This just in: LeBron a slave!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . .

Apparently we're not done with l'affaire de LeBron after all. Not with Jesse Jackson entering the fray, saying Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was treating LeBron as a slave owner would. Now, while it's fun watching this lack-of-popularity contest between a spoiled, arrogant billionaire and an even more spoiled, even more arrogant multi-millionaire, this is beyond the pale. Let's just play the race card. Of course, we shouldn't be surprised. I mean, it's not like Jesse Jackson doesn't court publicity or anything.

I still love Gilbert's passion and anger as the jilted girlfriend, though he failed to address his complicity in making James the spoiled brat that he is. While there are those who were angry at LeBron's decision and/or the classless way he announced it, kicking Cleveland to the curb, there were those who thought Gilbert's vitriolic reply might have swayed the sympathy back toward James. Now Jackson may have swayed it back in Gilbert's direction. Here's a great piece by Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports on the subject.

Michael Rosenberg of SI.com compared James to icons such as Jordan, Magic, Bird and Isiah, noting that none of them would have joined the enemy, particularly when still at the height of his prowess. Two thoughts there. One, as has been mentioned elsewhere, is that everybody in the NBA seems to be pals these days. Bring back the good old days of rivalries and hatred. Remember Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis? Or how many teams started getting thuggish power forwards, à la Rambis, Marc Iavaroni of the Sixers, Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniel? Don't forget the Bad Boys, or before that, when future Bad Boy Rick Mahorn and teammate Jeff Ruland of the Bullets were nicknamed McFilthy and McNasty by Celtics announcer Johnny Most. Yes, those were the good old days.

The other is that this is really unprecedented. As far as I can tell, there has never been a player in any sport who went directly from his hometown to his hometown team, became its icon, and then bolted in the prime of his career of his own volition. While Jordan et al, played their whole career for one team, Jordan was from Carolina, Magic from Michigan, Bird from Indiana, Zeke from Chicago. James was from just down the road from Cleveland, making The Betrayal that much more hurtful. What's more, those players all took their college and pro teams to a championship (or in Bird's case, leading his Indiana State team to an undefeated season right up to the championship game). Remind me again what James has won thus far.

By the way, the Big Apple is no longer friendly territory for the self-styled King. (I always thought that was Elvis, but maybe I'm just showing my age.) At Carmelo Anthony's wedding reception this weekend, when James took the microphone, he was greeted with a chorus of boos and hisses. And today, the cover of the New York Post sported a photo of LeBron and the headline "Welcome to NY, jackass." Priceless.