Cleveland Sports Chatter

[POJO_Risin]

The draft worked out better than expected...

The Cavs had worked both of them out...and really coveted Brown for his defense...athletic ability...and really...the kind of game that mirrors Lebron a bit...

but he can shoot from the outside...and will improve...

Gibson was a guy that the Cavs figured they would take in the first round...

thinking Brown wouldn't be there...

then...tried like hell to trade up to get Gibson after they took Brown...

Gibson was so sure he'd get drafted in the first by Cleveland...that he didn't work out for anyone else...which...lmfao...hurt him getting picked in the first...

and ended up helping the Cavs get him in the second...

[POJO_Risin]

LeBron says yes
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
OK, Cavaliers fans. You can relax now.

LeBron James says he is staying put.

James, silent since the Cavaliers offered him a contract ex tension on July 1, on Saturday delivered the news that fans in Northeast Ohio have been waiting to hear.

"Staying in Cleveland near my hometown of Akron provides me with the unique opportunity to continue to play in front of my family, friends and fans," James, 21, said in a written state ment. "I look forward to working toward bringing a champion ship to our great fans and the city of Cleveland. I'd like to thank my coaches and teammates as well as the entire Cavalier organiz ation for their hard work, encouragement and support."

Because of NBA rules governing free agency, James cannot sign the extension until Wednesday. The extension can be for as many as five years for up to $80 million. If he makes good on his promise, it will mean the Cavaliers are assured of having one of the top play- ers in the NBA under contract through the 2011-12 season.

At that time, James will be 27.

"We are very happy to hear LeBron's recent statements regarding his desire to help work toward bringing a Cavaliers championship to Cleveland and our fans," Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry said in a written statement. "We plan to sit down next week with Leon Rose [James' agent] to agree on terms of an extension."

James, who starred at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School before becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, will make $5.8 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract, and his new contract will begin with the 2007-08 season.

In his three years with the Cavaliers, James has set numerous team and league records and last season led the club into the playoffs for the first time since 1998. He was third in the NBA in scoring last season, averaging 31.4 points per game, and for his career he is averaging 26.5 points, 6.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game.

While James has maintained he is happy with the Cavaliers and pleased with the direction of the team, fans became nervous after several other marquee players from James' draft class such as Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade announced this month that they would re-sign with their teams but James did not immediately follow suit.

[POJO_Risin]

Page 2 of 2
Although he would have had to wait two more seasons to become an unrestricted free agent, fans fretted he would be the latest sports star to leave town for a larger market.

"This is an incredible moment of pride for a franchise and for the people throughout Ohio because there was always the thought LeBron was out and going to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, but he did what he said he was going to do all along," said ESPN's pro basketball analyst and former NBA great Bill Walton. "This places him on an even higher pedestal."

Fans may not have been this proud since the Cavs earned the right to draft James with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Since then, James has grown into one of the best players in the league. During that span, James has been rookie of the year, a two-time All-Star and the youngest player named MVP of the All-Star Game.

Last season he finished second in league MVP voting behind Steve Nash of Phoenix while guiding the Cavs to their best regular-season record in 14 years. Because of James, home attendance and TV ratings have soared in each of his three seasons, and his jersey is one of the biggest sellers in the league. This spring, the Cavaliers beat Washington in the first round of the playoffs for their first postseason series win since 1993, and they lost a hard-fought seven-game series to Detroit in the second round.

Owner Dan Gilbert certainly did his part in making it more difficult for James to leave. To help improve the team, Gilbert signed free agents Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones last summer. The locker rooms and lounge areas were remodeled, and a $20 million practice facility is in the works in Independence. There also has been discussion of purchasing a new team plane. Fans, however, are not alone in their relief.

"Now, I can go to sleep at night and people can leave me alone and stop asking me if he's going or staying," said a smiling Marshall.

Added guard/forward Ira Newble: "Everywhere I went, people were asking me if he was going to sign. I never did talk to LeBron, but I felt all along he was going to stay because the organization has treated him well and he has a chance to win a championship here. And it's always a plus to play near your hometown."

The potential signing of James also means the Cavs can focus their attention on improving the team through trades or signing free agents. The team is negotiating with forward Drew Gooden, a restricted free agent.

"A lot of free agents were waiting to see if we were going to sign LeBron, and they weren't sure about signing a long-term deal with Cleveland until they saw what LeBron was doing," Marshall said. "This is going to help us. We can also focus on winning an NBA championship. We were a rebound short from the conference finals [last season]; now we can put the rest of the pieces together. LeBron agreeing to sign was a step into that direction."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

bwright@plaind.com, 216-999-4671

[POJO_Risin]

James' contract drama was much ado about nothing
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist
LeBron James wasn't going anywhere.

