The King Will Come Forth and Speak to the People

According to reports, Lebron James--yes, the King--will make his announcement of which team he has chosen on Thursday, July 8th at 9:00 PM on ESPN.

Get your popcorn ready...I wouldn't splurge on champagne, New York. Maybe save that money for something more worthwhile.

The Prokhorov Files: Mikhail Prokhorov's Plan

Chris Broussard from ESPN posted a very interesting article presenting some notes from a Nets' board meeting after their free agent tour. The article notes many of Mikhail Prokhorov's beliefs, visions and reactions to the present and future of the New Jersey Nets.

Personally, I think Prokhorov leaked these notes to the press himself to continue to lure free agents with his gusto and global dreams.

It's an interesting read, though, whether you are a Nets fan or not.

Spoiler: Prokhorov thinks the Nets will get LeBron.

Who Made More Impressive Pitch to LeBron? Knicks or Nets?

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard's twitter account, the Nets have made the most impressive pitch to LeBron James going into today.


I'm not really sure how much that means or if it is even true, but it is worth noting, nonetheless.


However, if Mr. Broussard is reporting accurately, you have to wonder what the Nets did or said, because Ian O'Conner from ESPN New York detailed the Knicks pitch, and...wow, let's just say, it sounds pretty freaking impressive. I got goosebumps just reading about it.

The Knicks' Basketball Argument

Count Chris Sheridan as one of the believers.

Although many people are ruling out the possibility of LeBron coming to the Knicks, Mr. Sheridan provides a compelling case for why the Knicks' baskteball pitch might have been as powerful as the financial pitch.

Apparently, the Knicks stressed two things: 1) how their current crop of players are a much better fit for LeBron than any other team can offer, and 2) how much more financial flexibility the Knicks have going forward to add more players around him.

The first argument is an interesting one, because it goes along with something I've said before, the biggest rivals, the Chicago Bulls, have been completely overhyped in what they have to offer. Derrick Rose, while a great penetrator and passer, is an abysmal 24% from 3-point range. On the other hand, Toney Douglas, who does need the ball in his hands to be effective, shoots 39% from behind the arc, while Mo Williams, LeBron's PG last year, shot 43%. Sheridan goes on to point out how the Knicks have many more shooters, while the Bulls have nobody who is great from behind the line.

(Personal Note: I also laugh when I hear that Joakim Noah is considered a selling point to LeBron. He is only a more glorified version of Anderson Varejao, and I think LeBron is probably a little tired of kicking the ball out to him. Okay, sorry guys, had to get that off my chest. It's been there for a while.)

The second argument is a very underrated angle that is often overlooked by people, myself included. With so many teams clearing cap room in order to sign to Max free agents, there has been the perception that if a team scores two big free agents, they will be set up perfectly to win a title. However, since all these teams are so heavily gutted, financial flexibility going forward will be crucial to putting the right players around these superstars. While the Heat will have no way to maneuver their cap space next summer unless they give up Michael Beasley, and the Bulls will need to give extensions of Noah and Rose in the coming years, the Knicks instead will have a valuable trading chip in Eddy Curry's expiring contract (Thank You Eddy!) or they could choose to let the contract run out and make a push for another  Max player next Free Agency, when Carmelo Anthony might be available.

In conclusion, while the first point has been harped on heavily before and it might impact LeBron's decision making, the second point is where the Knicks might have a chance in winning him over.

Building a team is something that will take time, even if you land two Max free agents. The fact that the Knicks have maneuverability in the near future makes their outlook even brighter if things fall into place this summer.

I Wanna Be A Billionaire So F***ing Bad...

Not only is this the title of one of the worst songs ever made, but Lebron James has made it clear in the past that he also would like to become a billionarie so f***ing bad.

As a result, the Knicks, in their pitch to LeBron, stressed that he could become a billionaire if he played for the Knicks. In fact, they hired a branding agency called Interbrand to help make their pitch with a slideshow.

According to Interbrand, which accounted for tons of variables, LeBron would have the best opportunity to make a billion dollars with the Knicks over other teams. Here is the list below, courtesy of TrueHoopBlog:

46.6% likely to earn a billion dollars in New York. The strong Knicks' team brand, combined with a shortage of past titles, makes it ripe for James to be seen as heroic to a huge market with national and international media exposure.

1.3% likely to earn a billion in Cleveland. His "hometown hero" status helps Cleveland leapfrog Chicago, as does the Cavalier's lack of past success -- win a title there and they'll love you forever.

1.0% likely to earn a billion in Chicago. The challenge there comes from the "high threshold for creating that legacy" thanks to Jordan's six titles and a fanbase that is not easily wowed.

