(Cue lights, camera, music and …)
Welcome back to the, Family Feud. If you’re just joining us you’ve missed a good one as the 2010 NBA fans take on your 2014 NBA fan base. To remind our listeners, who probably just switched over from, The Bachelor, our question is; why isn’t the sports world outraged with the LeBron James, “Decision Part II”? 2010 you won the coin toss so you get three chances to guess the right answer.
2010: “Well Steve we are going to go with he didn’t catch his teammates by surprise and leave them in shambles.”
Interesting choice, show me, “Didn’t catch them by surprise!”
Oh I’m sorry. The judges think he caught his entire team off guard, and the facts seem to support the case. We start with the point the Miami Heat traded two picks and cash considerations for point guard Shabazz Napier. The UConn graduate impressed the nation with his NCAA title run, but until LeBron James began campaigning for him on twitter he never seemed like an ideal candidate for Miami.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 8, 2014
Pick the scouting site of your choice because they all said the same thing; Napier is a point guard who can put the ball in the basket, but is physically a step behind, and sometimes has trouble making the right pass. The scoring sounds great, but the Heat didn’t need another offensive weapon. If they wanted a guard they should have focused on a physical guy who could have chased around the likes of Tony Parker and Derrick Rose. Instead they went out and grabbed the exact opposite because their star player wanted him.
I’ll give LeBron James the benefit of the doubt because perhaps at this point he was still leaning towards Miami. Plus the team’s initial pick, PJ Harrison, is facing charges of assault and battery for allegedly punching a rising high school basketball star. Let’s agree to disagree and move onto the next point.
When Dwayne Wade entered the 2014 off season he was looking at a two year 42 million dollar contract. That’s when Wade and Chris Bosh followed in the footsteps of LeBron James and opted out of their then current deals. It looked like Miami was poised to keep their core group together, and still have the money to bring in top level free agents. However, that plan quickly fell apart when James bolted for Cleveland. Chris Bosh was able to get a max deal, but the move cost Dwayne Wade 11 million dollars over the next two years. The 32 year old shooting guard is not strapped for cash, but something tells me he would not have been so generous if he had known how things would play out.
Alright 2010 NBA fan base guess again.
2010: “Well Steve let’s try it’s because he didn’t leave to form a super team”.
Show me, “Super Team.”
Another swing and a miss! It appears the judges are going off the rumors the Kevin Love trade is a matter of when not if. The reported trade has the big man going to Ohio in exchange for two number 1 picks, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, and a future protected first rounder.
Don’t get me wrong, I (Kevin) love the trade if I am a Minnesota Timberwolves fan. You’re getting two potential super stars in exchange for a guy who made it clear he wasn’t sticking around. I’m just here to point out James left his team (again) in order to find a situation where he could hand pick an NBA star rather than working through the shortcomings of the current roster.
When LeBron James made his decision I thought we would see him build a contender from within. Instead we got more of the same. King James took one look around before piecing off the team’s assets to bring in the new, “Big Three”. Perhaps I’m being too critical of the two time NBA champion, but if you want to be compared to Michael Jordan I’m going to hold you to a higher standard. I’m not saying he shouldn’t make his team better, but do it the right way by developing the guys you have.
Well team that’s strike two. Let’s hear your final guess.
2010: “Ok Steve we are going to say it’s because he didn’t hold the league hostage and make a show of it.”
Ok… Show me, “hostages”!
(Side note: I am a HUGE Will Smith fan)
Sorry team that’s your third and final strike.
LeBron James’ made it clear he was seeking a max offer back on June 24th. James then took his sweet time waiting until July 11th to announce the, “Decision Part II”. During those two weeks the 4 time MVP toured multiple cities, and took a vacation while NBA free agency came to a standstill. It wasn’t as flashy as his TV special back in 2010, but can we at least agree it’s not hard to draw multiple comparisons? The story became national news, James used the feature to simply promote his own brand, and one city rejoiced while another was caught with its pants down.
So why are things different this time around? Could it simply be that NBA fans, and sports fans in general, just like Cleveland better? It’s clear LeBron James has grown both as a person and a player, but I’ not sure he has cleared that final hurdle just yet. Remember he only penned a two year contract in Cleveland so there is a possibility of the, “Decision Part III”. Everyone, including James, has said the move is strictly to cash in on the new TV deal, and I do believe him. However, just a month ago the entire NBA world also thought he was staying in Miami.
Can I Be Frank & Crew? 
Good points. I think my issue is more with the sports universe that revolves around Le Bron rather than the man himself.
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