My opinion on “The Summer of LeBron” is that everyone is just guessing, so if they guess right they can say:
“I Told You So!”
I have a source who has told me it was a done deal from the beginning LeBron would be going to Chicago and I have another source that says it is a done deal he is going to the Knicks.
The point is … take all of these “exclusives” with a grain of salt. The latest is coming from Stephen A. Smith; here are the details:
During an interview on ESPN Radio in New York, Stephen A. Smith said sources have told him that James is now leaning toward signing with the Knicks and that this factor played a role in Tom Izzo turning down the Cavs’ head coaching job.
“LeBron didn’t speak to Izzo because he doesn’t want to have anything to do with who the next coach of the Cavs is going to be just in case he leaves,” Smith said.
“From what my sources tell me, he still hasn’t made a final decision but he’s higher on New York now than he was a month ago. And the reality is that he is leaning more towards New York than he is towards returning to Cleveland. Izzo knew this,” he said.
Smith suggests that the prospect of competing head to head with Michael Jordan’s legacy in Chicago is dampening James’ interest in the Bulls.
The one thing I can say for certain is that the bar has been set; if LeBron ever wants to be seen as one of the greatest players of all time, he just doesn’t have to win one title — he is going to have to win multiple titles.
While he is still relatively young, his game currently is based strictly off the physical. His special ability to pass will never go away, but you wonder as his physical skills erode if he will be able to develop an all-around game that will slow down his decline similar to what Kobe Bryant has done.
That is why it is critical that wherever he goes, he puts himself in a position to win championships.
Can he do that with the Knicks? You make the call.