of his career. He has proven to be one of the top two players in the NBA and has proven himself as a regular season winner. Lebron James fills seats in arenas which puts money in owners’ pockets which is something that any NBA owner will think of. He has a lot of fun and makes the game fun for his teammates. He definitely brings a lot to the table.
Although signing Lebron seems to be as easy a decision as whether or not to breathe, once you look into the situation, one has to see some of the potential downsides to adding him into their organization. I intentionally use the word organization because his signing will be different than most other player signings. It would appear that he is not just the average employee and that he wants more control than any other player has been able to have in the modern NBA era. Teams are juggling coaches and front offices just for the sake of making their situation more comfortable for him. Coaches that employ the same agent as him are having their names thrown around and hired in some places. Winning does not seem to be the main selling point for teams looking to bring him in. Along with all this, teams will also have to host Lebron’s entourage. He has many friends that travel from city to city with him and were always allowed to be with the team during his career in Cleveland. You can bet that he is not willing to change this practice whether he stays in Cleveland or takes his show somewhere else. Dealing with that and possibly employing some of these friends will have to be part of the Lebron James package. Any team will have realize that they are investing all of this time, effort, money and privilege for someone that has not truly won anything on the team level as a professional yet. He has been to the NBA Finals one time and was easily swept. Over the last two seasons, his teams have gone into the playoffs as favorites and found themselves going home early and disappointed. If you put all of your eggs in the Lebron basket, you may fall short of the ultimate team goal. He has not achieved true closer status, and he has yet to pull a team to the promised land based on his will or determination. The expectations will probably be beyond realistic for any team that signs Lebron hoping that he can do it on his own.
Although I find Lebron to be a rare talent, I am not sure if he will truly ever be worth everything that we will be hearing and seeing about him over the next couple of months. He is great and has made the game fun for most of the guys that he plays with. He is at times the quintessential teammate. This is sometimes his greatest strength and weakness. He doesn’t seem to have that extra edge that is required to lead a team to greatness. He hasn’t found a way to motivate his teammates to play above themselves. One thing that is certain thus far, he cannot do it alone. If you want him, you better sign some back up for him as well.
There are many benefits to signing Lebron James to any team this summer. The most obvious benefit will be the instant notoriety and financial boost that will come to the team that puts his name on the dotted line. Lebron James sells tickets and clothing apparel. He fills seats in arenas which puts money in owners’ pockets which is something that any NBA owner will think of. The financial gain cannot be overlooked. He practically single handedly saved the basketball for Cleveland. He brings instant credibility as a basketball superstar that is known around the country and various parts of the world. He is also a two time MVP that is still at the early part of the prime of his career. He has proven to be one of the top two players in the NBA and has proven himself as a regular season winner. Lebron James fills seats in arenas which puts money in owners’ pockets which is something that any NBA owner will think of. He has a lot of fun and makes the game fun for his teammates. He definitely brings a lot to the table.
Although signing Lebron seems to be as easy a decision as whether or not to breathe, once you look into the situation, one has to see some of the potential downsides to adding him into their organization. I intentionally use the word organization because his signing will be different than most other player signings. It would appear that he is not just the average employee and that he wants more control than any other player has been able to have in the modern NBA era. Teams are juggling coaches and front offices just for the sake of making their situation more comfortable for him. Coaches that employ the same agent as him are having their names thrown around and hired in some places. Winning does not seem to be the main selling point for teams looking to bring him in. Along with all this, teams will also have to host Lebron’s entourage. He has many friends that travel from city to city with him and were always allowed to be with the team during his career in Cleveland. You can bet that he is not willing to change this practice whether he stays in Cleveland or takes his show somewhere else. Dealing with that and possibly employing some of these friends will have to be part of the Lebron James package. Any team will have realize that they are investing all of this time, effort, money and privilege for someone that has not truly won anything on the team level as a professional yet. He has been to the NBA Finals one time and was easily swept. Over the last two seasons, his teams have gone into the playoffs as favorites and found themselves going home early and disappointed. If you put all of your eggs in the Lebron basket, you may fall short of the ultimate team goal. He has not achieved true closer status, and he has yet to pull a team to the promised land based on his will or determination. The expectations will probably be beyond realistic for any team that signs Lebron hoping that he can do it on his own.
Although I find Lebron to be a rare talent, I am not sure if he will truly ever be worth everything that we will be hearing and seeing about him over the next couple of months. He is great and has made the game fun for most of the guys that he plays with. He is at times the quintessential teammate. This is sometimes his greatest strength and weakness. He doesn’t seem to have that extra edge that is required to lead a team to greatness. He hasn’t found a way to motivate his teammates to play above themselves. One thing that is certain thus far, he cannot do it alone. If you want him, you better sign some back up for him as well.
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