Lebron James - "The Decision"

[Black Flash]

I've got a lot of family in Columbus and Cleveland, their facebook statuses along with all the Toronto one's are making my day :laugh:

[Growled Member]

Lebron is a jerk. After 7 years in a town full of adoring fans he just leaves at the first opportunity. He also demonstrated a total lack of understanding of what being part of a team is all about when he said he's doing what's good for himself above anyone else. That is not the attitude of a team player. Just as well for the Cavs that he's gone since he had no loyalty to his team. And not to forget that it was his poor performance that cost the Cavs the championship this year. To him I say..don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

You get a rep for that. You are exactly right.

[LukeEDay]

My teams are the Heat, Cavs (Because of James) and Mavs (Cuban is a Pittsburgh boy, so I support him :)) - Labron going to the heat still gives me a chance to root for a team he is on :)

I do understand Cleveland's frustration. I would be also if it happen to me. But hey, look at it this way - Now the Cavs can prove that they can do it without James. Even if he was the one scoring all the points for the team ;)

[I am Reid]

Well, they had 7 seven years to put better players around him and they failed. They bring old-man Shaq in? Come on, Cleveland. Listen, I lived in Minnesota during the time KG played there. He stayed longer than he should have out of some sort of 'loyalty' to Kevin McHale. Basically wasted most of his career. Only when he went to Boston did he win. I'm no huge fan of Labron, but I'm glad he got out of Cleveland now.

I don't think this announcement needed an entire hour, though.

please, dont even try to make excuses for this douche. The cavs had the best team in the regular season 2 years in a row, and got to the finals 3 years ago. Quit trying to act like he was playing with a bunch of kids. The big knock on LeBron has always been he's not clutch or does have the "Jordan" factor. Come playoff time if you are going to crown yourself as the "King" you better back it up when it becomes time, which he never did. He has never been a leader and when people tried to rely on him he choked, he is not "King" James anymore, he is "Cling" James now, and will just tag along with Wade, who is a real leader and has proven that when it comes down to it that he is ready to step up and be the King.

also, I would love to see one person disagree with this article.

GREENWICH, Conn., July 8, 1990 -- Michael Jordan announced on national television he's leaving Chicago to join the Detroit Pistons. Jordan said it was tough to bolt Chicago, where he was the most popular athlete in many years, because he thinks he has a better chance to win a championship if he plays with Pistons star Isiah Thomas. Jordan said by playing together, he and Thomas "won't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night."

That would have sounded absurd, right? Well, it is no more absurd than what LeBron James is doing. Jordan was 27 years old in 1990, slightly older than James is now. He had never been to the NBA Finals. He had been beaten up by the Celtics and Pistons for years. He doubted his supporting cast was good enough.

But he never doubted himself.

And it became very clear Thursday night that LeBron James does doubt himself. James will be a champion in Miami -- if not next year, then sometime after that. If you put James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together and give Pat Riley five years to find the complementary pieces, that team will win a championship.

But James does not have the heart of a champion. He does not have the competitive fire of Jordan, the bull-headed determination of Kobe Bryant, the quiet self-confidence of Tim Duncan, the willful defiance of Isiah or the winning-is-everything hunger of Magic Johnson.

He is an extremely gifted player who wants the easy way out.

And how do we know this?

James said so himself.

Oh, not in so many words. But once ESPN was done ESPN-izing its LeBron coverage -- filling it with babbling experts, needless hype and Jim Gray submitting his top six entries in the Stupidest Question Ever contest -- the self-proclaimed King said everything you need to know about him.

1. "You have to do what's best for you, and what's going to make you happy."

This is what's going to make him happy? Sharing a stage with two other stars? Really?

I guess that's all LeBron is: A complementary player with superstar talent. We should have figured this out before: He got that giant CHOSEN 1 tattoo on his back and calls himself King James because he is desperate for reassurance.

There is no greater challenge in sports getting drafted by a godawful team, planting your flag in a city and working like crazy until you have turned that team into a champion.

LeBron James didn't want the challenge. He wanted to play with his buddies.

2. "We don't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night or shooting a high percentage."

Whoa. Hold on there. Scoring 30 a night is too much pressure for one of the five most talented players ever?

