Knicks ask Trump to recruit LeBron

[Multi-Billionaire]

The New York Knicks have asked an all-star panel of boldface names to help recruit LeBron James and other top NBA free agents to make Madison Square Garden their new home. The committee includes Donald Trump, Spike Lee, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Boomer Esiason and Chris Rock, according to the New York Post.

 

"New York would be a great thing for LeBron," Trump told the Post. "He would take over the city ... I can tell you, LeBron, there is only one New York."

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5288924

 

 

I think it's HUGE for Knicks that Trump decides to join the recruiting team.

 

Once Trump sets his mind toward a goal, rarely he's unsuccessful because he's persistent.

 

And to think from LeBron's view, you're basically a $200 mil athlete now. What's next? The next goal should be to become a first NBA billionaire. What better mentor to have than Trump? Besides being a successful businessman, Trump is also a socialite. They will become fast friends. Together they can do many great endeavors and work in achieving LeBron's dream come true.

 

As for competing for NBA championship in New York, I can't see why it can't be done. People think the Knicks as if they're gonna be a lottery team for decades. It's non-sense.

 

 

In other words, I'm pulling for LeBron to go to New York.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Snake

[reno]

Why would you want lebron to go to ny? Your a nuggets fan..

Everyone should want the king in chicago ; )

Edited June 16, 2010 by DaBron James

[fish7718]

This is pretty big, Trump is about as big as it gets, Cleveland can make as many videos as they want We have our "Trump" card

[JWaLL]

This is just getting sad.

[Multi-Billionaire]

Why would you want lebron to go to ny? Your a nuggets fan..

Everyone should want the king in chicago ; )

 

Haha... Chicago is definitely the 2nd city I want to see LeBron go.

 

I mean if I was LeBron, I would definitely go to New York. People say the exposure and media there will kill athletes. Being a superstar, you'd kind of want to defy that and prove it wrong. But that's if I was him.

 

Besides I kind of want New York back in playoffs, their arena is beautiful. When the Knicks are contenders, it feels right than when they're lotteries... I don't know why lol

[Multi-Billionaire]

This is just getting sad.

 

Explain?

[JWaLL]

Explain?

The Knicks have used multiple possibly extravagant tactics to lure Lebron to New York. Parades, getting (paying off) celebrities to persuade him, etc. It is unlikely Lebron ends up in New York, and all of this effort will be for nothing.

[NomarFachix]

The Knicks have used multiple possibly extravagant tactics to lure Lebron to New York. Parades, getting (paying off) celebrities to persuade him, etc. It is unlikely Lebron ends up in New York, and all of this effort will be for nothing.

 

Parades? What? I think you're mixing teams up there. Pretty sure that was the Clippers.

 

Lebron is a free agent, you make any and all efforts to get him to come. What would be sad is if the Knicks, with the situation they've put themselves in, didn't go balls to the wall to get him to come here.

[Multi-Billionaire]

The Knicks have used multiple possibly extravagant tactics to lure Lebron to New York. Parades, getting (paying off) celebrities to persuade him, etc. It is unlikely Lebron ends up in New York, and all of this effort will be for nothing.

 

How do you know it's "unlikely"? Do you have a source where LeBron says "I don't like the idea of playing in New York", etc?

 

If you think "all of this effort will be for nothing", then what do you think New York should do?

[moeroadkill]

i agree with Jwall. all these 'please came back', 'we want you here' etc. etc. websites are really annoying and pathetic.

edit, not talking just about the knicks but for all teams doing it

Edited June 16, 2010 by MoeRoadKill

[Multi-Billionaire]

^How is "effort" pathetic?

 

You think LeBron would come to a team that makes no attempt to sign him? "You guys are cool, cuz everyone tried to sign me except you. The fact you don't want me is cool, I'm signing with you."

 

???

[SeasonSeven]

Lol what is he going to say?

 

"Come to NY or you're fired."

[Warren2ThaG]

Lol what is he going to say?

 

"Come to NY or you're fired."

 

that's how it starts

[NomarFachix]

Lol what is he going to say?

 

"Come to NY or you're fired."

 

I have $87,598,437,589,437,953 and I'll help you do the same. Oh, and you can sleep with Ivanka.

[SeasonSeven]

Ivanka's a bit of a turnoff.

