I'm not a fan of LeBron James, but I have to side with him on his decision to choose the Miami Heat. He wants a championship. Why not go to a stacked deck?
Opinion pieces, commentators and even the Cavs owner have stuck it to him and like to tout loyalty and honor as things that have been tarnished... I think we forget that James is paid for what he does.
Find 12 NBA stars willing to play 5-7 years for free. That's loyalty and honor. This is pro sports in America. It's a business.
Having a championship win is still part of the business, but there is something else to it. It's knowing you won.
And who doesn't want to be on a winning team? See if you can remember back to playing basketball or football outside as a kid. I hated when it was time to pick teams because I was one of the ones usually picked last. The only redeeming quality of being picked last is to be on the winning team. There is also something else that happens from time to time.
The guys who usually win strategically place the others on one team. Jocks vs nerds, Skinny kids vs fat kids, shirts vs skins, winners vs losers. At that point, you either accept your fate and get destroyed or someone stands up and takes some leadership. As Magneto said to Pyro in X-Men, "You are god among ants." Make one basket and you're good. Make another and you're golden. More ball time, more scores... isn't that what you wanted? Well yeah, but I want to win, too.
You still usually lose, but when you make yourself standout like that, the winners sometimes take notice. And on the next game, you might be a middle person picked on the winning team.
James was asked if it would've been sweeter to win a championship in Cleveland at his press conference. Are you kidding? That's like getting upset because your baby took his first steps in the hallway and not the living room. It doesn't matter where it happens. It matters that it happened.
Winning is winning whether it's by a little or a lot. Same with losing. Losers want to win. Winners want to keep winning. If Wade, Bosh and James can keep their egos in check and play to the best of their abilities, they'll win.
The Cavs owner declared they'd win a championship before the Heat. Who do they have on the Cavs' team that can lead them? Let's see if they can pull it off. The odds aren't in their favor, but stranger things have happened.
LeBron shows he’s king in name only
*Image from MSNBC.com
