The spectacle that was LeBron James

Most of my friends know I am a basketball fan. However, most don't realize how much of a fan I really am. I play basketball regularly, I officiated semi-regularly, and I used to coach youth basketball. In addition, I follow high school, college and NBA basketball in person and on TV.

However, one thing I don't like about basketball (and sports in general) is there is a lot of drama OUTSIDE of the games themselves. In high school, there are star players who can't keep up their grades to play and hurt their schools. Or there are the kids who constantly transfer to schools with better reputations to try to land college scholarships. In college, there are star players who come in for a year or two and then leave for the NBA (whether they are ready or not is another story).

In the NBA, like most professional sports, drama is built in. There are stories of guys sleeping with multiple women and having tons of kids. There are hold outs for more money. The list can go on. Tonight, we can add LeBron James's free agency to the list of wild spectacles.

By all accounts, LeBron is not only a great player but a good person as well. However, after his Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a stunning loss in the players to the Boston Celtics, speculation began on whether LeBron would leave Cleveland.

The speculation ended tonight as LeBron announced his intention to sign with the Miami Heat on a one hour special on ESPN tonight. LeBron joins his friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who announced earlier in the week that they intended to sign with Miami as well.

I haven't necessary lost respect for LeBron as he did what he felt was the best move for his career. However, I do think this situation could have been handled better. The constant news reports on LeBron's impending decision was overkill. I also thought that having a one hour long show dedicated to LeBron's decision was not the best. I don't remember any other free agent in the time that I've watched the NBA garner as much attention as LeBron did.

All in all, what LeBron did was fine though I think that Miami signing three star players in LeBron, Wade and Bosh sets a bad precedent. In years past, most NBA teams built around one or two star players. This year, that path has been shattered. If you can't win, you try to get as many star players as you can.

It remains to be seen how Miami will look as they only have a few players under contract. Three good players will help but they will need a solid bench.