Michael Jordan says he wanted to beat Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, not join them. (AFP)

Michael Jordan understood why LeBron James decided to leave Cleveland and team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. However, in hindsight, Jordan likely would not have done the same if given the same choice.

Call it an old-school mentality, call it ego, call it what you want. Jordan didn’t take shortcuts. What made him such a great player was his incredible drive and extremely competitive nature. He wanted to be the best and refused to play second fiddle to anyone. Sure, he got cozy with lot of his peers during his playing days, but when it came time to compete on the basketball court MJ wanted to destroy all of them.

So, when Jordan, who retired in 2003, was asked what he thought about James’ decision to join forces with his All-Star friends in Miami, the six-time NBA champion who built his entire legacy with the Chicago Bulls said he simply couldn’t see himself teaming with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird just so he could win a championship. He wanted to do it on his own, as the No. 1 alpha dog.

“I would have never called up Larry and called up Magic and say ‘Hey, let’s get together and play on one team.’ But things are different. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. That’s an opportunity those kids have today,” Jordan recently told NBC Sports in between rounds at the 2010 American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

“In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys [Larry and Magic],” Jordan continued. “I don’t know if they would have been on my team, if we would have been on one team.”

The idea of “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach was never an option for Jordan. Magic and Bird would never subscribe to that either. All three MVPs had too much pride to hitch on someone else’s championship wagon. It would have been real easy for Jordan to join either Magic’s team in L.A. or Bird’s team in Boston while he was chasing his first NBA title. But he didn’t.

Jordan suffered through miserable playoff defeats to the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons during the first six seasons of his career before finally getting over the hump in his seventh year when his Bulls defeated Magic’s Lakers in 1991.

The only exception to the rule was the 1992 Olympics when Jordan, Magic and Bird wore the same uniform for Team USA, and they were joined by fellow All-Stars Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler.

“When you look at the Dream Team, obviously, we were all on that team,” Jordan said. “But it wasn’t too much of a competitive thing.”

LeBron James says he keeps tabs of all the nay-sayers and will probably post some of them in his Heat locker for motivation. Though James holds Jordan in high regard, MJ’s latest comment could be bulletin-board material and the Charlotte Bobcats (Jordan’s team) could be in a heap of trouble.

The Miami Heat unveil their 'Three Kings' at American Airlines Arena: Chris Bosh (1), Dwyane Wade (3) and LeBron James (6). (GETTY IMAGES)

They danced, pranced, giggled and screamed on stage like a bunch of schoolgirls during a screening of “The Twilight Saga.”

Team LeBron. Team Wade. Team Bosh.

Miami’s American Airlines Arena was officially christened Friday, July 9, 2010, as D-Wade’s House, LeBron’s Kingdom and Bosh’s Pit.

There was LeBron James, wearing No. 6 in a Miami Heat uniform and strutting on stage, smiling from ear to ear. Yes, Cleveland. Your worst nightmare has been realized. The former pride and joy of Akron seems to have already assimilated to the splendor and spectacle of South Beach less than 48 hours after he dumped on the Cavaliers on national TV.

There was Chris Bosh, wearing No. 1 in a Miami Heat uniform, wiping his brow with his fingers and posing for the cameras. Of all the free-agent studs this offseason, Bosh is the one who has clearly enjoyed all the attention. Can you blame him? He has been incarcerated in Toronto for seven years! Now, he looks like a guy who just won the lottery and can’t wait to spend his money.

There was Dwyane Wade, wearing his familiar No. 3 Heat jersey, laughing, joking and absolutely giddy like a 10-year-old who just received a brand new Wii console on Christmas. Did anyone really thought Wade was going to leave South Beach? He probably went through with the whole free-agent process just so that he could spy for Pat Riley. The end result was he brought along his super friends with him to Miami – as promised.

Heat play-by-play announcer Eric Reid introduced the trio as “The Three Kings” of Miami. More than 10,000 fans flooded American Airlines Arena flooded the stadium – also known as D-Wade’s House – and couldn’t contain their joy, holding up “Yes. We. Did.” signs and flashing their cameras, hoping to get a picture of the newest rock stars of South Beach.

Wade proclaimed The Three Kings as “arguably, the best trio to ever play the game of basketball.” James followed that bodacious statement by saying the Heat are more than capable of winning “NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE … NOT FOUR … NOT FIVE … NOT SIX … NOT SEVEN” NBA championships.

