LeBron James: Why His NBA Legacy Is in a No-Win Situation

"I'm gonna take my talents to South Beach." Eight words that I guarantee you LeBron James wishes he could take back.

James, according to anyone with eyes, is the most gifted player in NBA history. He's built like a mac truck, as evidenced by his 6'9" 260-pound frame of pure muscle that is comparable to Karl Malone.

He has passing skills equal to or greater than that of any of the league's premier point guards.

He combines this with freakish athleticism and leaping ability on par with Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan.

His jump-shooting ability, though constantly ridiculed, has improved greatly over the past few seasons and he has developed a sometimes dangerous outside jumper.

His quickness and size makes James unstoppable when he puts his head down and drives to the basket which in many cases results in a highlight reel dunk.

I'll give you all of this: Just in terms of raw ability, LeBron James is a player that we have never seen and may never see again. He has Magic's passing ability, Karl Malone's body, Michael Jordan's athleticism and Dominique Wilkins' highlight reel dunking ability.

LeBron had the world in his hands. He was playing for his hometown team and had an entire city (and a large percentage of the nation) on his side. He was going to bring the city of Cleveland a championship; a city that's been dying for one for decades, and forever be hailed as a savior.

LeBron instead opted to leave at his first opportunity. He not only enraged the city that molded him into the man he is today, he did it on national television.

This moment sealed LeBron's fate as becoming one of the most hated figures in all of professional sports. James went from being mentioned in the same breath as Jordan and Kobe to being talked about with the detest of players such as Bill Laimbeer and Ron Artest.

This major popularity hit made it so the majority of fans (outside of Miami) will think of their hatred towards LeBron, before they think of his immense talent on the court.

Instead of building a championship contender with the team that drafted him, LeBron left to join two fellow stars, one of which had already been a Finals MVP.

When you think of most great players, you think of them playing for one team. With Jordan, you think of the Bulls, Magic the Lakers, Bird and Russell the Celtics and so on.

Leaving your original team is seen by many as taking the easy way out and admitting defeat.

Being in Miami with Dwyane Wade makes it difficult for LeBron to enhance his legacy to the level of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. One can always argue that Wade is the reason for the Heat's victories, no matter how well LeBron may play.

There are far less elite teams now than there used to be, so having two superstar players along with another All-Star makes it seem unfair. The odds of winning are stacked so far in the Heat's favor that they will be ridiculed if they lose, and barely acknowledged if they win.

LeBron James initially thought he made a great decision in joining the Miami Heat. He was going to a sunny city filled with beautiful beaches and entertainment, putting himself in prime position to win multiple championships.

However, "The Decision" makes it nearly impossible for LeBron to ever surpass the legacies of the all-time elite.