Rush Limbaugh Predicted LeBron James Would Sign With Miami Because He's Not An Idiot Liberal

Start Thinking Right ^ | July 9, 2010 | Michael Eden

[Michael Eden]

Here's Rush Limbaugh on July 1 predicting LeBron James would sign with Miami and explaining why he would do so:

RUSH: If things are on schedule, representatives of the New York Knicks are meeting with LeBron James who today becomes a free agent in the National Basketball Association. Now, many of you are saying, "Oh, come on, Rush, stick to the issues. Football's bad enough, golf's even worse, now, we gotta talk NBA?" No, we're not talking NBA. The New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets both want LeBron James. The Cleveland Cavaliers want him to stay in Cleveland, of course. Here's the decision LeBron James has to make, and let's just use his current contract. His contract just expired, was five years, $96 million. If LeBron James had earned that money in New York he would have had to pay an additional $12.34 million in state and city income taxes than, say, if he played in Miami or for the Dallas Mavericks or wherever there is no state income tax. So here you have these poor schlubs that run Madison Square Garden that own the Knicks and they're going to try to persuade LeBron James to move to New York to play for the Knicks and they gotta tell him, "By the way, you're going to pay about 12 to 15, maybe $20 million more in taxes in New York than you would if you --" they won't tell him but his agent will.

Now, I have a question for all of you do-gooders out there, what should LeBron James do? Should LeBron James decide to play for the Knicks and pay the additional taxes to show his compassion and to show he's willing to give something back, which is what we demand of our athletes, or should he not sign with the New York Knicks or the Nets, sign with the Miami Heat and pocket and use the additional money for his own economic stimulus? What would you do if you were LeBron James and somebody was going to offer you in excess -- remember, his old deal is $96 million over five years. Let's just make it up. Let's say somebody's going to pay him $140 million over five years. I don't know what it's going to be, but let's say that new number is gonna -- and, you know, taxes are going up next year, federal taxes going up, New York taxes are going up, if he goes to play for the Lakers, it's the same kind of situation. I don't think the Lakers are in the running, but regardless, what would you do?

Now, I'm going to make a prediction. (interruption) What, Snerdley, what, what? Yeah, okay. Snerdley says you are making my prediction come true even before I make it. Snerdley said, "Well, there's more to New York than just the taxes. New York versus Miami? Come on. Yeah, I've made that call, and where am I?" In fact, for a guy like LeBron Miami is more -- I mean you got South Beach down there, you got Dwyane Wade down there playing for the Heat. Here's my point. A lot of you are probably saying, "I would go to the team that I really wanted to play for regardless the extra taxes because even at $140 million, even if I have to pay an additional 15 or $20 million, look at what I will have left over." I know a lot of people will say that. Until you earn it, and then you will totally change your mind about it. But my question to you is, is LeBron James, if he chooses to play for the Miami Heat or the Mavericks, I don't know if they're in the running -- let's say if he chooses a team with no state income tax, and saves 12 to $20 million dollars a year in taxes, is he being smart, is he being selfish, is he not being a good citizen? What is he?

You want to keep LeBron James or, say, that company that hires lots of workers, or those rich people whose property taxes benefit the community? LOWER TAXES.

Smart people avoid high taxes. They leave those for STUPID people to pay.

That's something Democrats will just never get. They foolishly keep thinking that raising taxes won't change people's behavior. And they foolishly keep thinking wrong.

If you want less of something, tax it.

Unfortunately, the state of Ohio decided it wanted less LeBron James.

By the same measure, Democrats want fewer businesses, fewer jobs, less economic growth, and less productivity. It's as simple as that.

There's another entirely unrelated political nexus here, with LeBron James and Barack Obama sharing a common arrogance that sounds good but means nothing.

First, LeBron, whose rather recent remark (during the NBA playoffs) sounds pretty pathetic in light of last night's news that he's abandoning Cleveland:

BOSTON -- LeBron James is bowed and bruised but not beaten. Asked why the Cavaliers fans should still believe, King James said yesterday after practice, "Because they got me."

If I were a Cavalier fan I'd be pissed at "King" James. Arrogantly talk crap. Then lose. Then walk away.

Now Barack:

Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., fears that these midterm elections are going to go the way of the 1994 midterms, when Democrats lost control of the House after a failed health care reform effort.

But, Berry told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the White House does not share his concerns.

“They just don’t seem to give it any credibility at all,” Berry said. “They just kept telling us how good it was going to be. The president himself, when that was brought up in one group, said, ‘Well, the big difference here and in ’94 was you’ve got me.’ We’re going to see how much difference that makes now.”

Ah, yes, another bogus promise for idiot liberals to believe.

I don't see things going any better for Democrats with their arrogant "messiah" than they just went for the Cleveland Cavaliers with their arrogant "king."

