And the LeBron James “Decision” Goes to…
LeBron James is officially LeGone from the Cleveland Cavaliers. After keeping the national audience waiting in anticipation for about 30 minutes, James declared he intends to leave the shores of Lake Erie for South Beach, and join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Miami Heat.
That darn Pat Riley done hit the lotto.
Riley, Miami Heat’s President of Basketball, managed to do what the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls couldn’t and what the Cavaliers were not able to stop from happening. He wooed LeBron away from the Cavs, where he played the past seven seasons. It was the team just miles away from his hometown in Akron, that selected him as the #1 overall pick back in 2003. James was the hometown savior, the financial boom the Cavs needed and the self anointed ‘King James’ who put butts in the arena seats.
But after seven years of hoop bliss and pre-game baby powder in the air the Cavs’ fans and entire organization are sick tonight, especially, majority owner Dan Gilbert. Minutes after ‘the decision’ LeBron announced on ESPN to the world that he’s leaving the Cavs to “take his [my] talents to Miami,” Gilbert wrote an open letter to Cavs’ fans-far removed from a thank you and love towards LeBron.
On the flip side: to Heat fans are in celebratory mode because to them ‘The Decision’ that now adds LeBron and his throne to Wade plus Bosh immediately equals a championship ring in 2011.
But I know two other teams in the Eastern Conference may object-the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic-since they both will arguably still have a better supporting cast after their best three players, while Riley will be scrambling for pieces after he inks Bosh, Wade and James to those deals we all expect to come at a high price. More on that as it comes in…
So, even though I may advise against Heat fans crowing their team champs too soon (remember you laughed at and eventually beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Finals for doing this same thing!), I won’t hate on the parties that will probably be jumpin’ for days in South Beach…
Because as we are watching Cavs’ fans so hot at LeBron that they set fire to his #23 Cavs jerseys, I can feel from the state of Texas how the Heat just got hotter in Miami.
The Heat just rose to triple digits
© 2010 The Sports Diva