Lebron James born December 30, 1984 is a native of Akron, Ohio. James attended St. Vincent –St. Mary High School where he was receiving national media attention while only in the 10th grade. At the age of 18 he was selected as the number one pick in the NBA 2003 Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was named NBA’s Rookie of the year in 2003-2004, NBA MVP in 2008-2009 and in 2009-1010, and has been both All-NBA and All-Star selection every season since 2005.
King James lead the Cavaliers to consecutive playoff appearances from 2006-2010 but have yet to win a championship. After years of great game play and constant fan loyalty in the 2009-2010 season was the start of strain for James. During the playoffs James was criticized for not playing well in Game 5 where he shot only 3 for 14 and scored only 15 points. He walked off the court for the last time as a Cleveland Cavalier to hisses and boos, even then the fan had no idea what was in store for them.
On July 1, 2010 Lebron James became a free agent. Being a free agent means a player whose contract with a team has expired and then becomes eligible to sign with another franchise. With that news many different teams approached James including the Knicks, Nets, Heat, Bulls, Mavericks, Clippers and the Cavaliers. His decision was kept under wraps during much speculation as to which team he would choose. Press coverage was all a flutter wondering what team he would go to and how it would effect said franchise.On July 8, 2010 James took park in a television special “The Decision” to announce his move to the Miami Heat. While to some the move was something good, others found it to be a major slap in the face to the game and to his hometown of Ohio. The media ate up every moment of his choice and actions from that point on, some calling his elaborate dealings to be ego driven and unnecessary. Dan Gilbert the Cavaliers owners wrote an open letter to the fans of Cleveland where he was not afraid to show his true feelings toward their fallen King. NBA legend Sir Charles Barkley called James a “punk” for leaving the Cavs by way of national broadcast, and many more critics agree.
My take on the whole situation is this; Lebron can do whatever he pleases. He became a free agent and made a choice. The way he went about it I don’t necessarily approve but a choice is a choice. Granted his actions have cost him some fans and creditability but that does not mean he isn’t a great player. The whole media surrounding his choice escalated to a point where fans were either on the for Lebron or “die” Lebron team. The impact of this in the NBA franchise is a good thing in my opinion. It brought direct attention to the NBA and will certainly boost sales for Miami Heat tickets. This move has named the Heat the next “Dream Team” after the fearsome players of Chicago Bulls. Now being compared to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen; Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will either have to put up or shut up.
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For other news articles and my references check out:
Cleveland.com
ESPN NBA
Bloomberg BusinessWeek
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