LeBron James could help Miami but hurt the NBA. (Photo: Wikipedia)
LeBron James has decided to pack his bags and bring his highly marketable talents from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. The free agent deal will team “King” James with noted stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and give head coach Pat Riley yet another opportunity to show why he’s one of the greatest motivators in NBA history. This spells big business for the Heat and Miami and a proverbial kick to the shins for the Cavaliers and Cleveland, but as Bloomberg and other media outlets speculate, is the LeBron James deal actually bad for the NBA?
LeBron James on a Heat super-team is bad for broadcasting
ABC, ESPN and Turner Broadcasting all hold the rights to broadcast NBA games, and it’s safe to say that ratings for their LeBron James/Miami Heat games will top the charts. But when too much talent is concentrated on one team, it takes much of the steam out of broadcasts of the rest of the NBA. The same holds true for gate receipts. NBC Commissioner David Stern surely wants all teams to be successful, but the truth is that most people want to see starts like LeBron James play. As former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson told Bloomberg, “You can’t just show Miami all the time and certainly the TV carriers benefit when you have attractive stars and personalities on multiple teams.”
Interestingly, if LeBron James had signed with the New York Knicks (a team that was in the running), it would have been broadcasting and marketing serendipity. Per Nielsen numbers, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the top three U.S. TV markets. Miami clocks in at number 17.
‘The Decision’ – Milking it for all it’s worth
LeBron James and posse created an hour-long online program called “The Decision,” which the James camp claims was “prompted by the unprecedented attention and interest” sports fans have in LeBron’s every move. Bloomberg indicates that everyone from the University of Phoenix and Microsoft to Coca-Cola and McDonald’s had a sponsorship stake in the manufactured event. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America even made $2.5 million for being associated with the LeBron James navel-gazing special, so good for them.
And if the Miami Heat lose?
Cleveland and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert will no doubt be happy. Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer newspaper ran a full front page photo of LeBron James walking away, with the headline “Gone” and a subheading that draws attention to the lack of NBA Championship rings on LeBron’s fingers. Dan Gilbert staged a press conference in which he called James a narcissist and condemned his “shocking act of disloyalty” to Cleveland. James’ “heartless and callous action,” according to Dan Gilbert, will spread his “curse” to Miami, a team which Gilbert insists will not win a championship before his Cavaliers. Clearly, “King” James should have something to prove.
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Going where opportunity for advancement is greatest
Because sports are all about the home city, no really people get real. It's about the rubber band bankkkk. If I was offered a million dollars to take car of a dying rich lady, or $20 to take care of a dying poor lady, which one would you take care of? I mean get real. It's about the bank. Do what's good for you. You do you, and LeBron will do him.
Whether anyone likes it or not, LeBron is no puppet; he has his own life to live — only one life to live. He sees a grand opportunity and he's running straight for it. And when you're focused on bigger things in life, you can't allow yourself to be slowed down by what people think of you, what they want you to do and who they want you to be. Whether you win or lose, you do you and no one else. Don't hate the player; hate the game.
Looks like LeBron took the easy way out to me. Taking on the challenge of winning a title for his hometown in Cleveland would have been worth several championships with the new, stacked "Big Three" in Miami. He should have stayed the course in Cleveland, and his popularity would continue to soar, which automatically increases his income with more endorsements!
Very reasonable way of looking at it, Jim. I would like to see just how well that big three plays together, particularly James and Wade. Who will sacrifice their typical number of shots for the team?