In case you haven’t been following the NBA (or have been living under a rock) I’ll take a second to break it down for you. LeBron James along with a few other superstars in the NBA became free agents on July 1. Becoming a free agent means your contract with your current team has expired and you are free to sign with any team you wish.

Big names have already announced their decisions. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will sign with the Miami Heat to become a dominant force is the East. Carlos Boozer has signed with the Chicago Bulls. Amare Staudamire will be joining the New York Knicks.

But there is still one big question left. Where will LeBron James go? No one really knows for sure, but wherever he does go, there is one certainty – that he will be hated. If King James decides to resign with the Cavs, he will be hated by the rest of the league for making this free agency circus go on for so long. If he leaves the Cavs, he will be the most hated man in Ohio. Portrayed to have turned his back on his home town (LeBron James grew up in Akron, Ohio).

There is no doubt in my mind that money isn’t the issue. LeBron James can retire from the NBA and still make millions of endorsements. The real decision is if LeBron James can bare the guilt of leaving his hometown, to finally join a championship team.

King James will be making his decision LIVE tonight on ESPN (reality TV style). UPDATE: ESPN’s ‘The Decision’ Starring LeBron James will air on TSN and TSN HD tonight at 8pm Winnipeg time.

Miami Heat 2011, the start of a dynasty.

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Photo Credit: rhurst @ devianart