Mind you, LeBron James clearly is arrogant given his above remark and his hour-long self-promoting ESPN infomercial, but he's got the actual abilities in his job to back his arrogance up with performance. I think the last year and a half rather shows that Obama doesn't.

[Michael Eden]

I also thought this was a good place to reminisce about LeBron James and LeBama Hussein both talking smack about "because they got me."

[stevem]

My memory may be playing tricks on me, but didn’t Rush once say that about Charles Barkley? If so that must be one of those one percent of the times he is wrong.

[BenLurkin]

LeBron “says”: http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/benoit.wav

[whershey]

“Mind you, LeBron James clearly is arrogant given his above remark and his hour-long self-promoting ESPN infomercial, but he's got the actual abilities in his job to back his arrogance up with performance. I think the last year and a half rather shows that Obama doesn't.”

Considering the fact that LeBron doesn't have a ring on his finger while playing for the team with the best record in the NBA the last couple of years, I'd say he's a lot more like Obama then you think.

[OldDeckHand]

Everyone focuses on the tax implications for his NBA salary, but they forget his endorsement deals. Whatever his NBA Salary is, I imagine his NIKE and other endorsement deals are far behind. By moving to FL, James pays less on that income as well. All told, I imagine his move to Florida probably saves him in well in excess of $20M over 5-6 years. I don’t care who you are, that a tremendous amount of money.

[al baby]

Is that old wind bag still on the air ?

[Loud Mime]

I think that LeBron knows more about Basketball than Obama knows about the Constitution....and the oath of office.

[DustyMoment]

Is that old wind bag still on the air ?

No, Cronkite "retired" decades ago. He's dead now.

[Michael Eden]

I think most people would agree that LeBron James is the best player in the game today. Certainly, he is the most physically gifted.

But at some level, you’ve got a point. I watched the end of the Cleveland-Boston series, and Cleveland (including James) just gave up in a way that was pathetic beyond belief.

That made me think a lot less about LeBron James as a basketball superstar.

At the same time, I also completely agree with Loud Mime: LeBron James is a much better basketball player than Barry Hussein will EVER be as president.

[neefer]

Dan Gilbert is the true embarrassment to Cleveland. He's acting like a child. I'm saddened by the bad mouthing Clevelanders are giving Lebron. He went to countless events and signed autographs, donated bikes and money to children's charities and brought a lot of money to downtown. And look how their “hometown hero” is being treated.

I wouldn't say Lebron is not a liberal. I won't miss him campaigning for Obama in Public Square.

[Michael Eden]

I agree with everything you say. You make a very good point about the fact that Cleveland cutting a player on the fringe is nothing, but James “cutting” Cleveland is huge.

That said, that “Because they got me” remark was a complete joke in light of LeBron James bowing down to the Celtics and then leaving the team.

My real issue wasn’t to insult LeBron James fans or whatever, but to point out that TAXES very likely determined where James would go. And that lower taxes = good, but higher taxes = bad.

[SeekAndFind]

Miami is a big city and a thriving metropolis as well. Not as big as New York, but big nonetheless. Metro Miami has over 5.4 million people.

As for endorsements, does it really matter where he plays ?

If he’s a superstar, the Nike’s of the world will chase his endorsements wherever he is.

NY is just one plane ride away.

[mewzilla]

JAMES, LEBRON
CLEVELAND, OH 44114
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS/ATHLETE

DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
06/30/2008 20000.00 28992190579

[Michael Eden]

Actually, I my meaning was that Rush Limbaugh was not an idiot liberal. But I can understand how you would have inferred I was speaking about LeBron from my title.

Maybe LeBron is an idiot liberal, but his agent understands how destructive taxes are.

[Teacher317]

While Florida, (and other states) have no state income taxes, I’m comfortably certain they make up the difference in other ways. Yes, no income tax concerns... but higher fees, gas prices, property taxes, etc probably eat the majority of the difference away.

[OldDeckHand]

"As for endorsements, does it really matter where he plays

Um, yes. We're talking about the differences in tax liability in Miami, compared to other cities. I pointed out that it wasn't just the liability on his NBA salary he needed to account for, but the liability on all his income, be it salary, endorsement or investment income.

[SeekAndFind]

But because he’s a superstar, he owes something to a city he has little if any connection with? Get the hell outta here Cleveland fools.

And it's not as if Lebron suddenly upped and left Cleveland just like that...

The man played with the Cavs for 7 years !! Fulfilled his contract, led them to the playoffs several times ( including one finals ), sold tickets for them, in effect helping the rusting Ohio economy. It was good while it lasted but people have to move on, especially when they need to climb higher heights.

He made a conscious business decision and people ought to respect that.

[reg45]

I think that LeBron knows more about the Constitution than Obama knows about the Constitution.

[mewzilla]

Looks like James is a limosine lib....