The whale hunt has been compromised and it’s LeBron James’ fault.
LeBron is an immediate fall guy for all problems that his haters face. Players ditching to go ring chase? LeBron’s fault. David Griffin’s exit? LeBron’s fault. People comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan on Twitter? C’mon now, it’s obviously LeBron’s fault.
So, let’s embrace the fact that LeBron can do nothing right in their eyes. In fact, let’s play their game. We have to now blame James for all of our unique problems.
Is the TV remote broken? You know who. Netflix won’t load? Yeah, it was that guy. Your car broke down on the side of the road and you try to wave down a passerby who is wearing a LeBron jersey but he doesn’t stop? Clearly, LeBron has full control of the stranger’s actions, so it’s LBJ’s fault.
It’s easy to trace ‘Bron hate to its roots. The story began on July 8, 2010.
The “Decision” tour is coming to a close and the great LeBron James is about to select his next home. To the casual observer, it seems extremely likely that he’ll choose Cleveland. It’s his home, and he’s revered as a legend throughout Ohio; why would he want to leave?
Because of those ringz, baby.
James wanted out of Cleveland because the front office wasn’t building the team to his standards. LeBron was a pack mule for the Cavs. I’m surprised he didn’t have to take off a game or two for a back injury.
If anything, Cleveland’s front office, not James, should have received hate. But that’s not how the world works. We as humans pity whoever plays the victim card, and Cleveland nailed it. Dan Gilbert was the man responsible for rallying Cleveland around the empty team and making them believe again. LeBron then became the villain in a story that was written by his previous boss as a narcissistic and egotistical move that would result in a detrimental outcome.
Go back and read the letter Gilbert wrote. The hostile and verbose letter was both unnecessary and necessary at the same time. See, Gilbert could have said: “Good luck, LeBron!” and let it go. But, if James was going to leave the Cavs empty-handed, might as well get some free publicity, right? This, in turn, tarnished LeBron’s legacy.
He’s now known as the man who had to leave to win.
When the best player in the world came to Miami, Pat Riley could not have patted himself on the back any harder. He convinced LeBron freakin’ James to come to South Beach. Chris Bosh followed James to South Beach to join up with Dwyane Wade. Thus, the “Big 3” was formed.
“Arguably the best trio to ever play the game of basketball.”
The trio played a total of four seasons together, which resulted in four Finals appearances and two Larry O’Brien trophies. The three musketeers seemed unstoppable. They rolled over all of their opponents and controlled the basketball atmosphere. The NBA revolved around Miami, Florida.
Then, LeBron James left.
In a flash, he was gone. Back to his hometown of Cleveland to join up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and leaving Miami to clean up the mess that he left behind. Pat Riley was left to deal with damage control.
“Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Not five. Not six. Not seven.”
You’re right, LeBron. Not three. Not four. Not five. Not six. Definitely not seven.
LeBron left a void in Miami. A “best player in the world” hole is hard to fill will normal role players. LBJ left Heat fans wanting more. So, Riley tried to accommodate the fans’ needs. That’s what he has been for the past three seasons.
LaMarcus Aldridge, 2015. Kevin Durant, 2016. Gordon Hayward, 2017. All three were Heat targets during their respective free agencies. All three signed with different teams. LaMarcus Aldridge is in Texas, Kevin Durantis ballin’ with the splash bros and Gordon Hayward joined Isaiah Thomas in Boston to cause some damage in the East.
If you’re keeping score, that’s three free agents Miami pitched to and secured meetings with, but none who signed a contract with the Heat.
Swing and a miss, Riley. But what could be the problem? Why isn’t Miami attracting big free agents? They landed LeBron for Pete’s sake.
So, I’m here to play your game LeBron haters. Time for me to blame James for all of Miami’s problems.
It’s not Pat Riley’s, the self-proclaimed “Whale Hunter,” fault. He didn’t convince the Heat fan base that they can attract any free agent possible in the world, right? LeBron did that by deciding to venture down to South Beach.
By choosing Miami over Cleveland, James single-handedly convinced Heat fans that they can attract any star that they want to. The allure of the beaches, the women, the #culture and Pat Riley’s persona are obviously enough to grab any star they want. Miami is the city of endless possibilities and free agents lined up at the door waiting to join the team.
So… It’s still Bron Bron’s fault, right?
Or, is Miami not as attractive as perceived? Maybe, just maybe, the Heat’s roster is full of players that are not All-Star bound. Maybe the Heat have lost a few too many first-round picks and are destined for a bottom playoff seed. After all, the end of the 2016-17 season was a fluke. If you look at the latter part of their schedule when they did the impossible and almost made the playoffs, they beat teams like the Magic, the Suns, and the Knicks. And they lost to teams like the Pacers, the Magic, and the Mavericks.
One of the losses that pushed the Heat further from the playoffs was against the Knicks. Yes, the New York Knicks. The Knicks started that game with a lineup of Ron Baker, Sasha Vujacic, Courtney Lee, Kristaps Porzingis, and Willy Hernangomez. Mind you, Carmelo Anthony did not play this game, nor did Derrick Rose.
Now, the lineup that the Heat put on the court was the same lineup that they’re bringing back this year, with the addition of Kelly Olynyk. Obviously, adding Gordon Hayward to the upcoming roster would have done wonders for the team. But I don’t blame him for choosing Boston over Miami.
The Celtics have a “win-now” roster, while the Heat have a “hey, let’s shoot for the eighth seed” roster. Boston made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year without Hayward. The Heat missed the playoffs without Hayward. The contextual evidence is right there.
But, forget the facts. It’s obviously LeBron’s fault.
All right, LeBron haters. I played your game, and I liked it. James obviously killed the whale hunt that Pat Riley started.
On a serious note, can I blame him if my car doesn’t start tomorrow?
