So-called basketball experts (looks in mirror) welcome LeBron's exercising of his right to the fundamentally American experience of having the freedom to negotiate his compensation with an employer. More than half the league will be able to restructure their team's make-up in an effort to lure LeBron. There are young, talented rosters in need of a leader and rival super teams made in Miami’s image.
Regular sports fans don’t give a flip about luxury taxes or midlevel exeception. Jerry Seinfeld called it twenty years ago: We love a player as long as he's wearing our jersey. However, when the greatest player on the planet decides he might want to swap jerseys for a second time, we utterly destroy him and attack his morals and character. We don't even treat politicians this way.
Loyalty is a virtue in relationships like marriage or country, but not in places of employment. People in other industries switch companies all the time for all manner of reasons. It’s only with our athletes that we define them by their commitment to their team. Tony Gwynn’s passing didn’t just teach us the dangers of chewing tobacco, it taught us of the very real value of an athlete to a city and its community.
That said, the Gwynns and Cal Ripken Jrs. of our world have gone the way of fellow tall tales like Paul Bunyon and John Henry. They simply don't exist in anymore. So why do we demand our athletes the same fealty to a team when said team and its fans can just turn on them?
We tell our children to follow their dreams. Why can’t we let Lebron follow his?
I’ll be using Mike Prada of SB Nation’s list of potential landing spots for LeBron to show that he can, indeed, go anywhere this summer.
Houston Rockets
Houston was assembled in the same vein as the Heat, so LeBron would be upgrading from Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to Dwight Howard and James Harden. While James can assume the team’s leadership and play making roles, having Howard’s big beef clogging the lane would hinder a key factor in Lebron’s game: drawing fouls at the basket.
Cleveland Cavaliers
If I’m going to stomp on the fantasy that is player loyalty, I might as well rub it in extra for Cavs fans. LeBron is at his apex and could carry a team to Finals appearances single-handedly. Cleveland has intriguing young pieces in Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, but not enough to tempt James.
Miami Heat
It’s the most obvious of destinations and the most likely. Lebron’s opting out has made way for Wade and Bosh to follow suit so they can all restructure their contracts to give the front office breathing room to buttress the roster with a proper supporting cast. Just as Riles hinted at earlier this month.
That said, someone disagrees with me and sees LeBron coming home.
.@_Charette_ @mellor_lauren I can see him retunring home to Cleveland
— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) June 25, 2014
Who am I to disagree with the lady?