You had to invent the drama here. Some pessimists did with conspiracy theories that fell just short of linking Jay-Z to Lee Harvey Oswald.

Had he decided not to sign now, the theory went, trace it to James' Nike deal. It pays him more if he takes his amazing talents to a big market.

Rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, James' buddy, is part owner of the New Jersey Nets. New Jersey is close to New York (too close, to hear New Yorkers tell it).

But there was never any pressing reason to worry, because it was never a matter of whether James would stay with the Cavaliers or go. He was two years from being able to walk away free and clear.

In the past year, the Cavs had shown themselves to be serious about winning. No reason they won't again next season.

The only real issue: Would James stay for now or stay for longer?

Agreeing to the extension, which can be worth up to about $80 million over as many as five years, made overwhelming financial sense despite James' marketing clout. Growing up in Akron or Anchorage wouldn't have changed that.

There's time - maybe in five years - for Cleveland sports fans to blubber like Sally Field at her Oscar acceptance speech - "I can't deny the fact that you like me" - but this wasn't it.

James did what league superstars have done for a long time. In his case, he may have followed his heart, too. But he also followed the money.

[POJO_Risin]

James' contract drama was much ado about nothing
Page 2 of 2
By NBA rule, the Cavaliers can pay him the most. The only surprise was that he waited a week to make the announcement, whereas 2003 draft classmates Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh jumped into the arms of their respective owners the first chance they got.

Whatever, thank James for bringing a superiority complex to Cleveland. It's a slow go among those always expecting the worst, but you can feel that building.

Thank the other big people who made this possible, too, including Dan Gilbert. The Cavaliers owner has proven he's as player-friendly as Mark Cuban without the need to be seen and heard.

Gilbert's initial steps were clumsy. If the timing were different and James became eligible for the extension this time last year, no one could have blamed him if he said he preferred to wait. But the organization has made a nice recovery.

The hiring of Danny Ferry was major in changing management's image among players. The tear-down under Gilbert didn't last long. Gilbert's improvement to the locker room and arena, and his plans for a new $20 million practice facility should help lure the free-agent help James needs to win a championship.

Other than head coach Mike Brown's relative inexperience directing an NBA offense, James can't have too many complaints. Brown makes it clear he considers it a privilege to coach James. The organization and city fall all over him. What more could he want . . . besides a title or three?

Thank the NBA, too. Superstars don't wander away from their teams at the first whiff of flattery.

Financial incentives make that possible. Tim Duncan isn't still in tiny San Antonio because he likes touring The Alamo, Kevin Garnett in Minnesota because he can't get enough snow.

Being a local guy, LeBron James has personal incentives for wanting to bring a championship here. A signed extension doesn't guarantee that, but it sure beat the alternative for the team and its superstar.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

bshaw@plaind.com, 216-999-5639

[POJO_Risin]

LeBron agrees to stay with Cavs
Contract extension to be worth about $80 million will keep star with team through 2011-12 season
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

LeBron James announced Saturday he has accepted the Cavaliers' contract extension offer. The deal is currently projected to average about $16 million a year and run through the 2011-12 season.

James is expected to sign sometime after the NBA's moratorium period ends on Wednesday.

The league's salary-cap rules always favored the Cavs being able to hold onto James, but since he was a rookie in 2003, there has been constant speculation that James would look to depart Cleveland to play in a larger market like other high-profile athletes have in the past.

Those rumors grew louder during the past week as James mulled the extension offer given to him on July 1. Turns out all that conjecture wasn't completely off base.

James said he did consider the market before signing: his home market.

``I am very excited and happy to be re-signing with the Cavaliers. Staying in Cleveland near my hometown of Akron provides me with the unique opportunity to continue to play in front of my family, friends, and fans,'' James said in a statement.

``I look forward to working toward bringing a championship to our great fans and the city of Cleveland. I'd like to thank my coaches and teammates as well as the entire Cavalier organization for their hard work, encouragement and support,'' James added.

The terms of the deal won't be finalized for a few days, but if it follows the framework of previous maximum contracts, it will include a clause that allows James to opt out of the final year of the deal, in June of 2011.

James will make $5.8 million next season, the last of his four-year rookie contract. The extension will give him a raise to about $13 million in 2007 followed by annual raises of about $1.4 million.

That doesn't include $130 million more in endorsement earnings.

