LeBron James: The Most Scrutinized Athlete ... Ever

Move over Dwayne Johnson, no longer are you the most electrifying man in sports entertainment.



Well, that has been the case for over a decade. But nonetheless, the most recent NBA Finals has helped to prove Miami Heat forward LeBron James is the center of attention. Despite how well or how poorly he is playing, it is obvious the camera and the pressure is on LeBron.

After all, we have seen nothing like this in sports before. LeBron is, without argument, the most scrutinized athlete ... ever.

As LeBron made the leap from high school directly to the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA fans were in his pocket. Anointed The King at the ripe age of 18, the expectations were set for LeBron, as he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders to prove he could be the second-coming of the great Michael Jordan.

His first game he dropped 25 points. We were sold.

And you know the rest of the awards and accolades. LeBron earned Rookie of the Year honors his first season after averaging more than 20 points per game. Those numbers only escalated. LeBron surpassed superstar Kobe Bryant to become the league's leading scorer in 2009, then took home the MVP trophy in 2009 and 2010. Add in LeBron is a three-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team and a seven-time All-Star.

Like with every sport, though, great athletes distinguish themselves with not only exception statistics, but championship trophies. Jordan was the MVP of six NBA Finals, while Bryant added two more championship rings during LeBron's time in the league to bring his total to five.

But for LeBron, disappointment was a common theme during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron carried his Cavs to the playoffs every season from 2006 to 2010, his final year with the team. Averaging 29 points per game in his playoffs career, there was not much else LeBron could do with the cast of characters around him.

With the pressure to succeed, to surpass Jordan as the greatest of all time, blaming the poor makeup of the Cavaliers roster was a common excuse for LeBron's post-season failures. The best players to surround him include an unproven shooter in rookie Daniel "Booby" Gibson in 2006, and out-of-their-prime stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison.

Still LeBron willed his team to an NBA Finals appearance, although the Cavs were swept cleanly by the San Antonio Spurs. He experienced similar failures each year after, losing to the Boston Celtics (the eventual NBA champions) in the second round in 2007, the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008 and the Celtics in the semis in 2009, despite owning the best record in the league during the regular season.

LeBron regressed.

Standout regular seasons were meaningless without post-season success, especially with the bar set so high. What other athletes have had to deal with this pressure?

Unlike LeBron -- Mr. Basketball during his high school basketball days -- Jordan failed to make the cut for his high school team.

When the New York Yankees called up a skinny shortstop in 2005, no one singled him out and suggested he would be the captain and World Series hero a decade later.

Tom Brady was a fifth-round flier in the NFL Draft. If not for an injury to Drew Bledsoe the New England Patriots would likely be short of three Lombardi Trophies.

Other superstars did not beg the attention that LeBron did, therefore they did not inherit the pressure he did. And while some may argue that this is unfair, a national television appearance to announce his new team may have changed their minds.

This past summer, "The Decision" took place live on ESPN, where LeBron announced he would take his talents to South Beach, joining fellow superstar Dwyane Wade and perennial All-Star Chris Bosh on the Heat.

But pairing up with other star players -- for LeBron that was unprecedented. After all, he was supposed to deliver the Cavs a championship, a quest he began the moment he put on his No. 23 jersey.

"The Decision" was golden material for LeBron critics, like Skip Bayless, because it put LeBron in a different light. Instead of the league's most popular player, he became the most hated.

Surrounded by other All-Stars, LeBron essentially asked for help to win a title. Forget that Shaq and Kobe were a dynamic tandem, or Jordan and Scottie Pippen, or Kareem and Magic. 

If that was not enough to enrage NBA enthusiasts who hoped LeBron would help Cleveland to earn their first-ever championship and salvage a city who is accustomed to post-season disappointment, an ensuing after-party did.

Along with his new teammates, LeBron promised not one, not two, not three, not four ... you get the deal ... championships for the Heat.



Not only were Cavs fans pissed off; the entire country was.

