LeBron James signs for Miami Heat
The heat is on for the biggest basketball sensation in the United States as LeBron James arrives in Miami, Florida to play for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association championship for the 2011 season.
James arrived on Friday morning at the Miami International Airport and was taken to a hotel at the picturesque Miami Beach where he was greeted by scores of fans and was under the constant spotlight of the media. The city revelled in their biggest signing for years that is set to resurrect their dipping fortunes in the sport that is more than a passion for millions in the United States.
James declared that his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat squad was take in order to be with a team that provided him with the best possible opportunity of winning an NBA championship title.
The 25-year-old giant has featured in seven seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers near his hometown of Akron, but his home fans were bitterly disappointed as he dumped them for Miami, who displayed their anger by burning his shirts on the streets protesting against the decision.
Meanwhile, his signing has put to rest arguably the biggest transfer sagas in U.S. professional sports history as James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had all agreed to take pay cuts to team up and create a squad that had it in it to get past the Los Angeles Lakers for the biggest title in basketball.
James has remained NBA's Most Valuable Player for the past two seasons, yet his future was very much the talk of the town besides being the subject of intense speculation all over the country.
The debate took a new turn when the free agency period began last week as James decision to move to Miami became apparent.
Meanwhile, in the same night of his arrival, James made his debut in a Miami Heat uniform appearing at a rally for his fans at the American Airlines Arena.
The party was arranged to give a tumultuous welcome to "the king" in southern Florida along with Chris Bosh, who also joined the Heats after quitting the Toronto Raptors.
James and his fellow teammates were brought onto the stage which is synonymous with rock stars. They were accompanied by dancers and smoke machines as they made their appearance in front of the massive crowd.
“It feels right. We're going to make the world know that the heat is back”, James said as the crowd roared of his approval.
All-in-all, six teams had their eye on James but it was Miami's offer to team him up with fellow All-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh that persuaded him to bid farewell to his home club.
“You have to move on for the better. And that's how I feel”, James explained in an interview that was broadcast as the top story of the day in U.S. morning television.
“It hurts. It definitely hurts. It hurts me to say that I'm moving on. But I have to do what's best”, concluded James.
James played a sterling role to take the Cavaliers, who play just up the road from his hometown of Akron, Ohio, to the 2007 NBA Finals.
Despite his presence in their ranks for the last seven seasons, the team is yet to win an NBA championship.
It has been somewhat a similar story in the last two years. Inspired by his brilliant performances, the Cavaliers finished the regular season as the best team in the Eastern Conference.
On the other hand, they did little when it mattered the most and were knocked out of the playoffs quite early in the competition, leaving LeBron James pondering about his future in the team.
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