LeBron James can officially sign with a new NBA team if he chooses come July 1, and one of the few teams with a chance at getting him are the New Jersey Nets. Rapper Jay-Z is part-owner of the Nets, and also happens to be good friends with LeBron.
The hip-hop mogul made an appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ where he talked LeBron and the team’s new Russian billionaire owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, aka “the tall guy”.
The New York Knicks are on the brink of desperation, if they’re not there already, and now apparently want the most prestigious professional sports franchise in the world to help out New York City.
Knicks president Donnie Walsh wants all New Yorkers to pitch in on the ‘LeBron Project’ , but Derek Jeter has four helpful words of advice: “It wouldn’t make sense.”
There has also been much speculation that Jay-Z, hip-hop star and close friend of James, would try and pressure him into signing with the New Jersey Nets, of which he is part-owner. According to the rap mogul however, “That’s his decision.”
James is known as a Yankees fan and is also friends with pitcher CC Sabathia. He has also been seen sporting Dr. Dre’s new headphones, ironically enough donning a Red Sox logo.
I don’t know exactly when this picture was taken, but I’m liking the Mickael Pietrus fro. Hopefully this becomes a NBA trend.
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Nets co-owner Jay-Z won’t be the only musician recruiting LeBron James this offseason. LeBron is known to be an avid hip-hop fan, but that didn’t stop a band member from an entirely different genre from reaching out to the superstar.
My Chemical Romance, a metal/punk-rock band, guitarist and apparently big Knicks fan Frank Iero took to Twitter to make LeBron a special offer: Free MCR tickets for life if King James makes his way to New York next season.
I’m not sure if MCR is willing to go as far as to make a video similar to the “We are LeBron” parody performed by loyal Cavaliers fans, so they better hope that he’s enticed by the thought of being part of the MCRmy.
LeBron and Jay-Z are certainly friendly toward each other, as seen in the video below. I can’t think of a better person to persuade James to the worst team in the NBA besides the rap superstar.
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Excitement has been building for the New Jersey Nets and the NBA in general over Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s acquisition of the struggling franchise.
He plans to move the team to Brooklyn, and has appeared on the CBS show “60 Minutes” in an attempt to help fill the void of uncertainty the American public may have about the NBA’s first potential foreign owner.
Now New Jersey congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. says he will demand a government inquiry into the business dealings Prokhorov has had with Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe, which could threaten his potential ownership of the Nets.
Or maybe this whole story is just a cover up, and Prokhorov wants to back out because he actually saw the Nets play.
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First it was rap star P-Diddy looking to buy the soccer club Crystal Palace, and now it appears Jay Z may be following suit.
The husband of Beyonce, good friend of Lebron James, and international rap mogul who’s estimated worth is $500 million has been a supporter of the Arsenal Gunners ever since Thierry Henry’s stint with the club.
Jay Z also owns a share of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, who will have a new majority owner next season, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, so the idea of owning a sports franchise is not a new concept to him.
Maybe purchasing soccer teams is the new trend in the hip-hop industry, so who knows maybe Lil Wayne will take Manchester United off the Glazer family’s hands. After he gets out of prison of course.
Colin Means
The Sporting Rave 