Did LeBron Choose Miami For Greed?

[UNHWildCats]

Interesting thought. Did LeBron choose Miami simply because it was the only possible destination that doesn't have a State Income Tax?

He just saved nearly $13 million by signing with Miami instead of the Knicks, even more had he signed with New Jersey.

[DJH]

no.

[free7694]

No, he's doing the exact opposite. He isn't even getting a max deal. If he was all about money, he would've stayed in Cleveland, they could have offered $30 million more than anyone else.

[UNHWildCats]

No, he's doing the exact opposite. He isn't even getting a max deal. If he was all about money, he would've stayed in Cleveland, they could have offered $30 million more than anyone else.

Well yes and no. Cleveland could offer him $29 million more, but at an extra year.

Taking into account the Ohio state income tax LeBron would have been taxed about $7.4 million over the course of a 6 year $128 million deal with Cleveland. This basically lowers the value to $121.35 million or a seasonal average of $20,225,000. This is only a few hundred thousand more then the max Miami can give him per season, and this is assuming Cleveland doesn't have a city income tax, he also has the benefit of re-entering free agency a year younger then he would had he re-signed with Cleveland.

The math here says that no, greed wasn't a factor when choosing Miami over Cleveland, but it very well could have been in choosing Miami over everyone else that wasn't Cleveland.

This math of course is based on LeBron signing a max deal with Miami, which isn't a guarantee.

[bluehenbillk]

LeBron won't get a max deal in Miami.

[Gil Dobie]

Yes, but not in the monetary sense. Lebron did what he percieved as good for Lebron. Lebron wants a championship asap, and Miami is where he thinks it will come the quickest. Lebron's greed is for glory for himself.

[89Hen]

Yes, but not in the monetary sense. Lebron did what he percieved as good for Lebron. Lebron wants a championship asap, and Miami is where he thinks it will come the quickest. Lebron's greed is for glory for himself.

This. I never wish ill on anyone, but I hope he blows his knee out in summer ball and never plays again.

[ASUG8]

Yes, but not in the monetary sense. Lebron did what he percieved as good for Lebron. Lebron wants a championship asap, and Miami is where he thinks it will come the quickest. Lebron's greed is for glory for himself.

Gil is dead on - Lebron didn't have the supporting cast in Cleveland to get him the rings he thinks he deserves that would put him on the Jordan/Bryant level he believes he should be on. Miami offers him the opportunity to get those rings and frees him up to have an off night ocassionally (instead of being obligated to score 40+ every night with the Knicks or Cleveland).

He seems like a pretty decent guy, but he's in this for the championships and to get in the history books. After a certain amount of compensation does it really matter how much you make? At $20M, what's a couple of hundred thousand bucks?

[89Hen]

Gil is dead on - Lebron didn't have the supporting cast in Cleveland to get him the rings he thinks he deserves that would put him on the Jordan/Bryant level he believes he should be on. Miami offers him the opportunity to get those rings

But he guaranteed he will never be looked at the same way as a Jordan/Bryant by going to where the talent was. Jordan and Bryant had/have a great supporting cast, but it wasn't there when they arrived. THEY were the man and it was built around them. It's the difference between being the cornerstone and being the star on top of the Christmas tree IMO. LeBron will always be a loser in my memory no matter how many championships the Heat may win.

[Col Hogan]

The fact that Florida doesn't have an income tax will only impact LaBron if he becomes a legal resident of Florida...

If he maintains his legal residence in Ohio, he'll still have to pay Ohio income taxes...

So, I assume he'll totally abandon Ohio, get a Florida drivers license and establish legal residency in Florida...

[SunCoastBlueHen]

I wonder if the Heat dance squad influenced LeBron's decision...

[BlueHen86]

The fact that Florida doesn't have an income tax will only impact LaBron if he becomes a legal resident of Florida...

If he maintains his legal residence in Ohio, he'll still have to pay Ohio income taxes...

