In the interview following "THE DECISION", LeBron James said that some of his family members might be surprised at his decision to leave Cleveland, due to the fact that he is "such a loyal person". Call me crazy, but seeing an Akron born-and-raised boy who cheers for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees jump on the first train out of his home town isn't exactly shocking to me.
Going to the Heat may give LeBron the best chance to win a championship, which seems to be the #1 reason for his decision (or should I say, his DECISION), but it speaks volumes about his character. We can now once and for all remove LeBron from the tier of Jordan and Kobe; can you imagine either of those players (or anyone else of that caliber in any sport) jumping ship like LeBron just did? Gretzky cried when he was traded from the Oilers. LeBron spent a whole month stringing his home town fans out and then stabbed them in the back.
LeBron may have talent, but over the last month or so it's become evident that he doesn't have an ounce of leadership in his body. A generational player like LeBron is going to be "the guy" wherever he goes; therefore it's his job to step up and act like "the guy". Take a team, put them on your back, and instill the confidence that as long as I'm on the team, we are going to win no matter what. Say what you will about his supporting cast in Cleveland, but LeBron never exuded that confidence.
Did the Cavs have a good enough roster to win a championship last year? Probably not. Before Dwayne Wade made his decision to stick with the Heat this summer, did THEY have a good enough roster to win a championship? No. The difference between the two players is that Wade had the leadership and the loyalty to say I'm staying in Miami; if you want to win a championship with me, come get it. James did the exact opposite; he sat back and waited for other teams to assemble all the other pieces of the puzzle, then slipped in at the last minute. Wade is a team leader who is acting like "the guy", while LeBron is acting like the final piece of the puzzle. Will it get him a ring? Probably. Will it tarnish his legacy and his image? Absolutely.
LeBron can complain all he wants about the rest of the team in Cleveland, but this summer he had a chance to do something about it, and he took the easy way out. If he renewed his contract with Cleveland before free agency started, how many free agents would be kicking down the door to come to Cleveland? Think about that; people would actually WANT to come to Cleveland (OK this is an inappropriate time for Cleveland jokes... my apologies). Joking aside, there was nothing keeping LeBron from doing exactly what Dwayne Wade did; making an early promise to return to his team and thus make it more attractive for the vast free agent market. The only thing needed to make that decision is a spine... which apparently is a problem for LeBron.
"The King" spent the last 3-4 years waiting for Danny Ferry, GM of the Cavs, to win him a championship. This summer, he had the chance to help his own cause and build his own championship roster by making an early commitment to his team, and he took the easy way out. Most professional athletes dream of playing for their hometown team. LeBron held a one hour event on national television to twist the knife he just put in the back of his team. (Although, to give credit where credit is due, giving the proceeds of the show to the Boys and Girls Club is a nice move.)
The kicker in all of this is that people are actually giving LeBron credit for being 'unselfish' by choosing the Heat. Unselfish? Really? I understand that he left a little bit of money on the table by leaving Cleveland (of course, 'a little' is in relative terms), but he chose to leave his friends and family behind to go win a championship on his own. LeBron did what is best for LeBron and put everyone else on the back burner; that is the opposite of unselfish.
Actions speak louder than words; LeBron can say that he wants to win a championship all he wants, but his actions say that he's waiting for someone else to win it for him.
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