With the transformative July 1, free-agent signing period fast approaching, it appears James has already aligned himself with arguably the most powerful team money can buy. Call them a new-age version of the Fab Five, as James, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson have all openly pledged to convene for a pseudo private meeting of the minds before embarking on any new deals with all their would-be suitors.
As you might imagine, The Chosen One is seen as the ringleader, which, quite frankly, also resonates with me as totally on point. For even among those from whom much is expected, someone still has to assume the role of watching their back. “I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I win a championship,” said James. “With this, I’m going to do what’s best for me.”
LeBron James has come to know and understand that if he’s going to be forever cast as the fall guy each and every time his team takes an unexpected tumble he at least deserves to be heard. Heard on the pertinent issue of how the team is assembled and just who’s to play all those aforementioned critical positions. And likewise, that also holds true for DWade, et el.
Sure, the concept of most any black man holding all that leverage in the workplace echoes as a foreign language to the likes of you and me. But on the flip side, I must admit for all the flack I’ve had to endure at the hands of misguided bosses gone by, I’ve never had to feel the pressure of being entrusted with a gig where my input alone could mean the difference in as much as $2 billion to the local economy.
Those are the estimates of what LeBron’s arrival could mean in the major markets of say Chicago or New York. But let’s forget about basketball for a second here—- granted the idea of The King and Flash in the same uniform and on the same perimeter does linger on the brain— the truly Kodak moment here lies in the fact that after all this time, just five years removed from being castigated as “Forty Million Dollar Slaves” by New York Times columnist and author Bill Rhoden based on their somewhat shallow and soulless natures, these brothers seem to be evolving and becoming cognizant enough to demand a voice in their destinations.
Yes, you could argue all their machinations combined are hardly on par with what Jim Brown did almost singlehandedly back in 1967 when he and other men of conscience founded the Negro Industrial and Economic Union through which they collected and invested millions in seed money to form minority-owned businesses all over the country.
Complete and utter change doesn’t come overnight, not to mention the process of coming to think for one’s self after so many years of having it done by others. For this generation, it could be a timeless first step.
Already, this starting point has been enough to rail the establishment to no end. Talk of collusion, loyalty, or lack thereof, abound. To all of which, I say: Respect the game you created. Loyalty isn’t loyalty when it’s always defined just one vantage point.
“Free agency won’t really start until we’ve had a chance to talk,” says Wade. “The truth is, we’re businessmen, and in a way and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a hand in handling your business.
