To the point-If LeBron James leaves Cleveland tonight to sign with anyone else,then David Stern and his minions need to begin the process of changing the league and eventually find a new home for the Cavaliers to play in.
Sound harsh?
I don't think so.
If a professional league that claims to have each team have an equal opportunity to compete winds up with a situation like this-If Cleveland cannot keep the best player in the game,that is from the hometown area,would pay him 30 million dollars more than any other team and has went above and beyond trying to assemble a team to contend,well then your league is dying on the vine.
Not only in Cleveland,but several smaller cities as well.
You see,Mr Stern,other cities are watching this play out.
The Milwaukees,Indianapolises,Memphises etc are all watching,because in the event that they get an impact player,would they be able to keep them?
And money isn't part of the equation like in baseball,the team trying to keep a star can pay far more money than anyone else.
San Antonio has been blessed by Tim Duncan,but Duncan is proving to be the exception not the rule as far choosing things other than the top dollar.
Kevin Durant deserves some credit as well for quietly signing an extension with Oklahoma City and realizing that if you are good enough,all the things that the largest markets offer will be there no matter where you play.
If LeBron James signs elsewhere,it will be looked at as second only to the Art Modell betrayal in Cleveland sports history.
There would be no reason to leave,not money,not fame and not even championship opportunity as the Cavaliers have committed themselves to trying to win,even the moves haven't always been the smartest.
If you think Carlos Boozer hears crap from fans,it will pale in comparison to the James visits three times a year.
James and his family lives in the area,they have know how the Modell name is mud and can they really wish for their name to join Art Modell as a local epithet?
As far as Cleveland basketball goes,Cleveland isn't really a hoops town.
The Cavaliers have done well when they were an elite team,but anything other than that,attendance tends to tumble.
Why even bother could be the response of the Cleveland fans towards the Cavaliers without James.
Sure,they would likely be a playoff team next season,but not a real contender and without those hopes,the train begins rolling.
Why bother when the deck is stacked against you?
Why bother when the league that in which you play appears to prefer a 12 team league made up of All-Star teams in only the largest cities?
Why bother if the hometown star goes elsewhere for the final slap in the face to an already scarred sports town?
Why bother if the eventual result is a return to the Ted Stepien era that brought us a "fight song" like this one?
C'mon,LeBron-do the right thing and pad the wallet as well and if not,I hear there is a hockey team for sale in Phoenix.
After all ,Cleveland was more of a hockey town before the Cavaliers........
LeBron,if you want to play elsewhere,remember this-stars play anywhere-legends are built at home.
The resulting sound that you hear is Ohio basketball fans saying all at once-Why bother.....
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