LeBron James: Should the Cleveland Cavaliers Retire LBJ's No. 23?

I know, I know. LeBron James broke the hearts of Cleveland fans everywhere. But a recent sub-article on NBA.com got me thinking about this subject.

Does No. 23 deserve to be immortalized in the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena?

I'm sure the only thing Dan Gilbert has in mind for No. 23 at this point is as a fuel source for fireplaces in Ohio come winter time.

But can you really discredit a two-time MVP who boasts career averages of 27.8 / 7 / 7? Surely the fact that he put Cleveland on the map is enough to secure a spot in the rafters for eternity?

LeBron led this Cavaliers team to countless division titles, league-best records, and a conference title, but he failed to bring them the one thing Cleveland fans needed the most: a championship.

It was he who promised that he would win a championship with the Cavaliers. Oh, how he ate his words.

Maybe if he had won one or two championships, his move to Miami would have been a whole lot easier and less controversial. But then again, I doubt he would be Miami-bound if he had done so.

But despite his lack of championships, he is still one of the greatest players of the decade.

If you have a player like this on your team, and he has been on your team for seven years, you'd think that you would be retiring his number when his career is done and dusted.

You'd think so, but no. I just don't see it happening with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Maybe sometime in the future, when all the hate dies down and everyone sees "The Decision" as a mere afterthought, but the way things are looking now, I just can't see the Cavaliers doing this.

Maybe if LeBron went about this whole free agency process differently, we'd be looking at this from another perspective. But in the end, LeBron still would have left the Cavaliers at the altar.

Now the Cavs are doomed to be the depressed bride to be for years to come, and LeBron is to blame. Why would you honor a person who betrayed you on national television?

But on the other hand, without LeBron, the Cavs would not of even had a sniff of the recent success they have had.

Sure they didn't win a championship, but they were at the centre of the NBA Universe for three to four seasons thanks to Mr. James. LeBron did his best to bring home the trophy, but was unsuccessful in doing so, simply being outclassed by superior teams.

The revenue and business he brought to the state of Ohio has to count for something. Some could argue that LeBron put Cleveland on the map, not as a strong basketball franchise, but as a city itself.

It is a tough decision. You have the on-court success against the off-court betrayal. But in the end, the overwhelming negativity brought forward by "The Decision" and the subsequent pure hatred from Cavalier fans basically makes this a closed case.