July 8th, 2010 by Chase

With so much talk going on about LeBron James I figured it would be better that I make my points as quickly and efficiently as possible. So lets get into this shall we?

The Big 3 Will Not Be Enough

As entertaining as the combination of Bosh, Wade, & LeBron will be it alone will not be good enough to win a championship. There are some serious holes in this Miami roster. Can Mario Chalmers be a starting point guard for a championship caliber team? Who will play in the front-court with Bosh that will give them more length and size to compete with bigger teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic?

Just a single answer to just 1 of these questions could result in the Heat reaching the cap. And what about the bench? Miami is going to need at least 3 solid players at key positions to come off the bench and be not just good, but strong contributors. Most likely they will need a big man, a swing man, and a point guard to come off the bench and provide huge contributions throughout the season.

The 2008 Boston Celtic Comparison

Everybody in the media is comparing this big three (naturally) to the big 3 compiled in Boston back in 2008 that resulted in a championship. Not so fast “experts!” Boston had a point guard by the name of Rajon Rondo that provided a 4th big threat for the C’s. Even though many of us at the time didn’t think much of Rondo, he became arguably one of the best PG’s in the league. Is this something that Mario Chalmers can pull off? That’s going to be quite a stretch. And I doubt it will happen.

Let’s not forget 3-point shooting. Boston in 2008 had a ton of it. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Eddie House, and James Posey could all light it up from 3 point range. This Miami team doesn’t have any of that yet. And with drivers and slashers like Wade and LeBron, they HAVE to have 3 point threats to spread the floor.

It Won’t Be Enough…This Year At Least

There’s no doubt Pat Riley will be able to lure a few solid veteran players down to Miami for minimums simply based off the opportunity to play with this Miami “Super Team.” But in the end it won’t be enough to win a championship…at least in the 2010-11 season that is. Look for it to take till after this season for LeBron to get a ring in Miami.

July 6th, 2010 by ckirkham

Can’t get a ring? How about a twitter account instead?

The twitter account @KingJames already has almost 50,000 followers, and still hasn’t been verified by Twitter. However, all kinds of people in the know are saying it’s him, and it is coming at a time when the King is expected to announce where he is moving his throne, if at all. As with most celebrities, I’m sure we’ll all be waiting with baited breath to see what he tweets from the toilet.

Update:

The account is verified and up to 116,000 followers. The King’s epic first tweet:
Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building “Finally”. My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas’d me up to jump on board so I’m here. Haaaa
So classic.

May 25th, 2010 by ckirkham

With the free agency looming in the near future, the LeBron question is still the most talked about topic in all of basketball. In my last post I discussed why LeBron should go to the New York Knicks. However, I think that there is a much better choice for LeBron. Here are 5 very good reasons that LeBron James should play in the Windy City.

1. Stepping into Michael’s shoes

As a child, LeBron worshiped Michael Jordan. Now he has a very real chance to step into MJ’s shoes and pick up where he left off. Going to play in Chicago would be huge for King James. It may help him realize what he is- the future and the face of the NBA. Playing in Cleveland might have diluted his vision, but playing in Chicago would be one of the best things to help LeBron recapture his focus and become the champion we all know he will be.

2. Championships

In order to be considered to be the best player on the planet, LeBron is going to have to win some championships, and Chicago is the best suited team to get him to the NBA finals. Chicago has shown in the past few years that they are a force to be reckoned with. Adding LeBron will help them get what they’ve not had in the postseason recently- home court advantage. Putting LeBron in that locker room will almost guarantee increasing the size of the trophy case.

3. Supporting Cast: Derrick Rose/Joahkim Noah

Even though it seemed like the Bulls didn’t have much respect for the King during their playoff series this year, one can tell that Noah and Rose secretly wish that LeBron was on their side of the court. If the Bulls decide to keep these two killers, Chicago will be unstoppable with a royal addition. Derrick Rose seems to get every shot he wants and Noah is as dominant on defense as James himself. Throw in King James and you wont believe what the Bulls will do.

4. Leadership through the Post-Season.

We’ve seen LeBron power through the regular season year after year only to disintegrate in the post-season. Chase and I have long discussed the “killer instinct” as being something that you need to win a championship. Players like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are key examples of players who are willing to sacrifice everything- family, positive press, health, friendships- to try and win rings. LeBron has shown us for the past 7 years that he lacks that instict, but Derrick Rose doesn’t. With LeBron to lead the team in the regular season, Derrick Rose can use his killer instinct to help carry the team the rest of the way. This is one of the things that Cleveland has always lacked- a leader to step up when the King isn’t able to.

5. Large Market

LeBron needs to be in a large market. New York is an obvious choice, biggest star on the biggest stage. But one cannot look past Chicago, a city with a tremendous sports tradition. LeBron would integrate seamlessly into the Midwest metropolis and bring them something they’ve lacked since they lost Jordan- Superstardom.

Lebron To Chicago Promo from LCJM on Vimeo.

Chris Kirkham is a professional blogger and video producer with a B.S. in Journalism. He hates the Lakers more than any team in any sport in any country on earth. Even more than the Patriots. You can follow him on Twitter, if you’d like, or argue with him in the comments below.

May 18th, 2010 by ckirkham

Never has there been more speculation and conversation about a player’s free agency than with LeBron in 2010. From the start of the season to his last game in Boston, every blog and sportswriter has been guessing, analyzing and theorizing about where LeBron might take his game. This blog is no exception. We’ve got our tinfoil hats and our crystal balls and we think we’ve made some pretty good decisions about where he should end up. As far as it goes we think that he could likely end up on either the Bulls or the Knicks or stay with the Cavs. We’ve compiled some strong arguments for each. To start things off, here are 5 good reasons for Lebron James to go to New York.

