Did Lebron James Make the Right Decision?

Just scanning through some other boards I think LeBron may have rather badly misunderstood just how damaging this decision would be to his rep. Going to New York was going to tag him as a disloyal narcissisist, but going to Miami was much worse in that not only has he been disloyal, but now his very greatness, competitiveness, and general character has been called into question. He looks like a follower or bandwagoner looking for the easy way out. For a guy who obviously does have a lot of narcissistic tendencies, I think the booing he's going to receive next season is going to come as something of a shock.
 
Check out Dan Gilbert's letter to Cavs fans:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html
Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment...
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Čarolija said:
Dan Gilbert is SCATHING!!!!

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html
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Somehow I don't think he's going to be able to make good on the guarantee to win a title before LeBron does, and I would imagine that this more than slams the door shut on LeBron ever coming home in the future to amybe try to bring the hometown a ring late in his career. Wonder what it will mean for jersey retirements etc.?

In any case, I really don't think LeBron is going to be prepared for this backlash. Its a gamechanger really in his story arc.
 
Bricklayer said:
In any case, I really don't think LeBron is going to be prepared for this backlash. Its a gamechanger really in his story arc.
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I doubt he'll end up as the most hated, but I think you're right that the backlash will be more than he expected.

What I don't get is that he did the hour long special (which to me will be the biggest factor in the backlash), then chose the team that was least favorable for creating a brand. If you do the special it should be because you're marketing yourself, but his decision to go to Miami seemed to have nothing to do with marketing himself.
 
I cant blame them...since the named "King of the city" is gone they probably wont even make it to the playoffs next year.
And if i am not wrong they have in next years draft only a 2nd round pick-cap space is quite full.

Puhh, good to be a Sacramento Kings Fan!
 
SacTownKid said:
From the most celebrated, to the most hated?
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I think as soon as Bosh announced that he wont join Cleveland it was clear that Lebron wont stay.
The organisation tried its best to bring him potential helpers to win the ring but failed miserably.
They can only blame themselves that he leaves..
 
itzcoatl said:
Lebron James is the league's bad guy now. He just dumped his home-town team on national tv, so that he could ride Dwyane Wade's coattails to a championship. That is cold.

As has already been touched upon, that team is going to need some help up front...so maybe it will be fun to watch them fail.

All that said, I still hate the Fakers the most.

edit: I hope he gets booed every time he goes back to Cleveland. He should never show his face there again.
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LOL man that's brutal but true. At crunch time who do you think will get the ball? Wade is a proven championship performer. I'm still gonna be a Wade fan- I want to see those guys set him up for Jordan-esque plays the rest of his career.
 
Well, I suppose it's no surprise that being preternaturally talented at basketball doesn't make you an exceptionally mature human being. This was probably the best decision he could have made for his future title hopes and simultaneously the worst decision he could have made for his image. I'm definitely rethinking my whole opinion about the "I'm all about winning" ethics of professional sports. In this context those words seem strangely distasteful. Is a championship really worth whatever cost it takes to get there? And seeing who else comes flocking to Miami now hoping for a quick championship ring is going to be even more excruciating. If you finish your NBA career without an NBA championship ring but you put everything you had into the effort without selling out and riding someone else's coattails than you can hold your head high I say.
 
Bricklayer said:
In any case, I really don't think LeBron is going to be prepared for this backlash. Its a gamechanger really in his story arc.
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I completely agree with you. He'll be booed the rest of his career. Signing away from the Cavs relatively quietly would have been one thing; to create a spectacle of it may have been the biggest slap in the face a sports team has ever gotten from a player.

Can't wait to watch these three narcissistic players fail.

I think what might be lost in this is that literally every single team is going to be gunning for these guys on a night to night basis. What looks like a super team is going to have a difficult time getting through the regular season because they'll be the alphas.

I'm no-where near anything but a kings fan but it really makes me sick. So sorry, Cleavland, so sorry.
 
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whats up between delonte and Lebron. I must have missed something. btw I think Lebron is a coward.
 
I think that Lebron should have tried to win it on his own. Now if they win people are gonna say "well he had wade and bosh but couldnt win it by himself". Kinda disappointed.
 
kinda like Karl Malone and John Stockton couldn't beat Jordan all those years. what if they would have said **** it lets just join Chicago. Or Webber Joining the lakers instead of coming back to the Kings. Or any great player for that matter what if they all....... ah to hell with it. I don't see where this helps the NBA. After years of tribulation Cleveland finally lands the #1 pick and gets one of the greatest ever then he just leaves them. Remember how he felt when Boozer left him. You would think he would be sensitive to that.
 
