A “Decision” That Has Ramifications

by Cheval John

With the Miami Heat defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder last night by the score of 121-106 to win the National Basketball Association (NBA) title, Lebron James can finally be considered as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.

James scored 26 points, pull down 11 rebounds and added 13 assists.

For his efforts, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Finals.

Yes, he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Heat to reach this milestone in his career.

But the way how he left is something that still has to be looked at even though it has been almost two years since the infamous “decision.”

I can understand if he went to Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert and told him, “I did everything that he could to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, but it wasn’t enough.”

“So I decided that I am going to the Miami Heat in order to increase my chances at winning an NBA title.”

That alone would have been more commendable and if Mr. Gilbert got mad, then that would have been his problem because he had every opportunity for seven years to build a team around James.

But instead, he decided decided to stage a one-hour special on ESPN to announce his decision.

That to me was unprofessional and a disgrace because he declared that I am more important than you and at the same time, it embarrassed the city of Cleveland.

No other superstar have done what he did because they understood that it was all about the team and the fans that pays big bucks to see their home team perform.

For example, Didier Drogba, who was with the English football (soccer) club, Chelsea, F.C. for 8 years, left for the Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua after the 2011-12 season.

He played an integral role in the club winning their first UEFA Champions League title in Munich, Germany last month against hometown favorite Bayern Munich.

He could have left in the same fashion as James.

Instead, he told his entire teammates and the owner that he was leaving for other opportunities because he felt that it was the right thing to do.

He even did an interview with Chelsea T.V., the club’s own television station to explain his decision and thanked the fans for their support of the team.

Drogba understood that the club gave him a chance to prove himself and that it wasn’t about him, but it was about the team.

Also, he was honest with his teammates and the fans.

Because of that, he will be welcomed back with open arms whenever he wants to return to the club while Mr. James will always be remembered for that infamous “decision” no matter what he does for the remainder of his NBA career.

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About Cheval John

Cheval John is the Founder and CEO of Vallano Media, LLC, a marketing agency which helps small to mid-sized businesses use social media correctly to build a loyal following and in the process become more profitable. Cheval is also the host of "What's The Word?" a podcast about finding out what inspires people to choose their respective careers and how social media impacted their lives and business. He is the author of two books including the Amazon Best-Seller, "8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn." He has spoken at Social Media Week Lima in Ohio and at Social Media Day Houston 2017 about topics around live streaming and podcasting. Cheval has been featured in media outlets including Ebony Magazine, Social Media Today and Forbes. He was named a Houston Top 25 Social Media Power Influencer (2016 and 2017) and a Twitter Top 50 Influencer by Onalytica in 2018.

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