Five Reasons LeBron Should Bolt for New York

Even though I was born and raised in Ohio, I've never been a huge Cavs fan. Even before I moved to Chicago, I've been a Bulls diehard. I grew up tuning in to WGN to see Michael, Scottie, and the gang, and fell in love with that franchise. And in later years, I earned my Bulls fanhood by rooting for them after those great teams were split up (even during those ugly Tim Floyd seasons). So it hurts me a little to root for LeBron James, a hometown superstar, to sign with another team, and abandon the only good pro team we have in Ohio. Let alone for the Knicks, one of the Bulls' biggest rivals in the early and mid 90s. But what's best for LeBron is that he take the money and run...to New York in 2010...to play for the Knicks. Here are five reasons why:

1. Money ("Straight Cash Homey"):
Forget about the max contract. That's peanuts. LeBron has made it no secret that he wants to be the first billionaire athlete. If anyone has the talent, charisma, and business savvy, it's King James. New York is the unofficial capital of the world and will boost LBJ's visibility for endorsements, his own clothing line (ala MJ), music label, or whatever else he wanted to launch. Can't you see a billboard the size of the Statue of Liberty in Times Square that reads "We are Witnesses"? Better yet, maybe they just replace the old iron lady with a Statue of LeBron...with a swoosh logo prominently displayed, of course. I'm of the opinion that if LeBron is to be bigger than Tiger and MJ, he has to take the next step, and New York will give him that pedestal. Plus, Nike kicks in a bonus to all its endorsers who play in major markets (NY, LA, Chicago).

2. Championships:
In 2010, the Knicks will have only a few players under contract (unless they chose to extend David Lee and Nate Robinson) and will be likely be the team with the most cap flexibility. That should allow them to sign James and another big name from an outlandishly deep free agent class, like Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, or Dwayne Wade. And since they have Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines running his trademark "seven seconds or less" offense, they might be able to nab two-time MVP Steve Nash at a veterans minimum contract. A lineup with a 26-year-old James, a young Chris Bosh, a Stockton-like Nash running the offense that made him an MVP (who would likely still be in excellent shape at 36), and a handful of shooters and role players would make the Knicks instant title/dynasty contenders.

3. The League/The Franchise:
With LeBron in the Big Apple, Kobe and the Lakers forming a new dynasty in L.A., and if Chicago is able to nab hometown hero, Dwayne Wade, three of the leagues storied franchises in the three biggest U.S. markets will be back at the top. Not that the league is hurting right now--the NBA, with an influx of young, likable superstars in the last few years, is thriving. But revitalizing a New York market so hungry for a winning team would cause a spark that could help the NBA to gain some ground on the NFL (which is absolutely owning the American sports-watching male right now). And speaking of the New York market, even though New Yorkers have the reputation as jerks with no manners, and even though they were spoiled in the with the success of the Yankees, and even though they won a Super Bowl last year and are on track to repeat with the Giants, the city has always been a basketball town. And no city, not even New York, deserves to have a beloved franchise like the Knicks run into the ground by an incompetent idiot like Isaiah Thomas. The Thomas era was painful to watch as an outsider (even though it provided a lot of humor), but I can't imagine what it was like as a Knicks fan. It's amazing that Spike Lee didn't kill himself. It's even more amazing that he still attended games.

4. The City:
Every King needs his throne. What greater throne than Madison Square Garden, the world's capital of basketball, the world's most famous arena? And what better city than the "Greatest City on Earth" to display the "Greatest Show on Earth"? Only New York could make above average talent like Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, and Joe Namath into monster superstars. Just imagine what it'll do when it gets ahold of someone of LBJ's eliteness.

5. Destiny:
A small math equation that explains this better: Peanut Butter + Jelly = The Chosen One + New York. Simply put, he will be bigger than Kobe. Bigger than Tiger. Bigger than Jordan.

Look for 23 in orange and blue in 2010.