JockStocks: Where Will LeBron James Play Next Year?

Why blame Nike? They created the "King" James persona, suggesting that he alone is the greatest basketball player ever. The problem is, he may be the greatest basketball player ever -- but he can't win without a team. He was never surrounded with the team that Michael Jordan (the best basketball player ever) had, or that Kobe Bryant has. The weight of winning a championship was thrust squarely on LeBron's broad shoulders by a success-starved city and a marketing machine. So the situation has come to this: LeBron will be courted by several teams and he will ultimately make a decision based on one criteria: what is best for LeBron James (and that may not mean a title).

Basically, six teams can afford LeBron thanks to the NBA salary cap: Cleveland, New Jersey, New York, Miami, Chicago, and the L.A. Clippers. Let's automatically rule out the L.A. Clippers -- while it may be an interesting fit, I'm not sure Nike will want LeBron and Kobe sharing the same city (this is, of course, simple speculation on my part). I will also be quick to rule out Cleveland -- the "Mistake by the Lake" had its chance with "The King" and failed, time to move on. So this leaves four teams.

There are oddsmakers (yes, there are odds and betting on what team LeBron will play for next year) that like the possibility of LeBron in Chicago. This scenario won't happen. LeBron will not wear 23 next year, he has switched his number to 6. Nike and LeBron want us to believe that the change is because of his respect for Michael Jordan, but I think the number change is because he is intimidated by Michael Jordan. LeBron will not play in Chicago, because he will never live up to the ghost of Michael Jordan -- as far as championships go. Why do you think LeBron ultimately pulled out of this past year's Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend? Perhaps he was afraid that he couldn't beat Dwight Howard or Nate Robinson. You see, Nike and LeBron have crafted this bulletproof aura that can't be proved false.

So, this leaves New Jersey, New York, and Miami as potential destinations. The possibility of LeBron in Miami intrigues me as he and Dwyane Wade would make an awesome combination, but would LeBron and Dwyane play well together? Neither would want to be second fiddle.

The two most likely destinations are the Knicks and the Nets. First, let's deal with the Knicks. LeBron in Madison Square Garden? Intriguing possibility. That said, if LeBron thought the pressure to win a championship in Cleveland was intense -- wait until he gets to the Big Apple. The good news is that the Knicks should have enough money to woo a very good supporting cast for LeBron.

Taking all of these points into consideration, I think that LeBron James will be playing in New Jersey -- for the Nets. The team may be moving to Brooklyn, New York -- opening up the Big Apple advertising dollars and lure without the Big Apple pressure to win a championship (they are the Nets after all). The new Nets owner believes the team will win a championship in five years, and signing LeBron James could help that assertion come to fruition. That said, there is little pressure in New Jersey to win -- the team is a perennial failure and hasn't had a good look at the playoffs since Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin ran the court with Vince Carter. Little pressure + big bucks + New York advertising potential = LeBron James playing for the Nets.