I can understand that people are upset about this. This is great for the NBA! The suspense has casual fans tuned in the offseason. The guy has every right to do this. He is a talented young black man in complete control of his destiny. H e has all these rich white owners minus JAY-Z KISSING HIS ASS! I would think this would make you dave a fan.

Thank you so much for a much needed emotional soothing. Clevelanders are hurting right now and it is comforting to see so many journalists calling this for what it is; egomaniacal, selfish multi-millionaires run amok fed by a system of greed. I wrote you a few years ago with concerns about whether Bron was going to just become a corporate shill like Jordan; well, I guess we are finding out. We heard him preach about 'home' and 'loyalty' for 7 years and we believed him. We actually hoped that he was going to be that ballplayer that came home and played stickball with the kids in the street (yes, naive I know!). Our teachers union just avoided a strike and the times are hard (what is new). Sports unifies a community and Lebron was that for us; we mistakenly thought that he 'understood'. I put my 4 year old daughter to bed explaining to her that we won't be rooting for 'The Bron' anymore; it ripped my heart out. Its always tough when our heroes take a fall... And Dave, I am going to take you up on that offer of joe if I am ever in DC!
Peace

Well, this is not good. Lebron should have come out at the beginning of free agency and name the team without creating all this drama. Take the humble road. If it is not about ego and all three can play in Miami, including sharing the basketball. Then the announcement should have been made together. Anyone one who believes that if Wade, James, and Bosh will all play together in harmony, then what is the common denominator? Oh, their egos will be turned off automatically like a light switch! ESPN (Disney) has a part to play in this too. i noticed some of the analyst already showing highlights of the aformentioned three in highlights. So, there is no need to watch the NBA this season because the Heat should be given the Larry O'Brien Trophy. We have to mature and relaize that sports is a distraction. Just study the word. Lebron may think he is in control when he is not in control.

And the Yankees analogy is spot on. Who wants to be A-Rod?

One small quibble, San Antonio was only a few years removed from the Western Conference finals when they got Duncan. They already had a hall of fame center in Robinson, so wasn't like he was carrying the team.

I think LBJ is empowered by former basketball players who helped to create the existing free-agency situation. What LeBron did was to make the FA process into a spectacle with the help of the media. He had the owners(all white btw) confer with him on his own terms. I would consider that empowerment. When you have face-to-face meetings with filthy rich people to beg you to be on their teams, I'd say he has a lot of power. Because the media made it into a circus is an issue of little importance. I did like LBJ using ESPN money from the TV show for the boys' clubs.

It's not really LeBron who has been empowered, but rather Lebron, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike.

I completely understand why fans in Cleveland are disappointed by LeBron leaving, but since when is it his responsibility to stay there? Yeah, it would have been a cool story, but it is not LeBron's fault that things are so bad in Cleveland right now. It is not his responsibility to help the community come out of its hard times. It would be cool if he stayed, but I can't blame him for leaving. He grew up in near Cleveland, played HS ball near Cleveland and gave 7 years of his career to the Cavs. Maybe he wanted to try life somewhere else.

He's taking less money, apparently less than the max. As a Bulls fan, I think he might have had a better chance to win with Chicago, but he's got a damn good chance with Miami now.

And I actually think it's kind of cool to see him going to the Heat where he might not be the number 1 guy, or at the least he will be #1, but there will be a close 1A and 1B. This should be a fun team to watch when the three of them are out on the court, and maybe that is what was important to him. Maybe he feels like no matter what, if he wins multiple championships, he'll be recognized for the great player that he is. He is choosing to do something completely different from what we expected, and I respect him for that.

As for the announcement special, yeah it was overkill. But how many people tuned in. The story is all over the place, people wanted something like this, and it was ESPN that gave it to him. LeBron seems to be taking advantage of what people are more than happy to give him. At least some of the proceeds went to charity.

In the meantime, I'm excited to see what the Heat can do, and hoping that the Bulls can show him for the next 5 years that he made a huge mistake about which team to join.

LeBron didn't give Cleveland anything, he was paid handsomely and it is widely believed that he had the owner's ear on team decisions (hiring, firing, etc...). All to help him, and by extension the city, win a title.

There is a reason that CLE didn't have the cap space to sign a superteam. It's because the team was over the salary cap every year trying to bring more pieces to the puzzle. And it seemed to be working as they had the best record in the league the last two years.

For another view on his lack of tact and his seeming cluelessness about the people of OH, check out Terry Pluto's column at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. No one disputes his right to leave, but like this? From the guy who extolled the virtues of leadership, family and loyalty?

@Larry
What are you expecting LeBron to give to Cleveland? He has a foundation, he did volunteer work and he gave 7 years of his career to the team. They didn't win, he decided to go elsewhere. I don't know how true this is, but apparently he was trying to get Bosh to come to Cleveland through a sign and trade, it was all worked out and Bosh said no.

