King

No, not Elvis or Henry the 14th, the man with the crown I speak of rules his own territory with a strong arm and great power. His on lookers don't bow at his feet, yet they cower when he is near. That's because when a man who stands 6'8 comes flying out of the sky with such force, you can not help but take cover. LeBron James came into the NBA with high expectations, from his first televised game against the Sacramento Kings, till now, James has surpassed the aforementioned hoopla.

James who scored 32 points in a must win game 6 against the Boston Celtics yesterday to force a game 7 at the Boston Garden has become the face of the NBA. At just 23 years young, James has catapulted his way into super stardom, and has taken an entire city on his back for the trip. But this is not about LeBron's latest performance more the actuality behind being LeBron James.

In just 5 NBA seasons LeBron has reached the NBA Finals, became one of the youngest players to ever reach 10,000 points and this year secured his first scoring title, in which he averaged an impressive 30.0 points per game. Yet as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and the power that James holds is never ending. He has the city of Cleveland as well as the NBA in the palm of his hand and yet he is not even old enough to rent a car (25). (I know why would he want or need to rent a car, he can afford to buy an entire Ford dealership. I'm just making a point.)

With the success that has come LeBron's direction talks have been swirling for quite some time now, as James could just pick up his bags and leave Cleveland. The Akron, Ohio native has been in great relations with hip-hop mogul and superstar Jay-Z who is part owner of the New Jersey Nets. It is believed that in the near future and in time for James to opt out, the Nets will be relocating to Brooklyn, and how better to introduce a team to a new city, then by introducing the NBA's biggest star as well.

James is eligible to opt out of his contract following the 2008-2009 season. Could James really just pick up his things and bust it to Brooklyn? If you are Jay-Z you are salivating at the mouth the second LeBron opts out, because you know this is you opportunity to start with a bang. Currently outside of the Quicken Loans Arena on the side of what looks to be an apartment complex is a billboard of James with his arms extended, and above the picture of James it reads "We Are All Witnesses."

Now imagine LeBron James comming to New York (not the Knicks, sorry guys) and having 50 foot billboards of LeBron James scattered throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. There is a very large ad for Sean Jean clothing currently in times square that features Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, and if LeBron comes to town his image will make Diddy look like a magazine advertisement.

Coming into the NBA, prior to playing a single game as a professional, the super product known as NIKE went out on a limb and gave James a lucrative endorsement deal. A mere $90 million shoe contract, I think it's safe to say they have a strong leg to stand on now. James is now also a sponsor for Sprite who gave him a 6 year $12 million dollar deal. James also has gotten $5 million to be the prime sponsor for Bubbalicious bubble gum as well as a cool $8 million to be the proud sponsor of Juice Batteries. And lets not forget James is the newest face to be sponsoring the ever popular Vitamin Water drink.

With enough money to last him several lifetimes at the tender age of 23 it is safe to say that LeBron James is doing quite well for himself. Yet all of the endorsements and accolades are minuscule in relation to LeBron James being the face of basketball in New York. If and when the New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn and start playing at "The Roc" (The new arena that will be built for the Nets as planned by Sean "Jay-Z" Carter) having James wearing that uniform will transform the basketball scene in Gotham as we know it.

So now in one year the decision lies in the hands of one man, a superstar labeled as the chosen one straight from high school. Stay in Cleveland where your from and where you made your start, or go to the biggest city, where the lights are the brightest and the heat that come off them is scalding. Stay in the city where you made your mark, or embark on a new journey where the possibilities are endless and the green paper trail will flow like the Nile River. I wish we all should face these types of "hard" decisions. Stay in one place and make millions, or go to the biggest most passionate city in the universe and make millions there. What a conundrum!

...Boy, It's good to be the King.