So the hype surrounding LeBron James' destination for the 2011 NBA season is over. On his hour long special, James announced that he would be signing with the Miami Heat. In doing so, he joins Dwayne Wade and newly signed Chris Bosh as a formidable trio on the hardwood. While the fans in Miami celebrate through the night, the fans in Cleveland burn the James #23 jerseys. Let me not forget the Knicks and Bulls fans who feel like a jilted bride left at the altar. Allow me to address the Cleveland scenario first. This city hasn't had a professional championship since 1964. It has been a long 46 years in a city that has no hopes for the Indians, Browns and now Cavaliers. I empathize with the fans. They feel betrayed by one of their own citizens (James is an Ohioan from Akron). I see where their anger comes from. They feel betrayed and to a certain degree they were. James should have told the team directly that he would no longer play for them in person and in private. It showed a lack of respect for the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. My friend Jonathan said it perfectly: I just blame Lebron for doing that to Cleveland on prime time-that's like going to Yankee Stadium and breaking up with your girlfriend on the jumbotron. Bad form.. Agreed.
Now for the Knicks and Bulls fans, here it gets tricky. The Bulls have a much better team in place for the upcoming season so their fans have something more to look forward to than the Knicks fans do with their team. In place the Bulls have newly signed Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng while the Knicks have their own free-agent signing Amar'e Stoudamire and center Eddy Curry. To be honest, I'm not sure if the Bulls fans were placing their hopes with the signing of LeBron James as the Knicks fans were, but to be mad at LeBron for signing with Heat instead of the Knicks is the kind of situation where you shrug your shoulders and say "What Can You Do". There was never a guarantee that LeBron was coming here to New York. As fans tend to do at times, they sold themselves on the idea that LeBron would definitely be playing in Madison Square Garden. Oh, just one last thing to you fans of all the free-agent teams LeBron didn't choose: Would you be still be upset on how LeBron delivered his news if he had chosen your team? I don't think so.
LeBron said it clearly in his post-interview comments that he didn't sign with the Heat for the money. He signed for the chance to win a championship. His chances for a ring are definitely better with the Heat than they are with the Knicks. I know people calculated that LeBron would make double the money in New York City with his contract and endorsements than in any of the other free-agent markets but as I said a few days ago it wasn't all about the money but the opportunity. Sure some of you will say "He's a traitor to the Cavaliers and Cleveland for leaving". That may be true, but let me put this in a certain way: If you got the chance to get a better job with better opportunities for success wouldn't you take it? Haven't you ever taken a job for less money than others that you had because you felt the lesser paying job would be better for you? If you can say yes to either one of these questions, then you did the same thing that LeBron James did, just with small figures. LOL.
Where I would say that he erred was in the way he went about in telling the world his decision. It smelled of ego and unnecessary spectacle. As Some say he undermined the sport of Basketball and has dented his legacy. I mean who knows. I didn't feel it was he right way for him to go about it but if I were to find a silver lining in all of this was that the proceeds from the commercials would be donated to the Boys and Girls Club (a reported $2.5 million in donated revenue from the telecast of The Decision). ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski puts it best in his article named LeBron's unsavory 'Decision' spectacle.
Only time will tell if LeBron's move from Cleveland to Miami will be a successful one. Who knows, maybe the big three of Wade, James and Bosh will make the necessary sacrifices to their games to ensure a championship. Like I said before, time will tell.
FH
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I just wanted to include the point of view of my friend Curtis who is from Cleveland. His perspective on the Lebron situation is key:
We're talking about an area with a depressed economy, a history of hard luck stories and no championships of any kind since 1964. They have come close a number of times only to have their hearts broken. Always the butt of jokes nationwide, Lebron and his "promises" of bringing a title was the one thing that Cleveland-area folk could hang their hat on. And just like that, he walked away for personal glory/riches instead of finishing what he started, which would have cemented his legacy as an icon for life in Ohio. Now he will simply be looked at as a selfish quitter, I'm afraid. I don't have a problem with him moving on if he wanted to. Again, it's just the way he went about doing it. I think he's not only set the team back at least five years with the timing of his decision; the way he left everyone hanging has tarnished his reputation more than you know. Oh well.
Just to show you how mad the Cleveland Cavaliers owner is at LeBron James. Gilbert is the owner of the Fathead Decal Company and has reduced the price of his LeBron James Fathead stock from $99 to $17.41. The number 1741 is relevant since it was the year notorious traitor Benedict Arnold was born. The man is willing to lose money to spite LeBron. Wow, that's anger
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