NBA Free Agency 2010: The Media Winners

The LeBron James circus is finally over. Weeks of rumors, innuendo and theatrics have finally ended with James following Dwyane Wade to Miami, where they will team with Chris Bosh.

There were four media winners in this story:

1. Stephen A. Smith. You have to hand it to Stephen A. He reported on his Twitter page and on his radio show on June 28 that the three were going to Miami. And while many, myself included, seriously doubted Stephen A., it seems now that the three agreed to join forces long ago and certainly before the free agency period started. No one seriously believes that the three decided a day before. No one seriously believes LeBron decided the morning of his embarrassing television special. So it seems that Stephen A. had it first and I'll give him props for it, even if he did backtrack on July 2 when Wade was reportedly about to "commit" to Chicago (which now seems like it was a staged stunt for the documentary these guys are putting together on the process). Stephen A. knew it first.

2. Alan Hahn. The Newsday reporter was the first to report after the announcement of the asinine television show to announce the decision that LeBron was going to Miami. While everyone kept refreshing ESPN.com, NBA.com or even the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's website, the place to get the news was actually Newsday (and they're behind a pay wall!). Hahn broke the news on Twitter the night before the show.

3. Skip Bayless. The ESPN gasbag has been saying for years on his unwatchable show that LeBron was more Scottie Pippen than Michael Jordan, that he was a follower and not a leader. I didn't believe it, or maybe didn't want to believe it, but I think this decision pretty much proved him right.

There is no way the competitor in Jordan would have followed any of his contemporaries on to their teams. There is no way Jordan would have joined Isiah Thomas' team or Charles Barkley's team or Patrick Ewing's team or even Hakeem Olajuwon's team (the only other alpha dog superstar to win a title during the Bulls run, and even that was because Jordan essentially sat out two years). Kobe Bryant wanted Shaquille O'Neal traded away because he wanted to lead his own team to a championship and while Bryant was criticized by many (myself included) for being selfish and for breaking up a dynasty and for being over-the-top in his demands (he not only wanted Shaq traded but also wanted a new coach instead of Phil Jackson), it does have to be said that it was fueled by his competitive drive (okay, and also his personal disdain for Shaq). Kobe had already won three titles as a second banana to Young Shaq and wanted to prove he could do it as an alpha dog.

LeBron? Well, he's essentially saying that he can't do it as an alpha dog. He's giving that up at the age of 25 (the same age Kobe decided he simply had to have his own team), with probably 8-10 great years left in his career. Jordan didn't win his first title until he was 28 and Kobe didn't win his first as an alpha dog until he was 30 but LeBron gave that up at 25 to join Wade's team, a guy who already won a title as the alpha dog with Old Shaq playing the role of second banana.

On his television show, LeBron openly talked about being happy to not have the pressure of having to dominate every night. Wanting that pressure and tackling it head on is what makes the very greatest the very greatest. LeBron said he didn't want it and in the process eliminated himself from the Jordan/Kobe/Russell/Magic/Bird/Duncan/Olajuwon/Isiah/Kareem level of all-time greats. He eliminated himself from the Shaq/Moses level of all-time greats. He eliminated himself from the Dwyane Wade level of all-time greats. And he did it at the age of 25. And while LeBron admitted it on national television on Thursday night, Bayless has been saying it for at least a couple of years. So well done, Skip. You have no idea how much it pains me to admit Stephen A. and Skip were so right in this story; they may be my two most disliked television personalities.

4. Brian Windhorst. In a story that had reporters passing along rumors as news, Windhorst, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer Cavaliers correspondent who has been covering LeBron since he was at St. Mary's-St. Vincent High School in Akron, stayed above the fray and reported nothing but news. His report in today's Plain-Dealer on the backstory of these three joining forces is easily the best-reported story I have read about this whole saga. I strongly encourage everyone to read it. Over the last few years, Windhorst became the No. 1 local media reporter in America due to his relationship with LeBron. No one's reputation has grown more than his.

Unfortunately for Windhorst, no one is going to care about his anymore. With LeBron no longer a member of the Cavaliers, he's not going to have ESPN constantly wanting him to guest write on their website or to provide updates on the team for SportsCenter or on ESPN Radio. The only time we'll hear from Windhorst on national programming or national websites will be when the Heat make their first visit to Cleveland next season. On the bright side for Windhorst, it's probably only a matter of time before one of the Miami papers makes him a huge offer to cover the Heat.