LeDiva James tarnished his image forever by taking the easy way out. We will never look at this fraud the same way again.

After taking some time to calm down from The LeBacle, I finally feel like I’m ready for an unbiased view on the biggest con man (LeCon if you will) in sports. Okay, maybe not. This train wreck career decision made by the Queen Diva confuses anyone with a love for basketball and the NBA. We all thought MeBron James wanted it all. He’s the biggest attention whore in sports. We assumed he wanted to be “The Man”, the alpha dog on a great team, and to put himself in the discussion of the all-time one name greats like Michael, Larry, and Magic. We never thought that when this free agency free-for-all started that the prized player would announce to the world that he doesn’t want to be the lead guy. That’s the most shocking thing to me in all of this garbage. I felt strongly that he would leave Cleveland from the second game 5 ended against Boston. I was so convinced that I created a LeBron to the Bulls page on this very site to try and help promote the cause. That was all before LeDiva sat across from his hand picked ass-bag Jim Gray and told the world in so many words that…..The pressure has gotten to me, I want to piggy back on Dwyane Wade’s shoulders, and I don’t have the balls to be the player and person I was destined to be.

I don’t even know how to describe my feelings for this guy. Last summer, while doing our annual fantasy football draft, I told some of my buddies that if I was running an NBA fantasy-expansion draft and I had the number 1 pick of all of the NBA players, I’d take Kevin Durant. What?! No LeBron?! I didn’t care for his selfish act then and last night’s nonsense reminded me of why. His press conference in Madison Square Garden in 2008 talking about July 1, 2010 made me loathe him like I loathe country music. I used to love LeBron’s game. I was convinced when watching his high school games that the only way he wouldn’t be a phenomenal pro was if he went Tyson and ruined his career somehow. With the help of Maverick Carter (His, seemingly, incompetent business manager), LeBron embarrassed himself and ruined The LeBron James brand forever.

It won’t be the same if he wins multiple NBA titles with Wade and the Rupaul of big men, Chris Bosh on the Heat. It won’t mean what it should have meant. His road to the Michael, Larry, Magic pedestal is no longer attainable. With his buddies convincing him to make this horrendous career move, they effectively killed his legacy, when they are the ones who are supposed to be looking out for it. Maverick Carter did an interview in 2007  saying that for LeBron to become a global icon, he would have to win NBA championships. Is this what Carter and the rest of his posse thought would get James to that level? If so, they are Turtle, Drama and “E” stupid. If you watch Entourage, you remember Vince, all costs, going to make “Medillen” the Pablo Escobar story. E went along with Vince wanting to sell his house and everything he owned in order to buy the script. They bought the script, and make a horrendous movie that nearly ruined Vince’s career. That’s what this situation reminds me of. I’m willing to bet that after MeBron talked to Wade and Bosh he told his crew that he was thinking of going to Miami. Instead of knowing how this decision would tarnish his biggest clients career, Carter had stars in his eyes and imagined what it would be like to live and party in South Beach. Nice representation Bron Bron.I always thought he was a man of one, as Brian Windhorst has written. He, and he alone,  was supposed to make this decision. I wish someone in his camp would have had the balls to help him realize the mistake he was about to make. And shame on LeBron for being so willing to become a glorified Scottie Pippen at 25!!! Lebron wants to be a helper, not the heavy lifter who carries a team to a title. What a travesty.

As LeBron talked about his tough “decision”, he seemed not sure of the whole thing. He seemed as if he wanted this, but knew it may not be the best thing for him. He was obviously nervous–not so much that he was leaving the only home that he has ever known, but self doubt creeping in saying “Do I really want to do this?” He sounded like an overgrown teenager when he proclaimed “This fall….man this is very tough…I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” Having missed college recruiting, LeBron seemingly wanted to relive a high school football player announcing which college he was going to. All that was missing was LeBron choosing a Heat hat. It was cheesy, corny, and as lame as anything I’ve ever seen. Would Michael Jordan ever subject himself to this sort of circus act? Hell, no. Could you ever imagine Kobe doing this? Not a chance. LeBron looked like a lost sole who had no idea what he was about to do. He should have been thrilled about the next chapter in his life, but instead he looked miserable. He didn’t seem like he was 100% sure he wanted to do this.  But,he did and proved why he’ll never be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest players ever. Once again….what a travesty.

