The thought revolves around LeBron James… what his choice to leave Cleveland for Miami says about him. As you know, I’m fascinated by the business of image making. I have never cared as much about what sort of What-Happens-In-Vegas life Tiger Woods lived off the course as the bizarre way that he and his team decided to handle it publicly.
And so, I’m in awe of what LeBron James and his inner sanctum have managed to pull off here. Two months ago, LeBron James was one of the three most popular athletes in the United States, and maybe No. 1. He was the star of the team with the best record in the NBA. When the playoffs ended, he was going to be the most sought-after free agent in the league history. I’ve never quite known what the “the catbird seat” meant… but James owned the thing. He owned a whole chain of catbird seats.
And after entering what should have been the two most glorious months of his life, LeBron James comes out of it having collapsed in the playoffs. He signed with a team that already has its No. 1 star… and for $30 million less than he could have gotten. His hometown hates him so much there’s footage on television of fans burning his jersey.
The papers and Internet are now filled with stories about how he’s unpopular, unfeeling, a traitor, afraid of the bright lights. He’s widely viewed, at least for the moment, as the petulant and narcissistic star on one of the most ill-conceived television efforts in the history of sport. And his King James brand suddenly doesn’t look so great anymore.
That’s one heck of a magic trick, isn’t it? It’s sort of like he ACTUALLY DID saw a lady in half.
Of course, just because it looks shaky now doesn’t mean it won’t work out. The Heat do have James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and that might win several championships. James might become as big a star in Miami as Wade, and he might grow even bigger world-wide. The LeBron brand might become richer than ever. You never know, and guessing is just that… guessing.
But there’s still one thing that sticks out for me. It’s one of the quotes James offered in that sham of an ESPN thing. He was asked if we would see the same LeBron James on the floor even though he was now sharing that floor and the basketball with the brilliant Dwyane Wade. James said, oh yes, we would see the same LeBron. And then he said this:
“We don’t have to have the pressure of going out, scoring 30 every night, or shooting a high percentage or logging long minutes and worrying about our team suffering because of that at times.”
LeBron James is 25 years old. He’s the most remarkable talent in the NBA. He is an unstoppable offensive force who can drive and create and pass and rebound and score. Is he REALLY looking to relieve the pressure of scoring 30 a night? Can you think of a great scorer who EVER wanted to relieve that pressure? Is he REALLY worrying about not having the chance to rest a bit more because his teammates would suffer? Is the man who calls himself King that eager to have the expectations lowered, to get more time to rest, to become the first global brand who can abdicate the starring role when he doesn’t quite feel up to it?
Maybe he just misspoke… there was a lot of that during the night. The whole television thing was a grotesque miscalculation — ESPN got some ratings, and LeBron got some face time, but both were diminished by the partnership.
But I don’t think he misspoke. I think that was as honest as anything LeBron James said. I think he has grown tired of the pressure and the blame that goes along with being the biggest star on the court. If he wanted to win a championship, Chicago seems a better fit. If he wanted to have the biggest stage, New York seems the better fit. If he wanted to be loyal and face the challenge, Cleveland seems a better fit.
But he went to Miami, to see if he could help Dwyane Wade win his second championship (and possibly third and fourth and so on). What seems so curious to others — that LeBron James would so willingly go to be A-Rod to Dwyane Wade’s Jeter — may have in fact been at the very heart of why he went to Miami. Now either one of them could take the last shot! And maybe Chris Bosh, too! LeBron James doesn’t have to score 30 anymore. He doesn’t have to play all those minutes anymore. He can relax. He can be ordinary if the mood isn’t quite right.
Of course, it might not work like that in real life. LeBron may not like all the strain that comes with being the biggest star, but he probably likes the perks. He probably likes controlling the game. We will have to see how that works out between he and Wade (with a little Bosh and a bunch of minimum salary guys thrown in).
What we can say is that LeBron James came out this thing pretty bruised and battered. The Cavaliers came out of this thing angry and delusional. And we saw it on TV. We were all witnesses.
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