LeBronicle of a Death Foretold

Taylor and Jimbo both make lucid, relevant arguments in their perspectives on what is the most impactful free agent move in professional sports since Barry Bonds went to the Giants, the most revolutionary move since Reggie White went to the Packers, and the most high-profile move since Reggie Jackson went to the Yankees. It could be easily argued the most important player transaction ever. LeBron’s ultimate decision to “take his talents to South Beach” simultaneously eroded the basketball media focus on the shores of Lake Erie and centered it squarely on the tip of the nation’s wang for at least another 5 years, barring injury or trades or Cleveland fans being even crazier than we fear. It ignited the kind of vitriol and bile that those same fans typically reserved for the Steelers, Bengals, or Modells; but in this one unique instance, directed it squarely upon the head of what we now know is a 25 year old kid who just wanted to step out and take a massive step back.

THE EXPECTATIONS UPON LEBRON

I’ve posted that Cleveland Tourism video a bunch of different times just because I love it so much. It typifies the self-mocking awareness that the four of us are pretty good about, and it sadly illuminates several depressing things about Cleveland. A) Despite Drew Carey, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a fairly pleasant Waterfront, and two pretty nice sporting venues, it’s Rust Belt. It just is. Its citizens carry that with them, and there are parts of town that just plain suck. That an entire CITY should place its hopes upon one individual athlete for relief or distraction says as much about the power of sports in this country as the disparate and out of whack priorities we can easily misshape. ESPN has quoted some “experts” as estimating that the business parks around Quicken Loans Arena stand to lose a total of perhaps $40 mil. In revenue without people Witnessing LeBron lead a fledgling group of NBA also-rans. So, as the clip says, the economy theoretically WAS based on LeBron James. Welcome to Cleveland, House of Cards.

Cavs fans, this is not the Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Craig Ehlo era. You can argue that there was a time when pro sports were more or less college with a pay check, and guys formed a close-knit camaraderie with their town and fans. I truly feel empathetic that so many Clevelanders seem disillusioned by this crash-course on modern professional sports, but for a variety of reasons, that is simply not the case anymore, and hasn’t been since the late 90’s. (Unless you happen to have played for San Antonio since then.) ESPN, NBA TV, Collective Bargaining wrestling matches, blogs, diversified economic opportunities, and a generation of fatherless superhuman athletes have all contributed to an NBA that we as fans should ALL only expect to be governed by dollars and cents. Some players will chase their money the dignified way, through seeking a viable winning opportunity, and others cough Amare cough will just go for the bright lights and the easy paycheck; but either way, recognize that players are going to do whatever the hell they can do to maximize their profits and exposure when they can, as long as they can.

Why should more be expected of LeBron than the standard mercenary dynamic that every other free agent athlete encounters and to which, for all intents and purposes, he is entitled to? Is it really fair for fans to have expected LeBron to single-handedly (literally) change the city’s athletic fortunes?

WHERE HAS LEBRON’S HEAD BEEN?

It seems clear that part of the dyspepsia surrounding LeBron’s flight from Cleveland is the sense that the city somehow had ownership of him, or felt akin to him, because of his local roots. Hey, I’ll admit, I thought it was pretty neat that the guy went to the same high school as my grandma and my aunt. I liked being able to say that I had some stupid, ancillary, remote connection to what might be the most physically dynamic basketball player we’ll ever see. Northeast Ohio has been in rapture for the last 10 years over the fact that the best basketball player in the world was right in its own backyard, was born of its own slums and poverty, and might lead it to the promised land for the first time ever. It’s a wonderfully romantic notion; it really is.

One problem: Did LeBron ever want that? Throughout his high school career, his team flew all over the country to play in high profile tournaments against stiff competition so that everyone could see him; so that he could reach beyond Akron. He even PETITIONED THE NBA to allow him to enter the draft before he graduated HIGH SCHOOL. LeBron wanted out. He wanted much more than this provincial life. I like Akron and Cleveland, I loved visiting family there…but I got to leave. Jimbo can vouch for this, Northeast Ohio ain’t all that great. It ain’t Columbus, where there’s at least a vibrant college presence. LeBron was building his resumé, getting ready to take the world by storm and take his homies and his mom with him. And then something funny happened on the way to the stage: Cleveland won the lottery. So yeah, LeBron got to be “King of Ohio” by default. But you cannot convince me that was his choice. Especially not now. Cap this off by his mom humiliating him by letting Delonte West, of all people, pound her like fresh schnitzel. I mean, an actual NBA player, I could maybe see, but you’re going to ruin your son by getting down with a scrub? A scrub TEAMMATE? I mean shit, that’d be like Gocong’s mom hooking up with…….well, I’ll just say it. Owen. He never reads our stuff anyway. LeBron wanted the HELL out of that area.

WHAT WAS DONE TO KEEP LEBRON?

This is a tough question, and you could very well be right, JImbo, in saying that it wouldn’t have mattered. As I outlined above, I think there’s an excellent chance LeBron wanted to kiss Cleveland goodbye no matter what was going to happen. He got his MVPs, made his name, and it was time to cash in and go somewhere fun and exciting. BUT, I believe we all agree the front office did a piss-poor job constructing a team that could realistically be depended upon to help LeBron achieve his goals and the city’s goals. Hakeem Olajuwon in ’93-’94 might be the first and last time that a basketball player actually won an NBA title all by himself. (OK, so he got some help from Jon Starks.)

