The circus is finally coming to a freaking close. Tonight between 6:00-6:02 p.m. PT, LeBron James will announce where he plans to continue his NBA career. From 6:02-7:00 p.m., ESPN will grovel at the King's feet in a made-for-TV coronation.
I'm excited for the announcement for two reasons:
- I want to know where he is playing and how the balance of power will shift in the NBA.
- I'm tired of all the speculation -- the articles, the twitter updates, the TV segments; it is time for it all to end.
Everything that has happened to this point was the undercard. Boozer, Amar'e, and Ray Allen signings were the non-title fights. Bosh and Wade teaming up was the middle weight title fight. LeBron's announcement is the heavyweight championship bout.
I have found the whole free agency process this summer draining. As a Knicks fan, I have been looking forward to it for two full seasons and it wasn't everything it was made out to be.
The way Wade, Bosh, and LeBron handled the process really bothered me. The three of them forcing teams to make these ridiculous presentations and wooing them was absurd.
Everything Dwyane Wade did seemed like he was trying to get out of the shadow of LeBron. He was like the jealous little brother who didn't get as much attention as the popular older brother.
But Chris Bosh was the biggest clown in the process. He wasn't nearly good enough to get the attention he garnered, but attached himself to the two biggest names.
His Twitter updates were unbearable. My anger with Bosh culminated when he announced he was going to Miami with Wade and basically said LeBron's indecision was the reason he didn't want to go to Cleveland. YOU'RE FULL OF IT!!!!
If Bosh agreed to go to Cleveland, I am 100 percent certain LeBron would have stayed. Bosh needed to be honest and say, "I liked the city of Miami better than Cleveland." He dragged us all around for the past month, the least Bosh could have done was be honest.
I have no idea where LeBron is going to sign. My heart says New York and my head says Cleveland, but this one-hour show on ESPN dubbed "The Decision" is like the girl at the bar who wears the mini skirt without any underwear. LeBron is screaming for attention.
Throughout the process, there were points when Cleveland, Chicago, Miami, New Jersey, and New York have all been deemed the favorites to sign "King" James. This was clearly done to generate more interest in the show and keep himself in the news cycle.
Wednesday afternoon, we learned the real face of the NBA needs to be Kevin Durant.
He has the skills and persona that must be used as an example for the rest of the league. From being on the bench coaching up his teammates during meaningless summer league games, to quietly signing a contract extension which keeps him with the small market Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant is the type of player and person the NBA must build its product around. Not the attention craving LeBron James.