Bucks fans might disagree, but from an objective perspective, Jabbar wasn't nearly as heartbreaking a trade as James. Jabbar had already won the organization a championship. He was honest about his goals and values. He gave the organization time to put together a trade that netted a solid return.
Imagine if James had won a championship early in his career with Cleveland, then decided he needed a change for personal reasons, and made this desires known and gave the team a year to get a trade done, eventually accepting a trade to an awful team that satisfied his personal requirements, and which netted the Cavs a good enough return that they would win their division (albeit with a sub-500 record) the next season.
How is that worse than what actually transpired? It's actually better in every possible way: it was far better for the fans, who would have known what to expect; it was better for the organization, which would have received a decent return; and it was better for the player, who would have been respected for a) being honest about his intents, and b) almost single-handedly transforming an awful team into a championship contender.
|