Junc, you really need to give it a rest. This is professional basketball not politics. Yea, Lebron could have gone down as a Cleveland legend, I mean a city could have been named in his honor when it was all said and done, but the man played out his contract and he wanted to play ball somewhere else. I don't see what the problem is. Yea if he held his team hostage then I could see a more justified criticism, but because in your opinion he is this almighty god, he should have stayed, but yet we see future HOF's like Garnett and Melo demand trades pretty much and that gets swept under the rug . . . I am not following. He was not obligated to stay. Didn't the man have like a 26 point quarter in the playoffs and still lose? Lebron is such a complete player, to have a sidekick like Wade next to him, it allows him to become a better defender, passer and rebounder.
IMO Wade is a much more natural scorer than Lebron . . . but Lebron is such a more complete player that it fits his game to have a guy like Wade next to him. I know people don't want to believe that, but it's true. This all sounds like a cryfest to be honest with you . . . do you really think the WAY he left Cleveland is gonna effect his legacy if he wins 5 rings in a row? Hell even if he only wins 3? Trust me it won't. He has the opportunity to create a dynasty here in Miami, something he will be remembered for much more than grinding out a ring in Cleveland, if that thought was even possible.
He apologized to Cleveland because he knows he let down alot of fans by not returning, but he isn't obligated to return once his contract is up. Pairing up 2 stars is the way of getting it done in the NBA in this day and age. The fans that now dislike him in Cleveland have been replaced by ones who LOVE him in Miami. It is just the way things go.
You of all people know that Dan Marino is the greatest QB of all time, but gets overlooked because he "stuck it out" and could never win that ring . . . just how Malone will start getting overlooked, just how Barkley gets overlooked and how Pat Ewing gets overlooked. Lebron faced a similar fate if he stayed in Cleveland and whether "his brand" required a change of venue or not, he played his contract out, giving him the opportunity to do whatever the **** he wanted. There won't be any asterisks in the record book saying "won title with Wade" . . . it will say "Miami Heat" won a title, its a TEAM sport, no matter how great you think one individual player is.
