When I first saw the video of Eric Garner being subdued by NYPD officers using the infamous and banned choke hold, which he later died from, I wasn't shocked that this had happened. The NYPD, after all, aren't known to be without controversy. But it wasn't until I read and article about Spike Lee splicing footage of Eric Garner and a scene from his movie Do The Right Thing , where police used a choke hold to subdue the character Radio Raheem, that I realized why. This scene was based on the 1983 killing of graffiti artist Michael Stewart, who witnesses said was killed after officers administered a choke hold to subdue him. In the movie, while Raheem is being choked and is eventually killed, someone in the crowd says: "They did it again! Just like Michael Stewart!"
Aside from the fact that the tactics used in Eric Garner's arrest were banned in 1993, the reasoning that Eric Garner did not die from the choke hold ranges from ridiculous to insane. There have been reports that the choke hold wasn't an "actual choke hold" because Eric Garner was too tall and too big for the officer to get his elbow across Garner's neck to apply it to where the officer could actually choke him. Really? In the video, you can actually see the officer hanging off of Eric Garner's back. I don't know about you, but if someone shorter than me has their arm around my neck and hangs from there, I'm pretty sure they're going to choke me in some way.
Other reports mention that Garner had asthma, and that had more to do with his subsequent cardiac arrest and death than a "supposed" choke hold did. One report even went as far to say that Garner's apparent pleas of not being able to breathe could not have been made if someone was choking him. I have to admit, these responses to this incident are, well, fucking amazing. The thought that went into these rebuttals are scholarly at best. I mean, hey, you punch a guy in his face, break his nose and a bone happens to puncture his brain and kills him, you're not responsible for that, are you? Could a defense be that you weren't strong enough to hit someone that hard or that you were too short to actually make that much of an impact? I guess it would depend on who you actually were and who your victim was.
This is what I saw. Eric Garner, a big man indeed, was choked and tackled to the ground by at least 3 or 4 officers. Yes, one officer dragged him to the ground with that choke hold, hanging off of his back. While on the ground, an officer is seen pushing Garner's face into the concrete sidewalk. During the scuffle, while he is being handcuffed, you can hear him repeatedly say: "I can' t breathe!" This is where every officer that was on the scene failed miserably. There is no way to spin this to where every officer there is not accountable, from the one who choke dragged him to the ground, to the one who held his face pressed down into the concrete, to those who watched it all happen. The defense of, "well, he had asthma and he was a large man" doesn't stand at all. To say he died from cardiac arrest and not from the choke hold is stupid.
It has been reported that Eric Garner had earlier been involved in an altercation that he was trying to break up. When police approached him, they confronted him in regards to selling illegal cigarettes. The video picks up conversation that Garner was having with the officers, with him stating that he was constantly harassed by officers on a regular basis. "Every time you see me you want to mess with me. I’m tired of it. It stops today!” he yelled (Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/staten-island-man-dies-puts-choke-hold-article-1.1871486#ixzz38PBJCykD). When Gardner refused to put his hands behind his back after officers repeatedly asked him to, that's when the plain clothes officer jumped him. Some have concluded that if Gardner had just cooperated with officers, then none of this would have happened. As a native New Yorker, who has had a number of run ins with the police there, I understand that cooperating with police officers, as a Black man, is not always the end all be all solution. It was apparent that Garner had his own previous run ins with the NYPD and he felt it was necessary to not put up with it that day. So it would seem to me that the lesser of two evils for Garner that day was to make a stand. As trained officers the way they chose to handle this situation was wrong and would have still been wrong even if Eric Garner not died. The bottom line is, these officers felt like Garner was not yielding to there authority and they felt the need to let Gardner know "who was in charge". In the article link above, it is reported that the officer who choked Garner looked right into the camera that the witness was carrying and said: "This had nothing to do with the fight, this had something to do with something else" and walked away. So it seems that the intentions and motive behind this attack, and yes, that is what this is, were ulterior. Even the EMS workers who responded to the scene didn't seem to act properly.
