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NBA finally released from Big 3 hijacking

Free at last, free at last, the NBA is free at last!

Free at last, free at last, the NBA is free at last!

A little over the top maybe, but never before have three athletes hijacked their sport like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade have for the last two years.

It has been the epitome of the inmate running the asylum.

Thanks to the collusion of these three — and it has been a very public collusion ­— they have kept the sport in limbo waiting for them to decide where they are going to go.

On Wednesday Bosh announced he would join Team USA running mate Wade in Miami, and James said he would make his long awaited choice on a national broadcast today.

In the meantime there have been as many as six teams still waiting on baited breathe to see if the King would call their name — that’s including his home town Cleveland Cavaliers.

For two years the talk of this off-season has dominated NBA water coolers to the point where it left the just completed NBA Finals looking like an overlooked stepchild — who cares about the present when the future of the Association is at hand?

But what is disturbing is what happened during the two years to about a quarter of the league — that’s the 25 per cent that figured they had a shot at landing one of the Big 3.

These teams — The New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chicago Bulls — all hacked payroll to join in the lottery. That is except for the Cavs who were forced to go all in in the final year of LeBron’s deal in hopes of keeping him with an NBA ring only to choke in the second round. If the King chooses to vacate his homeland the Cavs will be decimated.

These teams fielded rosters for two years that would be pushed around by most top college programs in an effort to stay far enough under the cap that they would be able to attract not just one but possibly two of the big three.

In effect there were basically only three legitimate teams in the chronically weak East this year.

And for the most part no one cared.

All anyone gave two shakes about was where LeBron was going, even if that decision wasn’t going to be made for another 18 months.

Now for the teams that have whiffed in the sweepstakes, it isn’t like they just purchased a ticket to the 6/49. No they sat down at the hold ‘em table, went all in and are going home with empty pockets. These franchises will be but a shell of their former selves — although some would argue the Clippers never were much more than a shell of a team. They now have to try to engage in discussions with what’s left of the free agent pool as Johnny Comelately’s in attempt to prop themselves up until they can turn it around.

But then there’s also the other free agents who are unable to really negotiate until the Big 3 have their teams.

It is a crazy domino effect.

Sadly there are also the Toronto Raptors. They can’t win for trying.

Coming out of the disaster of the Vince Carter era, Chris Bosh was their shinning light. They did their best to surround him with the best Europe had to offer to make them a palatable option for the former Texas high school prodigy, and he seemed to buy in at first. But as the year wore on it became apparent he wanted to be anywhere but the Big Smoke, and since the season ended he has made it clear that he can’t wait to get out of Dodge.

The Raptors and their fans will once again be left holding the bag.

This has been a perversion of the system in every sense of the word.

Never should just a couple of players be able to hold an entire league hostage for two seasons while they get their house in order.

But finally this charade is over.

I can’t think of three players better to root against moving forward.

jaldrich@www.reddeeradvocate.com