I feel like Cleveland is guilt tripping Lebron into staying and possibly ruining his career in the process. As KG said during the Cavs series, sometimes loyalty can be a bad thing. The Cavs aren't getting it done anytime soon with or without Lebron. Hate on haters.
I was writing this before the last thread got closed. I think it's still relevant. If not, feel free to delete it.
It's not about being haters. Many of us have watched the NBA for years, decades even (for me it started in late 1970s). We know realistic assessments of teams as opposed to ones that are reactionary, uninformed, and/or just absurd. One of the biggest myths left-over from Lebron's early days is that he has no team around him. It's not true anymore. Sure, we'd all like upgrades, but stop minimizing our success just because we've lost to two tough teams.
And as far as loyalty, it's too bad it's been trumped by big money. It's one of the downfalls of modern sports. Why does everyone worship guys like Cal Ripken, Jeter, Kirby, and now guys like Mauer. Yes, they were awesome players but it's added by what they did for their teams/cities in the modern era of big money/big market. And that's all about loyalty.
Playing to LBJ's loyalty is not guilt-tripping. Did you watch that video? That's real Cleveland folks who have an emotional investment in LBJ. That's telling it like it is and speaking to his sense of loyalty. From my perspective, leaving for greener pastures where no championships are guaranteed has more likelihood of ruining his career than sticking with a winner, in a place he's comfortable in and with folks he trusts (assuming this last part is true, which I believe it is).
Of course loyalty can be a bad thing, as in KG in Minnesota. But that's comparing apples to oranges. Look at the last 5 years and what our organization/team has done. [Many have compared LBJ's situation to Wade's, but that doesn't get all the media hype. His organization has done so little to support him over the past 4 years with the promise of greener pastures once 2010 comes along. At this point, they have what, 3 guys on their roster? Way to build a winner.]
It's getting old these arguments. Please think before you post and if you're going to state your opinions, have some way to back that up. Otherwise, we're just bogging down a good thread with hundreds of weak posts.