0.0% likely to earn a billion in Miami. Interbrand finds that in Miami "low can avidity, size of fan base, media reach do not able brand stretch."

Anybody notice anything strange about this presentation? I think Mr. Prokhorov and Jay-Z would. The Knicks and Interbrand compared his marketability to every other competitor except the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, who play in virtually the same market. Now, his marketability might be higher with the Knicks, but the Nets almost surely would be right behind them.

Something tells me that James Dolan is scared out of his mind by Mikhail Prokhorov. And I love it.

The Best Free Agent Class Ever?

There is no doubt that talent-wise, this Free Agent class is the strongest in NBA, if not sports history. However, there does seem to be one glaring hole in this class's resume--Championship Rings. If you analyze the top 5 free agents (thus excluding Paul Pierce and his 1 ring)--LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire--their playoff resumes are surprisingly weak. The lone NBA Championship Ring belongs to Dwayne Wade, but he can thank Jerry Buss and Shaq for that as well as some questionable foul calls in finals that year.

In studying LeBron, you want to give him a pass because of how dominant a player he can be (See: Game 5, Eastern Conference Finals, 2007) and the poor level of talent surrounding him for many years. However, after his lackluster performance against Boston in this year's Conference Semifinals. Frankly, it appeared that he either did not care as much or he did not think he could overcome the Celtics. Either way, though, red flags flew sky high.

Chris Bosh's career has included only two trips to the playoffs, both resulting in first round playoff exits to New Jersey (4-1) and Orlando (4-2). Granted Bosh has fallen into the same category as LeBron by being surrounded by less than exemplary talent, but the lack of success he has had as the leader of a team should make anyone question signing him if not signing LeBron or Wade, as well.

Joe Johnson has a more interesting and more difficult career to gauge. As a role player in Mike D'Antoni's offense, Johnson flourished in the 7 seconds or less system the Suns employed. In fact, he was a key member of the Suns' team that pushed the Spurs championship team to the brink of elimination in 2007. Later on, as the leader of Hawks, Johnson did show off a real ability to dominate in the First Round series in 2008 against the Boston Celtics, the eventual Champions. He pretty much singled handedly pushed the series to seven games by scoring at will in the 4th quarter at home. However, two second round exits later, Joe Johnson and the Hawks are stuck in neutral. Although he must deserve some credit from taking the Hawks from bottom feeders to a second round playoff team, he will need LOTS of help to get over the next hump.

FInally, Amare Stoudemire has played in multiple Conference Finals and five playoffs total. While his offensive ability is unquestionable, the Suns' success is largely due to the their offensive system and the fact that future Hall of Famer, Steve Nash, was its point guard. Although, offensively, Stoudemire can be seen as a cornerstone for a franchise, his defensive liabilities hinder his ability to lead a team deep into the playoffs.

Thus, in the end, the most ballyhooed Free Agent Class ever has five young stars, but only one ring. I'm not saying that these guys do not deserve the hype, but it makes me believe only one team with cap room is going to come out of this summer as a possible contender over the next five years.

Fingers crossed, it's the Knicks.

I'd say Nets, too, but at least they have a team if they swing and miss.

Lebron, You Could Become "Ionic" Here!

It's really too bad that Boston isn't competing with us for LeBron this summer. It would just be too easy...even with James Dolan.

Maybe the Knicks shouldn't bring Allan Houston to Cleveland

According to reports, the Knicks are supposed to bring Allan Houston with them to Cleveland to help with their pitch to LeBron.

It sounds like a good idea, but maybe they should practice with him a little bit before they arrive...

The First of Many Sleepless Nights in the Sleepless City

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Sleepless City Sports. This blog's goal is to be covering everything sports and more that takes place in "the city that never sleeps." Although this is our stated goal, we also are not afraid to veer from it from time to time and tackle topics off the beaten path.

Considering that tonight is eve of the start of the most anticipated Free Agency in sports history, and NBA GM's from around the league, and within the Tri-State area, will be getting very little sleep tonight and every night this week as they run up their frequent flyer miles, we decided why not kick this blog off with a little discussion of the NBA, and most specifically the New York Knicks and the New Jersey/Newark/Brooklyn (2012) Nets.

Ever since a slew of the NBA's youngest superstars decided to not sign Max deals for the maximum amount of years (six) and instead sign only four year extensions, GM's around the league took notice and started shifting their budgets, so that they could have a chance at signing one, if not two, of these young franchise players. Furthermore, when Danny Ainge helped the Celtics win a championship by pulling off the coup of acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and finding a group of cheap players to surround his new "Big Three," a belief around the league became that if you went for broke and got a couple of franchise players, you could just worry about fielding a full squad down the line. These GMs embraced the comical mantra my friend James likes to say when he is in a bind, "I'm going to let future James handle that."

