Just to squash this ridiculous rumor that lebrons nike contract includes some sort of incentive for him to go to a major market, this today from Brian Windhorst, cavs reporter for the akron beacon-journal, a guy that's been following Lebron's carreer since before he was even on TV (which is a long time.) If anybody in the media knows, it's windhorst. I don't know how many times it's been stated on this board, but if you heard it on Sportscenter, it's probaby WRONG.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/...s/12099325.htm
• Many fans were frustrated last week that Redd returned to the last-place Milwaukee Bucks despite having the chance to come back home to Ohio and play with LeBron James. Well, the $20-some million difference between the offers was understandably the difference-maker. Keep those special rules to protect the incumbent team in mind in two years, when James is a free agent and the Cavaliers will be able to offer significantly more money to keep him.
Contrary to numerous media reports, James' Nike contract does not have a kicker in it to increase his compensation if he plays in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Some of his other endorsement deals do, but they represent much, much less than he can get by re-signing for a max contract in Cleveland. Not to mention he's restricted, and the Cavaliers can match any offer.
You think LeBron is going to be influenced by the chump change the guys at bubbulicous, upper deck, or sprite will throw his way compared to the $20 mill + that the cavs bird rights will be worth in a couple years?
The only way lebron leaves is if the cavs are losing horribly, which won't happen. It took a complete and total meltdown of everything around lebron for the cavs to miss the playoffs this year, and even then, it was by a tiebreaker.