So, I assume he'll totally abandon Ohio, get a Florida drivers license and establish legal residency in Florida...

Don't they also pay income tax if they play a game in a state that has it? In other words, when LeBron plays in Phila won't he pay PA income tax for that that game?

[GannonFan]

The fact that Florida doesn't have an income tax will only impact LaBron if he becomes a legal resident of Florida...

If he maintains his legal residence in Ohio, he'll still have to pay Ohio income taxes...

So, I assume he'll totally abandon Ohio, get a Florida drivers license and establish legal residency in Florida...

Don't they also pay income tax if they play a game in a state that has it? In other words, when LeBron plays in Phila won't he pay PA income tax for that that game?

Yes, they do have to pay local taxes for even when they play a game in a state where such taxes exist.

[GannonFan]

Did he choose this for greed? Eh, indirectly. Remember, he makes his real money on things other than salary, so there could certainly be thinking that he could leave some salary on the table and end up making much more than that in media-related deals assuming he ever wins a title. Of course, you'd also have to hope that he took into account that he's cast himself as a villian after this move and how that image will affect what he can bring in, but who knows. He's certainly not losing money in this deal.

[89Hen]

ASHLEY!

[89Hen]

Don't they also pay income tax if they play a game in a state that has it? In other words, when LeBron plays in Phila won't he pay PA income tax for that that game?

Yes, they do have to pay local taxes for even when they play a game in a state where such taxes exist.

What? I think you're incorrect on this one. I used to work in Virginia, but I NEVER paid Virginia taxes, only Maryland.

[bluehenbillk]

Yes, they do have to pay local taxes for even when they play a game in a state where such taxes exist.

What? I think you're incorrect on this one. I used to work in Virginia, but I NEVER paid Virginia taxes, only Maryland.

Nope, you're supposed to be taxed by the state you work in. You may say you never paid but you had taxes taken out. It's been well-known for decades that athletes get dinged the Philly wage tax when they play here, entertainers too, it's down closer to 4% today, used to be around 5% when I worked there. Saying you paid taxes is relative, if it's taken out of your check, you're paying them either way.

[GannonFan]

What? I think you're incorrect on this one. I used to work in Virginia, but I NEVER paid Virginia taxes, only Maryland.

Nope, you're supposed to be taxed by the state you work in. You may say you never paid but you had taxes taken out. It's been well-known for decades that athletes get dinged the Philly wage tax when they play here, entertainers too, it's down closer to 4% today, used to be around 5% when I worked there. Saying you paid taxes is relative, if it's taken out of your check, you're paying them either way.

Yup, the Bears even tried a few years ago to stay in a hotel outside of the city in an effort to avoid paying as much tax when they had a game against the Eagles - didn't work, though, as their actual job was playing in the Vet and in the city limits, hence they had to pay the wage tax - fairly healthy tax too considering it was on 1/16 of a football player's
salary.

[GannonFan]

Yes, they do have to pay local taxes for even when they play a game in a state where such taxes exist.

What? I think you're incorrect on this one. I used to work in Virginia, but I NEVER paid Virginia taxes, only Maryland.

It all depends on how the individual states work it out with other states. I worked in DE while living in PA and I would pay DE income tax and then get a credit on my PA tax - that was the way they set it up. I'm not familiar with the Maryland/VA situation but I'm sure Maryland passed some money along to Virginia at some point.

[89Hen]

What? I think you're incorrect on this one. I used to work in Virginia, but I NEVER paid Virginia taxes, only Maryland.

Nope, you're supposed to be taxed by the state you work in. You may say you never paid but you had taxes taken out.

Not true. I had taxes taken out by Maryland.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

If it were greed then wouldn't he have went to the Knicks where they laid out an endorsement package that was somewhere between 300-400 million?

Even if it was to maximize his wallet, who can fault a guy for that?

I just don't get how athletes are supposed to have some loyalty to a place but we would never expect that of people we know.

[89Hen]

I just don't get how athletes are supposed to have some loyalty to a place but we would never expect that of people we know.

