Debate in the Paint: New York Has LeBron's Name on It

Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a Debate in the Paint. This week, the topic is LeBron James and what he should do next summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

LeBron James is just 24 years old and already has an MVP award under his belt. He's been named All-NBA First Team three times and last year earned All-Defensive First Team honors.

James was the Rookie of the Year in 2003-04 and has two NBA All-Star Game MVPs on his resume. Just to show how far along James has come when it comes to NBA history, consider that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn't win their first MVPs until they were 28 years old, each.

Here's what we're getting to: It's time for LeBron James to sign with the Knicks.

That's really the only thing left for him. Forget about winning an NBA title. That will come. It might not necessarily be this season in Cleveland, but James will win a title. You know it and I know it. And if he goes to New York, it very well might happen sooner rather than later.

The one thing left for James is to sign with the New York Knicks, and then wait for another star and the role players to follow. It's the best thing he can do for himself, and it's the best thing he can do for the league.

Think about it, in the more than 60 years of NBA basketball, the greatest player in the game has never played in the greatest basketball city in the world – New York. James can be just that; the greatest player in the league in the NBA's biggest market and greatest NBA city.

The New York Knicks have a storied history: Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave Debusschere, Patrick Ewing, Earl Monroe to name a few. But the Knicks have never had the best player in the league on their team. Never. Not once.

They've never had a player who transcends the game, never had a Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, or even a Rick Barry, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West or Elgin Baylor. It's just never happened.

But it's time. James should leave Cleveland and go to New York. Simple as that. If James were to sign with the Knicks next offseason, it would only be a matter of time before he would find himself with an impressive supporting cast.

Players want to play with the James, and if he's playing in New York, all the better.

If James needed a true point, one would come. If James needed a power forward, there would be plenty knocking down the door. I'd like to see LeBron James go to New York for no other reason than to see who would tag along.

C'mon, we've seen Bird in Boston, Magic in L.A. and Jordan in Chicago. It's time for the next step: LeBron James in New York.

Admit it: You want to see it, too.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-08-2009 @ 5:39PM

5thStFreddie said...

Lebron is going to New York? They've never had the world's best player, so Lebron is going to up and give them one?? Now there is a genius bit of logic. This is the franchise that entrusted their future to the petulant, childish, clueless Isiah Thomas, and Lebron is going to dump his family, friends, and a franchise that is showing a commitment to winning for a dreadful franchise in hopes they might find someone to find some talent to help him accomplish the only thing he craves: true greatness in the form of multiple championships. Breathtaking. Did you notice how upset Lebron was when Orlando thumped them? He was inconsolable: does that sound like a guy willing to die in New York just because he'd be the best player they ever had? Phew. Let's look at this logically: if Cleveland fails to make the finals this year, Lebron will get antsy. He might, might sign a 2-3 year extention. Might. And then... when he does jump, if he does jump, it won't be New York. NEWSFLASH. Somewhere with a history of winning. Somewhere with a smart, smart front office. Somewhere where there is a big stage. And where will that be??? Let me see: Kobe Bryant is 31, and Kevin Garnett is 33. That makes Lebron 7 and 9 years younger than them. By the time those two are starting to fade, they'll dump some OLD players... Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, or Ron Artest and Derke Fisher (if they're still there)...and Lebron makes a SMART move and goes to a BIG franchise that knows how to win. Which one will it be??? The one that Dwayne Wayne doesn't jump to first. The only thing that takes Lebron to New York would be an act of sheer stupidity. New York hasn't been a serious basketball city since most of us got our first computers. If Lebron signs a three year extention, he's 27 when Kobe is 34 and KG is 36: if he hasn't won in Cleveland by then, look to him joining Kobe for a last hurrah or two, then teaming with a dominating Andrew Bynum and still-productive Pau Gasol to revitalize the Lakers. That, at least, makes some sense.

9-08-2009 @ 7:12PM

Matt Gilchrist said...

I have been a Knicks fan for thirty years, some of which has just been painful. I was (still am) Patrick Ewing's biggest fan, and it never escaped me that while there were some years that he was one of the top 3-5 players in the league, he was never the best, and in terms of winning a championship, I don't know that there was much more those teams in the 90's could've done....they came as close to winning for several years as you could ask, w/out winning it.

I like Lebron James, and I think he is the closest we've seen to Michael since Jordan in his prime. I gave up on saying "the next Michael Jordan" about when Grant Hill was young....there is no replacement. With that in mind, NY needs Lebron alot more than Lebron needs NY. I would love to see him play for the Knicks, and help them matter again. If he can turn around a team like Cleveland, he can help the Knicks. With that in mind, though, despite all the talk about him going to a big market, I think that it is him who will garner the spotlight, no matter where he goes. Chicago was not a great team before Jordan came, but he made them the hottest ticket in sports. His game brought him the endorsements and the attention....anywhere he went on Earth. I think that the Knicks are doing what they can to position themselves to go after LeBron, but I worry that they have no real Plan B to becoming relevant again, if he doesn't come. I do believe that if they can sign James, getting a side kick (ie: Chris Bosh) will be doable...maybe even for less than a max contract, but LeBron is the key, and any way that you twist it, if he comes, it will be on his terms, because that's what he wants, and not because he needs NY at all.

