LeBron goes from Cleveland to Miami, from hero to villain
In an hour of unbelievably overcooked live TV, LeBron James went from being the nice guy you hoped would someday win a championship to the schemer you hope never does. He went from being John Elway to being A-Rod, from hero to villain.
It must have seemed a good idea at the time: LeBron and his “team” went to ESPN and pitched an one-hour special, and the Worldwide Leader does as the Worldwide Leader invariably does — it turned a news story into a circus. It offered up Stuart Scott, who said “two-time MVP” so often in the space of 10 minutes you wanted to shout: “Bill Russell was a five-time MVP, and he never needed a one-hour special to remind us!”
Bill Russell also won 11 titles, and he never had to cherry-pick his team. Neither did Michael Jordan, who took six, or Magic Johnson, who won five, or Kobe Bryant, who has five, or Tim Duncan, who has four. Even if LeBron does win a championship with the Miami Heat — and there’s no guarantee he will — it won’t be seen as a great player lifting a team; it will be seen as a bunch of glitzy free agents banding together just to burnish their respective images.
The Heat won’t be seen as the Celtics, where three guys who had never won big came together near the end of the careers to enhance one another. They’ll be viewed as the Yankees, where the operative word is always overkill. LeBron James just told us that, for all his exterior bravado, he didn’t trust himself to be the linchpin of a champion. He needs Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Can Carmelo Anthony be far behind?
We the people are funny. We like our stars, but we don’t like sure things. It will be no news when Miami wins, but it will be the lead story whenever it loses. And it won’t just be newsworthy when/if the Heat fails — it will be laugh-out-loud funny.
Had LeBron gone to the Knicks or the Bulls, had he stayed in Cleveland, we’d see him differently today. We’d see him as a superstar looking for a team he could make better, as opposed to one that might well have made do without him. A team needs both LeBron and D-Wade? The two brand names whose games most mirror one another? Why not bring Jordan out of retirement just to complete the set?
The wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, no stranger to hype, offered two sneering Tweets in response to the word circulating early Thursday that LeBron was indeed headed to Miami to ally himself with Wade and Chris Bosh. From C.O.:
“Nickname is KingJames. Kings lead with the help of an army (supporting cast on team) – a lead dog doesn’t join superstars to make it easy.”
Also this:
“Kobe-Magic-Jordan-Bird all created legacies on their own teams. They didn’t join together to make winning a ring easy.”
We can argue that LeBron deserves credit for leaving money on the table. (The Cavs could have paid him more than any other team.) But money at this rarefied level is a given, and what’s a few million here or there? The trouble with being one of three — Miami Thrice! — is that LeBron will never be seen as a transcendent talent on the order of Jordan or Magic or Bird. He couldn’t take the guys around him and make them champs. He had to station himself next to D-Wade, who’s already a champ.
The Summer of LeBron figured to be strange, but it wound up being stranger than anyone could have dreamed. LeBron had the world at his feet, and he managed to alienate a goodly portion thereof. His ballyhooed “Decision” smacks of a calculated plan intent on world domination, and nobody likes a megalomaniac.
LeBron might well have outsmarted himself. A lot of folks who wouldn’t have minded if he won are now hoping he and the Miami Heat will lose. I know. I’m one of them.
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509 comments Add your comment
Damina Dawkins
July 8th, 2010
11:10 pm
It will be fun watching the Hawks and their 120 million dollar man dominate the Heat!
Willy
July 8th, 2010
11:11 pm
Every kid should be allowed to follow his dreams.
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:11 pm
He better surround himself with good players because he can’t make a 3, or a 15 footer, or a 10 footer, or a 5 footer when it counts. He is a joke and ESPN isn’t much better. Nothing but a circus!
ugaclassof2004
July 8th, 2010
11:12 pm
Kiran,
There is a difference between having an “off game” and having a”terrible game”. Kobe had an off game in game 7( and by off, he didn’t score his usual 30 points). But he made clutch shots at the end of the game( particularly at the free throw line) to seal the deal for his team.
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:12 pm
Oh and I damn sure ain’t kin to him.
