The "Second Round Champion" Miami Heat Fall Hard To Best Team in NBA in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

CHICAGO, IL. WARNING! The geniuses at ESPN who were responsible for Lebron's infamous, hour-long "Decision" television special escaped from their cages over the weekend. The "Heat" rabies that infected them has been spreading like wildfire in the ESPN newsroom. as analyst after analyst is calling the Eastern Conference Finals in favor of the Miami Heat.

Apparently, the Miami Heat had somehow improved as a team when they defeated a tired, geriatric Boston Celtics team that everyone knew had sacrificed their main advantage over the Heat by trading Kendrick Perkins at the trade deadline.

Or maybe they figured that the ease of their 4 - 1 series victory over the same Celtics means that the Heat are now clicking on all cylinders, neglecting the obvious fact that Rajon Rondo, whom Doc Rivers has called the Celtics most important player, was injured and playing with one arm, as a result of a dirty play by Miami Heat guard, Dwayne Wade.

Anyway, ESPN, like the geniuses they are, called this Miami Heat team the favorite to win the Eastern Conference Finals.

In Chicago, they have a vastly different description for the Miami Heat and the Miami Superfriends, and they did not hesitate to share it with the world that was watching.

"Overrated!"

Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls defense allowed only 11 points for Wade and Lebron combined in the second half; Wade scored just 18 points and Lebron scored only 15 for the game.

NBA basketball fans have been unimpressed with the underachieving Miami Heat all year, as has most everyone outside of the Miami-Dade County area (save for a couple of self-proclaimed Lebron dick-riders), but as of the final day of the season, when the Chicago Bulls secured the best record in NBA this season, NBA fans were thoroughly impressed at how the Bulls have come together so quickly.

And the fact that the Chicago Bulls are the product of hard work, team effort, great coaching, and lead by a talented, yet humble homegrown superstar, just makes them a team everyone can root for. They are the anti-Heat.

Despite being the top seeded team in the playoffs, with homecourt advantage throughout, the Bulls have not acted entitled in the way that the Heat and Lebron have from the day they threw their party in South Beach talking about winning "not 5, not 6, not 7,...."

And after a Game 1 beatdown of the Heat, the Chicago Bulls certainly proved that Miami should be worried about them. Miami should be downright scared of the Chicago Bulls.

Anyone fantasizing about a 2006 NBA Finals rematch between Miami and Dallas has been out in the South Beach sun too long and is demonstrating symptoms of "heat" stroke.

Miami, with their "championship" celebration after eliminating the Celtics, are overlooking the real threat to their title aspirations. And not just this year. The Bulls are a much younger team, running the schemes that befuddled Wade and Lebron for the last two years and made the Boston Celtics the NBA Champions in 2008.

The Miami Heat have been dumbfounded for answers when it comes to getting a win against the Chicago Bulls.

Including Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls have beat the Miami Heat four straight times, and in the most important of those games, the Bulls won by a margin of 21 points.

And after the game, the Miami Heat admitted that they were demoralized by the 19 offensive rebounds that the Bulls' frontline pulled in to help propel the Bulls to their Game 1 victory.

In the four games between Miami and Chicago, the Bulls have grabbed 44 more rebounds for an 11 rebound/game edge. That kind of dominance is not accidental; the Chicago Bulls were built to beat the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, specifically.

The Boston Celtics had interior toughness and rebounding, but they traded Kendrick Perkins away. Now, Oklahoma City, Perkins' new team, is playing in the conference finals while Boston sits at home.

Taj Gibson had the biggest plays in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals for the Bulls, including this monsterous dunk on Dwayne Wade.

The Chicago Bulls had the "opportunity" to trade Omer Asik or Taj Gibson for a more offensive shooting guard, but they held on to their advantage. And after Game 1, no doubt Taj Gibson's trade value has gone up.

But with the Bulls retaining their great young frontcourt depth, Chicago held on to the advantage that will get them passed the Miami Heat and into the NBA Finals. And "not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4,..." because combined with their 22-year old NBA Most Valuable Player, the Chicago Bulls will potentially be dominant for as long as the Miami Heat window is open.

Don't believe me? Just watch.

HIGHLIGHTS of THE CHICAGO BULLS vs. MIAMI HEAT, 2011 NBA PLAYOFFS, EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 1:


With the Chicago Bulls up 1 - 0 in the best-of-seven series, what do you think will be the series outcome?

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Preview: Redemption For Lebron Is Not As Easy As A Series Win

MIAMI, FL. By virtue of taking his "talents" to South Beach and joining a greater talent in Dwayne Wade, Lebron has his best chance ever to win against the team that ended his career in Cleveland. However, even a series win will not be enough to erase the legacy of his past playoff failures.

The Boston Celtics continued to dominate Lebron (along with his new team, the Heat) during the regular season; will the playoffs be any different?

It was around this time last year that the Boston Celtics played and dominated Lebron's Cleveland Cavaliers to another disappointing early dismissal from the playoffs.

As he left the court following an overall unimpressive performance in the series, he ripped his Cavaliers jersey off with visible disdain before he reached the locker room; it was a moment that will replay in the minds of Cleveland fans as it began to fuel speculation that Lebron had quit in the Boston series.

The early end of the season for Lebron and the Cavs equated to an early start to a summer of speculation about where Lebron would go in free agency. The "Summer of Lebron" saw several franchises, who had gutted their lineups to create financial flexibility in the form of capspace, vy for the attention of the most talented free agent class in a generation, particularly the "No-Ring King", himself.