More antagonizing, though, was seeing LeBron succeed on his new team. LeBron and Co. -- The Big Three -- cruised through the first round of the NBA playoffs past the Philadelphia 76ers, easily put away the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics and defeated the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls.

And did I mention LeBron was outstanding during those three rounds?

During the series against the Celtics and Bulls, LeBron looked like a different species than we had seen in years past. Clutch shot after clutch shot, LeBron appeared unguardable. And on the defensive side of the ball, he became the go-to stopper against the opposing team's best player.

This was absolute chaos for the critics. And following a strong start to the NBA Finals, LeBron claimed he was "unguardable."

Perhaps that comment incited the Dallas Mavericks, as now the series has moved to 3-2 in favor of the underdog, and the most-hated team in the history of NBA -- and perhaps professional sports -- is on the brink of elimination.

And LeBron, who used to have NBA fans across the globe in his corner, rooting for him to succeed and capture a championship ring, has become the reason for his team's failures.

Most notable is the lack of "clutchness" LeBron has displayed in the fourth quarter of these NBA Finals. It has been the knock on LeBron for most of his career. Just like his regular season success, the first three quarters of the game are often meaningless unless he can come through when it means the most -- the fourth quarter.

Jordan and Kobe made their reputations on late-game heroics. On their championship teams it was not a question of who was going to handle the ball with the game in the balance. That is clearly not the case with the Heat.

When you are paired with other superstars, or stars for that matter, there must be that closer -- the alpha male -- to close out games. Pippen was a Hall of Famer and one of the best to play the game, but it was Jordan who was going to have the last shot.

With the Heat, there is plenty of question marks surrounding whether LeBron or Wade should handle those responsibilities. During the regular season this was the knock on this team, and more often than not they made the wrong decision at the end of the games and they paid for it.

But with all of the scrutiny, all of the pressure mounted on LeBron these Finals to be the MVP, it is without question Wade has been the Heat's best player. And in the fourth quarter LeBron is trying to be that closer -- like Jordan, like Kobe -- and he cannot seem to do it.

LeBron has totaled just 11 fourth quarter points through five Finals games. And let's be honest, the easy layup in Game 5 -- his "biggest game ever" -- came when the Mavericks had a lead and chose not to foul him.

In the fourth quarter, according to SB Nation, LeBron has taken 16 shots on average, seven less than he averaged in first and third quarters during the series.

LeBron is averaging just 2.2 points in the final quarter versus the Mavericks, according to ESPN Stats & Info, compared to the 7.6 points in the three prior series. The cherry on top? He is scoreless in the final five minutes of games when the score is within five points, shooting a porous 0-7.

Even after a sub-par eight-point effort in Game 4 was followed up with a triple-double, perhaps the most meaningless trouble-double of all time.

As the series shifts back to Miami, the focus remains on LeBron.

Will he bounce back? Will his fourth quarter numbers improve? Is he going to be a Jordan or Kobe, or ring-less like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone?

usatoday.com

The anticipation is building up for Game 6 and how LeBron will respond to the enormous attention on him. His legacy depends on it, because since he was 18 he was burdened with this challenge.

How many other athletes have garnered this much attention? What other teams have a specific beat on ESPN to examine their every move? Which other players have their legacy debated on a near-daily basis?

So much depends on Game 6, and possibly Game 7 of the NBA Finals, including LeBron's future in Miami.

Will he respond to his critics or crack under pressure? Our answer comes Sunday night.

MLB Drawing Parallels to NBA

Let the favorites be the favorites. The post-season hardware will speak for itself. The only thing that goes hand in hand with exorbitant expectations is failure and disappointment. 

A handful of superstars uniting on one team with one goal -- draw the attention of the entire league and fans everywhere. Oh, and win a couple of championships in the process.

Sound familiar? More than likely, you would expect I was going to go on a rant about The Big Three 2.0, you know, the Miami Heat?

