I know, I know — you’re sick of hearing about the LeBron James drama. And you’ve come to my blog, thinking it’s safe because I rarely talk about sports on here and I’m not truly an NBA fan anyway. Well, I’m going to take this opportunity to apologize in advance.
As you likely know, LeBron James is leaving the comfort of Ohio for the glitz and glamour of South Beach. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that he’s teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A lot of people are giving LeBron hell for his decision. If you don’t agree with how he handled it, that’s one thing. But the decision itself — the decision to leave — I don’t see how anyone can fault LeBron.
True, the Cleveland Cavaliers organization invested a lot in LeBron. They had high hopes for the future. But after 7 years, it hadn’t worked. And at what point do you say, Enough. I have to move on.
Anyone who watches NBA basketball knows that LeBron has a lot of pressure on him. He was expected to be the second coming of Michael Jordan, and so far he hasn’t lived up to those expectations. At this point in his career, Jordan had won a championship. LeBron has made it to the Finals once, but has ultimately fallen short.
I understand that LeBron is a professional athlete and that he’s making millions of dollars every year. However, I highly doubt that either scenario — staying in Cleveland or going to Miami — would have left him hurting for cash. We forget that at the end of the day, these guys are still playing a game. And as any competitor knows, the game is much more fun when you’re winning. That’s true in little league, and it’s true in the pros.
I expected LeBron to stay in Cleveland. Or maybe I wanted him to stay. It would have been a great story with LeBron painted as the valiant knight who’s going to make things right in Cleveland and bring the team that elusive championship. Instead, the savior jumped ship. And now it appears the ship is sinking.
Especially after Dan Gilbert’s written response to LeBron’s departure. When I first heard about this letter, I brushed it off; it had to be a joke. But, it appears to be legit. Gilbert uses some strong language. He calls LeBron “narcissistic”, “cowardly”, and “selfish”.
I understand that Gilbert’s upset, but wow. That’s all I can say. Wow.
Do I blame him for feeling this way? No. But I do feel that after writing this letter, he should have hidden it in his sock drawer — or better yet, he should have burned it. He should have gone outside, screamed a random combination of profanities, kicked a trash can, and gone back inside to write a better letter. The letter that was published feels so bitter and desperate. And he shouldn’t have attacked LeBron in such a manner.
In my opinion, the letter should have gone something like this:
To the fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers:
As you have already heard, LeBron James has decided to leave the Cavaliers organization and has found a new home in the Miami Heat. Naturally, we are disappointed to hear of his decision to depart. Regardless, we thank LeBron for his time with our organization and wish him the best with his new team.
I personally assure you that we did all that we could to retain LeBron. Unfortunately, our efforts were not enough. As devastating of a loss as this may be for organization, we are now focused on putting it behind us and moving forward with our operations. We are more dedicated than ever before to bringing you, our loyal and dedicated fans, the championship that you want and, more importantly, deserve.
In the end, this is a business decision for LeBron. Some people have said that a player should be loyal to the team that drafts him. I wholeheartedly disagree. What happens when, near the end of LeBron’s career, he’s no longer the player he once was and he’s holding on for his NBA life? The team will eventually make the decision to move forward and will cut him. Some people want to argue that players and employees are no longer loyal to their teams and employers. But teams and employers lack the same dedication to their players and employees. It would be great if LeBron stayed at home for his whole career. But if I were LeBron, I’d hate to retire and hear people say Man, LeBron played some great basketball in Cleveland, but he never could win that championship.
Puff Daddy said “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby”. But when you’re LeBron, you’ve already got the Benjamins. It’s all about the rings, baby. Dan Gilbert knows that. And that’s why he’s so bitter. He knows that his chance for a ring might have passed through his fingertips. His trophy hopes left with his trophy player.
But still, couldn’t he have handled the situation better? What do you think?
His letter reminds me of a rant post, and you're right, it belonged in a sock drawer. People decide to move on sometimes in both business and personal relationships. We don't own them, and to verbally abuse them when they decide to leave is the equivalent of saying that we really do think we have the right to own people.
I agree that the nature of the letter should have been much less bitter. Gilbert looks like a toddler in his terrible twos after writing that letter. However, I don't think this is the right tone either:
“I personally assure you that we did all that we could to retain LeBron. “
I used to really like watching basketball in the 1990s. There were stars then too, but at its core, basketball was still a team sport. Karl Malone had John Stockton. Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen. The entire L.A. Lakers was solid with Magic, Kareem, Worthy, and Green.
Now it seems like basketball somehow become a solo game, where the stars are somehow bigger than the team itself. It doesn't matter how good LeBron is, he can't win an NBA title alone. And I think saying something like “we did everything to keep him” misses the point. Instead, Gilbert's tone should have been,
“Really sorry to see him go. He's a great guy, but we're still gonna rock without him!”
You make a great point, and perhaps you're right. I see your side of the argument. Although it might seem that starts are bigger than the teams, it seems that you still need that duo. Shaq and Kobe. And then Shaq with Dwyane Wade and Kobe with Pau Gasol. The Celtics, had a little more than a duo: Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Rondo.
As you said, he can't win a title alone. There's no doubt that that was a big factor in his decision.
I just wish my fellow Louisiana Tech attendee Karl Malone could have gotten a title. I guess he'll have to settle for the Hall of Fame.
I didn't really think about the “owning” aspect of Gilbert's letter. Good eye, Jean.