But with James having an opt-out clause this offseason, would he join the New York Knicks, to play with Anthony?
Here I go again. I think I've made over a hundred LeBron-to-Knicks posts, through the years. Although this time, with James being 31-year-old, this offseason will be the last chance for the Knicks to sign him.
Ever since James went back to Cleveland, I felt he'd never leave. Once he went back, I felt he'd never leave again. And I still feel that way. I'm not fully sold that he'd cut out and break the Cav fans heart again. But some feel he'll leave again. Some NBA analysts feel that way; even some off my own family relatives feel he'll leave again.
But if he does, I believe there's only one place he'll go to. That's to the New York Knicks.
And I'm not just saying this because I diehard Knick fan (or maybe I am), but James knows the Knicks are the best and only place left in the eastern conference that has enough stars for him to play with, enough for a city like New York where players will come to and a place that will build his brand to the highest stakes if he ever won.
James can opt out and go to the Los Angeles Clippers or Lakers; no question. If he won with the Clippers, it would be big, but not as big as winning with the Knicks. And if he won with the Lakers it'd be very big, but he'd wouldn't be able to top what Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant has already done for that franchise.
Also, he's not going to the west coast where it's even more difficult to win. If James does go to the west coast, it's just so he can kick up his feet, relax and finish his career under the sun.
Next season will most likely be the last for Phil Jackson as Knicks president. He'll have an opt-out on his contract in 2017. This is the offseason where he has to put up a championship team; not a eighth or seventh seed team, he's gotta put up a title contender right away and that's not something you do over night.
So how would Jackson build a championship contending team in one offseason? Sign LeBron.
Jackson has other, great free agent options like Kevin Durant; or pieces that would help win around Melo. But I ask this: Does Durant and other free agents like Mike Conley, wanna play with Melo. With James, we know he'd love to play with him, and his passing ability fits perfectly for Melo's game.
Not only James would be playing with Melo in New York, he'll be playing with an athletic, seven-foot, 20-year-old Kristaps Porzingis. Imagine James and Porzingis together. Then you gotta stop Melo in the back court. Good luck with that, if that ever came to reality. That would be unstoppable.
It would be perfect. Melo gets his ring, Jackson leaves knowing he helped get the Knicks a ring, James builds his brand higher in New York City and most importantly Porzingis will have a ring early in his career and will have no pressure being the Knicks face in the future after Melo and James are gone.
Here's another aspect. It has to do with LeBron's brand. Not just his brand, I'm also talking about the brand that's paying him -- Nike.
Right now, Nike is competing with Adidas, and Adidas has the hottest celebrity as their face, in rapper Kanye West. Nike's biggest star is LeBron. They need to enhance him bring to back their popularity or compete in the level Adidas is in. Because let's face it, Kanye's Yeezys are being worn across the world; they are the Air Jordans of this generation. Nike doesn't have anything to compete against Yeezys.
But if James wins a ring with the Knicks, with Porzingis being a loved by young Knick fans who buy his jersey, Nike can really compete against Adidas. Not to mention that the Knicks are well known across the world. Every time the Knicks are on the road, they're Knick fans in that city. If Nike can have their biggest name since Michael Jordan to go to the Knicks and win a championship, James' sneaker line could become as popular as Air Jordan.
I'm telling right now. If LeBron James opts and WANTS to leave Cleveland, he's coming to the Knicks.
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