Find me another all-time NBA great who would utter those words. Jordan would rather do an adidas commercial than say that. Bryant must have laughed as he heard the so-called "King" say that. Larry Bird? The next time he complains about pressure will be the first. Magic was the greatest team player of the last 40 years, but he was also so competitive that he wanted to play Jordan one-on-one in a promotional event -- and this was when Magic had won titles and Jordan had not, so Magic had more to lose.

3. "I know how loyal I am."

The man just dumped his hometown(s) on national television. Cleveland (and, by extension, Akron) happens to be the most tortured sports city in America. To do that, then say "I know how loyal I am" ... wow, wow, wow.

I wish I could sit in on one of LeBron's meetings with his advisers. Does he make them all wear mirrored sunglasses, so that when he looks at them he sees himself?

We really don't ask that much of our sports stars. Try not to get arrested for anything big. Don't curse at the fans. You know, small stuff. We even understand that 95 percent of the time, they will make career decisions based on money -- we might not love it, but we understand it.

But see, the biggest thing that we ask of our sports stars is this: Take the competition as seriously as we do.

When LeBron James loses to Boston in the playoffs, we want him to take the heat, not take the Heat's offer. We want him to spend the summer adding to his game, calling and texting his teammates, plotting to do better next season.

Instead, well ...

4. "It's about joining forces with the other two guys."

He sounds like a nine-year-old playing Star Wars games with his buddies at a sleepover. And again: I do believe this Miami team will win a title. But it won't be as easy as he wants it to be. Miami will have the weakest bench of any contender next season After that, the NBA will have a lockout, and the league could eliminate the mid-level exception, which would be Miami's best tool for adding talent.

So this is a cop-out, but it's not as easy of a cop-out as it appears. And that brings us to ...

5. "This is the greatest challenge for me."

LeBron James just jumped into an elevator and wants us to think he can fly. Sorry, but we know better. We know that he did something Michael, Magic, Bird and Bill Russell never would have done. We know he ditched Cleveland for an All-Star team.

But you know what? In Miami, anything short of a title will be a failure. Nobody outside of Miami will root for this team, and nobody in Miami roots for anybody. They're too busy enjoying the weather.

I thought he would stay in Cleveland, because I thought all he cared about was adoration. I was wrong about Cleveland, but he is wrong about adoration. He thinks he'll get it by winning a title. He has insulated himself from the world, surrounded himself with yes men. He has no idea how much backlash he is about to get.

That's one of the great ironies of this -- James is trying to flee pressure, but he will just face more of it. He is trying to maximize his "brand," but he just damaged it.

The first time I watched LeBron James live, I thought he could be the greatest player ever. The sad truth for us, for him, and for the NBA is that he never really believed it himself

[SimplySchizo]

also, I would love to see one person disagree with this article.

I completely disagree with it...

I was going to give my 2cents but seeing you're from Ohio, I figured I'd not even waste my time. Of course me being from Miami would've just totally nulled my opinion anyway right?

Good luck with that prick of a 'gypsy' :rofl: owner you guys have over there. You all deserve one another.

Here's a REAL article from another one of Ohio's own sons...

I'm beginning to wonder if Dan Gilbert's real name is Benjamin Button. You know, the character from the smash hit movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'' who looks old when he's young and young when he's old.

How else to explain a 48-year-old man -- an intelligent, accomplished, incredibly wealthy 48-year-old man -- sounding off like an acne-riddled 13-year-old who'd just been jilted by his first love?

LeBron James has been roundly criticized for the stunning way he handled his departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, and rightly so. James should have informed the team of his decision to leave in person and as soon as he could, thus giving it the chance to formulate a practical Plan B rather than having to react to such devastating news on the fly.

He dumped them -- and northeast Ohio -- on national TV, making the ending unnecessarily dramatic and harsh.

But James is 25 years old. And though in some ways he's unusually mature for his age, he's still 25 years old. No excuses, but at that age, we can all be self-absorbed and unaware of, if not flat-out defiant of, proper protocol.

