Phil Fortuna
Goodbye number 23 and hello number 6! That is what NBA superstar LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is saying. Never before has a number change raised so many questions and scenarios. When Kobe Bryant changed his number from 8 to 24 there were suspicions that he is only doing that to one up the number on his jersey to Michael Jordan. In essence theory has it Kobe was trying to communicate to the world that he is indeed better then Michael Jordan.
Kobe’s statement was that it was his way to signify the birth of the second half of his Hall of Fame career. Another reason why number 8 transformed to number 24 was because at the start of his High School career he wore number 24 only to switch it to number 33 in tribute to his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant who as well was number 33 in High School. When Bryant jumped straight from High School to the NBA he couldn’t wear 33 for the Lakers due to it being retired by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe’s selection of 8 was because that’s the number he wore in Italy as a kid and at the ABCD he camp he was 143. 1+4+3=8.
When a player chooses his jerseys number it’s not just at random. There is meaning behind the selection that could be anywhere from a tribute to a player, relative, friend or even a significant event as a child. However there has never been a time where picking up number can draw assumptions of a player’s potential team destination.
This brings us to the question of the impact LeBron’s decision will have on the NBA. Whoever is lucky enough to win the service of LeBron that teams’ future will change as well as the future of other teams and possibly the NBA as a whole.
Back in November LeBron announced that next season he plans on removing the 23 from his jerseys and replacing it with number 6. One of his reasons was because he felt that nobody should wear number 23 out of respect for legend Michael Jordan. James even urged fellow NBA players who wear number 23 to make a number change in honor to his Airness. It is unknown on which players will comply with King James’ request but we do know that the likes of Wes Matthews of the Jazz and Toney Douglas of the Knicks refused.
"My second-favorite player was Julius Erving, and he wore No. 6," James said. "I wore 32 in high school because Dr. J wore it at first. My first child was born on Oct. 6, it's my Olympic number, my second child was born in June."
Seems like a pretty logical explanation, correct? Of course it is, the reasons he’s listing falls into the statement I made a few paragraphs up. Is there any reason to be suspicious and question other potential motives? You betcha!
Let’s dissect this by breaking down facts and connecting them to possible results.
FACT #1
The NBA handbook clearly states that a player is not required to file paper work for a number change if the player will be providing service for a new franchise the next season.
Breakdown of Fact #1
The assumption that can be made is that King James is remaining in Cleveland so it’s time everybody stops talking about where he will go. Not quite. What this ultimately means is that he is considering staying in Cleveland while at the same time exploring other options. Next season he definitely will be number 6 so filing the paperwork now guarantees that especially if he doesn’t leave the Cavs.
FACT #2
Dr. J IS NOT the best basketball player to wear number 6! That honor hands down belongs to Celtics great Bill Russell.
Breakdown of Fact #2
While playing as a Celtic he was a dominant force on the boards and on the defensive end. The way Russell would block shots would ignite his team cause when he blocked shots he tipped the ball to a teammate to go on the break. LeBron translation: LeBron’s defense ignites his team by coming from behind with breathtaking swats off the backboard. The number 6 equals Bill Russell and Bill Russell equals 11 NBA Championships! While Russell played with Hall of Famers in their prime it was the ability of those players being able to set aside their egos and individual accolades for team success. Could this be on LeBron’s mind? Future Hall of Famers in their prime as teammates for the King could be worthwhile. Oh and one more history lesson for you, the number 6 equals the amount of NBA Championships won by Jordan. It is highly possible that the Russell and Jordan affect could be combined into the LeBron affect.
FACT #3
Two possible suitors in the LeBron sweepstakes are the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. Obviously wearing 23 in Chicago is a big NO but what people may have forgotten is that Miami retired Jordan’s 23 even though he never played for them.
Breakdown of Fact #3
Miami is one of two teams this offseason who will have enough cap room to employ two max players. LeBron and Dwayne Wade would by far be the most devastating 1-2 punch since Kobe and Shaq. Not to mention if next season Michael Beasley develops consistency and starts performing the way he was expected to when Miami drafted him in 2008. Could Wade and Bron work well together? Yes, because if either player had their concerns then neither would sign on together. If Wade were instead to leave then Pat Riley could pair LeBron with Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer. Or vice versa if Wade were to decide to stay and LeBron signed on elsewhere.
Chicago unlike Miami can only take on one max contract, however unlike Miami there’s no chance of Chicago losing their star player in the offseason. I’m of course making reference to the 2009 Rookie of the Year and 2010 NBA All Star Derrick Rose. The major difference between Rose and Wade is that Wade is a proven superstar. Rose on the other hand is still on an all star level and would have no problem playing second fiddle to the King.
So you have to ask yourself could LeBron possibly be leaning more towards Miami or Chicago.
FACT #4
23 is the most recognizable number in professional basketball history.
