Trying to Fit a Square Peg in a Round Hole: The Case of LeBron James

The state of Florida can now be certifiably classified as the epicenter of the basketball world.

There is Dwight Howard and the new Amway Center in Orlando as well as the new big three consisting of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh in Miami.

No state in the union can tout that kind of NBA clout, not even New York with Amar'e Stoudemire and Devon Harris in New Jersey.

James signed his new contract a few days ago that will pay him $115 million dollars over six years. This, of course, came after his decision on his one hour TV special entitled “The Decision” which aired on ESPN. James told Jim Grey that he would take his talents to South Beach and play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to pursue his first ring.

Needless to say there was fallout from Bron-Bron’s decision as he would leave his beloved hometown of Akron, or Cleveland, and turn his back on the millions of people that love him in Ohio.

Cavalier fans burned his jerseys, tore down his posters, and called him the ultimate traitor for leaving them high and dry.

The Cleveland police department dispatched officers to Bron-Bron’s home to make sure it wasn’t vandalized after his announcement as people threatened to deface his property.

Uhhhh, let’s see what else. Oh I know, that 3,000 story tall poster of LeBron that said “We are all witnesses” was brought down also. I mean I guess that mural would have to be removed since James is no longer in Cleveland.

Next up was the never brash owner of the Cleveland Cavilers, Mr. Dan Gilbert.

Soon after LeBron’s decision Gilbert posted a scathing e-mail about James to the team’s website calling James “egotistical,” “narcissistic,” and a “selfish coward.”

Gilbert’s e-mail became a rallying cry for Cavs fans who felt deserted and wronged by their “former hero,” at least according to Gilbert he’s the city’s former hero.

Dan was so angry that he told the Associated Press that he felt that James quit on the team in the playoffs last year and this year in the Boston Celtics series. Gilbert’s assaulted is documented now, so there is no turning back. I guess the same goes for James as the ink on his contract with the Heat is now officially dry.

Well now Jesse Jackson has entered the battle between James and Gilbert.

Jackson said that Gilbert had the mentality of a slave master in talking about James and treated LeBron as if he were a runaway slave.

Now there are a few issues that many took with Jackson’s sentiment. The first argument that I heard had to do with the amount of money that James makes as an NBA player.

According to a figure released by CNN LeBron’s worth could shoot past $500 million by the time he’s done playing in the NBA. No slave ever saw that type of money while living on the plantation.

There was also the argument of LeBron and free will; his ability to choose where he wanted to work. Slaves were not given the right to choose their work locations or where they wanted to live. They were bought and sold as objects, not human beings. Once James finished his contract with the Cavs he had the ability to choose his next team, not the other way around.

The last argument was that of the year in which we live, 2010.

The abolishment of slavery happened a long time ago and African-Americans have been afforded many rights since that point.

To have a young African-American male host an hour long special on ESPN to announce where he will play next season and sign a contract that’s worth more than some countries' Gross Domestic Product is something that slaves never could dream about.

Jackson by no means is suggesting that James is a slave or that Gilbert was his slave master.

Gilbert’s words of fire directed toward James had the tone of a man who was left at the altar after putting in seven years of hard work to get her to say yes to marriage.

They were so close to winning a title and Gilbert was so sure that James would stay because of his love for his hometown and his need to win a title by himself, not aided by another superstar, that up until the day that James made his decision Gilbert was still professing that LeBron would stay.

What Jackson meant by his comments regarding Gilbert is that Dan viewed LeBron as his sole property and James was wrong for trying to leave, hence the mentality of a slave owner.

Jesse was correct in his assessment that Gilbert viewed James as a piece of property that he solely owned and his anger spilled over because he lost his $100 million prize. Editor’s note: James improved the value of the Cavaliers by $100 million during his time in Cleveland.

Where the divide begins is pretty much where it ends, between black and white.

I heard Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan state that white people view Gilbert’s comments as a jilted lover and ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said that he absolutely agreed with Jackson.

So I guess when it comes to issues of race we’ll always continue to try and place a square peg in a round hole. Sometimes it just doesn’t fit.