I didn't want to watch it. I was sucked in.
Two Thursdays ago, reigning MVP and, arguably, the best basketball player in the world, LeBron James, hosted a one-hour special on TSN (and ESPN in the USA).
The special, entitled "The Decision", centered around the free-agent James' decision as to where he would play next season.
James decision was announced in the the same ludicrous tone as the rest of the contrived hour-long hero worship.
With the camera zoomed in on him,?James looked blankly at the camera and declared, "I'm taking my talents to South Beach."
South Beach doesn't have an NBA?franchise. What James meant was the Miami Heat, where he would team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a "super-team" hellbent on ruling the NBA landscape.
"I'm taking my talents to South Beach."
With those seven simple words, James accomplished three things.
Firstly, he tore out the heart of Clevelanders. James, a native of nearby Akron, Ohio, had grown up in the Cleveland sporting culture.
He knew the difficulties that they had endured since the city's last championship (the Browns in '64) and he knew the pain that his departure would cause.
All those Cavaliers fans who had tuned in, hoping that their hometown hero wouldn't have the guts to stab them in the back on national television, were gravely mistaken.
James didn't care, he never did.
Free agents leave cities for 'greener pastures' all the time, but this one seemed different.
This was James' hometown, he was the most beloved man in Ohio, the one who was going to lead Cleveland to a championship.
Instead, James took the cowardly way out.
He avoided Cavaliers executives for days leading up to the decision.
He insulted the intelligence of his hometown by describing how he 'agonized' over the decision to leave them in the dust, a statement that at best can be interpreted as sincerity challenged.
James took the back door out of Cleveland - plunging the knife into his supporter's backs as he skulked away.
Secondly, James showed his true egomaniacal nature.
The one-hour "Decision", an idea cooked up by James and his PR?team was indeed a ratings bonanza, but it also reflected something much darker.
There are those who go about their job and are driven by the desire to be the best.
That was Michael Jordan, that is?Kobe Bryant.
I thought it was LeBron James. Turns out, he just wants to be on TV.
I loathe Kobe Bryant more than anyone else in the sports world.
However, even he would never host a one-hour special to draw attention to himself.
Bryant's only goal is winning titles, regardless of how fraudulently the referees favor him.
That is how you cement your legacy and earn respect.
James chose not to do the hard work. He wants the attention but doesn't want to pay the price for it.
Finally, James guaranteed himself an?NBA ring, or did he??
The Miami Heat will be a formidable squad next year. Never before in history have three free-agents joined forces quite like this.
The passing and scoring talents of the Bosh, Wade and James will be unmatched throughout the league.
There's one problem. An NBA lineup needs five guys on the floor. With the massive salaries that these three command, the Heat will have barely any salary cap room to supplement their lineup.
When the Boston Celtics got their own "Big Three"?of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul?Pierce, they won the '08 NBA?title.
However, it wouldn't have happened without the supporting cast.
If not for James Posey's suffocating defence on Kobe Bryant or the emergence of young stars Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics three stars would still be without championship rings.
You are only as good as the team that surrounds you.
LeBron James should know that, he got tired of carrying weak Cavalier teams in the playoffs. That is why he fled, supposedly.
The 2010-11 NBA season will be a true test of whether or not you need a "team" to hoist the title.
The "Miami?Thrice"?had better hope you don't.
I?learned one final thing about James from watching "The Decision". He isn't, and will never be, the best player ever. By chasing a ring and signing with two great players, James has ensured that it will never happen.
Michael Jordan was driven by a dangerously high level of competitiveness. It is what propelled him to multiple titles and exclusive status as the league's best player.
That is what separates James and Jordan; Jordan wouldn't have joined Wade and Bosh, he would have wanted to beat them, badly.
James wants to win titles, certainly. But it isn't because he is driven to be the best NBA player ever, he wants to build his "brand". He wants to be a global icon.
James is just doing what celebrities do.
He doesn't want to shoulder the load, however he does want to reap the rewards.
Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant (the league's next Great One) quietly signed a max deal with the Thunder last Wednesday, no fanfare, no drama.
In a league where the stars are all now looking to further their 'brand', Durant chose to stay with a young team that has a chance to win. Oklahoma City doesn't have the glamour and glitz of "South Beach"?but that isn't what Durant is looking for.?He wants to win.
After all, the highest goal in professional sports is still to win a championship.
Isn't it?
