Let me get one thing out of the way. I’m from Miami (okay, Coral Springs), so I most definitely have a horse in this race. With that said, I think it’s time somebody stood up for ‘King James.’
- I’m no sports analyst, but it looks to me like James just took less money to play alongside other stars in the name of winning. Isn’t that the exact sacrifice we’re always asking our athletes to make? Every free agency period, the sports media suggests ‘Athlete X’ should take a pay cut and put his ego aside for the good of the team. And guess what – it never happens. Well, this time it did. And now we’re up in arms about it? Talk about hypocrisy.
'The Three Kings,' or as I like to refer to them, 'The Best Fucking Team in the NBA.'
- James didn’t betray the city of Cleveland. Sure, that charade of a TV special he called ‘The Decision’ was a PR disaster and a giant kick in the balls to Cavs fans. But that doesn’t make his ‘actual decision’ a betrayal. The fact is, he owes nothing to that city. They weren’t married. He never promised loyalty through sickness and health, till death do them part. He is a basketball player who was playing for the team that drafted him. Nothing more, nothing less. As with all athletes, this was a one-sided relationship forged by the fans, and James shouldn’t be held captive by Cleveland’s adoration or expectations.
- LeBron is not a coward, or a quitter or any of the other pejoratives being thrown his way. He’s just a guy who wanted to play basketball with his friends on South Beach. Sure, he won’t ever be Jordan or Gretzky, but that’s his decision to make, not ours. We were the ones hoping to witness the greatest ever, and now we’re disappointed that it won’t play out in the storybook way we imagined. But just because James may not have the historical career we hoped for, that doesn’t make him less of a person – or player.
Did LeBron James handle this spectacle in the worst way imaginable? Yes. Has he become the NBA’s “Public Enemy no.1?” Absolutely. Am I asking myself rhetorical questions and then following them up with actual answers? Without a doubt. But none of this matters. These are all issues that we’ve created, not LeBron. We’re the ones who built him up, only to be stunned that he isn’t what we expected. It’s time to move on and accept that the next Michael Jordan is really just the first LeBron James.
And one other thing. Lets Go Heat!
Tweets that mention In Defense of LeBron « Relax, it’s just life -- Topsy.com Said:
on July 12, 2010 at 12:10 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ari Bazinsky, American Heritage. American Heritage said: http://aribblog.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/in-defense-of-lebron/ @abazinsky Couldn't have said it better myself.. [...]