Love it or hate it. LeBron James is wearing a Miami Heat jersey next season.

The move unites him with fellow All-Stars and friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form one of the most star-studded teams in NBA history.

“It feels right,” said James during an interview in front of 13,000 Miami Heat fans in American Airlines Arena. “To be in this position, to wear the Heat uniform, everything is nice. We're going to make the world know that the Heat is back.”

When he left Cleveland yesterday, he left a city filled with bitter fans. Clevelanders took to the streets, burning James jerseys and throwing away his life size stands.

Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ team owner, issued a letter to the fans, expressing his disappointment. Gilbert said that what James did was an act of “betrayal” and he even called the two-time MVP a coward.

“The self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south,” wrote Gilbert. “And until he does ‘right’ by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.”

In response to Gilbert’s letter, the 25-year-old athlete said: “When things hit the fan, you see guys' true colors. Dan's comments do not stop me and my family from sleeping.”

Reggie Miller, one of the NBA’s greatest shooters, said that while LeBron’s move was strategically sound, it prevents him from being categorized alongside Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Those players stuck through the bad times and won rings for their franchises.

Charles Barkley, another renowned great, said that “LeBron can now never be the guy.”

Still, there are other who understood LeBron’s decision, like New York Knicks James Dolan, who said that the decision was purely business and understandable.

While the decision is business, many are appalled that James had to craft an ESPN one-hour special to announce his team of choice. This is something American sports entertainment has never seen before, and—to many—it reeks of ego and selfishness.

However, this only proves one thing: LeBron’s still a kid for NBA standards. The media called him “the chosen one” as soon as he stepped on the hardwood. And, for awhile, he was. He knew how to handle the press, and he thrived under the spotlight. But, he was obviously overestimated.

Like all other NBA greats, he makes media mistakes—even Michael did. Its like growing pains. 
Now, the ball is in his court once again. He has to earn his place in the hearts of fans by showcasing his unselfishness and will to win with Miami.

To people who think LeBron is a traitor: give the kid a break. He just wants to play basketball, and he never meant to hurt. Stop the comparisons, stop measuring his legend, and stop overanalyzing everything he does.

At the end of the day, he just wants to play basketball.