But Gilbert's nearly twice James' age. And when you're two winters away from 50, you should know better than to act off of pure emotion. If you want to react spontaneously in your living room, ranting and raving like a heartbroken teenager, immaturely pointing out flaws in the one you'd gladly spend the rest of your life with, issuing ridiculous threats that are about as likely as purple rain, and -- get this -- casting spells (apparently, like many teens, Gilbert's a Harry Potter fan), go right ahead.

But to do that publicly? Uhh, two words:Grow up.

But the childishness didn't stop there. On Friday, Gilbert, the owner of Fathead, dropped the price of James fatheads from $99.99 to $17.41. Benedict Arnold was born in 1741.

With the way this is going, I'm expecting Gilbert to tape "Kick Me'' signs to the seats on the visitors bench when Miami visits The Q next season. That'll be a good one!

Let's be honest, Gilbert, and most every other owner or league executive, makes a habit of being just as cold-blooded and callous as James was in making his decision. They do it with NBA players all the time, telling them to their faces they have no intention of trading them and then picking up their cell phone and offering them to a competitor as soon as the player leaves the room.

Heck, the Cavs are doing that at this very moment. Everyone on that roster not named LeBron has been available in a trade since that May loss to Boston. Think Gilbert's told them that?

What Gilbert did was especially reckless and immature when you consider how volatile the situation in Cleveland was Thursday night. With fans burning James jerseys and throwing things at James murals and paintings, he thought it best to incite their anger rather than to call for calm.

So now, I'm told, James' close friends -- and perhaps even the player himself -- have been threatened with violence, told that their homes in Cleveland and Akron may be burned down. They've got friends and relatives living in the area, and Gilbert thought it right to stir up the fury of the masses even more?

In his incendiary e-mail, Gilbert wrote that James' decision to leave Cleveland was "the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn."

Yet in his letter, he seemed to threaten to expose potentially embarrassing information about James, writing that he plans to communicate "events of the recent past'' to the public over "the next several days and weeks.'' Is that how Gilbert wants children to act when they don't get their way?

Gilbert's diatribes -- he further attacked James' character in a subsequent interview with The Associated Press -- were hypocritical in so many ways.He called James a quitter, saying he quit in five playoff games over the past two years, yet he was willing to pay him $125 million to stay on his team. He called James a "self-declared King,'' yet failed to mention that it was he himself who promoted the "King James'' brand throughout his arena. He said James has "gotten a free pass'' and that "people have covered up for him for way too long,'' yet it was Gilbert who overruled the objections of former GM Danny Ferry and gave James and his friends carte blanche throughout the organization. If James was enabled, Gilbert was the enabler.

Then Gilbert said James' actions Thursday night revealed "who he really is.'' Well, perhaps James is saying the same thing about Gilbert. Perhaps he's known all along that Gilbert didn't respect him, that Gilbert thought he was a "coward,'' that Gilbert thought his "King,'' "Chosen One'' and "Witness'' nicknames were a joke, that he'd mock and trash them, and him, as soon as James was no longer making him money.

Maybe that's why James didn't return Gilbert's phone calls and e-mails over the past two months -- because he knew the owner looked at him as a money-maker and nothing more. Maybe James no longer wanted to play for someone like that, someone who, in the heat of the moment, refuses to act his age.

By Chris Broussard ESPN The Magazine

[BoredBozirini]

Lebron won't win a championship, you can quote me on that.

[I am Reid]

I completely disagree with it...

I was going to give my 2cents but seeing you're from Ohio, I figured I'd not even waste my time. Of course me being from Miami would've just totally nulled my opinion anyway right?

Good luck with that prick of a 'gypsy' :rofl: owner you guys have over there. You all deserve one another.

Just because im from Ohio doesnt mean I am a cavs fan, as a matter of fact I hate the cavs. I was never a fan before, and I was sure as hell never a fan after he got there, the fact that so many people jumped on the cavs bandwagon made me hate them even more. I've always been a HUGE wade fan, and over the years I have always fought with people over how I think Wade is the better player with a brighter future. So please, dont try to tell me I cant have an opinion just becuase I am from Ohio, im just calling out a douchebag when I see one.

So, by all means follow this link from 4 years ago.

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/471839-dwyane-wade/page__p__587625570entry587625570

[Ayepecks]

?