Lebron basked in the constant attention leading up to the July 1st threshold for the first day of signing. Lebron wanted more time in the limelight, so he extended his personal deadline for making up his mind to July 7th. Then that day came and went with only the statement that Lebron would make his announcement July 9th. Then ESPN began promoting "The Decision" show that would take place in primetime...

The rest is one of the biggest branding and marketing fiascoes of 2010.

And who can forget the aftermath?

Many a Cleveland home was warmed in the winter of 2010 using a Lebron jersey heating system.

Ultimately, his embarassment at the hands of Boston's Big Three may have been the catalyst for his joining fellow Superfriends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

The production of not only "The Decision" show on ESPN and the subsequent introduction of Miami's free agents at the American Airlines Arena proved to be as shameless and disrespectful of the game as the threesome's alleged conspiracy to join forces following the 2008 Olympic Games.

The attention given to such a talented player who has no team-oriented success in a team sport is astounding. However, to be fair, Lebron and his dickriders made the excuse that he did not have enough help in Cleveland. I think that we can all agree that with Wade and Bosh, Lebron has more than enough help.

After being eliminated from the 2011 NBA Playoffs by the Boston Celtics for the second year in a row, Lebron exclaims, "When I said enough help, I meant I don't have enough Kevin Durants and Dwight Howards on my team!"

And when Lebron faces Boston this time, there are no more excuses. The least he can do is exorcise the demons of last season's playoff failure.

However, it will take much more than that for Lebron to redeem himself in the basketball world. He became Wade's Sidekick to win championships. He mortgaged his legacy and status in the sport in order to claim "multiple championships" (in Lebron's own words).

Anything short of that can only be defined as failure.

Attention, Miami Heat fans. Please don't wet yourself in excitement, for as anyone in Cleveland can tell you, Lebron's promises and predictions are never as good as they sound.

Cleveland and the Cavs Have The Best Laugh On Dwayne Wade's Sidekick With a 102 - 90 Win Over The Miami Heat

CLEVELAND, OH. It was sweet, sweet redemption for a city that has not only suffered the humilitation of the public announcement of Lebron's "Decision", but then had to endure the humilition of their team laying down to Lebron at home in an embarassing 118 - 90 loss to the Miami Heat on December 2nd, 2010.

Cleveland fans are still upset, but on this night, they got the better of Lebron's South Beach superfriends.

After dealing away the players that didn't have the heart to play for the city of Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers came to fight tonight against the Miami Heat, who ran into a very different Cleveland reception and a very different Cleveland Cavaliers team.

It began in the parking garage as, allegedly, Lebron arrived at the game with his large entourage of homies that had had free run of the Q when Lebron was the Cavaliers star, however garage attendants turned away Lebron's "guests", setting the tone for the reception Lebron would now get in Cleveland on and off the court.

Cleveland came ready to battle, hustling for every rebound and loose ball and showing an edge that was lacking from the players on the floor in the previous home meeting with the Heat.

Baron Davis, who started his career with the Cavs and was back in Cleveland by virtue of the February 24th trade that sent Mo Williams to the Clippers, was one of the new faces on the Cavs that was not present for the embarassing home loss and now brings their swagger to the Cavs/ Heat rivalry.

It was a great pickup; Davis hit on a big three pointer before the buzzer at the half, and the Cavs went into the locker room at halftime with an 11 point lead.

Baron Davis set up Gee for a big dunk in the 4th Quarter to preserve the win for the Cavaliers.

The Cavs were able to build on the lead and push it to 23 before Miami began to make a run. But the Cavs, after relinquishing some big leads this season, were able to lean on Davis' veteran leadership and big plays by J.J. Hickson (21 pts, 12 reb), Anthony Parker (20 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), and a great defensive effort by Ryan Hollins (13 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 3 blks).

Here are the highlights:


Those who diminish the value of the game and the win do not really understand the larger scope. With the losses of both Chicago and Boston yesterday, a Miami win would have allowed them to gain a full game in the race for first place and home court in the Eastern Conference.

For Miami, the loss ot Cleveland could mean falling short of getting the top seed in the East. And although Miami may not necessarily need home court the way a Chicago might, it still makes Miami's potential road through the Eastern Conference playoff much more difficult, making them have to beat Boston AND Chicago, two teams they have yet to beat this season.

It is too soon to truly tell, but the gutsy win by the Cavaliers may have potentially stopped Miami from making the NBA Finals this season.

Karma? You bet.

DRose Outduels DWade To Claim Jordan Mantle In "The House That Michael Built" As Sidekick Watches From The Sideline

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.  It seemed that a lot of people were disappointed when Lebron announced his "Decision" this past July, however Derrick Rose was not necessarily one of them. 

DRose raised his game higher than any other star in the United Center tonight.

Rumors emerged that DRose did not want Lebron to come to Chicago because he wanted to be "The Man".

Then, DRose stated in an interview before the season that he wanted to be MVP, the Most Valuable Player, in the league.

Well, as of this week, Rose is the frontrunner for the award according to ESPN. And while in Miami, it will always be DWade's team, there is no doubt that Derrick Rose is "The Man" on the Chicago Bulls; and he has delivered in the clutch, when it mattered most.

In many ways, DRose's entry into the NBA mirrors Lebron's: both were super-talented, homegrown products drafted #1 Overall by their local team and heralded as the hometown hero who would save their respective NBA franchise. However, that is where the similarities abruptly end.

After promising to bring a championship to the championship-deprived city of Cleveland, Lebron's decision to leave town to join a stacked team in Miami revealed his complete selfishness and lack of integrity and perserverence. His announcement of "The Decision" in a one-hour special on ESPN was a self-aggrandizing act of pure hubris. While Lebron chose the easy way out to get his championship, the people of Cleveland were witness to nothing but a single NBA Finals appearance and several early playoff exits.

