really think he would be okay with sharing the spotlight with LeBron?

The article highlights the possibility that LeBron may be a little different than the typical celebrity, superstar athlete.  I'm not sure if that is entirely true, but it does beg the question: are we seeing a paradigm shift in the way athletes are seen both by the fans as well as by the franchise themselves.

We do not have to search to far within professional sports to see stories of those athletes we associate with a particular team going elsewhere (whether by trade or the historically recent free agency market).  So moves are not something that will come as a surprise. (See Ruth, Jordan, Gretzke, Montana, Farve, etc.)

Do today's athletes really buy into their own rhetoric of "playing for championships and not for the money"?  It could be argued that only as veterans, players began to shift their thinking.  Maybe now, these stars undersatnd just how difficult it is, and that only playing within a culture of winning gives them the best opportunity at this type of success.

At the same time, there will be the critics who say, "well, he won his ring only because of ..."  Again, maybe these individuals are moving past that apparent lack of will and strength it implies.  One other issue not even brought up in this discusion is the reality that the entire spectrum of professionasl athletes are more than likely increasing their entire levle of play, thereby making it that much harder for one or two individuals to "carry" a team (even though basketball gives credance to this scenario more than other prefessional sports.)

Spring training starts in February.....