The sad thing is, once again when discussing the death of a Black man by the hands of someone who didn't look like them or were representing some form of authority, we are only left to speculate why this event happened. The knee jerk reaction is two sided, it's race related and it's not. In New York, there is a common distrust between police officers and the inner city public, made up mostly of minorities. People on the outside looking in attribute this, among young people for the most part, as a result of the hip-hop culture and it's advertised disdain for police. I find that rather insulting, especially when most Black men, at some point in their lives in any major city in this country, has had at least one unpleasant experience with a police officer, based solely on the color of his skin. In New York, the NYPD has a very long history of inappropriate interaction with minorities, with the recent stop and frisk program and the Sean Bell incident in 2006 being the freshest and most high profile incidents in our minds. And there a hundreds, if not thousands of incidents that go unreported. Think about this, we only know about this incident with Eric Garner because someone had enough courage to film it and because Eric Garner was killed. Had he survived, would it have even made the news? How many other incidents happened that day that we know nothing about? How many have happened since?
NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton said that the entire 35,000 member force of police will undergo a retraining in the wake of Garner's death. But Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at Garner's funeral in Brooklyn, said this, which puts the training of police into perspective and the human decency we all should have in the forefront: "The choke hold is illegal. But even if you lost your training memory, a man in your arm saying ‘I can’t breathe’ … when does your decency kick in? When does your morality kick in?” Training is not in question here, it is the motives of those police officers and their lack of human decency to acknowledge that a man that they had just choked to the ground lay there dying and they didn't care.
I'm through asking "why?" because I already know the answer. I've asked "why?" in this blog so many times but I'm through asking. Rev. Sharpton told those who had gathered at Eric Garner's funeral that "we should not act as though we should be here tonight. This is an occasion that should not have happened." He continued by strongly suggesting what the real problem is and what the solution should be. "Let’s not play games with this one." he said. "You don’t need no training to stop choking a man saying 'I can’t breathe'. You don’t need no cultural orientation to stop choking a man saying 'I can’t breathe'. You need to be prosecuted.” And this is where the problem lies. In so many cases, officers that engage in this type of behavior are hardly ever prosecuted like they would be if the tables had been reversed, or if they had not been officers. The NYPD is notorious for misconduct and cover ups when it comes to cases like this, so their officers act without consideration for whatever consequences may come down. I'm pretty sure that if the officer who choke dragged Garner down to the ground thought he would be held accountable if something bad happened, he may have acted differently. The same goes for the officers that shot Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo. Had it not been for the fact that Abner Louima survived his police brutality ordeal with the NYPD in 1997and was able to testify against those officers, Justin Volpe and Charles Schwarz might be free men today. The senseless brutality that the NYPD is known for breeds a culture of corruption and cover up with no sense of accountability and, seemingly, no sign of slowing up. Under former mayors, most notably Rudolph Guliani, the city feigned to care about the growing distrust between the NYPD and the inner city citizens of New York, but nothing was ever done. Under Mayor Bloomberg, arguably one of the better mayors in recent history on an economic level, police brutality cases weren't as prevalent but misconduct and police harassment still prevailed, especially under the Stop and Frisk program and the Sean Bell killing that happened on his watch. So it would seem that, even under new mayor Bil de Blasio, these kind of incidents are as much a part of the NYPD as their uniform. It's about power and control. The fact that Eric Garner refused to be harassed on that particular day, after he was supposedly breaking up a fight, the fact that he couldn't be controlled by four "trained" officers without a physical altercation, ultimately cost him his life. Sadly, he was not the first and he will not be the last.
But what can we do, the public? What can we do to stop the needless viloent confrontations that happen so often when it comes to police officers and minorities in, not just New York City, but everywhere? It's tough to admit but it seems like there isn't much that can be done. When Trayvon Martin was killed, there were rallies across the country. Why can't that same thing happen again? I'm pretty sure Rev. Al Sharpton has something planned but this should be something that occurs on a national level. Police brutality and harassment exists in every city, usually in low income and urban areas. Even here in Greenville, SC, I've witnessed police unecessarily stops drivers in my own neighborhood for going around speed bumps, just to be surrounded by multiple officers and held for almost an hour, often right in front of my home. I've been pulled over numerous times. surrounded by 3 or 4 or 5 police cruisers, just to be told later that my license plate light was out. I'm not saying by any means that all police officers harass people needlessly, but it occurs too often. I've been questioned about the vehicle I was driving, where I was going or coming from, asked if I was transporting drugs, soliciting prostitutes when I have been in the car with a female, etc.. Too many times instances like these ends up with a unecessary death of either the citizen or officer, due to the response of the individual who feels like he or she is being unduely harassed. I've been eye to eye with an officer who told me that it was the law that I do whatever it is that an officer tells me to do, without any response back. In the South, that is a good 'ol boy mentality that is used to intimidate individuals who don't know the law or their rights. As a people, we need to care more and do more, myself included. This is a problem that affects everyone nationwide and it should be addressed every time we hear about it. As long as it seems that the communities where these events happen and communites nationwide like them have accepted this type of behavior as a by product of living with corrupt police and law enforcement, then it will remain a norm. The people have to unite and stand up for themselves and each other.
