If LeBron James can make his “announcement” in 10 minutes, why does he need an hour of prime time television?
Call it ego, hubris, or ESPN attempting to take advantage of its breathless, unceasing coverage of almost every move James has made in the last week, there is a press conference scheduled to air on ESPN at 9 PM tonight for the expressed purpose to give James a platform to announce which team he will play with for the next few seasons. The speculation has run rampant ever since James’ season ended with a conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics. Several suitors have lined up with presentations and wallet in hand, with ordinary citizens and politicians getting in on the fun by “wooing” James to their city’s team. All of the hoopla reaches a crescendo tonight when James announces his plans.
So, where will he go? To Miami, to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh? Or Chicago, which landed Carlos Boozer and has a young core that promises to get better? To New York, where Amare Stoudemire awaits and James can run the town if he brings the Knicks a championship? Or will he stay in Cleveland, to finish what he’s started there and keep the Cavaliers on the cusp of a sports title the city of Cleveland has long craved? Depending on the hour, or the minute (so ESPN would have you believe) any one of those or a couple other places (New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets or LA Clippers anyone) has been mentioned or linked as a destination. If you like reading the tea leaves based on the press conference being held in Greenwich, Connecticut, you would be thinking the Knicks, since New York is the closest city.
So how will the “event” go down? Will it be like signing day for college football recruits, another one-time non-event ESPN has turned into a spectacle? Can’t you just picture James with caps from all the teams wooing him on a table, and him having to pick one to show his choice? Will James take questions for 50 minutes from the press? What other surprises are in store to fill up one hour of television to find out a decision that usually gets announced in the sports ticker ESPN runs around the clock? I may protest, but I’ll probably be in front of the set to find out the outcome. The NBA is probably loving every minute of it, as it is getting more buzz and news in a part of the year where it usually lay dormant.
If you have a guess as to where LeBron goes or have some comment on the upcoming spectacle, leave it in the comments.
