LeBron to announce his decision on ESPN at 9 PM Thursday Night
2010-07-06
According to several sources, LeBron will announce his free agency decision during a one-hour ESPN special scheduled to air at 9 PM EST on Thursday night.
Yes, it’s another example of how LeBron is an ego case and loves the attention his free agency has brought him. We have known about both of these things for some time. I’m just glad that there will be no announcement, and there won’t be a race between writers trying to break the story or a series of crazy rumors and hearsay. It’s a stupid way to have to get the information, but at least we’ll know where LeBron is going immediately after the announcement is made. Good enough for me.
Also, this event suggests that LeBron is staying, right? It would be impressively cruel to announce he’s leaving to this kind of fanfare.
I believe Le Brat’s best days are behind him he just carries to much weight to be a championship player. Look at Jordan, Kobe, Dr.J, Russel, Kareem, and Magic in their prime. None of them were close to as thick and all made cluth plays down the stretch. I don’t think Le Brat and his mother the tramp will ever win anywhere. I have been an N.B.A> fan for 40 years and I won’t watch one minute of Le Loser’s special because Le Loser will never win. Seriously the only place the guy will help his image is in Cleveland… Read more »
*120. you get the point.
Eric, the Cavs have had over 1120 wins the last two seasons, excluding playoffs. How many year back do you have to go to get the Knicks that many wins?
The Cavaliers are perennial underachievers.
Rich, I’m not a Knicks fan. Living in Florida i have tendency to root for the magic. Andyou’ve got nerve to mention annual losers. What exactly are the Cavaliers?
The one hour has nothing to do with who is signing with and everything to do with LRMR. His own little company is running the show, so he is going to take as long as possible to get it’s name out there.
Oh boy. Doesn’t look good. I agree with Allison and AP. Tomorrow night may be a retrospective of his life in NE Ohio so far. A thanks for the good times followed by a 9:55 signing with New York. I think he wants to compete with Bosh/Wade now that they are together, not join them. With Stoudamire, he sees a good chance and wants to jump on that bandwagon. Besides, if he re-signs with Cleveland it’s a one-day story for ESPN. Go to NYC and they can milk it for three more weeks.
On the eighth day of Lebron-mas the King James said to me…
Allison, you also don’t need an entire hour to say “i’m leaving.” i’d expect it to be like any other announcement with a “one hour special” – 55 minutes of BS, then a quick announcement.
you don’t need an entire hour to say “i’m staying home.” THAT is what concerns me…
Eric=normal Knicks fan.
The Knicks, where being annual losers somehow = “tradition and history.”
A less cheerful possibility: LeBron tries to use the special to look like a good guy even though he’s leaving — a good bye card to Cleveland. “Don’t hat me, look at all the good times we had!” “I’m a great guy — I’m donating proceeds to Boys and Girls clubs!” “Oh, and by the way, I’m a worldwide icon now.” (Whatever that means.)
Bad news guys… bosh and wade will sign with Miami
People are so sure his career is over if he stays. Why? No guarantees if he leaves either. You have a right to your opinion as does any other poster on here. But unfounded statements like that are pointless.
Lebron is a egomaniac blah blah blah. Lebron won’t do do what’s good for Cleveland blah blah blah. Then why do you want him to stay? He loves the attention? Not as much as you love to give attention to him. Every one of you wishes that you could be in his shoes. I really hopes he leaves Cleveland. Lebron was a fool not to pull a Stevie Francis on draft day. If Lebron stays in Cleveland his career is over. He’ll be the biggest bust in the hall of fame. A joke. But anyhoo good luck thursday night.
I would hope he wouldn’t use the same network that has repeatedly thrown the Cavs and Ohio under the bus multiple times to announce that he’s leaving. Let them tell it, “God forbid anything good ever happen in Cleveland”. My dream scenario for this hour long broadcast would be his announcing that he’s staying, and he has a little additional help on the way *out comes the Cavs, last comes bosh holding a Cavs jersey right at the end of the broadcast* I know that’s a script worthy of Monday Night Raw, but that’s bout the only “this is a… Read more »
Ok i’ve been telling myself if he lives maybe i wont hate him so much because he did what was best for his basketball career. But that was contingent on him allowing his agent to release the news and then a presss conference when he signs with the new team in the middle of the night. If Lebron does this and announces he’s leaving the Cavs, i am praying for his failure till i die. I become an instant Kobe fan and i watch kevin Durant religiously. Lebron will become the most hated man in Cleveland. If he’s leaving i… Read more »
First-time, long-time. Love the site. Love the vim, the vigor, the brave hope. I think Krolik is a rare talent. I’ma miss this place. I’m old. I’ve been through too much Cleveland sports heartbreak to believe that LeBron is NOT going to go, is NOT going to leave every Cavs fan angry and embittered, is NOT going to give my old home town one more knee in the groin. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted more to be wrong in my life, but this ESPN crapola clinches it for me. The idea that James would command an hour of prime… Read more »
The hour (totally according to no one but me) is going to be something like a stupid video highlight real…saying something about all of the organizations…a one on one interview with who knows who…and then a decision.
He had been beaten to the punch by Bosh and Wade. They had been in the media’s face more than LeBron. This is his big trump card. Couldn’t let the summer go by with people actually thinking LeBron didn’t have the biggest ego.
“Seriously folks. I never, ever thought he could surpass Art Modell and the hate he receives from Cleveland. Until now. If he does this on national televsion, he blows right by Art like he’s driving a fucking Lambo and Art is on a big wheel.”<— QUOTE OF THE GODDAMN SUMMER!
This is total batshit and you guys are right- the next 45 hours or so are gonna be intense. For my homies back in Tha Land of Tha Heartless- I hope Hurricane Lebron doesnt rip the city I love in half…
Maybe he needs an hour to list all the great things about Northeast Ohio that made him decide to stay with the Cavs.