Side note: In the days since this incident was first reported, what has permeated the news has been more and more justification for the police's actions and more and more ridiculous posturing by those in the media who have been entrusted to report the news, not their opinion. On Fox News Sunday, there was a segment that said the outrage of those who feel like Eric Garner was needlessly assaulted and killed is prioritizing the criminals rights over the job of law enforcement officers.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Money Over Rings: 'Did 'Melo and the Knicks Make the Right Choice?
LeBron James is going back to the city where it all began for him. Hate it or love it, you have to admit that watching him next season will be more exciting that it would have been to watch him toil away in Miami for another 2 years or so with an aging core of superstars and role players. And while his exit paved the way for Chris Bosh to cash in, it also paved the way for Carmelo Anthony to do the same. It was rumored that 'Melo had narrowed his options down to two teams; the currently "rebuilding" Knicks team he lobbied to get traded out of Denver for, and the team's former 90's nemesis, the Chicago Bulls. As a long time Knicks fan, (and for that period of time in the 90's, a Bulls hater) that was the last team that I wanted to see Anthony go to if he left NY. Why? For one thing, I love Carmelo's game. Whether he had re-signed with the Knicks or not, I would have still been a fan. Secondly, aside from teaming up with Dwight Howard and James Harden in Houston (another 90's Knicks nemesis), Anthony's chances to compete for a championship would have been about the same in Chicago as they would be if he stayed with the Knicks. He'd still be playing in the weak Eastern Conference that still has LeBron James, just like in the 90's, when the Knicks had to contend with Michael Jordan. If 'Melo had gone to Houston, his chances for a crack at a championship would have increased greatly, due to the fact that Houston is primed for a championship run and that they wouldn't see LeBron in the playoffs until the Finals, where James is favored to return but, realistically, not likely to do this year (even though Vegas has his Cav's as 4-1 favorites to). Again, as a fan of Anthony and his game, I'd hate to seem him leave the Knicks just to toil around for another 3-5 years without a legitimate chance to play for a ring.
Does he have a good chance to compete for that elusive championship in New York? As of right now, the truth is no. The Knicks are in flux, Phil Jackson still has to be creative this year in an effort for the team to at least be competitive this upcoming season and the Knicks need at least one other free agent star player that the team can look to pair up with Anthony. That opportunity probably will not come until the 2015-16 season. So at the very least, 'Melo has a lame duck season coming up that, more than likely, won't see him in the NBA Finals. The Knicks have reportedly offered him a max deal with some "wiggle room" on the front end that should allow them some cap space to go after a marquee free agent in 2015 and to retool the current roster a little bit this year (it has been rescently reported that Anthony's contract is for $124 mil over the next 5 years). Jackson has already moved Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas for cap relief, acquired point guard Jose Calderon and made good use of their draft picks. So for right now, things seem to be moving in the right direction.
But did 'Melo make the right move? Financially, he definitely did. While he didn't sign for the full max of $129 million, the deal he did sign for was more than any other team could have offered him. Chicago could only offer a first year salary of $17 million, and that would have required some pretty nifty manuevering by Chicago's front office to bring him in. A sign and trade would have also been neccessary, but the Knicks wanted no part of that since it probably would have meant taking on Carlos Boozer's expiring contract and possibly another player with a contract that extends past the 2015 season. Also, the uncertainty surrounding Derrick Rose's return from a second major injury didn't provide enough certainty for Carmelo to take less money to try and chase a championship. The Houston Rockets seemed enticing enough for Anthony but the chances of them making the right moves to be in a position to offer the free agent forward a decent enough contract were slim at best. Plus, they had already seemed to move on to try to aquire the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh, who ultimately re-signed with the team.The Lakers made an aggressive push, offering Anthony a max deal of four years and $96 million. But with an aging and rehabbing Kobe Bryant and the possibility of losing Pau Gasol in free agency (which they evetually did, to Chicago, nonetheless), LA seemed like more of a pipe dream at contention than staying with NY would have been. So 'Melo decided on financial stability and Phil Jackson. His championship options weren't any better anywhere else where it was realistic for him to sign, now or in the immeadiate future.