Rose is essentially the anti-lebron; he is a modest, hard-working phenom who relishes the burden of the Jordan legacy, including the effort it takes to be the best. While Lebron and his posse played with the emotions of GMs, cities, and teams' fans, Derrick Rose played the point for the U.S. team that won the Gold Medal at the World Basketball Championships this past summer.

Then he got in the gym, and in his understated, modest tone, "I've been working on my shooting range." All the way out to 3-point range; he is shooting 3-pointers at 37.9%, higher than Lebron's 35.8% clip for the season. Just as Jordan worked to add new facets to his game, Rose has gone from great to unstoppable.

Lebron quit as Rose and Wade battled for the Legacy of Jordan

On the other hand, when faced with stepping into Jordan's shoes, Lebron ran away as fast as he could to join another Chicago product who found inspiration in the miracles Michael Jordan performed as the face of the Chicago Bulls.

Dwayne Wade, more than any other player on the Heat, embodies the will to win that helped Jordan claim 6 NBA Championships. Wade's incredible performance in the 2006 NBA Finals was one for the ages.

How appropriate that Lebron "not Jordan" James stepped aside to allow two Chicago boys to duel for the Legacy of Michael Jordan.

And in the end, it was Derrick Rose who claimed the win and the mantle of heir to the Jordan Legacy in Chicago. In the victory, Rose put up 34 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and most importantly for the young man and the city of Chicago, the win.

The true Legacy of Jordan was to not only say what you are going to do, but to do it.

Lebron's Legacy and New Last Name: Dwayne Wade's Sidekick

After the anti-climactic conclusion to the "Summer of Lebron", it is clear that at age 26 and a half (and at an emotuional age of 15), Lebron has considered his legacy in basketball and in the world about as much as he considered the consequences of announcing his "Decision" in an hour long special on ESPN.

In case you were cowering under a rock until the events of the "Summer of Lebron" would blow over (like Jeff Van Gundy, who then emerged, disoriented, and proclaimed that the Miami Heat would win more games than the 72 - 10 Chicago Bulls team), you would know that, despite compelling presentations from several NBA teams, including one that would have put Lebron literally playing in Michael Jordan's shoes and along side MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, Lebron made the cowardly "Decision" to join Dwayne Wade on HIS Miami Heat team.

A bold offer to a man who lacks enough "bolds"; Lebron can't fill MJ's shoes.

When Lebron could have plugged into a perfect win-now situation with a complete and talented team, with the franchise that Michael Jordan exploded, in the stadium that Michael Jordan built, in the city that Michael Jordan made into a basketball town and that had been starving for a basketball hero, Lebron could have built a legacy in Chicago that would have written itself. Lebron brand would have elevated itself to a worldwide brand, strengthened by its organic association with the iconic Jordan.

And although it would have been difficult to see at the time, it is clear now that the New York proposal was also a powerful one, with Amare Stoudemire's continued MVP-like efforts for the New York Knicks this season. Amare has New York squarely in the playoff picture and is making the case as a legitimate destination for next year's most coveted free agent, Carmelo Anthony.

And, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers, though hampered by salary cap restrictions, would have found a way to make the necessary upgrades to stay the class of the NBA, if Lebron had stayed. And if he had won even one NBA title with the Cavs, the city of Cleveland would have rejoiced with the pent up energy of all the years of frustration that came before. Lebron's legacy would have been Cleveland's Greatest Champion.

Lebron should just change his name to "Lebron James Dwayne Wade's Sidekick"

However, whether it had been planned since the 2008 Olympics or even earlier, Lebron chose to join Dwayne Wade, a player who has already gotten it done in the NBA Finals and already has his own NBA Championship and NBA Finals MVP legacy. No matter how many championships they hope to win together, DWade will always have one more; one that he won after being the underdog and trailing the favored Dallas Mavericks two games to none in the series. Wade was the one man wrecking crew carrying his Miami Heat to victory in the series in Jordanesque fashion. And that is why, by joining DWade's Miami Heat, Lebron's legacy can only be one thing:  Dwayne Wade's Sidekick.

At best this would mean being "Scottie Pippen" to Wade's Jordan, but Lebron will still have to win multiple championships in Wade's shadow to even be considered as great as Pippen really was. Wade and his sidekick have yet to show that they can play together with the same kind of chemistry that Jordan and Pippen had in winning 6 NBA Championships.

In this day and age of NBA Superstar branding, it is amazing that Lebron's PR people would have allowed Lebron to make such a collosal PR mistake, as they have continued to allow him to do since "The Decision" show. Whether Lebron can change his legacy is mostly a question of whether he is willing to change the PR team that got him here, for this much is clear; Lebron has decided not to be responsible for his legacy, just as he has decided not to be responsible for the failures of his teams in past and future playoffs.

Lebron Returns to Cleveland: Post-Game Postmortem

CLEVELAND, OH.  Lebron's big return to Cleveland was marked by nothing more than a much needed "W" for the Miami Heat. Nothing more. DWade finally shot a respectable percentage from the field, and the Miami Heat were able to get a big lead in the first quarter and cruised.

The two major stories of the game hardly concerned the actual basketball that was played.

Signs of the times: this is no longer 2003 for Queen James.

Cleveland fans were empassioned at the start of the game, and they did their fair share of "booing" before being quieted by the Heat's big first quarter.

All the bogus threat of violence perceived by Lebron's caretakers and the ESPN news machine was nothing more than making a news story out of a molehill.

The atmosphere created by the fans in support of their underdog team exceeded the effort that was given on the night by Cavs players.

