Jersey, Sure?

An intrepid Heat fan (not pictured) decided it'd be a good idea to wear a LeBron James jersey in Cleveland.

That's right.

He decided to flaunt the Heat's big acqusition and rub it right in the face of Cleveland fans.

How did you think it would end?

Fortunately, he was able to make it out of the stadium alive and well.
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I saw the video of him walking out of the stadium.

His girlfriend decided to start brawling with one of the Indians' faithful.

Marriage material?

What suprised me the most was that it was during the 6th inning.

How did this dude survive 5 innings?
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Look, it's fun to be the enemy at a sporting venue.

Go to any Jets-Dolphins game, and you realize, rivarly and taunting is part of the game.

But this really wasn't a fair fight.

It's just too soon.

Plus, factor in the town you're talking about.

The Indians are more than 15 games out of first place.

The Browns are coming off of a bad season and are putting their franchise in the shaky hands of Jake Delhomme.

The Cavs, well, we all know about the Cavs.

And worst of all, they live in Cleveland.
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I have found the reaction to LeBron's decision to be a little exaggerated.

People have been a little too angry about it.

There's sour grapes all around.

People are trashing a guy's legacy when he's 25.

That'd be like writing a movie review after the opening credits.
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Still, there's one place where I do feel their pain.

It's Cleveland.

The fans have JUST been through a trauma.

Let them process it.

And most importantly, when the Heat actually do have to play at the Cavs, make sure there's extra security.

In 1697's "The Mourning Bride" William Congreve wrote "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd."

He obviously had never been to Cleveland.

Wizarding World? More Like My Personal Nightmare

I had the opportunity to go on the new Harry Potter ride (not pictured).

Well, opportunity isn't really the right word.

I'd use hostage situation, but I wasn't taken by force.

Well, not physical force.

More like emotional espionage and bribery.

An out-of-town friend was DYING to go on this thing.

He promised me a fun day at Universal parks.

And, to top it off, we had free passes that allowed us to not only go into both parks, but to cut all lines.

So, I went.
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Now let me give you the following warning.

I don't like the Harry Potter series.

It's just not my thing.

I do respect it because I like anything that gets people excited about reading.

So, I would say I fell somewhere between hater and muggle on the scale.
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The park wasn't just hot.

It was the surface of the sun hot.

The poor folks who actually had to wait, were standing in line JUST TO GET INTO the area where the Potter ride was located.

That's right, a line to get into the line.

I couldn't imagine enduring that heat JUST to get into Harry's world.

To use the worst line that TV anchors say, if you're going to go, pack your patience.
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To Universal's credit, the place allegedly looked exactly like the books.

There were all these little shops which were references to both the movies and books.

I did drink a glass of butterbeer (I tried both the frozen and unfrozen).

It tasted like caramel and nerd.
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When we walked into the actual ride area, it was all Pottered out.

There was a hologram of an old dude talking about Hogwarts and our role on the ride.

Then there were three holograms of the goofy British kid who was in Equis, and two other characters.

They were talking about a game of whatever broom-ball sport Harry plays.

I was bored to tears.

My friend was nearly moved to tears.
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And then the ride started.

You know those moments where you know you're getting old?

It's nothing big.

It's just that you realize, my body isn't responding to this stimuli the way it used to.

I would describe getting on the Potter ride like that.
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They strap you into a chair.

In your ear you hear accented voice saying god knows what.

It was like being in "Clockwork Orange."

But rather than the ultra-sex and the ultra-violence, I was subjected to much worse.

You're flying through the air following Harrry.

They toss you about and do all the same tricks I had seen an hour earlier on the Spiderman ride.

My friend decried my lack of sophistication about rides.

He called it "a game changer."

I said, "Yes, If you are playing the, 'don't give me a migraine' game."
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America is built on bigger and better.

Unfortunately, in the roller coaster and ride business, that also applies.

The quest to come up with new and interesting ways to make people want to upchuck is unending.

This ride was like 'Body Wars' on speed.

It was so violent to the internal equilibrium.

Just shaking, non-stop.

I felt like I had shaken baby syndrome, even though I'm already 351 months old.
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Harry Potter really is a wizard.

He made my afternoon and feeling of well-being disappear.

No. You. Didn't.

The 2010 Miami Heat are the most celebrated team in the history of sports, that has yet to win a single game.

The hype machine has been in overdrive the last week.

It culminated with the following, a song by the rapper Flo Rida (not pictured) entitled "We Already Won (The Miami Heat Song).

Take a listen.


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First thing's first.

This song is WAY better than the horrendous T-Pain Miami Dolphins song.

As a child, I had multiple surgeries on my ears.

I would gladly exchange any of those for the aural insult that is T-Pain's auto-tuned abomination.

So at least this is catchy.
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Now to the title of this blog.

I was there at the AmericanAirlines Arena the night the Heat introduced LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

They were handing out placards with a photo of the Big Three that read "Yes. We. Did."

Of course, they were mirroring the language of President Obama's campaign slogan "Yes. We. Can."

Never, a good idea to mix politics and sports.

But you can just call this the audacity of hoop.
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That night felt a little dirty.

How can you throw such a big party, for a team that hasn't done anything yet?

Yes. We. Did.

What exactly did you do?

You signed three players.

Three awesome players.

Two sure-fire Hall of Famers.

But you haven't won anything yet.

Underneath all the noise and laughter, I kept thinking, God help this team if they don't win a title.

This is "Dewey Beats Truman" embarrassing.
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I don't blame the fans or the media for drowning in the pool of Heat adulation.

This SHOULD be an incredibly good basketball team.

The role players they've filled in, make for a roster this is built to win and win big.

But they haven't done it yet.
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The Heat marketing machine should push this team.

It sells season-tickets, gets you the cover of 'Sports Illustrated,' and creates a frenzy for your fans.

But head coach Erik Spoelstra has the opposite job.

He needs to bring these guys back down to earth.

Here are the facts.

The Heat were embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs the last two years.

LeBron James has never won an NBA title.

Dwyane Wade has an injury history.

Chris Bosh has never played in a meaningful NBA game.

Does it mean these guys can't have a parade down Biscayne Boulevard eventually?

Absolutely not.

But I can't get down with this premature party.

Although, Flo Rida did put together a catchy little soundtrack for the insanity.

Shameless Plug...

I will be on the radio (not pictured) this weekend.

If you're up early on Sunday, I'll be co-hosting the "Sunday Morning Sports Page" on WQAM with Captain Curtis.

The show airs from 7 until 9 in the morning.

It's on 560 am if you're in South Florida or wqam.com if you're not.

If you call and mention the blog, that would make my day.

We now return to your regularly scheduled program

Loss Of The Boss...

I couldn't believe I was standing at the Deli counter at Publix crying.

But, it's true.

I was standing there waiting to get sandwiches for myself and my girlfriend, and I was shedding tears over George Steinbrenner (not pictured).

This was absurd to me.

George was the owner.

That's it.

He wrote the checks.

He never caught a flyball, drove in a run, or stole a base.

So why did I care so much?
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The short answer is that I'm a loser.

But that wouldn't make for a very interesting blog.

I didn't realize I had such an emotional pull towards Steinbrenner, until the day that he died (isn't that always the way).
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I kept saying to myself: I feel like the Yankees died today.

I called my father (I know it's a cliche to say that baseball is between fathers and sons--- but it's true--- it's the most consistent part of our relationship).

My dad basically said, That's life.

He's a neurosurgeon.

Death is sort of par for the course with that profession.

And I appreciated his point of view.
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I met George once when I was a kid.

It was at Spring Training.

He was surrounded.

He was wearing a white Yankees jacket.

I managed to find my way to approach him.

I was that kid.

I could ALWAYS get to the athlete and get the prized autograph (a skill that has served me well throughout my life).

He signed an autograph and was really nice about it.

But that wasn't it.

I once was able to get an autograph of the rapper Ice Cube at a Heat game (that was a good day) and yet I don't feel the same emotional pull towards him.
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After a day of thinking about it, I finally put my finger on why I was so upset.

My father grew up in the era of Mickey Mantle.

He still tells stories about taking the Subway to Bronx Science and seeing the Mick in the outfield.

Championships were expected.

I grew up watching Yankee games on WPIX.

As charming as Phil Rizzuto was, the Yankees sucked (he had more shoutouts than an award show, often at the expense of the broadcast, LOVED Scooter).

I felt the Yankees never gave Don Mattingly the team he deserved.

It always bothered me.
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It bothered Steinbrenner just as much.

That's why I loved him.

Steinbrenner demanded excellence.

He would do WHATEVER was necessary to make sure the Yankee franchise was returned to its glory days.

Yes, there are people who say, it was Steinbrenner's suspension from baseball that allowed the Yankee dynasty to bloom.

He was out of the game, and so he couldn't trade away the likes of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and on and on.

