Carmelo Returns The Glory To MSG; Melo Joins Amare' To Return Lustre To The Knicks

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NYC, NY. The prodigal son returns, and he brings with him enough talent to make the New York Knicks a contender again.

After a nearly 3 year rebuilding project focused on the Free Agent Class of 2010 and a courtship of Lebron James that ended when he made his infamous "Decision" to take his talents to South Beach, the New York Knicks now have the Top 5 NBA player to headline the Madison Square Garden marquee.

Melo and Chauncey Billups are headed to play at Madison Square Garden.

The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets finally completed the trade that took most of the season to work out. A package headlined by Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups will join the Knicks in return for a package of 3 Knicks starters (Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari), a young center (24 year old Timofey Mosgov), 3 draft picks (the Knicks 2014 First Round Pick and the Golden State Warriors 2012 and 2013 Second Round Picks), and $3 million in cash.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were also involved in the deal, taking on Eddy Curry's expiring contract and Anthony Randolph in exchange for Corey Brewer going to the Knicks. This helped Denver drop their salary this season by $25 million, saving them significantly on the luxury tax.

Although the "Summer of Lebron" was disappointing to Knicks fans, the free agent acquisition on Amare' Stoudemire was not only an incredible bright spot, it may have been the first domino that has now landed Carmelo Anthony with the Knicks.

Amare' has been a beast for the Knicks this season, and he has answered any question about his knee and about his legacy apart from Steve Nash. He has been the team leader for the surprising New York Knicks, who recently knocked off the Miami Heat, and as a result, has been prominent in the MVP conversation.

Both Carmelo Anthony and Amare' Stoudemire have expressed an interest to play together, and the two former Western All Star forwards will have the chance to play together now, with the New York Knicks.

Melo returns to his hometown, where he also played one season of college ball for Syracuse University. He ruled the mecca of basketball and lead his Syracuse Orangemen to their first National Championship in 2003. Melo will now have the chance to bring an NBA Championship to his hometown New York Knicks.

New York Knicks get:	Carmelo Anthony (SF) Chauncey Billups (PG) Anthony Carter (PG) Sheldon Williams (PF) Renaldo Balkman (PF) Corey Brewer (SG)
Denver Nuggets get:	Raymond Felton (PG) Wilson Chandler (SF) Danilo Gallinari (F) Timofey Mosgov (C) Knicks 2014 First Round Pick Warriors 2012 and 2013 Second Round Picks $3 million CASH
Minnesota Timberwolves get:	Eddy Curry expiring contract Anthony Randolph (PF)

Sometimes it's the guy you don't get that makes your team better. The then Seattle Supersonics missed on Greg Oden and ended up with a guy by the name of Kevin Durant.

The Knicks did not get Lebron James, but in Carmelo Anthony, they have the perfect outside scorer to complement Amare' Stoudmire inside. And we have yet to see Lebron come through with a clutch score in the closing seconds.

When it comes to clutch players, in Amare' and Melo, the Knicks now have two. Can a New York Big 3 be coming soon?

Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic Send Lebron and Friends To Third Straight Loss

Orlando, Florida.  The Miami Heat have been having a woeful Thanksgiving week, with losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Indiana Pacers, but everyone probably knows that with the excessive coverage of Lebron James and the most overrated team in history. And a visit to Eastern Conference contender, the Orlando Magic, was not going to make it better.

Miami's weak frontline recently got weaker with the loss of Udonis Haslem to injury, probably for the entire season. Haslem was truly the only source of toughness in the paint for a Miami Heat team that rebuilt their frontcourt from scratch around Lebron James and Chris Bosh. During Miami's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Haslem went down with a strained left foot and had to be carried off the court; he will have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left foot that will probably end his season.

Despite Miami's injury woes, Dwight Howard didn't seem to feel sorry for the Heat big men, as he went for 24 points and 18 rebounds (matching the rebound total for Miami's starting frontline of Bosh, Lebron, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas) in completely dominating Miami's frontcourt. Jameer Nelson, J. J. Redick, and Brandon Bass made huge contributions, as well, in the team driven victory.

Dwight Howard dunks over the Miami friends as the Magic hand the Heat their third straight loss.

Meanwhile, the story for Miami was Dwayne Wade's continuing shooting woes, as he put up 18 points on 6 of 21 shooting. In two games since missing the game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wade has made only 7 of his 34 shots (20.6%) and has only made 1 of 8 3-pointers (12.5%); the Heat have lost both games.