What about the Knicks? Both Anthony and Phil Jackson both expressed the importance of making sure the Knicks were financially able to be players in free agency during the 2015 offseason. Carmelo first stated back in February that he'd be willing to take less money if that meant that Jackson and the Knicks' historically inept front office would use the resources to structure a competitive team around him. Jackson repeatedly made reference to that over the course of the past few months and that, reportedly, irked Anthony to the point where it became a part of his decision making process on whether or not he should stay in New York. The Knicks were said to have offered 'Melo and his representatives 5 different options with the max 5 year $129 option being one of them. Anthony did end up taking a little less money, so it seems that on the money side, the Knicks are trying to do what they said they wanted to do. On the basketball side, though, there are still more questions. Anthony's game, although increasingly more efficient through last season with him taking up more time at the 4 position, is of the heavy isolation variety. Carmelo is an excellent creator off the dribble, which is a necessary dynamic during critical moments, especially during the post season. He's also been pretty effective in pick and roll situations and very efficient on catch and shoot plays. The knock on him, though, has been whether or not he could thrive in the triangle offense that 1st time head coach Derek Fisher will undoubtedly run, at the behest of Jackson. In some circles it has been said that maybe the best thing for the Knicks would have been to let Carmelo sign with another team, let Fisher get his feet wet coaching a team with low expectations this upcoming season and then shoot for the stars on a big time free agent in 2015. That way, they would free up an enormous amount of cap space and could start from scratch and build a contender from the ground up. The only problem there is the Knicks would not have had an attractive star to lure potential free agents to the Big Apple, sort of the way they used Amar'e Stoudemire when they signed him to an unisured $100 million contract back in 2010. With Anthony locked up for the next 5 years, they have their star and they are banking on him being enough to attract the likes of Kevin Durant and possibly Kevin Love and/ or Rajon Rondo if they are still available (which, as of late, it seems like Love is headed to team up with LeBron in Clelveland).
The truth of the matter is both Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks really only had one option, and that was each other. Carmelo forced his way here and the Knicks represent the best case scenario for him and his legacy. If he's able to win here, he'll be the superstar that ended the Knicks 41 year championship drought and he will forever be remembered and revered for it. The Knicks were the only team that could make any type of guarantee, albiet a monetary one. If he'd taken less money to sign with another team, he may have gone to an instant contender but would have been the scapegoat if that team didn't at least reach the Finals. In New York, all he had to do is sign the dotted line and then leave the rest up to Phil. If in the end it doesn't work out, all the blame won't fall on him. As far as the Knicks and Phil Jackson goes, they NEEDED Anthony to re-sign. Anytime you have a legendary scorer like 'Melo on your team, you have to go through whatever is needed to keep him. If he bolts, then you go from there. But if you keep him, then you have to give him the team mates needed to make him successful.
The Knicks skirted danger a bit by offering the max to Carmelo and then structuring a semi max deal to where the bulk of the money comes on the back end. While Phil is a first time executive and has already seen that the 'aura' that he carries with him isn't enough to convinvce even the likes of Steve Kerr (??!!!) to buy into what he's selling, he still is Phil Jackson, holder of 11 Championship rings as a coach. He knows talent and he knows winning. In the end, that's probably why Carmelo stayed. He had to give Phil a chance to make him a winner. While in the end, the Knicks may not send Carmelo and Phil down the Canyon of Heroes like New York legends Derek Jeter, Joe Torre, Mark Messier and Mike Richter or the other New York champions that have had their day, they have a chance to take a good shot at it. It is what it is for the Knicks, as it has always been. They have Anthony as their guy on the court and Phil Jackson as their guy in the front office. The choice was simple to stay together and they did. Whatever comes of it, they will be in it together. As long as James Dolan stays out of they way, this should be a fun ride.
Does he have a good chance to compete for that elusive championship in New York? As of right now, the truth is no. The Knicks are in flux, Phil Jackson still has to be creative this year in an effort for the team to at least be competitive this upcoming season and the Knicks need at least one other free agent star player that the team can look to pair up with Anthony. That opportunity probably will not come until the 2015-16 season. So at the very least, 'Melo has a lame duck season coming up that, more than likely, won't see him in the NBA Finals. The Knicks have reportedly offered him a max deal with some "wiggle room" on the front end that should allow them some cap space to go after a marquee free agent in 2015 and to retool the current roster a little bit this year (it has been rescently reported that Anthony's contract is for $124 mil over the next 5 years). Jackson has already moved Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas for cap relief, acquired point guard Jose Calderon and made good use of their draft picks. So for right now, things seem to be moving in the right direction.
