There's no credibility in begrudging LeBron James his decision to join the Miami Heat.
The two-time reigning NBA MVP was exercising his legitimate right to free agency, and besides, where would YOU rather be a 25 year old multi-millionaire -- Cleveland or South Beach?
James even left cash on the table that he could have banked to stay in Cleveland, so it's not about money. It's about what's going to make James personally happy while giving him the best shot at a championship.
What stinks to high heaven and where James loses credibility is the way it all went down.
LeBron did irreparable damage to his public image
The hour-long ESPN/LeBron special to announce the decision was the height of hubris.
The only people who came out of that spectacle with less integrity than James were the journalists who compromised their professionalism by lobbing softball questions so as not to offend James or run afoul of corporate sensibilities.
But where James and ESPN at least attempted to feign propriety, there was no pretense of decorum at the carnivalesque rally in Miami, where James and teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh were introduced in a ceremony that was only marginally more dignified than the girlie show at a travelling carnival.
LeBron James made a legitimate and entirely defensible career choice, but the way he handled it did irreparable damage to the public image of a hugely gifted athlete who bought into his own hype at the expense of his personal reputation.
There's a lot to be said for humility, and the less the better.
