King James finally made his long awaited announcement on ESPN to join the Miami Heat where he will be casted alongside Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Coach Pat Riley. Make no mistake; this is a potent collaboration which could lead to a number of ticker tape parades in Miami in years to come. But just because this collage of superstars looks good on paper doesn’t mean they are going to perform well together on the court.
Dwayne Wade has become the heart and soul of the Miami Heat. LeBron James’ role is major, but secondary to Wade’s position as the Heat’s leader. In Cleveland, LeBron's stature was nearly equivalent to the second coming of Jesus. That’s not the case in Miami, and he may have difficulty adjusting to his new circumstances. But I'm sure the wad of cash and scantly dressed oiled bodies along South Beach will make the transition bearable.
In addition, LeBron’s handlers unnecessarily turned the announcement into a long arduous and complex game of ‘guess where’. New York, Chicago and Cleveland are all cities Lebron was rumored to be playing for next season. No doubt basketball fans in these areas who feel misled and slighted by Team LeBron’s mystery tactics will be booing LeBron and screaming f**k you as he enters the stadium in their towns.
U.S. sports fans want to know what and why sooner; rather than later. The child king is about to learn the hard way that fans don’t take kindly to having their chains jerked. A great number of people, who revered him just a few months ago, will now see LeBron as a disloyal, egotistic villain. The majority owner, Dan Gilbert, of the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly thinks so. Check out the austere letter he wrote in response to LeBron’s decision to leave the Cavaliers to play for the Heat.
Of course the cure for all this chaotic hype is to win. Winning has the
power to silence all critics.
