Alex Hammond

The global stars of the NBA have begun to align.  Chris Bosh is heading to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade to play for the Heat. Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitski are staying home, having decided to re-sign with the Hawks, Celtics and Mavericks respectively.  Carlos Boozer is leaving the Jazz to join the up-and-coming Bulls.  And Amar'e Stoudemire is following the bright lights to Madison Square Garden to begin the rebuilding process at the Knicks. 

But there is still one name that's not off the free agency board, and it happens that it's the biggest name of all.  LeBron James, the biggest free agent of the 2010 class, has met with 6 teams all looking to add the global superstar to their roster this offseason, but so far has kept his cards closer to his chest, refusing to even hint at which city he will be playing his basketball at next season.

However, all that will change at 9 pm ET tonight as ESPN will broadcast a one hour live show in which LeBron will reveal to the world whether he will return to Cavaliers or become the greatest player in the history of the NBA to move teams via free agency, at the prime of their career.

In making his decision so extravagant and public, James has received criticism from sections of the media for the seemingly strung out and ego centric way with which his offseason programme has been managed.

Wherever James announces he's going, it was always sure to upset teams in large media markets who have spent two years courting him, but the manner with which he has conducted himself means that there is now no way of backing out of the media spotlight.

It now comes down to a simple choice of whether to stab his home town team in the back on live television, or to build up the hopes and expectations of the waiting public, and then to disappoint by re-signing.  To do so now would surely be a huge anti-climax.

And with only hours to go before all is revealed, no NBA analyst is prepared to even guess at what James' decision is likely to be, let alone claim to have any definite knowledge of what he will do.

James still has four very realistic options open to him.  Cleveland is his home town and the team that's made him the global superstar that he is.  Miami already has Bosh and Wade and would surely give James the greatest chance of immediately winning an NBA Championship. 

Chicago has perhaps the most complete roster for James to join, and has NBA Championship pedigree.  And New York has the glamour, media and commercial opportunities LeBron craves.

He has always made it clear that one of his career ambitions is to become a billionaire, and that task will be much easier as the face of the team playing in the US' greatest and most powerful city.  This, and the chance to rebuild one of the most prestigious franchises in the NBA, together with an All Star running mate in Stoudemire, may eventually give the Knicks the edge in the Battle for LeBron. 

But even at this late stage it is too early to call whether these will be determining factors in him making a final decision.

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