But did 'Melo make the right move? Financially, he definitely did. While he didn't sign for the full max of $129 million, the deal he did sign for was more than any other team could have offered him. Chicago could only offer a first year salary of $17 million, and that would have required some pretty nifty manuevering by Chicago's front office to bring him in. A sign and trade would have also been neccessary, but the Knicks wanted no part of that since it probably would have meant taking on Carlos Boozer's expiring contract and possibly another player with a contract that extends past the 2015 season. Also, the uncertainty surrounding Derrick Rose's return from a second major injury didn't provide enough certainty for Carmelo to take less money to try and chase a championship. The Houston Rockets seemed enticing enough for Anthony but the chances of them making the right moves to be in a position to offer the free agent forward a decent enough contract were slim at best. Plus, they had already seemed to move on to try to aquire the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh, who ultimately re-signed with the team.The Lakers made an aggressive push, offering Anthony a max deal of four years and $96 million. But with an aging and rehabbing Kobe Bryant and the possibility of losing Pau Gasol in free agency (which they evetually did, to Chicago, nonetheless), LA seemed like more of a pipe dream at contention than staying with NY would have been. So 'Melo decided on financial stability and Phil Jackson. His championship options weren't any better anywhere else where it was realistic for him to sign, now or in the immeadiate future.
What about the Knicks? Both Anthony and Phil Jackson both expressed the importance of making sure the Knicks were financially able to be players in free agency during the 2015 offseason. Carmelo first stated back in February that he'd be willing to take less money if that meant that Jackson and the Knicks' historically inept front office would use the resources to structure a competitive team around him. Jackson repeatedly made reference to that over the course of the past few months and that, reportedly, irked Anthony to the point where it became a part of his decision making process on whether or not he should stay in New York. The Knicks were said to have offered 'Melo and his representatives 5 different options with the max 5 year $129 option being one of them. Anthony did end up taking a little less money, so it seems that on the money side, the Knicks are trying to do what they said they wanted to do. On the basketball side, though, there are still more questions. Anthony's game, although increasingly more efficient through last season with him taking up more time at the 4 position, is of the heavy isolation variety. Carmelo is an excellent creator off the dribble, which is a necessary dynamic during critical moments, especially during the post season. He's also been pretty effective in pick and roll situations and very efficient on catch and shoot plays. The knock on him, though, has been whether or not he could thrive in the triangle offense that 1st time head coach Derek Fisher will undoubtedly run, at the behest of Jackson. In some circles it has been said that maybe the best thing for the Knicks would have been to let Carmelo sign with another team, let Fisher get his feet wet coaching a team with low expectations this upcoming season and then shoot for the stars on a big time free agent in 2015. That way, they would free up an enormous amount of cap space and could start from scratch and build a contender from the ground up. The only problem there is the Knicks would not have had an attractive star to lure potential free agents to the Big Apple, sort of the way they used Amar'e Stoudemire when they signed him to an unisured $100 million contract back in 2010. With Anthony locked up for the next 5 years, they have their star and they are banking on him being enough to attract the likes of Kevin Durant and possibly Kevin Love and/ or Rajon Rondo if they are still available (which, as of late, it seems like Love is headed to team up with LeBron in Clelveland).
The truth of the matter is both Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks really only had one option, and that was each other. Carmelo forced his way here and the Knicks represent the best case scenario for him and his legacy. If he's able to win here, he'll be the superstar that ended the Knicks 41 year championship drought and he will forever be remembered and revered for it. The Knicks were the only team that could make any type of guarantee, albiet a monetary one. If he'd taken less money to sign with another team, he may have gone to an instant contender but would have been the scapegoat if that team didn't at least reach the Finals. In New York, all he had to do is sign the dotted line and then leave the rest up to Phil. If in the end it doesn't work out, all the blame won't fall on him. As far as the Knicks and Phil Jackson goes, they NEEDED Anthony to re-sign. Anytime you have a legendary scorer like 'Melo on your team, you have to go through whatever is needed to keep him. If he bolts, then you go from there. But if you keep him, then you have to give him the team mates needed to make him successful.