I completely disagree with it...

I was going to give my 2cents but seeing you're from Ohio, I figured I'd not even waste my time. Of course me being from Miami would've just totally nulled my opinion anyway right??

Good luck with that prick of a 'gypsy'?:rofl: owner you guys have over there. You all deserve one another.

Here's a REAL article from another one of Ohio's own sons...

By Chris Broussard ESPN The Magazine

Broussard has a hard-on for LeBron and always has. Why do you think he's so cozy with his posse?

LeBron leaving Cleveland is not the issue. It's the manner in which he left and how he made a giant spectacle of it. It was pompous and arrogant, and Gilbert had every right to call him narcissistic, as it was. I think the only place Gilbert overstepped his boundaries was when he said LeBron quit during the Boston series. LeBron is the reason they were even in the series, so he needs to get over that. But everything else he said was spot-on. I don't care one way or another for James (he's an amazing player regardless of anything else), but he went about it wrong in every way imaginable and did everything he could to make sure the world revolved around him.

There's just so many problems with how he acted I don't even know where to begin. Why did he not treat the teams that were courting him with the same respect they showed him? If he could've just told some of these teams "I'm sorry, but I'm leaning a different direction," instead of dragging the process on they could have adjusted their off-season appropriately, instead of hoping to sign LeBron. And please don't give any of that "well they should have just signed someone else first" bull crap. If you have a chance at LeBron James, you'd be an idiot if you didn't make him your priority.

[SimplySchizo]

The media made a spectacle of it. Since they lost their show at the trophy last season the very first thing the media did was blow up this event.

ONLY thing the man did was leave the Cav organization hanging on the clothe-line without notice. Not giving them a heads up for preperation, or even the shot at a S&T.

After seeing the response by his 'fans' there, not to mention the damn owner... I don't blame him. Dan Gilbert's actions justified his 'decision' in the end.

So please, dont try to tell me I cant have an opinion just becuase I am from Ohio, im just calling out a douchebag when I see one.

I never said you couldn't have an opinion. I only stated that mine would most likely be disregarded considering the circumstances. I see good ol' Danny G as the douche, go figure. After 7 yrs of service, I don't think LeBron owes Cleveland or anyone in Ohio, a thing.

I did look up that thread, and definitely agree on your views on Wade. All cept for the Jordan part. :D There will never be another Jordan. He isn't human.

[Ayepecks]

The media made a spectacle of it. Since they lost their show at the trophy last season the very first thing the media did was blow up this event.

ONLY thing the man did was leave the Cav organization hanging on the clothe-line without notice. Not giving them a heads up for preperation, or even the shot at a S&T.

After seeing the response by his 'fans' there, not to mention the damn owner... I don't blame him. Dan Gilbert's actions justified his 'decision' in the end.

I never said you couldn't have an opinion. I only stated that mine would most likely be disregarded considering the circumstances. I see good ol' Danny G as the douche, go figure. After 7 yrs of service, I don't think LeBron owes Cleveland or anyone in Ohio, a thing.

I did look up that thread, and definitely agree on your views on Wade. All cept for the Jordan part. :D There will never be another Jordan. He isn't human.

The media made a spectacle of it? Is that a joke?

The media followed it like they rightfully should have. But they weren't the ones who came up with the idea of a freaking national television special for LeBron to announce his decision. They weren't the ones who didn't keep each team informed of LeBron's interest. You have got to be kidding me. It's the media's place to follow a big news story, and LeBron potentially leaving is a big news story. They handled it like they should have. LeBron, on the other hand, did not.

And let's not act like the fans' and Gilbert's actions aren't because of LeBron's actions, please. It's not like they just suddenly chose to act this way for no reason.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Nah yeah the more I think about it, the more I absolutely dislike James for this whole spectacle. It was HIS team that concocted this, and keep in mind his team is made up of his friends, etc. so they are not always going to make the best business decisions, as completely made obvious by all of this. And to have his friend call and tell Cleaveland right before hand, and not call HIMSELF, just sickens me. Really does.