Despite the magnitude of the game, Cavs players joked and laughed with Lebron, putting him at ease in the hostile environment. All that we learned on Thursday night was that Cleveland fans are classy but still upset, the current Cavaliers team still has the "warm fuzzies" for Lebron, and Lebron is still a LeBiatch.

Lebron tosses chalk in the air because he can't juggle.

Lebron is a LeBiatch because he did his Chalk Toss routine, in front of a chorus of "booing" Cleveland Cavaliers fans at the Q. In spite of numerous questions about it and suggestions that not doing the chalk toss would go a long way towards repairing the bitterness felt in Cleveland about "The Decision" show and other displays of disrespect towards the fans that loyally followed Lebron, Lebron goaded the packed stadium who rained "boos" down upon the villainous traitor. The Cleveland Cavaliers fans showed up in force to "unwelcome" Lebron, and to be present for the event. But there was no apology, no show of grace, no show of respect from Lebron that would have to be returned in kind.

However, the packed stadium was enough to prove a point to the self-appointed "king". Here was a basketball fan base that knows and appreciates sports and sports history. They filled the stadium for all those seven years that Lebron played for their Cavs. Now, Lebron joins Wade, playing before fans who can hardly show up for the first half of the game and have no sense of history. I suppose it is fitting that a player whose legacy is ruined would want to play in front of fans who don't care and won't remember. Being the best player to not achieve his potential and the best player to be completely forgotten will be Lebron's legacy.

Lebron Returns to Cleveland: To Chalk Toss or Not To Chalk Toss

CLEVELAND, OH.  Without a doubt, there will be a lot of emotion for everyone involved in Lebron's first game back in Quicken Loans Arena, the stadium he called home when he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award just last year, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a league-best 61 - 21 record.

Now, after his antics during the "Summer of Lebron", he is the enemy, in more ways than simply returning as an opposing team's player.


Lebron was supposed to be "The Chosen One" to bring a sports championship to a city that has not won a major sports championship since 1964 and has had worse sports fortune than arguably any other city in the world. Cleveland is the punchline of sports joke after sports joke because of heartbreaking and infamous sports moments as "The Drive", "The Fumble, and "The Shot" where they snatched defeat from the jaws of almost certain victory.

Part of Cleveland's heartbreaking sports history has to do with losing more sports talent than any other city, culminating in losing an entire team when Art Modell decided to move the Cleveland Browns football team, earning him the honor of most hated sports figure in Cleveland. Until this past summer. Until "The Decision". And that brings us back to Lebron James.

In a move as classless and heartbreaking to the city of Cleveland, Lebron announced his plan to "take his talents to South Beach" and play for Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat during a one-hour special called "The Decision" which aired on ESPN. It was a forgettable public spectacle to most, but to the loyal fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was a public humiliation. The hometown kid who had promised to bring a championship to the city, had tried and failed, and was now going to quit on the city of Cleveland and get a ring for himself in an easier situation.

Tonight marks Lebron's first game back to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. As hurt as they are, Cleveland fans have too much pride and class to avenge Lebron's actions with physical violence. Several creative solutions are trying to garner social media support.

However, will we see Lebron humble himself enough to regain the respect of the fans of Cleveland?

Will Lebron do the Chalk Toss before the Cleveland crowd as an opposing player?

TO CHALK TOSS OR NOT TO CHALK TOSS?

Lebron copied and evolved a well-known Michael Jordan pre-game routine into his own pre-game ritual known as the Chalk Toss (pictured at right), a ritual that he used to pump up and engage the hometown fans in Cleveland.

And although he has every right to do his ritual in NBA arenas all over America, it would be a great show of respect and honor to the city of Cleveland that had been loyal until they were betrayed. Lebron knows that in this simple gesture, there may be salvation for his legacy in Cleveland.

"What Should He Do?": Skip the Chalk Toss tonight in Cleveland.
What Will He Do?": ...Be a LeBiatch, and do the Chalk Toss, cementing his legacy of being the Most Hated Sports Figure in Cleveland.

Dallas Mavericks' Starters Dominate Miami Heat Starters in Thorough Team Victory

Dallas, Texas.  Another game against a playoff caliber opponent resulted in a loss for the most overrated team in NBA history on Saturday night.

Dallas used a huge run to begin the second half, including a pivotal play where Dirk Nowitzki split the defense provided by Dwayne Wade and Lebron James. With all three All-Stars hanging in the air, Nowitzki completed the layup against both Miami Heat defenders. With the momentum, Dallas would stretch to a lead of 18 points which they would never relinquish.

Tyson Chandler looked like an All-Star against the Miami Heat.

Once again, Miami was beat on the glass as Tyson Chandler grabbed 17 rebounds to go with 14 points and 3 blocks, and the Mavs starting frontline outrebounded Miami 26 to 19. Chris Bosh, who has been criticized throughout his career for being soft, has done nothing to prove otherwise, and with the probable loss of Udonis Haslem for the entire season, the NBA playoff hopes of the Miami Heat rest on the slender shoulders and non-existent testicular fortitude of Bosh.

After falling to a season record of 9 wins and 8 losses, worse than last year's mark of 10 wins and 7 losses at this same point in the season, the Miami Heat players had a team-only meeting lasting approximately 45 minutes. None of the Heat players were willing to speak about anything specific that was said during the meeting.

The loss capped a disappointing week for the Miami Friends (I've dropped the "Super" for obvious reasons), who have lost four of their last 5 games. The team-only meeting was just another sign that the Miami three of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh are fracturing under the pressure of public scrutiny of, in particular, Lebron's Decision to leave a talented team in Cleveland to form a supposed "super team" in Miami to pursue an NBA Championship. The results seem to support those who believe that Lebron took the easy way out and will not win a title this way.

