There are very few who have the right to comment on how LBJ handles his business

Ok, now I’m getting about as tired as all of you are regarding the amount of publicity the LeBron James signing has received and continues to do so, primarily because so many people from the past and present sports world (and even political figures) keep chiming in with their 2 cents insuring that it won’t be off the first page any time soon. The latest to comment was his “airness” himself that “There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry or Magic” when he was playing, and that LBJ has tarnished his legacy. Of course after Jordan open the flood gates now everyone with a pen and a place to scribble seems to be taking shots at James. It seems like the stars of today are doomed from the beginning because if they insist on being ‘The Man’ they’re perceived as being either selfish or a prima donna. Similar when the Kobe/Shaq ordeal went down, or later when Kobe demanded that management make some moves to give him a better shot, or when Paul Pierce gave Boston the same ultimatum. James, conversely I might add, gave management a much softer request and even signed a three year extension enabling them to do so. They didn’t deliver and he moved on. The fact that he is discussing his options with friends in the same field, who just happen to be Olympians and great players, to combat the big 3 in Boston (who did the same thing by the way) or Lakers out west who have quietly, if that’s possible while accumulating back-to-back championships, built an arsenal of their own in Tinsel Town, with two of the best players in the world in their starting lineup. Like it or not, we’re in the age of the ‘superteam’ and despite the accolades you might be able to accumulate during the regular season, when it really matters in the second season you will be exposed if you’re outmanned and Cleveland has been the quintessential example of this for two years running, and nothing was going to change so he took it upon himself to change it. If anything else the should be praised for giving the team seven great years, taking them further than they had ever been in franchise history, but at the end of the day they just can’t offer enough to bring the top talent to that city and win. Emphatically speaking, the only people who have a right to bitch are those in the state of Cleveland, and even that banter should be partially addressed to Dan Gilbert, and anyone outside of that needs to take a step back because you couldn’t possibly know all that went into LeBron’s decision unless you were in his shoes, and NO ONE is good enough to do that. That includes you Jordo, but you’ll have plenty of time to tell him to his face when the Heat come to see you this year in Charlotte.

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In defense of LeBron….

There’s a new three-headed monster in the East as King James joins fellow Olympians Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami forming the most formidable trio since the LA/Boston trios of the 80’s, and the 3-Party’s run 08’. In what was supposed to be the first domino to start the 2010 free-agent frenzy ended up being the last and the most poignant leaving both cities, and the league to ponder what will be the fallout going forward into 2011. After listening to the petulant tirade of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert one has to wonder how, behind closed doors, he really feels about the Cavs chances of getting back to their previous heights of have the best record in the NBA despite his guarantee that they will win a title before LBJ does in South Beach.

Dan Gilbert does own the Cavs but he DOES NOT own Lebron James. One of the few good points James made last night was that ownership doesn’t often inform a player when they’re going to be traded so he doesn’t owe HIM anything.

True, he could have let the Cavs know early and perhaps worked out a sign and trade but what would be left on the team that he’s going to after they cleared the cupboard so the Cavs could get ‘equal value’ and what wouldn’t that put him in the same position that he is in now?

Three years ago LBJ did extend his contract and Gilbert was given reprieve, but DG did not make the necessary moves to bring a champion to the city? Seven years is more than enough time to gauge if a ring is in the future and LBJ didn’t request anything that Kobe or Paul Pierce didn’t demand, “help me build a winner or I need to walk”.

If I was able to pose one question to DG, it would be how do you expect to sign the type of marquis talent needed to back up your ‘smac’ and get back to the NBA finals when there aren’t many who will want to play for Cleveland knowing how quickly he can turn against them. Remember the NBA is a very tight knit fraternity and he’s just crossed the rush chairman.