Breakdown of Fact #4
When you see a player wearing number 23 you automatically form the assumption that he picked that number due to Jordan wearing it. When you see a player wear number 33 do you assume it’s because of Larry Legend? When you see a player wear number 32 do you assume it’s because of Magic Johnson? The answer to both questions is no in fact you don’t assume the number of a player is because of a legend. So what makes the instant connection of 23 to Jordan so popular? Sure he was an amazing player and is widely considered the greatest ever but that’s not the reason. What makes 23 in association to Jordan is the same on what makes him considered the best ever. Marketing! Once David Stern was named NBA commissioner he took the league to new heights that centered on marketing. Stern needed somebody to be the face of marketing, somebody who could bring the crowd in and excite them. We all know that face David Stern selected was Jordan. Think about it whatever featured Jordan was pure gold Nike, Gatorade, Weaties etc. As of now in 2010 Jordan has his own shoe brand and is a billionaire, the majority of his income has been from endorsements not NBA contracts. Put it like this there are 8 year olds out there who have never seen Jordan play but yet they all want his sneakers and they all want to be like him. No player has generated that type of reaction other then Jordan but it seems as if LeBron feels he can match or top Jordan. By removing the 23 tag he’s taking himself out of Jordan’s shadow and starting his own legacy.
Fact #5
Biggest markets in the United States are New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston and Texas.
Breakdown of fact # 5
The teams that fall under this category are as followed: Knicks, Nets, Lakers, Clippers, Bulls, 76ers, Heat, Celtics, Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets. Count them up and the results are exactly eleven. Next I’ll eliminate the teams who salary cap wise have no chance at landing King James. The available lists of teams are as followed: Knicks, Nets, Clippers, Bulls and Heat. In a nutshell if Cleveland loses their star he will end up on one of those teams. Don’t you think it’s interesting that the list of teams LeBron said he would love to play for are in the country’s biggest markets?
Fact #6
The New York Knicks are these summers’ biggest players and could end up as the new dynasty.
Breakdown of fact #6
Calm down everybody allow me to explain this one. Gene Wojciechowski an ESPN columnist recently wrote an interesting piece titled “Blueprint for an NBA Dynasty”. That article got me and other Knick fans who read it really pumped up. LeBron, Wade and Bosh as teammates in New York, yes it is possible! Re-read this article and you’ll notice the hints I made to get to this point and where LeBron could logically end up. Am I a Knick fan? Yes. Am I getting crazier about this then most Knick fans? Probably but the reasons are very real not far stretched by any means. I’m not saying he’ll definitely end up in New York because anything is possible but just think for a second. The Knicks have the most salary to throw around this season at 33 million. Give 11 million apiece to those guys and there you go. Look yes I realize that they would be giving up a ridiculous amount of cash but the reality is they’ll make even more on endorsements versus resigning with their current teams. All three players are sponsored by Nike; with those three teaming up Nike can form “The New Big 3” campaign. You don’t think those guys will make a lot of cash off that? You can count on the Knicks being on nationally and globally regularly which would allow The New Big 3 to become global icons. Not to mention the newest additions to their jewelry collections, you can’t put a price on championship rings. Let me tell you that they would definitely have at least a 3-peat. Who’s going to stop them? Kobe is hitting the age factor, the Spurs are no longer dominant and the Mavs never heard of the word defense. LeBron’s entire career has been purely based on marketing. In High school LeBron was hyped as the Chosen One, a title which he has proven. When the Cavs drafted him he was the hometown kid who could turn an irrelevant franchise into relevance for the first time in history. By joining forces in NY with Wade and Bosh he would be the catalyst for a mega-dynasty in the biggest market. Aside from what I’ve listed what else could motivate Wade and Bosh to team with the King? With Wade he’ll no longer have to experience the no help factor along with having 30 plus points and losing often. Chris Bosh as good as he is he is not good enough to be the lead dog on a winning team. I liken him to Pau Gasol when he was with Memphis. Once Gasol became a Laker he became a champion in the perfect role of second option. NBA commissioner David Stern would be as happy as a Knick fan. Why? Marketing! But wouldn’t that make the NBA less competitive and interesting? No and here’s why, the top 4 NBA Championship winning teams are the Celtics with 17, the Lakers with 15, the Bulls with 6 and the Spurs with four. In the history of the NBA only 17 franchises have hoisted the NBA trophy. Since 1980 only 8 franchises have hoisted the NBA trophy. So yeah The New Big 3 won’t affect the league attraction negatively. What made those great Celtic, Lakers and Bulls teams so memorable was their superstar power and style of play. That is something the league is currently missing. Remember how popular those Laker teams with Kobe and Shaq were? Since then no championship team has been as entertaining and feared. The summer of 2010 could change that.
Regardless of what happens this summer the NBA will be shaken up.
