He can make more money with a longer contract here, it's his home, he's won a lot of games here, he doesn't want to leave his comfort zone, and he doesn't want to be shunned from his hometown. These are the most popular responses that Cavaliers' fans return fire with as they stand on pins and needles amidst the national media and every major American city launching an all-out attack on the city of Cleveland and the Cavalier franchise. At midnight, LeBron will cross that barrier and become an unrestricted NBA free agent for the first time, and there's little the Cavaliers can do until the process plays out and the franchise's fate for the next five to ten years is determined. On this historic night in Cleveland sports history, I have some thoughts that might as well come out now if they're ever going to.

For me, the overriding factor here is legacy. Regardless of what others may say, if LeBron James is able to win a title for the city of Cleveland and break its curse, it would go down as one of the most profound things to happen in NBA history, Cleveland sports history, and professional sports history. Going to Chicago or New York or Miami or Los Angeles, places where people have already paved the way is nothing but a copout. He's already done most of the heavy lifting. The team's establishing a winning, defensively powerful culture that is one of the best in the league. It's a team that has made it into at least the second round of the playoffs the last five seasons. That's while constantly retooling in a neverending effort to improve the roster and please LeBron.

One thing's for sure, if LeBron leaves for the brighter lights, he won't get the type of treatment he's had in Cleveland... not after the honeymoon period wears off anyway. No endless gravy train for his entourage, no free passes in the media for things that larger media would nitpick, no constant consultations on every organizational move, no deep pockets that will relentlessly spend to win at all costs. There's a certain comfort LeBron has established here, and his familiarity with all things Cleveland/Akron should not be overlooked. If he leaves, he's opening up a whole new can of worms, trying to build a winning culture from the ground up. Most of these teams are shells right now, and even with an All-Star addition like Bosh or Wade, that's a lot of cleaning up to do for just two guys.

LeBron's developed some significant chemistry with Cavalier core members Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams, and J.J. Hickson. The Cavaliers have been systematically built for seven seasons progressively around LeBron's strengths and weaknesses. That may take the life of an entire max contract to install when talking about a perennial loser. Most of all, the Cavaliers CAN and WILL improve this roster if he decides to stay. Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, or another top flight free agent can and will be brought in with the expiring contracts and young talent that we currently have. This 61-win team can and will be improved upon if LeBron gives the team the green light.

Chicago? Yes, they have a better roster right now, but they have a rookie head coach and an owner that broke up a dynasty to save a few bucks. New York? LeBron loves it, but does he love D'Antoni's inability to even spell the word "defense", which usually is instrumental in championships? New Jersey? I don't think LeBron wants to play in the swamp for half of his contract before Jay-Z and him could setup shop in Brooklyn. Miami? That's Wade's town, and LeBron James could not coexist on a team where he wasn't the number one bona fide option at the end of the game. Los Angeles? Kobe's town, Kobe's arena, Kobe's conference, terrible, terrible, terrible front office.

That's my two cents, well, a lot more than two cents probably. It's not necessarily right, and I'm not entirely immersed into drinking the Kool-Aid. LeBron could leave, he could sure as hell leave, no doubt about it. Chicago is probably a better overall situation right now given the sure fire ability to pair him with another All-Star caliber player right now in Derrick Rose and other nice role players in Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. If, and I mean IF, LeBron could swallow his pride, he could join Wade and Bosh in Miami and win an asterisked ring (which is better than no ring, I suppose). He could also go to his dream locale of New York and put winning on the backburner.

I'm speaking from a position of knowledge, experience, and confidence. I KNOW that LeBron and the Cavaliers can make this work. I've seen it systematically building from the ground up, through all the trades, all the draft picks, the coaching and GM changes, and the ownership change. LeBron's accomplished a lot in Cleveland... 2 Central Division Titles, an Eastern Conference Championship, 2 MVP Awards, 6 All-Star appearances, an Olympic gold medal, and unrivaled notoriety, respect, and fame. There's room for improvement and a long way to go, but if LeBron gives the Cavaliers another chance, I know that this time, they can put it all together and bring the trophy home.

But, for now, the waiting is the hardest part...

All for one. One for all. Please Stay, LBJ!

Kirk

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