LeBron James' Choice: Championships Over Greatness
After holding the sports world hostage for the past 2 weeks, LeBron James has chosen to play with the Miami Heat.
By all means, it's a great decision if all he wants to do is win championships. What LeBron doesn't realize is that he has just given up on the opportunity to become great.
LeBron will never be known as the next Great One.
The self-proclaimed "King" has just been invited as a sidekick, one of the three players who may possibly win multiple championships. ONE OF THREE.
No longer can LeBron say he has "led his team" to a championship and, in doing so, he will forever lie in the shadow of Dwayne Wade.
Kobe doesn't see himself as a five-time NBA champion, he sees himself leading his team to two that are his championships. MJ lead his team to six, Duncan has four, and Russell had 11. Even the lesser known hall of famers led their teams to championships; like Hakeem Olajuwon with two and Shaq with.
What we do know is that all these players were never a sidekick.
They led their team to championships. They were the unequivocal leader of their respective team. They became great.
Of course, all those players had help, but in the end when asked as to who the heart of those teams were, it was always those players that were mentioned. Chicago will always be known as MJ's city. There are statues and relics recognizing MJ everywhere. Utah has Malone and Stockton. The Lakers have stars on the Hollywood walk of fame, and the Celtics legends have statues recognizing them in Boston.
This is a legacy that LeBron can never achieve anymore.
The Cavaliers tried their best to get LeBron all the help in the world. In the end, LeBron gave up on the Cavaliers. The Eastern Conference semis between Boston and the Cavaliers saw some of the most unmotivated performances from LeBron all year. It is as if LeBron knew then that he wanted to leave and go play elsewhere.
LeBron could have gone to Chicago where he would have been the best player on an emerging force that already had Boozer and Rose. He could have gone to New York, where they already had another monster of a player waitin, in Amar'e Stoudemire. Or, he could have stayed in his hometown of Cleveland, where he was worshipped like a god.
The difference with those teams was that LeBron was building himself a dynasty where he would have been the best player, PERIOD. Those teams would have become his team. He would have expanded his horizons and truly become the global icon he always dreamt of becoming.
In going to Miami, he sacrificed all of that.
Congrats LeBron, now you can forever be known as the superior Scottie Pippen, the ultimate wingman, Dwayne Wade's shadow. Perhaps, that was all you were ever destined to be.
