LeBron would consider playing in Europe for about $50 million per season!

[salsadancer7]

HELL YEAH!! And so should ANY PLAYER being thrown THAT kind of money! LeBron can play a coupl of years, still in his prime and comeback to the NBA STILL in his late 20s!

LeBron James Would Consider Leaving NBA For Europe

Atlanta, GA 8/06/2008 02:30 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)

LeBron James would consider an offer from a European team and leave the NBA, according to reports on Wednesday.

A source close to James told ESPN.com that the Cleveland Cavaliers star would consider offers to play in Europe if a team offered a salary of "around $50 million a year."

The source close to James said LeBron would play in Europe only for a year or two before returning to the NBA. The move would be made in order for James to globalize the game of basketball.

The Russian team CSKA Moscow and the Greek team Olympiakos, which recently signed Josh Childress to three year, $30-million contract, have already contacted James. However, no financials were discussed.

James' current contract expires after the 2009-10 season as teams clamor to find salary cap space for his free agency. The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets are amongst the most interested suitors. However, no NBA team can offer James even $20 million a year due to the salary cap.

James will make $14,410,581 this upcoming season and $15,779,912 during the 2009-10 season. If he accepts his player option to stay in Cleveland for the 2010-11 season, he is slated to make $17,149,243.

With the recent contracts of Alex Rodriguez (10 year, $314 million), David Beckham (5 year, $250 million) and Michael Jordan's 1997-98 salary of $33 million, James' offer is not too outlandish. European teams have no salary cap, in addition to the euro, which is worth close to twice as much as the dollar.

If James left the NBA for Europe, it would be a nightmare for the league. "LeBron is one of the three or four players the league would definitely hate to lose," an official with the NBA Players' Association told ESPN.com. "If a team lost him or Kobe [Bryant] to Europe, it would lose its mind. It would be devastating."

James is currently playing with the US basketball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Team USA, known as the "Redeem Team", is looking to win the gold medal after winning bronze in the 2004 Games in Athens.


LeBron James Would Consider Leaving NBA For Europe

 

[HD MM]

You know ESPN is becoming more and more like a tabloid blog full of rumors and speculation rather than facts based on actual truths backed by quotes. And this is supposed to be a credible news source?!

Please try and find me one quote in this article:

a) From the source (LeBron) talking about him bolting for Europe.
b) From the other source (Europe team) saying they have the funds to make such an offer.

These fabricated speculations are becoming completely aggravating!

This whole article is based on a "source", yet contains no quotes or even gives credibility to the unnamed source. I tell you what, my source says LeBron is going to resign in Cleveland and win many Championships for the city. But guess what? That doesn't sell papers or stir the pot like ESPN is trying to do!

 

[anders5189]

LeBron would consider almost any offer that would get him out of Cleveland.

 

[HD MM]

LeBron would consider almost any offer that would get him out of Cleveland.

Or so the media wants you to believe.

 

[BillD1984]

You know ESPN is becoming more and more like a tabloid blog full of rumors and speculation rather than facts based on actual truths backed by quotes. And this is supposed to be a credible news source?!

Please try and find me one quote in this article:

a) From the source (LeBron) talking about him bolting for Europe.
b) From the other source (Europe team) saying they have the funds to make such an offer.

These fabricated speculations are becoming completely aggravating!

This whole article is based on a "source", yet contains no quotes or even gives credibility to the unnamed source. I tell you what, my source says LeBron is going to resign in Cleveland and win many Championships for the city. But guess what? That doesn't sell papers or stir the pot like ESPN is trying to do!

Amen!!!!!

 

[Hart5150]

You know ESPN is becoming more and more like a tabloid blog full of rumors and speculation rather than facts based on actual truths backed by quotes. And this is supposed to be a credible news source?!

Please try and find me one quote in this article:

a) From the source (LeBron) talking about him bolting for Europe.
b) From the other source (Europe team) saying they have the funds to make such an offer.

These fabricated speculations are becoming completely aggravating!

This whole article is based on a "source", yet contains no quotes or even gives credibility to the unnamed source. I tell you what, my source says LeBron is going to resign in Cleveland and win many Championships for the city. But guess what? That doesn't sell papers or stir the pot like ESPN is trying to do!

+1:up:up

The public got a lot of misinformation about "spygate" last year from ESPN, people acted like it was gospel but it was lies.

ESPN/ESPN Radio has gone in the toilet in the last 2 years.

 

[anders5189]

LeBron's no dope. He's in jail right now just like KG was all those years in Minnesota. LeBron saw what happened to KG once he got out of there and had some good teammates in Boston.

