I have to blog about a sports political issue, known as Lebron James' decision, because this episode is absolutely ridiculous and has spiraled out of control. First off, I've never seen such a big deal being made about any player being traded to another team. To have a special on ESPN about being traded is a waste of airtime. He didn't turn his back on anyone. He went to another team. Players get traded all the time and no one makes a mountain out of it. Yes, I know its Lebron James and therefore we should all bow down before him, but any good player like Lebron can have an impact on any team. Why didn't people go crazy when Allen Iverson or Carlos Boozer were traded?
To be honest, I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I know enough about the teams and players on the teams to get by in a sports conversation. Also, I'm very logical. Something a lot of people seem to lack these days. After listening to ESPN, reading comments on Facebook and Twitter, and listening to "fans," I feel like I am the only one who supports Lebron James' decision to go to Miami ... and I live in NY. In order to understand why Lebron James made this decision, you have to look at it from his perspective. The media, ESPN, and basketball fans EVERYWHERE hyped this guy up to be the biggest star in sports ... yet he hasn't won a championship in 7 years. He probably won every other award except an NBA Championship. In his interview, he made it very clear that he wants to win and win multiple times. In fact, there is TREMENDOUS pressure on Lebron to win a championship soon otherwise he may be viewed in the eyes of some as another Dan Marino type (Dan Marino was one of the greatest NFL Quarterbacks to never win a Super Bowl). Isn't winning the big championship game what sports is about anyway? Shouldn't that be the reason why players push themselves all season? Also, the sad truth (and I know Cavalier fans would probably shoot me for this) is that Lebron James was never going to win in Cleveland and he realized this. That team wasn't built with a good enough supporting cast for Lebron. Neither are the Knicks and the Nets. Therefore, he went to a team where he knows he can win and in doing so I don't understand how this once praised man who everyone WANTED to see win is now being persecuted because he made a decision that would help him do the very thing that everyone originally wanted, which is to see him win a championship.
Looking at this episode from the perspective of most basketball fans, the reasons for why they suddenly turned their backs on him are simple. First, they are jealous Lebron James didn't go to THEIR team. This is stupid because with 30 teams in the league, there could have only been one winner. That means 29 other teams were not going to get Lebron and therefore expectations to acquire him should not have been so high. Second, it's much easier to hate the guy and declare him a traitor than to realize his perspective as I stated in the above paragraph. The fans and media ultimately put him in this position where he has to win. So why not go to a team with other All-Stars and put yourself in a position where you can win. No one made this big of a deal when the Boston Celtics assembled their "Big 3."
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