Last night Lebron James took to the airwaves for a one hour prime time special to announce where he would play this upcoming season. Ultimately, he decided that he would join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami as a member of the Miami Heat. After watching the replay of Lebron, I began to think that the only thing missing was Barbara Walters or Oprah. Lebron looked perplexed and uncomfortable as he walked into the room. It was at that point, I believe, that the fans gathered in Cleveland began burning "23" jerseys and fans in Chicago, New York, New Jersey and Miami began to think to themselves " Lebron is coming to our town." At the end of the night, the only fans partying were on South Beach. The decision places a giant bulls eye on the backs of the newly formed triumvirate for the foreseeable future. They may be the favorites in the Eastern Conference now, but they are going to get everyone's best shot each and every night they take the floor.
So, the question is, with five seconds left and the Heat down by one point, who takes the shot? The answer by a mile or two has to be Dwayne Wade. Especially after watching the NBA Eastern Conference Finals this past Spring when Lebron seemed to just shrivel up and fizzle out. When the Cleveland Cavaliers needed that clutch shot time after time, Lebron came up short and could not deliver. Dwayne Wade on the other hand has proven at both the college and pro level that he can take the clutch shot and deliver a team a championship. He has been the catalyst on both a Final Four team (at Marquette) and an NBA Championship team with the Heat in 2006.
Maybe Lebron can change that perception now that the he admits there is less "pressure" to score 30. As a side note, super star athletes usually welcome the pressure of having to carry their teams, right?
I am definitely not an NBA fan. I watch enough to keep up with what is going on and usually only watch an entire game during the Finals. So, I am by no means an expert. But, as a sports fan, I know what it is like to have your heart ripped out by your favorite team or player. I feel for the fans of Cleveland, who have been more than supportive and have set Lebron up on pedestal that he really didn't deserve to be on. He couldn't get the job on his own in Cleveland, so he has decided to jump ship and join a proven champion to help him get that elusive championship.
Many say that the Heat immediately become Lebron's team as opposed to Dwayne Wade's team. I think that Miami, when it comes to basketball, will forever be Wade's city and team. He may not be the biggest star, but he will be the leader. A lot of people thought that when Alex Rodriguez joined the New York Yankees that Derek Jeter would no longer be the face of that team. That didn't quite work out. Jeter is still the man in that clubhouse. Lebron becomes the A-Rod in Miami to the Jeter-esque Wade.
We will all have to wait and see what the future holds for the Heat. Will they win championships? Probably. How will those championships be viewed? That's interesting and I look forward to seeing it all play out. For now, I will settle on watching his return to Cleveland this fall. I hope they bring in extra security...
Photo:
1. http://media.nola.com/hornets_impact/photo/ab111881e058370acf0e6a706700f2edjpg-b4f218e92627e117_large.jpg
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