The Cavs have been financially relieved by LeBron’s betrayal, but they were otherwise completely strapped for cash, and seemed to miss out on EASY trade options when they had the opportunity over LeBron’s tenure. The most recent and obvious one is when they had Shaq gift-wrapped to them by the Suns but refused to pull the trigger because they were afraid of “chemistry issues.” Huh, funny, because after Shaq was a year older and heavier, they didn’t seem to have such qualms. FAT lot of good their timidity did them. Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract was the kind of piece that a serious franchise would have shopped, and Cleveland did nothing. Understand that free agents do not want to come to Cleveland, Ohio; just like they don’t want to come to Portland, Oregon. Such locations are the stuff of sign-and-trades, shrewd role player acquisitions, and fortuitous draft slots. (deep, deep sigh)

LeBron was in a situation this past year where he would not win a title in Cleveland going further. Would. Not. I don’t care how “close” people want to say the team was, or how many regular season games they won. Understand that the real NBA teams only kind of give a shit during the regular season. The Bronettes demonstrated regularly that they were not up to par with the rigors of NBA playoff basketball. LeBron is a gifted passer, and has wanted people he COULD defer to at the end of games, but his cast of flotsom and jetsom excelled at missing open looks.

THAT SAID, Jim is right that this is largely LeBron’s fault. He could have been the ultimate Cleveland ambassador if he wanted. He could have convinced his boys to give Cleveland a shot, shown them that a strip club is a strip club is a strip club, romanced them with notions of bringing championships to a city so crazed for success that they could probably run for office and win without opposition if they just brought a trophy home. Not only was LeBron dilatory in doing that, but he actually torpedoed any hope of the Cavs acquiring important pieces through his open vagueness and non-committal nature toward his future with the city.

Let’s put it this way. Everyone knew that Kim was going to fuck me over. Didn’t matter what I tried or what I did, she was going to royally screw me over and walk out. Everyone else knew it but me. Could I have done something to stop her? Maybe go to law school in southern cal? Maybe not take an extra year of grad school? Yeah, sure, but she sure as shit sealed the deal through her various maneuvers, didn’t she? I feel secure in saying LeBron James knew all along exactly what he was going to want to do.

HAS LEBRON RUINED HIS BRAND?

LeBron has said he wants to be the first billionaire athlete. Many people, including MSNBC’s Darren Rovell, have postulated that to do that, he must take full advantage of the Chinese market. China has 300 million basketball players; a figure that grows every day. (We have 300 million CITIZENS.) Next to Yao, Kobe is the biggest bball star in China. He KILLS LeBron over there. The Chinese like champs. And other Chinese. Duh. LeBron had to win titles to capitalize on that potential Nike marketing goldmine. To this point, his marketing his been……well fine, I guess; if you ignore that amazingly insipid and unoriginal McDonald’s “dunking” commercial with Dwight Howard. But Bron has to kick it up a notch to get to where he wants to be.

Financially, the Miami Trinity could accomplish just that. They’re gonna be a damn NBA boy band. Back to school folders, tshirts, lunch boxes, Miami Heat the FLAAAAAME THROWER!!!!!!!! The Merchandise possibilities are endless (if they can win and look good doing it). Chris Bosh will end up being the quiet sensitive one, LeBron will be the Donnie Wahlberg, and Dwyane Wade will be the Justin Timberlake of the whole bit. Oh, right, and billions of Chinese kids will find a way to buy LeBron’s shoes. Again, if LeBron can win titles. His brand is potentially in tact and healthier than ever with the added publicity possibilities of this whole circus and his new team’s star power.

HAS LEBRON RUINED HIS “LEGACY?”

That all depends. If LeBron’s legacy was going to be defined by winning a championship in Cleveland all by himself, then yes—though his legacy would go unfulfilled anyway; and he’d be in that dastardly Barkley/Malone/Ewing territory. What do we want from LeBron? Did we want him to overtake all other stars who’d gone before him? Re-write the way basketball is played? Did we actually want to embrace someone who would have to win a title WITHOUT a team? Call me old-fashioned, but that sounds ludicrous and mind-bogglingly boring to watch. (Not unlike the Cavs this year.)

It is altogether fascinating that so many people are disappointed that LeBron might end up not being what they wanted him to become “for himself.” Please. Crock. ‘O. Shit. The Legacy of LeBron James was always going to be that he’s a hall of fame once-in-a-generation talent who combined the physical imposition of Karl Malone, the passing eye of Magic, and the aerial exploits of MJ. As for his indominable will and conviction? Yet to be measured. Remember, kid’s 25. He’s a pup. He’s got formative years below us to account for.

