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.

[darkangel82]

I’d have to agree with what was said. Lebron has made his bed, let him sleep in it. He created this circus, and for now I’m just going to forget I was ever a fan.

[al baby]

Who do you think I am referring to?

[Doulos1]

If you don’t like Rush then you must be lost.
Please go play in some other sand box.
Try the Kos.

[al baby]

Thanks for the nibble

[sausageseller]

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

I hate to say it but this is where Rush gets it wrong. Sports figures pay taxes on where they play the game.

IE. LeBron plays an away game in NJ. He is paying the income tax for NJ on his per game salary.

[Richard Kimball]

Half the games are home games. Then, he’s got games against the Rockets, Spurs and Mavericks, and Texas also has no income tax. Limbaugh has also mentioned that New York has been harassing him every year since he moved to Florida.
BTW, an aside on James. He’s catching a lot of heat (HAW! I Kill me!) for changing teams, but he did his contract in Cleveland and moved on to another team. He didn’t hold out or refuse to play. He finished his contract and got another one. I don’t care about basketball one way or the other, but if I had his talent, I’d probably try to get where I wanted to go, also.

[Michael Eden]

What Richard said. Half the games would be home games, which would lower his taxes even on your argument. Not to mention the fact that he has likely earned more in endorsements than in salary, and that his endorsement money would not be taxable in any but his home state.

Here’s from an article:
“James made $42,410,581, including $14,410,581 in salary and winnings and $28 million in endorsements.”

So based on that, he earns twice as much in endorsements as he does in salary.

Don’t forget James made $90 million from Nike alone. Before he’d even played a single NBA game.

I hadn’t heard that an athlete had to pay income tax on every venue he plays in. But our tax code is so messed up I guess I wouldn’t be surprised.

[Michael Eden]

What Richard said. Half the games would be home games, which would lower his taxes even on your argument. Not to mention the fact that he has likely earned more in endorsements than in salary, and that his endorsement money would not be taxable in any but his home state.

Here’s from an article:
“James made $42,410,581, including $14,410,581 in salary and winnings and $28 million in endorsements.”

So based on that, he earns twice as much in endorsements as he does in salary.

Don’t forget James made $90 million from Nike alone. Before he’d even played a single NBA game.

I hadn’t heard that an athlete had to pay income tax on every venue he plays in. But our tax code is so messed up I guess I wouldn’t be surprised.

[Michael Eden]

Ooops. My bad.

[Richard Kimball]

Yeah, it’s commonly referred to as a “locker tax.” Home cities sometimes have them also, so the players don’t get completely away, even in non-income tax states.

[stephenjohnbanker]

ROTF!

[stephenjohnbanker]

You catch a fish every time ;-)