Was the whole thing orchestrated? What's LeBron James' legacy? Who's put together the deal that put James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together in Miami?

Those are just some of the questions that need to be answered. But not by me.

There are two people very close to this situation who I believe have shown their true colors after James made his decision.

James will never be considered an 'all-time great'
Bob Cousy. James Worthy. Sam Jones. Billy Cunningham. Those are just a few of some of the best players in the history of the NBA. James' name will be added to that list, but it'll be mixed in with those mentioned above and not the likes of Magic, Bird, Russell and Jordan.

On several occasions, I've heard James speak of wanting to be the greatest of all time. How can something like that be achieved when he - and Bosh and, to a much lesser extent, Wade - essentially said, "I can't build up a championship team as the Alpha Dog. I have to play alongside other "great" players to win titles?"

When Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen teamed up in Boston in 2007, each of those three were on the downside of their respective, hall-of-fame careers. They all attempted, for more than a decade, to lead teams to the promiseland and came up short. Wade, James and Bosh are just hitting their primes. Why not build up a team so you can be placed on the short list of the best players of all time?

I have no doubt Miami will win multiple titles, no matter what is placed around James, Wade and Bosh. And I believe each of those three will be enshrined in Springfield one day. But when that happens, it was supposed to, so it won't receive the fanfare that maybe it should. If they don't win, though, this whole thing is a colossal failure. For James especially.

I know Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant both openly complained at times about teammates and coaching philosophies, but neither left. People fail to remember that Kobe played on a Lakers squad that won just 34 games in the 2004-05 season. That was after four Finals' appearances in five years and three titles.

But LeBron did leave. Which has people looking at him in a whole different light. But he isn't the only person who should be looked at differently.

Dan Gilbert has no class
Narcissistic. Self-promoting. Quitter. Those are just a few of the choice words Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert used to describe James after he made his decision.

While I would understand that coming from a fan - the word does come from "fanatic," after all - that made Gilbert sound like a bitter ex who didn't do enough to make their former companion stick around. His comments were as classless as the casts of those "Real Housewives" shows. James was a FREE agent. He was free to go where he pleased. While I may not agree with his decision (I would have picked Chicago), or the fact that there was an hour-long special dedicated to that decision, it was his decision and his alone.

Disloyal was another word Gilbert used to describe James. I thought that was interesting seeing as though Gilbert has shown more disloyalty as anyone over the past couple months.

Former Cavs head coach Mike Brown, he of 127 wins the last two years and the only coach to lead Cleveland to the Finals. FIRED.

Former Cavs GM Danny Ferry, the architect of the teams that won 127 games in two years. FIRED.

Gilbert tried to steal away the coach (Tom Izzo) of his alma mater, my alma mater, my friends' alma mater (Michigan State). Dan Gilbert should be the last person discussing loyalty. Like I said, he essentially played the role of the jilted lover and said, "you'll never find anybody better. You're a loser," when he really didn't have a reason to feel that way but just couldn't express his feelings in another fashion. That reeks of a guy who didn't have a "plan B."

People have said Gilbert made those comments in defense of the city. He doesn't care about that city. He cares about his bottom line. Gilbert's from Michigan, but made his money and his name elsewhere, so how can he be so upset at someone for doing the same? All he's REALLY upset about is that his team is worth as much as a '78 AMC Pacer right about now.

How can Gilbert, a self-made man from all accounts, act so classless toward another self-made man. He's taking out his frustrations on someone who grew up below the poverty level in a single-parent household. James' mother, Gloria, birthed him when she was 16. That he was even in the position to be able to decide where to play says a lot in itself. Again, while I don't agree with James' decision, it's his decision. He has to live with it. Not Dan Gilbert.

We all forgot about a certain team
So it's over now. No more free agency summit talk. No more guessing where James will play. And who's probably the happiest about all that? Kobe Bryant, who's been on television for about 45 seconds during this whole episode. You remember Kobe and the Lakers, don't you? The team that's won back-to-back titles. I don't think they'll bow to Miami so easily.

Could Carlos Boozer really be the key person in the 2010 NBA Free Agent frenzy?

It's not entirely out of left field if you know the facts.

First, some background info.

Boozer declared for the 2002 NBA Draft, foregoing his final year of NCAA eligibility at Duke. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA draft, where he played two full seasons. Boozer averaged 10 ppg and 7.5 rpg in his rookie campaign, and followed it up with 15.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg his second year, while playing alongside a highly-touted rookie: LeBron James.

