Is there a sinking feeling beginning to settle in around the Big Apple?
Restaurant workers have all the straight skinny on rumors, right? So how can you doubt one guy's deep conversation with the Nets' Mikhail Prokhorov?CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James may not announce his decision on whether to stay with the Cavaliers, or sign with one of the teams trying to land him, until after his Nike camp at the University of Akron ends on Wednesday. Until then, the speculation will continue.
• James met with the Cavaliers and Bulls on Saturday, after visits from the Nets, Knicks, Heat and Clippers the previous two days. John Jackson refers to the Cavs and Bulls for the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Which team is favored at this point is a topic for debate, but most NBA observers now think his decision will come down to the teams he met with Saturday."
Jackson also writes:
"Of the six teams involved in the process, the Bulls were the only one to offer no comment whatsoever. They've been tight-lipped throughout the first three days of the negotiating period, but a source close to the situation said members of management have been pleased with all the get-togethers they've had."
• Apparently, when representatives of James and the Knicks had a brief, unscheduled meeting on Saturday night, the Knicks' hopes of landing James weren't bolstered. Frank Isola writes for the New York Daily News:
"The timing of the meeting is interesting since it came one day after the Knicks received a verbal commitment from All Star power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. The Knicks wanted to relay to James that the organization is committed to doing everything in its power to surround him with talent.
"The sense the Knicks get is that James will likely re-sign with the Cavs. In fact, as recently as Thursday, one Knicks source said it was 'very doubtful' that James would sign with New York."
Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote of the meeting:
"[James' agent] Leon Rose had called with questions regarding the Knicks' salary cap situation and team execs volunteered to come back to Cleveland, the official said.
"James was not present. He showed up at 11 a.m. to meet with the Bulls and Cavs.
"The Knicks' initial meeting Thursday was criticized in some quarters and Yahoo! reported the Knicks had fallen out of the race."
• For CBSSports.com, Ken Berger relays the opinion of an executive who says it's all been a show:
"One of the executives involved in the recruiting process over the past few days described it this way: Now is when the emotion of the process and the glitz of the presentations fade and reality sets in. Reality, and the known vs. the unknown. And the executive came away with the distinct impression that [Dwyane] Wade is staying in Miami, LeBron is staying in Cleveland, and [Chris] Bosh -- left out to dry in such a scenario -- would then be far more interested in the extra $25-$30 million the Raptors can offer him than he's been for the past 72 hours.
"'All these guys know where they're going to go,'" a person with close ties to one of the players involved in the process said. 'This whole thing has just been a spectacle.'"
• Would you believe a little tension between the Nets and Knicks in the chase for LeBron James? Fred Kerber writes for the New York Post:
"So the Nets wait on LeBron. The Nets were truly pleased and optimistic about their pitch, despite insinuation from Knicks officials that New Jersey brass thought they bombed and were trying to paint a rosy picture. There was incredulous silence about suggestions from unnamed Knicks officials that the Nets planted a report dismissing the Knicks in the LeBron race.
"'Mikhail Prokhorov sees everyone else as competition,' said one Eastern Conference source close to the Nets. 'The Knicks to him are no different than any other team. He has no sense of a rivalry. He couldn't care less about the Knicks.'"
• It's understood James, Wade and Bosh are interested in what each other does. It's been speculated that two, or all three, of them could end up on the same team. Michael Wallace writes for the Miami Herald:
"And much like the Heat, Chicago is in heavy pursuit of James and Bosh. The Bulls met with James for nearly three hours Saturday in Cleveland, a session that matched Miami's time with James on Friday.
"Wade is scheduled to travel to Miami for a set of summer camp and promotional appearances Tuesday. It will be Wade's first time in town as a professional without officially being under contract with the Heat."
• Finally, is it the guy at Nello's Restaurant in New York who's got the scoop? Writes Brett Cyrgalis for the New York Post:
"According to an employee at Nello's, who wanted to remain nameless but spent some time talking with Prokhorov, the 45-year-old Russian billionaire told him that the chances of signing James were, '50 percent.'"
"'He said it looks 50-50,'" the employee said. "I said, '50 is a lot.' And he said, 'It's 50-50.' I said, 'So many things are 50-percent.' And he said, 'Yea, we're about 50 percent.'"
"After heading into the posh eatery around 3:40 p.m., Prokhorov had three deserts and two cups of tea with the tall blonde woman."He then chatted with a couple of employees, talking about other things besides LeBron, like how he likes Germany in the World Cup final."