Let Me Count the Ways

The LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Pat Riley deception is finally over.

History has probably witnessed far more contemptuous acts of self-serving, loathsome behavior but not in recent memory can I remember a more despicable group of social pariahs doing so much collateral damage in pursuit of raw, rabid personal gain.

I was never convinced that LeBron James was sincere in his free agent lap dances that left teams panting for more.  But then, as good a player as LeBron may be, he has always left me feeling like he was a quitter.  If it wasn't handed to him, LeBron saw himself as too entitled to go the extra mile - TO. WIN. IT.

This year's NBA playoffs only reinforced my doubts.

But even a cynic like myself was surprised at the extent and audacity of the ruse that was being played for over two years by these premiere NBA players.  When players, whose wealth allows them to slack until they get what they want, can in wholesale fashion manipulate wins and losses and other-team rosters to align their own personal agenda, a fan needs to ask why the NBA is still considered sport and not a ponzi scheme manipulated by the league's richest and most devious entities.

How is the manipulative behavior of these players, leading one team after another to drastically alter rosters for over two years, changing competitive impulses into fiscal prudence not the same as Wall St shenanigans?  The Knicks front office, sacrificed one talent after another in desperate trades to rid themselves of salary and competitive edge.

In the end, Lebron cliams he has no responsibility for this stuff.  The Yankee cap posing, the assertions that "The [name the suitor team] are not out of consideration!", and the endless flirting and courtship rituals that were all a game within a game within a game - none of this had consequence...  LeBron is an innocent "just trying to find personal HAPPINESS".


Personal happiness that is a manufactured all-star team virtually guaranteed of winning with little or no problem.  This, THIS insulting denigration of the game, he believes will catapult him to greatness.

But forget the Knicks.  What about Cleveland?  Another team that acquired expensive, absurd players who happened to "make LeBron happy."?  Cleveland is left holding the empty contracts like a sad sack.  LeBron's responsibility to that community, "I gave them seven years..."  And they, they were just "witnesses", suckers in a global marketing scheme.

But lurking in the shadows is an even more despicable deceit.  Dwayne Wade, feigning concern for losing quality time with his children due to a divorce, pretended to entertain playing for Chicago.  Yep, jerking their own kids around was fair game too.

Sport has tests for steroid use but what it needs is a test for integrity and character.  Miami has acquired a critical mass of sports scum unlike the world has seen in a long, long time.  May they all get what they deserve.