LeBron's Loss in the "LeBron-a-thon"
There is already a big loser in tonight's Lebron James-ESPN-free agent-jamboree. It's Lebron James.
No matter his choice at the end of tonight's primetime special, he will have a diminished brand, a wounded stature, and a set of expectations there is little indication he can manage. It's one thing when an endlessly ravenous 24-hour sports media leviathan obsesses over the next move for the most valued free agent in sports history. It's quite another when the athlete himself chooses to bathe in the hype to such an embarrassing degree.
Within the lat 24 hours, James has started a Twitter account with the handle "King James", launched a website, and made the decision to further enmesh reality television with the world of sports. It's bombastic nonsense for a player who calls himself King even in the absence of a championship crown.
Right now Lebron is acting less cool than Al Gore on Soul Train. He should be treating this remarkable free agent process like the Fonz. Instead the King is being pure Potsie. What would Fonzie do? Let's remember 1995 when Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls after a season and a half playing minor league baseball. Jordan sent a fax to the media that said simply, "I'm back." We had another Fonzie moment just yesterday when 21 year old NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant quietly re-upped for five more years with his thrilling, small market squad of infinite promise, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant is trying to achieve the ultimate goal, a goal achieved by only Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs before him: take a team with next to no tradition of triumph, and will them into becoming a dynasty. This should be Lebron's goal in Cleveland. Be the man who brings home the town's first championship since 1964 and change the very identity of a city. That's what legends do. It would have catapulted him beyond Bird, Magic, and Kobe, who were part of dynasties in Boston and LA, cities that demand nothing less.
Instead the strong rumor of the day is pure Potsie: Lebron, as is being reported by his reality tv producers at ESPN, is leaning toward joining superstar Dwyane Wade and prime free-agent signee Chris Bosh in Miami. Immediately, Lebron would be joining Wade's team. Wade brought Miami a championship in 2006.
Wade would have the ball in his hands for many of the offensive sets. Wade would on some nights be the best player on the court. This is Lebron hiding in Miami. It's the act of someone who doesn't think he can create his own legacy, but has to ride on someone else's. Wade would be Jeter, and Lebron would be A-Rod. It's the worst possible choice because it immediately puts a cap on James's career and mind-bending potential. He could certainly still change his mind and become the Man who Saved Cleveland, or the King of New York. But all indications are that he will be hiding in the Heat.
There are those who say that no matter where Lebron chooses to play, he is in fact the great winner in all of this because he completely took control of the process. As Henry Abbott of ESPN's True Hoop tweeted this morning, How you feel about LeBron James today is a test of how you feel about fully-empowered athletes." This is completely wrong.
There is nothing "empowering" about the full embrace of the media circus. There is nothing "empowering" in trying to claim and max out every last cent of the spectacle that defines celebrity culture. That's what Paris Hilton does. That's what Flava Flav does. It shouldn't be the default move of Lebron James.
These are the actions of a court jester not a King.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
.
By Dave Zirin:
Reprinted with permission from The Nation
The Nation No matter his choice at the end of tonight's primetime special, he will have a diminished brand, a wounded stature, and a set of expectations there is little indication he can manage. It's one thing when an endlessly ravenous 24-hour sports media leviathan obsesses over the next move for the most valued free agent in sports history. It's quite another when the athlete himself chooses to bathe in the hype to such an embarrassing degree.
Within the lat 24 hours, James has started a Twitter account with the handle "King James", launched a website, and made the decision to further enmesh reality television with the world of sports. It's bombastic nonsense for a player who calls himself King even in the absence of a championship crown.
Right now Lebron is acting less cool than Al Gore on Soul Train. He should be treating this remarkable free agent process like the Fonz. Instead the King is being pure Potsie. What would Fonzie do? Let's remember 1995 when Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls after a season and a half playing minor league baseball. Jordan sent a fax to the media that said simply, "I'm back." We had another Fonzie moment just yesterday when 21 year old NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant quietly re-upped for five more years with his thrilling, small market squad of infinite promise, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant is trying to achieve the ultimate goal, a goal achieved by only Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs before him: take a team with next to no tradition of triumph, and will them into becoming a dynasty. This should be Lebron's goal in Cleveland. Be the man who brings home the town's first championship since 1964 and change the very identity of a city. That's what legends do. It would have catapulted him beyond Bird, Magic, and Kobe, who were part of dynasties in Boston and LA, cities that demand nothing less.
Instead the strong rumor of the day is pure Potsie: Lebron, as is being reported by his reality tv producers at ESPN, is leaning toward joining superstar Dwyane Wade and prime free-agent signee Chris Bosh in Miami. Immediately, Lebron would be joining Wade's team. Wade brought Miami a championship in 2006.
Wade would have the ball in his hands for many of the offensive sets. Wade would on some nights be the best player on the court. This is Lebron hiding in Miami. It's the act of someone who doesn't think he can create his own legacy, but has to ride on someone else's. Wade would be Jeter, and Lebron would be A-Rod. It's the worst possible choice because it immediately puts a cap on James's career and mind-bending potential. He could certainly still change his mind and become the Man who Saved Cleveland, or the King of New York. But all indications are that he will be hiding in the Heat.