On a side note, you'd better believe it that David Stern and the NBA suits would LOVE to see him on Broadway, though.

9-08-2009 @ 9:41PM

shepardtrent said...

O come on Knicks fans.. Stop groveling. you look like idiots. Lebron will be a Cav for life...and I am afraid your team will be mediocre at best for the unforeseeable future

9-08-2009 @ 10:32PM

Giles said...

Yawn. For the same max salary, LeB J is going to freeze his earrings of in Manhatten, not let monokini almost unclad honeys in winter catch him in Cal, Texas, Florida, maybe even Arizona, even though his summer camp is now is San Diego, not Akron OR NYC? Puhlease, get REAL, for a change, media!

9-09-2009 @ 4:48AM

warrenmoonswife said...

He's going to win a title sooner rather than later in NY? How delusional are you? Wilson Chandler, Danilo Galinari and Jordan Hill are the only people that are on the team (Lee and Robinson can't be resigned and have cap for Lebron even). None of those guys are even near a blue-chip talent. And if they resign any of those guys they won't be able to afford a top player. Also, as fun as D'Antoni is he's never even made the finals. If Lebron does sign with the Knicks it will be a purely for the extra endorsements he'd hope to get and in my opinion a sad day for the NBA. If he wants multiple rings he needs to look at the Clippers, Thunder, Nets, or even the Twolves. At least those teams have something resembling a great young player.

9-09-2009 @ 5:40AM

That first comment was more of a rant and maybe you were forced to play devil's advocate and take the NY side but if these were your honest opinions I'm amazed people pay you to write, Mr. Steinmetz. If NY picks up the team options for Chandler (2.1m) and Gallinari (3.3m) they will be at about 27.3 million with the 2010-11 cap estimated anywhere from 50 to 54 million. That's without keeping David Lee or Nate Robinson (even though they have bird rights on those players they can't just sign two stars then go over the cap by resigning Lee and Robinson, it doesn't work that way under league rules). Lebron will sign for the max which is 30% of the cap for a player with 7 years experience so if they let Lee and Robinson go they would have about 8 to 11 million left after they sign Lebron. In a summer where a ton of other teams have cap room they won't be able to get another top talent for that money (meaning no Bosh or Wade). So, if he signs there the team would be Lebron James, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Jordan Hill, Tony Douglas, Jared Jeffries, Eddy Curry, and whoever they get with that 8 to 11 million in cap. That team is a major downgrade from Cleveland. If they were patient and saved that cap space they would probably be able to sign another max player in 2011 with Curry and Jeffries off the books but most superstars want to win now so it'd be a hard sell. New York should have used Lee or Robinson as a trade chip to dump the Curry or Jeffries contract so that they could have had the cap for 2 max players but it's too late for that now barring an unlikely sign and trade. But to summarize it makes no basketball sense for Lebron to go to NY, and also nobody outside of NY considers it to be the greatest basketball city in the world (why wouldn't it be Boston or LA where they actually win things?).

9-09-2009 @ 6:43AM

correction to my first post, apparently i was also talking nonsense, the clippers and thunder can't sign a max player if they pick up their obvious team options

9-10-2009 @ 1:12AM

S`okay, Mrs. Moon, the Clips could unload additional contract to make room for a run at LeB J, but wouldn`t likely help much if they did. Beyond sharing an arena with the Lakers, they have little to entice James with, unless maybe Blake has a FANTASTIC season. And OK City has NO chance at all, even if Durant continues to improve. Teams which have another all pro and an opeing a LeB J`s primary position have the best chance of luring him away, if he leaves, and as a nice bonus for him, those are all in the SunBelt. Houston, Orlando, L A Lakers, Miami, etc. Be amusing if James went to a market not in the top 30, or 36 if the NBA expands six teams, but it`ll be a big surprise if he goes somewhere even as small as Orlando, even though it is growing rapidly, much less OK City.

9-10-2009 @ 12:10AM

gbtax said...

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Yeah. Because the Knicks have such a great team and no cap space to sign another big name. Now, thats got to be attractive to lure Lebron to New York.

9-10-2009 @ 2:51AM

Giles, Lebron himself said his primary goal is to win multiple championships, if he wants to do that NY is not an option. Honestly Minnesota is one of the best options, they have a nice young nucleus and an opening at the 2-3. OKC is great too if they can maneuver to get under the cap (the fact that Lebron and Durant play the same position doesn't really matter but they would have to trade Green or Harden). I agree though he wants the good market too but don't forget the Cavs were considered a garbage franchise before they got him.

9-14-2009 @ 11:32PM

coelho said...

I am going to assume that the only reason you wrote this not very convincing article is that you were given the unenviable assignment of doing so. "The...only thing left for him?" He has got plenty left to do, and becoming the best player New York has ever had would be to easy. He will arguably be the best a team has had wherever he goes, or stays.