LeBron says Cavs have edge.

[xX-TSK-Xx]

LeBron: Cavs have free-agency edge

ESPN.com news services

CLEVELAND -- One month from the start of the NBA's free-agency frenzy, LeBron James has handicapped his field of suitors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the pack.

In his first interview since the Cavs' season ended with a shocking, second-round loss to Boston, James told CNN's Larry King that Cleveland has "an edge" to re-sign him when the greatest collection of free agents in league history hits the open market on July 1.

King, who interviewed James at the two-time MVP's home near Akron on Tuesday, asked the superstar if Cleveland has "an edge going in?"

"Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it's comfortable. So I've got a lot of memories here. And -- and so it does have an edge," James told King.

"It's going to be a very interesting summer and I'm looking forward to it."

Also during the interview, James said he can't wait for July 1 to arrive and that he has not yet decided where he'll sign.

"I'm far from close," he was quoted as saying in a transcript posted on WEWS-TV's website in Cleveland. "July is still a month away, less than a month away. I've thought about it, but I haven't began to strategize exactly."

The interview will air Friday on CNN's "Larry King Live," capping the program's 25th anniversary celebration on the network.

Other than his postgame interview, James has not talked to the media since the Cavs were eliminated fron the playoffs.

James also made his first comments about former Cavs coach Mike Brown, who was fired in the aftermath of Cleveland's startling loss to the Celtics. James said he was sorry to see Brown let go after five seasons.

"He was a great coach, five great years we had together and we turned a franchise that hadn't seen a lot of things in a lot of years," James said.

The 25-year-old James heads a star-studded free-agency summer class featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and others.

The New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets are among a group of teams expected to make a strong push for James, who is humbled by all the attention as well as recent comments by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who wants him to sign with the Knicks, and President Barack Obama, who would like to see him step into Michael Jordan's shadow with the Bulls.

James seemed intrigued by the Clippers and the chance to play near Hollywood.

"They've got some really good players. Some really nice, solid pieces that, if they add a free agent here or a free agent there, it could be a really good team. It's a great city. But at the same time, it's not always about the city. It's about winning. If you put me and Bosh on the same team, if you put me and Dwayne Wade on the same team, a lot of teams would be much better. You know, the Cavs would be much better."

And while he'll consult with advisers, family and friends, James said the choice of his next team will be up to one person.

"It's going to be me," he said. "I'm going to have to sit down and say 'where do you want to play'?

James has spent all seven seasons as a pro with the Cavs, who offered him a contract extension last year and can give him $30 million more than any other team in a maximum-length deal.

James has kept a low profile since Cleveland's season ended. He did not speak to reporters when he helped judge an amateur slam dunk contest during a public appearance on Saturday.

On Saturday, former NBA player Darryl Dawkins, who judged the dunk contest with James, said he believed that Cleveland's All-Star should follow his heart.

"He should go where he thinks he'll be happy," said one of the most powerful dunkers in league history. "Make the right decision for your family and get as much money as you can. If he leaves Cleveland, basketball as we know it here is going to go down. They have to do what they can to keep him here. I would like to see him stay in Cleveland, but he has to do what is right for him."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5238743

[suitanim]

Yeah, I'm still thinking he'll stay. I think the Cavs will make some offers like the Tribe did to keep Thome, stuff like a statue out front of the arena and stuff like that...little extra perks. Ultimately it's his love of the area that will keep him here...

