By: Martin Rand, III
Date: July 16, 2011
It's been a whole year since the Miami Heat celebrated the signing of the Big 3 (LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade). It was an event like no one had ever see to celebrate hiring new employees to a company. However, unlike most other sport franchises, the Heat treat their employees, the special ones anyway, like more than just employees. It's almost a family mentally; a loyalty to the people helped make the franchise great. This is the reason why James and Bosh wanted to sign there and Wade wanted to stay there.
Of course, the Heat's loyalty to their great players is well documented. Alonzo Mourning was a great player for the Heat in the late 90s; and then when the Heat were in the cellar of the league they traded him to the New Jersey Nets (which was a title contending team at the time) so he could possible win a championship. Then when he had one of his kidneys removed, they took a chance on him and re-signed him so he could possible get that first title with the Heat in 2006. He won the title, retired and the Heat gave him a position in the front office.
Another Heat great was Tim Hardaway. He was another great for the young franchise in the late 90s. He never won a title but he made the Heat a contending team every year in the playoffs. He retired in 2003; and the Heat also hired him.
Even Head Coach Erik Spoelstra has experienced the loyalty of the Heat organization. He started working with the organization as a video coordinator and in 15 years elevated to the position of head coach.
With all this loyalty been shown to their own how could the Big 3 say no. Their decision to sign with the Heat was pure emotional. Think back, when James was at the signing press conference he said "it felt like family here." I thought he was referring to Bosh and Wade, but what he was truly referring to was the loyalty that the Heat showed to their former greats.
I know, it's hard to put and James and loyalty in the same sentence, but why else would he and the rest of the trio sign with the Heat. Professionally, it made no sense to sign with the Heat a year ago. There were far better teams out there, with much more to offer in terms of players to put around them. The Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers come to mind. Each had better players and coaches than the Heat but what they lack was loyalty in management to their players.
The Bulls had the best team available and would've had easily won a title last year if James and Bosh would have signed with them. Even Wade, who's from Chicago, grew up a Bulls fan and always wanted to play for the Bulls, wanted to sign with them; however, Wade asked the question "why is the greatest player ever not working with the organization?" It's a very good question to ask. Michael Jordan made the Bulls a dynasty and when he retired, Bulls management didn't offer him a position. In retrospective, it was probably a good decision but he still brought six titles to the team and earned the right to work in the front office.
The Clippers had a decent line-up available as well. If James would've signed them, he would've owned L.A. for the next decade (this only if Kobe retired in the next two or three years). Along with Blake Griffin, the Clippers could've become a title contender; however, they have one of the worst sports owners in history running the show, who is also currently being sued by NBA great Elgin Baylor.
Then there was the Knicks. I'm from New York City so nothing would've made me happier than to see James or Wade sign with them. However, after the last decade of management problems, bad signings and bad trades, its a miracle they even gotAmare Stoudamire to sign. Along with getting Carmelo Anthony, a James signing would've made the Knicks a title contender for the next couple of years and would be a better Big 3 than the one currently in Miami. However, when Patrick Ewing retired, one of the greatest Knicks ever, they didn't offer him a job anywhere in the front office or coaching staff.
The Cavs shot themselves in their unloyal hearts right before free agency began. When they fired Head Coach Mike Brown, that showed how unloyal they really are with people who do great things for the franchise. Brown took the team to their first and only NBA Finals appearance, led the team to the best record in the league two consecutive years and won coach of the year; then, they fired him and tried to replace him with a college coach who has no experience coaching in the NBA. They thought James would like the move; but if anything, that was probably the final straw in showing James and others why Cleveland isn't a good place to play. No matter how much good you do, in hard times they will get rid of you.
The Big 3 should be thinking about winning a title but to them life after sports in more important. If James wanted to win a five, six, or seven titles, he should've signed with the Bulls. However, the prospect of playing in a town for years and knowing that one day management isn't going to give you an opportunity can be disheartening.
I've always heard that you should never mix emotion in with a business decision. So, it's interesting to see how much loyalty played into the Big 3's decision to sign with the Heat over winning a championship; I guess it could be a good thing to be loyal in sports. However, with the new NBA CBA being worked out, a much lower salary cap expected and all three players making over $20 million in the next year or two, it will be interesting to see how loyal Heat management is to the Big 3.
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After reading this blog I think they made a great decision. With 3 strong players there is a chance to win a championship but it's more than that. The game is their job and if you aren't happy where you are working, and don't think your employer, for whom you are the bread and butter, will show you loyalty in the clutch then they aren't for you.
But for them to make a decision with the hopes of possibly getting a job in the front office after their career is over is limiting themselves from what they could've accomplished already. Why care about how management treats you after you're done playing? Worry about the players they put around you while you're playing. The Bulls could've had the title this year with James and Bosh and been able to put more players around them. Miami is gonna end up cap strap and end up having to trade one of the Big 3, possible as early as next year and they won't win a title. That's what being emotional in decision like does; it clouds your judgement.