| 02 June 2010
So as you can see, the LeBron to Chicago billboard, sponsored by www.sendlebrontochicago.com, has been put up. As some of you may know, I have written a guest piece for Send LeBron to Chicago and have been associated with the site in the RedEye section of the Chicago Tribune. I've been dealing with AJ Barthold for about a month now, and I have to say that I'm pretty proud of him for getting this billboard up. It's damn impressive.
For all of my fellow Chicagoans, the Billboard can be found at the intersection of Grand and LaSalle. If you want to get your mug posted in my next blog entry, go to the billboard and take a picture of yourself with the billboard in the background. Email it to me and I'll put it up in my very next entry.
As for LeBron updates, I'm sure everyone has heard of the Larry King interview by now. LeBron said some interesting things, none of which can be taken too seriously.
Larry asked him if Cleveland has an "edge" in signing him.
"Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it's comfortable. So I've got a lot of memories here. And -- and so it does have an edge."
Listen people, he HAS to say that. If he doesn't say that, he looks like an A-hole. If he says no, that flat out looks like he's already made a conscious decision that he's not going back to Cleveland. At this point, with free agency a month away, he has to be very cautious with what he says...and this comment makes him look like a good guy. It makes him seem like he's going to give his hometown city the best shot of keeping him before he blots, so if they don't sign him, it becomes their fault. This comment means absolutely nothing and is just something thrown out there for the media to dissect and give him some leeway to remain silent for the next month.
With regards to picking his own coach...
"... I'm not one to go into the off year and say this is who I want my coach to be. Now, there are some coaches, that, you know, if I had an opportunity to play for, I would be delighted. But I'm not as far as -- as picking a coach,"
That I do believe. He understands that whatever coach he plays with will look like a genius...until his future team gets bounced from the playoffs earlier than expected. And clearly, playing for someone like Phil Jackson or Pat Riley would be incredibly and understandably enticing, but I don't think he's banking his decision on that.
And he does say the one thing I've been saying all along...
"Well, I mean, to me, I think my ultimate, my ultimate goal is winning championships, and I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I, you know, win a championship... the team that I go to or -- or, you know, whatever the case may be, will have an opportunity to win championships in multiple years and not just because of LeBron James."
Clearly, his number one goal right now is winning, not remaining loyal. He knows what teams give him a better shot of contending for a title than others. The Bulls are one of those teams, and he hints at it by mentioning that it will not be "just because of LeBron James." Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah anyone? Then again, he could be talking about the other free agents as well, but there's no way LeBron wants his legacy tarnished by the fact that he had to surround himself with Dwyane Wade to win a title.
So this interview, for me, changes nothing. For now, let's hope this billboard gets a ton of attention in the press and maybe we can bring LeBron here July 1st to take a picture in front of it? Until then, send me YOUR pics...
