Jul 8, 2010

ill Take: LeBron Chooses 'Super Team' over Home

Lebron James has now officially left the only NBA team he's ever played for and decided to go elsewhere to win what he couldn't in Cleveland. The question is: Was this the right decision for LeBron, because it definitely was the right choice for Dwayne Wade.

The Miami Heat retained the services of superstar guard Dwyane Wade, acquired the best big man on the market in Chris Bosh and pulled off the biggest signing in team history by plucking LeBron from the forever tortured city of Cleveland, OH.

Going straight from high school to the NBA and being the number one overall pick by the Cavs, James was tasked with the challenge of ascending the lowly Cavaliers from lottery status to playoff contender. It took him two years to make the playoffs and from there it was a constant barrage of heartbreak and the seeds were planted about LeBron not being clutch and failing in the playoffs.

This decision is more about what Cleveland couldn't do with Lebron than what the Heat could do with him. What LeBron wanted was confidence in what he had and with the constant poor play and inability to get a player alongside him that could step up in the playoffs, it was what ultimately led James away from his home state.

The 2008 Olympic team played a big role in how these three superstars came together when they found out how good they were in Beijing when they ran rough shot over the rest of the field on the way to a gold medal when they went 5-0 and had a point differential of 161 in the tournament, so they completely and utterly dominated and thus the thoughts of the three playing together began to formulate and now two summers later it's a reality.

LeBron is going to have to deal with questions regarding why he would leave a situation where he was 'The Man' to join a team where he will always viewed as the second banana because of what Wade was already accomplished in South Beach.

A great point was made by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said how he felt James would diminish his brand by joining Wade in South Beach by deferring to another superstar. James could have easily been the top guy in Cleveland, New Jersey, New York and Chicago, but went with the option that was easier in the end for him and you can criticize him for not taking a true risk or applaud him for not caring about the money and 'his brand' enough to join a team where he's definitely taking a backseat.

In the end, James only cares about a ring and if aligning himself with Wade and Bosh does that for him, then this move pays off royally. James' brand can only grow with the addition of a NBA championship to his trophy case.

Just like that, the NBA now has a true Dream Team scenario on their hands as the Miami Heat are now viewed by everyone as the team to beat and they now employ three of the top ten players in the game and two of the top three. 


LeBron is without a doubt putting more pressure on himself, if the Heat struggle or dare even fail in their quest to win what should be a sure championship, eyes are going to be on LeBron as to why they failed. But then again, they always are.