This was a tough week for Lebron in particular. After Rudy Gay hit a game-winning shot in his face to lift the Memphis Grizzlies, an ad for Jordan brand in response to Lebron's "What Should I Do?" Nike ad went viral on the internet; in the ad, Michael Jordan asks if Lebron was just making excuses.

Michael Jordan Responds To Lebron's "What Should I Do?" Nike Ad In Jordan Brand Ad

Michael Jordan lived these words every day of his career. He rewrote the record books through his own hard work and exceeded every basketball player that came before him. His play won him individual accolades.

His leadership fueled team success and carried his Chicago Bulls teams to 6 NBA Championships, winning every NBA Finals Series that he ever played in, and an NBA record, 72 win season.

Lebron James was offered the chance to follow in Jordan's footsteps in the Chicago Bulls campaign to bring the coveted free agent to the Bulls last summer. Even Jordan himself felt that the best situation for Lebron would be Chicago.

Lebron proved that he was not the player or the man that even Jordan believed him to be when he chose to join Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat, and Derrick Rose has lived up to his word after saying that he wanted to be "The Man" in Chicago.

Lebron is not and will never be on the same level as Jordan. What more needs to be said?

Lebron Deserves Time Magazine's Person of the Year For Being a Shining Example of What Not To Do With Your Public Esteem

Does Lebron James deserve to be listed among the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Mohandas Gadhi? The answer is clearly a resounding "no".

Does Lebron James deserve to be listed among the likes of Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, George W. Bush, and Benedict Arnold (if Time Magazine had existed back in 1780)? Suddenly, the "no" is less resounding...

Barack Obama, President of the United States, is also a finalist for Time's Person of the Year along with James.

Time Magazine's Person of the Year article profiles a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year." By this criteria, Lebron certainly qualifies to be in the discussion.

In fact, what better way to cement Lebron's "legacy" than a Time Magazine article that details the events of the so called "Summer of Lebron", what was to be Lebron's finest hour, to show how selfishness, hubris, and conceit can truly cost you in the fame game. However, when the adoration of your fans are the only source of your power, influence, and income, it is probably a good idea not to humilate those same fans on public television.

Lebron's actions, and the pride that continues to keep him from admitting the utter stupidity of "The Decision", have kept his name in the news much longer than any sensible decision possibly could, and it is for that that he deserves Time's Person of the Year.

At the very least, the continuous chatter on ESPN, the television network that agreed to participate in Lebron James' ill-conceived 1-hour Decision special, about what Lebron tweeted about today and his opinion of the dismal Dallas Cowboys, for example, is evidence that the sports world has changed. Now rather than reporting sports news, ESPN has crossed the line of journalistic integrity, following in the footsteps of the Fox News' of the world, to now, creating and fabricating news.

A clear bias exists when ESPN crams Lebron James' opinions down our throats and calls it news. There is a clear bias when there is a special page chronicling the Miami Heat, called the Heat Index, when there are 29 other teams in the league, several of which are more likely than Miami to win the NBA Championship, and one of them has already proven that fact twice (Boston Celtics).

The Miami Herald has reported that Lebron, in a calculated PR move, responded to his nomination by saying that it was "crazy". Lebron said this about his vote for the honor, the Chilean Miners, "That's just crazy. What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it."

If Lebron had made a sensible decision, he would not be anywhere near the list. He would just be the best player in the league, winning and leading a team, and showing his fans everywhere what it is to be a sports hero. Instead, we are forced to watch Miami Heat basketball to witness the inevitability of karma.

Miami Heat Fall For Loss Number Two To Chris Paul and the Undefeated New Orleans Hornets

New Orleans, LA. Lebron may not have been able to do it alone in his seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but on this night, it was Chris Paul who played the role of a lonely David versus the Goliath of the Big Three of Miami.

Chris Paul finished the game with a modest 13 points, but made his teammates better to the tune of 19 assists.

CP3 keeps his Hornets undefeated against DWade, Lebron, and the Miami Heat.

Following a summer that was notable for an infamous Decision to go to South Beach, Chris Paul was very public about his discontent with the state of the New Orleans Hornets, fueling rumors of a potential "Big Three" scenario that might have landed himself, along with another disgruntled superstar, Carmelo Anthony, on the New York Knicks.

Following a fifth straight victory to start the season by New Orleans (a Hornets franchise-best record to start a season), trade talks have been silenced. The New Orleans Hornets front office has consistently gone on record saying that Chris Paul would not be traded; the franchise even traded talented back-up point guard Darren Collison, who played excellent during the significant minutes he played in Paul's absence, as a clear statement of commitment to Paul.

It seems that their clear commitment, along with other off-season moves, has paid off for the undefeated New Orleans Hornets.

On the other hand, Lebron's summer has been one of a lack of a clear commitment (other than to himself and his so-called advisory team), culminating in the self-aggrandizing and self-promoting, 1-hour Decision special on ESPN. We all know the subsequent backlash that has resulted from Lebron's decision to be Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat sidekick, along with Chris Bosh.

After much speculation and talk of breaking the 72 win record of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls team, the Miami Heat lost their season opener to the Boston Celtics, and they now fall to a record of 4-2 after this loss to the New Orleans Hornets. This would put them on pace to win 66 to 69 games this season.

The Upside of Lebron Leaving Cleveland: The Fresh Air! Just Ask Anderson Varejao

Dear Clevelanders,

Whether or not you have gotten over the horrifically produced travesty that was "The Decision" Show yet, we can all admit that the loss of Lebron will be a difficult blow for the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team to recover from, even though Lebron shoots like 15% from the field in must win games.