1. It’s New York.

Would you rather live in a penthouse on the Upper East Side and play on the biggest stage in the world or live 30 minutes from your hometown in a city full of cursed sports franchises? New York loves LeBron and LeBron reciprocates. If the Knicks were to sign him, he’d keep doing what LeBron does- Amazing us. Only now he’d do it for one of the most well-known sports teams in the most well-known city in the world.

2. Supporting cast: David Lee/Toney Douglas

Everyone talks about how the Knicks will be a bad place for LeBron because there’s no one on the team. While it is true that the New York Knickerbockers have done everything they could to shred their roster and increase their cap room, they still have some solid players. David Lee is one of the hardest working centers in basketball, and, game in and game out, leaves everything he has on the court. After his rookie season, Toney Douglas is looking like he’s going to shape up to be a solid guard- especially with shooting around the perimeter. If you add LeBron to the equation, he can either dish it to his big man under the hoop or swing it out to his guard or take it to the hole himself. The best part- The team is young and has room to bring in another veteran player for LeBron.

3. Mike D’Antoni

D’Antoni is one of the most unique and clever coaches in the NBA, and his 7 second offense is perfect for LeBron. D’Antoni has been waiting for the 2010-11 season ever since he signed with the Knicks, because now he can start coaching a real team. Even if they don’t get LeBron, D’Antoni will turn whatever they end up with into a competitive powerhouse. Another plus is that D’Antoni and James already have a coach/player relationship after the 2008 Olympics, showing that they can work together and win.

4. Chasing the dream

Could you imagine having the God-given talent, charisma and body that LeBron James has and ending up thirty minutes from where you went to high school? Have you been back to your hometown and seen your old friends from high school that still hang out? They’re a regular bunch of winners, aren’t they? LeBron is haunted by the fact that he still lives at home essentially. He’s the face of modern basketball all over the world and he’s still living at home essentially. The boy has the skills and the drive to play anywhere in America, and you can see in his eyes that he wants to go where the stars shine brightest.

5. A King-Size Throne for a King-Size Ego

I may have already covered this in point one, but it should be underscored that the kid has game. Statistically speaking he is hands down the best player on the planet right now (especially if we leave all of that leadership and drive and intangible stuff out of the conversation). Moving LeBron to New York puts him in a prime position to be what he has always dreamed of being- the biggest star in the world. New York will cheer for him. There will be parades. He will have instant access to the world’s premier advertising agencies. He will constantly be available for cameos in movies, TV shows, commercials, ESPN headquarters. He will be the center of attention in the Big Apple. He could potentially bring NY their first basketball championship since 1973. As much as I’d like to think that there might be better opportunities for him elsewhere, New York will offer him one thing nothing else has yet- immortality.

Chris Kirkham is a professional blogger and video producer with a B.S. in Journalism. He hates the Lakers more than any team in any sport in any country on earth. Even more than the Patriots. You can follow him on Twitter, if you’d like, or argue with him in the comments below.

February 27th, 2010 by Chase

It seems like every other game or so, LeBron James has one of those dunks that has you and your work buddies “buzzing”, talking about how amazing it was around the Coffee Maker in the break room. LeBron James is never short on providing highlights of some of the most ridiculous dunks you have ever seen, especially in a game.  Here are 7 from this season (so far. many more to come) that had me jumping out of my seat when I saw them.

1. Two hand rim shaker!

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. Off the Wall? This one is crazy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Reverse 2 hand dunk from Shaq

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. The Statue of Liberty

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. A Windmill Reverse? In a Game?

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6. True Power and Speed

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7. The Mo Williams to LeBron James Back Cut

Click here to view the embedded video.

January 22nd, 2010 by Chase

The Lakers loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night finished off a season sweep of the Cavs over the Lakers. In the big part 2 of this seasons much anticipated showdown between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, it was LeBron who individually got the better of Kobe this time around scoring a game high 37 points and adding in 9 assists. Kobe’s numbers were no chump numbers by any means, adding in 31 points. But it was clear that when the 4th Quarter came around LeBron was “out for blood” and took over the entire last 8 minutes of the game.

Quick Thought: Phil Jackson sat Kobe Bryant out during the 4th Quarter and all the way until 5 minutes left in the game. Not sure what his thinking was with this. Between the 8 and 5 minute marks is when LeBron James got going offensively. In my opinion PJ made a big mistake not putting Kobe back in the game at the exact same time Cleveland put LeBron back in.

Some Thoughts on the Kobe/Lebron Thing

It’s been obvious the past two seasons that Kobe’s athleticism has slowed down tremendously. Add that with the incredible never before seen athleticism of LeBron James and you can see how LeBron can dominate Kobe in a game physically. The best example came from TNT’s Kenny Smith at the end of the game where he described LeBron as someone who “goes through you” to score the ball while Kobe “goes around and over you”.

It’s obvious to me that Kobe Bryant is still transitioning to the softer, older mans game and is not fully comfortable dominating a game with it just yet. There will be a time, just like with MJ where Kobe will feel more comfortable dominating the game with turn around jumpers. But we witnessed tonight how Kobe wants to match LeBron with athleticism but just unable to do it. The ability is just not there for the athletic style game. LeBron wins that battle any day of the week.

Warning Kobe Fans…There Will Be Haters

I’m putting out a warning to all Kobe Bryant fans (myself including) that there will be Kobe Haters approaching you today boasting how LeBron is the better player after his performance last night against the Kobe and the Lakers. But remember that it’s just 1 game. And like Chris Webber and Kenny Smith were quick to remind people at the end of the game on TNT’s Inside the NBA, until Kobe can be dethroned as a champion he’s still the best player on the planet!