Debate Over LeBron James Decision Goes Beyond Sports World

Just when you thought LeBron James' decision has been overhyped enough (for those who lived under a rock this past week, he chose to play for the Miami Heat), Jesse Jackson is here to put the icing on the I'm-sick-of-hearing-about-this-story cake.

Like many overreported news stories in which the Rev. feels the need to get his Rainbow PUSH Coalition involved, you may be wondering what James' decision has to do with race relations. Well, as he has done many times before, Jackson has found a way to put the race card in play. 

Shortly after James said on ESPN's The Decision he will "take his talents to South Beach," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sent a letter to the fans referring the choice to go to Miami "cowardly" and personally guaranteeing his team will win an NBA title before LeBron does. Jackson's response to the letter?

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," the Rev. said in a release from his Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is a owner employee relationship - between business partners - and LeBron honored his contract."

While Jackson went way too far, as is his tendency, by comparing James to a "runaway slave," he does bring up a point that sums up the opinion of those who support LeBron's decision. The two-time NBA MVP is not obligated by Gilbert, or the people of Cleveland, to spend his career with just one team in one city no matter what.

Jesse's opinion, at least to a much lesser extent, represents one side of the debate over whether LeBron made the right decision. This side believes James does not owe anything to the Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland, and he has the right to do what he believes is best for himself.

The other side of the debate is represented by Gilbert. This side believes the city of Cleveland, to some extent, helped make LeBron the commodity that he is, and therefore has the right to be upset about James leaving town.

As a representative of the latter side, I had a conversation with my mom, who agreed with those debating on the former. While I found her opinion to be valid (and, believe me, arguing against my mom is a very arduous task), I brought up my own, and a restaurant legendary to the town in which we live came up.

The Shack, which is name of the Clinton, Ill.-based restaurant, has been around since 1920. Like LeBron James in Cleveland, The Shack has its own assets that make it marketable, but it also has loyal customers who help make it the legend that it is.

If The Shack were to leave Clinton in the same fashion as James left Cleveland, it would spark outrage that may lack in comparison with quantity, but may match in quality. 

While it may not have changed my mom's opinion (a difficult task, I again assure you), it got her to think about LeBron's decision from a different perspective. At the same time, Jesse Jackson's comments got me thinking about this news story from James' perspective.

I think, before The Decision becomes yesterday's news story, everyone should look at it from both perspectives. This way, we can all move on to our normal lives feeling better about ourselves.