For an NBA team coming off one of its most successful runs in franchise history, the Miami Heat sure do have a lot to say about their former teammate LeBron James. With the Heat and James' old new team the Cleveland Cavaliers hanging out in Rio De Janeiro all week prior to their preseason game tonight, the Heat kind of sort seem like they are more than a little bit bitter about James' free agency decision.
First it was Chris Bosh saying things like "I don't know" in response to being asked if he was at all excited to see the guy that helped him win multiple championship rings, and telling Kevin Love how hard it's going to be to sacrifice shots and point totals playing with James, because why win a title when you can average 30 a game? Then it was Mario Chalmers' turn to throw some shade, saying Kyrie Irving is going to have to adjust to James' leadership style, a.k.a. being berated on national television. From cleveland.com:
"LeBron is a dominant player so if he feels like something is not going his way, he's going to say something about it," Chalmers told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "For Kyrie, he's going to have to adjust to that and LeBron is going to have to adjust to Kyrie. It's going to be a different factor for Kyrie."
It just all comes off as a little bit odd. Things can always be awkward when a teammate decides to, somewhat surprisingly, leave the place he's called home for the past four years, but its not like the Heat were the eighth seed in the playoffs for four straight years. They appeared in the NBA Finals four straight years in a row, winning two of them. This feels like if Tom Brady decided to leave for another team and Rob Gronkwoski went on a manically rant in a club and just started yelling "Yo, f**k Tom Brady bruh!!" It's understandable when Kevin Garnett refuses to speak to Ray Allen after Allen left the Celtics for the Heat who just beat them in the playoffs, because that's kind of a punk move and Garnett is an insane person. But Bosh not speaking to James seems just a tad bit extreme. Reporters are going to ask questions, that's their job. But the Heat certainly seem eager to chat about their ex.
There will certainly be no love lost on the court tonight when the Cavs and Heat face off at 5 p.m. eastern. We'll keep an eye out for if Bosh does indeed open palm smack James in the face.