“And when I say that I really believe it. I’m not just blowing smoke at these fans because that’s not what I’m about. I’m about business,” James boasted. “We believe we can win multiple championships if we take care of business and do it the right way.”

LeBron says it doesn’t matter how the rest of the roster will shape up because as long as The Three Kings are on the court, the heat will be on the opponents. “When me and D-Wade are running the wing, I mean, Pat [Riley] can come back and play like was back in his Kentucky days. Just throw it up there and we’re gonna go get it.”

Wade is confident egos and individual accolades won’t get in the way of the 2.0 version of the Miami Heat because the team will be built around one word: sacrifice. “That’s not just from a money standpoint, that’s not just from a shot standpoint. It’s everything. When we step on the court, it’s going to be business. Whoever is going to be a part of this organization is gonna have to make that sacrifice.”

He continued: “Oh, we’re going to have fun. It’s going to be Hollywood down here.”

Wade knows a thing about winning a title. He experienced it 2006 with the help of Shaquille O’Neal and a roster surrounded by veterans such as Gary Payton, James Posey, Antoine Walker and Alonzo Mourning. But this time it’s different. Wade, James and Bosh are all in the primes and none of them are older than 28.

James is the reigning NBA most valuable player and, at 25 years old, he’s barely entering the height of his basketball career. Bosh is 26 and hungry for attention, so he’ll be motivated to soak in some of the spotlight in Miami.

“That’s the only reason why I’m here,” James said of his decision to sign with the Heat because, in his mind, it affords him the best opportunity to win a title. “I’m here to bring another championship, to bring that feeling that you all had a few years ago when y’all was able to win that championship. Me and CB, we’re here to make that feeling come back.”

Bosh gave a glimpse of what to expect when the regular season starts in October. “When I get a rebound, I got LeBron on my left I can outlet to. And I have D-Wade on my right. I’m lucky.”

Somewhere out in L.A., where the Larry O’Brien Trophy sits, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are in the gym working on their shots and dying to get a shot at The Three Kings. The Celtics’ Big Four of Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are probably watching tape right now and formulating game plans on how to defend The Three Kings. Ssomewhere out in Orlando, Dwight Howard is doing extra reps on the shoulder-press machine, physically prepping for his upcoming battles with The Three Kings in the Southeast Division. And Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls’ outspoken and highly emotional forward/center, recently branded the Miami Heat as “Team Hollywood.”

Without a doubt, Miami’s Three Kings will have huge targets on their backs this season, but they seem to be up for the challenge.

“We’re competitors. We accept it with open arms. Bring it on!” said Wade.

“That’s why we play this game. We play this game to have those competitive juices,” Wade continued. “We expect those teams to say that. We don’t expect them to say ‘OK, Miami has won it.’ No, we don’t want that. We don’t play so people can just lay down. We want to come out here and give this Miami crowd a show every night, and even on the road because every place will be a sell-out when we come to town. So, they can thank us now.”

Dwyane Wade will always have a leg up on LeBron James in Miami. (GETTY IMAGES)

LeBron James has never looked so small.

When James ditched his homestate team of Cleveland, Ohio, for a chance to play with not one but two of his All-Star buddies in Miami, Fla., it was loud and clear admission that the self-proclaimed King James can’t rule a kingdom on his own. Sadly, it was almost a cry for help. This is The Chosen One? The guy who is supposed to be the biggest and the baddest player in the Association and heir to Michael Jordan’s throne as the greatest player of all time? What a royal disappointment.

In James’ quest to conquer his first NBA championship, the 25-year-old two-time league MVP raised his right arm and waved for more troops. He needed Chris Bosh. He needed Dwyane Wade. He didn’t want to be in the frontline nor the backline. He just wanted to jump on someone else’s troop and win the battle playing as the second or third fiddle.

To put it in a New York Yankees perspective, LeBron is Alex Rodriguez and Wade is Derek Jeter. That leaves Bosh as Mark Teixeira. Much like A-Rod, James went lead role to a supporting actor, and didn’t mind it one bit.

Can you imagine Jordan teaming up with Isiah Thomas with the Detroit Pistons? Or, how about Larry Bird leaving Boston to play with Magic Johnson in L.A.? Can you see Kobe Bryant opting out of his contract with the Lakers and teaming with Wade and Bosh in Miami?

