"Wise" and "Business" Wrapped Into One: How LeBron James May Have You Played For a Fool

It has been a few years, but I'm sure that there is no way that NBA fans have forgotten about Nike's "The LeBrons" campaign. The commercial depicted the many personalities of LeBron James, like "Player LeBron" (himself as a basketball player), "Wise LeBron" (a man wise beyond his years), "Business LeBron" (a guy who knows how to make all the smart moves), and "Kid LeBron" (a playful little toddler at heart).They really weren't kidding about the "Business" and "Wise" part. Because King James has really put his skills in those departments on full display this summer. LeBron has never, ever questioned his own future in Cleveland seriously. He has never hinted at leaving, and there is nothing non-basketball related (a scoring power forward would be nice) that would threaten his future in Cleveland. He is adored by the entire state, revered as a god and a hometown savior, and given a free pass on so many issues within the friendly confines of The Buckeye State. But a recent ESPN.com "SportsNation" poll indicated that most people aren't paying attention anyways, as 59 percent of voters seem convinced that LeBron will spend the 2010-11 season elsewhere. However, James' recent comments on his future were the very definition of diplomatic. He didn't indicate a desire to leave Cleveland, but he left the door open just a crack to play to the masses in the big markets -- especially New York:"My loyalty is to Akron. I'm looking forward to this upcoming season, but I'm looking forward to the summer of 2010, too, to see what may happen. No matter what happens that summer, you know, I'm still here. I've got a nice big house here that I'm always coming back to. You know, I love this city and I'll always give back to this city no matter what my profession; if it takes me somewhere else."LB knows he isn't kidding anyone. There is no way he can peacefully return to his house in Bath Township in Northeast Ohio if he backstabs the state's only pro basketball team, and he knows this. You have to be from the place to know what loyalty to the area is like. There's a reason guys like Art Modell, Manny Ramirez, and Carlos Boozer don't have homes in Ohio. In Modell's case, he's too scared to even come back when the Ravens visit to play the Browns.LeBron knows that he won't be viewed any differently to the majority of Ohio sports fans. But he also knows that crazy delusional New York fan doesn't know this. He also knows that crazy delusional New York fan -- and there are millions of 'em in the country's largest market -- buys sneakers. He knows that the NBA store is based in New York. Not only that, but his timing on those comments were a stroke of genius, as this summer marks the debut of his documentary, "More Than a Game." He knows that fans in big cities like New York will continue to slurp him if they know that there's a possibility that he could be joining them in just 11 months.Sign that extension or publicly pledge your allegiance to the wine and gold, and all that leverage goes out the window.Fans from other cities thinks it's comical to assume that LeBron will re-sign with the Cavs next summer, but I think that there is absolutely no chance that he doesn't re-sign in 2010. The 2009-10 season will take his popularity to a new level, as will the summer of 2010. It's popularity that won't go away once he re-commits to the Cavs, as sports fans from around the country and even around the world would have gotten a heavy dose of him for a long, long time.And we all know the minions at the four letter will eat up any bit of news involving LeBron.So not only should you not worry about LeBron's future if you're a Cavs fan, but you should also marvel at the shrewd tactics of a guy who is only 24-years old. He may even be younger than many of you reading this, yet his business acumen and marketability skills are at a level that is beyond his years.And to think: This is really only the beginning.