James, Wade, and Bosh Land in Miami

The biggest disappointment for me is that it’s Miami. If you believe in fairness in these things, that city just doesn’t deserve it. Miami’s a notoriously bad sports town. Even when the Marlins were winning World Series, they could hardly sell out. When the University of Miami’s football team or the Miami Dolphins drop in the win column, so does the interest of their fans.

It’s a city that, for better or worse, will ignore you unless you win big. And, if you win big, they ignore you anyway.

The enthusiasm of Cleveland fans has been disproportionate to the success of its franchises. Their title hopes in the 1990s were squashed by Michael Jordan’s Bulls teams. The Cleveland Indians held the MLB sellout record, at 455 games, between 2001, the end of the streak, and 2008, when Boston surpassed them. The Indians have three AL Penants, since winning their last World Series in 1948. When the Cavaliers won the lottery seven years ago, and the Akron-based “chosen one” was available, divine providence seemed to have rewarded their enduring faith.

Unfortunately, fairness has nothing to do with it. Miami freed up the cap space, and Dwayne Wade went out and convinced his Olympic teammates to join him in South Beach. What might define Wade’s career is his willingness to “kiss the ring” of the ringless king. James made a spectacle of his decision, making his decision to abandon Cleveland all the more embarrassing and emphatic. Clearly, James’s ego far outweighs his production to this point, and the chemistry in Miami will depend on whether Bosh and Wade, and the entire Heats organization, are able to placate him.