The professional athlete is no longer just an athlete. They have been labeled as role models, icons, champions and spokespeople, but there’s one thing they have never been labeled: businessmen or businesswomen.
This summer’s free-agent frenzy in the NBA was one of the most anticipated off-seasons in the history of professional sports.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer led the 2010 free-agent class of the NBA.
The NBA, the franchises involved in the sweepstakes and the superstar players were getting more sports coverage, media attention and fan support in the off-season than the MLB, NASCAR, maybe even the World Cup, which are in season.
So much money was at stake not only for the players, but for the franchises, the NBA and the communities of Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, New Jersey, New York and Los Angeles.
For the player, multimillion dollar contracts, brand awareness, success and family happiness were all part of the process.
Some of these objectives were the same that encompassed the thoughts of the Cavaliers’ owners, local businesses and the fans in the community as well.
But after seeing the behavior from some of the fans in Cleveland and reading the text message from the majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert, there is reasonable proof for me to state that fans and owners have no desire for players to be business savvy away from the court.
They just want them to be nothing other than the stereotypical jock.
LeBron’s decision to join the Miami Heat was certainly a risky move, but it was the right move for him to make personally.
Why? Because it gives him a great chance to win an NBA championship.
He’s now in a large, diverse market that will create more brand growth globally, and he is the only person who has to live with this decision. Cleveland fans are mad because the Cavaliers will not win a championship without LeBron, and everyone wants to be part of a winning team.
Cleveland-area business owners are upset because their bars, restaurants and hotels are going to have decreased profits from prior years.
Cavaliers’ ownership, especially Gilbert, is most definitely mad because they just lost their prized investment. Gilbert purchased the team in 2005 for a whopping $375 million.
The Cavaliers are currently valued at $476 million by Forbes.com, but according to some reports the value of the team could potentially plummet by as much as $250 million.
The letter Gilbert wrote to the fans of Cleveland was written from the business standpoint of an investment gone bad and with the emotional rage of having lost his $100 million slave.
LeBron made the decision to go to Miami based strictly on business.
We’ve heard everyone say LeBron owes the city of Cleveland. Truth be told, he doesn’t owe the city anything.
The Cavaliers organization was fortunate enough to get the first pick of the 2003 NBA draft.
The city prospered financially because of the LeBron James effect.
LeBron’s athletic skills would have brought him millions of dollars whether he was in Cleveland or another city.
His impact on the city is large financially, but let’s gets real: It would be much worse if Wal-Mart closed and moved out of Cleveland. That’s a real impact on people’s lives.
Athletics is a business, whether it’s the NBA, NFL, MLB or the NCAA.
We as fans should never forget that, especially those with a vested interest financially.
He decided that he wanted to pursue his career with his friends, for less money, in a great city with wonderful weather and great attractions.
I think he made the right decision, but that’s just my opinion.
If you had the chance to play or work with some of your closest friends while making millions of dollars and you are a 26-year-old single person, what business decision would you make?
Live and play in Cleveland, or live and play in Miami?