I wanted to say how badly I feel for the people of Cleveland. Dan Gilbert’s letter to Cavs fans was a fun read, and it shed some light on the diva. However, he is the guy who enabled the biggest con man in the NBA and let him do whatever he wanted. LeBron decided when practice would start. LeBron would hold up team buses because…because…because he’s LeBron James didn’t you know? What an ass-hat. Poor Cleveland fans have had to “witness” The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Shot II, and now, The Decision. I don’t agree that Gilbert’s Cavs will win an NBA title before LeDiva, but I am rooting for him to build a high level team to give those fans hope.

You could also compare LeBron turning his back on Cleveland to when Hulk Hogan joined “The Outsiders” Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at the ’96 Bash at the Beach and forming the nWo. Hogan was a beloved figure who was the biggest name in wrestling. The Outsiders were supposedly sent from the then WWF (now WWE) to destroy WCW. When Hogan turned heel it was one of those wow moments that you don’t forget. That’s what last night felt like for fans. You won’t forget the night that MeBron changed the course of his career. For Hogan, it rejuvenated his career. For LeCoward, it’s going to be the moment he ended the discussion of being one of the greatest players ever.

Here is the Hulk Hogan comparison. The first video is 80′s Hogan (Cavs LeBron) followed by Hogan’s heel turn (MeBron deciding to go to the Heat….and selling out). The parallels are staggering……

If you grew up in the 80′s and liked wrestling, there’s no chance that you didn’t like Hulk Hogan. If you say otherwise you are lying. Everything changed when Hogan went “Hollywood.” You see, Hogan’s star was fading when he turned heel in ’96. He needed the change in image to keep his name in lights. LeBron didn’t need to go “Hollywood.” He was at the top of his profession. It’s too bad LeDiva couldn’t handle the pressure. Every Hogan fan knows this clip. The feelings they had this night in July of ’96 is what poor Cavs fans felt Thursday night. Bobby Heenan said “it’s the lowest shot ever given to professional wrestling.” James leaving is the lowest shot to Cleveland since Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore after the ’95 NFL season. Congrats LeBron, you’re now the NBA’s version of Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Although not nearly as cool.

LeBron wasn’t the only one who made a fool of himself on Thursday night. ESPN as a network should be ashamed of themselves. From Stuart Scott blowing LeBron from the start of the show, to Jim Gray’s softball questions, to Michael Wilbon being just another Boo-Yaa pansy, it furthered showed that the network and it’s “experts” don’t have the balls to be anything but robot like talking heads. Could Gray or Wilbon asked LeDiva why he made a spectacle of himself?How about asking why he quit in game 5 vs Boston? I would have paid money for one of them to ask James how he feels about ruining his legacy just to take the easy way out? The only thing that could have made this worse was if Dick Vitale was there screaming at everyone and explaining that if LeBron had gone to college the decision would have been different. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves for the continuous coverage and more Chris Broussard reports than anyone could stomach.

Mr. Piggy back said after his decision that he talked with his mom that morning and she supported his decision. I wonder if Delonte West was brought up? What LeBron James did Thursday night was show how mentally weak he truly is. He took the easy way out. He openly told the world that he’s a beaten man that needs help to win that elusive championship. Judging by how stoic he looked, he knows deep down that this is a mistake. That, one day, he will look back on this night and realize he made a career altering mistake. Instead of accepting a challenge like Michael or Kobe would, LeDiva proved he isn’t in their league. He may piggy back his way to a couple titles while he “takes his talent to South Beach,” but he lost something Thursday night. He lost his chance to join Michael, Magic, and Larry atop the NBA’s Mt. Rushmore. Whenever the overgrown child grows up and realizes it, he’ll wish he could have “The Decision” back.