 

[HD MM]

LeBron's no dope. He's in jail right now just like KG was all those years in Minnesota. LeBron saw what happened to KG once he got out of there and had some good teammates in Boston.

KG fell into a good situation of a team who happened upon tons of cap space one year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Cavaliers don't have a single player under contract (with exception to re-signed Daniel Gibson) for more than LeBron's two year deal.

What does this mean? When LeBron becomes a FA after the 2010 season, the Cav's will have a free slate and salary cap to work with. Oh btw, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are free agents then too. So hypothetically, Cleveland will be in position to make a few moves come 2010, ala Boston.

 

[SabresRule]

Oh btw, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are free agents then too. So hypothetically, Cleveland will be in position to make a few moves come 2010, ala Boston.

Just wondering, but who are free agents in 2009?

I see Cleveland making a big move next year to prevent the possibility of LeBron even testing the waters.

 

[anders5189]

So hypothetically, Cleveland will be in position to make a few moves come 2010, ala Boston.

So will the Knicks. Being the King of Cuyahoga is not quite the same as being the King of the Big Apple.

 

[HD MM]

Just wondering, but who are free agents in 2009?

I see Cleveland making a big move next year to prevent the possibility of LeBron even testing the waters.

RealGM: 2009 Free Agents

 

[SabresRule]

So will the Knicks. Being the King of Cuyahoga is not quite the same as being the King of the Big Apple.

The Knicks won't be better by then, and LeBron will never play for a loser.

 

[HD MM]

So will the Knicks. Being the King of Cuyahoga is not quite the same as being the King of the Big Apple.

In a day in a sports age where it is commonplace to make fun of any mid-to-small market town simply because it is not New York/Boston/Los Angeles/Chicago is tiresome. Frankly your echoing the same nonsense that we all hear everyday from the big city speculators.

With that said and on a similar topic. SI writer, Peter King was in town recently and commented on Cleveland. Comments like these from a national reporter were actually refreshing from what we're used to hearing from his fellow big city colleagues...

"The other night I dined with Cleveland GM Phil Savage on the outdoor patio of the Moosehead Café, a pleasant tavern with Moosehead Beer (God, how long has it been since I had a Moosehead?). The cafe is on the border of Westlake and Bay Village on the west side of Cleveland, and we were at the table on a cool, breezy, clear night for a couple of hours. [...]

The bill came: $36.08.

I thought: Isn't traveling wonderful? When you live in a megalopolis, you get used to paying double that for less. [...]

I hadn't seen the Lake communities on the west side of Cleveland since my post-college days, when the family considered moving to northeast Ohio. Beautiful. The parks, the homes on the lake, the green space … Anyone who rips Cleveland has never been to the west side of town."
​

 

[vurbano]

+1:up:up

The public got a lot of misinformation about "spygate" last year from ESPN, people acted like it was gospel but it was lies.

ESPN/ESPN Radio has gone in the toilet in the last 2 years.

What lies? The Pats and Bellicheck are cheats and have been for years. They should have been banned from post season play for two years and Bellicheat banned from the NFL.

 

[SabresRule]

RealGM: 2009 Free Agents

If I'm Cleveland, I'd go after these names:

Mehmet Okur

Shaq

Raja Bell

T-Mac

 

[anders5189]

The Knicks won't be better by then, and LeBron will never play for a loser.

The Knicks are no worse off than Boston was, especially now that Isiah's gone. You give them 2 years to dump salary and maybe pick up a good draft pick, they should have a top 5 pick, and Knicks can make a run at LeBron. The alternative is staying in Cleveland and watching Danny Ferry stock the team with players in the mold of....Danny Ferry.

 

[Hart5150]

What lies? The Pats and Bellicheck are cheats and have been for years. They should have been banned from post season play for two years and Bellicheat banned from the NFL.

And you should be banned from humanity for that amount of stupidity spew.

EDIT: Here you go, Junior! FRAMe

 

[SabresRule]

I won't even waste my breathe/fingers on a moron like you, who marches to whatever ESPN tells him.

And you should be banned from humanity for that amount of stupidity spew.

You just convinced me to put him on my ignore list.

Thanks!

 

[BillD1984]

And you should be banned from humanity for that amount of stupidity spew.

EDIT: Here you go, Junior! FRAMe

Hart,

don't argue with him. Don't you realize he's the all-knowing?


Seriously, Me-Me and now this. He's just trying to get a rise out of Boston fans.

 

[BillD1984]

What lies?

More like: WHAT PROOF?