The Knicks skirted danger a bit by offering the max to Carmelo and then structuring a semi max deal to where the bulk of the money comes on the back end. While Phil is a first time executive and has already seen that the 'aura' that he carries with him isn't enough to convinvce even the likes of Steve Kerr (??!!!) to buy into what he's selling, he still is Phil Jackson, holder of 11 Championship rings as a coach. He knows talent and he knows winning. In the end, that's probably why Carmelo stayed. He had to give Phil a chance to make him a winner. While in the end, the Knicks may not send Carmelo and Phil down the Canyon of Heroes like New York legends Derek Jeter, Joe Torre, Mark Messier and Mike Richter or the other New York champions that have had their day, they have a chance to take a good shot at it. It is what it is for the Knicks, as it has always been. They have Anthony as their guy on the court and Phil Jackson as their guy in the front office. The choice was simple to stay together and they did. Whatever comes of it, they will be in it together. As long as James Dolan stays out of they way, this should be a fun ride.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
LeBron James...back to Cleveland???!!!!
I must begin this blog by saying LeBron James is NOT a SELLOUT!!! I say this because this is the term that has been thrown around by some people who feel exactly the way I felt when I heard the speculation that King James might possibly be considering going back to the team that he scorned, and to the owner and fans that treated him as a runaway slave.
Some sports writers, like Jason Whitlock (who wrote this article http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11199270/whitlock-lebron-james-pride-not-most-important-factor) felt like LeBron shouldn't let pride get in the way of him returning to his hometown, in spite of what Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote about him when he left for the Miami Heat in 2010. Others, like J.A. Adande (who wrote this article http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11194890/how-lebron-james-play-dan-gilbert) felt like James would and should have had a hard time going back to work for the owner who called him "a coward" for leaving an inept franchise who really didn't appreciate what they had in the basketball talent that is LeBron James. As I am not a sports writer, I do not have the access that these men have to that world. But I will say this: they are both right.
But it doesn't matter that one person says LeBron should consider power and progress over pride while another questions why going back to Cleveland is even on LeBron's mind. What matters is that LeBron made this decision because he felt it was best for him and his family. He will, reportedly, take less money than Chris Bosh's 5 years and $118 million (James' contract will be for just 2 years and $42 million but will be re-negotiated after the current collective bargaining agreement expires). He will be coming into a situation that is a little bit better than the situation he left Cleveland for the first time and potentially better than what he was facing if he stayed in Miami. Las Vegas has Cleveland being 4-1 favorites to reach the NBA finals next season. So it is safe to say that when it comes to basketball, Cleveland seems to be in pretty good shape on paper now that they have an older and wiser LeBron James back in a Cavaliers jersey.
LeBron said his reasons for going back to the city he started in and then dissed ('The Decision' led to fans burning his jersey and to Dan Gilbert writer a scathing open letter to James that was recently removed from the Cav's website) were bigger than basketball. He thought about his wife being pregnant with their third child and how it would be to raise his family in his hometown of Akron, OH. He thought about the things he had started in that community before he moved on to Miami. He said that he wanted to be an example to the kids of Northeast Ohio of being able to come from the same streets that he came from and be a success. He wanted to be like other successful individuals who put their money back into the communities from which they came. He said he knew he'd return to Cleveland someday to finish his career. The fact that all this is happening after just four years and two championships in Miami shows just what type of person LeBron is and how much he has matured since he left. Many sportswriters have said that James' decision to leave Cleveland in the first place was because he may not have been ready for or may not have wanted the responsibility of carrying a franchise at such a young age. In his letter announcing his return (http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers), LeBron said that he's ready to lead and mentor the youg supporting cast that he will now be playing with. With experiencing what it takes to win a championship, he feels he has something to impart to to his new team mates that he didn't have the opportunity to impart to his Miami counterparts. He said Miami "already knew that feeling" of winning championships and that he wanted to bring that feeling to Cleveland, who hasn't had a major sports championship since the Cleveland Browns won the, pre Super Bowl era, NFL Championship in 1964. So LeBron, after getting his rings, has what he feels is a bigger challenge ahead of him. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with that notion. But I feel like, when it comes to the game of basketball, LeBron may be trying to carve his own niche. Being compared to Micheal Jordan is usually a case of who has more rings. The comparisons don't stop there. Jordan has never lost in the NBA Finals. LeBron has lost twice. Jordan three-peated twice and could have possibly won six or more championships in a row had he not retired for one season and spent the next getting back into championship shape. So while LeBron cannot stack up against Jordan in those areas, he may end up doing something greater than his childhood idol never did. One championship in Cleveland may be the trump card that pushes James past Jordan when it comes individual accomplishments. Maybe it won't. But James' legacy will be set apart, in that along with all his statistical accomplishments, he'll have 'franchise savior' added to his profile. And he would have done so in the place where he grew up.
