Thu Feb 09 2012
When LeBron James announced, "I'm taking my talents" to South Beach, Fla., he cheated every basketball fan in America. The decision spoke volumes about his competitive streak, or lack thereof. Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and James basically joined forces like scheming fathers in a youth hoops league, plotting to bring their superstar children to one team. And whether he yet realizes it, James' decision has forever undermined his legacy.
James and Wade are arguably the two most gifted basketball players on the planet, yet we may never see either at full force again, a need to coexist likely forcing each to alter his considerable talents.
Can James win another MVP when he'll be splitting votes with a teammate? Perhaps. Does winning three titles for Miami even qualify James as one of the 10 greatest players in his sport's history? Probably not. Would Kobe Bryant have made the same decision? No!
Winning in Miami may come easier, but will mean less than anywhere he could've gone. James could've saved basketball in New York, while instantly becoming the best player to wear a Knicks uniform. Signing with the Chicago Bulls made the most basketball sense with several ideal complementary pieces already in place.
Now, instead of a historically competitive Eastern Conference, we have one potential juggernaut in Miami and two dozen fewer games for fans to circle on their calendars. But hey, at least James won't have to carry the load every night. What superstar would want that pressure?
This is not about Cleveland, but rather the demeanor of a younger generation of basketball stars whose unprecedented wealth and freedom undermines their competitive spirit.
But above all, it's about James -- the "chosen one" -- and his decision to play it safe, just in case he can't quite live up to the hype.
Zach Pava
Stow
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