Perspectives on The Decision: We Needed a New King

LeBron could manage and leverage his announcement as he did not just because of his remarkable talent...not just because of the dynamics and finances of the trade...not just because powerhouse stars can now "go direct" to fans. He could do so because our present cultural moment requires a new king, an elevated god, and triumphant hero.

So much loss of faith, so much downward pressure, so much failure. Yet one African American man from Ohio can rise up and show us that there are still stunning champions among us. As much as LeBron advanced LeBron, we actually needed the story right now. He is, literally, bigger and stronger than the recession. In a time filled with the mantra that "there is no money moving" and "absolutely no deals are getting done," there is LeBron. Singular and strong among the wreckage. So it was both spectacle and meaningful, both show and substance, both individually indulgent and culturally empowering. Winners among us means we can still believe.