Hot, Hot, Heat
If you didn’t hate LeBron James before last night’s hour long masturbatory session on ESPN, you should now. Over and over during “The Decision,” LeBron stated that his ultimate decision to sign with the Miami Heat was based on the opportunity to play with his friends Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. This would seem to corroborate a report from Bill Simmons from ESPN when he stated:
A few weeks after the 2008 Summer Olympics, Someone Who Knows Things told me the following rumor: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Paul became such good friends during the 2007 Olympic trials, and then during their 2008 Olympics excursion in Beijing, that they actually made a pact in China to play together. You know, like one of those pacts in a chick flick where two friends agree to get married if both of them are single when they turn 40.
This seems like a noble idea and is certainly something I would have considered to be a good idea…if I was in high school or college. LeBron got to do this during high school but didn’t go to college. The last time LeBron won anything was during high school, so why not go back to those days of playing with your buddies and not having to grow up or be responsible for making those around you better.
My problem with LeBron’s decision to create a superteam is that this is completely antithetical to his stated intentions. When discussing his impending free agency, LeBron spoke of reviving the NBA with rivalries to combat the league’s historical best. Bird vs. Magic. Jordan vs. everyone else. Instead of Bird vs. Magic, NBA fans now have Bird and Magic (plus the overrated Bosh) on the same team. Somewhere in LA, Kobe is laughing at the thought that LeBron has admitted defeat. The only way James could conceive of to put an end to Kobe’s dominance is to take the path of least resistance. Not surprising for someone of questionable immaturity and unquestionable egomania.
The response from the national media has been less than kind towards LeBron’s decision. A few of my personal favorite remarks:
“That is what James proved himself to be Thursday night: A contradiction. An athlete who loves the chase but can’t handle the failure. A star who craves the bright lights, but only wants them to show his good side.” -Ken Berger
“I can barely write his name, I’m so disappointed in him. James just gave up his claim to all-time greatness. He obviously doesn’t know it, but that’s what he did. He just put an asterisk by the titles he’ll win in Miami, because when he wins those five titles in the next five years, we’ll know he couldn’t do it like Michael Jordan did it. He couldn’t do it like Tim Duncan did it. He couldn’t do it like Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson or Hakeem Olajuwon did it. Hell, he couldn’t even do it like Kobe Bryant did it.” -Gregg Doyel
“LeBron James just jumped into an elevator and wants us to think he can fly. Sorry, but we know better. We know that he did something Michael, Magic, Bird and Bill Russell never would have done. We know he ditched Cleveland for an All-Star team…That’s one of the great ironies of this — James is trying to flee pressure, but he will just face more of it. He is trying to maximize his “brand,” but he just damaged it.” -Michael Rosenberg
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