The Cavs were confident James would re-sign after their best season in 14 years. They won 50 games in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Detroit Pistons in seven games. James finished second in the league's Most Valuable Player voting after averaging 31.4 points per game and smashing numerous team records.

``We are very happy to hear LeBron's recent statements regarding his desire to help work toward bringing a Cavaliers championship to Cleveland and our fans,'' Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. ``We plan to sit down next week with Leon Rose (James' agent) to agree on terms of an extension.''

Owner Dan Gilbert also paved the way to keeping James happy by investing $160 million in free agents and more than $30 million into improvements at Quicken Loans Arena and a new practice facility scheduled to be constructed in Independence.

The potential of the team and the upgrades played into James' ultimate decision.

``LeBron has been thoughtful and deliberate in making this important decision,'' Rose said. ``It is a great moment for him, his family, his fans and the entire Cavalier organization.''

The announcement delighted fans who have been patiently waiting for James' decision as they lit up radio talk shows and Internet message boards. Equally set at ease were James' teammates.

``I'm very happy that LeBron decided to re-sign with us,'' Cavs' center Zydrunas Ilgauskas wrote in an e-mail from Israel, where he is on vacation. ``The franchise has a bright future and he's the reason.''

Rose said he and the Cavs were still working out details, but it is expected an event that will be part celebration, part news conference will be planned for this week when James makes everything official.

[POJO_Risin]

People VACATION in Israel?

[POJO_Risin]

No real reason for fans to worry
As expected, LeBron agrees to stay with Cavs
By Terry Pluto
Now that the LeBron James Watch is over, can everyone just relax?

The Cavaliers superstar will do what he's been saying he'd do for nearly a year -- sign a contract extension with the team when NBA rules allow, beginning Wednesday.

The new deal will be worth about $80 million for five years. The 6-foot-8 All-Star will be tied up for six more seasons, as his old contract calling for $5.8 million in 2006-2007 remains in place.

James has spent much of the past year saying that he was happy with the Cavaliers. He's a local kid who spent four years at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School when he was offered chances to attend prep schools all over the country.

Here's something that's impossible for people outside Northeast Ohio to understand: HE LIKES IT HERE! That deserves to be in capital letters with an exclamation point.

Yes, he flies to New York and to the West Coast to visit celebrity friends. But he also attends local high school and college games to watch his old buddies play ball.

He has invested in rebuilding some Akron-area recreation centers.

His bikeathon has raised money to give bikes to Akron kids who need them. He just announced that he's investing in a real estate deal in the Glenville area of Cleveland.

Last week, he was at Quicken Loans Arena to greet the Cavs' two new draft choices. He said he was thrilled with the team's best season since the early 1990s, as the Cavs won 50 games and took the Detroit Pistons to a seventh game in the second round of the playoffs.

OK, he wears a New York Yankees baseball cap.

But does any of this sound like a guy getting ready to leave?

Talking heads on national radio and television spent a week babbling about why James will bolt Cleveland as soon as possible.

In New York, there was the arrogant assumption that James would want to be a New York Knick. Don't they know James has seen the Knicks play? He wants to win, and can live without 15 photographers chasing him around every time he goes to the drugstore.

As of now, it doesn't seem that New York, Chicago or anywhere else is his kind of town. At 21, James is in no rush to leave, and his youth means he'll be in his basketball prime when the next contract expires in six years.

Part of the reason James will stay with the Cavs is the current NBA labor agreement, which gives a free agent's current team an enormous home-court advantage.

Many members of the media refused to acknowledge this. Some didn't do their homework; others just preferred to ignore the facts because it made for a better story.

This summer, no other NBA team could offer James a contract. Next summer, the Cavs had the right to match any offer James might have received. At any point, NBA rules allow the Cavs to give James more money and more years than any other team.

That's why stars such as Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) and Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) have remained with their original teams despite being in smaller markets.

Unlike baseball, where the Indians have lost the likes of Jim Thome, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez, the NBA has a salary cap that truly puts a lid on wild free-agent spending and protects all the franchises.

Another factor is the possibility of injury. A year ago, Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudamire was in the same basic contractual position as James, and he signed an extension. He's glad he did, because he suffered a major knee injury and missed most of last season.

Those are the dollars and common sense of the move.

But what's most annoying about this story is how so many in the national sports media spend so much time trying to figure out why James would want to dump the Cavaliers.

They paid little attention to how he's consistently said kind things about his hometown, how he really has invested in terms of charity in this area. Who cares that he enjoys playing in front of family and friends, right?

