Oscar Robertson would ask that you kindly get off LeBron's back

There’s a chance, remote as it may be, that LeBron James may average a triple-double this season. And yet, even in dominating the league with spectacular play, he will be booed, hated upon, reviled for his decision to leave Miami. But the man that invented the triple double, NBA Hall-of-Fame legend Oscar Robertson thinks people need to chill out on LeBron. 

In an interview with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Robertson says that several great players found themselves switching clubs in order to further their careers. He invokes the names of Bill Russell, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain, along with himself in the list of players that made the decision to head elsewhere in order to achieve the greatness they desired in their careers. From the Globe:

“I’m going to give you a little scenario about something,” he said. “People don’t think beyond a couple of years ago. When Shaq [O’Neal] was in Orlando, what happened to him? When Kareem was in Milwaukee, what happened to him? Wilt [Chamberlain] went to Los Angeles. [Good teams] are always going to make a key trade.
“LeBron has an opportunity just like Oscar Robertson had an opportunity. Cleveland thinks he should have stayed, [but] he has a right to do this.”

From Oscar’s mouth to your ears. It’s a rare point of sanity in world gone made with LeBron-bashing of what was essentially someone wanting to take a better job with a higher professional ceiling alongside his friends in a warmer locale. Robertson also discusses how it’s James’ right to make that decision.

Granted, some of the players Robertson mentions were traded, though the same can technically be said of James in his sign-and-trade. Additionally, the biggest problem people have with James is his way of announcing the decision on national television. But really, when you get down to it, that’s pretty petty to hold a longterm grudge over. 

This sounds like nothing but LeBron-defense, which in a way it is, but having someone like Oscar Robertson come out and say that the whole world’s gone mad over this thing does give you pause. Robertson also mentions that you’d better not think this is a one-off deal. 

“With what LeBron and Bosh and Wade did, it’s going to happen again,” Robertson said. “Get ready for it. Basketball will never be the same anymore.

Yikes.