No way! Heck no! And hell no!

Miami is Wade County and American Airlines Arena is D-Wade’s house. Wade owns a championship ring and a Finals MVP trophy. Because he was The Guy who led the Heat to a championship in 2006, he will always be toast of the parties on Ocean Boulevard in South Beach.

During the Heat’s news conference at American Airlines Arena Friday night, James was introduced first, then Bosh and then Wade. Wade also got the loudest ovation from the more than 10,000 Heat fans in attendance. Then, during the session with the media, Wade sat in the middle of the table and was flanked by James and Bosh. That’s going to be the pecking order with the Miami Heat. Wade will always drive the Heat bus, with James and Bosh as his passengers.

Charles Barkley, one of only six regular-season MVPs to not win an NBA championship, said that  during his prime years in the league, it never even crossed his mind that he needed help from other All-Star players to win a title. In fact, Barkley thought he could do it on his own every year because he wanted to be The Guy.

Barkley wanted to be The Guy who took the last shot, grabbed the key rebound, made the crucial pass that led his team to victory and ultimately to a championship. That title never came, but at least Barkley never took a backseat to anyone. When he first arrived in the NBA in 1984 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers – a team who won the NBA title the previous year and boasted Hall-of-Famers Moses Malone and Julius Erving – Barkley, in his mind, was the best player on the team. He didn’t care if Moses or Dr. J were on the same court.

“If I was 25, I’d try to win [a championship] by myself, not technically to win it by myself, but I would make sure I was The Guy on the team,” Barkley said on NBATV. “We just started giving Kobe Bryant credit the last two years. There was that stigma that he hadn’t won without Shaq. You see, we have elevated him because he won the last two as The Guy. And LeBron is never gonna be The Guy. Dwyane Wade has already won a championship, so it’s his team.

“I still think LeBron is the best player in the NBA. But there is a knock – and it is a fair knock – because the reason why I say that is if we’re gonna use the same criteria on Kobe Bryant we have to use it on LeBron James also.”

Barkley said he was disappointed James didn’t stay with the Cavaliers because winning a championship in a title-starved city like Cleveland would have been sweeter, especially for a player who grew up in nearly Akron and is all too familiar with the sad sports history of Cleveland, Ohio.

“It would have been a lot more significant to win a championship in Cleveland than piggyback on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh,” Barkley said. “If he wins a championship in Miami, would it be a great thing ‘yeah, it would be a great thing.’ But it won’t be nearly as significant and it won’t enhance his legacy. That’s the bottom line.”

Barkley is completely miffed at the fact that James, who at 25 is very much in the prime of his professional basketball career, would choose to defer to another superstar just to win a title. In other words, LeBron took the shortcut instead of staying on the long road to the promised land. Barkley used Karl Malone and Gary Payton as examples of two basketball legends who stuck it out on bad teams, hoping to win titles as the leaders of their respective teams.

“They tried to win it by themselves. That’s why I admire and respect those guys,” Barkley said. “They did go the Lakers and Gary went to Miami to win a championship, but they didn’t try to piggyback on anybody else early in their careers. When you’re 25, you shouldn’t have to piggyback on other people.”

James said during his one-hour made-for-ESPN special Thursday night that the No. 1 reason why he decided to join the Heat was because he felt, with Wade and Bosh in the fold, Miami gave him the best chance to win a title, which is an unwarranted indictment on the Cavaliers organization, owner Dan Gilbert and former GM Danny Ferry.

“Let’s be realistic. Cleveland, to me, they were still one of the five or six best teams in the NBA. Think about that,” Barkley noted. “They lost to the Celtics, that was a tough matchup. You take away Orlando and they’re still in the mix as the best team in the East, and other than the Lakers in the West, they would have been in the mix. [Cleveland] has had the best record in the NBA [the last two years] so it wasn’t like he was playing on a bad team. So I wished he would have tried to win it by himself as The Guy.

“[LeBron's] legacy is going to take a hit.”

All-Star forward Chris Bosh forms a formidable duo with Dwyane Wade in Miami.

ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard first broke the news early Wednesday morning that All-Star guard Dwyane Wade has decided to re-sign with the Miami Heat and he’s bringing free agent forward Chris Bosh with him.