Orlando was able to avenge a loss to Miami earlier this season in the Heat's home opener on October 29.

Rudy Gay "LeBiatches" Lebron: Grizzlies Hand Heat Another Loss on Gay's Buzzer Beater

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. Lebron finally was involved in a "Jordan-moment", however it was Rudy Gay that hit "The Shot" while Lebron played the role of Craig Ehlo.

In dramatic fashion, it was Rudy Gay, the Memphis Grizzlies' big signing of the "Summer of Lebron", who measured and connected on a fade away jumper over a fully extended Lebron James, to sink the Miami Heat as the clock ran out in regulation.

Rudy Gay had been shooting just 4 for 12 on the night and had just turned the ball over on the previous play, resulting in an easy dunk for Lebron James on the other end to tie the game. However, when it came time to draw up the final play, Gay wanted the ball in his hands.

And with the ball in his hand and 5.5 secs beginning to tick away, Gay was not going to defer the shot to anyone else. Even with Lebron picking him up as he turned the corner, Gay got just enough space over the fully outstretched arm of the most coveted free agent of the summer, Lebron James, and buried the shot.

Here is a video of the play: 



Following the shot, the hometown crowd at the FedEx Forum erupted. It was an emotional victory for a Memphis Grizzlies team that was expected to challenge in the Western Conference but has been struggling in the early going of this season. O.J. Mayo and Zach Randolph had been demoted to the bench in favor of Darrell Arthur and rookie Xavier Henry in hopes of sparking the team. It seems to have worked, at least on this night.

The list of teams handing a piece of humble pie to the Miami Heat has gotten one more team longer. Joining the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, and New Orleans Hornets was a 5 win and 9 loss underachieving Memphis Grizzlies team. After obtaining the top 3 free agents available during the "Summer of Lebron" and then bragging about forming a basketball dynasty, the Miami Heat have stumbled out of the gate, with a record of 8 wins and 5 losses in the first 13 games of the season. They are on pace to finish the season with a record of  51 - 31.

A special slice of humble pie is reserved for Lebron James, who was the most coveted free agent of the summer. With every team in the league dreaming about adding his talent and several solid, "win a championship now", choices available, such as staying with a Cleveland Cavaliers talent base that put together back to back 61 win seasons, Lebron continues to be haunted by the worst "Decision" ever made by a sports superstar. He questions "what to do now?" in his latest commercial for Nike.

Rudy Gay's Jordanesque Game-Winning Shot Over Lebron James.

The Rudy Gay shot over Lebron had the "Air" of "The Shot", Michael Jordan's incredible floating shot on Craig Ehlo to propel the Chicago Bulls to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. The way he floated just a little longer and jumped a little higher than the defender who, despite great defensive position and full extension to bother the shot, was helpless to stop him."The Shot" remains one of the defining moments of Michael Jordan's career because it illustrates the difference between Jordan and every other basketball player in the world; Jordan wanted to win more than any other player, and it fueled him to float a little longer, jump a little higher, practice a little harder, and make one more play.

The irony of the situation is that Lebron, this very summer, could have been the Air Apparent and the Chosen One to follow in Michael Jordan's footsteps in Chicago and as the icon of the NBA. Chicago was believed by the most knowledgeable basketball people, including Michael Jordan himself, to be the best destination for Lebron from the point of view of joining a team that would win multiple NBA Championships. The combination of Derrick Rose, Lebron James, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah would have been amazing; Derrick Rose is currently 4th in the league in scoring, and Joakim Noah is currently 2nd in the league in rebounding. Lebron would have been an ideal complement to the two superstars, and with talented role players like Taj Gibson, the Bulls (currently 7 - 4 on the season) would have been one of the most talented, deep, and complete teams in the league.

Then came "The Decision". And the landscape of the NBA has been forever altered, but two things have not changed. Michael Jordan's legacy is still that of the greatest of all time, and Lebron James will not be winning an NBA Championship this year.

Lebron Deserves Time Magazine's Person of the Year For Being a Shining Example of What Not To Do With Your Public Esteem

Does Lebron James deserve to be listed among the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Mohandas Gadhi? The answer is clearly a resounding "no".

Does Lebron James deserve to be listed among the likes of Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, George W. Bush, and Benedict Arnold (if Time Magazine had existed back in 1780)? Suddenly, the "no" is less resounding...

Barack Obama, President of the United States, is also a finalist for Time's Person of the Year along with James.

Time Magazine's Person of the Year article profiles a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year." By this criteria, Lebron certainly qualifies to be in the discussion.