[tony hipchest]

that is some tintilating lips service offered by mr james to larry king (due to sweet talk and playing nice to the media, cleveland supposedly had the edge of luring cowher out of retirement, too).

but money always speaks louder than words.-

LeBron James could bring Chicago championships — and $2 billion

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-b...rticleId=33441

Bob McDermott has seen the LeBron James effect firsthand: Crowds at Beer Bistro, his West Loop restaurant, more than doubled on the four occasions the NBA phenom played at the United Center last season.
"The Bulls landing LeBron would be a huge boon for business," Mr. McDermott says. He's not the only one seeing dollar signs as the Bulls pursue Mr. James, arguably the most-coveted free agent in sports history. Broadcast execs are giddy over the prospect of ratings and ad sales leaping back to Michael Jordan-era levels. Apparel shops, ticket brokers and bar and restaurant owners say the 25-year-old megastar would spark a frenzy of spending by local high-rollers and out-of-town professionals. Tourism officials gush over the exposure Chicago would get from near-constant national telecasts.

The LeBron effect could add up to as much as $2.7 billion if he plays here for six years, estimates University of Illinois at Chicago economist John Skorburg. The catch: He'd have to take the Bulls on deep, annual playoff runs, sprinkling in at least a few NBA championships along the way.

Longtime Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf — mum on the chances of King James bolting Cleveland for Chicago, per league rules — would be hard-pressed not to dream of the 13-straight sellout seasons he enjoyed with MJ, when the United Center's luxury boxes bustled with corporate bigwigs.



If Mr. Reinsdorf wins this summer's sweepstakes for the Ohio-born Mr. James, it would provide an economic spark to a city that missed its shot at the global sports spotlight when last year's Olympics bid failed. The prospect of welcoming Mr. James, basketball's most popular star since Mr. Jordan, has many in the city's business community reminiscing about the collective pride and enthusiasm that permeated Chicago in the championship-rich '90s.
"The Bulls during the Jordan era changed the whole flavor, the whole attitude of the city," says Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. CEO James Tyree, a Bulls season-ticket holder for nearly 30 years. "I used to get more business done at Bulls games than anybody could dream of. I long for those days."
Mesirow dropped its corporate suite after Mr. Jordan's retirement, but Mr. Tyree says he would consider re-upping for Mr. James. He and other Bulls fans likely will have to wait until July 1, the start of the NBA's free-agent signing period, to find out how close the Bulls might be to recapturing past glories.
Mr. James has top billing in a stable of superstar free agents, including Chicago native Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. The Bulls are among a handful of teams that cleared salary-cap room to offer those elite players the NBA maximum of around $16.5 million a year. Various gambling Web sites give the Bulls the best odds of landing Mr. James should he leave Cleveland, which is still considered the favorite.
Chicago offers a big-market setting for Mr. James to increase his exposure. The New York Knicks also have salary-cap room and could make a stronger fame-and-fortune pitch. But that franchise lacks the Bulls' nucleus of young talent, which NBA pundits believe offers the best chance for Mr. James to grab his elusive first NBA title — the real key to enhancing his endorsement deals and other commercial opportunities.
"Chicago has to convince LeBron that he can win championships there," says Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. "To maximize his off-court earning potential, it's all about getting rings."
To be sure, Mr. James' achievements don't yet measure up to Mr. Jordan's. He has yet to win a championship after seven seasons (Mr. Jordan won his first of six titles in his seventh year), with one NBA Finals appearance. This season he and the Cavaliers led the league in wins but put up an anemic fight in a second-round playoff loss to Boston.

Crain's photo illustration by Jason McGregor
Photos by Erik Unger, Getty Images and NewsCom

Still, Mr. James might have just as much star wattage as Mr. Jordan did in his heyday, given the proliferation of digital media and the global reach of today's NBA. Even playing in Cleveland, Mr. James' $28 million in annual endorsements dwarfs that of any other current NBA player.