However, after searching high and low, scientists have indeed discovered an upside to Lebron James leaving Cleveland: fresher air! After the growth of industry that lead to the population boom in Cleveland and the associated rise in air pollution, environmental regulations have lead to a gradual improvement in Cleveland's air quality to its present level. However, it seems that the effects of all the environmental regulation combined will not improve the air quality as much as the departure of Lebron James.

Anderson Varejao was instrumental in exposing Lebron James' assault on the environment. The following video reveals the lengths and sacrifice that Varejao went to in order to expose James.



Cleveland will be a better place for many reasons with the departure of Lebron, and Varejao deserves our gratitude for his sacrifice in exposing Lebron, the eco-criminal.

Best Award Winning Comedy/ Humor Videos from the Summer of Lebron is a LeBiatch

Continuing our Lebron is a LeBiatch Video Award series, we have the much anticipated Comedy/ Humor category. As you might imagine, this was extremely difficult because of the sheer volume of videos out there that have been making fun of the former King James.

However, our staff worked tirelessly to find and evaluate videos that represented the very best. And so, this list evolved and was finally cut down to this final four category winners and honorable mentions. Please enjoy the fruit of our efforts!

HONORABLE MENTION
*Spoof* LeBron and Lil Dez "MVP Puppet" Nike Commercial HD
By TreyMoeShow

Current Number of Views: 95,450

HONORABLE MENTION
LeBron James Is Gay! Shocking Interview on "The Decision" Announcing He's Gay
by LFyler

Current Number of Views: 877,065

BEST "THE DECISION" SPOOF VIDEO
LeBron James - The Decision Elimination Game (Parody)
By LilOcelotProductions

Current Number of Views: 3,460

BEST OVERALL COMEDY VIDEO
New MVP Puppets Commercial - LeBron West
by AuthentiK1

Current Number of Views: 285,727


Which was your favorite? Have a favorite that was not listed? Let us know!

OSU Fans "Looking Forward" to Possible LeBron James Visit Despite QB's Pleas

Terrelle Pryor, the junior quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes, made a plea during an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He begged that the Ohio State college football fans treat Lebron James respectfully if he shows up to Saturdays game against the Miami Hurricanes.

Pryor is afraid that drunken OSU college football fans at the game will BOO Lebron relentlessly during the game for not only leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency, but publically humiliating the people and city of Cleveland by announcing his decision in an unprecedented 1 hour ESPN special televised nationally.

Pryor said that he has exchanged text messages with James this week and hopes to see him at Saturday’s home game against the Miami Hurricanes, believing James plans to attend.

If he does, Pryor has a message for fans. ‘If LeBron does come, just treat him with respect and respect his decision,’ Pryor said. ‘Please, no name calling or booing or anything like that. Please. That’s my mentor, and I’ve got a lot of respect for him and a lot of love for him.’

In fact, Pryor said he was there for support after James announced his decision to leave Cleveland. ‘When he was down, when people were throwing him under or burning his jersey, I just picked him up and said, ‘I’m with you 100 percent,’ Pryor said. If James is in Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Pryor said James will be with him 100 percent, not backing the team from his new place of employment.”

It would seem like a very reasonable request that Pryor is making if were talking about anyone else, however standing by someone because they stood with you implies that there is LOYALTY. And most sports fans in the Northeast Ohio region know how loyal an individual Lebron is.

And it is also admirable that Pryor, a young athlete who has yet to be corrupted by money and fame to advocate for his mentor. However, he is asking for the one thing that Lebron was not considerate enough to give the fans and city of Cleveland: RESPECT.

Best Award Winning Videos from the Summer of Lebron is a LeBiatch, the Documentary Edition

So, the much anticipated 2010 NBA Free Agency period (the so called "Summer of Lebron") has come and gone. It was a soap opera beyond imagination which finally ended with the most awkward debacle of an announcement of a bad decision ever made in the history of modern sports.

Lebron decided to take his talents (and for his sake, enough lube) to South Beach to join Dwayne Wade and new Heat teammate, Chris Bosh. And that was when Lebron revealed himself to be a fraud and less than the Chosen One he had claimed to be. The hearts of those who had once supported him were broken, as they have been so many times before in Cleveland. And beyond Cleveland, those who believed that he could step into the Air Jordans of the Greatest of All Time and those who hoped that pride could be restored for a team that plays in the Mecca of Basketball were also disappointed.

However, none of this may compare with the irreparable damage that "the Decision" has done to Lebron's own legacy. The championships that he may have believed would cement his legacy, gotten this way by joining a champion in DWade, will forever cast him as a sidekick. And despite what anyone has said, this incarnation of the Miami Heat have yet to win a single game.

With all the free agent dominoes having fallen and the teams geared up to start the regular season, this usually proves to be the longest month for hardcore hoops fans. Therefore, we wish to bring you the Best Videos of the Summer of Lebron is a LeBiatch. In this edition, we examine the Best Documentary Videos of the summer.

BEST AMATEUR FILM CLIP
Lebron James gets booed at Cedar Point
by Nikkie0212

Current Number of Views: 401,214

August 9, 2010 About a month after announcing "the Decision", Lebron returns to Cedar Point, the legendary amusement park in northern Ohio. However, despite the solid month of anti Lebron sentiment coming out of the Cleveland Cavaliers fanbase, Lebron must not have been convinced that his decision could have been so poorly received.

