According to ESPN.com LeBron James invited the Clippers to meet with him, but it's hard to imagine them making a compelling argument for him to sign.
The club does have a nice core group of young players, including center Chris Kaman, Griffin (a No. 1 draft pick in 2009) and guards Baron Davis and Eric Gordon. The Clippers also can entice James with Hollywood and the potential to add to his riches in the entertainment industry.
While other teams tried to impress James with theatrical displays, the Clippers kept things simple.
If I was the Clippers GM here’s what I would do:
Let me be clear, I’m a Laker fan, but I am writing this from a GM perspective.
First of all, I would move the team from LA to Anaheim. From the Staples Center to the Honda Center. This would allow only the Kings and Lakers to play in the Staples Center and the Clippers and Ducks in the Honda Center. Imagine the LA vs OC rivals with Dodgers vs Angels, Ducks vs Kings, and the Lakers vs Clippers.
How many championships have the Clippers won? And who was their biggest star ever. Some may say Danny Manning, but again, how many championships did he win in a Clipper uniform?
I would make LeBron James the highest paid player in the NBA. Having him in the LA market would intensify the LA vs OC rivalry with the Kobe vs LeBron rivalry. Think about ticket sales at the Honda Center when Kobe plays, when the rivals play.
With LeBron in the OC, and the talented core of young players mentioned in the ESPN article, imagine how attractive that will be to other players in the future. You could really build something here.
Not only that imagine all the team records he could hold with the Clippers. With the success of the Angels and the success of the Ducks, OC would be a great fit for the Clippers and LeBron. And the marketing between the Lakers and Clippers would sky rocket. Well maybe for the Clippers, not so much for the Lakers.
Why don’t you think the Clippers have hired a coach yet? The probably wanted to see who LeBron wanted in there.
Also, LeBron wouldn’t have to play in Jordan’s shadow in Chi-town, Dwayne Wade’s shadow in Miami, Patrick Ewing’s shadow in New York, and the Nets? Really the Nets? Keith Van Horn? LOL
I’ve talked to a lot of people and most say he’s going to Chicago or Miami. I’m thinking, move the Clippers to the OC, sign LeBron, recreate the LA vs OC rivalry, attract players to the OC in the future. LeBron dominates franchise records and wins multiple championships.
The Clippers seem the most logical choice to me. Now only if I was the GM of the Clippers.
