Watching highlights of LeBron James dropping 51 on the Orlando Magic last night reminded me of a post that I meant to write and never did. So here goes...
The Decision would have been the biggest sports-related public relations blunder of 2010 if not for Tiger Woods' ongoing struggles to put his life and career back together. Most of the commentary I have seen agrees that it was awkward and dragged on. I don't think I am alone in believing that James ended up dropping what amounted to a giant “F You” to the entire metro Cleveland area.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert reacted horribly but was understandably upset at the lack of respect shown to him and his team. No, LeBron James didn't owe him any more seasons, but he owed him a PHONE CALL.
Initially, Spike Lee's comments are spot-on. Look, James was a free agent, and he decided it was best for him to move on. He knew it wouldn't be popular, but he did what he thought was best for him. Here are comments Lee made during an interview on ESPN following The Decision broadcast:
However, I saw Spike Lee appear subsequently in a town hall session on the image of the black athlete on ESPN as part of a Martin Luther King, Jr. remembrance. (I just happened to stumble across the panel discussions involving director Spike Lee, college basketball coach John Calipari, sprinter Marion Jones, college football coach Randy Shannon, former basketball player Jalen Rose and sports journalist Michael Wilbon. I would encourage you to watch all of the segments on YouTube.) Frankly, I was appalled at Lee's commentary that day:
Lee's divisive commentary, invoking imagery of runaway slaves being beaten and tormented by presumably white owners, stands in stark contrast to King's message of working together for a better world for all people. If Lee had specifically addressed his comments toward Cavaliers owner Gilbert and his unprofessional reaction, they would have been easier to swallow. But the big problem is that Gilbert was to a degree justified in his feelings because James failed to perform the common courtesy of filling Gilbert in on his plans BEFORE telling the rest of the world.
What is more, Cleveland sports fans can actually be forgiven for feeling betrayed. They thought James was “one of them.” He claimed to understand just how hard the generations of losing had hurt the area's collective psyche. More than any other NBA player, James “got it.” Not only did he understand, but he shared in that suffering, so the fans believed in him to bring their city that ever elusive championship.
When James so coldly pulled the plug on his stint with the Cavaliers, it was unthinkable to these fans. It was sort of like serving your spouse divorce papers on the Jumbotron and telling him or her “I never loved you.” Except for one thing – The Decision was aired on national television!!!! Complete and utter humiliation served up on national television for fans that had dared to let their guard down. They trusted him to stop all of the losing, and in return they received the latest, most painful chapter in their saga of despair.
Conclusions
- I am no fan of any particular Cleveland team, but Cleveland fans got the rawest deal I have ever seen.
- I think Lee got it right the first time, and I can't understand why he felt the need to speak of runaway slaves. The timing of his questionable comments was reprehensible.
- Oh yeah, I hate the font Comic Sans, too.
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