LeBron James and the 10 Biggest Villains of the 2010 NBA Season
As LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh emerged from the smoke surrounding the stage in Miami, Pat Riley watched in the audience with a look of unbelievable satisfaction.
As the big three walked down the runway, a feeling of jealousy and surprise could be felt resonating across the basketball world.
Pat Riley did it; he pulled off the unthinkable. The rest of the NBA has no choice but to hope for the worst as the Heat prepare to embark on the march toward a title.
Elsewhere, there are less evil villains dotting the NBA landscape, including a confident young star in Chicago and a gun-toting guard in Washington, D.C.
Here's a look at the NBA's biggest villains of the 2010 season.
No. 10: Derrick Rose
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Who needs LeBron, anyway?
Apparently not Derrick Rose, who reportedly failed to kneel at the King's feet and extend the olive branch to the most coveted free agent in the history of sports.
Rose's apparent indifference showed a great deal of confidence and competitive drive some never believed he possessed.
By failing to make overtures to LeBron, Rose made a statement that he himself wants to be the alpha dog to lead his hometown team back the the NBA Finals.
As admirable and unusual as it might be, Rose's indifference towards LeBron could be enough to vex some Bulls fans who are well aware of what the addition of the megastar would have meant to the Bulls' chances.
No. 9: Joe Dumars
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At some point, Joe Dumars is going to have to face the music for what he has done to the Pistons roster.
Still riding high off assembling an NBA Championship club with a collection of decent players who were acquired for next to nothing, Dumars has used his license to spend on a strange collection of players.
He spent over $80 million on Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon despite having no obvious need for the talents or shortcomings of either player.
Aside from 2010, when he selected Greg Monroe in the lottery and talented Terrico White in the second round, Dumars hasn't drafted particularly well and has failed to clear out a crowded collection of small forwards and shooting guards.
Frankly, the signing of Tracy McGrady might have been his best move in years, assuming of course that he manages to unload Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince.
No. 8: Dwyane Wade
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Dwyane Wade somehow managed to convince arguably the most talented basketball player on the planet to leave his kingdom and head to an appealing but alarmingly bare location.
When Wade made his pitch to LeBron, there was no guarantee what exactly the Heat would be able to pull off to complete a roster than had just two players under contract.
Nonetheless, Wade convinced James and Chris Bosh to head south and seek fortune and fame.
Now that the Heat have filled out the bench with more-than-capable role players, it appears that Wade talked the two stars into helping him ravage the NBA for years to come.
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No. 7: Gilbert Arenas
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Did you forget about Gilbert Arenas?
Lost in the crazy summer was the Wizards failure to move Agent Zero and his large contract in an effort to turn the page and usher in the John Wall era.
The acquisition of Kirk Hinrich means there is now truly no place for his talents in D.C.
With his persona and albatross of a contract, Arenas will give Wizards' management plenty of headaches until the team finds away to move on.
No. 6: Amar'e Stoudemire
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Does Amar'e Stoudemire really have enough power to convince Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul to join him at the Garden?
It remains to be seen, but the $100 million man has demonstrated an eagerness to create a threesome with the idea of competing with the Miami Heat.
After Wade helped Miami engineering the coup this summer, the rumors suggest Stoudemire's dream could come true as early as next season.
Get ready for the scales to tip in the Eastern Conference's favor.
No. 5: Carmelo Anthony
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Please, not again.
After being at the mercy of "The Decision" and other bizarre moments throughout the free agent frenzy, there is increasing speculation that Carmelo Anthony's desire to be traded is becoming more than just a rumor.
Will Anthony put NBA fans away from the New York metropolitan area through the ringer and wage a public campaign to find a new home? Probably not.
But if he does, he will create another chapter in the age of ego-driven superstars who use the media as a pulpit.
No. 4: Chris Paul
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Chris Paul took it a step further than Carmelo Anthony by calling out the Hornets' management for doing next to nothing in free agency in an effort to get the team headed back in the right direction.
Now, Paul is prepared to turn his back on New Orleans and go to a winning team.
It's difficult to argue with Paul's case consider the Hornets offseason, which produced the epic free agent signing of Aaron Gray and the trade of young, talented and inexpensive backup point guard Darren Collison.
Ultimately, the idea that players can pick the teams they want to play by demanding trades has never sat well with fans of any professional sport.
No. 3: Chris Bosh
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Chris Bosh has amused us with his creativity and sense of humor, and is clearly one of the NBA's weirdest dudes. But is he really good enough to shift the balance of power in the NBA?
Apparently, the answer is yes. The notion that Bosh and LeBron James were a packaged deal ended up coming true on South Beach.
Bosh's portfolio of being an All-Star forward who has never won anything or played much defense in his career was somehow good enough to command almost as much attention and interest as Wade and James.
Making matters worse, Bosh documented the free agency process with his own film crew and teased his followers on Twitter with tweets including, "today is gonna be a great day."
Don't worry Chris, your days of not getting the attention you deserve are over.
No. 2: Pat Riley
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Pat Riley looks a bit like an evil mastermind, with his gaunt appearance, slicked back hair, and the look of satisfaction that might never leave his face.
One of the better coaches in NBA history, Riley also became one of the best executives when he surrounded the Heat's big three with a roster easily good enough to win an NBA Championship on paper.
In the process, he killed the dreams of many NBA fans hoping the Heat would merely be a three-man team surrounded by D-Leaguers incapable of making open shots.
No. 1: LeBron James
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The most polarizing athlete on earth at the moment, LeBron's "Decision" caused many NBA fans to join the ranks of Silky Johnston and hate on the King's parade.
Even if the season ends with an actual championship celebration instead of a souped-up pep rally that made LeBron look even more foolish, it will difficult for basketball fans to erase the memory of being forced to watch a painful hour-long special to discover where the best player on the planet was taking his talents.
It remains to be seen if LeBron will finally win an NBA Championship, or if he will take the big shots in crunch time.
His decision thrust him into a pressure cooker, where everything he does will be placed under a microscope.
There's undoubtedly plenty of basketball fans who would like nothing more than to see LeBron James fall flat on his face.
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