He was admired by many since coming to Cleveland 5 years ago. He pushed the franchise to become one of the best in the NBA for half a decade. The fans loved his passion and devotion, and he made millions from his team's success. But now, he has tarnished his reputation. In one night, he not only made a mockery of himself and Cleveland, but also managed to turn an otherwise sympathetic situation into a circus of hatred. And no, I'm not talking about LeBron James. This man is Dan Gilbert, a 48-year old cry baby in a suit.
The 2002 NBA season was a blessing for the Cleveland Cavalier organization. They won only 29 games in the 2001-2002 season, and fell to the bottom of the East the next year, winning an NBA-worst 17 games. But the Cavs knew what could lie ahead. Along with Denver, they had a 22.5% chance of landing the top pick in the draft, which WAS going to be LeBron James. The comparisons of James to Kobe or MJ had been hyped since his freshman year in high school, and Cleveland was ecstatic about the idea of the Akron-produced superstar landing with the hometown franchise. As luck would have it, Cleveland landed the first pick, beating out Denver, Toronto, and Miami in the annual ping-pong extravaganza.
The rest of the story is history. Yet little did we know, three of those top five would end up together in South Beach. Toronto took Chris Bosh fourth, and Miami took Dwayne Wade fifth. And now all three will play together in the NBA. Rumors swirl about a 2008 conversation taking place between the three at the Olympics, supposedly planning on joining forces in the much anticipated “Summer of 2010”. And now here we are, an alliance of the superpowers attempting to take the NBA by storm.
Dan Gilbert is a coward. His letter on the Cavaliers website shows his true colors. LeBron brought glory and notoriety to a franchise once teetering on collapse. He single-handedly increased the worth of the Cavs by $100 million. Millions of his jerseys sold globally, attendance reached its all time high, and the Cavaliers became a world-renowned team. LeBron brought an Eastern Conference Championship to a city devoid of any professional sports title since the Browns won an NFL championship in 1964. He led a team that won 40 games all but once in his tenure, and made the playoffs five of his seven years. He was a ROY, a two-time league MVP, and a seven-time all-star. How many teams in the NBA can boast of having a player of his caliber at any time in THEIR HISTORY? To call LeBron “narcissistic, selfish, or cowardly” qualifies as the lowest of low blows. To suggest he “quit” on his team in the playoffs is a sham. Yet Dan Gilbert overlooks all the good the minute LeBron walked out the door.
There have been many infamous “guarantees” by marquee players and coaches in sports. Dan Gilbert's takes the cake. LeBron left Cleveland not for greener pastures, but to seek a title that has evaded an often stacked Cavs team. He took less money. He left the comfort of home. He chose the harder of the two paths, going to a team with only four NBA players on the roster. And he did this to create a winning legacy. The collusion between James-Bosh-Wade during the basketball World Championship and Olympics showed that a dream team was again possible. The alliance of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen further supported the new “Big Three's” dream. Surely, LeBron watched the Celtics demolish the Lakers in 2008 and thought “Why not me?” And so Bosh and LeBron bolted the only franchises they have known to seek a coveted ring. Who wouldn't?
Anyone who believes in loyalty and devotion to one team obviously hasn't watched professional sports for a decade or two. Gone are the days of Jordan, Bird, Ripken, Marino, etc. No true competitive athlete wants to finish an illustrious career without a title or two to show for it. LeBron didn't want to make that mistake. An outstanding debate about the all-time greatest basketball player often ends in a standstill between Jordan/Bryant/Magic/Bird/LeBron. You can add up all the MVP's, scoring titles, and millions of dollars made, but the debate always has had one glaring disparity: rings. MJ won 6 titles, Kobe is at 5. Magic captured another 5 in the 80's, and Bird brought 3 back to Boston. LeBron gave everything he had to not only capture his first, but bring the Cavalier's their first as well. But seven years of “failure” will take a toll on a true winner. LeBron didn't like the direction the team was going in, surrounding him with streaky talent and plenty of mediocrity. He never was given a true partner in crime to battle for a title. In a time where players changed teams more frequently than any other time in history, Gilbert couldn't acquire a right-hand man to assist the “King”. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Caron Butler, Baron Davis, Chris Webber, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, and even new teammates Mike Miller and Bosh all could have been had in the last five years. But Gilbert and Co. attempted to please LeBron with the likes of Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, a washed-up Shaq, Delonte West, Ben Wallace, Larry Hughes, and the list goes on. Did anyone ever believe one man could outlast the Boston Trio or Dwight Howard/Rashard Lewis/Jameer Nelson or Kobe/Gasol/Artest in a seven game series? Regardless, LeBron certainly didn't, and now Gilbert is left with inflated contracts of mediocre talent in a soon to be empty Quicken Loans Arena.
Playing the traitor card is a last ditch effort of desperateness. LeBron happened to land with his hometown franchise by the luck of the NBA-draw in 2003. He gave them seven solid years. Why not celebrate what you had instead of lamenting what won't be? I don't see anyone tearing apart Dwayne Wade for not signing with the Bulls, yet he was born and raised in Chicago. Chris Bosh grew up in Texas, played ball at Georgia Tech, and spent seven years with the Raptors, yet the public outcry over him going to the Heat has been non-existent. Even worse, Amare Stoudamire signed a $100 million deal with the Knicks, and he is a Florida native. Miami and New York fans HATE each other. But still, not a peep. You don't have to look far back in history to see a trend of players spurning their hometown for a winning organization. Mark Teixiera rejected the Orioles and Nationals to be part of a Yankee dynasty. Paul Pierce has refused to play anywhere but Boston after growing up in Los Angeles. Adrian Peterson crossed the Red River for the Sooners after growing up in Texas. Why are these scenarios so hard to accept? Because the bottom line of sports has long been forgotten. Money, power, loyalty – none of those matter to an elite athlete. An elite athlete wants to win. And that's why LeBron went to Miami. To win.
Sources: NBA.com, ESPN.com, MLB.com, baseballreference.com
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