Lebron James Is Copying Tiger's February Press Conference

Lebron James has decided that he will announce the team that he will sign his next contract with in a special that will air on Thursday night at 9pm on ESPN.  The Bottom Line on the network says that an "independent source" told ESPN reporter Chris Broussard that this would happen. 

Presumably, James will make the decision in Bristol because it will create an extra air of suspense about his future.  After all, what intrigue would there otherwise be in an hour-long special to talk about one player's nine figure contract?

An event like this has already happened this year on February 19, when Tiger Woods held a press conference at TPC Sawgrass.

When Woods' team at IMG announced that Tiger would be holding a press conference, they did so by giving the media a little bit more than two days' notice.  The public was made aware on February 17. 

IMG contacted the Tour about the arrangement earlier in that week, asking them to be able to use TPC Sawgrass' clubhouse for the announcement.  James' team contacted ESPN less than three days prior to his planned announcement, though clearly of a different tone than what Woods shared.

The theme of both announcements - while clearly divergent from one another - was and is evident.  One being an apology, another leading to some apologies.

A small number of media are expected to be in the same room as James for the announcement.  Presumably, they would be ESPN writers, the AP, and maybe Reuters.  Woods' team tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a similar arrangement with the GWAA, though the AP, Bloomberg, and Reuters ultimately covered the event. 

Other media were invited to watch the Woods press conference/apology on a feed at the nearby Sawgrass Marriott.  It remains unclear if other media will travel to a satellite location near wherever James makes his announcement.  Some 600 media gathered for Woods' fairly predictable statement.  Seemingly fewer would appear for King James, especially if the decision were made in sleepy Akron, OH.  (At least Ponte Vedra has the Stadium Course.  Not sure the former site of the LPGA tournament sponsored by Wendy's would appeal to basketball scribes.)

Perhaps the only major distinction between the two announcements is their timing.  Woods made his announcement at 11am.  Then again, all of the major networks carried the full statement.  James will make his decision in primetime, but on a single network.  The Worldwide Leader is reporting that James seeks to sell advertising for the program that will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs.  It is also the best way to ensure all eyes are on James going into baseball's all-star break.

No wonder there has been such a strong negative reaction to the ESPN report, even from Bristol employees.  They've seen it before, and it didn't live up to the hype.