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| NBA superstar LeBron James to join the Miami Heat next season |
He announced his decision on ESPN in a special called "The Decision", live from the Boys and Girls Club of America in Greenwich, Connecticut. After a good ten minutes of the interviewer building up unnecessary tension with pointless questions, LeBron finally dropped the bomb that broke the hearts of New Yorkers, Chicagoans, and Clevelanders alike.
Now, I will admit that I don't really follow basketball like my mother does. Frankly, LeBron James' decision wouldn't have made a difference to me at all, even if he came to New York. That said, I tuned in to see what the big deal was.
It was big, all right. A big disastrous mess.
What I witnessed in that forty minutes (I missed the first twenty) was one of the most narcissistic displays of star power I have ever seen. I simply don't understand why he went through all of this trouble, building all of the tension, hosting an hourlong special dedicated to what should've been a few words: "I chose (fill in the blank)". He should've just released a statement to splash over the front pages. Instead, we had to hear how emotional the decision was for him and how he was deciding even at the last minute, as if he was negotiating a nuclear arms treaty. The whole thing was frankly absurd in just that regard, but the heart of this lies in Cleveland. I wasn't aware of this until tonight, but apparently James is regarded as a hero in his hometown, even a king. People laid all of their basketball dreams on the superstar, and I would assume LeBron did his best to make his fans proud. So what puzzles me is why he would humiliate them so blatantly with this special. Yes, he's a massive sports star, but why go on national television to basically say "Sayonara" to the people who supported him for seven years? I believe he had the right to move on if he felt Cleveland wasn't going to deliver him victory, but he did it in such a classless, insulting way that I doubt he will ever be forgiven by his fans there.
Of course it wouldn't be a debacle if there was only one side, right?
The immediate response to LeBron's not so shocking announcement was utter disgust from his home state of Ohio. ESPN, after the initial interview, aired live footage of fans groaning as the decision came in. Then, in what I can only describe as insanity, they aired someone setting LeBron's jersey ablaze in the street, as they were talking to him. Twitter went into hyperdrive, with trending topics focusing on reactions, the burning jersey, and almost inexplicably instant comparisons to Scottie Pippen. In fact, he is still the top TT as I type. Anyone looking for a beacon of grace certainly wasn't finding it with majority owner of the Cavaliers Dan Gilbert. He shockingly blasted him in an open letter on the team's website, labeling him shameful, selfish, and a coward. He even went as far as to accuse "the formerly self-titled King" of quitting during the NBA playoffs last month.
His anger is understandable, sure, but the letter was so unsportsman-like, it makes one think that LeBron really did choose right.
Whether he chose the right team will be up for weeks of debate, but this media circus he created was certainly a huge bust. LeBron, who hours ago was labeled a hero and a king by many, is now facing backlash that ranges from being new teammate Dwayne Wade' second string (clearly LeBron has never heard Jay-Z's hit "Empire State of Mind") to being a selfish, self-obsessed traitor. Meanwhile, his grieving hometown looks like shamefully petty on national television and the Dan Gilbert looks like a tacky ass asking for a humiliating loss next season. Let's also throw the New Yorks Kncks in there for good measure, who have been preparing for LeBron for years, only to be snubbed. I can't wait for the morning papers about this one.
While he may be labeled as a king, it is hard to deny that his crown may be tarnished just a bit.
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