I may not have seen it all, but I don’t remember ever being so disgusted with a professional athlete.
Symbol of Greatness? LeBron threw that away. (US Presswire)
That’s quite a feat considering we’re in the midst of yet another summer with Brett Favre’s seemingly annual decision on the upcoming season.
Once upon a time LeBron James preached the importance of loyalty as he aspired to win a championship for Cleveland, a sports town in desperate need of a savior.
Now I’m not so sure James knows the definition of loyalty.
Whether you want to attribute it to not attending college or having a change of heart, James decision to bolt the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat not only makes me sick, but leaves me scratching my head a bit. While winning was one of James’ main concerns, it’s clear to us all that what’s most important to James is his brand.
If the one hour special on ESPN wasn’t a telling sign, the commercials which also featured James did the trick.
So James wants all eyes on him, yet he leaves his hometown team to play second fiddle to Heat guard Dwayne Wade?
The little respect I had for Cleveland’s new villain (Somewhere Art Modell is celebrating) is now gone and there are so many reasons for my sentiment towards Queen James.
That Ego-For years we’ve mocked and ridiculed Favre’s indecisiveness towards his retirement as he strung the media along up until training camp. For most of the past decade, Favre had all eyes on him as he waited as long as he could to reveal that he would in fact return for the upcoming season. I thought it would be a tall order to supplant the diva quarterback.
LeBron James was certainly up for the challenge and succeeded.
While new teammates Chris Bosh and Wade briefly announced their decision on SportsCenter, James entourage requested an hour on ESPN during Primetime which ESPN gladly jumped at the opportunity (James is largely at fault for this media frenzy, but ESPN is also to blame) to film “the decision”. James entourage drew up the entire production, which most likely included the soft ball questions that Mike Wilbon and Jim Gray tossed his way.
Merely an afterthought since his days with the NBA on NBC (Speaking of which, if anyone knows of the whereabouts of Ahmad Rashad please let us know), Gray was chosen by James’ group as the interviewer for the segment. Gray followed the script given to him (I kid, but in all likelihood, he was given a set of questions) as LeBron basked in the limelight.
Some will praise James for the sacrifices he’s made in pursuit of a championship, but anyone that conducts themselves the way James has will only leave me feeling that it’s all about him. I know Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert will agree with me.
“As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.”
(Then Gilbert lost me when he guaranteed the Cavs win a ring before James).
LeBron’s Hypocrisy-Since LeBron was drafted in 2003, he’s preached loyalty to no end. The Akron native was thrust into a fairy tale with the opportunity to change his hometown’s fortunes. A sports enthusiast, James has always acknowledged the struggles that Ohio’s teams have faced in the last half century. Upon being drafted, James was instantly became a star in his hometown as Ohio fell in love with their hometown product.
Not only does James fail to bring a title to Cleveland, but he leaves after seven years of love and admiration from a fan base that will never be matched. To rub salt in the wound, James has a nationally televised segment on ESPN to break Cleveland’s heart. This is by far one of the cruelest if not the cruelest thing I’ve ever seen in professional sports.
Then James talks about how winning fueled his decision as he cites his knowledge of the league’s history. What he doesn’t realize is all the great names that succeeded before him stayed put and had a supporting cast put around them.
Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman among others placed around him to get to the next level. He didn’t leave Chicago to go play with Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.
Image Tarnished, Perhaps Permanently?-James aspirations to win are modest when compared to his desire to become a global icon. James’ close group featuring friend Maverick Carter and Agent Leon Rose are two of the drivers to James’ quest to become one of the most recognizable faces.
James wants to create a legacy, but foolishly threw away that opportunity.
Loved by all prior to this free agency bonanza, James “brand” takes a huge hit once the dust settles. The false optimism that James provided five of the six teams he met with (Cavs, Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and L.A. Clippers) lead many fans to believe that James would lift their franchise to glory.
Had James returned to the Cavaliers, many would be disappointed, but the decision to return home would be accepted and understood by the league.
James goes from being loved by everyone to instant villain as he joins what will be one of the most hated teams in basketball outside of South Beach. They might actually steal the Axis of Evil title from the L.A. Lakers.
Not only did James bail on the only team he’s ever played for, but he goes to a team with two other all stars as one more piece to the puzzle.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t think of any global icon that played the role as Robin.