 

Maybe he could sleep with all of the Miss USA contestants.

[moeroadkill]

^How is "effort" pathetic?

 

You think LeBron would come to a team that makes no attempt to sign him? "You guys are cool, cuz everyone tried to sign me except you. The fact you don't want me is cool, I'm signing with you."

 

???

 

lebron is gonna go where ever he wants to go, his still going to have fans anywhere he goes. a little web page isn't going to be the deciding factor of where he goes.

[NomarFachix]

Whichever cutie floats his boat.

[JWaLL]

^How is "effort" pathetic?

 

You think LeBron would come to a team that makes no attempt to sign him? "You guys are cool, cuz everyone tried to sign me except you. The fact you don't want me is cool, I'm signing with you."

 

???

The recruiting effort shouldn't have anything to do with it. Lebron wants to go where he will win a championship, not where the most celebrities want him to go or whichever team throws the best parade.

[NomarFachix]

The recruiting effort shouldn't have anything to do with it. Lebron wants to go where he will win a championship, not where the most celebrities want him to go or whichever team throws the best parade.

 

You can't blame a team for going to every length and trying; you can, however, blame them for not trying. If they erect a skyscraper to Lebron's exact likeness before he decides, I'm on board. Knock it down afterwards, but you can't go back in time and decide to build one for him after the fact. (Yes, ridiculous, I know... Just making my point )

[Multi-Billionaire]

The recruiting effort shouldn't have anything to do with it. Lebron wants to go where he will win a championship, not where the most celebrities want him to go or whichever team throws the best parade.

 

Here's what you're missing... the recruiters know it's up to LeBron in the end. But what they're doing is effort to show him they want him, to make him feel "this team" really wants him. If LeBron ends up signing with Chicago, they're not going to kick themselves because they tried and they knew whatever they do now, it's LeBron's decision, not theirs.

 

I don't think the recruiters take themselves seriously... I mean if they don't get him, it's not the end of the world, but the effort and recruiting process themselves are also the fun part, that's why they're doing it.

[fish7718]

Is it pathetic when College recruiters come to peoples houses and talk to them? It's up to the college athlete where he wants to play. You can find countless other examples but I mean it's the wooing process, it's supposed to be over the top.

[Nitro]

I'm with JWall, it's getting really pathetic. Not just from the Knicks, but from every single team in the league with the slightest shot at getting him. I mean, I don't mind the fan-made websites, but when team officials are asking celebrities and others to lure James, erecting huge billboards, having mini-parades outside arenas (right before a playoff game for the other NBA team in the same city), etc...it's absolutely ridiculous.

 

And what I don't get is with all of the LeBron hoopla, why has there been not even 1/10th the effort to lure D-Wade out of Miami? I know he seems to be the less likely one to leave, but he's a top 3 player with a ring and Finals MVP to his credit, neither of which Bron possesses.

 

And one final point- If LeBron values the attention and media coverage over who his next coach and supporting cast of players will be, then he's not worth all this craziness to begin with.

[Multi-Billionaire]

New York has the facilities and places to do all those things... maybe it's the other cities that don't.

 

He's the biggest FA this season and one who can change the fate of the Knicks single-handedly. If you're a celebrity who lives in New York, and probably a Knick fan or if not a fan then just being a good New Yorker, who knows you can join the effort, represent the city to say "we want you", it can make a little bit of difference.

 

 

It goes both for LeBron and New York financially. LeBron being there, making the team successful or going to playoffs each year is going to generate plenty of job opportunities in New York. Beyond just jobs, it's going to be a big economy boost for a city that's already thriving financially. It is probably the best city for LeBron to cash in... marketing wise on top of his salary. If you're a millionaire, you'd probably want to be a billionaire... it's not the money, but the status. Face it, basketball is not all his life, financial aspects should be a thing of interest if you're a millionaire. Being a millionaire is nothing, at least to a LeBron's stature, because there are so many millionaires in the USA alone, and probably millions of millionaires in the world. But there're only hundreds of billionaires in the world. We always look for status upgrade. If we're an employee, we probably want to be a manager, and then to be a vice president, and then to be the president. If (let's say) being a billionaire is what LeBron really focuses to achieve, who better than Trump to inspire him?