Allen
July 8th, 2010
11:13 pm
Can’t blame Lebron for wanting to leave. He’s done all that he could with the Cavs and that did not amount to any rings. Great last two regular seasons though. I feel for the Cav fans though b/c now they will fall to the bottom until they can rebuild.
oldandntheway
July 8th, 2010
11:13 pm
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like the Lakers and Kobe a lot more now, and hope they win it again next year.
ATL STEVE
July 8th, 2010
11:13 pm
Alot of you guys don’t get it! NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY IN CLEVELAND…PERIOD! They will never attract the big free agent, they will only acquire talent via trade (see Jamison) and the draft.
Bird had Maxwell and Archibald to start with!
Magic had Jabbar, Nixon, Wilkes and McAdoo!
Jordan got Pippen to roll with!
Congrats LeBron…I didn’t care for all of the fanfare but you did what’s best for YOU and not for anyone else!
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:14 pm
He couldn’t carry Kobe’s, Bird’s, Magic’s, or Pippen’s jock strap. The NBA is a league in trouble when it has to have this much hoopla over one player.
Kiran
July 8th, 2010
11:15 pm
I guess what I’m trying to say is, the Lakers have a stacked team. Fisher hits big shots, Gasol can score 30 any given night, Artest hit a game winner, plus Odom off the bench.
Who does Lebron have? Mo Williams? Jamison? Without Lebron the Cavs are a 20 win team.
Pedro
July 8th, 2010
11:15 pm
@ Kiran
Jordan MADE Pippen the top 50 greatest player. As for Lebron, Wade is already a HOF caliber player.
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:15 pm
Allen – He was a joke in the playoffs! There isn’t a clutch bone in him.
LeWade Bosh
July 8th, 2010
11:16 pm
Count me as an anti-Lebron guy, now, too, MB. Not so much for the reasons you lay out–which are good ones–but because who wants to root for a ridiculous overdog team like the Heat are now? I’ve always been anti-Lakers for that reason (among others), and now that applies to the Heat. I hope they totally fall flat and the Tiresome Trio start pointing fingers.
fan hater
July 8th, 2010
11:17 pm
ok….its funny you spectators(which is what you are and have always been) have something to say about the man trying to win a championship. i mean who wouldnt leave cleveland to move and win, lebron clearly said its wasnt about the money and that its about winning which is what validates a player like lebron as being great…i.e kobe, wade, etc. It truly is a crime to be able to let people comment on article because everyones voice shouldnt be heard and thats the god to honest truth, i bet once lebron wins a ring then all your sissy children will have his jersey and you guys/chicks will be on his sack once again.
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:18 pm
Kobe also had like 15 boards in that game 7. He recognized what he had to do
Fresh
July 8th, 2010
11:19 pm
All I know is,
If the Hawks don’t make any moves soon, I’m signing my walking papers and joining Bron Bron & D. Wade in MIA!
minookadawg
July 8th, 2010
11:19 pm
Mark,
Very well said. I’ve been reading articles by Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer and Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald, trying to gauge some perspective on the topic. You’ve got ‘em both beat…badly.
Damina Dawkins
July 8th, 2010
11:19 pm
It’s not you (Cleveland), its me…..
Robert Cox
July 8th, 2010
11:20 pm
Winner going to winnersville to be the “Champ” Everyone else IE Mark Bradley wants to whine at Miami’s great fortune. Too bad D Wade wasn’t a Hawk. Can you say dynasty.
Camaro Shayne
July 8th, 2010
11:20 pm
LaBron let millions of good people in Ohio down tonight. He should not be bashed for wanting to win, but he is clearly not a leader. True leaders have people who want to follow them. It looks like D Wade is the leader here and “King James” is his subject.
Worm
July 8th, 2010
11:21 pm
Better hire more bodyguards!..
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:21 pm
The Lakers are still a better TEAM.
MTB
July 8th, 2010
11:21 pm
Everybody should calm down. Theres only going to be 1 basketball on the floor okay, not 3. And which one of these guys is going in the paint against Dwight Howard, and now Yao Ming.
MathMan
July 8th, 2010
11:21 pm
You’ve been caught off base, ATTEMPTING to steal, MB. What’s the difference in LeBron, D. Wade and Bosh “orchestrating” three future HOFers to the same team compared to when Celtics GM Danny Ainge does it? Nothing!!!
