Goes on national TV and dickslaps a city that has already suffered more sports heartbreak than any in this country.

I'm honestly shocked that he did it.

but think of the kids!!!

I don't see why Cleveland's past history should matter in regards to it being in poor taste.

It would have been in poor taste (in my mind) no matter what team he was leaving. It made no difference to me where he went, but he certainly could have handled his free agency with a little more class and less "look at me."

Sorry,

Thought this was a thread about Delonte West slipping the ole one eye to Gloria James

Carry on

BMED, I said the same thing yesterday. I can't decide it was a ballsy move or just a plain middle finger to Cleveland.

Great article

Really sums up my feelings on the matter

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/07/08/lebron.event/index.html?eref=sihp

I don't understand the outrage at all. This has been talked about and hyped up for over a year, but now all of a sudden people are sick of the hype/drama? Um..what?

Yeah, the hour long special was over the top, but the Boys and Girls Club of America (a cause I'm personally a big believer in) got a $2.5 million dollar donation out of it. Sure, $2.5 million to LBJ is a drop in the bucket and he could have cut the same check without all the hoopla, but that's not the point.

As for Cavs fans, it sucks. Lots of broken hearts in Ohio. But is it really any worse than his leaving being announce via ESPN instead of by LBJ himself? What's the difference? He's still gone. If everyone hadn't been salivating for over a year on what LBJ would do, there would have been no demand for this type of TV special.

I just don't understand the outrage at all.

Imagine you ask your GF who you've known your whole life to marry you. She says she needs to think about it. Fine, okay. Then she says she's going to announce her decision on the jumbotron at the A&M game. Once you get there she says she's loved dating you, you had great times together and she gave your relationship everything she had, but she's leaving you for the tu starting QB because he has a larger dong and a better earning potential.


That's what Lebron did to Cleveland

i dont understand what the cavs and dan gilbert did to deserve this..

they catered to lebron's every whim..they went over the salary cap for him..consulted on trades with him..paid gobs into the luxury tax..

meanwhile..the heat have been playing it on the cheap since their championship..

and the heat get rewarded??

really??

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Imagine you ask your GF who you've known your whole life to marry you. She says she needs to think about it. Fine, okay. Then she says she's going to announce her decision on the jumbotron at the A&M game. Once you get there she says she's loved dating you, you had great times together and she gave your relationship everything she had, but she's leaving you for the tu starting QB because he has a larger dong and a better earning potential.


That's what Lebron did to Cleveland

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That's a ridiculous analogy. So LeBron is forever indebted to Cleveland because the people of Ohio love him? The desire to win championships is irrelevant?

Let's suppose he had left the traditional way...it's announced via ESPN breaking news that he's going to Miami. The traditional press conference follows. That's somehow less painful to Cavs fans?

Yes

There was going to be hurt feelings no matter what, just like in my example. But making it a public spectacle was his choice. By extension he made Cleveland's heartbreak a public spectacle.

He's everything to that city. He's benefitted from that now for 7 years. He cultivated that and benefitted, substantially I might add, from that image.

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i dont understand what the cavs and dan gilbert did to deserve this..

they catered to lebron's every whim..they went over the salary cap for him..consulted on trades with him..paid gobs into the luxury tax..

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And guess what? LeBron announced last summer he would test the FA waters. This was no surprise, he didn't lie and sweep the rug from under their feet at the last minute. Everyone knew this was a possibility.

Imagine you work in Cleveland and have a job offer in Miami, it offers the same salary (in this case, LBJ is making a little less...in guaranteed NBA money, which he'll recoup in endorsements easily), but you're offered almost assured immediate advancement opportunites (in LBJ's case advancement = multiple championships). If you stay in Cleveland, you're likely resigned to your current role for the foreseeable future.

You're not going to Miami? Really?

For Poppa, it's been a public spectacle for over a year. It's been the leading story in sports since the end of the Finals and been speculated on for over a year. That's not LeBron's fault. It was going to be a huge spectactle no matter what forum was used to announce the decision.

well he deserves what he gets..

there was a precedent in this that lebron is ignoring..

his name is art modell..

lebron just became art modell #2..and he wont be welcomed in his hometown ever again..

go ahead and win a championship in miami..and make your money..but you'll never be able to go back home...

[This message has been edited by wheelsoff (edited 7/9/2010 1:43a).]

funky

I have absolutely no attachment to James or the Cavs whatsoever. I have no rooting interest. I've watched maybe 15 Cavs games not involving the Rockets over the last 7 years, and most of those were when they played in the Playoffs.

The way this was handled had absolutely no tact or class. I'm sorry, I can't say it any clearer. If it pissed off people with absolutely no rooting interest, then he probably did something wrong. It's not like there's a ton of Cavs fans on this board, yet there seems to be alot of people pissed about how he handled this

Poppa

Should he have sent each Cavs season ticket holder a bouquet of roses and with a note saying he was sorry? It sucks for them, but sports is a business moreso now than ever. He went to a team that offers him a better chance of success. If you or I worked for a company that loved us and we'd given them 7 years to but were offered a much better position/opportunity in another city that our current employer couldn't offer, we'd both almost certainly take it.

Why is this any different?

so apparently unrestrained, unparalleled, unprecedented riches, adulation, loyalty and worship weren't enough..he apparently wanted more than that..his organization did everything it could to keep him..his fans did everything they could to keep him..in many ways, the nba system was and is specifically designed to keep him here..

and he left..

yep..makes sense...

Funky

I'd take the job but the first thing I'd do after aceepting the job is take my letter into my boss and thank him and the company for all that they've done for me, for helping me prepare for my next job, for the training they'd given me, etc. I don't want to burn any bridges. I know some people will be upset, feel betrayed, etc., but if I handle it the right way I can limit the number.