Actually, I was referring to the Philadelphia Phillies, the automatic favorite to represent the National League in the World Series come October once they emerged from the shadows to sign the the most clamored free agent pitcher on the market this off-season, Cliff Lee.

bleepingidiots.com

It is ironic how a year ago at this time, Lee was ousted from Philadelphia so the team could sign on then-newest acquisition, Roy Halladay. A year, a mid-season trade and a premature defeat in the playoffs later, the Phillies now boast the most intimidating starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball, including the aforementioned Lee.

The combination of Lee, Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels is rivaled by few rotations in the league. One group that hopes to have their say, however, is that of the San Francisco Giants. You know, the World Series champs?

Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathon Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner make up the Giants rotation, one that defeated the Phillies in the playoffs en route to their title this past fall.

Yet being champions seemingly means zip when it comes to picking pre-season favorites. Like the Phillies were suddenly granted the right to play for the championship this past winter, as were the Heat when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade in South Beach.

The Heat trio promised fans multiple championships; I could have sworn I heard King James suggest not five, not six, not even seven. Pretty bold of a prediction if you asked me, as the team never played a pick-up game before Halloween, not to mention a playoff series.

Sure, basketball poses a bit more of a chemistry problem than does baseball. I mean, let the pitchers throw the ball down the pipe and let the batters knock in runs, right? There's no offensive plays to practice or comfort level to develop like on the hardwood.

Yet there are stories of catchers and pitchers not on the same page -- one calling for the curve ball and the other demanding that the fastball is the correct choice to get an out. Quite a dilemma, especially if chemistry is not part of the equation.

There is also that one thing that seems to not really matter come post-season: the regular season. Whether you had 80 wins or 105 wins in the regular season, as long as you're in the big dance your record is essentially meaningless. The Phillies could set a N.L. record for wins between April to August, but all is fair when it comes to the first round of the playoffs.

rbimagazine.com

The bill is not out yet on the Miami Heat, who will likely seize one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference and challenge for the conference crown. But their road will not be any more or less easy in their playoff series, as they play seasoned teams like the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic on their road to try and get a match-up with the NBA champions. Because of all the hype their off-season transactions the team created, lofty expectations were tagged on the franchise, and anything short of a championship will be considered ultimately a failure.

So sure, the Phillies will look invincible when they play clubs like the Mets and Nationals (or "Natinals"). Anoint them champions of the baseball world then.
All I want to do is caution you to think twice come October. They are probably the most talented team in all of baseball, just like the Heat sport three of the top 10 players in all the NBA. Still, the Heat cannot conquer the veteran Celtics, and at times they are challenged by the all-mighty warriors, the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.

In the pre-season, the New York Jets proclaimed that they were "the Miami Heat of the N.F.L.," as brilliantly stated by the often outspoken cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Well, their Week 1 opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, shellacked them. Poetically, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis answered back if Gang Green were supposedly the Heat then his team had to be the Lakers.

Warning: it is may not be a good idea to try and be like Miami.

Far and away, the Phillies are the proverbial favorites to bypass the shortage of competition in the N.L. and make their way to the Fall Classic. For every contender, a gaping weakness. And to be both honest and realistic, it would be idiotic not to put my money on the Phillies in 2011.

yazmar.com

But if you were to take a chance, make a leap of faith, stand out from the majority and believe that the World Series champion Giants will once again take the N.L. crown, or that Ubaldo Jimenez and the Colorado Rockies can score runs with anyone, or that the St. Louis Cardinals one-two punch of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright can't go pitch-for-pitch with any Lee and Halladay -- think again.


If you don't believe me, ask LeBron how it feels in May.

Thank God For NBA All-Star Game Voting

The latest N.B.A. All-Star voting  projects the following the starting five: Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard for the Eastern Conference, against Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Yao Ming for the West.


Once again, the fans got it right.


There was no chance to oust Wade or King James from the top five in voting, both are in the top three in scoring on the most profiled team in the N.B.A. Meanwhile, Howard is tops in rebounding and Rondo leads the ways in assists. 


