Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's second-worst nightmare is about to come true.The first, of course, would be LeBron James signing with the New York Knicks (or soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets) on Thursday, July 8, 2010 with Jay-Z's and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" blasting as LeBron puts pen to paper in a lavish Madison Square Garden ceremony.
The second may come to fruition Friday as the Cavs are in New York to take on the Knicks. That day, LeBron's favorite little-ballclub-that-could, those spunky New York Yankees, will be taking a ride through the Canyon of Heroes to thousands of adoring fans and thousands of pounds of ticker-tape and assorted paper products.
How is that a nightmare, especially, as the New York Post reports, if LeBron won't be at the procession?
If the Yankees stage their world championship parade Friday, a Cavaliers spokesman said noted Bronx Bombers fan LeBron James is not expected to attend the festivities, even though he will be in town to face the Knicks that night.While LeBron may not have a front row seat as the Yankees roll by on flatbeds, he will have a first-hand view as to how New York City treats its champions. (Quite well. Think any of the 1970 or '73 Knicks title teams need to pay for a meal in this town? Heck, they think Don Mattingly, who has similar numbers to Cecil Cooper, should be in the Hall of Fame.)
Getting a whiff of that smell of champions -- warm bubbly and cigar smoke -- can make any ring-envious superstar dizzy, and maybe it throws a scare into Gilbert and Cavs fans who rightfully fear losing LeBron like a toddler fears losing a security blanket.
But even if LeBron won't be at the parade, as Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer plainly dealt with the issue in this tweet, the Yankees will be on LeBron's mind ... and on his head.
"Don't have to be marketing wiz to predict LeBron wearing Yankees hat at MSG on Friday."
Two years ago, LeBron made a lot of Clevelanders angry (but not angry enough to not cheer for him during his MVP season) when he wore a Yankees cap to an Indians-Yankees ALDS game at Progressive Field.
It won't temper Cavs' fans paranoia either that it appears if some of the Yankees, including BFF (Best Friend Forever, not Biggest Friend Forever) CC Sabathia, should be gracing the Garden with their newly gilded presence and recently showered champagne shoulders. Not that it's unusual for the Yankees to show up at Cavs games.
In May, as the Yankees were in town to play the Indians, Sabathia and other Yankees such as Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera attended Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic. Then again, if LeBron comes to NYC in 2010, Sabathia won't need to go to Cleveland to see his buddy play.
The Post notes Sabathia has two Knicks season tickets.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Why would a class act like LeBron James work for a bunch of slugs like the New York Knicks? The Yankees title has nothing to do with it.
Wake up New York, it is time to take your meds. Is James going to become a pitcher with the New York Yankees? The New York Knicks are losers and has beens, the same number of wins for their entire franchise as Wilt Chamberlain had all by himself. Why would James leave his home state to freeze winters on a team with no all stars, the Yankees are the boys of summer, not winter, when he could sign with a Sun Belt not Rust Belt team with a couple all stars already like the Magic or the Lakers? Get real folks!
The Yanks buy their wins. There's a salary cap in the NBA - and rightfully so.
The Yanks have zero bearing on LeBron and the NBA.
I hope Lebron never goes to the Knicks. They're one of the worst teams in basketball. Eventually he'll win a title if he stays with the Cavs. Or maybe if he goes to Boston. I really wanted to see him win one. But if he goes to New York I hope he never even makes the playoffs again. He's got enough money already,, he doesn't need to go to an aweful team just so he can make a zillion dollars. The Knicks are a pathetic team who have the most money to spend. Obviously with the way their team is they spend it pretty stupidly.
the Knicks idea will never happen for obvious reason,
#1 Dantonio offensive DOES NOT win championships.
#2 Gilbert just won the Casiono bill in Ohio and Cleveland will quickly become a great midwest town again
#3 Chris Bosch is likely coming to cleveland and lebron will have a hard time not justifying staying
#4 $$$$$$ Lebron cannot make more money anywhere than he can in Cleveland. Gilbert will offer him a minority partnership in needed
#5 This IS home.
king james will be in a laker uniform next season...
I would like that to happen....but then we would
have to lose Kobe....!
look at the yankees on TV. Stern has to do something to get Le Bron to NY. The league is desperate with all the lousy teams . Just think of NY versus La in the finals and the TV ratings
I bet the other teams won't bid for him to get him to ny and the league back on track .
King James should go to the Chicago Bulls