Entity said:
kinda like Karl Malone and John Stockton couldn't beat Jordan all those years. what if they would have said **** it lets just join Chicago. Or Webber Joining the lakers instead of coming back to the Kings. Or any great player for that matter what if they all....... ah to hell with it. I don't see where this helps the NBA. After years of tribulation Cleveland finally lands the #1 pick and gets one of the greatest ever then he just leaves them. Remember how he felt when Boozer left him. You would think he would be sensitive to that.
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Err, strike Karl Malone from that list. LA Lakers 2003? (Though for the record, he still made the HOF)
 
Well he waited till he was 37. I don't fault guys for that who are on there last leg and really don't have much to offer. What if this is just the begining. It is detramental to small market teams like ours. Lets say Reke gets ready for his FA period and decides to sign with another high caliber player then cousins then whoever. This is not a good trend to start. I am telling you the NBA is not going to prosper from this. In fact I see a rule in the future that a team can only sign 1 player to a max deal.
 
hrdboild said:
Well, I suppose it's no surprise that being preternaturally talented at basketball doesn't make you an exceptionally mature human being. This was probably the best decision he could have made for his future title hopes and simultaneously the worst decision he could have made for his image. I'm definitely rethinking my whole opinion about the "I'm all about winning" ethics of professional sports. In this context those words seem strangely distasteful. Is a championship really worth whatever cost it takes to get there? And seeing who else comes flocking to Miami now hoping for a quick championship ring is going to be even more excruciating. If you finish your NBA career without an NBA championship ring but you put everything you had into the effort without selling out and riding someone else's coattails than you can hold your head high I say.
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its easy for you to say, you never had a chance to win a championship. do you really think barkley, malone, and ewing like being the answer to the question best nba players to never win a championship? the point of the league is to win a championship and if it takes playing with the best players to do so than thats what it takes. theres a difference between signing with fellow allstars to win a title and riding someones coattails. lebron didnt join annual contenders. if he joined the lakers or the celtics i understand your point. but miami wasnt exactly defending nba champs or even eastern conference champs. hes going there to help them win, not let them win for him. theres a difference between what hes doing and what mitch richmond did and what karl malone and gary payton tried to do.
 
I could care less about what is right or wrong for Lebron. A one hour special to announce that you are LEAVING? Seriously? Come on man. I assumed he was doing it to hype Cleveland and boast of his loyalty. I didn't think anyone in their right mind would do anything else and create such a PR nightmare.

I do know one thing though, and that's that I am a HUGE bandwagon Cleveland fan now. Dan Gilbert's letter, however immature and unprofessional it is, took cajones. I have no doubt that he opened up everything for Lebron. I don't have an issue with Lebron leaving, I have an issue with how he did his team dirty.

The Cavs just gained another fan.
 
Entity said:
Well he waited till he was 37. I don't fault guys for that who are on there last leg and really don't have much to offer. What if this is just the begining. It is detramental to small market teams like ours. Lets say Reke gets ready for his FA period and decides to sign with another high caliber player then cousins then whoever. This is not a good trend to start. I am telling you the NBA is not going to prosper from this. In fact I see a rule in the future that a team can only sign 1 player to a max deal.
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Ditto. I believe lebron will never live up to the legacy of jordan, or even kobe bryant after this. what a coward, but as long as they beat the lakers; then i am fine with this "new big three".
 
The Heat won't win anything for sure in the 1st 2 yrs. It'll take a next yr and the yr after's MLE and so decent drafting by the FO to get enough pieces around them. Its literally 4 players on the team and thats it. Haslem is leaving, Jermaine is leaving also.

If they were smart they would resign Haslem and Jermaine as they are former players that they can go over the cap on. But apparently both of these guys are ready to sign with other teams.

By the time the Heat are ready to win, I think Tyreke & Cousins will have something to say about that.
 
ok guys curse me if you will. I am a laker hater from back in the day. But after this day. If the Heat and the Lakers end up in the Finals next year.

I will be chanting Kobe Kobe Kobe. (Entity ducks)
 
Cleveland was Lebron and now its left with nothing behind.
They will have to start from Zero again..
"THE KING HAS LEFT THE BUILDING"
 
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