mWo, Miami World Order, is taking over the NBA

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this article are solely those of myself, JB, and no other writer on the staff.

As a Nets season ticket holder I am disappointed that the New Jersey Nets lost out in the LeBron James sweepstakes.  I am not the hugest LBJ fan, but I have to admit that it would have been exciting to watch him play 41 times a year.  A lot of articles that have been circulating the web, newspapers, and magazines have been bashing “King James,” and they have every right.  A little over a week has passed since the train wreck ESPN called, “The Decision.”  Since that time I have been able to digest what has happened and emotions from that night have subsided.  This will be an unbiased, realistic, and honest (I hope) view of LeBron James and his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and take his talents to South Beach.  Lets start with the “Decision.”

The Decision. I anxiously waited last Thursday for LeBron James to announce his decision as to where he would be playing next year.  Again, I am not a die hard LeBron fan nor am I a LeBron hater (cue Shooter).  I did understand that LeBron had the power to do two things.  LeBron could stay in Cleveland, telling his loyal fans that he would carry them and the team on his back until a championship was brought home, or LeBron could leave Cleveland and join any of the other teams (Bulls/Heat/Knicks, although the Knicks would give him no chance to win a championship) that were begging for his help.  James allowing ESPN and Maverick Carter talk him into doing the “Decision” was embarrassing.  I understand that James had all the commercial and advertisement money donated to the Boys and Girls Club, but honestly LeBron, why couldn’t you just donate that money instead?

I am disappointed in ESPN just as much as I am in LeBron James.  I can remember the days where I used to wake up and watch SportsCenter every morning in middle school and high school.  Now except for a few shows (First Take, PTI, Around the Horn) I can barely stomach what ESPN has turned into.  Instead of bringing us sports 24/7, they have Rachel Nichols camping outside Brett Favre’s old high school to see if he is throwing passes there.  They were asking every person and their mother’s opinion on where LeBron would end up.  Do you really think Pete Carroll cared where James would be playing next year?  There isn’t even a team in Seattle anymore!  ESPN promised that in the first ten minutes the decision would be made and we would know, although at 9:15 there was Stuart Scott and his crew still talking about LeBron.  When LeBron finally took the stage he looked more uncomfortable than ever.  He stumbled on his words and when he made his decision, he showed no regret leaving Cleveland.

Like many have echoed, I have no problem with him leaving Cleveland, it is just the way he did it.  He did not tell his loyal fans that watched him grow up that he agonized over the decision, that he felt sorry for not bringing Cleveland a championship.  Instead when asked about Cleveland fans would take it he said that they of course could have mixed emotions.  Really LeBron, they can?  I think a lot of sports writers, including Michael Wilbon, where surprised by the way LeBron handled the situation.  I honestly don’t think LeBron grasped how much the Cleveland die-hards would turn on him.  I think he figured, “ah, they will get over it and love me again.”  Sadly, unless he does something, he will be hated for years to come.

LBJ and the Aftermath:

Since the “Decision” many writers have wrote about their disappointment in LeBron joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.  They have stripped him of his self-proclaimed title, “King,” and dubbed him “Prince” and “Wade’s Robin.”  Adrian Wojnaroski of Yahoo! wrote an article breaking down the decision and LeBron’s immaturity dating back to his days on the USA team.  It took me by surprise, that if true, the USA coaches wanted to cut LeBron James because of his attitude.

Dan Gilbert, the Cleveland Cavaliers owner, lashed out at James in a letter to the fans stating that he quit on the team.  Gilbert was furious with James leaving, although all the signs were there that he was leaving.  Although I am ultimately disappointed in LeBron James as a person because of his attitude, there is one thing people need to understand; people like Dan Gilbert.  LeBron James is the monster that you created.  As a teacher, the first thing I learned is that if you give students an inch, they will take a mile.  Gilbert was LBJ’s “enabler”.  When general manager Danny Ferry warned Gilbert about giving LBJ’s inner circle bogus jobs and allowing them and James to do what they want would hurt them in the end, Gilbert ignored him.  Gilbert’s goal was to do whatever it took to keep James around.  Instead he made LeBron feel like he was running the franchise.  Gilbert made LeBron feel that he was bigger than the Cavs.  In the end, LeBron took and took and took until there was nothing left, and then he moved on.

LBJ and His Opportunity:

Trust me there would have been nothing better than to see LeBron James stay in Cleveland and win a championship.  That would have catapulted him into legendary status and he would have always been adorned in the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio.  Unfortunately that did not happen, but here is what did.  LeBron joined another great player, Dwyane Wade, and a good player in Chris Bosh.  Just having these three players alone put the Heat at the top of the NBA’s elite teams.

Everyone is claiming that the Heat are Wade’s team and LeBron is entering into Wade County.  LeBron is the Robin to Dwyane Wade’s Batman (does that make Chris Bosh Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s butler?).  His name and brand have taken a beating.  I mean how can someone who dubbed himself, “The Chosen One.” have to join another team to win a championship?  Even with all this, here is the opportunity that I think LeBron James has:

I have been reading a book written by the late coaching legend John Wooden entitled, “Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success.”  One of the things Coach Wooden talked about was having “team spirit.”  Wooden defined team spirit as “an eagerness to lose oneself in the group for the good of the group.”  LeBron has the chance to put the seasons where he averaged 28 points a game behind him and be the leader of this team.  He can take his God given talents and volunteer to run the point guard spot.  I think he has the ability of Magic Johnson, running the point and getting others involved.  If James can shed his ego and become unselfish, the sky is the limit.  I can see him scoring eighteen points a game, dishing out nine or ten assists, and pulling down seven rebounds on a nightly basis.  Yes I know he did that in Cleveland, but instead of dribbling in isolation on the wing for fifteen seconds before driving and kicking, I can see LeBron pushing the ball and running their offense.  James has a chance to become a better player by becoming a more unselfish, team orientated player.  If he can do that, then going to Heat (although he did it the wrong way) was the best decision for him.

-JB