LeBron James Criticism Is Warranted, But There's Fault On Both Sides

July 8, 2010 will always be regarded as a dark, ominous day in Cleveland's already sad history. Even sad sports memories such as "The Shot," "The Drive," "The Fumble," Red Right 88, and Art Modell taking the Browns away couldn't equal to half the impact that one man and his decision had on an entire city.

On the evening of July 8, Akron's (former) son, the self-proclaimed "King" LeBron James uttered words on national TV that shook the core of his former team and the city of Cleveland itself: "I've decided to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat."

The second that LeBron James said those words, months of speculation and anxiety turned instantly into sorrow and pain for a entire city. Now, I know that there have been many articles like this, so let me take a second to let my readers know where I stand:

Did LeBron James break any laws or do anything wrong when he decided to leave Cleveland and sign with the Miami Heat? No. LeBron was a free agent and exercised his right to sign with any team he desired, he honored his contract with Cleveland.

Did LeBron cause thousands of people suffering and heartache after he quit in game 6 of the East Semis, cut off communications with his (former) organization, dragged out his free agency for months, and then finally announced his decision on TV where he basically pissed all over the people that supported him for years after he dragged them through the mud for months on end? Yes.

Whether you're a fan of LeBron or not, the way he handled his free agency can't be defended in any way, shape, or form. A lot of people (mostly Heat fans) have tried to make excuses for LeBron and the "Decision" by saying that it was good because it benefited charity. A lot of people give to charity without making jackasses out of themselves and publicly feeding their own egos at the same time, why couldn't LeBron?

The way LeBron made his decision was classless and disrespectful to the people who loved and supported him, and trust me there were a lot of people that pretty much idolized him.

When you think about what Micheal Jordan did to the city of Cleveland for numerous years, it's easy to see how much LeBron meant to the city of Cleveland. After years of suffering defeat at the hands of the Bulls, the people of Cleveland were happy to finally see a No. 23 that they could cheer for instead instead of boo, applaud when he rose to shoot instead of hold their breaths in fear.

LeBron, in a lot of ways, was seen a savior in Cleveland's time of despair. He was their hope, their light, and their faith in bleak times. He meant a lot to them and they cherished him like he was one of their own (he basically was, he was right from their backyard).

And now we come to the other part of the problem:the Cleveland fans. When LeBron was first drafted and he came into the league, he was instantly showered with love, admiration and respect by the Cleveland fan base and organization—big mistake.

For any parents that read this article, you will truly understand what I'm about to say next: Imagine this, you have a child that wants a new toy and he comes to you to ask you to purchase it for him, now in this situation you have one of three options:

1) Buy it for him

2)Tell him no

3) Buy it for him, but on the condition that he must show you that he really wants and deserves it

Result of option No. 1: You buy the toy for him with no strings attached and he has fun with it but doesn't understand or respect its value and worth.

Result of option No. 2: He either becomes sad or angry.

Result of option No. 3: He works hard for it, then you fulfill your promise and get him the toy, he respects and values it because of the hard work that he put in to get it.

Had the people of Cleveland made LeBron work for their love, admiration, and respect, then he would have cherished it more and then maybe he wouldn't have embarrassed and disrespected the people that loved him and left Cleveland the way he did.

To me, LeBron isn't a bad or evil person; he seems like a cool guy, but his ego is constantly overshadowing his character, and things such as posts on twitter and interviews in GQ aren't helping.

As for Lebron's decision to team up with Wade and Bosh in Miami, I will say this: The players you play alongside with help make you great; the players you defeat make you immortal.