Lebron didn't even f***ing call the Cavs management before he made the decision on national tv. On national tv he spent his entire time talking about how much HEEEE had done for THEEMMMM. No mention of how hard it was to leave such great fans in Cleveland. How he would be so thankful for the way they allowed him to grow as a player. He even did the talk about myself in third person crap. As I was watching it, I kept hoping for the "Cleveland did so much for me and my family, the fans have been fantastic, etc." Instead we got, "My real friends and fans will still be there". Yeah just piss in my face and tell me it's raining.

He didn't just burn the bridges, he nuked them. I don't see how you missed that.

Like I stated before, it was done in poor taste no matter how you slice it. Whether he chose the best destination is an entirely different debate.

What is undeniable after last night is that there was not an ounce of humility displayed by Lebron through the entire ordeal, and that Lebron doesn't have a humble bone in his body.

Is he a horrible person? No. Is he a typical "me, me, me" athlete who doesn't understand how to do carry himself with respect and honor? Yes. Is that a big deal? No, not really...unless that is what you fooled yourself into expecting out of him.

i don't know why cleveland is so upset...i mean, what did they do to keep lebron? if we stay on the girlfriend-theme, it's like cleveland is the high school sweetheart that continued to get fat and lazy throughout the relationship...why would lebron stay if his main objective is to win? he proved to the city (especially the last 2 yrs) that he can't win by himself there and yet that's what they were expecting...get over it cleveland

everyone acts as if the cavs were this wonderful organization towards lebron. HE single handly made dan gilbert 10s of millions of dollars if not hundreds. that was a garbage franchise before he got there and he catapulted them to the top of the league for 7 years. it sucks but ultimately he wanted to go elsewhere.

I think it was a a-hole move also. He could have sent out a press release on July 1st if this was his plan all along as ESPN is saying.

Instead, he dangles the idea of staying with them for a week and then decides to give a giant F U to cleveland on his own ESPN primetime special. When I first heard he was having "The Decision" on ESPN I assumed he must be staying because only a complete d**che bag would try to rub it in that he was ditching his home town.

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On national tv he spent his entire time talking about how much HEEEE had done for THEEMMMM

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This is the thing that really stuck out to me. Did he even thank or mention his teammates at all - I don't remember him doing it. It was all "I", "I", "I".

I think if he really didn't plan on staying, there really wasn't any reason to give Cleveland any reason to believe he's staying. just come out before and say "cleveland, I love you, but I've decided to leave" and then have your little special announcing where you're going. it just came out in the worst possible way to break it to them. he didn't care. which isn't a surprise in this day and age, but it still sucks, and it still could have been done in SUCH a better way. why burn that bridge so completely? especially your HOME state?

I'm with Poppa and others on this one.

If LBJ wanted to leave Cleveland for more fame or more money (including endorsements) or a better chance to win or some other reason(s), that's his decision to make. But the press conference and the rest of the circus were not the best way to handle it.

Lebron didn't owe it to Cleveland to stay. I do think he owed them a better farewell than this though.

Part of me wonders how much of the whole thing was Lebron's doing versus ESPN having this thing in mind for years. Lebron didn't necessarily look like a guy who was relishing the moment last night.

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Part of me wonders how much of the whole thing was Lebron's doing versus ESPN having this thing in mind for years. Lebron didn't necessarily look like a guy who was relishing the moment last night.

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so he could make the decision to leave, but he couldn't decide not to do it on ESPN in the worst possible way? sorry, not buying it. he was more than happy to do it nationally and have everyone talking. he just wasn't savvy enough to do it in a way that didn't make him into a complete heel. he might as well have taken a steel chair to Gilbert's back while shaking his hand.

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he just wasn't savvy enough to do it in a way that didn't make him into a complete heel. he might as well have taken a steel chair to Gilbert's back while shaking his hand.

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Oh, the humanity! I can't believe what I've just seen. /jim ross

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Imagine you work in Cleveland and have a job offer in Miami, it offers the same salary (in this case, LBJ is making a little less...in guaranteed NBA money, which he'll recoup in endorsements easily), but you're offered almost assured immediate advancement opportunites (in LBJ's case advancement = multiple championships). If you stay in Cleveland, you're likely resigned to your current role for the foreseeable future.

You're not going to Miami? Really?

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Are you kidding me? Hell no I don't take the Miami job. He would make more guaranteed money in Cleveland and if you're comparing jobs, you might as well add that the equivalent would be like going from CEO to Vice-President.

How does that make sense?

Oh wait, I do know how that makes sense. Lebron is admitting to everyone that he can't do it alone. Period.

Lebron doesn't owe anybody anything, but by going to Miami he has revealed more about himself than he does on the basketball court because of the way he did it. I don't buy the statements that suggest that he should be applauded for taking less money for a championship. That mofo had his chance and the Spurs swept them right out of the Finals that year. If you want all the glory and the accolades, you should have the audacity to do it on your own terms with your own team.

Going on national TV and announcing it before even telling his teammates or the city is a slap in the face especially to Gilbert who did everything to make sure Lebron was comfortable. Who employs a friend of a superstar and give him more money than a basketball assistant just so the superstar would be more comfortable? Gilbert did all that and he fired the coach just to change the scenery for Lechoke.

I used to hate the Celtics, but now I'm suddenly a Celtics fan that hopes that they stomp the Heat everytime they get the chance.

Did you hear about the special King Lebron James I-Phone thats hitting the stores soon? It only vibrates and has no rings.