Let’s not forget that Jordan had to “lobby” to get the proper supporting cast to allow for him to get his rings. And it’s been a known fact that you need at least two “stars” to take the gold. . .Jordan & Pippen, Kareem & Magic, Bird & McHale, Russell & Cousy, Dr. J & Mo Cheeks! Looks like now, it takes “three stars”. . .Kobie, Gasol, Bynum/Pierce, Allen, & Garnett! Don’t hate the player, hate the game!
I could see your article circa day 2016 if LBJ had stuck with the Cavs and ended up with no rings. “LEBRON COULD HAVE BEEN A STAR WITH RINGS, IF HE HAD ONLY MADE THE RIGHT DECISION IN FREE AGENCY AND JOINED HIS BUDDES WADE AND BOSH IN MIAMI”!!!
Courtney
July 8th, 2010
11:22 pm
So Lebron will be choking during the playoffs wearing a different uniform. What a douche!
j
July 8th, 2010
11:23 pm
Bird never did it on his own.
He had mchale, parrish, dj and ainge. I believe all are hOf ers.
Magic had kareem, worthy, scott, ac green, cooper, perkins, and mychal thompson.
to win a championship you need three good players.
wade has been paying attention.
kobe had shaq, gasol, odom, fisher, horry, etc.
DebbieeDoRight
July 8th, 2010
11:24 pm
What a bunch of looser you guys are!! You Whine when someone goes after the money saying that it cheapens the game, and then you turn around and whine when someone goes after the win saying its cheapening the money. Bradley, the biggest looser on here who’s always the first to say of a player, “He was good BUT he never won a Championship…….”; here’s a quote for you, “Those who can DO, those who can’t write sports columns and whine because they’re not sure if they’re local paper is gonna be around the next year.” Looser!!
Ooops – LOOSERSSS!!! Boo Hoo…!!
West Coast Hawks Fan
July 8th, 2010
11:25 pm
Remember a few years back when Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers and everyone annointed them champs before the season started. Who won the the ring that year? The Detroit Pistons. Gary and Karl were not in their prime like Lebron or Chris Bosh but they still had game. That Laker team had Shaq also to go along with the Black Mamba, Robert Horry and the gang. They were defeated in five games by Detroit that year. A team full of all NBA type players doesn’t guarantee a ring remember that.
j
July 8th, 2010
11:25 pm
I feel bad for the fans in cleveland. Imagine getting dumped on national t.v. OMG.
Byron scott may want to get back to the studio. He doesn’t have a chance.
4 Jacks
July 8th, 2010
11:25 pm
The NBA is a friggin joke. The players run the league. Talk about the inmates running the asylum, or should I say prison. The NBA should reduce to 6 maybe 8 teams if they are going to let the players “pick” sides. Stern is a pompous ass that has no control of his league. This is why the NBA is losing interest across the board. I mean really, if you are not a fan of 1 of about 4 or 5 teams in the whole damn league, you know you have NO chance at a title. Hope God Lebron never gets his ring, and although they have NO chance, it would be great to see Cleveland win it all.
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:26 pm
The funny thing is that a year ago it was supposed to be Shaq, all season it was cleveland cleveland cleveland overall #1, league MVP, but now his cast wasn’t good enough. Nobody was saying that the first 82 games were they
j
July 8th, 2010
11:27 pm
West Coast Hawks Fan
July 8th, 2010
11:25 pm
Remember a few years back when Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers and everyone annointed them champs before the season started. Who won the the ring that year? The Detroit Pistons. Gary and Karl were not in their prime like Lebron or Chris Bosh but they still had game. That Laker team had Shaq also to go along with the Black Mamba, Robert Horry and the gang. They were defeated in five games by Detroit that year. A team full of all NBA type players doesn’t guarantee a ring remember that.
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they lost because of the B#tch Kobe. that S.o.b. was set on winning by himself.
If they had given the rock to shaq instead of jacking up j-shots they would have won easily.
Kobe wanted the glory. that silly mamba.
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:27 pm
Espn is reporting that tommorrow night at 9:00 Lebron James will announce why he is the greatest player of all time, why the Heat will win the next 10 championships and why he will enter the Hall of Fame before he retires.
