What was your initial reaction to LeBron James opting to go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaving the Miami Heat, and what were your thoughts on the team he left behind?
Rahmeaun (@Boneman9000):
To be honest, I always felt deep down that James’ 4-year max contract he signed with Miami in the summer of 2010 (the best summer of my life) would be his last in that city. As I alluded to earlier, creating a team on the backs of superstars without drafting is not sustainable. You need to be getting those great finds late in the first round and second rounds of each draft to remain stable and near the salary cap tax line. Pat Riley didn’t do that, and the team paid for it when James left. As a Heat fan I always hoped he would re-up with, but nothing screamed more loudly that that wasn’t going to happen than the team using the amnesty clause on fan favorite and 2012 Finals MVP (in my humble opinion) Mike Miller in the summer of 2013. At that point on knew the ‘big 3’ was finished. The punitive luxury tax was getting to be too much for Micky Arison, and business decisions had to be made. Time was up, and I was ok with that.
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Imran (@iebrahim81):
As a fan of the Heat, it completely sucked. A complete gut punch. Miami had given James everything he’d wanted. Yes, he lost some of the roster control he owned in Cleveland, but he had a capable front office that was dedicated to providing him with the best roster that money could buy (under the luxury tax). But the thing that sucked the most, and still does every time he’s on the market, is the way the entire market ‘freezes’ without him there. Most teams and free agents have a Plan A (if James leaves) and a Plan B (if James stays), except for the team he’s leaving. Both Cleveland (twice) and Miami have shown an ability to completely wet the bed the minute that he opts to leave them, while other teams are geared to continue on. We went from having dreams of James, Gasol, and Ariza to having Deng, Granger, and McRoberts in a span of seconds, and at big contracts to boot.
Rohan (@theboyro):
I gave it an 80% chance he would stay here. I thought he would opt in for the final two years, win at least one more title and make two more finals appearances and head back home to Cleveland. I was appreciative when he was here but mad when he left. I understood why: Wade was getting older, teammates were getting tired of each other. Cleveland had a young and good player in Kyrie Irving. The Kevin Love trade looked good on paper. Now use in Miami felt upset when LeBron left. We weren’t as outraged as Cleveland was. Look where we live! It was a fun and unforgettable four years that will never be duplicated. We went from going to the finals in 2014 to missing the playoffs the next season. I’ll always admire LeBron’s impact that he had here, but it’s not the same without him.