Much speculation has been made over the past year over where Lebron James will head in the summer of 2010. Will he stay in Cleveland? Will he play in New York? Will he challenge the Monstars in an intergalactic rematch to prove once and for all he can stretch his arm farther than Michael Jordan and is therefore a better player? Quite honestly, people won’t stop speculating on where he will goes until he finally makes his decision, so we at Half Jewish Sports can only join hypothesizing how this free agency madhouse of a summer will all turn out. While teams and corporate sponsors can throw buckets of money his way and make his the most highly marketed and recognizable athlete of all time, the best thing for Lebron could do for career is stay in Cleveland, where he could win multiple championships around a core of players that has been brought together for one reason, the ultimate boy band of basketball.
Yes, I just referred to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a boy band. Boy bands are extremely similar to basketball teams than one normally assumes. Most obviously, any decent boy band has 5 members by definition (I firmly believe that the parents of the Hanson children ruined their son’s chances of success by not producing 2 more male children). Instead of a one hit wonder MMMbop could have launched an extremely successful music career. Consider the 5 boy band members the starters and the random backup dancers and etc to be their bench. In every boy band and NBA team, there is a tough one/enforcer (think Chris Andersen or A.J. of the Backstreet Boys). In addition, boy bands put us on a show that makes us cheer, makes teenager girls scream in desire, and most importantly, makes us wonder how great they can truly be before imploding into complete disarray and self destruction within an 18 month time frame. (Obvious similarities Kobe/Shaq and David Ruffin being so coked out he gets kicked out of the Temptations…the greatest boy band of all time).
While these other characteristics are similar to other NBA teams, none is more similar to the Cavs than the star member every boy band must have to make it big. You know, the one who makes the girls scream even louder, the one who works the crowd even more, and the one who could possibly become bigger than the band itself. Instant examples that come to mind, Michael of the Jackson 5, Justin of NSYNC, and of course Lebron of the Cavs. While the other members of the team/band may be important to the success of the star there, everyone around the stars knows they wouldn’t be anything without him.
And of course, one may say, “Jackson and Timberlake had incredible solo careers, if they can do it with their teams, why can’t Lebron go solo and be just as big as he is now if not even BIGGER. Of course, there is the obvious risk involved. For every JT, there is a Nick Lachey who thinks they are good as JT only to accomplish nothing else with their career except a stupid short lived marriage/reality show with Jessica Simpson. Of course, if Lebron leaves Cleveland, he won’t be alone on the court. But the team who brings him in will likely have to throw so much money at him that he will have little to no talent around him minus 1 more big name. Picture a boy band with only 3 members, and maybe 1 or 2 backup dancers, they may be able to do a few cool dance moves every once in a while, but no way in hell would you rather go see that band as opposed to an NSYNC or New Kids on the Block in their prime.
The fact is this Cavs team has created and is committed to giving Lebron a supporting cast than can compete and win championships on a year in/year out basis. There is a very little chance than this scenario can be recreated in another city/team. Even if he is paired with a Wade or a Bosh, either star combined would take up about half the team payroll, leaving very little money to give them 3 other decent members in their new dream team of a boy band. I want Lebron to succeed. I want him to win enough championships to get in the greatest player of all time and I only see that scenario happening if Lebron stays in Cleveland. As great as Justin Timberlake’s solo career has been, no one will ever convince me that he will ever make better music than he did with NSYNC on the No String Attached album (Go find it, I Know the majority of you have this album) Hopefully Lebron decided to be the star of a great boy band instead of a solo artist, and that is what will make him larger than life.
