About LeBron

My summary....good decision, bad public relations. I am so glad that LeBron left Cleveland! The past two post-seasons were an an absolute bust. The best regular season team not only lost too soon, but were totally embarrassed. And the worst part is that they are still scratching their heads trying to figure out what went wrong. If LeBron had stayed in Cleveland there was no indication that things would change. After all, if you don't know what is causing the problem, how can you fix it?

Going to Miami was a good decision. It's amazing how many people think that it is so wrong to have three marquee players on the same team. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson both played with marquee players. I have heard sportscasters refer to the Lakers and Celtics teams of the 1980's as "All Star" teams. And they were, and you know what, that's what it takes to win in the NBA, and most other sports leagues.

I think what makes people SO mad is that this deal was conceived by the players. If some GM had devised this plan (ala Danny Ainge's Big 3 deal), that GM would be a genius. But because players got together, got real, and decided to win a championship together, they have suddenly crossed over to the dark side and should not be trusted.

Now to the bad part....the public relations. LeBron came into the NBA at a very opportune time. When he was drafted the Kobe Bryant rape scandal had just started. Kobe lost most of his endorsements and LeBron was the lucky recipient. Plus, the NBA was becoming the National Thug League. There was Alan Iverson and his aversion to discipline and practice and in 2004 the infamous brawl with the fans in Detroit. LeBron was different, he had a respect for the game and its rich history. He willingly went to play in his hometown and was one of the greatest ambassadors for the city of Cleveland.

The one-hour "decision" program was unnecessary and annoying. The four-letter network, which has been LeBron's biggest hype machine, was the true beneficiary. It's July, a very slow month for sports. Instead of running some World Cup recap show, they get a ratings juggernaut, the LeBron show!! Great for them, they got excellent ratings. Bad for LeBron, why the heck does making a 30 second statement warrant an hour long special? Like many have said, King LeBron invited many fans to bow down and kiss his imaginary ring.

But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. We can all speculate and judge these decisions, but it all comes down to this....can they win??