The Knicks' meeting with James lasted two hours, and the major themes were New York's endless energy -- and the chance for "The King'' to reap as much as $1.94 billion in salary (from a five-year max deal) plus endorsements if he bolts Cleveland and finishes his career with the Knicks.
Free agent basketball player LeBron James, left, is driven out of the IMG building in downtown Cleveland, after meeting with representatives of the New Jersey Nets and the New York Knicks basketball teams on Thursday, July 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Jason Miller)If truth is merely a point of view, how are those cities feeling about their chances to land LeBron? Let's take a look how each home newspaper is treating the story.
"[The meeting] lasted two hours, and the major themes were New York's endless energy -- and the chance for "The King'' to reap as much as $1.94 billion in salary (from a five-year max deal) plus endorsements if he bolts Cleveland and finishes his career with the Knicks.Steve Politi, The New Jersey Star-LedgerThat astonishing number comes from a study commissioned by the Knicks from the marketing consultant Interbrand.
It outshines the estimated $700 million James would likely earn in Cleveland, the $690 million he'd make in Chicago or the $600 million he'd pocket in Miami, the study showed."
"Nobody should be looking down their noses at the Nets any more, least of all the team that has spent much of the past four decades doing exactly that. If the Nets have to settle for a consolation prize this month, they’ll do so with this somewhat comforting knowledge: They sure looked like the better option from the New York market."
"[Nets] owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the five associates who accompanied him to Cleveland today came away from their historic meeting with LeBron James believing the Nets “are definitely in the game,” a team official familiar with the talks revealed after conferring with several members of the team’s chief recruiters.According to one Nets official, James also gave them a candid warning that the team should prepare to have enough room under the salary cap to afford two maximum-value contracts should he decide that New Jersey is his next destination."
Miami Herald
"[Heat President Pat] Riley was hopeful that his recruiting party would have included at least two other members -- Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But after a day of pitches that fell short of landing commitments from some of its other top free agent targets, the Heat swoops in on James hoping to impress the most sought-after player on the market."
Jerry Crowe, Los Angeles Times
"NBA executive of the year wouldn't be honor enough if Neil Olshey got LeBron James to sign with the Clippers. Shrewd roster-shaping by Olshey's mentor and predecessor, Mike Dunleavy, and luck both good and bad positioned the Clippers to be granted an audience with the King. Of course, they're still longshots to land him."Chicago Tribune
"Sources said the Bulls are considering bringing local business leaders from Fortune 500 companies to the meeting to appeal to James' business sense. At the very least, ideas on how to market James globally via local businesses will be pitched.But the biggest sales points -- to James, Wade and Bosh -- center on basketball, the city, the Bulls' rich history and worldwide brand recognition and a ready-to-win core featuring Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah."
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