‘The Decision’ was a personal choice, says LeBron James – NBA Update
After over a year of going on ESPN to announce his “Decision”, LeBron James has spoken about his move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. So much time has passed since that episode unearthed, but even today the topic
is still an issue of contention for Cleveland fans. However LeBron says that’s not how he envisioned it would be.
The Miami Heat super star announced his departure for South Beach via a one hour ESPN special broadcast, without informing the Cavaliers or the fans previously. This move amplified the negative response that came towards James
soon after.
He was perceived as arrogant, disloyal and even disrespectful to the fans who had worshipped him since his arrival to the NBA. He’s been afforded no sympathy whatsoever by the Cavaliers fans and even the team owner has been harsh
with his comments towards LeBron.
James though doesn’t think it merits the vitriol that still comes his way. For him, it was a personal choice, and his right to go and play where he wanted to. He made the decision because he believed it would better his prospects,
it was not borne out of ill feelings towards anyone else.
“I was surprised by it because I was making a decision for myself.” He said in an interview published by USA Today. “I was doing something that I believed was going to make me happy and freshen me up, personally.”
He did though concede that with the passage of time he has come to terms with why people became upset, although he still maintained it was never intended for that to happen.
“But looking back at it now I can understand why a lot of people were upset. That definitely wasn't my intention: to upset people. My intention was to go and play for a team, play for a franchise, that believe in me, and I believe
in them.”
James was poorly advised on how to handle his announcement and the player completely underestimated the response his actions would draw from the fans. For Cleveland, James was always the messiah, the hometown boy who had grown
up to be the super star that would lead them to glory. However things were simply not working out for James in Ohio and he decided he needed a change of scenery to get that elusive NBA World Championship.
That left the fans in Cleveland with a lingering feeling of abandonment and betrayal, and the way James handled the affair, with his TV announcement and a welcome party in Miami, only made the backlash much worse.
His PR machine failed him and it was LeBron who had to face the consequences. He would be hoping that when the NBA starts again, people would have moved on.
Tags: