LeBron Decision 2010 - some thoughts.......

Bottom-line with “LeBron Decision 2010” is that LeBron signed a contract extension with Cleveland starting in the 2007-08 season for 3 years, which he fulfilled at the conclusion of this past season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Within the realms of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, LeBron had every right to look at every NBA team, and he had every right to decide on whatever team he wanted to sign with for next season.

He had no obligation whatsoever to stay at home in Cleveland. Many columns, talk-shows, fans and especially one disgruntled Cleveland Cavaliers owner have expressed extreme sour grapes towards LeBron’s decision. LeBron didn’t owe it to any of those aforementioned people to stay in Cleveland, just as much as El Tigre Woods did not owe the fans an apology for his attempted impression of Wilt Chamberlain.

But a couple of takes on the LeBron James Decision 2010:

1.The true debacle of “LeBron Decision 2010” was the worst produced 1-hour announcement show ever. Well, it’s the first 1-hour announcement show, so it’s pretty much the worst by default. But the production value was so horrible and the levels contriteness so transparent.

There has come a time a long, long time ago in a Sportsdesk/Sportscentre galaxy not too far away where the sports cliché’s have run rampant within the sports universe. Cliché’s full of public relation coached answers that hit its peak with LeBron’s prepared answers in the "special". LeBron hit his cliché peak during his interview with Michael Wilbon after the botched ESPN 1-hour special when in talking about the 6 teams involved in his sweepstakes his answer was pretty much verbatim from answering the same question in his interview in the ESPN special.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared, but there was no need for the obvious self-promotion of that 1-hour special with the cliché’ filled, long winded answers being fed to him through the ear-piece that kept (almost) falling out of his ear.

The 1-hour special was a new spin (kinda fresh), but a tweet or press conference would have sufficed. Either way, I gotta admit that I watched the special, as did many other interested fans, but like a Dave Adolph lay-up, there was no finish LeBron.

Again, LeBron had every right to choose whichever team he wanted to sign with, but as many columists have alreay stated, the ESPN special was a slap in the face to Cleveland Cav's fan.

The 1 second awkward clap after LeBron first announced he was going to “South Beach” was a great moment though.

2. An even better moment was the open letter to the Cleveland Cav fans of the world by Cav’s owner, Dan Gilbert. Boooooom!!!!! Man, the passion by Gilbert!!! Pure emotion!!! He may or may not regret releasing the letter as time goes by, but that letter was (Hells Kitchen host) Gordon Ramsey gold, just without the bleeps and eff-bombs. Gold-Jerry-Gold!!!!!!!

3. On a hoop stand point, was this the right decision? Only time will tell, but for now, Miami has only 2 uber-stars in LeBron and D-Wade and an all-star in Chris Bosh, with no other roster players let alone role players signed to the Heat roster. There’s no point guard, no defensive stopper, no 3-pt specialist, no big post banger.

At this point, depending on how much all 3 actually sign for, and what cap space is available for the Heat to sign other players, nothing should change from a production value for LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh. Actually it should increase as all 3 are going to have to average 30 points per game just to keep the Heat in their 5 on 3 game!!!

Looking at the other 5 teams involved in the sweepstakes, basketball wise, this is a ballzy decision by LeBron. Some of those other teams have some good supporting casts for LeBron's game. Chicago has a killer combo of size in Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and yes even Joakim Noah. Not to mention up and coming, if not already arrived point guard, Derrick Rose. Woulda been a good fit.

Heck, the Clippers would have a not-bad supporting cast in PG Baron Davis, SG Eric Gordan, 2nd year rookie, Blake Griffin and yes even Chris Kaman. But as ESPN uber-columnist Bill Simmon’s references many times, LeBron would probably have torn an ACL mid-way through training camp. Many people are talking about LeBron’s decision to go to Miami being part of the “Cleveland Curse”, but that pails in comparison to the “Clippers Curse”; pretty much their curse of existence.

Well there’s also the New Jersey (or Brooklyn) Nets. Devin Harris is a pretty good PG with serviceable big man, Brooke Lopez. Oh and one of his boyz, Jay-Z starting at part-owner, but they’re the Nets for pistol-pete sakes!!!

Basketball-wise, the Knicks were the worst choice for LeBron, with no one signed other then the ultimate 1-dimensional player in Amare Stoudamire. With no point guard to speak of as of yet for the NYK , that downgrades Amare to a 0.5-dimensional player without the gift passes of Steve Nash being spoon-fed to him.

But LeBron did lead an over-rated supporting cast in Cleveland last year to the best regular season record in the NBA. So any team he joined, even the new Uber-3 in South Beach will become an instant win machine.

But those questions of who will be the Heat supporting cast and can all 3 Uber’s (well 2 Uber’s and 1 All-Star) find enough touches is a juicy story line for the upcoming season. Can they play D? Are they even the best team in the Eastern Conference? Gotta admit, the Laker's signing Steve Blake is a killer role-signing for them. Damn!!!!! Lot's of juicy story lines.

4. Back to the debacle of the ESPN Special. Please, please, please!!!!! There has to be a Saturday Night Live parody in the making combining “Decision 2008” SNL-beauty, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and “LeBron Decision 2010” host, Jim Gray being played by a weasel.

5. Interactive time now. There is no way in hell that a “-gate” suffix gets stamped to LeBron’s decision. The “’-gate” suffix is as played as LeBron’s 1-hour ESPN announcement special, but some good ones so far are: The LeBacle, LeBronapalooza, Erin LeBrockalich. What else can there be? Discuss......