Not to so much related to LeBron, but just jumping in here to mourn the loss of team loyalty and hard work - more related to Chris Bosh, and in general to all the players we've had leave TO...
I started watching NBA in the early 80s as a kid, so my era is more Lakers/Celtics/Pistons (I grew up near Windsor ON), and later on the Bulls. How many years did say, Jordan stay with Chicago before they were winners? Detroit had to work to get to the Bad Boy era. The Lakers we can leave out of this, they've been a power/decently high up for as long as I can remember... The Celtics had to work themselves back somewhat after the Bird era too.
Here in TO we've had some great players who the fans have loved, but the fan favourites - Carter, Stoudamire, Camby, McGrady, and now Bosh - have always left after a few years (and some of them have badmouthed the city and its fans, which I resent a great deal!) in search of a "winning" team. What's happened to sticking around, being a leader and trying to build a team instead of waiting for the owners to buy one? It's different if it's a player that's proved themselves, worked over years for the same team going for one last shot at a ring - someone like Clyde the Glide or Karl Malone you can understand going for it after years and years and an established career - but the Boshes, Jameses, etc. are too young to be jumping ship, really. (Though I'll admit James has proved himself *much* more than Bosh, having actually *led* his team somewhere...)
I suppose it's naive of me, but could anyone imagine someone like Jordan doing something like this back in his day? God knows he had at least 10 times the star power of LeBron (and somewhat more talent) then...