Sports Radio Interviews

Shawn Marion on LeBron: “At the end of the day it really boils down to what he wanted to do.”

Sports fans everywhere are still talking about “The Decision” and LeBron James is still picking up the pieces of an ill-conceived PR stunt.  The most troubling aspect of it was ESPN’s willingness to hand over one hour of primetime to a narcissistic athlete that didn’t look like he wanted to be there.  In a moment LeBron had dreamed about for so long, he initially looked as if he was confused and maybe regretting his decision, but shortly after Jim Gray popped the question, LeBron seemed to loosen up a bit.  He must have been relieved to finally get out of the black hole that Cleveland has become.

The Miami Heat are now the immediate favorites to win the Eastern Conference but I am not sure if you can simply overlook Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago.  The Heat still have a lot of work to do.  They are still in the process of trying to find players that will play at a fraction of the price they could make elsewhere.  Udonis Haslem just recently resigned with the team and reportedly left roughly $14 million on the table.  Unbelievable!  It is crazy to think about what some players will do to win an NBA Championship.

The topic of LeBron and the Miami Heat now seems to come up in every conversation.  Former Heat player and current Mavericks player Shawn Marion joined ESPN Radio in Chicago to talk about whether Dwayne Wade ever hinted to him about where he was leaning a couple years ago, whether he feels that players around the league now look at LeBron differently because of his decision, and how he thinks the Bulls stack up right now in the Eastern Conference currently constructed with Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver.

Whether Dwayne Wade ever hinted to him about where he was leaning a couple years ago:

“No, not at all.  Nobody knows.  If LeBron would have have went further in the playoffs, went to the Finals, and Bosh went to the playoffs, things could have changed.  You never know.  Depending where their careers are at right now, dealing with the situation, they have a chance to do something and do it together.  And they’re going to run with it.  That’s what’s up.”

Whether he feels that players around the league now look at LeBron differently because of his decision:

“We know at the end of the day he has to make a decision what was best for him and his family, and us players know that.  Everybody is going to have yays and nays about anybody doing anything.  No matter whether it’s good or bad everybody has their own opinions.  At the end of the day it really boils down to what he wanted to do.  I’m happy for him.  That’s all the matters at the end of the day.  I know him.  I’ve watched him grown up into the league to who he is now.  If he’s happy, I’m happy for him.  You make your own decision everyday and you have to live with them at the end of the day.”

Whether the Bulls have a reputation amongst the players that they are not a loyal organization:

“I don’t think so.  I’m not for sure.  At the end of the day all that stuff was way before me.  I’m entering my 12^th season this year.  So I don’t think so.  Everybody just has to do what’s best for them right now, career-wise if they think they can win in place or getting something done.  If they want to get something done then that is what they are going to do.”

How he thinks the Bulls stack up right now in the Eastern Conference currently constructed with Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver:

“They have a talented team.  Kirk Hinrich though was their best perimeter defender by far.  I like Kirk Hinrich.  I never thought they were going to trade Kirk but they have some talented players.  Derrick Rose is a phenomenal athlete.  Kyle Korver is a great shooter, with the addition of Boozer.  You have Luol Deng.  I’ve seen all of them.  I’ve worked out with all of them.  They have a talented team.  They are going to be kind of young.  Boozer is going to go in as the veteran of the team, of course.  Other than that they have a young team.  In the Eastern Conference they can make some leeway.”

Shawn Marion on ESPN Radio Chicago with Waddle & Silvy

Tags: "The Decision", 2010 Free Agency period, Cavs owner tees off on LeBron, Dallas Mavericks player, Dan Gilbert tees off on LeBron James, David Stern, Former Dwayne Wade teammate, LeBron James, LeBron left Cleveland for Miami, NBA Basketball, Shawn Marion