Did LeBron have an obligation to stay?

[Laimbeer]

Put aside how he made the announcement or if Miami was his best choice.

My question is simply this - did LeBron have an obligation to stay in Cleveland, out of loyalty, if he didn't believe it was in his best interest from a basketball and career standpoint?

[zzmav]

Of course he didn't have any obligation to re-sign. In truth no player does but thankfully the NBA still has guys like Dirk and Durant who have a sense of responsibility and loyalty to their franchise.

I don't think anyone is really upset with him deciding to go somewhere else. It's more about how he handled everything.

[tidho]

Of course not.

He did have an obligation to leave respectfully though....which he did not.

[ikidunot]

From everything I'm reading, It was how he did it, not why he did it.

[spaceheat]

He did not have an obligation to stay, but as an ambassador for the game of Basketball... He had an obligation to handle this situation with class. A television spectacle is not classy. I think this whole situation absolutely sucks for the game.

[foo82]

Most fans aren't upset of the fact he left, but the manner in which he chose to leave.

[cpfsf]

If he influenced the Cavs trades last season, than I think he'd be a prick for bailing.

[Triumph36]

If he influenced the Cavs trades last season, than I think he'd be a prick for bailing.

last season? lol....he influenced the Cavs trades every season. and their drafting. and their cap use.

But yeah I agree with what everyone else has been saying.

[FUEGO]

OMG There was no one that could be a good co star for him. Jamison is old now. Cleveland fans would have been upset and mad the same way if he would have told you 3 months ago. Loyalty doesn't mean selling yourself short. He brought you guys 7 yrs of ridiculous basketball and made the world know you. No one before knew of the Cavs but Cleveland. You give no credit for putting you on the map. The fans and owner seem to be the ones not loyal because everyone is acting just as selfish as you say he is.

[SAUCERY_SWEET]

Look the person i feel the baddest for is Michael Beasley, the guy goes from Miami/South Beach to freaking Minnesota. Damn!

[TheOUTLAW]

Beasley needed to get out of Miami and he still makes 5 mil/yr

Of course LeBron had no responsibility to resign

[gflem]

OMG There was no one that could be a good co star for him. Jamison is old now. Cleveland fans would have been upset and mad the same way if he would have told you 3 months ago. Loyalty doesn't mean selling yourself short. He brought you guys 7 yrs of ridiculous basketball and made the world know you. No one before knew of the Cavs but Cleveland. You give no credit for putting you on the map. The fans and owner seem to be the ones not loyal because everyone is acting just as selfish as you say he is.

Clearly you just dont get it. Of course he had every right to leave, nobody is disputing that. Your refusal to acknowledge that he had a major part in what this roster looks like, and that he has a major part in this teams failures in the playoffs is Why you are clueless.
Post after post from objective non-Cavs fans agreeing that the way he left is despicable and you still are trying to defend him. Just go to another board and post your crap there. If Lebron had told management 3 months ago, they could have plotted a different course in this off season, but now they are delayed inremaking this team due to Lebron needing to have his ego stroked.
You simply fail to understand that as Cavs fans we are more interested in the team and how it has been affected by how he went about his decision.

[rjgraca]

Lebron couldn't take being the Man in Cleveland and Now he's prince Lebron in Miami. Well, he talked about loyalty and didn't walk the talk. The CAVs bent over backwards for him and the CAV fans accepted his ego manic ways. He held the CAVs hostage for two seasons forcing them to make moves to appease him over the short-term. Lebron only made token efforts to recruit other stars so he can blame others for his short comings which is what is ironic about some new reports about the CAVs failing to put talent around him. Ron Artest was quoted, the previous off-season, as saying that he didn't seriously consider Cleveland due to Lebron not be committing to stay. Lebron quit on the CAVs in the playoffs and it was the other player's fault that he forgot he was a leader or maybe he never was a leader?

LeBron Not the King, Durant is the Man

Reports say that Bosh told LeBron he didn't want to play in Cleveland. Loyal subjects don't tell the King what they're doing; they follow. It's Wade who said he was staying with his original team. It's Wade who said he's taking less money to help build a winner. It's Bosh and James who agreed to follow and reportedly will swallow their pride and play for smaller paychecks. So that must mean Wade is the King, not LeBron.

While LeBron is losing his crown, another young NBA star is staking his claim as the man in his city.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant quietly signed a 5 year extension for a reported $85 million. Durant didn't need a national TV audience; in fact, all he needed was Twitter and a press release.

KD isn't LeBron yet, but he does have a few skins on the wall. He's a former Rookie of the Year, a league-wide scoring champion last season (30.1 ppg), and he and his OKC teammates were one win away from taking the NBA champs to a deciding game 7 in round one of the Western Conference playoffs.

With Durant, guard Russell Westbrook, forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and a few other pieces to the puzzle, we could soon be talking about a Thunder championship run just like we used to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Only difference, the man in Oklahoma City isn't going anywhere. He's there for the long haul. Thunder Executive V.P. and General Manager Sam Presti said, "The signing shows Durant is committed to the team and the team is committed to Oklahoma City and the state."

That's something the former King couldn't deliver to Cleveland.

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/07/09 ... eedID=3742

[FUEGO]

I do understand that the Cavs are affected but what I don't get is how you all do not see your being just as selfish as Lebron. Hating him just making you guys look bad. Showing other potential stars that they may want to think twice about dealing with Cleveland.

[FUEGO]

Also Kevin Durant is gonna be the next face of the NBA, but don;t compare him to Lebron. He didn't come straight from High School. Also he was only in the league for 3 going on 4 years. Of course he's gona stay loyal to his team. He hasn't been there for 7 years and turned a garbage team around plus Durant has a hell of a point. That's not Mo.

[TheOUTLAW]

To be honest, I don't think we'd be talking about LeBron much at all if idiot Heat fans didn't continue to come onto this board to talk about him.

[rjgraca]

Exactly, if the heat fans didn't come to this board to worship Lebron--- the issue would die down.

[FUEGO]

But what Heat fans are there. Cause I don't ride with the Heat. It's about Kobe and I do respect Lebron's game. I don't mean disrespect but when someone comes out their face at me I react. Ive had Cavs fans back up until now and alot of you used to boost Lebron up too. I understand being mad, but all these hate threads about him, isn't necessary

[TheOUTLAW]

Was this a hate thread? It seemed that most Cavs fans didn't think he had an obligation to stay. I really haven't seen many Cavs fans even start a topic in several days.

[gflem]

For the record we HATE how Lebron did our team. Look at the vote of whether he had an obligation. We obviously get it, he had a right to do whatever he wanted. How would you have felt a few years back if Kobe, after forcing out Shaq had went to the Clips? If you say you roll with Kobe, not the team, then so be it, but it would explain why you dont get where some of us are coming from.