LeBron James’ move this past summer is very unexpected. There are speculations that he will be a Laker but with just a low percentage or less chance. Nobody thought that he would actually pick the Los Angeles Lakers over some teams that is more relevant. There are a lot of options for James like the Philadelphia 76ers where he has more chance to win a championship teaming up with young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with a great supporting cast but he did not choose the easy way. He chose to join a team that he wants to make better. He wants to bring the underdog Lakers team back to the top of the basketball world where it truly belongs. But before he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he had a lot of hard choices and some tempting options that not all people know.
New York is one of the biggest markets in the league and one of the most successful franchises in basketball history. New York is a nice city and there are lots of opportunities there. Life in New York is nice. Athletes can have a nice lifestyle there after their respective careers ends.
The Madison Square Garden is one of the nicest arenas in basketball and LeBron will surely be loved by Knicks fans. Back in 2010, the Knicks also tried to lure LeBron James before he joined the Miami Heat. Knicks fans had high hopes that the King will end up playing for them, but they failed. Last summer, Knicks failed again in luring LeBron but in an interview, James revealed that he heavily considered signing with the New York Knicks.
If LeBron signed with New York last summer, I think it will not be a different story. The Knicks also didn’t have a decent lineup but they had a lot of young prospects who have high ceiling and can be develop especially with him on the team. Same situation as the Lakers, and the only difference is the conference he is playing.
The Eastern Conference is an easier path to the NBA Finals and that makes a lot of sense for him and for the Knicks. Maybe, the only reason why LeBron didn’t choose the Knicks is because of Phil Jackson. We all know how Phil ruined Carmelo Anthony’s career. He is the reason why Melo’s reputation had been all ruined and it has a lot to do with his confidence. I think LeBron would not want to play for Phil that’s why he chose the Los Angeles Lakers over the New York Knicks.
Comments