Rob Parker of the Detroit News recently reported that LeBron James? deal with Nike (currently at $100 million) will double if he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers and opts to sign with Chicago, New York or Los Angeles.

Now, I?m sure legally and logistically that?s acceptable, but just what are we promoting here? With David Stern?s adamant rejection of all things to do with sports gambling, including turning down the possibility of an NBA franchise in Las Vegas until the city agrees to take NBA games off the agenda (good luck!), this should be raising many eyebrows. However, to this point, it hasn?t.

Maybe it?s because we?re so used to corporations affecting sports, or maybe it?s because we?re just so jaded at this point? with the sex boats, steroids and spoiled athletes. But it seems as if we simply do not care anymore.

I?ve yet to read an article on how this is one of the most blatant examples of big business interfering with the equality and competitiveness of professionally sports. Maybe that?s because most of the big sports writers live in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

Stern?s overly concerned with bookies and point-shaving, but really what is the difference? Dictionary.com defines point-shaving as: ?The illegal practice of deliberately limiting the number of points scored by one’s team in an athletic contest, as in return for a payment from gamblers to ensure winnings.?

If LeBron were to snub a smaller market team simply because he?d make more endorsement money if he went to New York, L.A. or Chi-town (not that he?d ever admit that, of course), I?d call that team-shaving? a much more egregious offense. In my dictionary, team-shaving is defined as: The reprehensible practice of deliberately limiting the competitiveness of small to medium sized market teams in a professional athletics league, as in return for a payment from big business.

And if we let that slide, why even hold a draft lottery? Why not just give preferential draft positioning according to the size of a given team?s market? Ohh right, because that wouldn?t be fair!

In an age where salary caps are becoming reality and the dream of your team having a shot to win a championship is sold to gullible sports fans, this is a step backwards and simply unacceptable. Why step in on the issue of gambling, and not on this? Does Nike have David Stern in their pocket as well? Perhaps that old tale of Stern freezing New York’s lottery ball, back in the Patrick Ewing draft, to ensure the Knicks would land the first overall pick was more fact than fiction.






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