The King's New Court

First of all, how ridiculous was the Lebron special tonight, "The Decision".  It was like watching the Super Bowl or the Lost finale.  If you include Sportscenter, Lebron's decision got 4 hours of air time.  He is the most talented player in the NBA, but it still seems a little excessive.  That being said, what does Lebron's decision mean for his career? (Be sure to vote in the poll to the right about whether Lebron made the right choice)

First of all, I cannot believe Lebron did that to Cleveland.  I know its been reported for 2 days that Lebron is going to Miami, but I really didn't think he would do it.  Lebron is my favorite player, but was terrible.  I'm sorry Cleveland, that was hard to watch. No one will blame you for burning his jersey in the street (I'm not making that up, they actually are doing that).

The Chosen One just made the biggest mistake of his career.  But before I talk about the bad, there is a lot of good from this move.  This team has an opportunity to be better than I originally suspected.  Much, much better.  With Lebron as Magic, Dwayne as Michael, and Bosh as an All-Star big man, the Heats can be an all-time great team.  And they should be able to add more than just scrubs (I know this contradicts what I said last week).  The exact details of the 3 stars signings aren't known yet, but if they hold on to Michael Beasley, he is a great 4th option.  Mario Chalmers could emerge as a good NBA player, along the lines of a poor man's Rondo.  They should be able to fill the roster out with veteran guys who are willing to sacrifice some money for a ring.  And Pat Riley is an all-time great coach and whether he is in the front office or on the bench, he will make this team that much better.  He also has a lot of experience managing multiple superstars with the Showtime Lakers of the 80's.  This team really could win multiple titles and possible become a dynasty. 

However, the rings have nothing to do why this choice was a bad one.  Despite being the most gifted player to ever touch a basketball, Lebron has cemented his legacy as a guy who needed help.  Tonight on "The Decision", Lebron made the good point that every great team of the past 20 years had at least 2 superstars.  And he is absolutely right. But something about this move is different.  Michael didn't seek out Pippen and Magic didn't leave his hometown for Kareem.  No matter how many titles they win together, this Heat team will always be Wade and Lebron's.  And Lebron was good enough to win alone.  Had he stayed in Cleveland, Lebron could have become the greatest player in league history.  Now, at best, he can only be one of the greatest players of all time.  More importantly, Lebron has lost his universal appeal to fans.  It won't hurt his advertising dollars, but never again will the King be loved like he was before.  He abondaned his hometown for greener pastures on national TV.  And since his hometown is Cleveland, it hurts that much worst.  The Cleve last won a major sports title in 1964.  That was 46 years ago!  Lebron was the greatest opportunity to win a title that Cleveland could possibly have.  In a single moment, the Cavs have gone from being title contenders to lottery contenders.  The best hope for the Cavs next year is that they tank and get a high pick in the draft so the can try to draft the most ironic pick in league history, a player they can only hope will be the next Lebron James.

Next year's NBA is going to be very different from this year's.  The East has finally passed the West as the premier conference.  Out west, the Lakers are the clear favorite with the Thunder, Trailblazers, Mavericks, Spurs, and Nuggets as contenders as well.  But the real power now lies in the East.  Four teams have a realistic shot of representing the East in the finals and all can beat the Lakers.  They are the Heat, Magic, Bulls, and Celtics (Sorry Hawks, but your in tier 2 along with the Bucks, Knicks, and Bobcats).  Of those 4, the Heat have the best long-term prospects.  I predict they will win 3 titles in the next 5 seasons.  But next year, I think the Bulls are going to surprise a lot of people and take the East.  They have a fantastic core and plenty of cap room to make additional moves.  I also like the Thunder to shock the world and beat the Lakers.  And in a Durant versus Rose NBA final, Chicago will show Lebron they don't need him and win their 1st post-Michael title.  Yeah, that probably won't happen but it would be a great way to head into the inevitable NBA lockout.

One more note about Lebron, now that his decision is over, it is finally time to devote this blog to my real favorite topic, football! (After one or two more posts about the World Cup of course)