With less than one week until LeBron James' heavily anticipated return to Cleveland in a Miami Heat jersey, I thought it necessary to reflect on the critical events that brought us here.
With Cleveland sports history being anything but a pleasant memory, the city of Cleveland was provided with their latest visual nightmare when LeBron James shared his future career plans with almost 10 million viewers around the country (five million of whom probably lied about not tuning in out of protest).
Capitalizing on national interest in his free agency, during a period where the free agency class read like a who's who of NBA all-stars, LeBron James and his friends (they're his friends!) opted to shoot a TV special, hosted by Jim Gray, where LeBron would announce where he would be playing next season. The TV special, simply titled "The Decision," was harshly criticized before any decision was even made.
Viewed as egotistical and self-serving, LeBron and his team donating the advertisement proceeds for "The Decision" to charity couldn't diffuse growing criticism with how he was going about his business.
As James' critics grew louder and stronger, many of them did not hold back in discussing the negative implications of James' "Decision" TV special.
One of the more influential of said vocal critics, Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, embodied the spirit of the LeBron James critic by insisting that he would not be tuning into ESPN with the rest of America to find out where LeBron James would be playing in the 2010-2011 NBA Season.
Despite LeBron's camp's best efforts to keep his future plans entirely secret, news began to break of James' intentions to sign with the Miami Heat before "The Decision" aired.
As tensions and anxiety began to rise in the city of Cleveland, the only possible plot twist in the growing saga of LeBron James' free agency that could have kept James from becoming the polarizing figure he is today would have been for LeBron James to announce he would be staying in Cleveland.
But what ensued served as yet another haunting moment in Cleveland sports lure, where heartbreak goes to thrive.
Announcing that he would be "taking [his] talents to South Beach," LeBron James' intentions of signing with the Miami Heat, thus joining perennial all-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, instantaneously turned him into a pariah not only in the city of Cleveland, but around the world.
Suddenly, "The Decision" was viewed even more harshly by James' detractors (who had now been out in full force like piranhas in 3D) as James' hometown and former team had been subject to public humiliation by one of its own.
Charles Barkley was disturbed by "The Decision." James' former Cleveland teammate Mo Williams contemplated retirement following the TV special. Michael Jordan (who is often discussed in the same breath as LeBron James), took this opportunity to remind America of his accomplishments without the caliber of talent LeBron James had joined up with.
A heel turn seemed to commence, if you will, as the over-the-top nature of James' free-agency antics were easily comparable to professional wrestling.
Among those who LeBron and company had ticked off with the handling of his free agency plans, none were angrier and more incensed than Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, whose electronic tirade directed at James will be discussed in the third installment of Heated Homecoming.
Follow Big Nasty on twitter at twitter.com/ThisIsNasty.
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