I don't see it that way.
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For better or worse, George Steinbrenner was America.

Unbridled capitalism and excess.

For crying out loud, he was born on the 4th of July.

Steinbrenner fancied himself a modern-day Patton and deluded himself into thinking he had more to do with the outcome of the games, than he actually did.

But, as a Yankee fan, I always knew this: He would try.

George cared about putting the ultimate product on the field, every day.

That's all you can really ask from an owner.
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Many of my best memories in life revolve around the Yankees.

I kept the ticket stub from Game 1 of the 2000 World Series in my wallet until it evaporated.

I was at Duke.

I flew to New York.

My dad, brother and I had bleacher seats in right field for the first game of the Subway series.

The Yankees won on a hit by Jose Vizcaino. That building shook.

I remember flying to San Diego for the clinching game in the 1998 World Series.

I nearly crapped my pants when Jim Leyritz nearly hit the ball out for San Diego, but the ball fell short, and the Yanks completed the sweep.

I can't count the number of times my mother dressed a dog up in Yankees gear.

My mother would routinely pull me out of school to go to Spring Training games in Fort Lauderdale.

I never stayed home from school being sick, wasn't allowed, but Yankee games were sacred.

I've smoked countless victory cigars with my friend Will.

From March until November every year, I can count on the Yankees fielding a great to outstanding team.

I'm a jumpy dude.

The Yankees are one of a handful of things that can actually allow me to relax.
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All of that is because of Steinbrenner and the culture that he reinstilled.

The Yankees were lost for a while.

Steinbrenner put them back on course.

I can't give him enough credit for that.

So yeah, maybe it wasn't so bad that I cried.

I really hope he's honored in November with Championship 28.

I promise when I'm smoking my victory cigar, I'l think of the Boss and say the one thing every Yankee fan should: Thank you!

Great Night... Greater Expectations...

We may be on the cusp of a dynasty (not pictured).

My head is still spinning after the CRAZY night I just experienced.

I would argue it was the most important night in Miami Heat history, and not a bad one for my career.

Miami is now loved and loathed.

The greatest basketball player in the world now calls Miami home.

The Heat now has the greatest trifecta in the NBA.

Boston found three players to commit who were all about winning. They won a title and were within two minutes of another.

The Heat did the same thing, except the players are 10 years younger and JUST heading into their prime.

MIami will put the NASTY, in dynasty.
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Allow me to put you in my sneakers for a second.

I woke up this morning at 7 am.

I was laying bed and simply couldn't fall asleep.

My girlfriend was on her way to work and asked: Why are you up?

I said one word: LeBron.

I had become truly obsessed.

So, I go to work thinking, okay, I'm a sports producer today.

LeBron's making his decision today, it's going to be a MADHOUSE.

That's fine.
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After the 6 pm news, our two main anchors come up to me, why don't you go on the air to talk during our LeBron special?

Hmm, I thought. That would be fun.

I mean, I'm standing here in a pair of blue jeans.

I didn't do the most thorough job shaving today.

But okay, let's rock n' roll.

The idea was shot down.
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So I go back to my producing.

Now, my news director calls me into his office. If you've ever worked in television, that's a scary thing.

He says, why don't you go on the air and talk about twitter, blogs and facebook?

Sure, I said.

I have been beyond obsessed with social media since I joined facebook (though I was admittedly a slow adapater to twitter).

Then he correctly pointed out that my shirt wasn't exactly TV ready.

No problem.

The main anchor let me borrow a shirt and jacket (Thank you again Calvin, Laurie and Will!).
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So there I am.

It's 9 o'clock.

I'm looking over my boss' shoulder at LeBron's press conference.

I have an IFB in my good ear (i do actually have a good ear).

My stomach is churning.

I'm infinitely more nervous about LeBron than being on TV.

TV is talking.

Either I'll say something intelligent and interesting, or I'll say something stupid.

There were really only two ways it could go.
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They throw to me.

I start talking.

It went well.

Everyone seem pleased.

But that's not even the headline on the night.
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When LeBron says the word "SOUTH BEACH" I thought: Does no one respect downtown Miami?

The Heat play in downtown.

You have to take the 195 or 395 to get to the beach.

It's like when TV stations bump in with beach shots from Sun Life Stadium.

It's in Miami Gardens.

When I got done with my idiotic mental rant, I said, Wait a second.

We got him!

We got him!

I started dancing like a contestant on the "Price Is Right" picked for the showcase showdown.

