At times I can look at a situation and see where it is heading or at least have an idea of the reaction of people. I was so wrong on the Lebron James signing it isn’t funny. First of all I thought he was going to end up in Chicago – wrong! Second of all I thought announcing it on live TV was a good idea and would draw lots of attention to the NBA. Well I guess it did BUT I’m not sure all of the attention was positive. In fact in my opinion this turned into a circus! And ultimately hurt a lot of people.
Here are a few things I saw or read:
- Fans in Cleveland burning Lebron James shirts
- People threatening his family and friends
- Dan Gilbert - Owner of the Cleveland Cavs basically attacking the character of James
- A huge celebration in Miami welcoming the new superstars
- Numerous releases by other owners basically taking shots at James
- Mark Cuban sticking up for Dan Gilbert
- Charles Barkley saying if you can’t beat em join em – that never would have happened when he played is a joke!
- Otis Smith said he thought James was more of a competitor
Wow – the list doesn’t end.
The question is what do you think?
- Did you think James was sincere?
- Did you like the idea of the press release?
- Specifically what did you think of Dan Gilbert’s remarks?
- Do you think the Heat will win the NBA crown this year?
- Do you think Lebron should have called Dan Gilbert before telling the world his decision?
I really look forward to hearing from you.
Michael Halberstam says:
Merrill,
I was not surprised that it turned into a circus. After Tiger Woods and several other celeb’s incidents I expected it.
I thought he would stay in Cleveland. I think he believes he was and is sincere but he handled the situation poorly. The ESPN show was unnecessary, over-the-top and self-aggrandizing. It verified his need to be the center of attention. He should definitely have called Dan Gilbert prior to making the announcement. In fact, his actions were cowardly in that sense. Have the guts to stand up and face the music when you make a decision.
I completely understand Dan Gilbert’s feelings but as an owner (an owner of any business) he should act in a more professional manner. He could have sent the same message with different words. He seems to have gained a lot of fans in Cleveland for his passion though.
Will the Heat win the championship this season? It’s questionable. While they now have three great players and some good, new supporting teammates, they must come together as a team. I think it will be difficult for them to gel in one year. I won’t be rooting for them even when they play the Celtics!
GO LAKER’S! Three-peat!
Merrill Dubrow says:
Michael,
I do agree with you regarding Dan Gilbert. Clearly he is a passionate/emotional owner which is great but he could have chose some of his words a little more careful. He basically tossed James under the bus and said he quit. If that is true why would he want him to be on his team? If James did in deed quit which I have no idea if that is the case he could and probably will do that again.
Merrill
Ed Sugar says:
I think this whole affair was brilliant. The mere fact that you (Merrill) are devoting your blog posting today is testimony.
Mr. James and his team looked at the calendar and knew that late July/August are slow news periods and that they could dominate the public zeitgeist in the same manner as the deaths of Princess Di and Michael Jackson did. Noticed they picked the day between World Cup semi-final games and the finals.
In the end the NBA and LeBron James were the top story over MLB, golf, tennis and the World Cup. I am sure David Stern and all the NBA owners are crying all the way to the bank as they jack up ad and sponsorship fees for the 2010/2011 season in a piss poor economy.
For all of “the good, the bad and the ugly” cited above and most likely below, I tender the Oscar Wilde school of thought on marketing and promotion – “Tis better to be spoken about than not spoken about at all”.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ed,
You could be right but I wonder if James would have done things a little different. There is no harm in calling Dan Gilbert 10 minutes before he went on live tv and thank him for his time in Cleveland and giving him a heads up. I think he owed the leadership in Cleveland that much. I was surprised to hear/read that James wasn’t returning calls or emails to the Cavs.
More to follow for sure.
Merrill
Ed Sugar says:
I blame the Cleveland management more than James on the point you make. In 2004, they started paying a kid with a high education $4M+ a year. It was now their responsibility to teach and educate this teenager in how to be a respectful man. You man Mark Cuban hires life coaches for all of his rookies to show them the ropes and keep them clear of trouble. Cleveland management past and present allow James and his entourage to dictate the shots from day one and they have paid the price.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ed,
Yes he was a kid when he joined the Cavs BUT he has become a man and has a TON of representation. I believe it is in their best interest to advise him om the right thing to do and I don’t believe he did that. I am NOT saying what Gilbert did was right but he was irritated at the disrespect that he got from jams and reacted emotionally.
Cuban is a great owner and does alot of cool/cutting edge things and this is one of them for sure.
Thanks for your insight.
Merrill
Willie Martin says:
Has anyone noticed that LeBron and Tiger share the birthday albeit nine years apart? December 30th 1975 and 1984. No player is above the game he plays/supports. The ‘Decision’ is something Mr. James and his handlers will one day look back on and regret…
Merrill Dubrow says:
Willie,
I totally agree. I believe he will regret the decision for a few reasons:
1. Not callin Dan Gilbert
2. This isn’t his team – its Wade’s
3. They won’t win that many titles
4. He will always wonder what would have been?
Merrill