There are those who say that no matter where Lebron chooses to play, he is in fact the great winner in all of this because he completely took control of the process. As Henry Abbott of ESPN's True Hoop tweeted this morning, How you feel about LeBron James today is a test of how you feel about fully-empowered athletes." This is completely wrong.
There is nothing "empowering" about the full embrace of the media circus. There is nothing "empowering" in trying to claim and max out every last cent of the spectacle that defines celebrity culture. That's what Paris Hilton does. That's what Flava Flav does. It shouldn't be the default move of Lebron James.
These are the actions of a court jester not a King.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
.
By Dave Zirin:
Reprinted with permission from The Nation
Dear Mr. Wilson Lebron James is moving to Miami and there won't be a Championship again here in Cleveland.
Is there really a Santa Claus? Why can't we win all of those big games here in Cleveland? I still believe in this town.
But Mr. Gilbert trashed Lebron on his way out of town. Is Lebron really a bad guy?''
Letter from Virginia Smith from Cleveland, Ohio for EDITOR, Steven Wilson, BULL****Press Weekend Edition.
" Dear Virginia yes their is a Santa Claus and he is in our hearts and minds not just all over the world but in Miami.
As well as your great city of Cleveland. But Lebron leaving is a direct result of Loyalty, Marketing, Money in Sports and how if you don't win you leave town to get that ring and trophy somewhere else. You see Virginia no one likes to cry in their beer. But Lebron's
time in Cleveland only gave him the 2 time MVP Award not the championships that he wanted. The unfair comparison to Michael Jordan didn't help him either along with the title of the '' KING.'' Sore losers? 7 years of it I think worst than Philly fans.
Coward, narcissist, $17.41 Fathead.com buddy? The press waiting around for the DECISION didn't help his image either.
So is Lebron a jerk, Virginia? No, I don't think so. He just understands that this is a big business and that he needs to take care of his business if he wants to win and obviously he's smart enough to realize that it won't happen in his hometown of Cleveland.
We should all understand that when we see players signing big contracts like this that yes it really is just a big business.
Mr. Gilbert trashing Lebron was a classless act considering basketball is a team sport unlike tennis and golf. In the games when Lebron wasn't playing well and the teammates that Gilbert paid for to surround him. In those key playoff games they all CHOKED, this was the part that he forgot to mention, when they were expected to move their game to the next level. Did Mr. Gilbert in the face of defeat expect them to perform well and him to score 65 points a game to get a big win? Well they didn't play well Mr. Gilbert and the money that you spent was wasted. Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and if Dan Gilbert could get his hands on him he would pay him big money to not choke during Christmas Eve and disappoint all of the children all over the world. Cleveland will of course win a championship of course on Playstation 2 or Xbox. So he would be well advised to get his controller ready to play.
It's safe to say Virginia that Christmas will be in Miami this year with the Miami thrice.''
Cleveland rocks, baby! SICK!
Dear Mr. Wilson Lebron James is moving to Miami and there won't be a Championship again here in Cleveland. Is there really a Santa Claus? Why can't we win all of those big games here in Cleveland? I still believe in this town. But Mr. Gilbert trashed Lebron on his way out of town. Is Lebron really a bad guy?''
Letter from Virginia Smith from Cleveland, Ohio for EDITOR, Steven Wilson, BULL****Press Weekend Edition.
" Dear Virginia yes their is a Santa Claus and he is in our hearts and minds not just all over the world but in Miami.
As well as your great city of Cleveland. But Lebron leaving is a direct result of Loyalty, Marketing, Money in Sports and how if you don't win you leave town to get that ring and trophy somewhere else. You see Virginia no one likes to cry in their beer. But Lebron's
time in Cleveland only gave him the 2 time MVP Award not the championships that he wanted. The unfair comparison to Michael Jordan didn't help him either along with the title of the '' KING.'' Sore losers? 7 years of it I think worst than Philly fans.
Coward, narcissist, $17.41 Fathead.com buddy? The press around the DECISION didn't help his image either.
So is Lebron a jerk, Virginia? No, I don't think so. He just understands that this is a big business and that he needs to take care of his business if he wants tow in and obviously he's smart enough to realize that it won't happen in his hometown of Cleveland.
We should all understand that when we see players signing big contracts like this that yes it really is just a big business.
Mr. Gilbert trashing Lebron was a classless act considering basketball is a team sport unlike tennis and golf. In the games when Lebron wasn't playing well and the teammates that Gilbert paid for to surround him in those key playoff games CHOKED that he mentioned when they were expected to move their game to the next level. Did Mr. Gilbert in the face of defeat expect them to perform well and him to score 65 points a game to get a big win? Well they didn't play well Mr. Gilbert and the money that you spent was wasted. Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and if Dan Gilbert could get his hands on him he would pay him big money to not choke during Christmas Eve and disappoint all of the children all over the world. Cleveland will of win a championship of course on Playstation 2 or Xbox. So he would be well advised to get his controller ready to play. Clevelan
This year? What a miserable performance against the Celtics!
Yep right, go to Miami. Hide behind Dwyane Wade. He might even help you get a ring!
Pathetic!