LeBron James To Miami: Why the Backlash Over His Decision?

Last night, on a made-for-TV ESPN special simply titled “The Decision,” LeBron James announced he would join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh next season in Miami.  

Sports fans around the country, other than Miami, seemed to be up in arms.

How could he do that?

Why did he betray Cleveland?

Even fans in New York and Chicago felt betrayed, as if LeBron had already promised them an NBA title and then snuck out of town to head down to the Florida sun with his buddies.

But why the severe backlash over his decision?

Does anyone really blame LeBron for signing with Miami?

The guy has spent seven years in Cleveland, patiently waiting for the franchise to sign another decent player or two, and it never happened.

LeBron almost single-handedly brought the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 and deep into the playoffs in '09 and '10.  Michael Jordan wasn’t nearly as successful without a supporting cast in Chicago.

If Cleveland wanted LeBron to stay in town, they could have done so quite easily—they could have simply signed another big-time player or two.

Now, you might be saying that if LeBron had been adamant about staying in Cleveland, they would have signed another big-time player.  But it was too little too late.  Cleveland had seven years to sort that out.

In the end, who can really blame LeBron for heading down to Miami?

The team is very well managed with Pat Riley at the helm.

His two close friends, who also just happen to be two of the best players in the league, have already committed to play in Miami.

Miami is a large market.

The weather is great and the city is beautiful.

There’s no state income tax, which is almost irrelevant to most nine-to-fivers but is certainly relevant to those earning $20, $30, or $40 million per year.

And it’s almost a certainty that multiple NBA titles will be in his future down in Miami.

If you don’t live in Miami, you might not be happy about LeBron’s decision.  But take a step back, put aside your loyalties for just a moment, and ask yourself this question: If you were in LeBron’s shoes, would you have really made a different decision?