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The Politics of LeBron

By Michael Crowley | @CrowleyTIME | July 2, 2010 | +
AP Photo

You don’t have to be a hard-core hoops fan to know that NBA star LeBron James, one of the most famous athletes in the world, is currently a free agent deciding where he’ll take his astounding game next. Teams in several major cities–including New York, Miami and Chicago–are courting James with massive salary offers and local sales pitches in the hope that he’ll leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, in his beloved home state of Ohio. (He’s from Akron, and even has the local 330 area code tattooed on his arm.) The stakes are high everywhere, but probably nowhere more so than Cleveland, where, let’s be frank, LeBron may be the best thing the city’s got going.

And so inevitably the LeBron saga has made its way into the state’s busy political season, which includes a toss-up governor’s race between the incumbent Democrat, Ted Strickland, and former GOP Congressman John Kasich. Last month, Kasich committed a dumb foul with a blase answer to an interviewer’s question about whether James would stay. “We’ve lost 400,000 jobs out here and the last guy I worry about is LeBron James,” Kasich said–a perhaps theoretically reasonable effort to stay focused on his core message–the economy–but practically speaking a position that recalls Martha Coakley’s disastrous ignorance of the Red Sox. Strickland, for his part, actually sang a few lines for “We Are LeBron” a tongue-in-cheek music video recorded by Cleveland “celebrities” (sorry, can’t resist those quotation marks; I’m a Knicks fan after all) urging King James to stay put.

We should know what James decides in the coming days or maybe weeks. If he breaks his home state’s heart, Kasich can brace himself for another round of Democratic mockery. “Democrats are going to try to milk it for all it’s worth,” says Ohio State University political science professor Herb Asher. And if LeBron stays, Asher wonders whether the scoring machine might mention the governor’s (semi) melodic appeal. “What does he say? Does he thank the governor?” Of course, LeBron’s decision isn’t likely to swing the governor’s race. But with both candidates jockeying for early position under the electoral basket, any small advantage now could set the stage for a slam dunk in November.

P.S. You’ve got to think Barack Obama is rooting for LeBron to join his hometown Chicago Bulls; indeed he’s even hinted as much. But the President is smart enough to know that rooting for LeBron to break countless Ohioans’ hearts wouldn’t  exactly help his chances in a crucial 2012 swing state…

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  • certifiablylazy

    Insightful. Rich guy to get richer. Politicians to play politics with rich guy decision.

  • grape_crush

    Cleveland, where, let’s be frank, LeBron may be the best thing the city’s got going.

    Really? How long have you been there?

  • m0mentom0ri

    If this has ANY impact on the election then we deserve every bit of bad governance we get.

  • ath716

    Is this post satire? Sorry, I just can’t tell anymore.

  • danielatlanta

    Perhaps professional athletes need all that money for their legal fees when they have to hire top-dollar lawyers after they act badly in society … sexual harrassment, rapes, muders, drunk driving, drug abuse, vehicular homicide, the list of offenses goes on and on. Have you noticed? ESPN has as much about legal troubles of athletes as it does sports on most days. As a society, the role of professional sports is a sure indicator of just how out of balance our priorities have gotten. We can build billion-dollar stadia for prima donnas but can’t afford decent parks and playgrounds for our children. As for me, I have no respect for professional (and many college) athletes. They are parasites on society, taking more from society than they are worth to society. They shoukld be ashamed to take such large salaries for the job they do. Most have no shame, however, as long as someone will show them the money.

  • nibblybits

    A little harsh, don’t you think? AFAIK LeBron is a pretty good guy and hasn’t been in any legal shenanigans, so it’s a bit unfair to go on your tirade against miscreant jocks in this post about him.
    .
    Instead of raging against athletes who are more likely than not victims of their upbringing and society, why don’t you cut them a break for their uncommon talent and excellence in their field? Even if you yourself have no need for what they do.

  • nibblybits

    I hope LeBron stays in Cleveland, not just now but for the rest of his career. Like the old days when marquee athletes were linked with one team. Joe DiMaggio and the Yankees. Joe Montana and the 49ers. When Favre left Green Bay, he lost a bit of his identity.

  • certifiablylazy

    Montana played in KC at the end of his career.

  • http://TopOfTheThread.com TopOfTheThread

    I am glad it’s over. IMHO it’s a bad move for him (Lebron). Even with the possibility of living in MJ’s shadow, Chicago would have been a better choice. He would have made them the best team and he still will be “the King”. And as being a New Yorker, the Knicks have lost a big gamble and may be in the worst time in their existence. They have a horrible team. They signed Amare but he is a tremendous risk (physically) and not the kind of player to build a team around. They have “thrown” 2 years on this gamble and now (again) have a horrible team. The only thing that would have been worse for them was if the Nets signed Lebron.

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