Bosh and Wade confirmed that report with PTI’s Michael Wilbon just a few hours later, forming a dynamic duo in Miami with room for possibly another superstar with the initials LBJ, who is expected to make his announcement on ESPN Thursday night, to join the Super Crew in South Beach.

Terms of the deals have yet to be determined and it is unknown whether Bosh will come to Miami via a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. The only thing certain is that he’ll be wearing the Heat uniform when the 2010-11 season arrives.

“I’m joining Mr. Wade in Miami,” Bosh said. “I think we’re both fine with the situation. We’ve wanted to play with each other and we have a golden opportunity to do that.”

Bosh, 26, had been courted by several other teams, including Houston, Dallas, New York, Chicago and Cleveland. The Cavaliers made a last-ditch effort to do a sign-and-trade with the Raptors.

James reportedly tried to lure his good friend Bosh to play with the Cavaliers, but the 6-foot-11 power forward/center had other ideas, and one of them was playing in a star-friendly city such as Miami where he could also play with another superstar in good friend.

“There’s no secret that Chris, myself and LeBron are all good friends. We all came into the this league together,” said Wade, 28, who was drafted by the Heat in 2003, the same year James and Bosh entered the NBA.

“We all make our own decisions at the end of the day,” Wade said. “Of course, we would love for LeBron to join us in Miami. Who wouldn’t? But, at the same time, LeBron is going to make his own decision.”

Both Wade and Bosh said they are willing to take less money to give the Heat more flexibility to sign other players and give the Heat a more formidable roster to compete for a championship.

“I expect us to compete for a championship,” Bosh said. “Both Dwyane and I wanted an opportunity where right away we’ll be competing. We’re ready sacrifice some of the other things in order to do that. It’s not about the money. It’s not about anything else except for winning. I’m a winner, Dwyane’s a winner, and we’re gonna bring winning to Miami.”

Bosh did not confirm nor deny reports that he did not want to play in Cleveland, instead he deferred the question to his agent Henry Thomas, who is also Wade’s agent. But Bosh did say that James’ indecision led to his decision to play with the Heat.

“I wasn’t sure if LeBron was coming back,” Bosh said. “I just wanted to leave that decision up to him. I wanted to choose the best situation for me and my family, and Miami was the best decision for me.”

As for the possibility of James joining them in South Beach?

“I’m gonna let him do his thing,” Bosh said. “I’m not going to mess with him. He’s got enough people in his ear. Good luck, LeBron.”

According to reports, Dirk Nowitzki will remain with the Mavericks.

For those keeping score, it’s 4-1 in favor of teams retaining their own free agents.

As of July 5, four big-time free agents have have decided to stay with their old teams: Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Rudy Gay and Joe Johnson.

The only free agent who has officially signed with another team is Amare Stoudemire. Yahoo! Sports and TNT’s David Aldridge have reported that Stoudemire has accepted the Knicks’ contract offer worth $100 million spread across five years. Stoudemire will be reunited with coach Mike D’Antoni, who coached him in Phoenix.

Yahoo! Sports also reported that Johnson will re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks, a six-year maximum deal that is close to $120 million.

Nowitzki recently accepted a four-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 million to remain with the Dallas Mavericks and Pierce agreed to a four-year, $60-million deal to stay in Boston. Gay was the first big-name free agent to agree to terms, as he reportedly received a five-year, $80-million contract from the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday when the free-agency period officially got underway.

The return of head coach Doc Rivers certainly persuaded Pierce to stay put, and the Celtics are also in negotiations with shooting guard Ray Allen, who has also expressed his desire to stay in Boston. This means that the Celtics’ vaunted starting five are all expected to be back next season to make another run at a title (barring center Kendrick Perkins fully recovers from knee surgery).

What was supposed to be the summer of massive exodus has turned into an offseason of status quo. Of course, things could change in a heartbeat especially if that someone – ahem! LeBron James – decides to spurn his hometown team and play elsewhere next season.

But, that hasn’t happened yet and it’s not expected to happen until the end of the week, according to several reports. James is mulling over offers presented to him by NBA teams with a ton of salary cap room: New Jersey, New York, Miami, the L.A. Clippers, Chicago and Cleveland.

Wade met with the Bulls twice and has told people close to the situation that he is seriously considering playing for his hometown team. The Heat have already told Wade that they are prepared to give him the max deal and have promised him a roster upgrade.

