Maybe Tiger Woods has (or should I say had) control of his empire in a similarly commanding way, but golf is an entirely different sport that focuses solely on individual statistics.
King James is a game changer, and for the time being, he’s a free agent being swooned by every NBA team who can afford the hefty price tag that is going to come with his enormous talent. He has become the most intriguing storyline of the summer, and everyone is fascinated as even teams not looking to sign the unrestricted free agent have followed his every move.
LeBron’s camp chose to stay put in Cleveland and allow the competing franchises to come to him. And so they came, one by one, with their entourage of celebrities and video reels of their respective organizations. James had entire cities trying to convince him the greatest player in the game without a ring, to sign on with the hopes of winning that championship one day.
The Nets brought co-owner and James' close personal friend, Jay-Z. The Knicks tried to sell James on the concept of making one billion dollars in the No. 1 market in the country, in addition to having the star power of New York that comes with it. The Chicago Bulls are the team believed to have the best chance of stealing James from Ohio. There, James would have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, the greatest of all time.
But it was Cleveland who came up with the most creative way to charm their former (and who they hope will be their future) superstar. The club produced a video with characters from Family Guy, one of James’ favorite shows. The video depicted James with his teammates in the locker room and his familiar surroundings, having called Ohio home for all these years.
If the fact that the Cavs already have the advantage of being able to sign James to the most money — a league maximum six years, $130 million compared to five years, $100 million that other teams are able to offer — wasn’t enough, then in my mind, they put the nail in the coffin with the Family Guy video. But that’s just me.
With James making his decision on ESPN Thursday night, it will unfortunately put an end to this summer's hottest drama. But the best part of this story has yet to be written. Where will James win his ultimate prize? Who will be his supporting cast? And what city will rally around the biggest star in the game and the hard work he’s put in throughout his young career?
The past few weeks, as interesting and compelling as they have been, are just the beginning of the mini-series of James’ life and dominance in professional sports.