You're talking about a guy who is mid-management leaving for another job? Not really the same, is it?

Look, he doesn't "owe" Cleveland anything. Teams know that players become free agents. My problem is that by leaving because he "wants to win championships" tells me he's a quitter and he's deflecting his own performance in the playoffs. If the Cavs didn't have the best record in the NBA over the last two years and was a team that had no shot of even making the playoffs... it would be more legit. The fact is, HE choked in the playoffs and now he's just packing up and heading for warmer weather.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I just don't get how athletes are supposed to have some loyalty to a place but we would never expect that of people we know.

You're talking about a guy who is mid-management leaving for another job? Not really the same, is it?

Look, he doesn't "owe" Cleveland anything. Teams know that players become free agents. My problem is that by leaving because he "wants to win championships" tells me he's a quitter and he's deflecting his own performance in the playoffs. If the Cavs didn't have the best record in the NBA over the last two years and was a team that had no shot of even making the playoffs... it would be more legit. The fact is, HE choked in the playoffs and now he's just packing up and heading for warmer weather.

I ain't talking about mid management. I'm talking about anybody.

Fans think they know so much and like to push their morality on players. It's fucking hilarious. He gave Cleveland his all while he was there. He fulfilled his contractual obligations with them. He is given a choice now due to his stellar play and marketability to go somewhere else if he chooses. May be nicer weather, may be something about lifestyle, may be money...may be a combination of those and many other things. Who gives a fuck what the reasons are?

It is HIS life and HIS career which is probably much more personal to him than it is to any fan out there. But I'm sure he is a piece of shit and we should wish bad things for a guy that has been otherwise a pretty stand up guy because as fans we always got the line on what is best right?

It fucking makes me laugh that as fans some of you can get an unhealthy emotional attachment to a guy that you will probably never meet and if you do it will only be in passing.

[Gil Dobie]

I just don't get how athletes are supposed to have some loyalty to a place but we would never expect that of people we know.

You're talking about a guy who is mid-management leaving for another job? Not really the same, is it?

Look, he doesn't "owe" Cleveland anything. Teams know that players become free agents. My problem is that by leaving because he "wants to win championships" tells me he's a quitter and he's deflecting his own performance in the playoffs. If the Cavs didn't have the best record in the NBA over the last two years and was a team that had no shot of even making the playoffs... it would be more legit. The fact is, HE choked in the playoffs and now he's just packing up and heading for warmer weather.

He may be a choker, but he also isn't as great of a player as the media makes him out to be. He's the 2nd best player on his current team. Because of the media hype, he gets blamed for not winning the title in Cleveland. You are correct, he needs more help around him.

[blueballs]

I just don't get how athletes are supposed to have some loyalty to a place but we would never expect that of people we know.

You're talking about a guy who is mid-management leaving for another job? Not really the same, is it?

Look, he doesn't "owe" Cleveland anything. Teams know that players become free agents. My problem is that by leaving because he "wants to win championships" tells me he's a quitter and he's deflecting his own performance in the playoffs. If the Cavs didn't have the best record in the NBA over the last two years and was a team that had no shot of even making the playoffs... it would be more legit. The fact is, HE choked in the playoffs and now he's just packing up and heading for warmer weather.

What I've seen from Mr. James since May is a player that quit on his hometown team and city in game 5 of the Boston series when his team and the city needed him most. Then he plays out the whole free agent courtship thing in the most narcissistic way possible which included a prime time TV show.

Meanwhile, you have players such as Kobe Bryant (a TRUE champion who battled injuries including a broken bone all year long and still won), Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard, who sign extensions and commit to their teams and cities with little or no fanfare.

It will be interesting to see if Pat Riley puts up with all of "King James'" antics in Miami... you know, the "look at me and worship me chalk toss," posing for pictures on the sidelines, staring down opponents after dunking, etc.

Also, be assured Boston and Orlando aren't just going to roll over and bequeath Miami the EC title.