Bulls executives wore similar-looking business casual outfits Saturday in Cleveland on their third day of a dizzying and historic free-agent season. The wardrobe of two of their main targets, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, underscored part of their pitch. James emerged from the Bulls' presentation — the sixth he sat for over three days — wearing black Air Jordans. While in Chicago, Wade wore Jordan Brand shorts as he traveled his hometown. The Bulls' strategy, which also featured a Friday night solo meeting with Chris Bosh, has been simple: Chase the big stars. Their pitch has been even simpler: We have the most ready-made roster to reprise the days when Michael Jordan celebrated Bulls titles. As Wade, Bosh and James exhale with their collective free-agent meetings complete, the NBA world holds its breath, waiting for the landscape to change dramatically — or not at all. After two sitdowns with Wade on Thursday and Friday and Saturday's three-hour audience with James, agent Leon Rose and business manager Maverick Carter, Bulls officials are cautiously optimistic their $30 million of salary-cap space will pay big dividends. A source familiar with the Bulls' pitch to James said it centered on the young core featuring Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the worldwide brand grown primarily by Jordan, the league-leading attendance and a world-class city with strong local businesses featuring global opportunities. New coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive strategies needed no introduction. As associate head coach of the Celtics, Thibodeau's schemes helped eliminate James' Cavaliers from the playoffs. Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...s-lebron-james-chicag20100703,0,3703016.story