In fact, what better way to cement Lebron's "legacy" than a Time Magazine article that details the events of the so called "Summer of Lebron", what was to be Lebron's finest hour, to show how selfishness, hubris, and conceit can truly cost you in the fame game. However, when the adoration of your fans are the only source of your power, influence, and income, it is probably a good idea not to humilate those same fans on public television.

Lebron's actions, and the pride that continues to keep him from admitting the utter stupidity of "The Decision", have kept his name in the news much longer than any sensible decision possibly could, and it is for that that he deserves Time's Person of the Year.

At the very least, the continuous chatter on ESPN, the television network that agreed to participate in Lebron James' ill-conceived 1-hour Decision special, about what Lebron tweeted about today and his opinion of the dismal Dallas Cowboys, for example, is evidence that the sports world has changed. Now rather than reporting sports news, ESPN has crossed the line of journalistic integrity, following in the footsteps of the Fox News' of the world, to now, creating and fabricating news.

A clear bias exists when ESPN crams Lebron James' opinions down our throats and calls it news. There is a clear bias when there is a special page chronicling the Miami Heat, called the Heat Index, when there are 29 other teams in the league, several of which are more likely than Miami to win the NBA Championship, and one of them has already proven that fact twice (Boston Celtics).

The Miami Herald has reported that Lebron, in a calculated PR move, responded to his nomination by saying that it was "crazy". Lebron said this about his vote for the honor, the Chilean Miners, "That's just crazy. What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it."

If Lebron had made a sensible decision, he would not be anywhere near the list. He would just be the best player in the league, winning and leading a team, and showing his fans everywhere what it is to be a sports hero. Instead, we are forced to watch Miami Heat basketball to witness the inevitability of karma.

Best Award Winning Videos from the Summer of Lebron is a LeBiatch, the Documentary Edition

So, the much anticipated 2010 NBA Free Agency period (the so called "Summer of Lebron") has come and gone. It was a soap opera beyond imagination which finally ended with the most awkward debacle of an announcement of a bad decision ever made in the history of modern sports.

Lebron decided to take his talents (and for his sake, enough lube) to South Beach to join Dwayne Wade and new Heat teammate, Chris Bosh. And that was when Lebron revealed himself to be a fraud and less than the Chosen One he had claimed to be. The hearts of those who had once supported him were broken, as they have been so many times before in Cleveland. And beyond Cleveland, those who believed that he could step into the Air Jordans of the Greatest of All Time and those who hoped that pride could be restored for a team that plays in the Mecca of Basketball were also disappointed.

However, none of this may compare with the irreparable damage that "the Decision" has done to Lebron's own legacy. The championships that he may have believed would cement his legacy, gotten this way by joining a champion in DWade, will forever cast him as a sidekick. And despite what anyone has said, this incarnation of the Miami Heat have yet to win a single game.

With all the free agent dominoes having fallen and the teams geared up to start the regular season, this usually proves to be the longest month for hardcore hoops fans. Therefore, we wish to bring you the Best Videos of the Summer of Lebron is a LeBiatch. In this edition, we examine the Best Documentary Videos of the summer.

BEST AMATEUR FILM CLIP
Lebron James gets booed at Cedar Point
by Nikkie0212

Current Number of Views: 401,214

August 9, 2010 About a month after announcing "the Decision", Lebron returns to Cedar Point, the legendary amusement park in northern Ohio. However, despite the solid month of anti Lebron sentiment coming out of the Cleveland Cavaliers fanbase, Lebron must not have been convinced that his decision could have been so poorly received.

On this day, an amateur camera-person captures Lebron James at the basketball hoops getting jeered by park-goers and missing every shot he takes. He must have been having flashbacks to Game 5 of the Boston Celtics playoff series this year where he shot 3 of 14.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Raw Video: Cavs Fans React to LeBron's Decision (Associated Press)

Current Number of Views: 328,158

July 9, 2010 This will be a date that will live in infamy in the minds of Cleveland sports fans as the unthinkable and unimaginable happened in a public act of humiliation that garnered an audience of 9.95 million to TV screens. In a classless display of self-aggrandizement, Lebron took an hour of national TV airtime on ESPN (and the dignity of one Jim Gray, who presided over the charade) to make his long awaited announcement.

Lebron James, a homegrown, hometown basketball phenom from nearby Akron, OH, eventually became the #1 overall selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was christened The Chosen One because he was believed to be the one to return Cleveland sports to respectability, and during his 7 years playing for the Cavs, James won two MVP awards, lead his team to the best regular season record twice, and made one NBA Finals appearance.

