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February 7, 2018LeBron James is the most powerful athlete in the history of team sports in a league that enables its athletes more than any other. There’s a bit of chicken-egg debate going on because LeBron helped to create the current climate of the league with his decisions over the years. The bottom line is that I support LeBron to handle his business however he wants. For me, he’s earned that right.
There is a flip side, however, that must be acknowledged. Part of being the most powerful athlete in all of sports is realizing the ship you captain puts off one hell of a wake. While I don’t stand with those who are critical of James and his lack of commitment to the Cavaliers, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand it.
As powerful as LeBron James is, Dan Gilbert is one of the least sympathetic figures in professional sports. He has shown a willingness to spend money, but like most obscenely rich billionaires, even when Gilbert spends money it’s in service of adding gold doubloons to the pile of money he swims in like Scrooge McDuck. His ego is infamous and played out miserably this offseason with his refusal to grant David Griffin the power he desired and earned over his tenure running the Cavaliers. Regardless of how James’ actions impact Gilbert’s ability to make moves for his team, it’s impossible to be on “Team Dan.” Make no mistake though, LeBron’s actions make the trade deadline almost impossible for Gilbert and GM Koby Altman.
Part of being LeBron James — The Most Powerful Athlete in the History of Professional Sports — is realizing that you are the market maker. Sure, LeBron’s gravity didn’t stop Kevin Durant from joining one of the greatest teams of all time to form a Supernova of All-Stars in Golden State, but his gravity probably caused it. As the Cavaliers approach the trade deadline in LeBron’s potential walk year, many Cavs fans on Team LeBron find it perfectly acceptable for him to sit back and see what Gilbert and company can do to prove to him it’s worth staying. This is a bit of a fool’s errand, however. Without LeBron helping, the Cavaliers don’t land Kevin Love. Without LeBron, Dwyane Wade isn’t on the team. Who knows if J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson have the deals they have without LeBron?
Let’s pretend for a minute that there are five potential trade partners for the Cavaliers right now. There are another five teams that could be potential trade partners except they might have dreams of getting LeBron to come to their team this offseason. The fact that there’s a LeBron James sweepstakes at the end of this season in free agency has a chilling effect on the Cavaliers’ ability to make a deal. If everyone knew that LeBron was staying in Cleveland and they better make other plans, the Brooklyn pick would have more value. If the Brooklyn pick had value to the prospects of keeping James, it would be a variable to keep him in Cleveland. According to all the reporting available from every NBA reporter I’ve seen, that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
None of this is a defense of Gilbert and his handling of the roster, his front office, or anything else. It’s to acknowledge that the Cavaliers can be a dysfunctional mess because Gilbert’s ego and management style create that culture, and James’ lack of commitment to the future limits the ability of the Cavaliers to make the team better right here, right now.
Much like the idea that both Sashi Brown and Hue Jackson could be disasters in their own way despite the Twitter hordes picking sides, James hurting the Cavaliers personnel department and Gilbert hurting his own cause are not mutually exclusive. What’s wrong with the Cavaliers? Yes. Everything. Dan Gilbert. LeBron James. Ty Lue. The Kyrie Irving Trade. Isaiah Thomas. All of it.
It’s LeBron’s right to serve out his contract before deciding on the next one. He just has to know that there are implications with that. Not all fans have to be happy about it. Gilbert doesn’t have to be happy about it. That’s not an indictment of LeBron anymore than it absolves Dan. It’s just the way things are.
20 Comments
I was thinking about this same thing last night. I couldn’t figure who the root cause was; I didn’t think to assess blame on the whole, rather than finding one particular part. Thanks for turning on the light.
Amen. You don’t have to be #teamDan or #teamLeBron. You can be#teamSadness
“everyone”
….excuse me?
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#TeamGriff
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“Much like the idea that both Sashi Brown and Hue Jackson could be disasters in their own way . . .” — That’s beautiful, Craig! (However, I’ll always be grateful to Sashi for sabotaging Hue’s disastrous trade for McCarron. Thus far, there’s nothing to be grateful to Hue for. So Sashi is less disastrous by a whisker.)
As for the Cavs, barring some blockbuster trade that no one saw coming, I can’t see any deal that will help them beat Golden State, which is all that really matters.
#TeamGotATitleInMyLifeSoQuitRuiningIt
Looks like #TeamApathy now has something to do (or not do?) this off-season. Who’d a thunk it?
I wonder if even #TeamSunnyside could get hopeful about these Cadavers.
While LeBron is definitely a diva, and has checked out on the team, Gilbert bears the brunt of the blame. Letting his ego get in the way of retaining Griffin was the turning point. Looks like it is time to strip it down and start over. Of course, we will never see as great a player as LeBron on the Cavs again.
Finally, LeBron is certainly no leader, as he always claims to be. A true leader would give every ounce of effort (especially on D) until the last second of the last game,
#Team78daysUntilTheDraft
A column putting blame on LeBron. Who knew?
Lebron got too entitled and spoiled. Griffin got us a win now, but left us with bloated turd contracts on old, unmotivated deadweights and then pissed off Irving on his way out, setting off a chain reaction (leaving us a broken, pissed off IT). Gilbert is remarkably hands off and quiet this year (non reactionary) which is eery. Lue has no clue. Lebron is now checked out. Crowder is lost. TT is riddled with the Kardashian kurse (if not STDs). Rose is halfway checked out. JR and Shumpert continue to be hot garbage.
Never have I hated a CLE team the way I hate this squad as it sits. Go all is. Or let it all burn. Either way.
#TeamLBJWillNeverBeMJ
But . . . but . . . SHOES!
P.S. There is no “C” in Lue.
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Right, sharing blame doesn’t imply that it is distributed equally. Clearly, Gilbert bears the greater burden for disrupting the whole organization from the top-down
The Root Cause is old age.
Correct. Neither of them will ever be Bill Russell with 11 titles. It seems many think the NBA began with Magic and Bird. Russell was 6’11, athletic, fast and extremely competitive as well as intelligent. He faced down Wilt, probably the most gifted big man ever.
Respectfully disagree on Griffin. He never got the chance to talk to Kyrie and smooth things out. Also, he had some deals cooking. He might still have been able to land George, by sweetening the deal.
I agree. I found them unlikable when they were winning. With this apathetic, I find them downright toxic.