Nets and Knicks make first pitch to LeBron

By Brian Windhorst

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

The recruitment of LeBron James has begun, and it was as much of a circus as was expected.

The New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks both held high-profile and likely high-pressure discussions with James in a downtown office building that houses James’ LRMR Marketing firm over a five-hour period Thursday.

The Nets were led by billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who was first to arrive. He was joined by rap mogul and part owner Jay-Z, team president Rod Thorn and coach Avery Johnson.

They brought a rack full of luggage and computer equipment for their presentation. A little less than two hours later, the Nets group left with smiles.

“It went well,” Johnson told The Plain Dealer, briefly showing a specially made folder with James’ face above a Nets logo.

“I would like to comment, but I cannot,” Prokhorov said, remarking that he thought it was funny that he heard on the radio on his drive into downtown from the airport that his plane had landed.

As the Nets left, they literally were passed by the Knicks’ on the way out the door. When the black car carrying Jay-Z, who stayed after the main Nets presentation for a private meeting with close friend James, pulled out, it breezed past the Knicks’ four-car procession as it pulled in.

The Knicks were represented by owner James Dolan, president Donnie Walsh, coach Mike D’Antoni and several executives including former star Allan Houston. Dolan is the brother of Indians owner Larry Dolan. About an hour before their arrival, an advance team came to the building in a rented van with their luggage and computer equipment for their proposal.

It was clear that both teams spend quite a bit of money putting together the presentations.

“There were no commitments; it was a non-committal meeting,” Walsh said. “We were given the opportunity to explain our franchise, explain the Knicks and explain what we’re trying to do. In that sense, I thought it was very good. … I don’t know if there’s a next step, but I’m sure there will be.”

The Knicks hoped that they could meet with James again, perhaps on their turf in New York.

“We tried to put him in a New York state of mind,” D’Antoni said. “Hopefully, it worked out. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

James arrived in a white Cadillac a few minutes before 11 a.m. wearing a white T-shirt and sweatpants and headed up to his offices. He declined to comment to The Plain Dealer. LRMR CEO Maverick Carter arrived before him. James left about 4 p.m. following the meetings.

Prokhorov, who flew to New York from France on Wednesday to prepare for the meeting, picked up the Nets officials and flew to Cleveland on Thursday morning. His jet landed at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport shortly after 10:30 a.m.

The Knicks crew arrived at about 7:45 a.m. Thursday from Los Angeles, where they met with free agents Joe Johnson and Mike Miller on Wednesday night. Both the Nets and Knicks flew to Chicago following the James’ meetings to recruit free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

The whole process for James is expected to repeat today and Saturday as James plays host to four more teams.

According to a source, James is expected to be visited by the Heat this morning followed by a presentation by the Clippers in the afternoon. The Bulls are believed to be scheduled with James on Saturday.

Then, potentially as the last team to present, the Cavs are expected to meet with James. New coach Byron Scott, who reached an agreement with the Cavs on a four-year contract early Thursday, is expected to be part of that meeting.

As the parties arrived at the office building, they were greeted by a large banner that was hung on a hotel across the street that read “HOME” along with a Cavs logo. It is part of a marketing campaign throughout the city with various banners and billboards targeting James and playing to his sense of home and community.

Numerous Cavs employees held up signs of the same nature outside the building and waved them to passing cars, who were honking horns.