Others who are noncommittal are Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire, although Stoudemire recently was offered the maximum contract of five years, $100 million by the Knicks. Stoudemire is reportedly meeting with Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, his old coach in Phoenix, on Monday to hash out some past issues.

The Suns have reportedly re-signed forward Channing Frye and also acquired forward Hakim Warrick, so it is highly unlikely that Phoenix will bring back Stoudemire, who has played his entire career with the Suns.

Joe Johnson has a standing six-year max offer from the Atlanta Hawks, a deal that could be worth $120 million. Johnson remains mum about his situation, obviously waiting for LeBron and D-Wade to make their moves. Johnson has also drawn interest from the Knicks, as D’Antoni prepares to go to Plan B in case LeBron signs with Chicago or Cleveland – which is more and more apparent.

ESPN’s J.A. Adande wrote that the Toronto Raptors have not been enamored with the way Bosh has been publicly “enjoying himself” too much and using his Twitter account to tell his followers on his status. Bosh is asking for a max contract, but he can only get it if the Raptors agree to a sign-and-trade deal.

At the end of this long, drawn-out process, money will prevail. Players are taking advantage of the current labor deal because they are anticipating that the new collective bargaining agreement won’t be as player friendly.

Wade has publicly said on numerous occasions that he doesn’t want to leave Miami, and all signs point to a contract extension between the Heat and the 2008-09 NBA scoring champion.

“I want to be in Miami,” Wade recently told the Miami Herald.

Once the Heat were eliminated from the 2010 NBA playoffs, Wade made it clear to team president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison that he needs more help and  a roster upgrade was necessary in order for the Heat to be able to compete for another championship.

“There’s no pressure on me. I’ve said where my heart is. You just have to see things being done and accomplished,” Wade said at a postgame news conference after the Heat lost Game 5 in Boston.

Well, apparently Wade has seen enough “things being done and accomplished” that he seems to be on the verge of re-signing with the only NBA franchise he has called home since he came to the league in 2003.

The Heat are actively pursuing Wade’s 2003 classmates in James and Bosh, and other big-name free agents, with D-Wade leading the recruiting. All three are very close friends, and they’ve all broached the subject of possibly playing on the same team to increase their chances of winning a title.

Wade already has a championship ring, but James and Bosh are thirsting for their first. James has become increasing frustrated with his playoff disappointments with the Cavaliers while Bosh has been an afterthought in Toronto. Having Wade, James and Bosh on one roster doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it definitely affords the Heat an enormous amount of star power and could challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in terms of popularity.

Bosh is the key to the whole deal. He is the third wheel in this star-studded triangle. Wade and James should get their maximum deals so that leaves Bosh with a little less than what he’s asking for.

The Heat have had their eye on Bosh since 2003, and was reportedly ready to make the former Georgia Tech standout their first-round selection until Toronto snagged him at No. 4 and the Heat “settled” for Wade at No. 5.

Miami is expected to dump 10 contracts this summer, giving the team plenty of cap space to sign two maximum contracts and possibly a third All-Star if it can somehow unload Michael Beasley’s contract to another sucker… I mean another team.

Is South Beach big enough to house LeBron and D-Wade?

“It’s funny to hear scenarios, for people to tell you that you know and you thought about it,” Wade told the Associated Press. “In New York, they kind of made me say, tried to make me say that I have thought about it or I have talked to LeBron. It’s amazing to me that people are inside my head that way. I don’t know.”

The Heat have somewhat of an advantage over other teams when it comes to dealing with this year’s free-agent drama because Riley has been through this taxing process before.

In 1996, he managed to convince Alonzo Mourning to leave the hive in Charlotte and come to South Beach and become the honorary Mayor of Miami. OK, maybe Mourning didn’t become the mayor but he at least pocketed a cool $100 million contract and the keys to the Heat franchise.

Then, in 2004, Riley pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history when he acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick.

After bringing the Big Fella to South Beach, Riley reworked the team into a championship contender for the next two seasons, picking up veterans Gary Payton and Mourning, and trading for Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey. The final piece was Riley himself, pushing aside Stan Van Gundy and coaching the Heat to the 2006 NBA title.

Does Riley have another blockbuster move left in him?

We shall see. The only thing for sure is that Wade will be playing with another All-Star (or two) in Miami when the 2009-10 season arrives.

Wade was noncommittal as usually, leaving the door open for a possible move elsewhere when he decides to opt out of his Heat contract and become a free agent this summer. He told the Associated Press that whenever he goes out in public he gets asked, “Are you staying or going?”

“If I see 10 people, it happens 10 times,” Wade said, according to AP. “Whether it’s a kid or a grown person, it doesn’t matter.”

Is he staying? Or, is he going?

It’s the million dollar question Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, president Pat Riley and owner Mickey Arison must deal with for the next few months as Wade weighs his options – and he has plenty of viable options.

Wade is among an elite group of NBA superstars, which includes LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson, who can all exercise their rights to become free agents July 1. And for months, Wade has insisted that he won’t truly begin thinking about that process until this season ends.

Well, the Boston Celtics officially put Wade on the clock after the Heat was eliminated in the first round of the 2010 playoffs.

Wade has publicly and privately said that his preference is to stay in Miami, the franchise that drafted him in 2003, as long as the organization commits to an improved roster that will allow him to have another shot at winning a NBA title. Since winning the 2006 NBA Finals, the Heat have won just three playoff games and only three players remain from that championship team.

“There’s no pressure on me. I’ve said where my heart is. You just have to see things being done and accomplished,” Wade said at a postgame news conference after the Heat lost Game 5 in Boston.

The pressure falls on Riley to restock the Heat with better players and convince Wade – the 2008-09 NBA scoring champion – that the Heat are committed to winning a title now instead of three, four or five years down the road. Miami has 10 potential free agents this summer and will have plenty of cap space to sign two maximum contracts.

Can you see LeBron and D-Wade in South Beach?

“It’s funny to hear scenarios, for people to tell you that you know and you thought about it,” Wade told AP. “In New York, they kind of made me say, tried to make me say that I have thought about it or I have talked to LeBron. It’s amazing to me that people are inside my head that way. I don’t know.”

Wade’s likely destinations are Miami, Chicago, New York or L.A. (Clippers, not Lakers). Wade is a Chicago native and he’ll have Derrick Rose as his sidekick, making the Bulls very appealing. New York and L.A. don’t have a championship-caliber roster, but playing for a big-market team can extend the D-Wade brand to a larger audience.

Ultimately, Wade will probably end up back in Miami because of the following reasons: 1) South Beach, 2) the Heat can offer Wade more money, 3) South Beach, 4) Riley will lure at least one superstar to play with him (see Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire), and 5) South Beach.

Riley is a big Bosh fan and actually had the 6-foot-11 forward rated higher than Wade in the 2003 draft. Bosh is not likely to re-sign with Toronto so he’ll be the most coveted free agent because his decision will affect Wade’s and James’ next move.

So, before Wade makes up his mind, he’ll sit back and take his time before he puts his signature on his next big contract.

“Wait and see. Wade and see, if you want to be cool with it,” he concluded.

The best part about the whole throw-down was the reaction of the Cavaliers’ forward, who looks like the Brazilian Carrot Top.

D-Wade not ony posterized him but he did it with such force that it knocked Varejao into the padded basket support. Check it out:

LeBron James will likely wear a number next season. For what team? James won't say. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LeBron James revealed last night that he is thinking about changing his jersey number.

James told TNT’s Craig Sager that he will likely ditch No. 23 and switch to No. 6 – the number he wore when he played for Team USA in the Olympics – as his way of honoring his idol Michael Jordan, who was in attendance at American Airlines Arena in Miami to watch James’ Cleveland Cavaliers play Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat Thursday night.

“He’s the greatest basketball player to ever play the game,” James said of Jordan. “I’ve been thinking about it lately and what I’m gonna do is I think I’m gonna change my number next year. No guy in the NBA should ever wear 23.”

James believes that since Jordan can’t get the NBA logo, the best way to recognize his greatness and contribution to the growth of the league is to retire his No. 23 around the league.

“His number shouldn’t be worn by any player in the NBA,” James said. “What he did for this game, he laid down the stepping stone for everybody who came up through the ranks. That’s how much respect I have for a guy like that.”

Now that LeBron has committed to a new jersey number, Sager tried to get him to commit to a team in 2010 to which James replied: “We’ll see.”

OneManFastBreak.net rates the five best players in the NBA (rankings will change from year to year):

5. DWIGHT HOWARD
Orlando Magic, Center

Superman II made the biggest leap of any player on this list. He surpassed San Antonio’s Tim Duncan as the best post player in the league. Though his statistics were slightly lower last season compared to 2007-08 (his points per game dropped from 20.7 to 20.6 and his rebounds went from 14.3 to 13.8, but his blocks went up from 2.2 to 2.9), Howard’s team got better as he improved his defense and his awareness on offense. Behind Howard’s more focused approach, the Magic reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Howard has very little competition at the center position so he should be able to lock up first-team status for the next five to 10 years.

4. CHRIS PAUL
New Orleans Hornets, Point Guard

There is no denying CP3 as the No. 1 PG in the league. His competition is either too old (Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups), too young (Derrick Rose) or took step back a year ago (Deron Williams). Paul’s ability to get to the rim going to his right as well as his left without losing any speed is second to none. And throws one of the prettiest alley-hoop passes I’ve ever seen since Sherman Douglas. He has become the most dominant player under 6-foot-1 the league has seen since Isiah Thomas and if he gets any help from newly acquired center Emeka Okafor, the Hornets should be a factor in the West. Hornets coach Byron Scott should thank Paul for saving his job, which was on the ropes four years ago. CP3 has single-handedly changed the whole culture in New Orleans and will always be in consideration for MVP.

3. DWYANE WADE
Miami Heat, Shooting Guard

D-Wade is back! After a subpar season in 2007-08 (if you consider scoring 24 points per game below par), Flash returned to the elite level, lifting Miami back into the playoffs and winning his first scoring title (30.2). Tim Grover, Michael Jordan’s super trainer who put D-Wade back together during the offseason, should get some kind of residual check for helping Wade get his explosiveness back and added strength to his frame. After playing in just 51 games the previous two seasons, Wade played a career-best 79 games in ‘08-09′ and the added burden of being the undisputed superstar of the franchise didn’t hinder the 2006 NBA Finals MVP.

And now, for the top two. Drum roll please ….

In order for LeBron James to win that elusive ring, he'll need to go through Kobe Bryant.

No big surprise here. In fact, you can probably pencil these two for next year as well.

2. LeBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavaliers, Forward

I apologize for sounding like a broken record but…I’ve always believed that if LeBron James ever got that second option, that all-star type player who can take some of the pressure off LeBron, the Cavaliers easily becomes the best team in the NBA. Mo Williams was suppoed to be LeBron’s Scottie Pippen a year ago but he fizzed during the postseason. Enter Shaquille O’Neal. The Diesel has promised to “get a ring for The King” so LeBron is going to hold him to that statement come June. That’s how good James is. He’s like a one-man army. But to win an NBA championship, James needs a little help from his friends. Remember, he took the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 despite playing with a rookie point guard, an old center, average-to-subpar power forwards and a coach who doesn’t know a thing about offense. Last season, the Cavs were ousted by the Magic mainly because Howard simply overpowered the Cleveland big men and James could not possibly guard both Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu at the same time. Whoever LeBron didn’t guard, that was the player the Magic targeted and made the big shots down the stretch. A championship ring is the only thing separating LeBron and being officially crowned king of the NBA.

1. KOBE BRYANT
Los Angeles Lakers, Shooting Guard

Speaking of The King, even though he goes by the nickname “The Black Mamba” Bryant is…and always has been for the past four seasons, the BEST PLAYER ON THE PLANET. The reigning NBA Finals MVP added a fourth championship ring to his collection box and his No. 24 jersey is No. 1 around the world. He finally shed the “couldn’t win without Shaq” label last season when he pushed the Lakers past the Magic in the NBA Finals. With the addition of Ron Artest, the Lakers should roll through the West again and Bryant could potentially face LeBron and Shaq or Howard and the Magic or Kevin Garnett and Celtics in the Finals. At this stage of Kobe’s career, he’s not as into statistics and individual awards. He knows his Lakers are built for the long haul and he doesn’t have to carry the load night after night. Besides, at 31 years old, Kobe understands that he needs to start preserving his body for the playoffs. Although when challenged, he can always put on his Black Mamba game face and devour anyone who tries to get in his path. He knows his legacy is secured and his Hall-of-Fame pass is waiting for him at the doors of Springfield, Mass. About the only thing missing on his checklist is the No. 7. That’s the number championship rings he needs to win to surpass Jordan.