Is New York "the" destination city?

This question really boils down to two separate questions.  Does geography matter when it comes to sports?  And is New York a good place for basketball?  (Also, vote in the poll to the right.  Are college or pro sports better?)

Yes, geography absolutely matters when it comes to sports, but not in the way that everyone talks about.  In today's global economy, a star can earn the same endorsements in Oklahoma City or New York.  What really matters is the star's appeal (a combination of personality and talent), not his location.  Nike will sponsor the best players in the NBA no matter where they are.  However, there are two ways where geography can make a difference.  The first deals with girls, namely famous girls.  Good players become stars when they have a famous woman by their side.  Tony Parker went from a good point guard to an NBA star when he married Eva Longoria.  And famous women live in big cities.  Second, in a big city, the local media is also the national media.  As the local newspaper of Gotham, the New York Times covers the Yankees and the Knicks closer than other teams.  In this way, a local star in New York becomes a national star.

That being said, New York is not a good place to play sports, especially basketball.  The media coverage in New York is intense, too intense.  Lots of great athletes can't handle the big city.  Even more realize the hassle of the New York media just isn't worth it.  Plus, unlike Los Angeles or Dallas, the weather in New York is awful.  All other things being equal, its always better to be in the place with better weather.  Most importantly, the Knicks are way, way down on the New York sports pecking order.  The city clearly belongs to the Yankees.  The Mets, Jets, and Giants are all also higher on the pecking order than the Knicks.  Plus, many people from the city are from out of town and have their own team loyalties.

The motivation behind this article is all of the talk about Lebron taking the opportunity to play in Gotham.  The rumor was dead and buried, but resurfaced today as King James' team announcement grows closer.  Lebron will definitely not go to New York because they are not a good basketball team and the city isn't even a destination for athletes.

Cleveland has made it a race, but I still thing Chi-town wins the King James sweepstakes.  Go Bulls!