In the Wild Wild West, Bryant is well established in his starting guard role. Paul is enjoying the best defensive year with 25 more steals than the closest player, Monta Ellis. Then factor in that Durant is looking for a second consecutive scoring title at nearly 28 points per game, and Melo stands fourth in that same race. 


So what's the big fuss? Eight out of the top 10 players seem to have earned their spot in the big game in Los Angeles come February 21. The fans clearly know what's going on and who is deserving -- right?


Yeah they know who is leading in these statistical categories, but let me hit you with the "but." Notice who these players are -- Celtics, Heat and Lakers, with the overwhelming star power of Melo, Howard and CPIII. 


Can the little guys, (not in height, but name), get some love?


Not to overwhelm anybody with statistics, because numbers are just numbers in many cases, but look at some of the ballers on the outside looking in that are getting overlooked:

• Right behind Superman in the East, Al Horford has 18 double-doubles this season. The top five is rounded out behind his Hawks teammate Josh Smith, better known as J-Smooth, as well as N.Y. Knicks Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton.
  
• In that same category in the Western Conference, none of the top six are top vote-getters. Kevin Love is the league's leader by a distance 31 double-doubles, averaging 21 points and almost 16 boards a night. That's ridic.
  
• Blake Griffin, Pau Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Steve Nash follow Love in double-doubles. That's right -- a Clipper and Grizzlie are second and third, behind a first place Timberwolve, or Timberwolf? Well, at least no one is picking favorites.
  
• King James, better known as the Jester in Cleveland, is the most well-rounded player in the East in terms of points, rebounds and dimes. In the West, it's Love and Griffin No. 1 and 2 in that rank -- Love's average is actually better than LeBron's.
  
• And how about giving some boring teams some credit? Not actually boring, but considered dull to a national audience because of their superb fundamentals. Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson of the San Antonio Spurs, owners of the best record in the N.B.A., and Houston's Kevin Martin are second, third and fourth in three-pointers made this year. In the lead is Golden State Warriors' Dorell Wright, but I'm sure nobody outside of Lawrence or Oakland has even heard of that cat.

Not included in my stats were Stat and Felton, who people refuse to pay attention to because they do not believe in the Knicks. Stoudemire is second only to Durant in scoring in the league by just over a point, and almost single handedly has turned the Knicks from a conference bottom-dweller to a contender.

I say "almost single handedly" because of the other free agent acquisition N.Y. got this summer -- their new point guard. Felton is second only to Rondon is assists this season, who deservingly is the No. 1 vote-getter in All-Star votes. Yet Felton's 15 double-doubles rank first among Eastern Conference point guards. Take that, haters.

In the East, the blunder that stands out the most is The Big Ticket starting at forward. For one, he's injured, and if he's healthy come February's end you know his elderly legs will not allow him to play for more than the opening five minutes. 

I'm not saying Garnett's season -- 15 ppg and 9.5 rpg -- is not worthy of All-Star honors. Because this cat plays in Boston though, he is stealing the vote of obnoxious, ignoring Celtics fans that fail to realize there are lesser names elsewhere that are more deserving of the vote.

Garnett is a 13-time All-Star -- do you think he really cares at this point in his career? He'd prefer to get his mid-day nap and the early bird dinner special somewhere in Cambridge, Mass. than suit up for another All-Star shootout. 

In his place: 1. Amar'e Stoudemire 2. Josh Smith 3. Danny Granger

Getting to the West, listen to this bone I need to pick: Are fans just messing around by actually voting Yao Ming in at center for the game? Dude's been eating fried chicken and pounding brews for the last few months. Is Allen Iverson getting the nod, too?

Seriously...is China going bazerk on their Sony's and Toshiba's voting for their hometown boy? I understand the logic behind it, but they need to tune in at 4 a.m. or whatever time it is over their in Beijing and realize Yao isn't on the hardwood anymore. 