“I know the history of the game”
James claims to understand the success of great players before him, yet he fails to fully understand how to go about reaching greatness. By fleeing to the Heat, James essentially throws away any opportunity to leave the game as an all time great with his name next to guys like Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, etc.
James is right as far as realizing that no matter how great a player is he can’t win by himself. But you would never see any of the greats from the 80’s or 90’s leave their team to play with a guy of their caliber.
For James to create a legacy, he’d have to win as the guy. As mentioned, Jordan had solid players around him. But none of them ever came close to Jordan’s level.
In today’s league, guys are often criticized for being softer than old school players. Magic and Bird were good friends, but they hated each other on the court and there was no greater satisfaction than beating the other. Players are often found fraternizing with the opposition in game, an absolute no-no once upon a time.
I am compelled to question James’ competitive drive. We know Kobe Bryant would never accept being anything less than the team’s leader. We know Jordan wouldn’t either.
So is James conceding that he’s not good enough to lead a team?
James had several scenarios which could’ve given him an opportunity to win a championship. Had he gone to the Bulls, he’d arguably have a better cast around him with rising star point guard Derrick Rose and recently signed power forward Carlos Boozer while remaining the go to guy and unquestioned leader of the team.
James could’ve gone to New York and teamed up with recently acquired Amare Stoudemire. The Knicks have plenty of cap space and with the media that comes with New York sports, LeBron’s ego would’ve been pleased like no other city could offer.
Even the Clippers and Nets have talent that could compliment LeBron’s skills sufficiently. However he chooses to take a reduced role. Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying, James will greatly impact what the Heat do in the future.
But make no mistake; The Miami Heat is Dwayne Wade’s team.
In all likelihood, James will win one if not several titles with the Miami Heat. However he will never be held in the same breath as Jordan, Bird, Johnson, or even Bryant for that matter.
This is the same player who walked off the court against the Orlando Magic in the conference finals two years ago without congratulating the other team because he hates to lose.
Now he goes to a team with two all stars to serve in a reduced role. I guess James would prefer to win as Robin than to potentially go his entire career as Batman without a title to his name.
Guys like Reggie Miller and John Stockton may not have won a title in their career, but they were great players who had the misfortune of playing at the same time as Jordan.
Bad for the League-When you look at the National Football League, it’s easy to see why it’s become the most popular professional sport in America. Unlike the top heavy National Basketball Association, the NFL often sees teams rise from the cellar to become the surprise success story. Two years ago the Arizona Cardinals were minutes away from winning a Super Bowl. A league that offers the underdog a fighter’s chance will win over many fans.
The NBA has seen great basketball, but often in bunches. This past decade, the San Antonio Spurs and Lakers won seven titles, leaving little room for multiple contenders. The 90’s saw Jordan’s Bulls win six titles and the 80’s Magic v Bird.
Approaching his 32nd birthday, Bryant’s time as the top dog is coming to a close. With that comes a batch of stars scattered around the league. From Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City to Brandon Roy in Portland to Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, there are elite players all around the league resulting in more title contenders. Even though the Lakers remain the favorite, there are legitimate teams within reach and that can be attributed to the distribution of talent.
This merger of James, Wade, and Bosh reeks of the New York Yankees and it smells bad. Real bad. This is not a knock of the Yankees, but as a basketball enthusiast, a team of Monstars is not in the best interest of the league.
South Beach will bask in the success of their all star laden team, but the rest of the country will despise the Heat, making the Lakers not the consensus enemy for the first time in years.
All in all it’s pretty clear that LeBron’s gaffe will have huge implications on his place in the game. He throws away the opportunity of becoming a national icon like a Derek Jeter or Kobe Bryant. In this day and age it’s rare to see a player remain with one team and succeed, but the few that succeed are always glorified. He ruins his image as he will be forever known as the one who burned Cleveland on national television, going from fan favorite to villain.
Worst of all, James concedes that he will not be able to win a title as the go to player, which disappoints me more than anything. Throughout James’ childish behavior, I respected his desire to leave a legacy as one of the all time greats. He threw that away Thursday night.
We Are All Witnesses, but to what? Greatness? Seems more like a copout.
