There was a time
in the NBA when winning the ultimate prize, The
Ring, fueled the competitiveness among the players. It was the ultimate accomplishment in the
NBA. It allowed the winners to show the
world that we, as a team, are the best in the world. The team would then prepare to maintain that
status the next year during the season and again during the playoffs. This is what made the LeBron James’ decision
to move to Miami such a strange but interesting move on his part. I mean, have you ever heard of Michael Jordan
leaving the bulls to play with Charles Barkley so he could win a
championship? No, if Barkley was
standing in the way of Jordan winning the championship, he did what he had to
do to beat him.
My question is
why did LeBron leave Cleveland to join Miami?
Did he want to win a championship so badly that he believed he could not
do it with the team he was presently with?
Also, what will this mean for his name and the rest of his career? According to Darren
Rovell of CNBC, LeBron’s
decision continues to be a blemish on his marketability. Yet, people’s trust concerning LeBron is up
from 49 percent at the end of last season and 53 percent after “The Decision,”
according to Rovell.
Regardless of
the personal feelings fans may have against James, it’s hard to bring down an
individual as valuable as the LeBron James franchise. Mike Ozanian of Forbes, states LeBron’s decision
affected the profitability of two NBA team owners. A year after losing James to Miami, the value
of the Cavaliers fell 26% and television ratings plummeted 55%. Miami’s value increased by 17% and their
television ratings doubled. Dan Gilbert
(Cavalier Team Owner) is worth $1.5 Billion but Micky Arison (Miami Team Owner)
is worth $4.7 Billion and this fact alone speaks volumes. This proves that LeBron is not only a star on
the court but is highly capable of becoming one of the worlds most successful
Business Moguls as well.
LeBron James is
happy in Miami despite reports of having difficulties with Pat Riley (Miami’s team President). I believe LeBron is a determined athlete who
works hard and has the ability to succeed at whatever he puts his mind to. Right now, his mind is on the Miami
Heat. Who knows what the future holds
for the Heat or LeBron James, I say we sit back and enjoy the show, for however
long it lasts.
