Proportional Response

This morning on Facebook I wrote that, "if Lebron seriously uses an hour long TV special to announce a departure from Cleveland - and names it The Decision thus actually orchestrating and naming the worst moment in Cavs history since The Shot - then he makes a strong case for deserving every 'boo' he is going to get next year."

Well, the boos have started as have the shouts, the disparaging comments and the burning of #23 jerseys. And like I said, every bit of it is deserved.

Some national media types (and non-basketball fans) have said that Cleveland fans are over-reacting and that, "it's just basketball" but those people don't get it. It's not about basketball. It stopped being about basketball when Lebron James signed his contract extension with every intention of opting out, openly courted every other country in the city, and refused to state for the record that he planned to stay in Cleveland. It became less about basketball with every press conference where he said he, "wanted to keep his options open". It ceased being about basketball entirely on July 1 when he entertained 5 other teams, spoke to no one and scheduled the ridiculous hour long TV special to announce his free agent destination.

You see, for the entire length of James' extension nobody in the national media and no other basketball fans truly believed he would return to Cleveland. They couldn't wrap their mind around the idea that he would voluntarily subject himself to such a nowhere city with nothing to offer. He was predestined to go because such a town wasn't worth so bright a star. So went the narrative. For 36 months. After that length of time James' decision was less about the game he played and more about the perception that sprang from his choice.

Cavaliers fans looked forward to this day because we had the inside knowledge that Cleveland is a great sports city with more to offer than anyone gave it credit for and Lebron James, the home-town hero who had risen to become one of the best two players in the game, was going to be our validation. The day he looked at the other teams' offers and chose home would be a signal that the nation was wrong and needed to look closer, past the shallow national media stories of a dying city and 40 year-old reports about a burning river. After losing Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome and C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee, James was the one who was going to stay.

For James to simply leave is not offensive. It's slightly annoying considering his own actions somewhat tied the hands of management, but there was legitimately more talent on other rosters - like Chicago.

For James to have made a decision, strung along a city and an organization the way he has repeating they are the favorites and to end it with a masturbatory, self-aggrandizing TV announcement is unforgivable. It's a slap in the face to the city to call himself humble and yet extol his own virtues. To say that the Cavs gave him less of a chance at winning while holding the team hostage for three years without committing, sabotaging any attempts at signing significant free agents. To basically confirm to everyone on the outside looking in on the biggest stage in the history of sport free agency that Cleveland really isn't worth playing in, even for $30 million.

This backlash is not about basketball. It's about respect. The city of Cleveland gave it to Lebron James in droves. And while he will list off the myriad ways he repaid that respect, his actions today - and over the last two weeks - have reduced all of his work to naught. They not only cost the city of Cleveland the triumphant vindication he constantly promised was coming but they also bought the city lower than it was before he was drafted.

On one cathartic note, Dan Gilbert is awesome.