LeBron James: Can the Miami Heat Become LBJ's Team?

You would think a month after LeBron James decided to leave Cleveland and play for the Miami Heat that the furor would have subsided a little bit.

If anything, people's anger seems to be growing.

On Tuesday, the Omada Group, a marketing firm in Akron, purchased a $3,000 billboard just a few miles from LeBron's home. The billboard reads, "Welcome Home LeBron" with a red 'X' over "home". The next line asks: "How does it feel to be a sidekick?"

Add to that the parade of NBA Hall of Famers (Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley) who have bashed LeBron for teaming with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh rather than try to beat them, and it's been a bad month for the "King."

Barkley was particularly offended, saying, "LeBron, if he would've [stayed] in Cleveland, and if he could've got a championship there, it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade's team."

But those comments and the billboard assume that the Heat will remain Wade's team. Despite Wade having led Miami to the 2006 NBA title and LeBron never winning a championship, it is just as likely that James could arise as the leader of the Heat, with Wade as the subordinate.

NBA history provides several examples of long-established stars being uprooted from their position as team leader by a free agent pickup or draft pick.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar had been the unquestioned leader of the Los Angeles Lakers since he arrived from the Milwaukee Bucks in 1975. Like Wade, Jabbar had one title on his resume, but also five league MVP awards before the 1979-80 season.

When Los Angeles selected Magic Johnson No. 1 overall in the 1979 NBA Draft, the Lakers became "Showtime" with Johnson heading the fast break attack. Although Jabbar won his sixth MVP award for the '79-80 season, it was Johnson, subbing for an injured Jabbar in Game Six of the 1980 NBA Finals, who solidified himself as the new captain and led Los Angeles to the first of its five NBA titles in the decade.

The Philadelphia 76ers were Julius Erving's team from the moment he landed from the New York Nets before the 1976-77 season. Dr. J led the 76ers to three NBA Finals appearances in six years (1977, 1980 and 1982), but lost each time.

Then, two-time NBA MVP Moses Malone signed a free agent offer sheet and left the Houston Rockets for the 76ers before the 1982-83 season. Immediately, Philadelphia became his team. He led the 76ers to the 1983 NBA championship with a 12-1 postseason record, while collecting his third league MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards.

"The Admiral" David Robinson commanded the San Antonio Spurs for eight seasons (1989-1997), with one NBA MVP and no Finals appearances to show for it. When Tim Duncan was selected No. 1 overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, he relieved Robinson of his leadership duties and led the Spurs to four NBA titles in nine years, while collecting two leage and three Finals MVP trophies.

Is it plausible that LeBron could follow in the footsteps of Magic, Malone and Duncan?

James and Wade are best friends and alpha dogs. It's hard to imagine that Wade would be deferential to LeBron, or that James would demand Wade play second banana.

However, it's not about what they want. It's about Miami's style of play.

Both LeBron and Wade have spent their seven-year pro careers as penatrators who can get the basket with ease and need the ball in their hands a lot. It stands to reason that one of them will have to abandon that role, or at least reduce that part of their game.

Many basketball experts believe Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley want LeBron to run the offense as the point forward. 

That means the offense would naturally go through the two-time reigning MVP rather than Wade. It makes since LeBron's skill set is better suited for the point than Wade or Mario Chalmers.

That would also allow LeBron to play more like Magic, who he was compared to coming out of high school, than Michael Jordan, who has been trying to become since joining the NBA.

I can also the envision Miami running a version of the Lakers' triangle offense with LeBron, Wade and Bosh. That LeBron and Wade the freedom to slash to the basket or shoot the jumper on nearly every half-court possession.

There are two other reasons why LeBron might replace Wade as Miami's floor general.

First, James, 25, is nearly three years younger than Wade, who is 28. Second, Wade has a tendency to be injury prone. He has already missed 102 regular games in his pro career, mostly due left knee and left shoulder problems.

As good as LeBron has been the past two seasons, he's can actually get better as a basketball player. Wade is probably already at the peak of his basketball prowess.

If you were Spoelstra and Riley, would you put the Heat in the hands of the player with the bigger upside, or the player who drove the franchise to its only championship and is still capable of doing so?

It's an interesting dilemma, one that might take the entire 2010-11 season to play out.

But here what I know for sure: The Miami Heat is Dwyane Wade's team today, but that doesn't mean it can't be LeBron James' team tomorrow.