All About LeBron

A couple years back, I set ablaze an in-house squabble among WFNY commenter, fans, and writers alike when I went off LeBron James for rocking Cowboys gear at a Browns game less than a year after the Yankee hat incident in an anger filled post. I even used the catchy title of “Bend over Cleveland…LeBron is at it again!” It wasn’t exactly the feel good story of the fall. Back then I was so filled with anger that the only conclusion I could really draw on James is that he obviously didn’t have the same loyalties to the city of Cleveland that even remotely matches the adulation the fans have for him. More than anything, it just seemed like another athlete in this town showing a lack of respect for our proud city while we are on a national stage.

Today, I have to admit my feelings have not changed and recent events have only reinforced that opinion.

Let’s start with the Tom Izzo debacle. Granted, while I admit LeBron doesn’t owe us any real clue of how he spends his free agency tour, the least the guy could have done was send any kind of signal to Izzo while he and the Cavaliers organization twisted in the wind for nearly a week while waiting for any kind of hint from James on his future so Izzo could declare a decision. Naturally, Izzo couldn’t wait anymore and wisely chose to stay at Michigan State. Cleveland, on the other hand, is caught in another embarrassing moment of rejection.

BREAKING NEWS: WFNY reports Tom Izzo tells MSU players he intends to take Cleveland job

According to sources close to WaitingForNextyear, Tom Izzo has told his players that he intends to take the Cavaliers head coaching job. Click the link for more info.

Something tells me Coach Izzo must either be really confident in LeBron James staying in town for a few more years...or he can't resist Dan Gilbert's $6 million-per-year offer. As the guys at WFNY has said in their post, anything can happen until an announcement is official, but they are confident enough in their sources to run with this. Of course, more to come later.

Could Tom Izzo really be coming to Cleveland?

Well, it looks like there is some fire to the smoke signals coming out of Quicken Loans arena after all. The Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst is now reporting that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is preparing a $6 million a year offer to the Michigan State head coach. While this potential hire would be a splash among many fans and media alike, there is always risk in bringing a college coach.

Recent college hires to the NBA over the last decade-plus have included John Calipari, P.J. Carlisimo, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery, and Rick Pitino. None were considered successes. However, in their defense, none took over a team that had a good roster. In fact, all took over rudderless franchises with no hope and had even more bad luck in the lottery after their hires.

In the NBA, more than any other pro sport, coaches need players to win. This isn't the NFL where Bill Parcells can turn chicken shit into chicken salad in a year's time. Put Red Aurbach or John Wooden in charge of the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets and they are still picking in the top five of this months draft. That's just how the NBA is. One star can really make all the difference while a great coach can only do so much in the pro game.

So how would Tom Izzo do in Cleveland with LeBron James and a roster that has had back-to-back 60 win seasons? It would be interesting to say the least.

Ron Burgundy Interviews Tom Izzo from Ron Burgundy