"LeBron has the potential to transcend international boundaries the way only a handful of athletes have, such as Jordan, (Tiger) Woods and (Muhammad) Ali," says Jim Andrews, editorial director of IEG LLC, a Chicago-based sports marketing consultancy.
Mr. Reinsdorf has misfired on past attempts to land big-name free agents after dumping salary — including infamously sending mascot Benny the Bull to greet then-superstar Tracy McGrady at the airport. (Mr. McGrady chose Orlando.)
The dearth of star power has left the Bulls relatively punchless over the past 13 seasons; the club hasn't made a playoff run since Mr. Jordan's 1998 retirement, and it was bounced by Mr. James' Cavaliers in the first round this spring.
Some economists say that while signing Mr. James would be very good for the Bulls, the estimates of his financial impact may be inflated.
Landing King James alone wouldn't produce the full economic benefit, allows Mr. Skorburg, the UIC economist. His analysis, which estimates a $450-million-a-year boost for the Chicago area over six seasons, hinges on deep playoff runs significantly extending the Bulls' season every year.
Hosting 10 playoff games a year (the Bulls have averaged 1.6 a year over the past decade) would generate nearly $5 million at the United Center on tickets, concessions, parking and other spending, Mr. Skorburg estimates. Across the metro area, he calculates another $40 million per game would be spent on TV ads, sports-bar tabs, pizza deliveries and the like.
That doesn't factor in the halo effect of national exposure. Cavs games were broadcast nationally on major networks 36 times last year — double the Bulls' national telecasts. "All of the television shots of the city during the broadcast will make people more likely to come visit us," says Marc Gordon, CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Assn.
The other pro sports teams in town would ride Mr. James' coattails, too — especially the high-flying Blackhawks, whose corporate suites often are packaged with the Bulls'. Higher ad rates, which have been known to double following a championship season, would lift Comcast SportsNet, co-owned by the Bulls, Hawks, Cubs and White Sox.
"All the teams would prosper from a LeBron effect," New York-based sports-television consultant Lee Berke says. Returning to an NBA championship could boost the Bulls' value by 20% to 50%, history suggests, to between $613 million and $760 million, according to Forbes magazine's estimate of the franchise's worth. The value of the Miami Heat shot up more than 45% from 2004 to 2006 thanks to an NBA title. Even storied franchisees get a big lift: The Celtics' value rose 22% in two years with their 2008 championship; the 2004 league title pushed the Detroit Pistons' value up 41% in two years.

LeCheddar can be magic johnson, jordan, gretsky or lemieux...

or he can be jim brown/bernie kosar. seems like a no-brainer to me.

he sounded pretty excited in the king interview for the little powwow he has coming up with all the other free agents.

will be very interesting to say the least.

[Mach1]

It wouldn't surprise me if he stays but if he had half a brain he'd get out while he can.

[suitanim]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnnnnnnn

[SteelersinCA]

he sounded pretty excited in the king interview for the little powwow he has coming up with all the other free agents.

will be very interesting to say the least.

That's going to be the deciding factor, not the bikes he gives away to little poor kids in Akron. "Where can the best combination of us free agents go and win a title?" Anyone who says otherwise is delusional and most likely washing LBJ's nuts with their tongue.

[suitanim]

Bunker Map and a couple little braintrust buddies all piling on with the same horseshit again...imagine that.

LOL at CA...listen, skippy, you're from Ohio...NO amount of self-hating ranting against your old stomping grounds can change that. You can move away and hook up with all new winning championship frontrunning teams, bash away mindlessly against anyone and everything that reminds you of that fact, but, at the end of the day, you are...

Still.
From.
Ohio.

[tony hipchest]

WTF is this shit?

"bunker map"? "little braintrust buddies"? "skippy"?

i see old habits are impossible to break and this sociopathic behavior will be transposed onto this site.

there is a very relevant article posted about the economic impact james signing would have in chicago (let alone any city other than that shithole cleveland).

to see a grown many cry, divert, deflect, and decieve because a contrary opinion to his own is posted is absolutely pathetic.

we WILL talk about lebron james and other sports and some may not like the opinions being held. they need to get the F^%K out of the kitchen if they cant stand the heat and go join a freaking cavaliers board, instead of whining about "horseshit" and people "piling on".

this is a PITTSBURGH steelers board and it is inevitible to have a large population of people with direct ties to PITTSBURGH and the state of PENNSYLVANIA.

cleveland sucks.

