June 29th, 2010 - Lebron, Come to the Nets!

Email Tom @ TomO@NJMAX.com

Although the Nets move from New Jersey to Brooklyn is imminent, they will still always have the support of us Jersey fans.  There will always be a place in my heart for watching games when I was younger at the old Continental Airlines Arena; boy, is that place just full of nostalgia or what?  Jayson Williams, where have you gone (jail?)? 

…At any rate, because of my support for the Nets, and with NBA free agent season just around the corner, I am now going to use NJMAX as a platform to attempt to convince LeBron James to come play for us, even if we only get him for a year in Jersey at the Rock.  Aside from New Jersey’s obvious appeals; the shore, the Guido’s, the diners, Cake Boss (hey Lary, when are we gonna get a Cake Boss page?  That show is freakin’ awesome, and maybe they’ll make cake in the shape of your head for you or something), the tomatoes, the strip clubs, etc., coming to play for the Nets actually makes a lot of BASKETBALL SENSE for LeBron.  If he actually wants to win a championship and isn’t all about the money (because under NBA rules Cleveland can offer him the most money), LeBron should take a serious look at the Nets franchise.
The Nets also make a ton of business sense for the “LeBron franchise,” just in case he is all about the money.  NBA Titles, huge celebrity parties, brand expansion, the list goes on and on for reasons why LeBron should be a Net in 2010.  But, because I know you’re busy LBJ, I’ve narrowed down the list to 8 reasons, and included lots of pretty pictures…

Reason #1: Mikhail Prokhorov, our crazy Russian billionaire owner

Who doesn’t love this guy?  He’s witty, he’s filthy rich, he probably loves vodka… LeBron, the possibilities are simply endless with this man…  Seriously, though, he seems to be willing to spend his money in order to put a good product on the court, and I see his charisma and deep pockets leading him to a Mark Cuban-esque resurrection of the Nets franchise.  The two seem to have a lot in common, and the Mavs have been really good consistently for the past decade.

Reason #2: JAY-Z, Nets minority owner.  JAY-Z is the biggest name in hip-hip, and I would argue the biggest “Rock Star” of the 21st Century thus far.  If you come to the Nets LeBron, you’ll be in all of Jay’s videos, partying with all of Jay’s homies, like Puffy… and who doesn’t want to party with Puffy?  But not only is JAY-Z one of the coolest men on the planet, he’s dating Beyonce for goodness sakes.

Mmmhhhmmmmmm… Beyonce.  And I hear she’s pregnant.  Hey LeBron, how would you like to have Jay and Beyonce’s baby named after you?  Come to the Nets, and we can make it happen.
And again, going back to basketball, JAY-Z has the status and drawing power to lure other big name free agents (“If Jesus payin’ LeBron, I’m paying DeWayne Wade” From his hit “Empire State of Mind”).

REASON #3: The Nets have cap room.  They have enough cap room not only to sign LeBron, but also to sign another nice “piece” to the puzzle.  The likes of a David Lee or Rudy Gay are names being circulated around, both guys are better than anything LeBron had in Cleveland.

REASON #4: What LeBron had in Cleveland, also known as “Garbage.”  
Let’s compare what will probably being the Cav’s starting 5 in 2010 to what the Nets could have in 2010 (both with LeBron, not including any other possible free agent signings)

Ok, so the Nets team clearly has less experience, even with LeBron, but all the Cav’s team has experience in is BLOWING IT in the playoffs.  What the Nets offer is POTENTIAL; Harris could be a stud if he has someone like LBJ to pass to, Williams is highly regarded among scouts as a breakout star waiting to happen, and the Nets just drafted Favors with the 3rd pick in the draft (I’m not even going to go into why Brook Lopez is better than Shaq in 2010, everybody already knows why).

REASON #5: The Knicks.  This is to put down any notion that the “other” New York area franchise is a plausible destination for LeBron.  Their owner is an idiot.  Their GM is possibly a bigger idiot.  If David Lee leaves (and for his sake I hope he does) the team will have no talent.  All three of these things are proven by the Knicks record this past decade: they have only made the playoffs once in the last 9 seasons and haven’t won a playoff series since 2000.  Seriously LeBron, you might as well stay in Cleveland.  And if it’s New York exposure you want, well the Nets are the obvious choice, with 2 NBA Finals appearances in the past decade.

REASON #6: The Nets are moving to Brooklyn, and Brooklyn is in hallowed New York City, with the bright lights and big names LeBron is just dying for.  He probably can make millions in ads wherever he goes, but NYC would certainly maximize his potential.

REASONS #7 and 8:

Yep LeBron, you know you want to come to the Nets.  The team is young, talented, and fresh.  The ownership is hip and rich.  The Jersey tomatoes are ripe and round and luscious…

Most Recent Update
-updated 6.29.2010