The Decision? The Return? No, The Evolution

by Jeramy Kopacko

Let me start with by saying I have been on leading the hate chants on LeBron since The Decision. If you’re apart of the cult following, keep reading.

Today, we saw the next chapter of LeBron James: The Return. Within minutes, all of Cleveland forgave their hometown superstar sellout. The jerseys were pulled out the trash, the billboards read “Witness” once again, and Dan Gilbert apologized. Happily ever after, right?

We can’t forget. It happened, he said it, not one, not two, not three… and he didn’t. He fled to join other superstars. He fled to leave the scrutiny of losing. He turned his back on his city.

Four years later, Lebron is back with 4:1 odds of winning a championship. Which, of course, comes with all the publicity and comparisons. Did anybody stop and examine this free agency? Did anyone talk with Lebron live over the decision?

Alright, you’re confused. Let’s step back and time travel.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,'" Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. The interview aired on the NBC telecast of the event. "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."

This quote was made famous on July 19, 2010 by Michael Jordan, just 11 days after the controversial “Decision” aired. LeBron James made it known that he was leaving his hometown of Cleveland to “take his talents to South Beach.”

Stop right there.

This isn’t an attack. Let’s examine the situation. LeBron went in front of live television to publicly announce where he was going to sign in free agency. More importantly, basketball became entertainment like the WWE Raw. He ridiculed the his hometown, the fans, the organization, and himself. The ultimate form of  disrespect to the team that drafted you.

Back to my point.

The media ran rampant on this. Every sports journalist reported it as a slam against LeBron’s ego. Jordan, the arguably greatest player, calling out the face of the NBA. Classic story: “Former Great calls out New Star.” Here’s the plot twist: he wasn’t.

Charle Barkley is quoted saying “There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as 'The Man’.” The same thing happened. Which turned into comparing the 90s era of basketball to the common day. Don’t.

This was the league’s elite giving advice to the next generation. They've experienced the spotlight, the glory, the riches, fame, MVP, titles, and so on that comes with the talent. They’re trying to pass knowledge they’ve obtain the hard way.

So today, around noon, SI releases an article of an essay. An essay written by LeBron announcing his decision to return to Cleveland. An easy written by Lebron, himself, announcing his continual lack of leadership and return to the better team.

Time to change your opinion.

Now, let’s let Lebron speak:

“If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man.”

I want to really emphasize “like college for other kids” and “a better man” out of this statement. LeBron was a basketball cover child at 16. LeBron was drafted at 18. LeBron was Rookie of the Year at 19. All Star Game MVP at 21. League MVP at 24. Do you see what I’m getting at here?

Lebron’s biggest enemy was himself. If this past season’s loss proved anything, it’s that LeBron is ready to return to Cleveland to be The Man. In an loss effort, LeBron put up arguable MVP numbers in a Finals loss. What was Dwayne Wade’s team in 2010 has evolved to Lebron’s team in 2014. If we really look at this announcement today, we see someone returning with maturity. We see a boy leave and return a man. We see his first test: teaching Andrew Wiggins the same.