Loyalty is something that hurts you at times because you can't get youth back. I can honestly say that if I could go back and do my situation over knowing what I know now with this organization I'd have done it a little sooner. I don't know where Lebron's head is at but the world is his.
- Kevin Garnett after game 6 versus Cleveland
A wise man learns from observing the mistakes of others and avoids falling victim to the same fate. He listens to the wisdom of men who have experienced the same set of circumstances they are currently facing. Kevin Garnett gave Lebron James a hint about how to handle his future when he expressed his regret for not leaving his situation in Minnesota sooner.
The subliminal message was simple, don't be like me. Get out while you're still young before they lock you in and you waste all of your prime years trying to please everyone. It's a message Lebron James heard loud and clear. Kevin Garnett's words had a profound impact on Lebron's decision to take his talents down to South Beach. Kevin Garnett's words also had a profound impact on Carmelo Anthony's request for a trade this off season.
The NBA Landscape and the mentality of franchise basketball players is forever different because of the Big Ticket. No longer will elite players sign their lives away in the hopes that an organization will make the right moves to provide the talent necessary to win an NBA championship. No longer will elite players end up like Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, and Dirk Nowitzki playing their whole careers for the same team and not accomplishing their goals. The NBA is a business and like Kevin Garnett said, loyalty is something that hurts you at times.
It isn't a personal decision to move on and cut your losses. I'm sure if Carmelo and Lebron had their way they would rather win a championship in the cities that drafted them, but the reality is those organizations won't be in a position to do that anytime soon. Why should Carmelo and Lebron sacrifice their youth and abilities only to end up like Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Patrick Ewing?
As these players move on from organizations they've been a part of since they were teenagers and fan bases that have embraced them as if they were family they may feel a slight sting. That's loyalty messing with them. Forget Loyalty! Loyalty only hurts, it never helps. A few years from now when they're kicking it with their Larry O'Brien trophies and their 29 karat championship rings they're going to say Kevin Garnett was right. Trust the man, he's speaking from experience.
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