Why LeBron should follow Wade's lead

The way I see it...more professional players should be loyal to their teams. Now, I know there are a lot of politics and economics that go into these decisions of free agency - it's not always a matter of choice. But, sometimes, it is. Like Dwyane Wade, for example. I'm glad he stayed in Miami. I don't have a particular attachment to the Heat - or to Wade, for that matter - but I like loyalty. Wade is from Chicago and was tempted by a lucrative offer to play for the Bulls, yet he chose to stay with the team he had "grown up" with. And that makes the sport more meaningful.

Too often in professional sports, athletes seem to become desensitized. Sure there are some rivalries in professional sports - the Lakers/Celts, Yankees/Red Sox, Colts/Pats (why do the greatest rivalries all involve Boston teams?) - and everyone wants to win. But in the transition from college to pro, a lot of athletes seem to lose that spirit that makes amateur sports so exciting. No longer are the athletes playing for love of town, school, or country. They're playing for money. And while the almighty dollar is motivating, it's hardly inspiring.

On the other hand, if a pro athlete sticks with his same team, he can build that strong connection that's so often lacking at the top level. Wade already had a connection with the people of Miami - he doesn't have to start over. He knows the fans, he knows the team, he knows the area - he's playing for the things he knows, and theoretically, cares about.

LeBron James has an opportunity to do the same - and he should take it. I don't care what other teams are offering, they can't offer the spirit of Cleveland - a team that has loved LeBron, and that he has loved in return. A chance to be loyal to a team and build that team spirit. And, unlike Miami for Wade, Cleveland has the bonus for LeBron that he grew up there and was already loyal to the city.

In my opinion, there is no other alternative for LeBron. Stay with Cleveland. It's a win-win. If he gets the championship he's so hungry for, he will have one of the most satisfying victories in sports history and he will be given a key to the city. If he doesn't win the championship but he stays with his team, he still will have the hearts of the entire city of Cleveland - and no other team (certainly not the fickle New Yorkers) can ever promise that.