Even hometown boy Wade didn't want to play there. I don't think it's over. There might be a great players down the road that will look up to Jordan and probably would love to play for the Bulls.
Winnng one anywhere is difficult and a big deal. If winning one in NY was some kind of holy conquest then FA's every year would have wanted to sign with the Knicks and they wouldn't have remained irrelevant for this long.
When was the last time New York actually had capspace? Your answer to my question will point you into the direction as to why the Knicks have remained irrelevant for this long.
Is it Capspace or a genius named Isiah? Maybe a combination of both but you make it sound like the Knicks have never had capspace.
So, I just read that LeBron will be heading to Carmelo's NY wedding after the announcement. I'll be optimistic and think that the Greenwich B&G Club was available and close to both ESPN and the Friday bachelor party and has nothing to do with the Knicks. Seriously though, I can't think of the wrath and bad karma you would create by having an hour-long show predicated on you screwing over your hometown. Still, I guess the flaks at ESPN and the NBA could make that palatable for a lot of folks.
kobe had a shot to be the best ever and he once demanded a trade to the bulls. if what you say is true, why would he want to play there? infact, he admitted today that he needed to leave chicago and make that decision without involving his emotions. at the end of the day the raps couldn't reach an agreement with the bulls on a S&T for bosh. so pairing with bosh was more important than signing with the bulls. however, he said he would've loved to play for the bulls (why? if he was scared of jordan's legacy) but he saw a greater opportunity with the heat. wade is about winning, he made the choice that puts him in the best position to win.
With Bosh going to Miami Boozer to Chicago Amare to NY why would Lebron go back to Cleveland? I dont think that team is even built to winning a championship and those other east teams just got hellalot better!
Again, when did the Knicks have significant capspace and when has a player of LeBron's caliber been this "available" on the free agent market? The answer is pretty clear I would think. The Knicks just can't sign every FA like you stated simply because they've been paying luxury tax for, what, 5 seasons now? This isn't like baseball where the Yankees can just buy whoever they want in the winter time. Winning just ONE championship for the Knicks and for the city that people/media everywhere calls the "Mecca of Basketball" is going to propel LeBron's status in New Yorkers' minds up there with the Namaths, Mantles, and Jeters. There's no doubt about that.
I'm sure Duncan, Shaq, KG, Kobe, Dirk, Nash, Kidd, Mcgrady, Iverson etc were FA's at one point of their career while they were still in their prime. If NY really was the Mecca of basketball I'm sure they would have opted out or dreamed to one day play in NY. For one reason or another it didn't happen..... Perhaps you're putting NY up on a pedestal. Sure, NY is the biggest city in the US but in the end it's just another city with another basketball team.
Because Kobe got a big ego and balls and he is a competitor. Another thing is that he already won 3 championships and wants to surpass Jordan and saw the easy opportunity in front of him with the Chicago lineup. Different players have different mindset. Some might enjoy being compare to Jordan while others does not. As for Wade. Him with Chicago Bulls would beat Miami with him and Bosh. I could be wrong about him worrying about being compare to Jordan since I'm pretty sure Miami and the city been good to him so staying would make perfect sense if Bosh is onboard. But I'm sure in the back of his mind the first thing he join the Bulls and doesn't win a single championship or even make it to the final. It would be a big disappointment and failure that anyone wants to remember with.
I didn't say every player that is considered to be one of the best ever would be hesitant to join the Bulls. Hell for some it might drive them....I was just simply stating the fact that the only players who Jordan's legacy might actually effect is those we deem as being comparable to Jordan. As we can see, it fed Kobe's desire....maybe not so much for Lebron. The simple fact is you went and overgeneralized what I was saying to include all superstars....and I tried to clear up that it isn't every superstar that would be hesitant....but perhaps those that we actually compare to Jordan might be hesitant. It isn't a fact, just a line of thinking.
Are you seriously that hardheaded to deny the fact that the last time the Knicks had capspace was about 20 years ago? In fact, I don't remember the last time a big-market team had this much capspace since Chicago did 10 years ago. If any of those players you mentioned wanted to play in NY, they would have had to sign them to some paltry contract or work out a S&T that their former teams wouldn't have accepted. I'm putting NY on a pedestal? I'm sorry for stating FACTS. New York fans have been dying for an NBA championship since I don't know when and they've supported their team even when it's god-awful (they ranked 5th in average attendance this past season btw). So why is the notion that having the best player on the planet and winning one championship with him at the helm, thereby putting said player in the realm of legendary status among NEW YORKERS, so hard for you to comprehend?
players don't gravitate towards teams that don't have a history of winning. it's why shaq signed with the lakers, why kg agreed to be traded to the celtics, why the rockets landed pippen, why kobe demanded a trade to the bulls (which the lakers refused of course), why kareem left milwaukee for LA. ny, for all of its love of basketball has not had a successful team. if lebron goes there it will be a first in nba history (for a major player to move to a win with a losing history). i'm still betting on chicago, or staying home in cleveland.
"First one ever"? You do realize the Knicks won 2 titles in the 70s right? If Lebron does go to NY Surely Curry's expiring $18 mil or whatever could be traded to fill out the roster. This year of all years come trade deadline there will be plenty of teams looking to dump long term salary so they can sign a larger percentage of their roster under the new rules. NY of course has rarely cared about taking on salary and that strategy would finally make sense with Lebron and Stoudamire inplace.
Knicks have had some success.. Check: '50s, '70s, early '90s. 2 championships, multiple conference titles and division titles.
That's what I'm saying. You know your franchise can't be THAT GREAT when Patrick Chewing is the leader in virtually every single category. If Lebron goes to New York it's probably more for his hard-on for the Yankees than anything else.
Now you're reaching. 50's, 70's and even early 90's was a long time ago. I'll even say the Knicks had some success in the late 90's and early 00's just to give you the benefit of the doubt but the Knicks as a franchise is severely overrated.