76ers> cavaliers
steelers, eagles > browns, bengals
PITT, PSU > OSU
penguins> bluejackets
pirates, phillies > indians, reds

if you cant handle it gtfo and quit trolling this board with bs lbj, osu, and indians threads. its almost worse than having LITP infect the board with pro patriots and "tom brady is the greatest ever" threads and posts.

the sad thing is the dumbassed "official" OSU thread was ignored for so long, the author felt the need to hijack it himself and start running smack just to get attention *look at me* then beg for it to be moved to the smack forum as if he had been victimized.



i wont have much more to say on the matter (on the open board) cause i respect what FS, HTG, and XT have provided, and im sure they see the lack of self control and petiness that infected this board, even before many (such as myself) had joined.

plus its really not that far of a stretch to believe that if lebron quit on his team, he will quit on the city of cLEAVEland.

we will see, and if im wrong, i wont give 2 shits. i will still root for him as a player and enjoy watching him play while the homers can DIAF.

$2.7 Billion!

[X-Terminator]

I hate to get harsh, but if anyone thinks that we are going to put up with the same bullshit that went on over at SF, you have another thing coming. I will lock this thread down in a New York fukking Minute if things get out of hand.

We started this board to give everyone a chance to come over, engage in some good Steelers/sports talk, and, most importantly, have some fun. We did NOT start it for people to continue their petty ass childish vendettas from the other board which shall not be named.

I suggest you all read the Code of Conduct again. Flaming, baiting, etc. will NOT...repeat NOT...be tolerated here. If you cannot get along, make use of the "ignore" feature.

So please, keep it clean.

[tony hipchest]

no problem. i reviewed the COC and saw nothing about bowing to the altar of all teams OHIO because another member may have a special affliction for them. since the abusive, offensive, trolling, obnoxious or provocative post still reamains, and this thread was addresed after my post with the repeated "you" i will assume it is directed at me.

Hijacking threads not only takes away from the original content of the discussion but is unfair to other members who wish to address the topic at hand.

there is nothing wrong with saying if lebron had half a brain he would get out of the "mistake by the lake". everyone knows this.

i think suggesting lebron james fans are ballwashers is a fair statement. so are ovechkin fans who think he is better than sid. its a common and known fact.

i hope this thread doesnt get shut down. saying we cant talk about lebron, is like saying we cant talk about (or rip on) a-rod, tiger, jimmie johnson, tom brady, p. manning etc. kobe bryant was called a little bitch when he sold shaq out in his rape investigation, pushed shaq out of town, ran phil jackson off, and demanded a trade. if king james wants to wear the crown, and his fans want to exault him, they must accept what comes with the territory.

many people laugh at and clown #48 when he wrecks, yet HTG is able to take it like an adult. there are thousands of pirate fans who dont get bent out of shape when they hear opposing fans say they suck.

i dont see that penguins fans around here have to tiptoe around flyers or habs fans. first and foremost this is a pittsburgh [steelers] sports board, i feel a certain level of respect should be paid. i would feel differently if i were posting on a cavaliers board.

[X-Terminator]

I don't want to lock the thread down, but it's up to you, and by that I mean you, Suit and SteelersinCA. Discuss LeBron all you want, but like I said in another thread, NO personal attacks. Period.

[SteelersinCA]

If my post in this thread was a personal attack, I apologize, I do not see it as such but we all have different perspectives. I thought my point was a generally accepted one by people who even tangentially follow the NBA, after all the pow-wow has been all over sports talk radio for days.

[X-Terminator]

If my post in this thread was a personal attack, I apologize, I do not see it as such but we all have different perspectives. I thought my point was a generally accepted one by people who even tangentially follow the NBA, after all the pow-wow has been all over sports talk radio for days.