I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I kind of am. But, I promise not to burn anything if he leaves. Other them him with my witty barbs! ZING!
Tommorow will be at a fever pitch. The amount of rumors flying will be utterly insane and impossible to ignore. I’m going to get nothing at all done of value.
Not that it wasn’t before . . . increasingly more stupider at a geometric rate. And honestly, win a title and you can have a parade and everyone taking your picture and everything. It looks like fun from what I’ve seen.
Did you expect anything less roger?
Really, folks. We were being naive to think it would die with whimper and simple re-up with Cleveland. It was never meant to end like that. Had to go out with a bang.
This is getting increasingly stupid.
I came up with an idea for a 3-team trade with Indiana to bring Chris Paul to the Cavs. See one version of the trade here: http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5596876 I explain my thinking more in a comment on the previous post.
I do know. He’s LeBron James. He loves the attention. It was always going to go down like this. He didn’t waste three years to not have his big, big moment in the spotlight. However, he will not do it like this to Cleveland. Just won’t happen. He isn’t an idiot and he won’t kill his image on national television.
Let’s look at the facts: Lebron 1) held the meetings in Ohio 2) tried recuiting Bosh 3) is giving the commercial proceeds to a charity, which means he is well aware of the impact this announcement has on his rep (so he would know that kicking Cleveland on national TV would also kill his rep) Add to these facts the LMR execs would be nobodies in Chicago (no privilages) and NY (too big of a market for small 25yr old fish) and that Gilbert has opened his purse strings wide for any player Lebron covets whether Bosh or other top… Read more »
First thing, why on earth is this a hour? He can make this announcement in less than 5 minutes. This proves that he is an egomaniac. Second thing, I’m torn on whether or not this is good for the cavs. LeBron is very conscious about his “brand” and how bad would his brand be damaged if he had a ESPN hour long special just to announce he is turning his back on his hometown and effectively killing basketball in Cleveland? But the other part of me wonders about the Bosh snubbing and the rumor that Maverick Carter is going to… Read more »
And just to throw this out there. How could LeBron ever live with himself if he gives in on a stare down contest with bosh. How does Bosh tell LeBron no, and then LeBron tells Bosh yes? I mean…really? If LeBron A. Caves in to Bosh or B. Goes to that horrible Knicks team, he will have totally thrown away everything we all thought he was.
I agree Phil. The whole thing is a mistake no matter what he chooses. However, someone can live with being a tease. Hard to live with being a stone-cold killer with basically no sympathy or passiong for your hometown fans.
He can always leave. He isn’t tied here. But to do it on National Televsion? No way.
I think this backfires on LeBron just as much or even more if he’s staying. After the years of speculation and teams dumping salary to get in the chase, he takes an hour in prime time to say…he’s re-signing with the Cavs? The response everywhere but Cleveland will be: What a tease! What a drama queen!
I wish he would just hold a press conference.
Seriously folks. I never, ever thought he could surpass Art Modell and the hate he receives from Cleveland. Until now. If he does this on national televsion, he blows right by Art like he’s driving a fucking Lambo and Art is on a big wheel. Art who, we will be saying. It will be the biggest joke of a move of all time in American sports history. yes, I know I’m saying a lot, but I believe. So, I refuse to believe LeBron is that stupid. I refuse to believe is that ignorant. I’m not saying he may not have… Read more »
If he schedules an hour long press conference to announce that he is stabbing Cleveland in the back, it will be the equivalent of Shawn Michaels super kicking Marty Jannetty through The Barbershop window. The city of Cleveland will also make the Rodney King riots look like a small campfire amongst friends.
Lebron stays and bosh joins him mark my words!
I just hope they have a ton of cameras set up in down town Cleveland. If he leaves on natl. television there will be a spontaneous jersey burning party. About 500 people will rip the witness sign down…and he might never actually be able to return to his house in Akron tbh.
eeehhh…he’s pushing his marketting company. That’s his profit. To get it exposure.
my only question is why the f is the program gonna last AN HOUR.
I heard that ESPN isn’t allowed to sell commercials. LeBron’s team is selling sponsorships and all the money is going to the Boys and Girls Club, which is nice. I’m glad that he’s not trying to profit off of all of this, but instead he’s using it as a way to give back to the community. Good for him.
Cleveland will burn the city down. Akron will burn his house down. If you are planning to do this stuff, you do it in the middle of night with a whisper and wave. Not in broad daylight for the world to see. However, do not read windy or Amico. They’ve suddenly lost their minds because of this one announcement. Windy has over-dramatic tweets about “this isn’t the LeBron I know.” His reasoning..because he has a website and twitter. WIndy conveniently forgets this is LebRons THIRD website and somehow missed the boat that LeBron has been building this thing for three… Read more »
If he’s leaving-there will be riots down Euclid. Nationally televised knife-twist to Cleveland’s guts? Seriously, expect every team store, billboard or anything bearing James’ face to be burning. He can’t be that stupid, can he?
He’s gotta be staying.
Didn’t Manny Ramirez do the EXACT same thing with the ESPN special and all that when he announced he was leaving Cleveland to go to Boston in 2000?
My first reaction was that this is good for Cleveland. He couldn’t possibly drop a bomb on Ohio like that. But then I saw Chris Bosh wrote “Today is a GREAT day” on his Twitter page a few hours ago. That is not good. Makes me think that they decided on a destination together tonight, probably Chicago. I hope I’m wrong.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but that last point was my thought exactly. If the choice is not Cleveland, this is in very bad taste and backfires on LeBron. Unless he controls the telecast, the announcement would be immediately followed by footage from Cleveland of various gatherings of crushed Cleveland fans responding to this nationally televised breakup. Not too classy.