Goodbye Lebron

Well, after having a night to sit down and think about the departure of Lebron James from the Cavaliers, my perception has changed a little. Here are my thoughts:

A. The big problem I have with Lebron leaving the Cavs is the way he did it. He had six teams make their way to Cleveland, but he was only going to consider a couple of them. He wanted to win a championship. I believe that. I also believe he knew his best options for that were Chicago, Miami, and Cleveland. So he had the Knicks, Nets, and Clippers come to Cleveland for nothing. Then he reaches out to ESPN to make a TV special announcing where he is signing on national television. Can you think of any sports player that has ever done that? Not even the great Michael Jordan ever did that. Lebron didn’t even call the teams he wasn’t going to play for beforehand to let them know he was signing elsewhere. Cleveland wasn’t told about it until one of Lebron’s reps called just moments before the announcement. Lebron then announced on national television that he was leaving his hometown to play for a championship. Basically, he was saying he believed he could not win a title in Cleveland, which may or may not be true. They have been close the past couple of years. Either way, it was a cold way to say goodbye to your hometown. If he was going to leave, he should have done it quietly. Have a man-to-man with the owner that invested as much into you as you did into your team. That’s why Dan Gilbert is really upset. Check this article out.

Those of you that are saying, “Well wait, Lebron did that on national television to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club! How is that wrong?” also need to sit back and think about this: Lebron has numerous different avenues in which to raise money for them. He’s been raising money for them for a long time. He didn’t need to go on national television last night to raise that money. There are so many better ways out there to raise it without having to go with the route he did. The ends don’t justify the means.

B. I don’t have a problem with Lebron leaving the Cavs as a free agent. He gave them his game for seven years, and he was special to watch there. He earned the right to be a free agent and if he wants to play with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, then he should go for it. I may not like seeing him in a Miami uniform, but as a basketball fan, it will be interesting to watch. I do think that if Lebron should have gone anywhere, it should have been Chicago. They have a better core and are young.

C. I think what people are not realizing is that Lebron, Bosh, and Wade are all giving up money to play together, as Stuart Scott noted on this morning’s Mike and Mike show. People tend to get upset with players for taking the money instead of going for a championship. (Joe Johnson in Atlanta comes to mind. The Hawks will never win a title as it is built.) Instead they all gave up some money to play together. They chose the opportunity over the money, and there is respect due for that choice. I want to be able to tell my kids that money is not always the answer. Don’t get me wrong, they will still get their money, but they could each have earned more on their own.

D. Dan Gilbert’s comments in his letter posted on the Cavaliers website are out of line and not classy. However, there is a lot of truth in what he wrote. There is even more truth in his criticism of Lebron during the playoff runs in the past two years, which he spoke about in a radio interview given last night in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert is wrong to have publicly slammed Lebron afterward, but he said what a lot of basketball fans were thinking.

E. I do not think all hope is lost in Cleveland. Looking at their roster, they have some quality players, but not stars. They are fairly young, with the exception of just a couple players. If they can attract a free agent or two next off-season, they’ll be back in the hunt for the playoffs and maybe more. They will have some cap space with Lebron leaving.

F. Even with Lebron, Bosh, and Wade, I don’t think Miami is the favorite to win the title. Boston and Orlando are still there and have players of their own, even if Boston is getting older. Fans can be sure that both the Magic and the Celtics will have deeper benches than Miami, and Chicago is going to be better. Oh, and there is the World Champion-loaded Lakers in the Western Conference. I’m sorry to all the Heat fans out there, but the Lakers are too deep to lose to the Three-man show in Miami this upcoming season. That will likely change in time, and I do think the Heat will eventually win a title with their new Big 3, but it won’t be right away.

G. I know the fans in Cleveland will hate Lebron for leaving, but I hope in time they can respect him for what did accomplish in Cleveland. They got to the NBA Finals for the first time ever, and he led them from improbable win to improbable win. He brought a lot of excitement to a down sports town. Unfortunately, his departure reminds Cleveland fans that they seem to be cursed, and so a hungry sports town must find a way to move on without their hero.