I'm just trying to nip this in the bud before it escalates, man. That's all. Sorry if I was harsh, but I wanted my point to get across. I've seen these discussions get out of hand before, and I don't want it to happen again.

Anyway, carry on.

[tony hipchest]

not harsh at all and no need to apologize. ive said from the get go that protecting the integrity of this board (essentially a gift from you three) is #1 in my book. my fun and entertainment takes a back seat to that. if i didnt get goaded into losing my cool over there, it certainly isnt gonna happen here.

i will consider the 3rd party put on notice.

[SteelersinCA]

I'm just trying to nip this in the bud before it escalates, man. That's all. Sorry if I was harsh, but I wanted my point to get across. I've seen these discussions get out of hand before, and I don't want it to happen again.

Anyway, carry on.

It's all good XT. You have a job to do, no worries.

[kmsteelerwr15]

And now it's time for a Bobcats fan's wishful thinking....










....if only...but we all know this won't happen.

[suitanim]

Effectively moved to the flame thread....sorry for spilling other garbage from SF onto here.

Trivisonno from WTAM says that the "Le Tour" is a farce...Lebron is already signed and is only doing the FA thing for pub and to attract other marquee players to Cleveland. I'm not posting that as fact, because it's not, but he's the big dog in Cleveland radio and it's interesting to pass along.

[tony hipchest]

Effectively moved to the flame thread....sorry for spilling other garbage from SF onto here.

SMH...

unfreakingbelievable

[Shea]

I hate to get harsh, but if anyone thinks that we are going to put up with the same bullshit that went on over at SF, you have another thing coming. I will lock this thread down in a New York fukking Minute if things get out of hand.

I understand that you might be annoyed and tired of "some of the bullshit that went on over at SF" and I get where you personally are coming from even if I might disagree.

But although I like and deeply respect you, I'm worried from your responses to a few threads that you are trying to change a dynamic on this new board compared to the old - a board that not only thrived but was fun.

I beg you to please not try and change what works due to this being a new site.

SF was a major success because of the way it was moderated and this site will also thrive if the same approach is taken here.

If things start changing then we won't have the same community here, and the feel of this new board will not only change but will lose the posters in which made another site great.

Just my two little cents.

Hope you get and understand where I'm coming from.

[X-Terminator]

I understand that you might be annoyed and tired of "some of the bullshit that went on over at SF" and I get where you personally are coming from even if I might disagree.

But although I like and deeply respect you, I'm worried from your responses to a few threads that you are trying to change a dynamic on this new board compared to the old - a board that not only thrived but was fun.

I beg you to please not try and change what works due to this being a new site.

SF was a major success because of the way it was moderated and this site will also thrive if the same approach is taken here.

If things start changing then we won't have the same community here, and the feel of this new board will not only change but will lose the posters in which made another site great.

Just my two little cents.

Hope you get and understand where I'm coming from.

Wanting a few people who have been at each other's throats for the better part of a year to refrain from flaming each other on the open board is "changing a dynamic?" How? And how does that do any good for the image of the board if we allow that to go on? How is that going to attract new members, and KEEP them around?

We have it written right in our COC that flaming is NOT permitted. If they insist on busting each other's balls, then take it to PMs or email, or put the person on ignore and don't mention them at all. Again, I do not think that is an unreasonable request. So long as they do that, there won't be any issues, and the board will be fun for everyone.