Like I said, not gonna be hard for me as a Knicks fan to route against the Heat, and I was one of the only Knicks fans I knew saying from Day 1 no way he was coming to NY, the knicks have been screwed ever since how they handled Patrick Ewing, and they have horrible, horrible management, so I had no preconceived notions LeBron was going to come, I thought he might prefer the challenge of being in NYC and the scrutiny that comes with it, but obviously he likes the easy way out. From Reggie Miller to Charles Barkley, all of those guys are saying what a punk move this was, and now his legacy is tarnished, and I have to agree. Real men try to do it on their own with a good team surrounding them, then if they do not succeed later on in their careers, they move on.

With all that said, you have to give credit to the Heat, as they were able to pull this off with what was obviously very good handling of their squad by management, so some credit is without a doubt deserved towards them.

I just think the whole thing was handled truly unprofessionally, and it was more Hip-Hop than actual true business like it should been.

And I love old Hip Hop in case you do not know, but what I mean it was all dominated by a mindset of commercialism and materialism and finally, egotism..

[SimplySchizo]

Yes the media built it up all the way through to his decision. I'm sure they would've preferred way more than an hour.

Go back and watch Cleveland's last game. Listen to all the commentators and Media that followed since. The man hadn't reached the locker room yet and already talks on whether it would be his last time wearing the Cav uniform and which would he wear next...

If the event were to match all the media buildup, it would've been a mini-series. Not just an hour.

@Larry

I agree with the whole Hip-Hop Culture playing a role here. BUT, the man choose to leave well over 30mil on the table, to play with friends. Where's the materialism and ego there?

People as well as the media crucify him for his decision. But fail to see the simplicity of the whole matter. He wants to be happy. He gave Cleveland 7 yrs! He oes Cleveland nothing. It took him 7 years to smarten up to his surroundings. He knew something we didn't. And once he left, it all came to light imo. It was all business.Sure he handled it wrong, but he decision in leaving I believe was the right one. Sure he could've handled it a lot better, But remember, this is a 25yr old kid sucked into the league straight out of highschool.

No one praises these 3 guys for putting their egos and money aside in order to play together and achieve their common goals. I would've followed these three anywhere in the league if they were paired. Just cause of that simple action of unselfishness. (who does that these days. especially in a HipHop Era where $BlingBling$ is above all) Lucky for me they landed on my team. :p

[gregb0b]

Too bad the heat wont win a championship..... Orlando is going to be to tough of a challenge in the playoffs.

[Lqv2015]

Don't think LeBron won't be making all that money back if he wins championships. Not to mention Florida's state tax. He'll make his money back.

[Ayepecks]

?Yes the media built it up all the way through to his decision. I'm sure they would've preferred way more than an hour.?

Go back and watch Cleveland's last game. Listen to all the commentators and Media that followed since. The man hadn't reached the locker room yet and already talks on whether it would be his last time wearing the Cav uniform and which would he wear next...

If the event were to match all the media buildup, it would've been a mini-series. Not just an hour.

I'm sure they didn't even want it to be an hour. ESPN accepted the pitch because what were they going to do -- let James take it to Fox Sports and give them the exclusive and the ratings? No, they did it because they wanted people watching their network, and they wanted to be the ones with the story and have other journalists say "on ESPN today" before stating the news. ESPN would have been idiotic not to take the deal. But at the same time, LeBron demanded an hour. Do you honestly think ESPN wanted anything more than a quick announcement and some questions, like at a press conference's interview portion?

You have way too many media conspiracy theories. It was a valid storyline as to whether or not LeBron would be returning. I hate to break this to you, but if ANY other athlete had been in a similar position -- having the ability to leave his only team, and making absolutely no indication that he'd return -- there would've been a massive media following. LeBron had the chance to say "Cleveland is my home, and I'd like to stay here, but I'm going to weigh my options first." He never did anything remotely like that. LeBron himself made a spectacle of it from the beginning, always pandering himself and making a media spectacle out of it.

The journalists following the story did their job. I don't see what issue you could possibly have with that.

