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.
The Standout Moment of 2024
By Cheval John
December 31st,2024
The year 2024 should be considered a year where a lot of first happened
West Ham United, the club which I became a fan of last year, conceded 74 goals in the 2023-24
It broke the previous record of 70 goals conceded in the 2010-11 season which got us relegated from the premier league where we spent one year in the championship before getting promoted back to the “most watched league in the world via the playoff.
However, west ham did not get relegated last season because we scored 60 goals to finish 9th last season in the premier league while simultaneously knocked out of the quarterfinals of the carabao cup and the quarterfinals of the europa league
It also to a large degree led to the decision of the board not renewing the contract of david moyes because the football (soccer) was not to the standards of half the west ham fans
Real Madrid became the first club to win the uefa champions league for the 15th time in the competition history after they defeated borussia dortmund 2 to 0 at the final in London.
Video Courtesy of TUDN USA
Atalanta won their first ever Europa League trophy after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3 to 0 in the final in Dublin
Video Courtesy of CBS Sports Golazo
And Olympiacos won the Conference League final after defeating Fiorentina 1 to 0 in extra time in Athens.
The result led them to become the first greek club to win a European trophy
Video Courtesy of CBS Sports Golazo
I will remember 2024 to a large degree because of Weslaco High School becoming the first team from the Rio Valley to win the University Interscholastic League (UIL) State 6A softball championship
The reason why I chose this result as the most memorable moment of 2024 is in the manner they won the championship
Weslaco made it to the final of the State 6A softball championship facing Waco Midway in Austin, Texas
They were trailing Midway 9-3 going into the bottom of seventh and final inning of the game.
Midway got an easy first out to start the inning which makes you believe they would be on cruise control to win the state championship.
Weslaco kept chipping away at the lead where they all of a sudden trailing 9-7 with the bases loaded.
Then Andrea Ortiz, who was 0-3 in her previous three at-bats, sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for the walk-off grand slam to win the state championship by the score of 11-9.
Video Courtesy of Max Preps
This manner of how Weslaco won the state title is like the manner Manchester United won the Champions League against Bayern Munich 25 years ago.
Manchester United were trailing 1 to 0 for the majority of the match going into the final three minutes of stoppage time.
Then they scored two goals on set pieces to win the trophy and becoming the first english club to win the treble.
Video Courtesy of UEFA TV
This is why Weslaco winning the state title is arguably the standout moment of 2024.
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