[tony hipchest]

shea, im definitely with XT on this one. the admin have stuck there necks out to put this site together in such short order. they have their hands full, just to see that it is visually appealing and operable, let alone getting the word out and regular maintenance. several other regular posters have traded in their 'normal' status to assist the admin and help moderate.

this donation of time is commendable, and it is quite a sacrifice to abandon "normal status" and become part of mgmt.

i feel the last thing any of them need is to be policing every single thread looking for personal attacks, flaming, baiting, and essentially babysitting.

i feel they have bent over backwards to make it as smooth of a transition for us, therefore i feel we are obligated to assist them facilitate the transition.

personally i have found some of the new posts to be completely self serving, deplorable, reprehinsible, and completely taking for granted the forum we have been given.

the old board thrived without the display seen in the inaugural SU thread lockdown. infact the some of the old boards most temultuous times were spurned with similar outbursts precipitated by a single common denominator.

the old board is completely unmoderated now, and an open invitation exists for any kids who wish to continue with this childish behavior 9and like XT says, we can always take things behind the scenes).

i, for one, wont be the person to shit on XT, HTG, FS, LLT, DDF, or S4M, on this new site.

i am wishing for ultimate success.

[X-Terminator]

Thank you for that, Tony.

We are providing this board for you and all of our members, and we want this to eventually be THE place to go for Steelers talk on the internet. But we need help from the members too, and some things just can't be accepted. Believe me, we'd MUCH rather sit back, work on improving the site and ban spammers and trolls than have to get involved in e-fights between members.

[Shea]

=tony

i, for one, wont be the person to shit on XT, HTG, FS, LLT, DDF, or S4M, on this new site.

i am wishing for ultimate success.

Don't get me wrong here Tony.

I feel the exact same way, and have even expressed that to the majority of people you've mentioned.

I'm not ever going to "shit" on any of the above because I care and like them, and believe that isn't even a matter of debate.

Looks like what I'm trying to express isn't coming across in the right way.

And that's my fault, and hell I might even be wrong.

I just strongly believe that when someone posts something, whether it stems from the old the board and the feelings created within that, that we should be able to tell how we feel back and also include our individual feelings within the same scenario.

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not above wondering when I am, or admitting it when it's presented to me.

But I don't want to see, here or anywhere, that the appropriate time to tell someone that they are a douche will make a thread worthy of locking.

Again, probably not expressing properly what I'm trying to say, and again PLEASE nobody take offense but that is where I'm coming from.

And hell, hockey is just about been put to bed and there's no football, perhaps I need to spend my extra time away from forums and hit the books.

Maybe in the meantime, I can find a way to post without being a bitch.

[xX-TSK-Xx]

Cleveland has President Obama on its side now.

Obama: Great if LeBron stays in Ohio

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The president is on the record again about LeBron James -- and this time, the people of Cleveland may be happier about it

President Barack Obama told CNN on Thursday that it would be a terrific story if the basketball superstar stayed with the Cleveland Cavaliers instead of switching teams as a free agent.

Said Obama: "That's a town that has had some tough times." The president said it would be a wonderful statement to Cleveland if James said: "I'm going to make a commitment to this city."

The president stuck to his point that James needs to find a winning situation with a good team and coach.

But he did not gently nudge James toward the Chicago Bulls, Obama's hometown team, as the president did in an interview last month.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5249055

[Mach1]

Cleveland has President Obama on its side now.



http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5249055

I wouldn't be to happy about that. Whats obaaamas track record when campaigning for someone.

[suitanim]

The hypocrisy of some people is absolutely unfathomable..."It's okay for ME to make personal attacks because I did it on another forum, or I thought he said something bad about me, but not okay for HIM to..."

WTF ever.

Anyway, why did this thread get hijacked? That's a violation of the forum rules. Back on topic: The newest UNSUBSTANTIATED rumor (want to clarify that...) is that LBJ is already signed with Cleveland to a max contract, and his FA is more about seeing what other teams offer him as well as attracting FA's to Cleveland.

Ironic that so much attention is being paid to "a choker"...why do all these teams want him if he sucks so bad?

[suitanim]

Ferry stepped down today...figured he'd be handed his walking papers otherwise. The plot doesn't really thicken because both moves were expected...

[Mach1]

Yaaawwwnnn

[xX-TSK-Xx]

Cavs are pulling out the big guns. Probably not going to happen. Izzo's name is thrown around every year and he still hasn't left MSU.

