In sports, fans often search for clearly-defined narratives pitting heroes versus villains, positioning one player or team as the bad guy(s) they love to root against.
The perfect villain narrative was born on July 8, the eve of LeBron James' televised soap opera "The Decision," where he announced his signing with the Miami Heat. He became public enemy number one in the minds of countless NBA fans during the primetime television spectacle, accused of spurning the city of Cleveland by departing without remorse and deciding to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. This created a super-team that immediately became the central focus of much of the NBA's media coverage leading into the new season.
Now that the 2010-2011 season is underway, the focus has shifted from off-court drama to how a team with LeBron, Wade and Bosh can perform over 82 games, and whether their egos and alpha-male tendencies on the court can co-exist. But plenty of animosity for King James remains, lingering in the minds of many fans and analysts across the league.
Even though the Heat are currently the clear ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Andrew Leigh
LeBron James: 20 Ways He and the Miami Heat Could Turn From Villains To Heroes
October 30th, 2010 by Andrew Leigh Leave a reply »
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