The Decision

A full hour on ESPN dedicated to a 5 second statement, seems a little preposterous wouldn’t you say? A full hour dedicated to one man doing nothing more than talking about a contract. Say what you want about LeBron James, but he’s a smart man. LeBron is a multifaceted individual. He’s an athlete first, but off the court he’s a business man. And what do businessmen do? They take advantage of opportunities to further their success and increase their value. This whole 2010 summer circus of free agency has been a well calculated and carefully plotted agenda for LeBron. He milked it for everything it was worth, and why blame him? Is he little full of himself? Well yeah, but so were a lot of the “greats.” Can’t you hear Muhammad Ali ranting “I am the greatest?” And if LeBron isn’t to blame for his growing ego, then who is? The blame can only go be placed on us as fans, and the media as a whole. We fueled the beast, so how can we get upset with the scene we have created?

LeBron wasn’t born in to wealth or fame, in fact quite the opposite. His father was an ex-con who never bothered to stay around, and his mother was working multiple jobs just to pay the rent. LeBron no doubt found it hard to maintain stability after moving from one apartment to another. But despite everything else, he always had basketball. And basketball is, as we know, what turned LeBron James into King James. But how do you go from LeBron to King by just shooting a orange ball into a ring? You get a little help. You get a lot of help.

The media hype surrounding LeBron arguably started when he was only 13 years old and playing on an Under/6th Grade AAU team in Northern Ohio. He and his three teammates made a name for themselves (earning the title the “Fab Four”) by shutting down their opponents in national competitions. And when it came time for high school, they made a pact to stay together. They chose Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School, and the rest is history. Cameras, reporters, TV stations, coaches, and fans packed gyms all across Ohio (and really the entire country) to get a glimpse of the Fab Four, and particularly LeBron James. At age 17 LeBron was doing interviews for major networks, magazines were writing four page spreads, and talk show hosts were vying for his time. The team had to be escorted off of buses at some games just to keep the excited fans away.

Now tell me how you keep that from going to your head? How do you tell a 17 year old kid who the country had dubbed “The King” to stay level headed? How can you tell a kid that he isn’t bigger than the game when ESPN is calling him the “Next” big thing, putting him on the cover of their magazine. Sports Illustrated came out in February of 2002 and dubbed him “The Chosen One.” The article then had the audacity to go on a call him the “heir to Jordan.” Next he’s drafted number one overall, straight out of high school, and millions of dollars are thrown at him. Nike signs him to an endorsement deal. Record numbers tune in to his debut. You tell the kid he isn’t a big deal. You tell him to not let it get to his head; chances are you helped it get to his head.

If you ask me, he’s done pretty well in the public eye. In the day and age of athletes like Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, and Tiger Woods; LeBron has done well for himself. He may carry an overwhelming sense of hubris, but you can’t blame the kid. He isn’t doing anything wrong, he’s only accepting what we’ve placed upon him. He is, after all, The King.