Charles Klein
So we have it. LeBron James is going to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami next season. The decision that is supposed to alter the course of NBA history for the next decade was made and pretty much no one was happy about it; except for Miami Heat fans anyway.
The terms of both James and Bosh's contracts have yet to be hammered out, as Miami hopes to complete a sign and trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. James cited the opportunity to play with guys like Wade and Bosh as the main reason for leaving his hometown team. All three are going to end up taking pay cuts in order to try and win a title together.
According to James "All three of us are ultimately going to take less money because we wanted to all play alongside each other, and we feel like we can be great together. And hopefully [Heat president] Pat [Riley] and the rest of those guys, [Heat owner] Micky [Arison], can bring some guys in to help us out, which we believe."
Only a week ago the idea of the three of them all signing for the Heat seemed impossible. Chris Bosh even referred to it as "pie in the sky" (that man definitely has a way with words...). I believed most of the media criticism of the deal that James would not want to go play for Dwayne Wade's team, that his huge ego couldn't take it. I really thought he would stay in Cleveland and if he left it would be to play for the Knicks.
Instead he goes to Miami where he will provide the final piece to the biggest three in recent memory. Who else the Heat could possibly get to play with them remains a mystery.
Now that we know the final results of the "LeBron Sweepstakes" we also know the real winners and losers of NBA free agency. The biggest loser in all of this has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers. And to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, the phrase graceful loser remains a novel concept.
"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE." This statement alone sounds like some high school-aged teenager's facebook status, not something written by an owner of a professional sports team.
I just wonder where all of this newfound determination that Gilbert speaks of in his letter was when they still had James. Why didn't they do enough to keep James happy? Seven years is longer than most of those sorts of relationships last. Eventually one party realizes how much better they are than the other and moves on. And that's exactly what happened yesterday.
How can the rest of the NBA look at the Cavaliers and call them a classy organization. Open letters are things best left to impassioned fans and bloggers, not to owners. Dan Gilbert, here's my open letter to you. And I promise I'll keep it short.
Dear Dan Gilbert,
I am sure it hurts to lose a player of LeBron James' caliber. He's probably already done enough for your franchise to merit retiring his number at the Q. Next time you get a player like that do try to surround him with better talent than you did this time around.
Yours,
Charles H. Klein
p.s. It's really that simple.
p.p.s. Maybe you ought to blame Delonte West instead...
The other big loser is the New York Knicks. They believed their own hype and it led to their deserved misery. I was listening to Colin Cowherd the other day talk about how New York was going to miss out on James for one obvious reason: New York teams have a much harder time luring players to the city when there is a salary cap involved. The Yankees and Mets succeed primarily because they make so much more money than most teams based on their market size and therefore are better positioned to convince marquee names to sign with them. While the Knicks could have given James as much money as the NBA would allow, he was in a position to make even more if he had signed with Cleveland. Combine that fact with one more: the Knicks don't have anyone else on the roster.
Signing Amar'e Stoudemire did nothing to persuade James that the Knicks were serious about being a good team in 2010. And the Knicks severely overpaid for Amar'e. But that's an article for another time. James clearly did not want another Cleveland where he would have to do literally everything to win a championship. I'm sorry Knicks fans, but even with Amar'e James' supporting cast in New York would have been worse than the one he had in Cleveland, and he would not have been making as much guaranteed money. I know that James could have made a bundle of cash playing in New York, but whose to say that that money won't be available when he is done playing?
Will James win a championship in Miami any time soon? With Orlando and Boston retaining their teams from their trips to the NBA Finals, it does not appear to be an easy road even with Bosh and Wade to help carry it. Both Boston and Orlando have greater depth than the Heat and have more winning experience than the Heat.
One thing is certain: this year will be an exciting one for the NBA.
Cue that Will Smith song...
No comments:
Post a Comment