Would it have been so hard to do this the right way? Come on LeBron, all it would have taken was a little simplification and you don’t come across as a ginormous tool. Instead, you come across as a narcissistic egomaniac.
Has anyone fallen so far from grace so quickly? Heck, Tiger Woods’ debacle at least unfolded slowly. This was a trainwreck built in days.
The announcement came that he’d be doing a show on ESPN announcing his decision, titled appropriately, “The Decision.”
Okay, I could deal with that if it had been handled with a little class. Instead Jim Gray tosses softballs that even the worse players on my Little League team could knock out of the park for nearly a half hour before finally getting to the reason we’re all watching.
LeBron screwed up the reveal, too. He could have at least smiled. He could have at least seemed into it. Somewhere around the 12th unnecessary Gray query it probably hit him. “What am I doing?” It was too late, though. He had committed to this fiasco and had to go through with it.
We all saw it, so I won’t go through more of that.
Here’s how this whole thing should have been handled, and it would have saved him embarrassment, and maybe even some fans.
LeBron announces he’s having a press conference, even at a Boys and Girls’ Club. Instead of doing the stupid Q and A with Gray, he stands in front of a microphone and says he’s spent a lot of time going over his decision.
Here’s what I would have said, and it would have made a big difference.
“After weeks of soul searching I’ve decided to move on and play for the Miami Heat. I am excited about the decision and the opportunity to come together with two of my best friends in the game with a chance to compete for championships on a regular basis. I feel like this is the best decision for me, and my family, and will make me happy….
“To the fans of Cleveland, I’m sorry and I will miss you. I understand if you are disappointed in my decision. I grew up with you and matured in your great city. Leaving you is the hardest part and I hope that one day you will understand, and forgive me.”
To media: “Any questions?”
Simple, to the point, and thoughtful. He would have come off pretty good. Sure Cleveland would still be emotionally slaughtered, but at least they wouldn’t have had to endure sitting through that painful display.
Instead he’s now public enemy No. 1 across the nation. The Heat have become the NBA’s equivalent of the Yankees. It’s going to be interesting to see how LeBron deals with being cast as the villain.
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