What's problematic in this situation is there is a scarcity of quality big men in the Western Conference. Sure, the East has Howard and Stoudemire, but the West is limited to a handful of true centers and a lot power forwards posing in that role.

Aside from abolishing Yao's eligibility to even play in the All-Star Game, open up the slot for the fans to vote for either a center or even a power forward into the starting five. 

Listen -- Yao would love nothing more than to enjoy his K.F.C. and Natty Light's and watch another cat take his spot in the game. 

In his place: 1. Kevin Love 2. Pau Gasol 3. Al Jefferson 

Report: Knicks Tell ‘Melo to Stay A Nugget (Satire)

life.com

The shock to the system felt throughout Knicks Nation lasted about a second until they heard players that New York reportedly would have to surrender in a trade with the Denver Nuggets. Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry, Landry Fields – in addition potentially exchanging Wilson Chandler or Anthony Randolph for a first-round draft pick, which the Nuggets deem necessary to top off the blockbuster.

After Sunday’s report surfaced that Carmelo Anthony would welcome a trade and contract extension with the New York Knicks and only the New York Knicks, it was the Blue and Orange brass that blatantly responded: Melo – you are not welcome in the Big Apple.

            

            

As if Danilo Dallinari’s just grow on trees nowadays. Please.

            

The Knicks small forward is on the cusp of budding into the NBA elite fraternity. Through 25 games, Gallo is on pace to record three double-doubles this season, in addition to a career-high 15.3 points per game. His previous best: 15.1. Need I say his three-point chucks are just falling more eloquently this year?

            

Then the Knicks take a risk of losing the talents of Chandler, and newcomers Fields and Randolph. Chandler has blossomed as a scorer since beginning the year as the team’s sixth man, while Fields, the No. 39 pick in the draft, has surprised all with his versatility, emerging as the team’s best option at the two-guard.

            

In the deal to acquire Randolph from the Golden State Warriors, the Knicks got a player who could supposedly fill-in at four different positions. Through 11 total games, Randolph has 24 points and 30 boards. Compare that to the slouch they swapped him for – David Lee, who surpassed Randolph’s totals after three games with the Warriors. Lopsided much? Well, not if you consider Randolph brought along Kelenna Azubuike in the trade.

            

faniq.com

But probably the biggest deal-breaker in a Knicks-Nuggets swap would be Curry. Perhaps no center in the league has more potential than this big-man, but supposedly his expiring contract is what teams are longing for. What they are not realizing are his intangibles; if Curry is not catering to his seven children or wooing his former chauffeur, he is battling through injuries to try and get back onto the court. Whether it is a sore knee or a classic beer belly, Curry is fighting. And that kind of determination is indispensable.

The presence of Anthony pale in comparison to this collection of Knicks. The team is riding an eight-game winning streak, the best the franchise has registered in 16 years. And did I mention they are off to their best start in well over a decade?

Anthony departed for the Association after leading his Alma matter Syracuse to National Championship prominence. He has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his seven seasons. In 2010, however, he is scoring just under 22 per game, but a career-low 1.3 assists and his second-worst three-point field-goal percentage. At 26 years old he is obviously on the on the skids of his career.

NYDailyNews.com

It is quite obvious why the Nuggets superstar wants to be a part of this team – he is a front-runner. Why did then-acclaimed free-agent stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh flee to South Beach, and Dwyane Wade opt to stay home rather than become a part of the Big Apple Turnover? Because the team was not winning, and only Amaré Stoudemire saw the light.

Stat has since led the team’s resurgence, helping the team to their best start to the season in over a decade. The power forward has recorded eight consecutive 30-point performances, and is likely casting a shadow over the Knicks’ other free-agent prize, Raymond Felton. The team’s new point guard is second in scoring only to Stoudemire with over 18 points per game.

But what if the Stoudemire-Felton experiment had taken a reverse trajectory; if the Knicks took their customary position in the basement of the Eastern Conference; would Melo want to – would Melo still be craving to be playing at the Garden?

With these two lighting it up, there is simply not enough scoring to share with a ball-hog like Melo. Is it worth the loss of Gallinari’s fearlessness, or what about Randolph’s versatility?

Experts suggest the Knicks are simply riding a hot-streak right now, that their wins are coming against inferior opponents, and come playoff time they will inevitably falter. A player like Anthony would provide stability for the team, a second or even primary scorer to complement Stoudemire when they battle a veteran-loaded Boston Celtics team or suddenly dynamic crew of all-stars that have meshed in Miami.

Or perhaps the Knicks should continue on the path they have created for themselves over the past few weeks, defy the odds and ignore the naysayers. Tell Melo to keep his talents in Denver.

This article possesses a significant amount of satire and the New York Knicks have had no response of this sort in public manners. Opinions belong solely to the blogger.

West Coast Bias: Classic

Regardless, I am taking a stand. It is time for us all to look east once and a while, and give those stars the attention they deserve. I’m sick of stories about the heroes from Seattle – King Felix, Tyreke Evans, David Lee, Zach Miller.

            Felix Hernandez wins the American League Cy Young Award. Shocker. I could have told you this back in Spring Training that this is guy who would win.

            This is a classic case of the voters and their West Coast bias.

seattletimes.nwsource.com

            Ever since the West Coast tried to play the role of copycat in sports, they have been the center of attention in every sport. Come on. The games start later, the sun is always shining and they are just so damn cool over there. It is like a 24-hour day spa.

            It started with football when all of the media had to focus on the resurgent Raiders. Every day, all I can see on ESPN was the Black and Silver. Jason Campbell this; Darius Heyward-Bey that. Where the hell are my Cowboys?

            The disease then spread to basketball. Kings, Warriors and Blazers, oh my. Will the NBA championship run through Los Angeles (The Clippers) again? How can I find out more about where LeBron is getting his doughnuts with this ongoing media blitz?

            Then it struck baseball; essentially, the nail in the coffin. The San Fran kids won the World Series – the team got more exposure than George Hamilton. I thought this Series was all about Josh Hamilton?

Let’s be realistic: we knew that the big-money superstars that were the Giants would obliterate the Rangers. This is textbook West Coast baseball with their wide-open wallets and teenage girl-like spending sprees.

But now it has infected the regular season awards; I always that was a staple of Major League Baseball. Felix Hernandez, or King Felix as the world knows him as – yeah, a king, what a proper title for the brat.

Hernandez was awarded the Cy Young after earning 13 wins for the Seattle Mariners. Oh, hey David Price. Sorry your 19 wins were not good enough. And CC, as in Sabathia, 21 just ain’t gunna cut it anymore, bro.

askmen.com

And an E.R.A. of 2.27 – what does E.R.A. even mean?

The voters tried to defend their decision by blaming the Mariners for not producing offensively to support their ace in the hole. Ichiro, Milton Bradley, Chone Figgins – this is starting to sound like the American League All-Star team.

I remember a night in April when so-called King Felix lost to the Kansas City Royals. Yeah, the dude got lit up for three runs, and was outpitched by Kyle Davies.

Oh yeah, and there was another time in August when Hernandez got battered harder than a bottle of Absolut in Lindsay Lohan’s limo. Six runs…from the Indians…is Manny Ramirez still on the team?

What I am saying is that there were clearly better options for the Cy Young this past season. Sabathia won over 20 games, and he plays for the New York Yankees. When was the last time an overrated ballplayer from the Bronx could get an award?

gossipbeat.com

Then there is Price of everybody’s darling, the Tampa Bay Rays. Price did not quite reach the 20-win mark, but he is a Ray. They play in the same division as those damn Yankees and the freakin’ Sawks; they should be a shoe-in for the World Series every year.

Am I out of my mind for thinking the voters having it in for the East Coast athletes? Maybe it is because they have to wake up earlier to watch their games, or that sometimes a jacket and gloves are required apparel.