The Cavs are a corporation. If LeBron had a career threatening injury right before free agency would he have been offered a max deal? If he suddenly became a horrible basketball player would Cleveland have stuck by him because he's the local boy? We've seen that many professional teams have absolutely no dedication to their city (Sonics) I think the players need to look out for themselves, too. It sucks, but that is what professional sports has become.

I read Pluto's column and I resent his attitudes toward 25 year olds. I'm 25 and I'm doing great, and consider myself mature. LeBron made a decision about basketball. The show was overkill, but compared to the much older owner of the Cavs who ends up looking like a child at the end of this? At least don't blame this on age...

@Larry
What are you expecting LeBron to give to Cleveland? He has a foundation, he did volunteer work and he gave 7 years of his career to the team. They didn't win, he decided to go elsewhere. I don't know how true this is, but apparently he was trying to get Bosh to come to Cleveland through a sign and trade, it was all worked out and Bosh said no.

The Cavs are a corporation. If LeBron had a career threatening injury right before free agency would he have been offered a max deal? If he suddenly became a horrible basketball player would Cleveland have stuck by him because he's the local boy? We've seen that many professional teams have absolutely no dedication to their city (Sonics) I think the players need to look out for themselves, too. It sucks, but that is what professional sports has become.

I read Pluto's column and I resent his attitudes toward 25 year olds. I'm 25 and I'm doing great, and consider myself mature. LeBron made a decision about basketball. The show was overkill, but compared to the much older owner of the Cavs who ends up looking like a child at the end of this? At least don't blame this on age...

So let me get this straight. If there was a J.J. Hickson, Inc., it would have the same power as LeBron Inc., because of the Inc.. I Inc. not.

I think he acted poorly. Again it wasn't that he left, it was how. The Cavaliers have been in a holding pattern waiting for LBJ to give them some crumb of a hint of what he would do. He kept them at an arm's length while producing a made for TV special.

Had he stayed in CLE and he was injured or some other tragedy befell him he would still have been respected as a guy that could have left but stuck it out. Athletes like that are often beloved by their cities. In fact it would have been fitting in a city that often feels like its teams are cursed.

As for the Pluto column, he only said that sometimes 25 year olds are immature. Regardless of your situation, I think LBJ proved that to be true. And I would be surprised if Dan Gilbert didn't feel some remorse in lashing out like he did. He felt hurt too, though it probably had as much to do with his financial loss as anything else. He'll feel better when he opens his casinos.

I'm disappointed that Lebron chose to abandon Cleveland simply because he has yet to win a championship. American sports is a joke. It seems to be all about either money or ego. Yes, Lebron should have wanted to build his own dynasty. Cleveland was making progress and would have likely made some moves to provide Lebron w/ more support on the court. However, Lebron was there for 6-7 years and still hadn't won a championship. I'm sure that is not easy for a competitive guy like Lebron. I'm disgusted that American sports is so focused on the bottom line----winning--- but not the integrity of the game. LeBron's becoming more plastic/fake and now I hear he's going to be an effen reality star as well!!! I'd rather watch an international soccer match than watch LeBron's foolishness. And finally, I don't know why Lebron didn't just announce his decision via twitter. That would have been a much less arrogant way of announcing his plans. I liked it when Tiger gave statements on his website re: his marital/women issues. I think it empowered Tiger. Lebron, of course, was not involved in a scandal but he certainly created a media frenzy by announcing his decision during an interview w/ ESPN. I'm through w/ this topic. When's preseason start? Will the Steelers be able to overcome Big Ben's four-game suspension/absence? smh

My husband says that the media & the white owners are the ones who created the Lebron James monster. Dominic says that the media gave James the name "King James." He says that the owners gave Lebron all that money when he was only a teenager. He goes on to say, that Lebron gave his best in Cleveland for 7 yrs and that the team owners were unable to build the team around him. Dom believes we created the monster. Media, owners & the fans. Not Lebron James. And now, Lebron has embraced the culture of celebrity that is a part of our society. Reality shows, twitter accounts, websites and choreographed press releases/announcements are all part of the game. David compares Paris Hilton & Flava Flav to Lebron but they are not a good comparisons. Lebron is an athelete. The other two are entertainers. Lebron has excelled in his field. So, according to my lover man, you are simply a racist who is disgruntled because a black man has the ability to fully enjoy the capitalist society in which he was born. Lebron's wealthy, young, gifted & black. Something white people can't seem to tolerate. And maybe Lebron will marry a white woman and then like Elin Woods, she can take all his damn money.;-)