Will he ever be considered an alpha dog along the lines of MJ, Magic, Bird, Russell, et al? Well, if you believe the pundits, no. His lot has been cast because he’s playing with D. Wade. And that could be true. But we don’t know yet, and it seems somewhat premature and, dare I say it, unfair to rake him over hot coals just because he wanted to play with another transcendent talent. In what other medium would an artist or entertainer be openly questioned for wanting to collaborate? It’s been accurately pointed out that MJ wanted to beat all the other starts. That’s fine. LeBron’s not MJ. There. Done. He’s gone so far as to say that all others should bow before the shrine of MJ and never wear #23. MJ was a colossal prick who hated everyone and pummeled others into submission in part because he was such a cantankerous competitor. That’s not LeBron.

LeBron wants friends. He wants running mates. Anyone who’s seen that show about his high school days and has heard the murmurs about his posse knows that he likes being surrounded. He’s cultivated his own “family.” That can make purists sick who long for the days of Laimbeer and Parrish duking it out, but that’s not LBJ. He likes to make the highlights and get his teammates in on the action. He’ll average a triple double and be ok with the legacy of one of the most talented players ever; and potentially a champion several times over. There’s your legacy, and there’s his ambition.

LEBRON’S A GIANT SANCTIMONIOUS DOUCHE BAG, OR MAYBE JUST STUPID. WAIT DID I SAY LEBRON? I MEANT DAN GILBERT.

Whatever, they both are.

Enough has been said about “The Decision.” Big mistake on ESPN’s part, though I’m sure they’re apologizing all the way to the bank. LeBron looked utterly callous and shallow with this whole thing; especially by hiding behind little kids. Listen dude, if you’re gonna be an egomaniac, just do it. Walk out with the WWE Heavyweight champ belt around your waist under the old Goldberg pyro with “Move Bitch” blasting. Air it on BET if you want. Just don’t hide behind little kids. Maverick Carter thinks he’s some sort of mover and shaker. No, he’s a blood-sucking leach affixed to your underbelly who’s watched one too many entourage episodes. This move demonstrates that. Cleveland’s livid, and everything I said above notwithstanding, they have a right to be. They got dragged through the mud all summer and then slapped on national tv. That just kinda sucks. I understand why you left, and I think it’s unreasonable for a fan base to think that they have any stake in you or that you OWE them more than what you’ve given them. (Though let’s be real, you sucked ass on purpose in the playoffs. Gonna have to live that one down for a while.) You clearly don’t understand people though if you think the “real fans” are going to wish you well. No, people like me might wish you well and think that this is part of your right as a talented artist in your field. REAL FANS want you to get injured. They’re irrationally pissed off. That’s what REAL FANS are thinking. You don’t have any REAL FANS in Cleveland anymore.

This much was made clear by Dan Gilbert. His petulant tirade, however, just comes across looking and reading like a jilted lover. All four contributors to this blog have at one time or another been burned by a woman. We all know what it feels like, and we all know what it can take to get over something like that. But how about some dignity, Dan, huh? You have to keep it together for the kids, buddy. I know the fans love your email, because it sounds as crazy as they do, but do you actually want to stoop to that level? It’s one thing to be “of the fans.” It’s quite another thing to be “like the fans.” You’re a wealthy owner of a professional franchise. Act like one. LeBron was a free agent. He had the right to leave.

He certainly could and should have demonstrated some professional tact and communicated with you before making a spectacle of himself on TV and tearing Cleveland’s proverbial still-beating basketball heart out, considering you’ve forked out a small fortune to him over the past seven years and given his boys the run of the stadium. As a mere token of appreciation, he truly should have at least called and said thank you before leaving.

But now the Cavs have their rallying cry; and I have to give Gilbert a whole lot of credit for asking fans who wanted to pay for his fine to instead donate to the Cavs’ children’s fund. Take that LeBron.

WHERE NOW?

Cleveland should realize that they’re the NBA hard-luck darlings right now. Everyone outside of Miami feels for them and is going to be rooting for them next season. It’s not unlike when your friend gets publicly scorched by a girl. Everyone who’s buddies with him is actively rooting for him to get up, dust himself off, and get back on the horse. Cleveland’s got that vibe. They have no expectations next year. They can play and have fun, have promotions with fans to foster that communal healing process going on right now, rebuild a HEALTHY fan base for the team, and rediscover a rich basketball culture that I remember vividly from the early 90s and late 80s. Basketball existed in Cleveland before LeBron, and while it won’t be anywhere near a championship level in the foreseeable future, basketball will continue without him.

I personally think LeBron made the wrong decision in choosing Miami over Chicago, where he had a natural fit and a ready-made roster to win titles for YEARS. But, I understand why he did it. He loves being surrounded by friends, and c’mon, it’s South Beach. You’re telling me if you’re a rich, good-looking, powerful 25 year old man, you wouldn’t want to live in Miami? If people want to condemn LeBron for not sticking it out in misery and hopefully winning one for the hometown, I think they’re wrong, but I get it. If they want to condemn him for opting to play with another alpha dog and presumably taking a second-banana role, I would ask why it matters. If they want to say he’ll never win in Miami, I would openly debate that with them. However, if they want to tell me that he demonstrated an alarming amount of immaturity and an even more alarming lack of perspective and comprehension of the consequences of his actions, they have me on board. LeBron, we’ll all be watching this experiment.

Game on.