Billionaire Boys Club

“I wanna be a billionaire… so freakin bad.” Lyrics from the the song by Travis McCoy, probably plays through the white Beats headphones wrapped around his head, while he sits around and contemplates his next move. Immortality. Fame. Winning a championship. Being a Billionaire. The mind of Lebron James and the decision for his next move will be the biggest conversation through the summer no doubt. But while everyone waves their Chicago Bulls flags, I figure why not put look at a different side side of the story. Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith, made a great point after game 2 of the Lakers-Suns series. If Lebron wants to be the first billionaire athlete, he needs to hang around billionaires or other aspiring billionaires. Light bulb for my next post..... With that said, let’s take a journey into how Lebron can become a billionaire.

The Dynamic Duo:

New owner of the Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, is a Billionaire-39th richest man in the world. He goes coast to coast and around the world flying on G5’s, with young female escorts in tote. He’s 6’8”. If he wanted, he could probably buy Russia itself. BS calls him Russian Mark Cuban. I call him Russian Bruce Wayne. Who knows, he might even fight crime at night. He lives the life that most guys want. Even Lebron.

Minority owner of the Nets, Jay-Z, is Lebron's good friend. He's in a three way race with Diddy, and Russell Simmons to be the first hip-hop billionaire. He built his empire in the heart of New York. He wrote this generation's anthem for the city. Some might call him a King in New York. (on a side bet, what odds would you place on Mike Tyson being the first person to owe a billion in debt?)

Resources:

It will be another 2 years until Lebron would get to play in Brooklyn, but Newark is a short hop across the river to NYC. Lebron is contracted with Nike, Sprite, McDonalds, Upper Deck, Glaceau, Bubblicious, and State Farm. Lebron was number one on Forbes list of Top 20 Earners Under 25. He will have access to an infinite amount of resources, before and after the move to Brooklyn.

The Team:

OK. This team isn't great. Its definitely not a step up from Cleveland in its current shape. They posted a horrendous record. They didn't get the top draft pick. You're stuck in NJ. Your best players are Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. But... the upside? We're looking at the best free agent pool, possibly in NBA history. We have a billionaire who owns the club, who probably isn't afraid of throwing some cash around (again he flies in private jets, and sets his friends up with escorts). Let's say they pick up Derrick Favors in the 3rd spot. Now, were looking at a decent squad. Lopez, Favors, James, and Harris. Sign up one of the better upcoming free agents, like a Manu, Ray Allen, or Joe Johnson and you'd be in good shape. Sign on a great player instead, like an Amare, or the stretch Dwyane Wade, and were looking serious. Would this team be able to contend with the Celtics, Magic, or even the Lakers? I'd say no, but hey we're trying to become billionaires in this post. A championship is probably not eminent immediately, but if they grab a few key pieces, and pull in a good coach, who knows what can happen.

*note after a couple hours of debating (and a lame pep talk from the Logo Chick) on whether I should actually play GM and try to piece together a team, I got a headache and decided to keep on with the opinionated portion

Let's rerun that checklist. Rich friends with power and influence. Check. Opportunity to find additional sources of revenue. Check. Playing for a contending team. Check? Whether the New Jersey Nets are a smart move basketball wise would be a debate. But from a financial standpoint, for someone who's trying to grow his fortune, why not go for it? Fortune and infinite exposure? The possibility of being the "King" of New York? Partying with Diddy in the Hamptons? Flying around in a jet with your boss? If Lebron doesn't want it, can I have it? I wanna be a billionaire... so freakin' bad.....

Logo Dude's Manifesto

Face off. A check up against the boards. The Chicago Blackhawks push the puck up the ice. A pass toward the middle over to Sharp... and goal... Chicago ties the game at 1-1 against San Jose. Playoff hockey--the only time of the season that matters to the casual fan fare. While watching these players with chipped teeth and grizzly beards, I confine myself to my couch to draft up my manifesto.

But in order to get to this point, I have to look at how the hell would I scope this thing out so people will read this thing. On one end, of course I want to stay true to myself and write something that I'm genuinely interested in--things that I have a passion for and can develop a unique perspective on. But, the counter point, all that effort is wasted space if the only people willing to take time out of their day to read my dribble include the Logo Chick, and friends who I will probably hassle through Facebook wall posts. "Hey dude, check my link out. Leave a comment." Then, "Hey, you haven't left a comment yet, did you read it?" Then, "Hey idiot, check your wall, I posted a few posts down, read my blog." And finally, "Lebron's Mom might have slept with Delonte West. Read it here."... Success.

The second period of the game is being dominated by the Blackhawks. They are bigger, faster, and more physical. They remind me of the giant Iceland squad in the Mighty Ducks 2. Only the Sharks don't have the 'bash brothers' and where is Kenny Woo to save us?

So I'll spare the noobs from reading my full bio, instead opting to insert random anecdotes in future entries. But the quick and dirty goes like this... I'm in my late 20's. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but live in San Jose now. Like a true Los Angeles fan, being a sports fan is like being at the buffet, you can pick and choose teams as you please. I'm all about the Lakers, the Dodgers are OK, I try to rationale whether the Kings are relevant post-Gretzky, and I openly desire the turn around of the Clippers. But being in the Bay Area, I have an appreciation for being a true fan of a team even when the chips never seem to fall in place, e.g. Warriors fans. I follow the Sharks in the Playoffs, and football? My football loyalty has been shaky at best. I blame it on not having a local team, and a father who enjoyed cheering for parlays and money lines more than the teams themselves. But let's go with the Chargers, and a growing affection for the 9ers.

My passions also delve into a desire to be a part of the music industry. I am a hip hop head through and through, but enjoy all types of music, from the pop to the not. I wanted to join Kaba Modern, from America's Best Dance Crew fame, many many years before any 12-18 year olds caught a glimpse of them on the TV show. I've completely delusion-ed myself to thinking that I would have been on the team, if it weren't for the mishap of UC Irvine thinking the school was better than me. No son, I'm better than you.

So my goal is to infuse music culture and sports, the same way Lebron and Jay-Z bonded and created their friendship. I'll throw in random crap that I think might be relevant, and sometimes throw stuff that might not be.. just so I could say I tried to make it work. So that's it.

*Update, I took a break from posting and came back. Chicago, just like in the MD2, team Iceland won the first encounter. Sharks take a 0-1 position in the series. Shots of the Chicago team fill my TV screen, glorious chipped teeth and all. I give Logo Chick back the remote and engross myself back into my blog. Maybe this post will fare better. Only time will tell. Welcome to the world of Logo Dude's Words.