This now popular approach to "building" a team is at the forefront of the NBA's Free Agency period. The New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls have all used this blueprint in preparing for Free Agency. (Note: The Clippers have apparently been employing this philosophy since 1981 when Donald Sterling bought the team. I'm assuming they simply haven't fallen in love with any free agents since then. Right?) The irony of this go-for-broke mentality is that these teams gut themselves of many of the resources that would make it attractive for a player like Lebron James to come to their team in the first place.

For instance, the Miami Heat, after making a few financially driven trades, now have only two players under contract for next season, Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley, while the Knicks have a staggering FOUR players under contract, Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Toney Douglas and Danilo Gallinari. (Note: Bill Walker’s contract is also guaranteed if the Knicks keep him after Aug. 1, as is expected.) Basically, Donnie Walsh is going to be coming to Lebron Thursday in Ohio and saying,

"Lebron, do me a solid here. I've basically got rid of anyone with talent on this team so that we could sign you and whoever you want. In fact, I will be stepping down as GM, so you or William Wesley or Maverick Carter or whoever you want can become the GM and decide who you want on your team. I'm begging you, Lebron! I can't return to New York and tell our fans our starting line up is going to be Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari and Bill Walker. You got to help me out."

Let's hope Donnie's husky voice with James Dolan playing the guitar in the background will make it sound more enticing than it reads.

Basically, in the end, the Knicks and its fans' hopes ride on one thing: has Lebron been lying this whole time in saying that his decision will be a "basketball decision?" If he hasn't been lying, sorry guys, we're screwed. Really, really screwed. If instead he does have a love affair with New York (not Newark), the Garden, and being New York City's first ever King, then get the confetti ready, the Canyon of Heroes is beckoning. Unfortunately, it's a much tougher sell than I think any of us would ever have predicted. In fact, if Donnie pulls this off, Obama should hire him to sell some of the new General Motors' cars. God knows, our economy could use it. However, if Donnie wants to have a shot, he might want to bring Larry Johnson with him.

Moving past the Knicks for a second--I know, how could I?--to the Nets, let's look at their approach to getting here and their plan of attack in Free Agency. (Note: First off, I have to admit that after the great Knick years in the 90s, right around the time Scott Layden handed over the cursed touch to Isaiah Thomas, I became a big Nets' fan when they made their two-year run in the NBA Finals. I've had a soft spot for them ever since. It didn't hurt either that Rod Thorn seemed to have a clue to what he was doing when the Knicks had none. Just had to get that out of the way.)

Unlike the Heat and the Knicks, the Nets actually have some players (more than four) on their roster that might inspire LeBron to think, these guys could be part of my "Big Three." While the Knicks have Danilo Galinari and the Heat have Michael Beasley, the Nets could offer only Brook Lopez and be able to whet the appetite of Lebron more than those players would. However, the Nets have more--both talent and number of players--in Devin Harris, No. 3 overall pick Derrick Favors, Courtney Lee, and last year's No. 1 pick, Terrence Williams. Although this group does not scream 2011 NBA CHAMPIONS NEW JERSEY NETS, they do form a strong young core that could complement a superstar talent or two admirably in creating a perennial Championship contender. Furthermore, unlike the Knicks, they have retained their first round draft picks in the coming years.

However, the Nets, like the Knicks, are banking on the same thing: LeBron's decison is not a basketball decision. If it is, the Nets can't really compete with the Bulls, Mavericks, or even Heat (assuming Dwayne Wade re-signs) on paper at this point. If, as they hope, LeBron's decisions is more than just a basketball one, in comes Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov. (Note: Avery Johnson does not matter one way or the other here, really.)

It's really a new era in sports now where owners and players can actually be friends and break through the employer-employee barrier. It's not like Reggie Jackson was ever going to spend a night out on the town with The Boss, but that scenario is more than a possibility if LeBron joined the Nets. You're telling me Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov could not put together one hell of a night? More importantly, though, if Lebron is looking to market himself and become a global icon, Prokhorov is a man to follow. With over $13 billion in his back pocket and the unbridled confidence to announce that "We are going to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans," you couldn't fault LeBron and his "team" for believing Prokhorov and the Nets to be their best bet to universal stardom.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, because no matter what transpires in this next week or so, we will finally learn on thing: what matters most to LeBron. All we can hope, as New Yorkers, is that it is something close to what either one of our teams can offer.