Does He Want The Big Numbers Or The Big Diamonds?

Right now it looks as if the Bulls are the frontrunners to sign the biggest free agent of the summer, LeBron James. In Cleveland James gets to do whatever he wants, he can decide who the front office goes after, he can dance during the games, and he can basically say that he owns the team regardless of who signs the checks. Well it's become very clear to him that he won't have such freedom in Chicago.

Longtime tyrant owner Jerry Reinsdorf has already laid down rules for James. The Bulls have notified James' agent that he must sign on July 7th, 8th, or 9th. If he doesn't then the Bulls aren't going to spend anymore time going after him in fear that they would miss out on all the other free agents. Also, GM Gar Forman said that no player will decide who fills the Bulls current coaching vacancy. Not even LeBron.

If James does sign in Chicago he will be treated this way for the duration of his tenure. Michael Jordan, the greatest player to ever step on the floor was treated the same as every other player. Jordan tried to get Jerry Krause (former Bulls GM) fired for years but Reinsdorf would never do it. If Jordan can't get his way then LeBron doesn't have a prayer. As great of a player as LeBron is, he's still not even in the same universe as Jordan.

This is good for James. Going to Chicago would give him the best teammates he's ever had and more likely than not he will be getting another premier free agent to go with him. Having Derrick Rose at the helm is a wonderful gift as long as the team plays unselfishly. Mark my words, LeBron will never win a championship until he changes his style of play. I don't mean passing more because he does that already. I mean that he would have to let Rose run the team and James would just play SF. In Cleveland, Mo Williams would bring the ball up the floor, give it to James, and the rest of the team would wait at the three point line. If he plays with someone like Rose that simply can't happen.

The fact that the Bulls are already putting the hammer down on him (compared to Cleveland) is a good sign. It's never a good idea to give any one player too much influence in the front office. Just like I said that LeBron won't win a championship if he plays like he has been, let me also say this. If LeBron goes to Chicago and just plays like a regular SF and lets Rose run the team, he will get his ring next season. If Bosh goes with him then we're going to see the NBA's next great dynasty.

It all depends on what's more important to him. Does he want the big numbers or does he want the big diamonds?

Chris Bosh Free Agency Update

According to a recent report by the Chicago Tribune, Chris Bosh is going to try to follow LeBron James wherever he goes. As reported by his agent, Chris Bosh's five team wish list consists of the Lakers, Bulls, Knicks, Heat, and Raptors. Sense LeBron is almost definitely not going to the Lakers, Raptors, or Heat that means Bosh could be heading the Chicago or New York.

I don't know where Bosh is going but I do know this. If Bosh and LeBron team up with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago it's all over. That team will destroy anything in its path as long as it plays unselfishly. That scenario seems like it has the best chance of materializing because both Bosh and James want to play for a winner, with that in mind it would be flat out insane to go to the Knicks. Why? So they can watch Spike Lee on the sidelines 41 times a year? I don't think so.

I'm sure there's going to be plenty more reports like this in the next few weeks. Some will be legitimate, others will be complete speculation. I'm bracing myself for a free agency frenzy as we all should be. Right now it looks as if Chicago has a great chance of landing both Bosh and James, but that could change any day. No one really knows until the ink is on the paper.

Unconfirmed Report: Delonte West Has Sexual Affair With LeBron James' Mother, No I'm Not Joking

This story is without question the funniest thing that's happened in sports in a very long time. I would pay 500,000 dollars to have been there when LeBron James first heard the news, the look on his face must have been priceless. According to unidentified sources the news was given to James shortly before his sub-par performance in game 4 against the Celtics. In that game James went an uncharacteristic 3 for 14 in what would turn out to be the worst playoff loss in Cavaliers history.

In all seriousness, if this story does come out true, Delonte West is without a doubt the worst teammate ever. It appears to me that the story will be confirmed at some point because it had been circulating the internet for four days before James' lawyers had it taken off. If they knew it was completely false it would have been taken off within the hour.

It would be very interesting to go back and watch games 4 and 5 again to see if James and West interacted any differently. One thing is certain, assuming this is true, either James or West won't be in a Cavaliers uniform next season.

There are already tons of rumors sending LeBron James to the Bulls. There has even been a confirmed report that James spoke to Bulls' All-Star PG Derrick Rose over the phone, presumably about going to Chicago next season. While this situation won't by itself make LeBron leave, it certainly won't help influence him to stay with the Cavs.

Just think about it, how can LeBron ever look West in the eye again? With your teammates MOTHER?! That's just unbelievable. Imagine LeBron going home for Sunday dinner and West opening the door wearing nothing but a bath-robe. I wonder if West is going to make LeBron call him daddy? The list of jokes goes on and on for miles.

No Shocker There

Despite the endorsements of both Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Vinny Del Negro has been fired as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

There have been dozens of reports all season describing Del Negro as a dead man walking, perhaps the most telling sign is that the 2nd year head coach received no backup from the front office. A physical confrontation with Bulls Executive Vice-President of basketball operations certainly didn't help matters and pretty much solidified the notion that Del Negro would be relieved of his coaching duties at the season's end. The confrontation was a result of Del Negro exceeding Joakim Noah's limited minutes due to plantar fasciitis which the Bulls have had a bad history with. Going back a few years ago fan favorite Andres Nocioni developed plantar fasciitis and he was never the same.

