I Still Have Mad Love For LeBron

LeBron was in a lose-lose-lose-lose-lose situation except for the fact that no matter what he would make millions of dollaz. LeBron’s reputation was going to take a monster hit mainly because of how big a deal ESPN and six NBA teams made of his free agent status. I don’t blame LeBron for going to the Miami Heat to join his two bros and I don’t blame him for making this decision on perhaps the most ridiculous hour of television ever aired on ESPN. But, the whole thing was ridiculous so it was absolutely fitting. And guess what? Every one watched “The Decision” and every one followed along with every rumor and move made throughout the NBA. Here is how I defend the major shit that he is getting destroyed for:

“The Decision”: Since the NBA Finals, and even during it, the focus of the NBA was in what city LeBron would wind up. Six teams reconfigured their franchises for a SHOT at him, so what was happening was unprecedented. It wouldn’t make sense for LeBron to make a under-the-radar Kevin Durant type announcement of where he intended on going. Durant did do it on Twitter, the number one site for self-promotion, however. Everyone needed to hear it from his mouth for it to be believed. ESPN buttfaces reported for a month several different teams were a lock to land LeBron, so if one of these buttfaces actually broke the news for sure, people would still have been a little skeptical. So, because of that, the words had to come from his mouth. Where and how should he do it then? Should he go on The View? Should he host SNL and announce it during a skit? Should he do it on a radio station (that would be bad ass, forcing us all to listen to the radio, EW)? No, he had to do it in an interview and of course on ESPN.

Because of this predicament LeBron was placed in, I see the hour-long special on ESPN not as a way to say EFF-YOU Cleveland, but really the only way this could be handled.

LeBron and Mav Carter saw this as an opportunity to turn the whole announcement situation into a positive one. All of the proceeds of the commercials and sponsors and ESPN time slot stuff go to charity, several Boys & Girls clubs around the country, with that amount is being matched by Nike. At the very least this stupid hour-long special is raising millions of dollars for charity. LeBron is being criticized for stroking his ego by creating this special and using the charity stuff to make him look better. I don't think this way. A few things hurt him here. The public really doesn’t care about the Boys & Girls Club as a charity, but LeBron certainly does, even though he was at one in Greenwich, CT. If Dwyane Wade decided to have his own hour-long special with the proceeds raised going directly to Haiti, would he have been lambasted for such a decision? Secondly, I don’t think LeBron did a very good job articulating what the Boys & Girls Club really means to him, why he wanted the proceeds to go to the club, and most importantly that the special was really all about a chance to raise some money for charity. The reputation surrounding the whole special going into it was “Look at LeBron creating this media circus and making it all about him!” and he did nothing to belittle those statements. Instead, he said something brief about the charity contributions at the end and awkwardly shook hands with some dude.

With all that said, I still believe him to be genuine. He did not ask for all of this attention in the least. He made other NBA teams come to him in Cleveland, deciding not to hold a country-wide Free Agent Tour going on every show possible in all the different cities. He didn’t ask for the media to film him cruising in his Escalade while he drove to downtown Cleveland in his sweatpants and Yankees fitted. ESPN created all of the attention, he asked for none of it. And the attention was CONSTANT. Skip Bayless talked about it every day, Mike Wilbon - in between name-dropping “Magic” and every cool NBA Legend he has ever met - talked about LeBron every day on Pardon The Interruption. He was going to have to go on ESPN to talk about his decision no matter what, he just decided to turn the opportunity as a way to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, not as a way to say Eff-You Cleveland.

Leaving Cleveland: Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Delonte West & crew weren’t going to help bring him a championship anytime soon. How many All-Stars did LeBron play with in Cleveland in seven years? I think one, Mo Williams, but I’m not looking it up. If he stays, he makes MAX money and doesn’t win for 3+ years I don’t really think. Sure it would be the most fan-friendly decision, but not championship-friendly. He was selfish, and I don’t blame him. Cleveland isn’t that fun and only would be if you got mad rings out of it.

It wasn’t a fuck you Cleveland special because he has never shown that type of mean-spirited nature, but had a difficult decision. He made the logical choice. He failed to articulate how hard it would be to leave Cleveland and what it meant to him, but it must have been hard to do that while Cleveland peeps are burning your former jersey. He did not betray Cleveland. He gave them seven seasons and the city gave him squadoosh (except millions & fame). The chance to win in Cleveland was not a realistic one with Byron Scott as coach and returning the exact same roster. How much can J.J. Hickson improve?!?!

Good luck to Dan Gilbert (idiot) living up to this statement:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

Joining Miami: King James' as close to a guaranteed title as he could get, unless he took the minimum to play with the Celtics ;-( I think this shows he wants what everyone has always knocked him for not having, rings! He will get them. The Dream Trio will be so so so beyond exciting to watch and will knock of the Lakers most importantly. I really don’t have any idea how good Chris Bosh is because I never ever have ever ever never ever wanted to watch a Toronto Raptors game. So I guess that is big. Is he a top-10 guy? Is he a top-3 power forward? I have no idea, but I know that the two best players in the NBA are on the same team. They will win a lot of games and championships, of that I am sure, as is LeBron. What about his legacy? Well, what would his legacy be with no rings? Did he ever want to be that kind of guy? He passed the ball to Donyell Marshall instead of taking the last shot, so... what is wrong with a legacy of the greatest athlete and play-maker in NBA history? Sounds good to me. He is a bit selfish for leaving Cleveland for more titles, but also taking on a role that requires him to be less selfish, which is exactly what he wants. He is going to Dwyane's city, Wade County, and will likely be just as big, as he should. I will be rooting for him, unless they play the Celtics.

What I’m mad about: The Heat jerseys suck and I really want a new LeBron jersey. His beard perplexed me, freshly lined-up but, too much neard going on. The shoes he would have had as a member of the Knicks would have looked way cooler. Why didn't all these Cleveland fans criticize LeBron directly following his playoff exit for his performances in Games 2, 4 & 6?!?!? How much anger did Dan Gilbert have built up inside of him about LeBron that he didn't share while he was still a Cavalier? But seriously: What about Delonte and Gloria?