3: Steve: A Gambler’s Story

It’s July 8, 2010, and very soon Lebron James is going to announce which NBA team he’s scuttling Cleveland for. I’m sitting on the couch chatting on Facebook with a friend from graduate school and only half listening to the ESPN talking heads who are anchoring the pre-announcement media blitz. But it’s clear they think he’s going to Miami.

One by one, my son’s closest friends show up for Lebron’s press conference. They let themselves into the house and poke their heads into the living room to say hello before clomping up to Nick’s room on the third floor. In one greeting after another, I say, “So, all bets are on the Heat. What do you think?” And echoing the earlier conversation I had with my son, each one responds with certainty, “No way!” “Really?” I ask, skeptical. With subtle variation, they offer the same narrative, and it goes like this—Why would Lebron hold a press conference to announce something so predictable (and so gutless)? That leaves two scenarios, in their view. Worst case—he affirms his allegiance to the city that has loved him so well for years. Disappointing, to be sure, but a class act none-the-less. Best case—he commits to the Knicks and begins building a career to rival Jordan’s. In either scenario, Lebron’s a guy with heart and soul.