[LukeEDay]

I am willing to go as far to say that the Cavs will not make it to the play offs next season. Them losing James is like a waterfall losing, well, water ;)

[soniqstylz]

please, dont even try to make excuses for this douche. The cavs had the best team in the regular season 2 years in a row, and got to the finals 3 years ago. Quit trying to act like he was playing with a bunch of kids. The big knock on LeBron has always been he's not clutch or does have the "Jordan" factor. Come playoff time if you are going to crown yourself as the "King" you better back it up when it becomes time, which he never did. He has never been a leader and when people tried to rely on him he choked, he is not "King" James anymore, he is "Cling" James now, and will just tag along with Wade, who is a real leader and has proven that when it comes down to it that he is ready to step up and be the King.

also, I would love to see one person disagree with this article.

Sums up the feeling in Bill Simmons' article, too. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100708

10. Let's say LeBron signs with Miami. Can you even make the Finals with LeBron, Bosh, Wade and nine minimum-salary guys? Because that might be next year's team ? and if that's what happens, the answer is "no effing way." You don't win titles just because of your top three. That belittles the meaning of guys like Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Steve Kerr, John Paxson, Brian Shaw ? you could go on for hours naming role players who swung a title. The 2008 Celts lucked out by getting James Posey, Eddie House and P.J. Brown for practically nothing; Miami wouldn't have that luxury this summer, not with so many role players jockeying for contracts one year before the possible lockout. Nobody is taking less money to showcase themselves for a summer that might not happen. Even if Miami could spin Michael Beasley for a fourth guy (say, Trevor Ariza), that's still not enough. They'd need one more rebounder, point guard, a 3-point shooter and a center. Good luck.

11. Another problem: You realize how many minutes these guys would log on a three-man team? About 42-44 minutes for 100 games ? and if anyone missed an extended stretch of games, then that would put even more pressure on the other two. Crazy. No way they win more than 50, especially with teams gunning for them every night. We've also never seen two perimeter superstar alpha dogs coexist for an NBA title -- not even when Jerry West and Elgin Baylor teamed up with Wilt Chamberlain against the aging Celtics in 1969. LeBron would have to accept becoming Mega-Pippen to Wade's Jordan. (Yeah, right.) Even during the final quarter of the 2008 gold-medal game, when everyone on the American team was staring at each other wondering who was going to step up against a red-hot Spain team, there were a few minutes of tentative, "I don't want to step on anyone's toes here" basketball before Kobe said, "Screw it, get out of my way" and took over the key portion of the game.

Well, at some point, Wade and LeBron will have one of those 2008 Spain moments ? but what happens if both guys say, "Screw it, get out of my way"? You need to have a special type of mentality to want that moment; that's why Scottie Pippen melted down in that 1994 Bulls-Knicks playoff game, because Phil Jackson had spent that entire year building him up and making him think, "We can win without Jordan, you're just as good, we can DO THIS," then designed the biggest play of the season for someone else. It was a slap in the face. Pippen reacted terribly, but still, don't you want him to be ****ed there? Isn't that what being an alpha dog is all about? Don't you need a special level of swagger and confidence to carry that load every night? And once you reach that level, doesn't it become impossible to share the spotlight with someone else? Of course ?

12. Maybe LeBron knows that he isn't wired that way.

Maybe he wants to be an unselfish creator like Magic or a do-it-all wingman like Pippen. Maybe he has too much Doctor J in him, as I theorized after Game 6. Maybe he believes that if Wade carries the crunch-time load, it will free LeBron to do LeBron things and average a triple-double every game without having that burden of "I've gotta create every shot for us in the final four minutes." Maybe he thinks it's his best chance to win. And if so ?

13. I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him. Don't you want to find the Ali to your Frazier and have that rival pull the greatness out of you? That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their team. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done. Hell, that's what Kobe would have done.

In May, after the Cavs were ousted in the conference semifinals, I wrote that LeBron was facing one of the greatest sports decisions ever: "winning (Chicago), loyalty (Cleveland) or a chance at immortality (New York)."

I never thought he would pick "HELP!"

14. LeBron joining Wade after his 2010 playoffs flameout, in my opinion, is like Conan O'Brien getting kicked in the teeth by NBC, then overreacting and forming a late-night version of "The View" with Chris Rock, Adam Carolla and Jeffrey Ross over trying to create his own show somewhere else. (Note to Carolla and Ross: Don't get excited, it's only a hypothetical.) Total cop-out. The move of someone who, deep down, doesn't totally trust his own talents any more. And maybe he doesn't.

