A Question of Loyalty? A Look at the Lebron James Hysteria:

I'd like to ask why a player in basketball should be loyal, in the sense that if they don't think they're in the best place to further maximize what they're capable to do in the decade or so they have as a healthy basketball player, why should they feel obligated to remain with their assigned team?

The keyword there is assigned.  Every year, the 60 young athletes drafted into the NBA from college and abroad are not given a choice as to what organization they are assigned to.  And remember, this is a league where players are on a seemingly constantly churning swap meet, further watering down the feeling of "family" that certain fans and media outlets like to propagate as the ideal (if not the norm).  You'll rarely find a role player smashed by the public if they decide to part ways with their current organization in search of a situation that better fits them.  So, what is it about the great players that some feel should be indebted to a team for life, and if they leave it's akin to being a traitor. Assuming that they gave it their all in their time playing for an organization, the moral obligation that the best of the best face is just not fair to them. 

This isn't a dictatorship; I'm a fan of the idea that a player should be allotted at least one "free pass" in their basketball career to actually decide for once where it is they want to play, rather than the organizations, media, or even the fans.  These guys worked their tail off their entire lives to get to the point they're at, it's the least they deserve, no?

We have to remember that all situations are not created equal, and some players are brought into the league playing for organizations that will have a much tougher time drawing top level talent (I'm looking at you, Cleveland).  It's highly circumstantial and involves luck as much as anything else. Should a guy like Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan really be given any more credit than someone like Tracy McGrady or Lebron? The prior two were drafted into the most ideal situations possible; amazing coaches, fantastic ownership and two of the top three centers in the league right along their side to help them grow and flourish under the spotlight of the playoffs without having to immediately be "The Guy".  

Beyond that, let's not forget that when things got rough for Kobe, he demanded a trade from the organization (in a non contract year) if they were unable to turn it around immediately.  Without the miracle deal that the shrewd Lakers front office was able to pull off for Pau Gasol (though, admittedly, with the strides his younger brother Marc has taken, it is looking to be far less lopsided at this point), then Kobe would be a Chicago Bull right now.  One could compare it to a man who threatened to cheat on his wife if he was not given everything he feels he's owed to another man who left his wife after they realized everything was not working out and were legally separated.  I think that with the advent of "The Decision" (which is actually the one facet that was over the top and handled poorly by LBJ in this whole process) people lost track of just how well he handled the most significant off season move in league history.  He couldn't go one game without being hounded by the media, yet he kept his cool and always maintained that he "did not know yet" and would take everything into account after the post-season.  Then, on the first day he possibly could have signed, he did just that.  Do I wish it was to a team other than the Heat?  Yup, sure do.  But that's not my decision, and what right do I truly have to call him out on that?  I personally believe that both the Thunder and the Lakers have a legitimate shot at beating that team over the next half decade of the super-threes contract, so is it much of a stretch to consider that this signing was just an attempt to remain competitive with the elite of the league?

We have to realize that the best player Lebron had the fortune of playing with during his Cleveland tenure was one season of a young Carlos Boozer, who immediately booked town when Utah was able to offer him more money to play for the prestigious and perennial playoff organization.  And Lebron was only a rookie at that point, while Boozer just was a sophomore, so we couldn't have expected them to make any noise together.  

As each progressive free agency came and went, the Cavs management consistently failed to sign a marquee free agent (not once did they have a top 5 player at any position to play alongside James... please bite your tongue before bringing up the pseudo all star season of Mo Williams).  They were always a team that played tough D and could rely on Lebron to win the majority of the regular season games, but when it came to playing the teams with elite defenses of their own, fantastic coaching, and strong front-courts?  They just could not compete for an entire series.  And rest assure, no player in the NBA could have taken that squad to a title in this league (possibly no player in NBA history).

Who can really blame the guy for wanting to spend the rest of his prime with some of his good friends in a marquee American city.  And as amazing as this current Heat team is, top to bottom they still will have trouble competing against the length of the Lakers. Yet we praise Kobe for his loyalty?  Please.  All situations are not created equal, and I think more of us need to respect that.