James grew up idolizing MJ, Bulls
After LeBron James told CNN's Larry King that Cleveland "has an edge" to re-sign him this summer because of his personal history in Northern Ohio, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer moved its LeBron-O-Meter to "looking good."
An edge means he's obviously staying with the Cavaliers, right?
But wait. James also admitted he grew up rooting for the Bulls and Michael Jordan. Then he mentioned he's looking for a team that can win multiple championships. How is the Cavs' aging lineup going to win that internal argument?
The most relevant argument right now is whether James can succeed in upstaging the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the Celtics-Lakers series is Thursday in Los Angeles, while James' interview will air Friday at 8 p.m.
James had good things to say about several scenarios during his talk with King. The job now is to keep everyone interested until the NBA's free-agent negotiating period begins on July 1.
Early in the interview, James had some nice things to say about the Bulls. Here's the exchange:
KING: Were you a Cavs fan?
JAMES: Growing up? No I wasn't. I was a Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan fan growing up.
KING: So the president's suggestion might carry weight, right? (LAUGHTER)
JAMES: It may, it may carry weight.
KING: So why the Bulls and not your own team?
JAMES: I was just, wow, I mean, Michael Jordan was just my inspiration. I mean, the things that he was able to do out on the basketball court, I loved. Everybody wanted to fly like Jordan, pull up and hit a game-winner at the sound of the horn like Michael. You wanted to do commercials, you wanted to have his shoes. You know, everything that he did, I wanted to do.
KING: When did you first meet him?
JAMES: I met Michael Jordan, my first time, I was in the 10th grade. I went to Chicago and they played at a gym called Hoops. That was the first time I met him. It was like he was walking on water when he came towards me.
KING: Did he know who you were?
JAMES: Yes, he did. He did. And that was more gratifying and it was just very humbling that he knew who I was.
Actually, most of this interview was spent discussing James' personal history, talking about how he grew up in the housing projects of Akron, never knowing his father and trying to make the best of a tough situation.
James suggested he's not close to making a decision on where to play next season. As previously reported in the Daily Herald, James' camp has already made it clear he wants the Bulls to bring their best recruiting pitch July 1.
The Bulls can offer James the chance to play with a star-caliber sidekick in Derrick Rose. That's something the Cavaliers haven't had and the pressure to perform in the playoffs has fallen on his shoulders. Since getting swept in the 2007 NBA Finals by San Antonio, the Cavs have fallen short of a return trip for three straight years.
"I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I win a championship," James said. "So for me, the team that I decided to go toward - ultimately has the best chance for me to win a championship not one year, but multiple years. - I'm going to do what's best for me and my family."