[Tim49461Participant]

Tonight was not even 50% for his ego doing the decision live on tv.

He knew ESPN was going to make a huge thing about it no matter what and decided he can help out the people by making all the money go to the B&G club. So i don’t see how this tv special was just him asking for attention.

What does he owe Cleveland really, what did they really do for him?!

He gave them 7 years to build a team around him. FAIL
He asked for help and got Williams, Shaq and Jamison. FAIL
The city had him growing up in poverty with no help what so ever from these suppose people who are saying he betrayed the city. FAIL

It is like a bad relationship and Lebron kept taking Cleveland back but it continued to mess up.

[llperez]

the cleavland fans embraced him and treated him like a star. He should have told them he was leaving straight up. Them having to find out while watching a "The Decision 2010" hourlong special on primetime was dirty. And dont kid yourself it was all about charity. Fact is lebron does not owe cleavland much, but he does owe them a certain amount of respect, and he failed.

[Tim49461Participant]

You’re missing the point, why does he owe them respect. They did nothing to him. He was a National icon before he entered the league. it just so happened he got placed in Cleveland. He would still be the star is today if he was on any other team.

If you remember he was ready to give his answer at like 9:15 it was ESPN that wanted the hour long special.

[JoeWolf1]

I was just watching sports center and I really liked what Mike Wilbon said about the old school mentality in regards to Jordan. He was knocked out by the Pistons 3 years, and only with marginal roster changes ( moslty through the draft) did he take the Bulls to the next level. Kobe got Shaq through free agency, but he stuck it out through another rebuliding effort and the Lakers won it again. I don’t see Lebron as someone who bolted because it was easy, but for being the best in the game you are always going to be compared to the greats before you and joining a super team will not tarnish his image at all, I understand why he did it, but he brought this all on himself with this special and the spectacle that tonight was. When Shaq left Orlando I saw it on sportscenter. Maybe I’m just old school, but while I don’t fault Lebron, thats just why I like Kevin Durant so much more.

[mrknowitall313Participant]

wasnt kobe all in the media n on the radio demanding to get traded? n when he was a free agent didnt he almost leave to go to the clippers of all teams? its funny how ppl get amnesia. he had shaq in his prime n then had the grizzles give them pau for free. if bosh or stoudamire would have came to cleveland we wouldnt even b having this discussion. thats not his fault nobody wanted to come there with him.

[llperez]

tim, you dont think he owes them even repsect, and im talking more about the city and the fans who have been blowing him for the last 7 years more so then management?

[NarcParticipant]

Why does he owe the fans respect??!! Dude are you kidding??!! Here is a guy who has spent HIS ENTIRE BASKETBALL CAREER in Cleveland! From the time he wore green and gold with the St. Vincent St. Mary Irish, to the time he wore wine and gold with the Cavs, the people of Cleveland dubbed him King James, and the second coming of legendary basketball. That fan base made him just as big a local legend as Jim Brown, and those are big shoes to fill, because to many he is the greatest to ever lace a pair of cleats. The state of Ohio made him what he is today, a house hold name.

[burningfloodParticipant]

Why does he owe them respect? It’s rather obvious and simple…because every year that LeBron was in that city, the fans loved him, they worshiped him, they would’ve done anything for him. They respected him on a level that most sports figures today never reach…he was the face of their entire city. And all he had to do in return was tell the world quietly where he was going, if he didn’t want to stay. He could’ve informed the Cavs staff, informed ESPN, and gone on to Miami on as good of terms as possible. He could’ve said no to the ESPN ‘The Decision’ farce, and let Cleveland fans know that they were special even if he had to leave.

What do you think makes someone deserving of respect? Jeez.

Oh, and for the record, most of us aren’t blaming LeBron for leaving. We’re disappointed by the way he chose to do it. He could’ve done it in a way that didn’t involve making everybody hate him. He could’ve shown class.

[JHong621Participant]

What Lebron did to the city of Cleveland, is like having this amazing, beautiful, do it all fiance that you have been with for 7 years. You can’t always give her the best gifts, but she doesn’t mind, she loves you anyways. You guys don’t know when you’re gonna get married, but you can feel it, and it’s gonna be soon. Then, without saying a word to you, she starts looking at other men, and once again without saying a word, she leaves you. Not to mention, she breaks up with you on national TV. That’s pretty harsh man.

[mrknowitall313Participant]

thats totally different cuz this is a business first

[JHong621Participant]

Okay, fine it is a business first, but Lebron could have handled his business A LOT better! It doesn’t matter what Gilbert did or didn’t do for him, his FANS loved him. They spent their hard earned money on him. He at least owes them a respectful goodbye.

[burningfloodParticipant]

It’s a business decision to go to a different team. It’s not a business decision to snub Cleveland on national television.

