The Making Of An Artificial Champion

Right now, I would prefer to rant about another Cliff Lee trade, another Jake Peavy injury, or another Phillies slump, but that would just be uncharacteristic of this summer in sports. If you happened to missed the hour special, don't get ESPN on your cable plan, or are crawling out from under your rock as I write this, Lebron James will be playing alongside Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade with the Miami Heat next season. Just about as lame and predictable as the Lebron sweepstakes could get after the three met personally to talk about next season. A pact to "share" the spotlight and a D-Wade pay cut made it official that the three would become the league's newest trio thus being dubbed the "Miami Thrice." The Heat when on the biggest shopping spree in basketball history this off season, and aside from creating a beast unlike any the NBA has ever seen, it put a mark on one man's NBA report card that will be illuminated forever.

For phase one of Lebron's career he gets an A for personal achievement and an F for team achievement. Harsh? This is not an F like Carter got with the Raptors or McGrady with the Magic, but an F that says that Lebron lead his team to the NBA's best record in his final season in Cleveland, than couldn't get them out of the second round. The next step would normally be redemption; Lebron's next step was out the door, high tailing it from failure rather than going back for revenge.

For a superstar like Lebron I see two ways to win a championship. One, with a running mate; Kobe and Shaq, Magic and Kareem. Two, with a solid (almost star-studded) supporting cast; Jordan with Rodman and Pippen or Duncan with Robinson, Parker, and Ginobili. In conclusion there were two feasible options for Lebron this off season. Stick with Cleveland, a place where he had that good supporting cast, or pair up with another star like Dirk, Amare Stoudemire, or even Bosh by himself. Option three, in the making, but certainly not to join an All-Star team.

In baseball, we throw asterisks in and out of conversations as a way to indicate a record that was wrongfully set. For Lebron, he just put one next to any title he may win with the Miami Heat. If his off-season was all about winning, so be it, but image for Lebron, is now a major concern. Cleveland gave Lebron all they could, Shaq, Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Antwain Jamison, and still, he failed. Going to Miami with Bosh and Wade was not a "personal sacrifice" by any means, but a mere career cop out that many, may never forget.

JD