On this day, an amateur camera-person captures Lebron James at the basketball hoops getting jeered by park-goers and missing every shot he takes. He must have been having flashbacks to Game 5 of the Boston Celtics playoff series this year where he shot 3 of 14.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Raw Video: Cavs Fans React to LeBron's Decision (Associated Press)

Current Number of Views: 328,158

July 9, 2010 This will be a date that will live in infamy in the minds of Cleveland sports fans as the unthinkable and unimaginable happened in a public act of humiliation that garnered an audience of 9.95 million to TV screens. In a classless display of self-aggrandizement, Lebron took an hour of national TV airtime on ESPN (and the dignity of one Jim Gray, who presided over the charade) to make his long awaited announcement.

Lebron James, a homegrown, hometown basketball phenom from nearby Akron, OH, eventually became the #1 overall selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was christened The Chosen One because he was believed to be the one to return Cleveland sports to respectability, and during his 7 years playing for the Cavs, James won two MVP awards, lead his team to the best regular season record twice, and made one NBA Finals appearance.

Lebron's decision to join a loaded team in Miami was viewed as not only selfish and quitting, but it was also an act of betrayal greater than any other because he was the local guy who should understand the pain and the plight of the city in terms of sports history. After being likened to Benedict Arnold, Lebron is giving Art Modell a run for his money for the mantel of most hated Cleveland sports demigod.

Do Wade and Lebron Gamble Too Much On Defense? Let's Go To the Video...

The following is an Ask Ira question that was posed to Ira Winderman, who writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Miami Heat and the NBA for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. So him being from Miami and all, please excuse that he doesn't know the first thing about basketball.

Q: Ira, I’m not sure people realize how much Wade and James will push each other’s games on the defensive side. Anyone who has watched them compete against each other knows they will continue attempting to one-up each other. Every spectacular block or defensive sequence by James will push Wade to match or beat it on the next defensive sequence. Just because they now play for the same team, doesn’t mean we lose out on them competing to outdo the other. — Shaddy.

Sit down, Ira. I got this one.

Hey, Shaddy! Thanks for the, er, question, or is it just that the man-love between Wade and Lebron is just so contagious down there in South Beach?

Back to your question/comment/flirtation... Yes, there used to be some great tete-a-tetes (that is french for head-to-head) between Wade and Lebron, and Lebron seemed to get the best of many of those contests.

However, since Lebron decided to give up being a man, such competitive displays will certainly be a thing of the past. It should be clear from Lebron's "Decision" that he went to Miami to avoid working hard and carrying any load. He clearly chose to announce his decision to millions of viewers during a primetime, 1 hour special on ESPN so that everyone would know that he was done working for his fame and money and so that no one would ask questions like this one going forward.

Anyway, the answer is yes, Wade and Lebron will gamble too much on defense, and it will be just another reason not to put your money on the Miami Hype. If you don't believe me, check the following video, and without a doubt, there will be more footage to add to the video after this NBA season.



As they say, the video doesn't lie.

"Lebron James is a Bitch" Song by Mike Polk Soon To Send Anti-Lebron Sentiments Viral

Comedian Mike Polk may become the new voice and megaphone for the masses of disenchanted former-fans of Lebron James. Cleveland and fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered many painful losses when it comes to the history of sports in the city of Cleveland. However, this latest loss especially hurts not only because of the freshness of it, but also because of the treasonous nature of Lebron James' betrayal of the Northeast Ohio-area where James grew up.

Following a summer of high hopes for several NBA team, an extended courtship of the top NBA free agents, and the emergence of a conspiracy, Cleveland was publicly spurned by their own native son, James, who had been embraced by the city with the moniker, "The Chosen One".

After numerous delays, Lebron announced his choice to join with fellow All Stars and Team USA teammates, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on the Miami Heat, during an ill-conceived 1-hour special on ESPN called "The Decision". The show's name soon became synonymous with the latest betrayal born by the city of Cleveland.

Following "The Decision", there has been harsh backlash against James'. Prior to the infamous decision, James was a much admired sports figure, not only in Cleveland, but Lebron was respected globally to fans of the sport. However, perception of Lebron James has drastically shifted, and Mike Polk's tribute song is the latest emphatic statement of this.



The perception of Lebron James leaving his city, although not the course of champions of the echelon of Jordan, Bird, and Kobe, would not have been a career-killer if James had gone about it with more public-relations savvy. Shaquille O'Neal moved during his prime, much like Lebron James, from an NBA Finals team in the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, however O'Neal was the main attraction on the Lakers, who won the NBA Championship with O'Neal because of the eventual development of Kobe Bryant.

However, with Lebron stringing along several NBA franchises, announcing his departure in such a self-aggrandizing and self-promotional forum, and leaving Cleveland to join two other established players, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on a team that Wade has already won a championship with in Miami, many former Lebron fans feel deceived. There was nothing admirable or heroic about Lebron's actions from "The Decision" onward. By subjugating himself to Wade, he has made the admission that he cannot lead a team to victory, and he has revealed the fraud in the advertisements that taut his supremacy.

Sports super-stardom is driven by image and perception, and Lebron has managed to tarnish his well-polished image with quite possibly the worst PR summer of any great athlete in recent memory. A viral video would not help things for James, however the outrage is real and stands to grow with each game Lebron plays with Wade's team.

Postings like this one all over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have fueled the popularity of Mike Polk's YouTube performance. The following update was posted to the Facebook group, Lebron is a LeBiatch:

This is my new favorite song! Thank you, Mike Polk! Lebron is a LeBiatch.

Within a matter of 2 hours, the hit count on the YouTube video rose by nearly 3500 views, and with the viral nature of social media, Lebron James could possibly be the first NBA star to become globally infamous because of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Nike and other brands don't bank on athletes with the image of being a Bitch.

