What Happened

In a few years we may look back on Game 5 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semis with little more than simple amusement. It was supposed to be a defining moment for LeBron James, the time when, bad elbow or not, he willed them to a 3-2 series lead and eventually on to his first NBA title. Instead an old but still heart-willing Boston Celtics went into Cleveland and won a game few expected them to, won again in Game 6 in Boston and ended James’ career as a Cav.

At the time, the Cavs’ loss registered as a knock to James’ legacy. So often it was the team that surrounded him that was not up to the task. One need only remember the Eastern Conference finals exit against Orlando from the year before to cite an example of the cast not being up to the range of the star. But this year’s Game 5 (and to a lesser extent, Games 4 and 6) was on James. Not only did he have a bad game. He looked like we had never seen him before, as if he was going through a crisis beyond the basketball court. He looked resigned, defeated, like a goner. He was.

The greatest players, even Michael Jordan, have all tasted defeat. But what makes Jordan the greatest basketball player ever is not just that his losses on the big stage were so few, but that he always believed he could win no matter the circumstances. That is what separates Jordan, Bird, Magic, and Kobe to name a few from everyone else. Today, the same cannot be said of James. He may well win a bushel of titles in Miami but he will never garner the respect winning “on his own” with good but not great supporting players deserves. And any talk of LBJ as the greatest ever is over.

James’ signing with Miami has created a whole lot of negative karma and not just in Cleveland. Few outside of South Florida want to see him succeed now even though now one has to believe he’ll eventually win a championship. “The Decision” show itself was so contrived that some have likened it to a pro wrestler turning from good guy to heel. The analogy is not far from the mark although I think it gives James too much credit. The question now is will success in South Beach change our opinion of him? LBJ must think so and he’s probably right. Because “The Decision” revealed more than a future place of employment for a 25-year-old star. It showed once again that we, as fans, are suckers.

We tuned in (a whopping 9.6 rating for the 15 minutes leading up to James’ revelation). How could we not? Our addiction to sports and sports news runs so deep that we hung on every new free agency development like dispatches from a war zone where a loved one is serving. Except for us, the week (wow, an entire week) of free agency and The Decision felt more real and more important than a war. And that should be deeply disturbing. I would like to think few came away feeling good about the whole thing, but I’m not so certain.

In the recently published book Although Of Course In The End You Become Yourself, A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace, the man himself speaks of an endpoint to our addiction when we fail to discipline ourselves regarding how much time we spend being passively entertained and society itself grinds to a halt. We’re not there yet and perhaps the true lesson of “The Decision” is that we may never get there. We’ll keep tuning in, trying to commune with people we can’t touch and who can’t touch us. We’re eager to see if Wade and LBJ can play together and how the Heat will fill out its roster.

The corporatization of sports is inescapable. I’m old enough (but not too old) to remember when outfield walls were one solid color and not a patchwork of advertising. Still, I live in LA. I can barely stick my head out the window without being bombarded with another frickin’ Geico ad. But the degree of cynicism powering The Decision was on an entirely different level. It was pure greed in a tattered guise of goodwill.

Of course, the James’ camp doesn’t see that. They point to the ratings, the $2.9 million of free advertising time and $6 million in ad revenue raised (all of which was supposed to go to charity, although I’ve only seen $2.5 mil as going to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Where did the rest go?) as a reason to down the line subject us to another one of these things. Will next year be “Melo’s Moment”? Oh wait, there might not be a next year thanks to the anticipated lockout. Don't worry, NBA, we'll still be here.