He won't be playing in Jordan's shadow. He won't be playing on the grandest stage of them all. He won't be joining good friend Jay-Z. And, he won't be playing in his home state.
Yes, LBJ is joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.
He is not worried how Cleveland feels. (Yahoo!)
There are a few interesting things I want to talk about here. First off, I'm not sure how I feel about Lebron going to Miami. I don't think it will really sink in until the season starts. He has been with the Cavs for seven years now and the #23 has become and icon. But I guess if Shaq can do it, so can LBJ.
Now the question is not where the big three will go, but if the big three can win on the same team. Miami still has a lot of work to do. They are trying to get rid of Michael Beasley to free up cap room to give the guys more money and try and sign other players. They are going to need other players to make it out of the East and win a championship. These are three of the best players of their time, but they need help. They can't do it by themselves.
I don't remember where I read this at, but it was talking about how part of the reason James wanted to go to Miami was so he could play his style of game. Scoring, defense and assist and not having to worry about making all the huge shots by himself. The article also said that they feel this is a cop out because he should want to have those moments, and I agree. I also think he still does want those big shots, but he doesn't want to be the only person on the team who can do that like he was on Cleveland. With Wade and Bosh, he has help and can play a more all around game.
This brings me to my next point, and that is Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.
Oh Dan, how you made my night. Gilbert has posted a letter to Cavs fans. The link has the letter in it's entirety, but I want to talk about one section.
“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”
Someone may want to have this man checked out. There is NO WAY that the Cavs win a championship before Lebron James, let alone win a championship in the foreseeable future. Lebron was that team. There are some supporting cast players, but they have no one to lead the team to anywhere. They will fall off that map for awhile. Yes, they will get attention this next year because it is the aftermath season after Lebron leaving, but after that, we won't hear from the Cavs for awhile (unless of course they get the first lottery pick in the 2011 draft, which is entirely possible).
Sorry Cavs fans. It's going to be a long ride. (Yahoo!)
I understand that Gilbert and the fans are pissed, but that letter is a little bit on the harsh side. James wants to win, just like any great player, and while they had the best record in the regular season, they couldn't get it done in the playoffs because everyone, including Lebron, thought he had to do everything at that point. Sorry, that just won't cut it.
And then, to say that James quit on your team in the playoffs is insane. Lebron was the team Gilbert. The man is just upset because now the "team" is headed south, in more ways than one, and he knows it.
But, to end on a positive note, check out the celebration in Miami. I wish I was there right now.
Now you can tell that they are happy.
I guess in the end we will just have to see how the actions of this free agency turn out. And again, please check out Gilbert's letter because it made me laugh and it will probably make you laugh too.
Will they help make up the dream team in the NBA?
Agree...Its going to be a big transition, its going to be something to watch in the fall
ReplyDeleteI loved Dan Gilbert's letter right up until the sentence you mentioned - that he guarantees we win a championship before LeBron. I won't hold my breath on that one, haha. I agree with the rest of the letter though - the decision and the way he presented it are selfish, narcissistic, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe theory that he quit during the playoffs is an interesting one. I don't necessarily believe it, but I was right there watching and wondering what the heck was wrong with him because the way he was playing was just bizarre!
I think as a long-time Cavs fan, I do believe that James did quit on us (look back and re-watch game 5 of the cavs/celtics series) in more ways than one. I think what people fail to realize is that Cleveland fans aren't necessarily upset by the decision (I mean, it was bound to happen, right?), but were most upset by "The Decision." When I heard there was going to be a one-hour special over his decision two things crossed my mind: 1) Do you really think you're that special? and 2) There is no way you can do this and NOT chose Cleveland, unless you're that self-absorbed to realize what it would do to your fans. He spit in Clevelands face. He stabbed his fans in the back for shameless self-promotion. That's why Clevelands pissed; that's why we burned his jersey last night. He's the one who burned bridges with his home town. I look back at the 7 years he played with us, and I wouldn't trade those moments for the world; I just wish he would have left in a classy way.
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