Are people serious? He's a real person and he works harder than any of us ever have. He has every right to go to the city of his choice. If the GM had traded him, that would have been his fate. He can't leave? Let the man make a choice and live with it.
The owner's statement is so childish it's unbelievable (it's also just a marketing ploy). James said it well - 7 years of blood, sweat, and tears. They got what they paid for out of LeBron. Winning a championship isn't a given just because you're amazing. Boston's lineup last year was incredible. LeBron has faced some of the hardest competition (pistons, spurs, celtics) of any great and he didn't pull victories - that's reality but that doesn't make him less talented.
This whole thing is ridiculous. Players should be able to go where they want if they can be traded where owners want.
As for the whole ego thing.. he was built up into the "King" by fans and the media. He embraced it but which super star hasn't? Kobe? MJ? Lol.. he's just doing what everybody wants. Not only that but he's done really well with what he's had. 2003, his first season with Cleveland improved their record by what, 18 wins. 2004 they improved by a further 7 wins. 2005 with new ownership, coach, and players they went to the playoffs. 2006 they made the playoffs again. 2007 they again made the playoffs despite more line up changes. 2008 they went 66 - 16 but lost in the finals. 2009 they lost to the Celtics in the playoffs with a 61 - 21 record.
Do people have such short memories? That's amazing progress for a team that was hopeless prior to his coming. He didn't take a championship but the past 10 years have seen amazing championship competition. I don't see how Cleveland has any right to be bitter.
I think the idea is lost on you in this case. It's not that he left, it's HOW he left. And I'm not talking solely about the hour long Lebronathon... I'm talking also about last years finals... how he gave up on his team (you could see it AS IT HAPPENED), I'm talking about how the second he entered that tunnel after elimination... he was EAGER to rip that Cavs jersey off his back. Or how he flaunted that New York hat publicly in an interview about whether or not he was gonna stay or go, sending a "subtle" message to anyone who could read between the lines. Lebron James did give us his blood, sweat, and tears, but he also gave us poor leadership, a lack of effort when it mattered, and an hour long special to tell us to go fuck ourselves.
I have no qualms (aside from being disappointed) in Lebron's choice to go somewhere else, because he DID work for it, it's his decision, and it's his life. What pisses me, and most everyone else, off is that he acted as if he did all he could... and that it's our fault he didn't bring us a title in these 7 years. He said he took us places we haven't been in years, did things for us, etc. ooooooh... I didn't know we let him down. He quit on us... and took the road that seems to be the easiest path to a title, not because he wants to earn it, but because he just wants one plain and simple. How he gets a ring isn't important so long as he gets one (or more).
Lebron James clearly had no regard for this fan base, the city, the franchise, his (former) teammates, he doesn't care how many people he has to walk over to get to that coveted trophy. It's evident by his national hour long self fellatio special.
All this time we waited for this classless professional loser to make his decision we could have been shopping other options, but his complete refusal to give even the slightest inclination that he was leaving... which clearly he knew all along... left us handcuffed until we knew his decision... which at that point, the talent pool has significantly declined.
So again... it's not that he left. I can understand the desire to branch out and explore other options. It's the self serving, egotistical, narcissistic, very public, blatant middle finger that he gave us on the way out the door that has caused this big stir. Lebron James can go fuck himself. We're nothing on his radar anyways so I'm sure these words mean nothing to him.
Lebron James is no longer a basketball player, he's just a brand.