Bosh Reveals That There Was Never Discussion About Cleveland With Lebron

It seems that as time goes by, tiny morsels of facts regarding "The Decision" and the rest of the farce that was NBA Free Agency 2010 emerge that lend more and more credence to the notion that Lebron's decision to join with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami was contrived well in advance of the start of the free agent signing period on July 1, 2010.

On SI.com's Dan Patrick Show, none other than Chris Bosh, the least talented of the Miami Big Three, was asked about Lebron's attempts to lure him to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reportedly, Lebron had spoken to Bosh about the possibility of joining the team in a sign and trade; an option that the Cavs would surely have entertained in order to keep James in Cleveland.

“We never had a discussion about Cleveland,” Bosh revealed, Wednesday morning. "We never really had discussions, period."

This simple statement greatly implicate that James had already closed the door on returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that originally drafted him out of high school first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, which finished the 2010 regular season with a 61-21 record and the best record in the league for the second consecutive season, could have arguably had the addition it needed to be title favorites by adding Chris Bosh and keeping James.

The Lebron James public spectacle, and the infamous "Decision", continues to baffle, particularly those who understand the game and business of basketball the best.

BEWARE: Lebron is Making a Mental List of His Enemies; Lebron is a LeBiatch

After much speculation that Lebron was an arrogant jerk who makes bad Decisions, Lebron proved it today.

Lebron is making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

In a poorly conceived follow up to "The Decision" show, Lebron chose the twitterverse to be the platform for his public coming out party. After a month to ponder his response to the disappointment felt by avid followers of basketball, and himself in particular, the best he could come up with was a reactionary verbal flipping of the bird to those that were not going to loyally and mindlessly continue to revere him. Loyalty, as in the quality he failed to show a city that he grew up in the shadow of and that he promised when he was drafted in 2003, "I will bring a championship to the city of Cleveland." It was surprising how quickly Lebron corrected himself; I grew up in Akron, and we hated Clevelanders. If it was hard to carry the team, it will be ever harder winning them a championship by playing for another team in the same conference.

Despite not being able to live up to his word and expecting loyalty when he doesn't feel the need to be loyal himself, some fans stood by him. Even when the greatest legends in basketball history questioned the arrogance and selfishness of the decision and how it would tarnish his legacy, this generation of spoiled brats was quick to defend one of their own. The self-proclaimed "king" had a right to "get paid" and to "chase a ring" they would say. Sure, "pursuit of happiness" is indeed a right, but where is his respect for the game and the legends that built the sport into one of the cornerstones of America. It is clear now, after "The Decision", Lebron doesn't intend to work for anything, he just wants to cash the checks that Magic, Bird, and Michael worked for.

And now, he has an audience of 1 million people, and he wants to tell them he is making a revenge list?

Any sentiment existing outside of South Beach that sympathized with Lebron was bashed over the head with a baseball bat.

My response: 

"After showing us all that he can't be The Man to lead a team to a Championship, now @kingjames is mouthing off on twitter. Shut up and win ONE ring before you whine about how people are disrespecting you. Lebron is a LeBiatch."

 

The vindictive tone of the tweet was seen by anyone with access to twitter.com, essentially any computer that was connected to the internet. All of Lebron's 1 million+ followers on the social media website would have seen the threatening tweet in their update list, and it could have been seen by anyone choosing to view those people's updates. Let's just say, it was the "Threat Heard Round The World".

Immediately, the tweet set off a series of defiant retorts (like mine) that echoed in the twitterverse through the power retweeting, and they carry with them the truth about Lebron's legacy. It has been damaged, and it can never be returned to where it stood just one month ago.

All I can say is that, at the end of the day, Lebron's mental ability to do anything does not scare me in the least. What about you?

Larry Bird Joins Legends in Denouncing Lebron's Decision

Larry Bird, or Larry Legend as he was known even during his playing days with the Boston Celtics during the 1980 and 1990's, is on record having voiced his disapproval of Lebron James' "Decision" to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, which is in line with the sentiment voiced recently by his Hall of Fame contemporaries, Michael Jordan and Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Although a decade and a half of fierce competition has given way to a great friendship built on mutual admiration and respect, Bird had this to say about the idea of playing alongside Johnson:

"I remember back in my days, I'd rather play against Earvin Johnson than play with him. He's a guy I always compared myself to. I'd rather stay in Boston and let him stay in L.A. and just compete every year in the Finals. That's what made me a better player."

Bird's statement follows closely on the heels of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson's statements criticizing Lebron James decision to join the Miami Heat. By doing so, James, the most coveted free-agent of the decade, joined with the next two most talented free-agents in arguably the greatest free-agent class ever in the NBA. Essentially, the joining of James, Wade, and Bosh, though not as epic as a Magic, Bird, and Jordan triumverate, is about the closest thing that has, in fact, come to pass.

The Legends (Bird, Magic, and Jordan), the first-ballot Hall of Famers who were responsible for the international explosion in popularity of the NBA and basketball, have voiced their displeasure with "The Decision" because of what it may mean to the future of NBA. The competition between Bird and Magic defined an era in the NBA, and the dominance of Jordan through the 1990's was a tribute to the will and perseverance of the greatest player of all time.

Old-school fans of the NBA were treated to epic battles between the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, however the Lebron decision was an admission of surrender and an inexplicable act of submission to another star in Wade.

When asked about Lebron's decision following a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada, Michael Jordan's reply to NBC Sports was this:

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team, but that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. ... In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."

And in sports, it is that competitive fire that athletes are measured by, and that is why Bird, Magic, and Jordan have the legacy and legend that they do.