LeBron did nothing wrong; remained loyal to hometown

Weeks after the LeBron James Decision 2.0 and people still seem to care about what he does and what he is wearing before the first tipoff of the NBA season. Frankly, you must not have anything better to do.

For some odd reason, a number of Miami Heat fans believe James owes the city something. Whether it be an apology or a thank you note a page long in The Miami Herald. Why?

Stop being selfish and remember the good times you had when the big man threw down those monstrous dunks with no care for his own life.

When James left Cleveland for Downtown Miami, not South Beach, Ohio fans burned his jersey in some sort of protest for doing what he is allowed to do. All throughout the country, and maybe even the world, people laughed at the nonsense that was taking place.

But now, Miami fans seem to be doing the same thing they made fun of years earlier. Even though I personally have only seen a handful of jerseys being burned, people have taken to Midtown Miami to deface a mural of the 2012 Miami Heat champs which once had LeBron in the middle of the group. I’m not sure what it is anymore, but people have taken the liberty to create their own “art” where LeBron’s space used to be. It’s a story that even the national media picked up shortly after the king’s letter on Sports Illustrated.

As the lovely Idina Menzel would say, “let it go!” As heartbroken as you may be, LeBron James does not owe Miami and the Heat fans one cent. He fulfilled his contract, he did what he was allowed to do. Did you honestly think the teams success was going to continue without anyone catching up or following in the organizations footsteps?

From day one, LeBron has always said that he is a kid from Akron, Ohio. He has always said that his dream was to bring a championship to Cleveland, or did you all mute the TV’s when he said any of that?

For the fans who say LeBron is not being loyal, how does him going back to his hometown not make him loyal? James is not taking the easy road to the finals by returning to Cleveland with a young and inexperienced team and even though he may not be staying in Miami, he is remaining loyal by all means.

Now, I will admit that if what has been said is true and if he did know that returning home was going to be his next step, a simple meeting with Pat Riley and Micky Arison in Miami, rather than flying them out to Las Vegas, would have been a smarter move.

Honestly, I think LeBron leaving Miami is a blessing for the city. The success of the Heat seemed to bring out a strong sense of cockiness from diehard and bandwagon fans alike. This whole mentality that the Heat will never lose and that Pat Riley is the godfather. Maybe this time everyone will stick to being more realistic, rather than the obnoxious notion that the Heat could have beaten any team at any time.

In his letter in Sports Illustrated, LeBron mentioned that Miami was college to him, an opportunity he did not have in his younger years. Giving fans in the Magic City more reason to just not care anymore. Rarely does a person move out of their hometown for college and end up staying there for the rest of their lives. Put yourself in his shoes, wouldn’t you return to your hometown? Wouldn’t you want to use that experience and knowledge to bring a championship to your hometown?

As fans of the game, we should all stop with the selfish attitude and be grateful for what occurred the last few years. LeBron’s success in Miami has allowed people to walk around with their chest out but now that he’s gone, those same people are scared and stuck wondering what to do next.

It’ll be curious to see what Miami does if and when LeBron and the Cavaliers play their first game at the American Airlines Arena. Definitely expect mixed emotions from the crowd, but in a dream, he should simply receive a standing ovation prior to tipoff.

Aside from agreeing to a five-year contract worth $118 million, I feel bad for Chris Bosh now. Without a doubt he will now see more plays come his way, but now he will have to deal with the hot and cold attitude that comes from fans here. The ones who love him when he makes a game-winning jump shot are the same ones who will call for his head when that same shot falls short in the next game.

But hey, I’m sure he’ll still be smiling once he checks his bank account.

So if you are a fan of the team, support the Heat no matter what happens. Don’t be upset LeBron went home, be happy for him and move on. If Dwyane Wade can accept the loss and move on, why can’t the rest of the city? As the cliche goes, “There is no I in team.”