From this point on, I am relying on SportsCenter for 24-7 coverage of the under-the-radar guys; tell me something about Derek Jeter or something.

Joe Mauer's Impact on LeBron

Once unthinkable, the Twins may now be in the position to have to trade Joe Mauer. A deal between the All-Star catcher and the Twins is still more likely than not, and at any moment Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, could call the team and make it happen, prompting a combination press conference/Minnesota Mardi Gras. But a combination of modern baseball logic and Twins history suggests that if theTwins' decision-makers can't sign Mauer, they will be obligated to trade him.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Say what?

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, last week the Twins were contemplating trading their all-star catcher Joe Mauer. Mauer, the same player who won an AL batting championship a few years ago and is the reigning AL MVP, is a hometown boy who bats right in the smack of the lineup for the Twins and is the face of their franchise.

So, of course trade him, right?

Yesterday, Mauer scored a record deal for eight years and $184 M, ending the hopes of fans in New York and Boston, who planned to empty their wallets in a bidding war for the prized catcher.

What this deal signifies is the "good guys" in sports -- the Mauers, the Tim Duncans, the Derek Jeters, the Cal Ripkens, the Peyton Mannings -- the players who absolutely get paid out of their minds, but value their franchises, their legacy and trying to win games over signing the larger deal.

This summer, the same decision must be made on the part of Cleveland Cavaliers' superstar LeBron James. James will have to decide whether he will want to remain with his hometown team -- the same team he lifted from the franchise holding the number one lottery pick in the 2003 NBA lottery to multiple post-season appearances, an NBA finals match-up vs. the San Antonio Spurs, and currently the best record in the league.

What's at stake for LeBron?

By staying in Cleveland, LeBron is maintaining his loyalty to his hometown team (he grew up about 40 minutes outside of Cleveland in Akron). Is LeBron being "disloyal" by changing teams? To his fans, perhaps. But hasn't he done all that he can for his team in his time there? As mentioned before, he's brought them out of the dumps to a top seed in the Eastern Conference on a yearly basis. If he can't win the championship this year with the talent surrounding him, maybe it's time for a change of scenery.

And if LeBron goes, the question is where? New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles? In New York, LeBron can thrive in a up-tempo offense. He also has the ability to sign a huge contract and bring along with another top free agent (e.g. Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire). He can play in the mecca of basketball -- Madison Square Garden -- where he can have an even greater spotlight upon him, and not to mention be the next star of a Spike Lee movie (LeBron Doin' Work).

In Chi-town, LeBron can continue in his task to emulate his idol Michael Jordan by playing for the same franchise. Da Bulls have another budding star in Derrick Rose at the point, and with the players on hand, have pushed the Boston Celtics to a stunning eight-game series. LeBron can be the go-to player for the team and thrive off Rose's play.

If LeBron was to end up in Miami, it would be only be if his good friend Wade already chose to remain there and was able to lure him to follow. The Heat have a great front office headed by Pat Riley, and have many young players who have great potential (Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley). The question becomes, will Wade's ego be able to handle the hit of not being the go-to guy anymore with LeBron in town?

The last rumor connected to the 2010 free agent war for LeBron was LA -- both the Lakers and Clippers. Let's be realistic, scratch the Lakers. As for the Clippers, the talent is there -- Eric Gordon, Baron Davis and Blake Griffin (if he ever gets onto the court). The poor history of losing is something LeBron has already tackled in the past, and with the Staples Center as their home court, he can force the fan base to make a decision between him and Kobe.

No matter what LeBron does do, it will be interesting to compare it to that of Mauer's decision. Mauer, the quiet superstar, chose the big money (maybe not as much as NY or Boston) for the home team. He wanted to be remembered for his great play on the field, and for his contributions to Minnesota. LeBron has lifted the morale of Cleveland already, and whether he can deliver a championship this season may be the final clue to his next destination.