They didn't want to give new Cavs owner Dan Gilbert credit for stabilizing the front office with new general manager Danny Ferry and paying out big bucks to revamp the arena and the dressing rooms and upgrading travel and other amenities for players.

Some Cavs fans fell into the same trap, assuming James would walk away because other Cleveland sports heroes have in the past. They have listened too long to those who love to put down our part of the country.

James has never apologized for being from Northeast Ohio. He's never said anything critical about the Cavaliers, other than having reasonable expectations that the once-dismal franchise must improve.

When he was drafted by the Cavs, he said he planned to ``light up Cleveland like Vegas.''

On the nights when he plays at Quicken Loans Arena, he does just that. And he'll be playing there for a long time.

[Warham]

The NBA has the best free agency structure of any of the four major sports.

[POJO_Risin]

It's fan friendly for sure...

with the Larry Bird Rule...which allows the home team to resign players at higher deals...

but also allows sign and trades for players that absolutely want to leave...

Hockey's right now seems to be very similar...without the Larry Bird Rule...

[Warham]

Larry Bird...what a guy!

[POJO_Risin]

I'm relatively certain the player's association isn't keen on it though...overall...

imagine what Lebron would make without restrictions...

[Warham]

$30 million.

[POJO_Risin]

to start...

and he would be playing in LA...they'd probably be the closest team that would be able to do it...

of course...if LeBron could make 30...lmfao...I suppose that whore Kobe would be making some dough as well...

[Romeo Delight]

What's this?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2514918

LeBron James showed himself to be a shrewd businessman as an 18-year-old when he signed gigantic endorsement contracts before even entering the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers star may have pulled off another smart deal.

Is This Unprecedented?
In the summer of 2000, teams like Orlando and Chicago courted Spurs star Tim Duncan, but he opted to return to San Antonio. Unusually, however, he did so on a four-year deal with the fourth season being at his option, allowing him to return to free agency in the summer of 2003.

In that case, Duncan's motivation seemed geared more toward team success than toward compensation. He was unsure what the Spurs' future held (David Robinson was becoming a free agent in another year), so he gave himself a convenient escape route if the Spurs didn't add to their core in the intervening three years. Of course, that became a moot point when the Spurs won the title in Duncan's walk year, and he re-signed without a second thought.



Sources have told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that James has agreed to a three-year extension worth approximately $60 million, with a player option for a fourth season (rather than what was reported earlier as James being able to opt out of a four-year deal).

It had been widely reported that James would sign a five-year, $80 million maximum contract Wednesday. He could have very good reason to settle for less now.

If he were to decline his player option after the 2009-10 season, James would move into a higher salary bracket. As a seven-year veteran, he would be able to sign a contract paying up to 30 percent of a team's salary cap, as opposed to his current ceiling of 25 percent. Furthermore, a shorter contract would give James greater flexibility and leverage, should he decide he is unhappy with the Cavs' direction.

Unlike others from his draft class, James waited one week to agree to the Cavs' contract offer. Cleveland, which saw Carlos Boozer bolt for Utah after verbally agreeing to a deal, started to worry. It could be that James' representatives and the Cavaliers were fine-tuning this aspect of his deal.

No contract can be signed until Wednesday. James is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and will earn $5.8 million this season. His exact salary for the life of the extension will be determined when the salary cap is set by the NBA for the 2007-08 season.

He would have been eligible for restricted free agency in 2007, but James has said all along that he wanted to return to Cleveland, which is close to his hometown of Akron.

"I am very excited and happy to be re-signing with the Cavaliers. Staying in Cleveland ... provides me with the unique opportunity to continue to play in front of my family, friends and fans," James said in a statement released by his publicist this week. "I look forward to working toward bringing a championship to our great fans and the city of Cleveland."

That a superstar would ask to be paid less than that max would be a unique maneuver. It's similar to what Tim Duncan did after his third season with San Antonio.

Then again, James has made a habit of redefining the league. Last year, he became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game over the course of a season. His averages of 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game allowed him to join Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a single season.

Now, he could be in line for even more record-setting numbers, these ones on his paycheck. How this affects other superstars around the league remains to be seen. Miami's Dwyane Wade and Denver's Carmelo Anthony also said they would agree to max contracts this past week. According to Smith, James discussed the deal he was planning to sign with those players.

Like James, the true value of their extensions won't be known until the NBA sets the 2007-08 salary cap in July of next year. James could be leading the league again ... in business acumen.

Information from ESPN.com's Marc Stein and the Associated Press was used in this report.