Don’t you just hate it when two NBA teams are both willing to pay you a crap ton of money and you’re eventually forced to deal with the awkwardness of the party you spurned in the aftermath of your decision?
Oh, you don’t know what I’m talking about?
LeBron James does.
Brian Windhorst posted an insightful piece over on ESPN.com, within which he revealed that shit got weird when LeBron attended Dwyane Wade’s wedding after he abandoned the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Just think how odd it felt in August for James when he attended Dwyane Wade’s wedding at a swanky castle outside Miami. Wade is the face of the franchise and the most popular player in team history. His wedding was essentially a giant Heat party.
James flew in to be there for his friend Wade, but apparently had to play a bit of a wallflower role.
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James later told friends that having to share the same room with Heat president Pat Riley was uncomfortable that night. It stands to reason it was probably hard to make eye contact with Heat owner Micky Arison or coach Erik Spoelstra as well.
It was an interesting juxtaposition from a wedding James went to in June in Miami. At that ceremony, for James’ longtime trainer Mike Mancias, Riley made it a mission to pull James into a corner to sell him on re-signing. He’d opted out of his contract just two days before and Riley’s exit meeting with James after the Finals didn’t go well. Ultimately, their discussion that night didn’t work out well for the Heat, either.
Of course it was awkward. The Heat made it very clear they wanted LeBron back. Pat Riley essentially challenged his Big Three to remain together during his exit interview. Everyone knew that wouldn’t go over well, and apparently it didn’t. LeBron did leave after all. But even if that had more to do with him going “home” than it did anything else, it was never going to be all hearts and rainbows.
Especially when it came to Chris Bosh.
All along it was thought Bosh’s free-agency decision hinged on James’. And that’s likely true. Hell, if the Heat hadn’t offered him a max contract, he probably be in Houston right now, stroking Dwight Howard’s enormous ego and picking cupcake crumbs out of James Harden’s beard. To have one’s fate so readily tied to that of another has to be difficult. To see that person leave without consulting you the way he did his other partner in crime has to sting (assuming, of course, LeBron didn’t consult Bosh).
Perhaps Bosh and LeBron were never really as close as we were led to believe. Relationships between teammates on high-profile teams are mythologized. Fans want them to be friends. They want to believe that when they’re not tossing each other alley-oops, they’re out splitting milkshakes, sharing spaghetti noodles and ordering bottle service together before breaking out the Electric Slide on the dance floor of the nearest night club.
If that’s ever how it was between LeBron and Bosh, LeBron and Riley, LeBron and Mario Chalmers, LeBron and…you get the point…it’s not like that anymore. Such is life after NBA breakups.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