My husband says that the media & the white owners are the ones who created the Lebron James monster. Dominic says that the media gave James the name "King James." He says that the owners gave Lebron all that money when he was only a teenager. He goes on to say, that Lebron gave his best in Cleveland for 7 yrs and that the team owners were unable to build the team around him. Dom believes we created the monster. Media, owners & the fans. Not Lebron James. And now, Lebron has embraced the culture of celebrity that is a part of our society. Reality shows, twitter accounts, websites and choreographed press releases/announcements are all part of the game. David compares Paris Hilton & Flava Flav to Lebron but they are not a good comparisons. Lebron is an athelete. The other two are entertainers. Lebron has excelled in his field. So, according to my lover man, you are simply a racist who is disgruntled because a black man has the ability to fully enjoy the capitalist society in which he was born. Lebron's wealthy, young, gifted & black. Something white people can't seem to tolerate. And maybe Lebron will marry a white woman and then like Elin Woods, she can take all his damn money.;-)

This is so not like the Dave I know and love. Dave, take my word for it, nothing pisses a black man off more than having some white man tell him what his goals should be. Who's being arrogant? I'm sure LeBron thanks you for the paternal wisdom.
Henry Abbott got it right. People confuse black self-empowerment and self-direction with arrogance. LeBron is doing his own thing in his own way. You don't have to agree with or like his choices, but you can't deny him the right to make his own choices. LeBron gave Cleveland 7 years, he doesn't owe them the rest of his life.

Dude had every right to leave Cleveland. The way he did it, however? Classless, narcissistic, and retarded beyond words. And yeah, I'd say the same thing if a white dude pulled the same lame-arse stunt.

@Tornado, I am a Marxist and I agree with you (though from a slightly different angle). Yes James is exercising his right as a cappie but he's also giving the finger to the team owners that courted him (wait, don't they do whatever they want in their own interests all the time? I don't see any NBA players getting free housing for the revenue they supposedly bring to cities) AND he's showing the power of player solidarity! Aren't uber-rich NBA owners planning on locking these guys out soon anyway? Geez...

I do not actually believe dave is racist. I recently borrowed one of his books from the library and must say that it was highly informative. I don't think that a person who is racist would bother to write the types of books dave has written. However, I do believe dave is blaming the wrong person. It's actually our society that should be blamed for yesterday's fiasco. And who made all the rules for our effed up society? Certainly not Lebron James. Peace!

First off. Why would players get "free housing" when they get paid millions of dollars and can afford their own "cribs?" Second, if you honestly think "white men" are upset at Lebron cause he's a rich black man "empowering" himself through the white dominated Free Agency you're an idiot. LeBron got the #1 jersey sales and he's the most marketed basketball player on the planet. All the top free agents are blacks and they are going to make millions of dollars to play essentially a game. And lets be honest most of them will be grossly overpaid because most won't even get their team to the Conference Finals, think Stoudimire, Dirk and Joe Johnson. And please "white men" aren't a monolithic entity that all think alike. At least that's what we agreed to at our annual meeting.

My annoyance in this saga, except that a black man is getting rich of course, though is the death of LeBron's competitive fire. Maybe I'm old school but what happened to beating your competition not joining them. Ewing never left NY to play with the Bulls. It took Olajuwon like 12 years to win a ring and he didn't have any other superstars on his team. Tons of great HOF players never won rings but chose to try and lead their teams instead of going to someone else's team. This decision wasn't about money cause he's going to take less. It's not about marketing cause he would have gotten more pub in NY or Chicago. This is about winning but I think Lebron is taking the easy way out to get a ring. At the end of the day any rings he wins will mean less to his legacy than if would have won them without going to Wade's team.

Remember when Fonzie jumped over the shark? Well LeBron has now jumped the shark.... the moment in the life of something of someone so ridiculous that recovery is not possible.

From the comments it sounds like a lot of missed points to Dave's article. What it comes down to, is Lebron will no longer be a legend ala Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kobe etc. Why?
He couldn't build with what he had. He had to call on other star players. Can you ever fathom Bird calling up Magic... "Man we're free agents this year... we need some rings want to hook up?"

HO-HUM!!!

Why should Lebron do any owners/teams any favors? It does end up sucking for Cavs fans but best believe that the team would drop him as soon as he stopped producing, got injured, got old, etc. He made the best move for his interests and now he'll be able to retire early. Maybe he even knew he couldn't get it done on his own...now that's speculation for ya!

As far "free housing" goes, that was a reference to how team owners get public funded (read: FREE) stadiums while offering nothing back to the larger community/city in return (but you'd think it was crazy if players got a similar deal in their contracts). It is definitely absurd and we need to stop giving owners a pass!

Speaking of uncool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9BqUBYaHlM

You might want to wait until you've actually won an NBA title before you break out a celebration like that. Lots of sports teams have made big free agent signings, and they didn't work out. All the Heat did was give opposing teams video to watch before they play the Heat in the playoffs next season.