What Now, LeBron?

Going into this year, I was 100 percent confident that LeBron James was going to remain a Cavalier when his contract ended at the conclusion of the season. There were a few reasons why, namely the Cavs are a very good team, they're willing to do just about anything to make him happy, he's a hometown boy, and the other teams that have been said to be interested in him (i.e. the Knicks) really suck. It just made sense.

Also, there's one thing that needs to be made very clear: LeBron James doesn't need to go to a bigger market to become a bigger star. LeBron IS the market. In this day and age of branding and sponsorships, LeBron is everywhere. Here's a list of brands that LeBron is partnered with just off the top of my head: Nike, Vitamin Water, State Farm, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola. Money ain't a thang. Neither is LeBron's level of exposure. So what's the only thing left for LeBron? Winning championships. And at the end of the regular season, it seemed as though Cleveland was the most logical place for that to happen.

Fast forward to the end of Game 5 of the Cavs-Celtics series and suddenly what seemed like a sure thing is now anything but. After the Celtics humiliated the Cavs in Cleveland and took the 3-2 series lead heading back to Boston, we suddenly now have to wonder if this really is the end of the road for LeBron in Cleveland. There's pretty much only one sure-fire way to ensure that LeBron stays in a Cavs uniform: winning a championship this year. Instead, the Cavs find themselves on the brink yet again.

The problem with the Cavs becomes very evident if you watch them play in a close playoff game: they basically try to let LeBron do everything. Okay, sure, it makes sense. He's the best player in the league, so why not? But everyone else on the team is scared to make plays.

Here's a scenario for you: let's say you're Jamario Moon. There's less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the shot clock is winding down, and somehow you've ended up with the ball in your hands. You're a decent shooter and if you pull the trigger right now, you'll get a pretty good look at the hoop. But the crowd is waiting for you to pass it to LeBron. Mike Brown is waiting for you to pass it to LeBron. Your teammates are waiting for you to pass it to LeBron. The other team is waiting for you to pass it to LeBron. LEBRON is waiting for you to pass it to LeBron. And in your head, this thought goes through your mind: "If I make this shot, I could be a hero. But if I miss it, everyone in this building is going to kill me because I didn't pass it to LeBron and give him the opportunity to win the game." So what do you do? Well, you're sure as hell not taking that shot. And you're even more sure as hell passing it to LeBron, who is then promptly triple teamed, forced to take a fall-away three pointer as the shot clock runs out, which bricks off the back iron.

Bottom line: No one else on the Cavs is a no-doubt-about-it star anymore, which means no one else has the confidence to take the ball in their own hands in crunch time. This also means that opponents basically know what's coming every single possession: LeBron. Look at the rest of the guys on the Cavs roster: Shaq? Way past his prime. Antawn Jamison? Please. Mo Williams? Way too inconsistent. At this point, he's probably better known for being a John Legend look alike. In fact, if you saw him walk down the street, would you think, "Hey! It's Mo Williams!" Or would you think, "Hey! It's John Legend!" I can't lie. I'd probably think it's John Legend. And when you're the after thought in the celebrity look alike department, that should tell you all you really need to know about your level of renown.

Anyway, LeBron is quickly learning the importance of a good sidekick. If nothing else, they're at least someone who the defense has to think about and probably double team every now and then. Look at other championship teams: Kobe/Gasol, Garnett/Pierce/Allen, Duncan/Parker/Ginobli, D-Wade/Shaq, Kobe/Shaq, Jordan/Pippen. Whose name is possibly going to be teamed up with LeBron's? No one who's on the Cavs' roster right now.

And that brings us to the all-important question: where does LeBron go? Well, you can't throw Cleveland out of the discussion, but you have to say that it's probably 50-50 he stays now. I highly doubt he's going to New York because they suck, remember? I don't think Miami is the place either because they have some things they need to get figured out there too, namely keeping their own star from jumping ship. The Clippers have also been thrown out there as a possible destination. Excuse me while I keep laughing. So that leaves one place: Chicago. This is a young, talented team that's on the rise and they have the cap space to sign LeBron. They're one or two moves away from becoming a REALLY good team. Plus, it's a legendary basketball city. Now I know some people might think that LeBron wants to carve out his own legacy and doesn't want to be in the shadow of MJ, but the Bulls can spin it this way: LeBron would be known for revitalizing Chicago basketball, much like the Big Three did in Boston. And the more I think about it, the more I think that it would be a really good fit. LeBron would have his fellow star and top-tier point guard in Derrick Rose, he'd have a guy willing to go all-out every game in Joakim Noah, and he'd have good role players in guys like Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. It could really be something fun to watch. Stay tuned...

On a side note, can you believe they way Rajon Rondo's been playing?? People may not want to say it because the Big Three are still in Boston, but he is absolutely the best player on the Celtics. I loved him when he was at Kentucky and now he's evolved into one of the best point guards in the league (My top PG rankings: 1. Steve Nash 2. Chris Paul 3. Rondo 4. Deron Williams). I had him on my fantasy team this year and I made him basically the second most untradeable guy on my team next to Kevin Durant. A lot of guys in the league couldn't understand why... but now everyone understands. I sure showed them. Of course, I didn't come close to winning the league, but that's just a minor detail...