All things considered I think Del Negro did a commendable job. Not only did he deal with the constant distraction of his questionable job status but he had many other obstacles as well. He dealt with the loss Ben Gordon in free agency, the loss of John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas in mid-season trades, and an inconsistent lineup as his best three players sustained major injuries during the season. After going on a ten game losing streak late in the season very few people thought the Bulls still had a chance of getting in the playoffs. Del Negro and his Bulls weathered the storm and broke into the postseason for the fifth time in six years, of course, having Derrick Rose didn't hurt either.

My guess is that the future is bright for Del Negro as a head coach in this league. I'm not sure if he'll be employed next season but definitely some time in the near future. The Bulls now turn their attention to signing a major free agent this summer and whoever that free agent is will factor into the next coaching choice significantly. According to Bulls GM Gar Forman the organization is in no rush to make any decisions.

Don't You Dare Complain About That Elbow

LeBron James (especially recently) is often compared to the great Michael Jordan. In game 5 of the Cavs' first round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls LeBron's elbow injury became public. It's important to note that his injury was diagnosed not as a tear or even a sprain, but as only a mild strain.

Great players play better when faced with these types of challenges. This is where we're going to find out if LeBron deserves to be in that elite class with Magic, Jordan and Bird.

In game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals Jordan battled a vicious flu to torch the Jazz in their own building. "I felt partially paralyzed," Jordan would later say. This guy played through partial paralyzation and LeBron has to deal with the discomfort of a strain. There's a big difference between not being able to see straight (Jordan) and having no physical limitations whatsoever (LeBron).

"The way he looked, there's no way I thought he could even put on his uniform, I'd never seen him like that. He looked bad -- I mean really bad." Those are the words of teammate and friend Scottie Pippen after the game.

With the flu Jordan scored 38 points, had 5 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds. LeBron on the other hand, with a strained elbow, had 24 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Jordan's handicap was much more serious than LeBron's is and he still put up big numbers on the game's biggest stage.

LeBron is a great player and the scary thing is that he probably hasn't even hit his ceiling yet. My guess is that when it's all said in done LeBron will have numbers that will make our heads spin. But to compare these two players right now is borderline insulting. Jordan was barely able to breath when LeBron felt slight discomfort and Jordan still played much better. That right there is the distinction between being an All-Time Great and being a Basketball Immortal.

If James complains about his elbow after this game, in my mind at least, he's admitting that he's not tough enough or good enough to not make excuses and play. It would also show me that he's scared of the Celtics having lost home court advantage.

I don't know, maybe if LeBron was in the same circumstance as Jordan he would have played just as well. But what I do know is that I saw LeBron grabbing his elbow a ton in his last three playoff games. He's not just grabbing it for a second either, he's craddling it like it has serious damage done to it, basically saying, "Look at me, I'm playing through an injury aren't I special".

No doubt, a strained elbow is extremely uncomfortable and it makes sense that it would effect him to a certain extent. But it's surely not debilitating enough to be considered legitimate excuse for when he shoots poorly.

If James likes to be compared to the greatest player ever he better shut up and play. That's what the great ones do, and if he wants to go down in history as one of the best ever then he has no choice but to win a championship this year with that aggravated elbow.

NBA Playoffs: Round 2

Cavaliers vs Celtics Slo's pick: Cavaliers

It is with great reluctancy that I pick the Cavs to win this series. While there is no doubt in my mind they are the better team, it's never easy to pick against a team as battle tested as these Celtics. Last round the Cavs and Celts both won in 5 games, each beating a premier guard. I think it's safe to say that both teams knew going in that to get to the finals they would have to beat the other one at some point in time. This is going to be a knock em' down, drag em' out fight and it's the Cavs' depth that will carry them to the conference finals for the second straight season.

Lakers vs Jazz Slo's pick: Lakers

I was wrong, I really thought the Thunder were going to knock off the Lakers. They would have forced a game seven if not for Pau Gasol being in the right place at the right time with .5 seconds remaining in game 6. The Jazz also proved me wrong in the first round, I'm somewhat stunned that the Jazz handled what seemed to be an explosive Nuggets team so easily. The reason was their ability to shut down Nuggets' wild card JR Smith. I'm taking the Lakers in this round only because it's the safe pick. But don't think for a second that the Jazz don't have a very good shot at winning this series.

Suns vs Spurs Slo's pick: Suns

I really think, and hope, that this is the year for the Suns to break through and make a strong push for the Western Conference crown. The Suns and Spurs have bad blood between them because of their playoff series a few years ago. Many believe the Suns would have won if not for Amar'e Stoudemire's bogus suspension. Steve Nash was dealt a cheap shot and Stoudemire (stupidly) left the bench. Although he was entering the fray as a peacemaker, the rule is if a player leaves the bench he is suspended despite was his intention may be. The key against the Spurs is to keep them running, those old legs will tire eventually. Much like the Celtics, I'm not comfortable picking against a team with the track record of the Spurs. However at the end of the day I have to pick who I feel is the better team and that's why I'm going with the Suns.

Orlando vs Hawks Slo's pick: Magic

The Magic have too much depth for the Hawks to contend with. First of all Dwight Howard is an obvious matchup problem and if the Hawks double him they will get torched from the three point line. If the Hawks are able to steal game one or two then they have a shot but unless they take home court advantage this is as far as they go.