We tend to place a heavy burden on our professional athletes. In the 90's many fans criticized Micheal Jordan because he avoided speaking out about political and social issues. Jordan felt like it wasn't his place to speak on matters that affected him marginally because of who he was and his financial status. Today's players are more outspoken and their views, positive or negative, are dispensed quickly through social media. James was at the forefront of the labor dispute during the 2011 NBA lockout when owners wanted to limit superstar players ability to align themselves together to chase championships. He joined his teammates in silent protest when they posed for a team photograph wearing hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager who was gunned down by George Zimmerman on his way home from the store. James said he felt obligated to take a stand on that matter because he has two young boys of his own. He spoke out loudly against Donald Sterling when his views were made public, saying that the league had no place for people like Donald Sterling. It was even rumored that he was ready to lead a league wide boycott during this year's playoffs if the league didn't act swiftly enough in handling the case (the rumor was later proven to be just that). So it's easy to see why many of us were shocked when James decided to leave what seemed to be a sure thing in contending for a championship with the Heat for redemption with his hometown Cavs. But as the smoke has cleared and with seeing how James handled what is being dubbed 'The Decision 2.0, I understand a little better why he's going back. Sometimes a person's own goals are bigger than the conduit in which those goals are attained. Sometimes, an individual has to overlook things in order to see the big picture. One of my favorite quotes of all time, from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." In this case, LeBron James feels like the needs of his family, the fans of the Cavaliers and the youth of the area he grew up in, outweigh any personal needs, feelings or accomplishments that he may have on the court. And that truly is admirable.
While guys like Carmelo Anthony weigh money over championships (and get criticized for it, regardless of the options laid before them, but I will get to that in my very next blog!), LeBron is a global icon with the opportunity to become bigger than the sport that has made him famous. While other athletes have been able to take advantage of playing in college and developing the friendships and bonds that come with that experience, James has had to find different ways to balance out his basketball playing career. He brought his high school team mates along with him, employing them in his LRMR Management company, most notably his agent Rich Paul and his business manager, Maverick Carter. He took his opportunity in Miami and forged lifelong bonds with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. He likened that experience to the college life he never had. Now, it seems, is LeBron's time to be, not just the best player in the NBA, but also the role model and mentor he feels like he is now ready to be. With his new sidekicks Kyrie Irving and, for now, fellow #1 draft pick Adrew Wiggins, LeBron is ready to show the NBA and the fans of Cleveland what they didn't get a chance to see the first time around. A more mature, seasoned and most importantly, better equipped LeBron James put the Cavs on his back and carry them to the NBA promised land, with a little bit more help. If he can do that, then when the greats of the game are mentioned, King James will be mentioned separately and alone, distinctly and without reservation, as the best in his own right.
Some sports writers, like Jason Whitlock (who wrote this article http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11199270/whitlock-lebron-james-pride-not-most-important-factor) felt like LeBron shouldn't let pride get in the way of him returning to his hometown, in spite of what Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote about him when he left for the Miami Heat in 2010. Others, like J.A. Adande (who wrote this article http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11194890/how-lebron-james-play-dan-gilbert) felt like James would and should have had a hard time going back to work for the owner who called him "a coward" for leaving an inept franchise who really didn't appreciate what they had in the basketball talent that is LeBron James. As I am not a sports writer, I do not have the access that these men have to that world. But I will say this: they are both right.
But it doesn't matter that one person says LeBron should consider power and progress over pride while another questions why going back to Cleveland is even on LeBron's mind. What matters is that LeBron made this decision because he felt it was best for him and his family. He will, reportedly, take less money than Chris Bosh's 5 years and $118 million (James' contract will be for just 2 years and $42 million but will be re-negotiated after the current collective bargaining agreement expires). He will be coming into a situation that is a little bit better than the situation he left Cleveland for the first time and potentially better than what he was facing if he stayed in Miami. Las Vegas has Cleveland being 4-1 favorites to reach the NBA finals next season. So it is safe to say that when it comes to basketball, Cleveland seems to be in pretty good shape on paper now that they have an older and wiser LeBron James back in a Cavaliers jersey.
