Sympathy for Cleveland

With apologies to the hordes of Sloppists who couldn't care less, we must weigh in on the whole Lebron James debacle.

What a pathetic disappointment.

We don't mind so much that he didn't choose the Knicks--we stick to our earlier analysis of that situation. But his ultimate choice--Miami--speaks volumes about the kind of competitor that James really is, and that is what's truly disappointing.

If Lebron had gone to New York--or even Chicago or New Jersey or just about anywhere else--Cleveland would still have felt a betrayal, and there would have been some shock and disappointment around the league. But there would also have been something almost noble about it. Lebron would effectively be saying that he wanted to take on a new challenge and that he felt he had a better chance of winning with a team other than the Cavaliers.

Look, we appreciate that the man wants to win a championship. If he says he wants to go somewhere that gives him the best chance to win a ring--and fast--we take him at his word. Indeed, he presumably would have received more money had he chosen to remain in Cleveland, so we accept the fact that cash is not James' primary motivation. And, with the Miami Heat's retention of Dwyane Wade and its signing of Chris Bosh, this team would seem to be in a position to cakewalk to the NBA finals.

But here's the thing about theHeat: This is the one team in the NBA--with the possible exception of the Lakers--that Lebron could go where he will not be the number-one guy. Oh, sure, we can argue that, in terms of pure talent, Lebron James is a better player than Dwyane Wade. But the Heat are Wade's team--have been, and will continue to be, regardless of the numbers that James puts up.

The situation reminds us of when A-Rod went to the Yankees. Rodriguez is one of the greatest baseball players of all time--possibly the greatest by the time he retires. But Derek Jeter has remained the face and voice and soul of the team.

Lebron is a terrific player taking a short cut to a title. However much he contributes to Miami--and we don't doubt he will contribute a lot--he will always be seen as someone who hitched a free ride on the back of someone else who has already truly earned a championship ring. He may still call himself the King, but he has cheapened his throne: Wade should now be referred to as the Prime Minister, the one who truly wields the power.