LeBron James: Is His Apology to Cleveland Too Little, Too Late?
LeBron James finally got past the Celtics in the NBA playoffs.
However, this time around he had the help of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as opposed to Daniel "Boobie" Gibson and Anderson Varejão.
James averaged 28 points, four assists and eight rebounds during the Boston series. Game 3 was his worst performance, which happened to be the Heat's only loss.
LeBron was very clutch, something not often associated with him, in the closing minutes of Games 4 and 5. He hit big-time threes to put the game out of reach.
It was clear he wanted to be the one that beat the Celtics.
If LeBron were still in Cleveland, there is no way they would have made it past the second round. He couldn't beat the Celtics in the postseason. LeBron knew this was true, which is why he took his talents to South Beach.
Should we hate him for wanting to win? Absolutely not, my friends, because that is what sports is all about. Will it hurt his legacy in the end? Possibly so, but I'm not here to debate that right now.
After the game LeBron made interesting comments about what it meant to join the Heat and why he left Cleveland. Per ESPN:
"I knew deep down in my heart, as much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland and as much as I loved home, I knew it couldn't do it by myself against that team.
The way it panned out with all the friends and family and the fans back home, I apologize for the way it happened. I knew this opportunity was once in a lifetime. To be able to come down here and pair with two guys and this organization -- in order for me to move on with my career, that team that we just defeated, we had to go through them.
"
The sincere apology to Cleveland comes exactly a year after LeBron was unable to beat the Celtics while with Cleveland. However, was this apology too little, too late?
On July 8, 2010, LeBron James announced in an ESPN special dubbed The Decision that he was taking his talents to South Beach.
It was all anyone could talk about for the rest of the summer and on into the season. LeBron spurned the city of Cleveland and left thousands of fans hurting.
People burned jerseys and created hate websites. Road fans constantly booed LBJ and the Heat.
LeBron apologized to Akron, but never to Cleveland. Last night he finally did, but it was way too late.
I find it very interesting he apologizes after he finally beat the Celtics. I would love to hear from Cleveland fans if they're buying this apology.
I do believe that it was honest and sincere, but the timing is just wrong. Why wait until now to apologize to the city you left? Why couldn't you have done it sooner?
Let me make this clear: I don't hate LeBron. I hate The Decision and how everything went down. Had he apologized before the season began, or at the moment he made his choice, things would have been much different.
Part of me believes LeBron was happy he left because of the way Cleveland reacted. While that may be true, he still should have been the bigger man here and apologized sooner. He could have shown everyone that he is a mature guy.
Clearly he could see how much his decision affected the city. A quicker apology could have prevented people from booing and hating him so much.
Maybe LeBron liked to be booed. Maybe everyone hating him so much fueled him. That's a good use of motivation, but honestly, he didn't need it. LeBron is one of the top five players in the league, and he just paired up with another top-five player. What possible motivation do you need to play well? Winning games was often a breeze for this team.
I wouldn't say Cleveland deserved an apology immediately because LeBron has a right to do whatever he wants. If he wants to join a team that will always help him win, then that's fine. Free agency is a part of sports, and fans need to accept that.
However, waiting 10 months to apologize to the city is far too long. After seeing how much pain he caused Cleveland, he should have been the bigger man and apologized sooner.
Maybe he wasn't mature enough then. It appears that he is now. Does this mean we're seeing a new LeBron?
