I Love NY?

I have a twin brother, and I often get asked what it's like. People assume that we have ESP. This is not the case, however, I often say that we have a connection that is unique. I have this connection to thank for my greatest sports achievements (which is not saying much). Our chemistry on the basketball floor had something to do with back-to-back b-league intramural championships at North Park University, as well as a string of consecutive 3-on-3 tournament championships at Covenant Cedars Bible Camp. (Put that on my hall of fame plaque).

Anyhow, this week, our close connection was evident again when Jeff posted on my Facebook wall, "Lebron should go to Knicks." It was entirely out of the blue, and when he wrote it, he had no idea that I was thinking about blogging on this exact topic. Not only that, but I (almost) completely agree.

Now before I tell you why I agree with this let me make one thing clear:

I hate it when people talk about what an athlete should do. Athletes are people with backgrounds, personalities, interests, and motives that fans cannot understand. Lots of people say Michael Jordan should have stay retired after his sixth championship. Michael Jordan's stint with the Wizards is not a pretty part of his legacy, but that doesn't mean it was the wrong decision. So when I say Lebron James should go to the Knicks, I actually mean, I would really really like to see Lebron on the Knicks.

Living in Minneapolis, as I do, the big news around here is Joe Mauer signing an 8-year, $1 billion dollar contract. Obvious comparisons have been drawn between the two athletes. Both of them young. Both of them playing in (or very near) the cities they grew up in. Both of them MVPs. Both of them playing in small markets. Both of them good guys.

The comparisons are completely appropriate. But what I'm afraid of is the if Lebron leaves Cleveland, people will assume he is somehow a worse person than Joe Mauer: that choosing to leave Cleveland is an indictment of Lebron's values. But there are some key differences between their two situations. And to me, these differences are enough to make me think that the better decision is for Lebron to go to New York.

1. Lebron and Mauer have different lifestyles and goals. By all accounts, Mauer likes to hunt, fish, spend time in his cabin on a lake. And there is no better place in the United States to do this than Minnesota (at least no better place where you can play professional baseball and do this). Lebron, on the other hand, has stated his desire to be a global icon. Some will say that he has achieved this in Cleveland, which is true. But, if this is your stated goal, then your probably not going to settle. And there is no better place in the United States to continue your ascent to global icon than New York (I tried doing this in Omaha, and it was really hard).

2. Baseball and basketball are two different sports. Basketball, and particularly NBA basketball, is my favorite sport (I may have to explain this in a later post). One of the things I love about the NBA, is that it tends to make sense. The best team usually wins. A history NBA champions doesn't include anomalies like the 1997 Marlins (with the possible exception of the 2002 Pistons, but still they were not the Marlins). Also, the best players tend to win championships. In my lifetime championships have been won by Bird, Magic, Isaiah, Jordan, Olajuwon, O'Neal, Bryant, Garnett, etc. By going to New York, Lebron risks leaving a good situation (especially if the Cavs win it all this year). But it is almost a guarantee that the Knicks would be contending for a title within a year. Baseball has no such guarantees. In baseball, the Yankees can have a 9 year World Series drought. Mauer leaving a pretty good Twins team to go to the Red Sox or Yankees guarantees him nothing. Baseball is too team oriented and too nuanced. Too many things can go wrong. In basketball, if you have one of the best players, you'll probably do ok.

Outside of these reasons there are a few others that make me excited about the prospect of Lebron in NY:

1. D'Antoni and Lebron: D'Antoni is largely responsible for basketballs continuing rise back to popularity (which will be killed by the 2012 lockout). But the question has been, can he win it all? Well, give him the best player in the league and I think we'll find out. Lebron's gifts of strength, speed, and court vision fit perfectly into D'Antoni's running style. This would be endlessly entertaining.

2. Lebron could probably pick his team. Yes, the cupboard is bare in NY. But in basketball, as much as any sport, free agents go to desirable destinations. The combination of playing in NY and playing with Lebron will be too appealing to say "no" to. He'll probably bring Wade or Bosh with him (although I think Joe Johnson alongside him, in that offense, is also a nice option). And if they need to add more later, it will be easy. D'Antoni took a starting five of Nash, Raja Bell, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, and Kurt Thomas to the Conference Finals (this after losing Joe Johnson and Stoudemire sitting out with injury). It won't take long to put a couple nice pieces around Lebron.

3. We love watching Lebron play in Cleveland, we'll LOVE watching him play in New York. New York is a great basketball city. Even when I hated the Knicks, I always enjoyed watching games at the Garden. It feels like an event. Basketball is just more fun with the big cities involved.

Again, I struggle with my own feelings on this issue. I usually enjoy rooting for small markets. I like it when players stay in one uniform for their whole career. I think Lebron's chances to win a championship may decrease slightly with the move. But if he decides to stay in Cleveland, it will be boring. All the speculation will have amounted to nothing. We'll try to tell ourselves that finally leading Cleveland to a championship is a better story than reviving basketball in the biggest city in the country, but we'll be wrong. The best player in basketball, in the biggest city, is the best story. Just like Jordan, Lebron will be able to captivate even non-fans. Worst case scenario: we'll have another reason to root against New York.