The wait is over, and "The Decision" has been made. A decision that will reverberate around the NBA for years to come.
We all knew that the moment was coming, when "King James" would make his decision. To stay, or not to stay? Not to stay. Now we can see James pulling the knife out of Cleveland's back. Say what you want, but he created this whole spectacle. Sure, rabid sports fans and news outlets (i.e. ESPN) added plenty of fuel to the fire, but the heart of the matter lies with the most coveted free agent ever on the market.
There hasn't been a bigger switch since Shaq bolted for Los Angeles. Instead of being concise and professional, the most talented man in the NBA created a circus. Sure, the Boys & Girls Club banked. But what do you think has happened to James' reputation? No matter how many titles he may win with Miami, everyone is going to remember how he jerked around 5 teams when it was clear that a decision was made days ago.
During the interview, LeBron was asked if the decision was made to play with Bosh and Wade, once they confirmed they were going to play together in Miami. When the question was asked, LeBron hesitated, immediately giving away the answer. Of course. It was always Miami.
Cleveland fans are irate and heartbroken. Dan Gilbert is saying that James quit during their most recent playoff run-one in which they lost to an aging Boston Celtics team. Can you blame LeBron, though? Cleveland's ownership consistently failed to put up a championship caliber supporting cast. Varejao, an old, and slow O'Neal, Jamison, and Williams couldn't help the Cavs get to basketball's biggest stage. No, you can't blame him for "taking his talents to South Beach." But you can blame him for creating a spectacle in which he promoted himself, and ditched his hometown team.
Florida has no state income tax. The opportunity to play with two other great athletes. The possibility of being coached by the great Pat Riley. Wade wasn't going to walk away from his biggest, and possibly last, huge payday, and LeBron needed some of the weight off of his shoulders.
Perhaps we could call this a cop-out. Instead of saying "Eff You, Kobe. Amar'e, go ahead and lead New York, and Wade, you can have South Beach. I'm going to win my own championship," he decided to play it safe.
Ladies and gentleman, for the Miami Heat, LeBron James.
