Knicks fans ready to roll out the welcome mat for LeBron

Fans everywhere have been gushing over each step LeBron James has made since he was in diapers. Some of his biggest fans outside of Cleveland -- New Yorkers -- have been especially vocal lately. Although James mentioned the possibility of re-signing with the Cavaliers recently, some New Yorkers are hoping that when James becomes a free agent, the Knicks will have King in the Garden in 2010.

I asked some season ticket holders at Madison Square Garden what they thought about the prospect of LeBron coming to New York. Here's what some of them had to say:

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Fan: Lindsay Eason
Seats: Section 120, Row C, Seats1 and 2
Years as a season ticket holder: 20+
Age: 56 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Sheriff of New York City
Favorite Garden memory: Getting picked to shoot a half-court shot.

NBA.com: How would LeBron be received if he came to New York City?
Eason: I believe he would be received just short of a deity. A living god. Based on what Knick fans have experienced the last five years and the last time we had an opportunity at a big-time player, I strongly believe LeBron will be given the key to the city -- and maybe some people's homes -- if he came to New York.

NBA.com: What do you think of the Knicks clearing cap space for James so early?
Eason: My first reaction was I thought there was a hole in the heads of Knicks president Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni where all rational and common sense was oozing out. And then when I heard the justification behind it, to land a superstar like LeBron, that's when I changed my tune. It will be worth the wait to watch the bums (Knicks) for a few years until we can get a superstar.

NBA.com: What do you have to say to LeBron on his 24th birthday?
Eason: I would tell LeBron that life would never be the same if he played for the New York Knicks. As the chief civil law enforcement officer of New York I would personally see to it that King James would feel right at home in the Big Apple.

NBA.com: LeBron received a speeding ticket a while back in Cleveland. How would the New York City Sheriff's Department handle LeBron if he were caught speeding?
Eason: If it was up to me, I would make New York LeBron's very own personal Autobahn. Or we could provide him an escort to get through traffic on the West Side highway.

Knick fans are hoping LeBron greeting Jay-Z will be a nightly tradition in the 2010 season. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Fan: William Porter
Seats: Section 119, Row E, seats 1-4
Years as a season ticket holder: 20
Age: 73
Hometown: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Occupation: Retired CEO of a municipal credit union
Favorite Garden Moment: The crowd going wild as an inured Willis Reed limps onto the court and scores the first basket in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals.

NBA.com: How do you think LeBron will fare with superstars like Brett Favre, Eli Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter in New York?
Porter: There are very few people that can compete with a star like Derek Jeter. Jeter is an NYC idol who has actually won championships, and New Yorkers love an athlete who can bring us a championship. LeBron is going to have to earn that Jeter status.

NBA.com: Will LeBron bring the winning record to the Knicks that they want?
Porter: With the current team we have, it will be hard for LeBron to win. He needs a better supporting cast, like a Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. Give me LeBron and Wade in 2010 and I'll be happy to sit back and cheer in the Garden for 20 more years, God willing.

NBA.com: What do you have to say to LeBron on his 24th birthday?
Porter: First, I'd like to wish him a happy 24th birthday. Then I'd like to say he should seriously consider spending his 26th birthday in the media capital of the world. We would put him on a stage like he's never seen before.

Fan: Paulette Kellner
Seats: Section 121, Row D, seats 1 and 2
Years as a Season ticket holder: 25
Age: 64
Hometown: Fort Lee, New Jersey
Occupation: Massage therapist
Favorite Garden Moment: The night Patrick Ewing's jersey was raised into the MSG rafters.

NBA.com: How do you think LeBron will handle being under the spotlight of the New York media?
Kellner: If LeBron is a genuinely good guy, he's going to rise above all the media sharks. Just look at Derek Jeter. He walks on water with the media even though he isn't a saint all the time.

But if LeBron does crap similar to Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants he is going to get eaten alive by the media. Stephon Marbury is the perfect example of this. No matter how many things he tried to do with cheap sneakers, which was a good thing, Steph was a jerk.

LeBron's just a kid, so let's hope his mom takes care of him if the New York media decides to attack.

NBA.com: How do you think LeBron will fare with other New York superstars like Brett Favre, Eli Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter?
Kellner: No one cares about Brett Favre. He's old and the Jets are not that good. And Eli Manning is not that good either. Yeah, so what, the Giants are Super Bowl champs. We still lost to the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago. New York is such a hot and cold town when it comes to athletes. But there is always room in the Big Apple for a superstar the caliber of LeBron.

NBA.com: What do you have to say to LeBron on his 24th birthday?
Kellner: Happy birthday LeBron, and keep listening to your mom. But seriously, if he thinks New York is the best move for him he should come. He's going to be great and people will love him wherever he plays. Of course, we'd love him even more if he came to the Big Apple.