Thursday, July 8

There has never been anything in sports quite like the Lebron James Sweepstakes which will end tonight with one winner and many losers.

The easy thing to say is that the entire affair has been a bunch of overblown hype typical of the times we live in and normally I would be in the group that feels that way. However this is a story deserving of all the time and attention….well at least most of it, because it will determine the future of several teams, fans and even cities.

James was drafted by Cleveland right out of high school following a season in which the Cavaliers won 17 games and lost 65 while averaging 11,500 fans per game. The very next season, James’ first in the NBA, Cleveland more than doubled its win total to 35 and increased its attendance to over 18,000 fans per game. Every year since the Cavs have been a championship contender, they sell out nearly every game with more than 20,000 fans, and
Businesses around the Quicken Loans Arena have prospered. With apologies to Drew Carey it’s Lebron James who has made Cleveland rock.

So now at age 25 and in the prime of his career James has a chance to stay in Cleveland or head to several teams who overnight would not only become championship contenders but the hottest ticket in town. Reports this morning indicate he is likely headed to Miami to join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh…the trio would make South Beach hotter than hot.

Of course fans of both the Knicks and Nets are holding their breath and hoping that James might be headed in their direction. He would instantly resurrect pro basketball at Madison Square Garden and make Knicks games the greatest show on Broadway. As for the Nets, he would give the franchise something it really hasn’t had since Dr. J and of course would get to open a new arena in Brooklyn.

Bottom line here is James is a franchise-maker and his announcement tonight will have an impact for years to come…a positive one on the team he chooses and a negative one on the cities who miss out.