[mrknowitall313Participant]

how does putting it on tv make it worst? he couldve came to them n first n told them he was leaving n u really think it would have mattered to the fans that he came to them first? hell no!

[burningfloodParticipant]

Because it would’ve given them time to collect themselves. It’s like you’re watching, waiting, hoping, believing in your heart of hearts that LeBron will come back to you because he cares, because he’s from Cleveland and he loves the city, because he is loyal and unselfish, because he hasn’t yet told you that he will leave…and then he just leaves, without an apology, without a thank you, without any consideration for anything but winning that ring.

Would Cleveland fans still have been angry? Yes. Would they have been angry enough to burn his jersey, throw things at his billboard, and scare the police enough to send people to protect LeBron’s house? Possible, but unlikely.

[NarcParticipant]

It hurts so much more to see it on live TV. If it would have been on the ESPN bottom line, sure it would have hurt, but after a while you breathe that sigh of despair and your attention focuses on the team. Seeing it on TV, makes you replay him mouthing the words “I’ve decided to take my game to South Beach” over and over and over. When things are seen in person, especially something with the magnitude of hype this received, its hard to forget.

[JHong621Participant]

This is starting to become a cliche on this site, but I really wish Lebron did what Durant did. Just take the high road man. It would have saved heart break in multiple cities.

[NYCrealdealParticipant]

because he made a super team
everyone is angry because they know its very likely for heat to win several ships in a row
if lebron went to chicago ny i dont think people would have been as mad as miami with bosh and wade
but the positives will be rivalries will come bak chicago and heat will have one because homeown kid wade did not come and bosh nd lbj refused to com to
ny nd heat will renew thier rivalry
cleavland will hate miami
LA and Miami are on a collision course and lets see who comes out standin

[kaceyParticipant]

LeBron did handle this rather unprofessionally.

But ESPN didn’t make it any better. Their sources had been telling them for a day that he was headed to Miami, but ESPN was still saying there was a chance he might stay with the Cavs. Apparently this was a big deal for BING and University of Phoenix too. I’m sure both entities forked out some big money to get their TV time and ESPN had to follow through with their part and keep the ratings up. There was a screenshot where the U of Phx logo was off to the right of Stuart Scott for almost a minute.

[Imaking6004Participant]

From Brandon Jennings: “Never run away from your problems, man up. If it was easy we all would have a ring, Lebron did what he had to do I guess, should have been more low-key about it. He just affected alot of ppl in Cleveland, I don’t think he know how much the ppl in Cleveland loved him, it more then basketball to them I think…. Remember the great ones always stuck it out through the hard times. “Kobe” “MJ”..”

Personally I dont think anybody could had said it any better.

[HaleParticipant]

Kacey said it perfect.

[RekeDMCParticipant]

He wasn’t leaving “straight up,” he wanted to stay, but Bosh didnt want to come. So, he went where he could likely get a championship.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I guess when people are emotional they do not think rational. A lot of yall have said things that are false. When Lakers did not get him help Kobe wanted to leave. Bulls got Scottie Pippen by trading Charles Oakley. I took them awhile to build a good team but MJ did not get the pressure as soon as he got to the league to win a ring like Lebron.

Any city Lebron would have went to would have loved him and been hurt if he left. The fans made him what he is that is funny because when did Lebron suck and fans turned him to Jordan with their praise.

Also Lebron outplayed his whole team but he quit but everyone else did not.

[marcusfizer21Participant]

With that statement alone, Brandon Jennings earned my respect…

[finneganParticipant]

what lebron did is right. every player main objective is to get a championship ring.

i remember when jason kidd decided to stay in new jersey instead of joining san antonio as tim duncan teamate. if jason kidd has the balls to walk, he has a ring now. kidd regrets his decision on his once in a life time free agency on his prime. lebron and kidd are close friends, maybe lebron consult to jkidd on kidd experience during his free agency year.

[meisi4Participant]

hey i think you guys still don´t get what most of us mean who say lebron made a mistake…
he made a right decison from a basketball standpoint that everybody understands:

its just the way he approached this whole FA thing and the way he finished it in that “Decison 2010” farce. i think he did this to improve his value and his name but he just carried it over the top and imo hurt his stock more than a raised it.

it is not the decison he made but the things happend going into free agency and the way he finished it.

again not that he left is annoing it is the way he left…

[mrknowitall313Participant]

kobe stuck it out cuz the lakers refused to trade him. he was crying all on the radio dont act like yall forgot! had they found a trade they liked he wouldnt b there. period!

[mrknowitall313Participant]

reggie miller stuck it out what happened to him? karl malone? john stockon? patrick ewing? had shaq stayed in orlando would he have one now? hell no!

[Author]

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