Izzo linked to Cleveland job

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Tom Izzo insisted recently that he has no interest in coaching in the NBA until he wins at least one more NCAA title at Michigan State.


But that stance might not stop the Cleveland Cavaliers from trying to hire Izzo as their next coach.


The News-Herald in Northern Ohio reported on its website Sunday night that the Cavaliers -- fresh off dismissing coach Mike Brown and parting ways with general manager Danny Ferry -- have formally extended an offer to Izzo to replace Brown.


The Cavaliers did not confirm or deny the report, declining comment Sunday night.


This is hardly the first time Izzo has been linked to the Cleveland job. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is a Michigan State graduate and a longtime Izzo admirer who, according to NBA coaching sources, also investigated the feasibility of hiring Izzo in the summer of 2005, when the Cavs also flirted with Larry Brown before hiring Mike Brown.


Yet it figures to take more than a shared allegiance to a university or even Gilbert's reputation as one of the NBA's biggest spenders to tempt Izzo, given that the Cavaliers have no assurances that they can re-sign LeBron James this summer.


Izzo tried to quell the inevitable speculation about joining the Cavs in a recent interview with ESPN.com's Andy Katz, saying: "I don't have an interest [in the NBA] until I win another championship."


He did appear to offer some hope of a future jump to the pros when he told Katz that "I'll never say never." Yet Izzo quickly added: "My name always comes up [for NBA jobs], but that doesn't mean they've talked to you."


Speaking specifically about the Cavaliers' interest in 2005, Izzo insisted: "There was so much made that Dan Gilbert is from Michigan, but that was more manufactured because I didn't meet with them."


Attempts to reach Izzo on Sunday night were unsuccessful.


ESPN.com reported last week that Gilbert has not abandoned hope of hiring a big-name coach despite the fact that Jeff Van Gundy has informed interested teams such as the New Jersey Nets and Cleveland that he intends to stay in television as an ESPN/ABC analyst for at least one more season before returning to coaching.


Charlotte's Larry Brown and Kentucky coach John Calipari -- who is friendly with James and sat near Cleveland's bench during its Game 5 home loss to Boston in the second round of the NBA playoffs -- are two more marquee names that have been mentioned as potential Cavs candidates. ESPN's Byron Scott and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, meanwhile, are already under consideration in Cleveland, sources say.


Izzo hasn't seriously considered a move to the NBA since the summer of 2000, when the Atlanta Hawks pursued him hard after Michigan State won its only title in the Izzo era. The Spartans, though, have made six trips to the Final Four in the past 12 seasons, establishing Izzo as an East Lansing legend.


Izzo is under contract at Michigan State through 2016 and earns an estimated $3 million annually. There's little doubt Gilbert could double that salary, but the Cavs will remain a franchise in flux until they have a commitment from James that he's re-signing. Interest in Izzo could thus prove to be futile, similar to Cleveland's reported hopes of pursuing Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson or Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.


Gilbert said last week after Ferry's departure that he hopes to have a new coach in place by the start of free agency July 1, but he also acknowledged that filling the job so quickly might not be possible.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5259123

[suitanim]

ALL these guys are saying they are staying...that's the nature of the beast. Word is that Ferry is out because he bucked Gilbert, who wants to be more hands-on in pleasing James. That will almost certainly help the Cavs retain LBJ...

I still think the Cavs will make a major play for Calipari, and if they get him, that's the tell-tale sign that James is on-board. My guess is that talks with Izzo are just smoke or maybe a back-up plan...Thibodeau signing in Chicago, IMO, hurts the Bulls chances. Does James really want to play for another defensive minded coach? Izzo sort of fits that mold, too...It looks like at least one source is reporting that the Cavs already made the offer to Izzo, so we'll have to see.

Also, rumor has it that NY is looking at Mike Brown as their next coach...that will kill James chances of playing there.