If anyone knows what it’s like to leave a franchise on his volition and experience massive blowback, it’s Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.
When asked by a media member about the concept of loyalty in sports and the fact that it oftentimes falls on the player in the public eye, James articulated a clear difference in what people think when a player gets traded as opposed to when he decides to leave.
“When a player gets traded, they were doing what’s best for the franchise. Then when a player decides to leave he’s not loyal, he’s a snake, he’s not committed. That’s the narrative of how it goes. I know that firsthand.”
View the video below for the entire exchange.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bemadv8h9oP/?taken-by=houseofhighlights
James’ remarks come in the aftermath of Blake Griffin being traded to the Detroit Pistons after spending nine years with the L.A. Clippers and deciding to sign a five-year max extension with the team last summer. The Clippers traded him even after they told him he would be a Clipper for life.
In that sense, Clippers fans are angry at the organization for making the move. But had Griffin chosen to leave in free agency, as James did when he joined the Miami Heat, he likely would have been lambasted by fans claiming he was not loyal to the franchise.
The reality is fans that have their cake and eat it too. They always blame a player for leaving on his own terms, but never really blame the organization for trading away a player. They don’t see things from both perspectives.
That is the point James is making, and it’s a good one.