LeBron said his reasons for going back to the city he started in and then dissed ('The Decision' led to fans burning his jersey and to Dan Gilbert writer a scathing open letter to James that was recently removed from the Cav's website) were bigger than basketball. He thought about his wife being pregnant with their third child and how it would be to raise his family in his hometown of Akron, OH. He thought about the things he had started in that community before he moved on to Miami. He said that he wanted to be an example to the kids of Northeast Ohio of being able to come from the same streets that he came from and be a success. He wanted to be like other successful individuals who put their money back into the communities from which they came. He said he knew he'd return to Cleveland someday to finish his career. The fact that all this is happening after just four years and two championships in Miami shows just what type of person LeBron is and how much he has matured since he left. Many sportswriters have said that James' decision to leave Cleveland in the first place was because he may not have been ready for or may not have wanted the responsibility of carrying a franchise at such a young age. In his letter announcing his return (http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers), LeBron said that he's ready to lead and mentor the youg supporting cast that he will now be playing with. With experiencing what it takes to win a championship, he feels he has something to impart to to his new team mates that he didn't have the opportunity to impart to his Miami counterparts. He said Miami "already knew that feeling" of winning championships and that he wanted to bring that feeling to Cleveland, who hasn't had a major sports championship since the Cleveland Browns won the, pre Super Bowl era, NFL Championship in 1964. So LeBron, after getting his rings, has what he feels is a bigger challenge ahead of him. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with that notion. But I feel like, when it comes to the game of basketball, LeBron may be trying to carve his own niche. Being compared to Micheal Jordan is usually a case of who has more rings. The comparisons don't stop there. Jordan has never lost in the NBA Finals. LeBron has lost twice. Jordan three-peated twice and could have possibly won six or more championships in a row had he not retired for one season and spent the next getting back into championship shape. So while LeBron cannot stack up against Jordan in those areas, he may end up doing something greater than his childhood idol never did. One championship in Cleveland may be the trump card that pushes James past Jordan when it comes individual accomplishments. Maybe it won't. But James' legacy will be set apart, in that along with all his statistical accomplishments, he'll have 'franchise savior' added to his profile. And he would have done so in the place where he grew up.
We tend to place a heavy burden on our professional athletes. In the 90's many fans criticized Micheal Jordan because he avoided speaking out about political and social issues. Jordan felt like it wasn't his place to speak on matters that affected him marginally because of who he was and his financial status. Today's players are more outspoken and their views, positive or negative, are dispensed quickly through social media. James was at the forefront of the labor dispute during the 2011 NBA lockout when owners wanted to limit superstar players ability to align themselves together to chase championships. He joined his teammates in silent protest when they posed for a team photograph wearing hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager who was gunned down by George Zimmerman on his way home from the store. James said he felt obligated to take a stand on that matter because he has two young boys of his own. He spoke out loudly against Donald Sterling when his views were made public, saying that the league had no place for people like Donald Sterling. It was even rumored that he was ready to lead a league wide boycott during this year's playoffs if the league didn't act swiftly enough in handling the case (the rumor was later proven to be just that). So it's easy to see why many of us were shocked when James decided to leave what seemed to be a sure thing in contending for a championship with the Heat for redemption with his hometown Cavs. But as the smoke has cleared and with seeing how James handled what is being dubbed 'The Decision 2.0, I understand a little better why he's going back. Sometimes a person's own goals are bigger than the conduit in which those goals are attained. Sometimes, an individual has to overlook things in order to see the big picture. One of my favorite quotes of all time, from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." In this case, LeBron James feels like the needs of his family, the fans of the Cavaliers and the youth of the area he grew up in, outweigh any personal needs, feelings or accomplishments that he may have on the court. And that truly is admirable.
While guys like Carmelo Anthony weigh money over championships (and get criticized for it, regardless of the options laid before them, but I will get to that in my very next blog!), LeBron is a global icon with the opportunity to become bigger than the sport that has made him famous. While other athletes have been able to take advantage of playing in college and developing the friendships and bonds that come with that experience, James has had to find different ways to balance out his basketball playing career. He brought his high school team mates along with him, employing them in his LRMR Management company, most notably his agent Rich Paul and his business manager, Maverick Carter. He took his opportunity in Miami and forged lifelong bonds with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. He likened that experience to the college life he never had. Now, it seems, is LeBron's time to be, not just the best player in the NBA, but also the role model and mentor he feels like he is now ready to be. With his new sidekicks Kyrie Irving and, for now, fellow #1 draft pick Adrew Wiggins, LeBron is ready to show the NBA and the fans of Cleveland what they didn't get a chance to see the first time around. A more mature, seasoned and most importantly, better equipped LeBron James put the Cavs on his back and carry them to the NBA promised land, with a little bit more help. If he can do that, then when the greats of the game are mentioned, King James will be mentioned separately and alone, distinctly and without reservation, as the best in his own right.
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