Somewhere out there, you’ll find a soul who is neutral when it comes to LeBron James.
And when you meet that soul, give my regards to Pope Benedict.
LeBron James does not exist in a world of gray. There are no Switzerlands when he’s involved. You either root for him or against him. You’re part of a minority that hopes he does great or in the vast majority who wish he falls flat on his ultra-talented face. His nickname has long been King James. It could just as easily be schadenfreude.
It wasn’t always this way, of course. Once upon a time, America wanted him to win. He was the hometown hero for a bunch of Clevelanders who desperately needed a hero.
And then he left, and did it in that oh-so-public way. He didn’t just abandon Cleveland at the altar, he did so with a live feed broadcasting the wedding party.
So now that he’s on the brink of his first NBA championship, it’s all come to a head again. LeBron is so close to winning a title, one that would seemingly justify his Decision, and it’s easy for America to choose sides. The Oklahoma City Thunder are now America’s team. Anybody but LeBron.
And the Thunder even have the guy being termed the anti-LeBron. Kevin Durant may be the closest thing this world has to somebody who can match LeBron talent for talent. And when it came time for his Decision, he did so with all the fanfare of a church bake sale. He quietly agreed to a contract extension in Oklahoma City, tweeted about it, and then went back to work. Eventually, that work got him to the brink of his own NBA championship.
Durant was loyal to his organization, and isn’t that what sports fans love? A player who remembers where he came from. A player who stays true to his roots. Of course all of America’s going to root for him.
Of course.
Sorry, did you say something, Seattle?
Yes, it’s easy to forget, isn’t it? But before LeBron made his Decision, the owner of the once-proud Seattle SuperSonics made one, too. And it entailed letting the Sonics hightail it to the Heartland, where the franchise became the Thunder.
The fine people of Oklahoma City have embraced their franchise, as they should. It’s not their fault things didn’t work out in Seattle. Just as the fine people of Milwaukee are still blameless beneficiaries of the Brewers, who started as a bankruptcy case in a Seattle court.
But the Seattle aspect of the Oklahoma City bandwagon is a reminder that there are always two sides to every story.
That pain Cleveland felt when LeBron left town? At least Cleveland still has games to attend.
That loyalty Durant showed to his franchise? Seattle surely would’ve appreciated it from the franchise.
Maybe America’s Decision isn’t quite so easy after all.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I tweet as howiemag. And listen to me chat sports with Mitch Teich monthly on WUWM’s “Lake Effect.”
Homepage photo courtesy of the Miami Heat
