LeBron James will win an NBA title, and there is nothing you can do about it. The Heat may or may not beat the Mavericks in this year’s finals, but at some point James will hoist the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy over his head. Miami will celebrate, Cleveland will pout, and the masses will second-guess his choice, yet again.
LeBron will win a title, because that is the focus of his career.
Team loyalty used to be a cornerstone of the NBA. Teams were built from the ground up, beginning with one star player and then adding supporting cast through the years in a drive to championships. The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Bulls all demonstrated what it takes to build around players throughout the last several decades.
With the NBA game evolving, the idea of loyalty to team is growing ever more rare.
John Stockton played for the Utah Jazz for almost 20 seasons. He had an illustrious career and ended up in the Hall of Fame, but he never won an NBA title. He chose loyalty to a team over personal goals, and that will remain as much a part of his legacy as stats and trophies.
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic announced on Tuesday that he would like to stay in Orlando and build a Championship franchise. He has led his team to the playoffs the last five seasons, but has not yet won a title.
“I want to start my own path and I want people to follow my path and not just follow somebody else’s path. I want to have my own path, and I want to start that here in Orlando.”
He ran into the same problems LeBron did in Cleveland, where a lack of supporting cast has led to his team’s failure to clinch a title.
Nobody can doubt that these players who chose to stay have any less desire to win a championship than the players that move teams. It boils down to a question of loyalty.
Kevin Garnett took another path. He spent 12 years in Minnesota, trying to win an NBA championship, and never succeeding. He got all the way to the NBA Finals in 2004, but the Timberwolves never put together a cast of characters to support Garnett.
He parted ways with Minnesota in the summer of 2007, leaving for Boston, a bigger paycheck and a realistic title chance—which he received his first year in Boston.
LeBron James did nothing wrong in going to Miami. He went to a team where he knew his chances of winning a championship were best, and he took less money to do it. He represents a changing of the guard in the NBA in which athletes are siding less with team loyalty and more with instant gratification of a title.
LeBron will win a title, because that is the focus of his career.
Team loyalty used to be a cornerstone of the NBA. Teams were built from the ground up, beginning with one star player and then adding supporting cast through the years in a drive to championships. The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Bulls all demonstrated what it takes to build around players throughout the last several decades.
With the NBA game evolving, the idea of loyalty to team is growing ever more rare.
John Stockton played for the Utah Jazz for almost 20 seasons. He had an illustrious career and ended up in the Hall of Fame, but he never won an NBA title. He chose loyalty to a team over personal goals, and that will remain as much a part of his legacy as stats and trophies.
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic announced on Tuesday that he would like to stay in Orlando and build a Championship franchise. He has led his team to the playoffs the last five seasons, but has not yet won a title.
“I want to start my own path and I want people to follow my path and not just follow somebody else’s path. I want to have my own path, and I want to start that here in Orlando.”
He ran into the same problems LeBron did in Cleveland, where a lack of supporting cast has led to his team’s failure to clinch a title.
Nobody can doubt that these players who chose to stay have any less desire to win a championship than the players that move teams. It boils down to a question of loyalty.
Kevin Garnett took another path. He spent 12 years in Minnesota, trying to win an NBA championship, and never succeeding. He got all the way to the NBA Finals in 2004, but the Timberwolves never put together a cast of characters to support Garnett.
He parted ways with Minnesota in the summer of 2007, leaving for Boston, a bigger paycheck and a realistic title chance—which he received his first year in Boston.
LeBron James did nothing wrong in going to Miami. He went to a team where he knew his chances of winning a championship were best, and he took less money to do it. He represents a changing of the guard in the NBA in which athletes are siding less with team loyalty and more with instant gratification of a title.
