My feeling about Lebron James, the scapegoat

I posted My gut feeling about Lebron James or my hope on July 8 right before LeBron announced his new team on ESPN.

Picture obtained from ESPN's Lebron James profile site

I talked with my friends about that many times since then. I thought LeBron James was a scapegoat.

ESPN and NBA could garner national attention, because of LeBron saga.

I, who haven’t watched NBA since Michael Jordan retired, even followed NBA on ESPN.

I even watched some games this season.

But, what about LeBron?

What did he get? Every player moves. Many teenagers have, kind of, a dream that they would leave their hometown once they graduate from a high school if things are allowed. LeBron hasn’t done it until this year.

And, LeBron did it in front of millions of eyes on ESPN. It was like a betrayer show.

Everyone can do it, but, LeBron did it on a show put by ESPN and NBA.

Well, yes, he got what he wanted to get.

Really?

My worry is coming true. The only way LeBron could avoid being a scapegoat was to win often and win lots of championships.

I don’t think Miami (8-7), though, is a big contender this season. It is still very early in the season, but, I don’t know if Miami Heat shows the same power that Boston Celtics showed after K.G. arrived at Boston in 2007.

Miami may bounce back and win the championship someday, maybe this year. But, can LeBron be happy with the decision he made at his age of 25?

He could’ve been a legend. Well, he may eventually become a legend when he retires with three or four championship rings with Miami.

But, did he really need to announce his leaving his hometown on the promotional show made by ESPN and NBA?

At this point, I just can’t change my original feeling about LeBron James, the scapegoat.

 

My gut feeling about Lebron James or my hope

Lebron James is going to decide tonight at 9 ET on ESPN.

When I heard this, I thought, wow, it sounds like college football recruit, where 18-year-old kids try to play a super-star game. But, it might be much bigger, since those 18-year-old kids may not even play for at least one season and get a red shirt in their college, and very few of them become a real college football super star, and what Lebron wants is not a super-star game. Lebron is a super star already.     

I am hearing that he’s leaning toward Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls may also get him. But, I don’t know. I feel like there might be a big twist at the end. Or, that might be my hope, because of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.       

Michael Jordan won his championship with Bulls picture obtained from basketball-tips-and-drills.com

 

Kobe Bryant won Championship with LA Lakers picture obtained from NBA.com

 

Michael Jordan only played for Chicago Bulls and won six NBA championships. Kobe Bryant also played only for Lakers and won five NBA championships. People, especially, remember them as a leader and led the team to the championship. Kobe, especially, was remembered as a leader when Lakers made NBA championship appearance in 2007-2008 season for the first time after O’Neal left the team after 2003-2004 season.         

Once I studied hometown players’ impact on NBA attendance, one of the data I collected, actually, showed great impact of Lebron James. In 2003-2004 season, Lebron James brought 34% more on Cavaliers’ attendance.       

Cavaliers have not been very far from championship in recent years. I konw Lebron wants a championship ring. But, I think both Lebron and Cleveland need to know something. What do people want to have today? A hero or a super star? Kobe won the NBA championship in recent year and K.G. also won it three years ago wearing Boston Celtics’ uniform. Well, who do you think closer to Michael Jordan’s legacy? I don’t think it is K.G, even though I really think K.G. is a great player.       

Well, if Lebron chooses Heat tonight, he may get a championship ring with Wade and Bosh. But, media is weirdly quiet about Cleveland Cavaliers. Isn’t it the sign of Lebron staying? It might be good for Lebron, IF he wins championship someday soon before he wants to leave again. He may become much closer to Jordan and Kobe’s legacy with his championship ring with his hometown team, Cleveland Cavaliers. It might be good for NBA, who needs a hero and a cinderella team like Cavaliers badly. It should be good for Cavaliers to have championship in its history. Also, fans will love to see their local product leads a team to championship. It might be good for many American people, who will have observed the journey of a hero.       

I don’t know. But, I kind of feel that Lebron will sign with Cleveland Cavaliers, or that is my hope as a teacher of PR and I always wish the best to all sports organizations including NBA.       

And, unlike 18-year-old high school kids, who just wants to enjoy little bit of attention before they wear the red shirt as a freshmen in college, Lebron is already a super star and what he wants is, actually, not a championship ring, but a legacy, which Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird had, and Kobe now has. Or, that’s just my hope. Well, at least, if Lebron stays, I will be a die-hard fan of Cavaliers.         

 

Lebron wants to have a legacy that Kobe Bryant has picture obtained from CAVSnews.com