15. What should LeBron do? Pick Chicago. That's where the rings are. The fact that he didn't say to Bosh, "Come to Chicago with me, we'll play with Rose and Noah and win six titles together" was the single most disappointing outcome of the summer. That team would have been a true juggernaut with pieces that actually complemented each other, unlike this pickup-basketball situation that's brewing in Miami. Even with Boozer there in Bosh's place -- and I think he's a great fit for them, with or without LeBron -- it could still translate to multiple titles, because Rose could have been the best second banana since Kobe in 2001.

Just know that Kobe would have caught a whiff of those rings and gone to Chicago. Same with Jordan. Same with Magic and Bird. Chicago had the biggest competitive advantage of anyone: room for two max guys along with an under-23 franchise point guard and one of the only elite defending/rebounding big men in basketball. How can you care about winning and NOT go to Chicago?

.....

20. Seven months later, it's happening. I can't wait to watch for the same reasons I couldn't turn away from O.J.'s Bronco chase or the Artest melee: it's Car Wreck Television. If LeBron picks anyone other than the Cavaliers, it will be the cruelest television moment since David Chase ended "The Sopranos" by making everyone think they lost power. Cleveland fans will never forgive LeBron, nor should they. He knows better than anyone what kind of sports anguish they have suffered over the years. Losing LeBron on a contrived one-hour show would be worse than Byner's fumble, Jose Mesa, the Game 5 meltdown against Boston, The Drive, The Shot and everything else. At least those stomach-punch moments weren't preordained, unless you believe God hates Cleveland (entirely possible, by the way). This stomach-punch moment? Calculated. By a local kid they loved, defended and revered.

It would be unforgivable. Repeat: unforgivable. I don't have a dog in this race -- as a Celtics fan, I wanted to see him go anywhere but Chicago -- but LeBron doing this show after what happened in the 2010 playoffs actually turned me against him. No small feat. I was one of his biggest defenders. Not anymore.

And here's where I really worry, because I don't think LeBron James has anyone in his life with enough juice to hurl his or her body in front of the concept of "I'm going to announce during a one-hour live show that I'm playing somewhere other than Cleveland." It's the best and worst thing about him -- he has remained fiercely loyal to his high school friends, but at the same time, he's surrounded by people his own age who don't stand up to him and don't know any better. Picking anyone other than Cleveland on this show would be the meanest thing any athlete has ever done to a city. But he might. Assuming he's not malicious, and that he's just a self-absorbed kid who apparently lost all perspective, that doesn't make him much different than most child stars who became famous before they could legally drink -- or, for that matter, Tiger Woods. That's just the way this stuff works. Too much, too fast, too soon. You don't lose your way all at once; just a little at a time. Then one day you look up and there's a TMZ photo spread with 15 of your mistresses, or you're agreeing to stab an entire city in the heart on a one-hour television show.

(When Kevin Durant announced his own five-year, $86 million extension with an endearingly simple tweet yesterday, we all had the same thought: "Now that's how it's done." Pretty sad that an NBA star stood out for being humble and only caring about basketball.)

...

24. The goofiest part of these past few weeks: The way media people have been speculating in a way that seems like a cross between learned information and opinion, except we're never really sure what's real and what's conjecture. Thanks to Twitter and the 24/7 news cycle, the lines have been blurred completely. Chuck Klosterman thinks the true hero of the LeBron saga is Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter who cranked out articles and Tweets by the boatload -- never speculation, always facts, always backed up by sources, and there were a couple of times when he made you wonder, "Wait a second, is Windhorst hiding under a table in LeBron's office right now?" Maybe he was.

Sifting through the various reports and tweets, trying to figure out fact from fiction, glancing at my BlackBerry every 15 seconds to see if anyone e-mailed me ? that's what I'll remember from the LeBronocalypse more than anything else. And also, who knew anyone could keep a secret for this long in the Twitter/TMZ Era? Even yesterday, when I was batting around LeBron theories with my buddy Connor, we were breaking down the Greenwich thing and had this exchange:

-- Connor: "Greenwich, that's nine minutes from the Knicks' practice facility. That has to mean something."