Casual Observer
July 8th, 2010
11:28 pm
Now Miami has 3 players who demand the ball – that should be interesting. This is not Boston all over again. Garnett, Pierce and Allen were totally different types of players who filled their role.
Miami will have 2, Wade and James, who are accustomed to dominating the ball and while I agree LeBron has the talent to play his role – will he? Bosh is not a dominant rebounder or defender but certainly an outstanding talent, so the question remains will they be able to play together.
The Olympic team was only together for a short period, not the grind of a 100+ game NBA season so I am sure the 3 had fun then. Will they have fun traveling and facing the grind? Will they revert to their more comfortable styles if the going is tough? No one knows and only time will tell.
Even the “Miami 3″ will not be able to take the team to the finals without role players willing to subvert their talents to the M-3.
Mark Bradley’s reference to the Yankees may be the best analogy. The Yanks went 6 or 7 years without playing in a World Series even though the team had the highest payroll, or one of the highest, in baseball.
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:28 pm
Hey Mark! You put all this other crap on here, why don’t you put my comments?
frank james
July 8th, 2010
11:29 pm
Lebron James is a loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
j
July 8th, 2010
11:29 pm
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:26 pm
The funny thing is that a year ago it was supposed to be Shaq, all season it was cleveland cleveland cleveland overall #1, league MVP, but now his cast wasn’t good enough. Nobody was saying that the first 82 games were they
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they played boston only a couple of times. The reason they couldn’t advance in my opinion was due to coaching. They could have used lebron as a decoy. shaq can still dominate.
Damina Dawkins
July 8th, 2010
11:29 pm
I feel for Lebron, I was in a similar situation a couple years ago and made the same move. I was working at K-Mart in the Sporting Goods section and Wal-Mart was courting my services. When I left, I vividly remember some check-out boys burning my name-tag next to the blue light special cart. Sometimes you got to reach for the stars, I don’t regret my decision and neither will Lebron.
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:29 pm
no they lost that year because as usual Shaq’s fat a55 was out of shape
Camaro Shayne
July 8th, 2010
11:30 pm
LaBron let millions of good people in Ohio down tonight. He should not be bashed for wanting to win, but he is clearly not the leader he thinks he is. True leaders have people who want to follow them, and D Wade stepped up and recruited LaBron like a leader of a team should. I am not a fan of D Wade, but I will say that he “manned up” and did what he felt was best for his team, and in the process, he picked up a subject in “King James”.
BJ
July 8th, 2010
11:30 pm
umm wow its alotta hate on here i fell bad for cav fans but at the same time lebron dnt owe anybody anything he did what he felt was best for him and no matter what he choose he would have been critized (isnt that right mark?) the truth is this is when big companys or sports teams most important let someone go they care as long as its good for theam so lebron did whats good for him and i love that as far as chad ochostinko is concerend he wanted out of cincy for more money and a chance to win a title just last off season so he talks about being loyal and a lead dawg CHILD PLEASE!
Casual Observer
July 8th, 2010
11:31 pm
A loser may actually be someone who is unable to spell “LOSER”.
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:31 pm
for 82 games the coaching was never complained about
ATL Bob
July 8th, 2010
11:32 pm
I think it was wrong how it was done. Cleveland should have known that a special show on his decision was not going to be “I’m rseigning with the cavaliers”
Maybe the Cavs could not afford other free agents because Lebron was maxing out his salary there but its funny how he is taking a cut to go to the Heat. Did he put that on the table to the Cavs to take less to attract a high caliber free agent?
Miami – no state tax and you can’t get better eye candy anywhere else.
The only dislike I have is how it was done.
Athens local
July 8th, 2010
11:32 pm
Mark,
That show was an hour-long kick to the groin of Cleveland.
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:32 pm
Damina-you’re story is inspiring
ace
July 8th, 2010
11:36 pm
where is it still 88 degrees?
ATL Bob
July 8th, 2010
11:37 pm
Actually this may not be that bad as a fan. Now we have the “great evil” empire to root against -kinda like those Yankee’s, Patriots and for me back in the day – Jordan and Da Bulls.
ReddJonn68
July 8th, 2010
11:38 pm
Enter your comments here
Lakers
July 8th, 2010
11:38 pm
Don’t worry ya’ll we got this!