LeBron James Flirts with New York on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show"

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cLeBron Jameswww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealthcare Protests Some Cavs fans will view the above clip of LeBron James on "The Daily Show" and get offended that The King is openly flirting with New York. If you are one of those fans, then trust me when I ask you to relax.The above clip was the first time I've seen LeBron openly flirt with playing for the city of New York (no, the stupid Yankees hat does not count). At first, I was stunned. But then reality set in.James is once again toying with the media. For years, he has tirelessly -- over and over again -- said how he enjoys playing in Cleveland and in front of his friends and family. He has reiterated that he does not plan on going anywhere any time soon. But those statements apparently fell on deaf ears as the national and even local media kept obsessing over his free agency more than any other player's in the history of professional sports. (Seriously, when's the last time ESPN did a freaking production on a guy's free agency two years before it actually happens?)So instead of continuing to speak from his heart and be ignored, James has agreed to play this game with the media. The result is going to be more gigs like the one above on "The Daily Show," but Cavs fans need to realize that the last laugh is going to be theirs. And he who laughs last, laughs best.Signing a three-year deal in 2006 was brilliant because it kept enormous pressure on Danny Ferry and Cavaliers management to put some talent around James, and the options that the shorter contract afforded him are the reason he will wait until next year before committing long term.But this summer has been all about promoting his book "Shooting Stars" and movie "More Than a Game." For a guy who has already come out and listed objectives such as "Global Icon" and "Billionaire" as two of his priorities, using this offseason to promote this book and movie is critical in accomplishing those off-court goals.Promoting them in New York, the country's largest market, is critical, and James has spent the last week in The Big Apple doing just that. In addition to appearing on "The Daily Show" earlier this week, James appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" last week. And he's playing New York like a fiddle and finding out that he doesn't have to commit to or play for them to win their hearts. LeBron held a book signing two days ago on Tuesday in Manhattan, drawing a line that "wrapped around the building, from Fifth Avenue onto 46th Street," according to New York Newsday's Alan Hahn. As Hahn will tell you (before he spews his garbage about how LeBron to the Knicks is all but a done deal), more folks showed up with the Cavalier wine and gold than the Knicks blue and orange.LeBron's stay in New York also gave birth to the wild rumor about the Knicks, owned by Cablevision, giving him his own TV channel. Leave it to the city of the Knicks to conveniently ignore the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement and think that they can do whatever it takes to get a free agent. This isn't baseball.So be patient, Cavs fans. Even an overwhelming number of ESPN's own guys believe that LeBron is going nowhere next summer. Everything you are observing this offseason on the 2010 front is for fun and games. If anything, feel bad for Knicks fans because they are the basketball version of the Browns. Imagine being that bad and then being teased by marquee free agents for no reason whatsoever.In the end, the joke's on them. Just like it was in 2006. But some people just can't seem to get enough egg on their face.