Heat is on James as switch sparks outcry
July 09, 2010 10:20:14 UK
James has been named NBA most valuable player for the past two seasons.LeBron James' decision to switch from Cleveland to the Miami Heat has prompted a furious reaction from influential Cavaliers majority shareholder Dan Gilbert.
James, the two-time NBA most valuable player, went on national television in the United States on Thursday night to announce his decision to quit his hometown team to move south after one of the most protracted free-agent sagas in NBA history.
In an hour-long show called 'The Decision', screened on ESPN, forward James revealed he had agreed to join the Heat in a move which will see him link-up with Olympic team-mates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
"I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James," he said.
"At the end of the day, I feel awful. I feel even worse that I wasn't able to bring an NBA championship to that city.
"I never wanted to leave Cleveland. My heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me, to move on."
Gilbert, however, was quick to show his disdain at James' actions. Not only regarding James' decision to leave but also the way the switch had been conducted within the media.
In an open letter to Cavs fans, he promised them his franchise will deliver an NBA crown before James does elsewhere and also accused the 25-year-old, born and raised in Akron, Ohio of "cowardly betrayal".
He added: "This shocking act of disloyalty from our home-grown 'chosen one' sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And 'who' we would want them to grow-up to become."
Gilbert insisted James' decision would spur him on to ending Cleveland's 46-year wait for a championship title.
He said: "If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our motivation to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels."
Despite leaving a furore behind him, James himself is now focused on winning some silverware in Florida alongside Wade and Bosh.
"The things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down," he said.
"Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today."
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