Lebron's decision to join a loaded team in Miami was viewed as not only selfish and quitting, but it was also an act of betrayal greater than any other because he was the local guy who should understand the pain and the plight of the city in terms of sports history. After being likened to Benedict Arnold, Lebron is giving Art Modell a run for his money for the mantel of most hated Cleveland sports demigod.

New 2010 Nike MVP Puppets Commercial Featuring... Lebron West?!

"Lebron James is a Bitch" Song by Mike Polk Soon To Send Anti-Lebron Sentiments Viral

Comedian Mike Polk may become the new voice and megaphone for the masses of disenchanted former-fans of Lebron James. Cleveland and fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered many painful losses when it comes to the history of sports in the city of Cleveland. However, this latest loss especially hurts not only because of the freshness of it, but also because of the treasonous nature of Lebron James' betrayal of the Northeast Ohio-area where James grew up.

Following a summer of high hopes for several NBA team, an extended courtship of the top NBA free agents, and the emergence of a conspiracy, Cleveland was publicly spurned by their own native son, James, who had been embraced by the city with the moniker, "The Chosen One".

After numerous delays, Lebron announced his choice to join with fellow All Stars and Team USA teammates, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on the Miami Heat, during an ill-conceived 1-hour special on ESPN called "The Decision". The show's name soon became synonymous with the latest betrayal born by the city of Cleveland.

Following "The Decision", there has been harsh backlash against James'. Prior to the infamous decision, James was a much admired sports figure, not only in Cleveland, but Lebron was respected globally to fans of the sport. However, perception of Lebron James has drastically shifted, and Mike Polk's tribute song is the latest emphatic statement of this.



The perception of Lebron James leaving his city, although not the course of champions of the echelon of Jordan, Bird, and Kobe, would not have been a career-killer if James had gone about it with more public-relations savvy. Shaquille O'Neal moved during his prime, much like Lebron James, from an NBA Finals team in the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, however O'Neal was the main attraction on the Lakers, who won the NBA Championship with O'Neal because of the eventual development of Kobe Bryant.

However, with Lebron stringing along several NBA franchises, announcing his departure in such a self-aggrandizing and self-promotional forum, and leaving Cleveland to join two other established players, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on a team that Wade has already won a championship with in Miami, many former Lebron fans feel deceived. There was nothing admirable or heroic about Lebron's actions from "The Decision" onward. By subjugating himself to Wade, he has made the admission that he cannot lead a team to victory, and he has revealed the fraud in the advertisements that taut his supremacy.

Sports super-stardom is driven by image and perception, and Lebron has managed to tarnish his well-polished image with quite possibly the worst PR summer of any great athlete in recent memory. A viral video would not help things for James, however the outrage is real and stands to grow with each game Lebron plays with Wade's team.

Postings like this one all over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have fueled the popularity of Mike Polk's YouTube performance. The following update was posted to the Facebook group, Lebron is a LeBiatch:

This is my new favorite song! Thank you, Mike Polk! Lebron is a LeBiatch.

Within a matter of 2 hours, the hit count on the YouTube video rose by nearly 3500 views, and with the viral nature of social media, Lebron James could possibly be the first NBA star to become globally infamous because of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Nike and other brands don't bank on athletes with the image of being a Bitch.

Bosh Reveals That There Was Never Discussion About Cleveland With Lebron

It seems that as time goes by, tiny morsels of facts regarding "The Decision" and the rest of the farce that was NBA Free Agency 2010 emerge that lend more and more credence to the notion that Lebron's decision to join with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami was contrived well in advance of the start of the free agent signing period on July 1, 2010.

On SI.com's Dan Patrick Show, none other than Chris Bosh, the least talented of the Miami Big Three, was asked about Lebron's attempts to lure him to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reportedly, Lebron had spoken to Bosh about the possibility of joining the team in a sign and trade; an option that the Cavs would surely have entertained in order to keep James in Cleveland.

“We never had a discussion about Cleveland,” Bosh revealed, Wednesday morning. "We never really had discussions, period."

This simple statement greatly implicate that James had already closed the door on returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that originally drafted him out of high school first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, which finished the 2010 regular season with a 61-21 record and the best record in the league for the second consecutive season, could have arguably had the addition it needed to be title favorites by adding Chris Bosh and keeping James.

The Lebron James public spectacle, and the infamous "Decision", continues to baffle, particularly those who understand the game and business of basketball the best.