"King James" is Dead

Credit Lebron James for giving up money in the pursuit of a championship. In today's society we constantly belittle athletes for chasing the almighty dollar over the glory of victory. Lebron will most likely win a championship down in Miami...or two...or three, and that has been his goal all along.

All these things are good for Lebron the man but bad for Lebron the player. From the look of it, Lebron has taken the easy way out to winning a championship. Dwayne Wade is the face of the Miami Heat. He has won a championship for the city and has done a tremendous job in recruiting Chris Bosh and Lebron James to South Beach. No matter how many titles this trio wins together going forward, Dwayne Wade will always have one more. The perception will always be that Lebron needed Wade to win a title but Wade clearly did not need Lebron.

For all of his successes in Cleveland, Lebron was never able to win a championship for his home town team. In each of the last two seasons the Cavaliers have had the best record in the NBA only to fall short of reaching the Finals. The Chicago Bulls endured a similar fate in the early years of Michael Jordan's career, losing three straight years to the Pistons in the playoffs. The difference in the eventual outcomes, however, was that Michael Jordan didn't join the Pistons, he ended up defeating them. That is the kind of triumph that Lebron James will now never attain.

No matter how many titles Lebron wins in Miami, his career will always be looked back on in one way...He could not win in Cleveland and he needed a Dream Team to win his championships. Most of the all time great players had a wing man when they won their titles, but there was always a reasonable gap from Option A to Option B. When Chicago was winning in the 90s, Jordan was clearly "the guy" and then there was a drop off to Pippen. In contemporary times, Kobe is "the man" and then there is a drop off to Gasol. In Miami that will not be the case. Lebron will be surrounded by another top 5 NBA player in Wade and another top 10 player in Bosh. However many championships the Heat ultimately win, the trio will always be the story, not Lebron.

Lebron does not deserve criticism for his choice. He defended himself very well against his naysayers. Great trios like Kareem, Magic, and Worthy and most recently Pierce, Allan, and Garnett are very capable of winning championships. The problem with that argument, however, is that Lebron is held to a higher standard. "The King" isn't supposed to need a Dream Team trio to win a championship. That is why his legacy is taking a hit with this decision. He will win titles but will never receive the praise and credit he thinks he deserves.

Even if he was hell bent on leaving Cleveland, New York and Chicago would have been better options for him to win and keep his image in tact. He would undoubtedly be the number one option in either city and he would have a chance to compete for championships in both scenarios.

Lebron came into this league being compared to the all time greats. He has failed to live up to those expectations in the past and present and his Miami decision will greatly hinder his ability to live up to those expectations in the future. With the supporting cast he now has around him, he better win at least eight championships. But in the eye of the public opinion, maybe that won't be enough.