NEW YORK, (Reuters) – LeBron James will end one of the most compelling transfer sagas the National Basketball Association (NBA) has encountered by revealing which team he will play for next season in a one-hour televised broadcast today, ESPN said on their website Tuesday.
ESPN said representatives of James had contacted the network with a proposal that included donating any sponsorship money from the broadcast to a children’s charity.
ESPN said the discussions were still ongoing and the network did not know which team James had agreed to play for, adding that the identity would not be revealed until the broadcast.
The pending announcement about where the two-time Most Valuable Player will end up next season has already become a source of fascination and speculation in the United States, with even President Barack Obama weighing in on where he should go.
James has been approached by at least six teams, including his current franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers, but has not offered any hints about his future plans, despite starting up his own social networking site and website.
More than 184,000 people signed up to follow James on Twitter after he joined the site on Tuesday but his only tweet was “Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building Finally. My Brother… gas’d me up to jump on board so I’m here. Haaaa.”
The website http://www.lebronjames.com/) of the 25-year-old James offered little more information other than the enticing slogan “Getting Closer” and the promise “you’ll be the first to know” for anyone who signs up to receive alerts.
Today’s announcement looms as one of the most eagerly awaited decisions ever in the NBA as James is one of a handful of marquee free agents who have the potential to dramatically shift the landscape of the league for years to come.
While the talent among the latest crop of free agents is widely considered the deepest ever, James is the front-runner regarded as the one who can swiftly turn any of the league’s teams into a title contender.
Since the free agency period opened on July 1, All Star guard Joe Johnson agreed to stay with the Atlanta Hawks, while the New York Knicks successfully lured All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire, who played last season with the Phoenix Suns. But the greater focus has been on James, Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Toronto’s Chris Bosh, who have all met with several teams interested in bolstering their rosters, leading to speculation about the possible creation of a “super team” involving all three.