It's a shame I'm such a goofy dancer, "So You Think You Can Dance" really has given me a desire to express myself, but I digress.
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The center of the basketball universe is now South Florida.

And I work here, I live here, I was born here.

We showed people with pots and pans celebrating in Southwest Miami-Dade like the day we won the title.

It felt like that.

Only better.

I wanted pots and pans (speaking of Pot, I'm really glad the Heat traded Michael Beasley. He was more high than highlights, enjoy Minny Beas).
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I got to my phone after the show.

I had TONS of texts, missed calls, and facebook notifications (as anyone who knows me, I LOVE me some facebook notifications).

They were from around the country: LA, Denver, New York, Boston, and Chicago.

That's what I loved about 2006.

Everyone came together to celebrate the Heat.

It's going to happen again.

My guess is 2 or 3 times.
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I can go into the nuts and bolts of basketball.

How will they round out the roster, can they really win, and all of that.

But that's another blog for another day.

I'm just going to enjoy that my town matters, that I was in the right place at the right time, and my favorite moment of the day, a text from my brother that read "I was wrong."

Yes you were.

Never bet against Pat Riley.

Feeling Greedy...

I (not pictured) am feeling greedy tonight.

I have been worried about Dwyane Wade opting out of his Miami Heat contract for MONTHS.

I looked at the Heat roster and I thought, could you blame him if he left?

This week, I've been a nervous wreck about Wade's possible departure and flirtation with Chicago.

Today, my wish came true, and then some.

Not only did Wade sign, but he's bringing 5-time All-Star Chris Bosh with him.

And yet I'm not satisfied.
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I've made the case multiple times on this blog as to WHY Miami is the most logical destination for a Wade and LeBron pairing.

Cap space.

The Bird Rule.

All of that.

But, I'm less than 24 hours from it actually happening.

It's been obsessing me.

I'm up all night twittering.

I've been glued to ESPN (how they've embarrassed journalism with this story is a blog for another person to write. Needless to say, I've been underwhelmed with their ethics and coverage).

I daydream about what Pat Riley said to LeBron during their 3-hour meeting.
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I've also been really angry at these guys.

As my last post indicated, I'm not happy with how they've conducted themselves.

Look at Kevin Durrant.

The guy signed a 5-year extension and no one knew he did it.

LOVE that guy.

Sure, LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are brash and borderline obnoxious.

Sure it's a bad economy and they're debating 100 million dollar deals.

But, I've always been blessed (or cursed) with the ability to differentiate between OFF-THE-COURT and ON-THE-COURT.

These guys may be arrogant.

They may be immature.

But they can ball. (just so no one calls me out on what I said about Bosh in the previous blog. I think he's a good player. I don't think he's "elite." He's certainly not in the Wade-LeBron class. Still, glad he's on Miami's roster. As a third piece, he'd be unreal).
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Thursday's announcement is about what LeBron values.

I personally believe Wade, Bosh, and Riley filling out the jigsaw puzzle gives him the best chance to win.

Cleveland is home.

New York is the biggest market in the World.

New Jersey has his friend Jay-Z and the chance to rule Brooklyn.

Chicago added Boozer. They have a nice roster which could be sick. (Although Rose isn't Wade, not yet).

LeBron's success has earned him the right to make this decision.
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Tonight, is the last night I'll fall asleep dreaming about free agency.

Tomorrow, I'll be returned to reality.

The reason I want LeBron in Miami is because he would make my hometown MATTER so much more.

We'd max out national tv games, every game (home and away) would be an event, we'd be nationally loved and loathed.

It would just be fascinating.

And I'd have a front-row seat.

Either way, I appreciate the opportunity to see Dwyane play for the next 5 or 6 years.
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What's crazy is everything that's been said, everything that's been written, everything that's been tweeted, everything that's been reported...

It all becomes irrelevant tomorrow.

LeBron will make his choice and so will go the NBA for the next few years.

The fates of fans, towns, economies, and an entire sport are in LeBron's hands.

That's an awesome responsibility.

I just can't believe I'm letting the King hold my emotions ransom.

I want to be free.

But I also want to cover a dynasty.

To be continued...

Little Three...

I've been obsessed with NBA free agents (not pictured).

I literally spend HOURS and HOURS scanning twitter looking to find out the latest hint of what the big three: Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade are going to do.

Frankly, before the chips fall, I wanted to say something about all three.

They've been total ***holes the last week.
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Let me start with Dwyane Wade.

I'm closest to his situation and may I say he's handled it so badly I don't know where to begin.

