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Desperate Pleas For LeBron Not Stopping Anytime Soon
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 21, 2010
Modified Jun 21, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 21, 2010
Modified Jun 21, 2010
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Here at Gothamist, we don't mark the passing of time with Gregorian or Julian calendars, but rather by the latest Gaga trouble and bike incident. And the foolproof way to tell it's the start of a brand new week of adventure and intrigue? A new smattering of articles and studies pertaining to the desperate pleas of NYers who
want
need LeBron James to come to NYC.
The Post leads things off with a front page study that shows how much income LeBron would generate for MSG and the city by coming here. According to Patrick Rishe, a professor of economics at Webster University, he would boost MSG ratings, bring an "immediate" $10-$20 million increase in MSG revenue, and increase the value of the franchise, which Forbes puts at $586 million last year, by as much as $150 million. Just the concept of him coming here is making people money: when the Cavs were booted out of the playoffs, MSG saw its shares jump 12 percent last month. If the Knicks actually started making the playoffs, the annual spike could be by as much as $50 million a year.
Of course, studies about LeBron's financial impact on the city have already been done recently. But what the Post lacks in original studies and reportage they make up for ten-fold with odd Donald Trump quotes that hint at some sort of Multiplicity-like existence: "New York would be a great thing for LeBron. He would take over the city...I am in many different cities, but I can tell you, LeBron, there is only one New York."
Newsday puts on its LeBroptimist hat as well, arguing that the coaching style of Knicks skipper Mike D'Antoni (which boils down to...offense all the time?) perfectly suits LeBron's game: "Most believe it could permit James to become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. Oscar Robertson did it in 1961-62." But the Daily News doesn't want in on the fun this time: writer Ebenezer Samuel wrote an editorial this weekend saying LeBron shouldn't come here if he really wants to win. But what else would you expect from an Ebenezer!
Tagged
basketball
donald trump
knicks
Lebron James
lebroptimist
msg
nyc
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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