 

 

But what would be really pathetic is not doing anything when you can do something.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Snake

[Nitro]

New York has the facilities and places to do all those things... maybe it's the other cities that don't.

 

It goes both for LeBron and New York financially. LeBron being there, making the team successful or going to playoffs each year is going to generate plenty of job opportunities in New York. Beyond just jobs, it's going to be a big economy boost for a city that's already thriving financially. It is probably the best city for LeBron to cash in... marketing wise on top of his salary. If you're a millionaire, you'd probably want to be a billionaire... it's not the money, but the status. Face it, basketball is not all his life, financial aspects should be a thing of interest if you're a millionaire. Being a millionaire is nothing, at least to a LeBron's stature, because there are so many millionaires in the USA alone, and probably millions of millionaires in the world. But there're only hundreds of billionaires in the world. We always look for status upgrade. If we're an employee, we probably want to be a manager, and then to be a vice president, and then to be the president. If (let's say) being a billionaire is what LeBron really focuses to achieve, who better than Trump to inspire him?

 

Once again, if that's his biggest goal as opposed to winning a title and leading a dynasty, then he's not the player in this FA class that should be garnering all this ridiculous attention. If that's honestly his attitude, that's a loser's attitude, and just 2-3 years of losing in NY would make him Public Enemy #1 just like A-Rod was before last season. He has no rings, and history only remember the great players who WIN. Making the playoffs every year and bringing the Knicks to relevance would not be enough...he'll need to win a few rings.

 

And trust me, living 10 miles from NYC I know how the city treats its athletes and how everything is so incredibly magnified. But regardless of where he plays (aside from Minny, Milwaukee, etc..), he's going to be the richest player in the NBA from both a salary and "extra" standpoint. He's going to continue to have status as arguably the most powerful professional athlete in the world. He's still going to get his commercials, small movie roles, huge billboards, shoe deals, a sold-out arena to watch his games...he's going to have EVERYTHING.

 

The only thing that should matter is the only thing he doesn't have that can't be bought with money...a ring. And if he doesn't win in the next few years, he'll go from prodigy to perrenial bust, because averaging 30/8/8 and having his team get bounced every year would still mean his career is in many ways is a failure. And that would certainly hurt his "status."

 

But what would be really pathetic is not doing anything when you can do something.

 

Showing the fans support and having the chance to play in NY is marketing enough. Having the orginization do all these ridiculous publicity stunts is just pathetic and makes the franchise look horrible.

[Multi-Billionaire]

When you're talking about a player who will go down as possibly the greatest ever to play this game, greatness that NBA probably will not see again in an average person's lifespan, it's okay to be a little "desperate". People live for 80 years max these days? If I was the Knicks owner, I wouldn't mind looking desperate in a bid for a player who might be the greatest ever. If people label my team as desperate and pathetic at least it was done in an attempt to acquire this player.

 

What is good to save some face and miss out on this type of player? "Forget LeBron because there will be one like him in 10 years." There is no guarantee.

 

I just can't see anything pathetic about it. What I would label "pathetic" is illegal/ under the table dealings to entice FA to sign, e.g. Joe Smith with Minnesota back in 2000s. Now that would be class-less because you gain advantage unfairly.

 

 

The marketing exposure in New York is huge, could be 10 times as big as the second biggest market. That's significant revenue/ earnings. We're speaking from a middle-class perspective, that we would think a person with $200 million wanting $1 billion is selfish. But when you're in that position, it's a different level of thinking. It's about status.

 

We as fans want players to be all about basketball. But that's not the reality. Players have lives. Players who say "it's business" understand. And most players in the L know it's business... when you command millions of dollars in your bank account, basketball won't be the only "major" thing that has impact on your decision-making.

 

 

When you come to the L, it may be all about basketball. But after 5+ years, after you start signing bigger contracts and the endorsements and money pouring in, you start to touch and understand the business side of it. Actually you have to... if you just trust your money to someone else to manage, you'll see stories of athletes being exploited, latest example is Antoine Walker.

 

It's my opinion though that I think LeBron is looking to be the first NBA billionaire as a player. You can disagree, I understand.

 

 

Even from basketball perspective, it's kind of presumptuous to assume Knicks don't have what it takes to compete. It's not about winning right away, I do think it's about where to win.