-- Me (thinking): "Maybe they KNEW it was nine minutes from the Knicks' practice facility, so they put it there to throw people off the scent."

I mean ? what the hell kind of sporting event is this? It's like college signing day crossed with JFK's assassination. LeBron's team wanted to keep people talking and promote his website, and really, that's what happened. The man nearly exploded Twitter and melted ESPN. He transcended free agency, the World Cup, everything. He will draw a massive television audience tonight; he's the only professional athlete who could have pulled that off.

What a week for LeBron's brand. I just hope he remembers to wipe the blood off the knife after he pulls it from Cleveland's back.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yes the media built it up all the way through to his decision. I'm sure they would've preferred way more than an hour.

Go back and watch Cleveland's last game. Listen to all the commentators and Media that followed since. The man hadn't reached the locker room yet and already talks on whether it would be his last time wearing the Cav uniform and which would he wear next...

If the event were to match all the media buildup, it would've been a mini-series. Not just an hour.

@Larry

I agree with the whole Hip-Hop Culture playing a role here. BUT, the man choose to leave well over 30mil on the table, to play with friends. Where's the materialism and ego there?

People as well as the media crucify him for his decision. But fail to see the simplicity of the whole matter. He wants to be happy. He gave Cleveland 7 yrs! He oes Cleveland nothing. It took him 7 years to smarten up to his surroundings. He knew something we didn't. And once he left, it all came to light imo. It was all business.Sure he handled it wrong, but he decision in leaving I believe was the right one. Sure he could've handled it a lot better, But remember, this is a 25yr old kid sucked into the league straight out of highschool.

No one praises these 3 guys for putting their egos and money aside in order to play together and achieve their common goals. I would've followed these three anywhere in the league if they were paired. Just cause of that simple action of unselfishness. (who does that these days. especially in a HipHop Era where $BlingBling$ is above all) Lucky for me they landed on my team. :p

Nah yeah if you see, I totally give credit to Miami for being able to pull this off, and I also will give some credit to these 3 guys all for taking a bit less (although they will easily recoup it in endorsements, etc., especially since they are now all together, the marketing that is going to be available to all 3 of them is going to be more than it would have been normally IMO), I just thought the whole decision was what was "Hip Hop" so to speak. That is all.

And actually FTR I think it is stupid to crucify him for not choosing Cleaveland. It is his life, so what he does he does. Would I personally have respected him more if he stayed in Cleaveland? Yes, I would have, but with that said, I am not one of those people that think he had an obligation to stay, it just would have been a cool thing to see him win a champinship for that city, as it is a down and out city.

And I do agree with your points about the media also made it what it was, I do realize and agree they also had a huge hand in it, but it was ultimately LeBron's teams decision to handle it the way they did. That is what I did and still do not like. The whole thing was just pompous is the best word I can think to describe it.

Someone mentioned how Jordan handled his return from retirement. You know what he did? He sent a fax to all major sporting outlets with two words... "I'm Back."

Yes, it was a different time, but still, I think it shows how one can handle themselves with a bit of class and still be "mysterious" so to speak.

And I am a Knicks fan from back in the day. Years before when Jeff Van Gundy was holding on to Alonzo Mourning's leg after Charlie Ward got body slammed, so as I have already stated, my hatred for the Heat runs deep. :laugh:

[soniqstylz]

@Larry

I agree with the whole Hip-Hop Culture playing a role here. BUT, the man choose to leave well over 30mil on the table, to play with friends. Where's the materialism and ego there?:p

He didn't "leave it on the table" -- $26 of the $30 million comes from the extra year he could get in Cleveland or via sign-and-trade. He only leaves that money on the table if he retires in 5 years.

[SimplySchizo]

And I am a Knicks fan from back in the day. Years before when Jeff Van Gundy was holding on to Alonzo Mourning's leg after Charlie Ward got body slammed, so as I have already stated, my hatred for the Heat runs deep. :laugh:

HAHA I remember that game! But in all defense to the Heat, that was sparked from way back in his Charlotte days with Larry. We had nothing to do with it... ;) :shiftyninja: