In the hours that remain before LeBron James announces to the world what NBA team he will play for next year and beyond, he can pass the time (if not the ball) downloading these ten iPhone apps.
iVanity Mirror
While it is honorable that LeBron will donate proceeds from his “The Decision” announcement special to Boys & Girls Clubs, the narcissism of the whole spectacle warrants a technical foul.
With the front-facing camera of the iPhone 4, there is now an app for self-worship. The 99-cent iVanity Mirror converts the camera’s video feed into still images on the phone’s screen. Those pictures can then be saved, emailed or sent to LeBron’s hundreds of thousands of new Twitter followers. He can use the official Twitter app for the iPhone to manage his account.
DC Comics
Regardless of which team LeBron ultimately ends up with, he’ll still most likely have to get past “Superman” Dwight Howard to make it to the NBA Finals. He can still read up on Howard and the league’s other acrobatic superheroes who can leap tall buildings with a single bound with this free universal app, available for iPhone and iPad.
If LeBron wants to avoid injury and fortify his “Iron Man” reputation, he can also tap into the free Marvel Comics app.
Air Sharing Pro
Whether LeBron joins Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, Amar’e Stoudemire in New York, Derek Rose in Chicago or even stays with Antawn Jamison in Cleveland, he’ll need to learn how to share the ball better with his supporting cast if he ever wants to wear a ring.
This $6.99 productivity app can help him get started, or at least allow him review all of his singing options while traveling to Greenwich, Conn., for tomorrow night’s announcement.
Phoning home to Cleveland
Please Don’t Leave 23
Nervous Cleveland sports fans who hope to crowd LeBron’s lane to other markets are double-teaming their efforts via mobile media with this 99-cent app. If for whatever reason LeBron doesn’t feel loved by his hometown fans, he can call up this app which includes an interactive campaign and YouTube videos.
Curse of Cleveland
Consecutive chokes against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship a generation ago and the Game 7 loss to the Marlins in the 1997 World Series will be nothing compared to Cleveland’s home son leaving town in hopes of winning it all. LeBron can chronicle the city’s heinous history in the sporting arena with this free app, before a possible update come late Thursday night.
If LeBron travels elsewhere
South Florida Blockshopper
If Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are successful in recruiting LeBron to the Heat, the King will have to find a new castle to occupy in South Beach. This free real estate locator and note-taking app is a good place for him to start. The app also includes foreclosure information as well as names of buyers and sellers.
Chicago Architecture
The Chicago Bulls are the only franchise still able to sign LeBron that has experience building a dynasty. While LeBron may fear playing in the shadow of Michael Jordan, this $2.99 app showcases the other Windy City pillars he can stand between if he’s really serious about winning multiple championships.
Exit Strategy NYC Subway Map
With an additional max contract to offer after signing Amar’e Stoudemire, the New York Knicks are taking their last second shot at LeBron. As Stoudemire invariably will miss a lot of games due to injury and/or flakiness, LeBron should research different ways out of that maze in advance. This free app provides an underground road map out of town.
Mafia Wars Zynga
Whether it’s the rumored “red mafia” ties of New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov or the iconic gangster images of the Sopranos, LeBron will have to learn how to dribble through the underworld if he signs with the eventual Brooklyn-based franchise.
He can press the start button on the whole experience with this free game from Zynga. Another way to analyze the Garden State “Situation” is with the free Jersey Shore Party App.
Bad Joke
The one remaining Dark Horse candidate with the available cap space to sign LeBron to a max contract is the L.A. Clippers. Long the laughing stock of the NBA (and professional sports at large), the Clippers would be a a laughably poor landing space for LeBron. To wipe out any shot of signing with the Clippers, LeBron could download this 99-cent app, which calls out lame puns and other fouls against good humor.
