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Usually teenagers count down to when they can graduate high school and get out of Dodge to experience life.
But LeBron James stayed near his hometown of Akron and happily became the Cleveland Cavalier’s No. 1 draft pick in 2003. Then, he almost singlehandedly delivered the Cavs’ first NBA title when he led the franchise to its first NBA Finals at the age of 22.
But when the Cavs wouldn’t lure or pay big money to add marquee players, LeBron devised a plan with fellow 2003 draftees and Olympic gold teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to join the same NBA team to win league championships together.

The plan worked out so the trio is taking less money to join forces and LeBron is finally leaving the nest to play for the Miami Heat, which drafted D-Wade in 2003. However, going where there are no state taxes and playing in paradise isn’t really a sacrifice. But it would have taken big money to get the trio to come to a dump like Cleveland and the Cavs wouldn’t pony up.
Don’t question LeBron’s loyalty to his home state team. Any one watching his one-hour “Decision” special on ESPN on Thursday could see that it weighed on the reigning NBA MVP’s spirit. But as James said, he took the Cavs to places they’ve never been. And King James didn’t have a star sidekick, such as Scottie Pippen or Pau Gasol, as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had to help them win multiple NBA titles.

I don’t agree that LeBron has tainted his legacy or that he ran away from a challenge in Cleveland to take the easy road to an NBA title by joining forces with Wade, another top 3 player, and Bosh, a top 10 player, in Miami. It’s common in the NBA these days. Players don’t stay with the same team like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Even Jordan left Chicago and played for the Wizards. Charles Barkley left Philadelphia to try to win an NBA title in Phoenix and Houston, and for the same reason, Karl Malone left Utah for Los Angeles, Clyde Drexler left Portland for Houston, Shaq left Orlando for L.A., and Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen left their teams for Boston. All of their legacies aren’t tainted because they left the team they’re most identified with. They are all Hall of Famers and LeBron will be also.
Shaq, a future Hall of Famer, pulled a LeBron when he left Orlando for Los Angeles in 1996. He was one of the top 3 players in the league and had taken the Magic to its first NBA Finals after he and his teammates dismanted Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. But Shaq became an even bigger star in L.A., winning three consecutive NBA championships and three NBA Finals MVP trophies. Then, he left L.A. for Miami and won a fourth title.
Kobe tried to get out of L.A. although he had three championship rings by riding Shaq’s coattails. After Shaq left L.A. for Miami, the Lakers made first round playoff exits two years in a row, so Kobe wanted to be traded out of L.A. and Phil Jackson was about to retire. But the Lakers’ wouldn’t let Kobe out of his contract and stepped up to surround Kobe with better players.

Had the Cavaliers done the same, Cleveland residents and 7 million ESPN viewers wouldn’t be witnesses to LeBron leaving for Miami. Cleveland is just not willing to pay for great talent.
Shortly after LeBron was drafted to Cleveland, I had a chance to be the Cavs’ official team reporter. I would have been the Vic Ketchman for the Cavaliers. Ketchman is the longtime beat writer for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ web site. But Cleveland’s front office low balled me, expecting me to take a pay cut to leave Florida for Cleveland. So I stayed in Jacksonville.
Ironically, LeBron has decided to take a pay cut to play and attempt to win NBA championships in sunny Florida. And as long as he wins some league championships, King James’ legacy will be intact, like Shaq, to prove he made the right move.

By Teneshia LaFaye

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