This town has LITERALLY been named after Dwyane.

I currently reside in Miami-Wade County.

And yet, up until this morning, Wade didn't have the decency to show up here.

If they named a hogie after me in Norway, I'd be on the next flight.

The town is throwing themselves at him, and he can't be bothered.
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Then, Monday morning (on a holiday), the Heat tweets that Wade will be arriving in town.

They give the area to wait.

50 fans take time out of their day to show Wade love.

Turns out, it's the wrong terminal.

Flash just drives away.

In the worst economy since the depression, people get up at 7 am on a holiday to BEG a guy to take 125 MILLION dollars; and he can't be troubled to stop.

His PR people spun it however they wanted.

Bottom line is this: If he cared, he would've stopped.
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And then, there's the latest.

Wade was supposed to appear at a press conference to promote Zo's Summer Groove, a big charity event in town.

He cancelled.

Way to go Wade, sell out fans, and now charity... want to kick some puppies next?
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Chris Bosh is having fun with free agency.

He's tweeting.

He's talking.

He's washing himself in the adoration.

Everyone needs to keep something in mind.

He averages 20 points, and 10 rebounds, yes.

But he's also a big man in the east.

Not exactly stiff competition.

Also, he's the only player on the Raptors.

And most disconcertingly, he's a jump-shooter.

He's basically a younger Jermaine O'Neal.

He's a good player, just not as good as he thinks he is.

Whatever team has him, will be regretting his contract years 4 or 5 (or god forbid 6).
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And there's LeBron.

I won't leave Akron.

Come to me.

2 teams a day.

2 hours.

I'll show up in my pajamas.

LeBron has an awfully big ego for a guy who hasn't won a title.

I would like to be a witness to his maturation process.

Instead, I'm seeing all three of these guys bathe in ego and holding the NBA hostage in the process.
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There's so much that annoys me about the conduct of these free agents.

They all act like they're making SUCH a tough decision.

Really?

I promise you I wouldn't lose a night's sleep over who wanted to pay me 100M.

Don't make it look so agonizing guys.

It's really distasteful.

Where these guys end up will be impactful on wins and losses next year.

But to be honest, all of these free agents have lost some respect.

Pat's Pitch...

Friday is one of the most important days in the long, storied, Hall-of-Fame career of Pat Riley (not pictured).

He will be in Ohio pitching to LeBron James.

For all the praise that's been heaped Riley's way as master-motivator and great public speaker, this will be the most important sell-job of his life.

While he'll be joined by Micky Arison, Zo, and a host of Heat brass.

Make no mistake.

This is Pat and LeBron, one-on-one.
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The cards are stacked in Riley's favor for many reasons.

The biggest is money.

The Heat have more cap-room than ANY TEAM around.

Now, because of the Larry Bird Rule (which basically encourages players to stay with their own teams), Cleveland can pay LeBron more.

BUT...

Miami can afford Wade, LeBron, and either Bosh, Booozer, A'Mare.

Whichever of the three bigs Miami comes up with, that team is winning the Eastern Conference.

Oh heck, I won't limit my expectations... That team is winning multiple titles.

That team is challenging the Bulls' wins record and might even go after the '72 Dolphins (no pressure)

Riley can sell winning on a level that Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, and the Clippers cannot.
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There's a loyalty factor.

LeBron is from Ohio.

He's hosting his meetings in Akron.

He's trying to show he's all business.

He and Warren Buffet even claim to be tight (I don't foresee the two partying together much, but what do I know?).

So Riley needs to break through that.
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The easiest way to do it is the following:

Keep it in basketball terms.

Show LeBron that his BEST chance of winning big is here in Miami.

Because honestly, I think it is.

LeBron, Wade, and one of those bigs is a better nucleus than Rose, LeBron, and Joakim Noah.

It's certainly better than anything New York or New Jersey can bring to the table.
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What makes this week so fascinating is it's a chance for LeBron James to define himself as a human being.

I'm not overstating that.

What does he value?

Money?

Loyalty?

The spotlight?

Winning?

Everyone is talking about this Batman and Robin analogy.

And that's fine.

Is LeBron defined by his ego?

The true greats, like to be surrounded by greatness.

They aren't threatened by it.
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Truth is, I don't know what's in LeBron James' heart.

I just know that Riley better put in the extra hair product on Friday and be his showtime self.

The future of the Heat franchise depends on it.

One final tip, don't tell LeBron you'll surround with great talent such as Delonte West, it's still too soon.