After the 2003–04 NBA season, the Cavaliers had the option of allowing Boozer to become a restricted free agent, or keeping him under contract for one more year at a $695,000 salary. According to reports published around that time, the Cavaliers claimed to have reached an understanding with Boozer and his agent on a deal for about $39 million over 6 years, which he would sign if the Cavs let him out of his current deal.

Cleveland then proceeded to release Boozer from his contract, making him a Restricted Free Agent. During this period, a few other teams were also interested in signing Boozer, and Utah ended up offering a 6-year $70 million contract that Cleveland chose not to match, since it would take them well over the salary cap.

Carlos Boozer signed with the Utah Jazz on July 24, 2004, three months after the end of the rookie seasons of three of this summer's top free agents: James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

Boozer has denied that he made any commitment to the Cavaliers: "There was no commitment. It's unfortunate how the turn of events went through the media," Boozer said shortly after signing the deal with Utah. "I'm not a guy that gives my word and takes it away. I think I've made that clear." Boozer's agent subsequently ceased representation, although Rob Pelinka has resumed representing Boozer as of July 2009, when he was eligible for another contract extension.

In addition, the former Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund, who sold the team to current owner Dan Gilbert in 2005, has said, "In the final analysis, I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return."

So what if Boozer had honored this rumored verbal agreement with Gund and stayed in Cleveland? Does he play Robin to James' Batman, helping him win a title in 2007? Does James even opt out of his contract this summer? Is this free agent period as newsworthy? Are such a high number of players likely on the move? Is Jerry Sloan still the coach in Utah? How good is Jazz point guard Deron Williams? Is Delonte West even on the Cavs' roster to (allegedly) bag James' mom?

That's a lot of questions. All with no answer.

All because Boozer lied to a blind guy.

The summer of Free Agency.

That's what 2010 has been branded as by several people who cover and love the NBA.

For 2-3 years, teams throughout the league have shed money and taken on expiring contracts with the hopes of, this summer, landing LeBron James, or Dwayne Wade, or Chris Bosh, or Amar'e Stoudemire or some other top-flight free agent.

The players listed above, and the likes of Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer and David Lee will all be looking to sign maximum contracts in the coming weeks, which would guarantee them about $16.5 million/season - for a maximum of six seasons - beginning with the 2010-11 campaign. If any of the players decides to sign with their current team, they stand to make about $30 million more than they would if they opt to sign with another team, according to the "Larry Bird exception" area of the league's collective bargaining agreement, which gives a monetary advantage to a player's current team.

For the same amount of time that teams in the NBA have said, "screw winning, we're gonna suck for two years and hope we can get LeBron," it's been reported and speculated that a number of those players are planning on joining forces when free agency officially begins Thursday. Players can sign their new deals July 8.

If this happens, and, say, James, Bosh and Johnson end up in Chicago together, I truly believe this summer could signal the end of the competitive spirit flowing through the NBA.

Save the friendships for the offseason
When I was younger, I idolized Michael Jordan. His work ethic was second to none. He needed to be on top at all times; and he enjoyed beating the other players who were considered the best. Back in the 80s and early 90s, it was known that some players were friends (Jordan and Charles Barkley, Jordan and Patrick Ewing, etc.), but they wanted to embarrass their friends when the ball went up in the air. They hated each other on the court and were close off it. They could separate the two and it seems like guys today can't do that.

Is that trait lost in today's player, save for, maybe Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant? I realize Kobe campaigned for "better" teammates for some time from 2005 until Pau Gasol was gift-wrapped for the Lakers in February 2008, but he never openly lobbied for Lakers' owner Jerry Buss to sign an in-his-prime Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson.

When Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce decided to join forces in Boston in 2007, that was understandable. Each of them, for years, attempted to carry teams and franchises to titles and failed. All three of them were at least 10 years deep in the league, too; so, to them, it made sense to team up for one last title run, which they completed. Gasol is a good player, which Bryant needed in L.A. But he's isn't James or Bosh. Gasol can be dominant at times, but, it's been proven (his teams in Memphis were 0-12 in three playoff appearances) that he's much more of a complimentary player than a "star."

Who wants to be a leader?
But James, Wade, Bosh and the other free agents are all in the prime of their careers. If all of the talked-about supergroups are formed, are all of these world-class athletes, who are supposed to be as competitive as two girls going after the same guy, essentially admitting they can't lead a team to a championship? These (possible) moves make it look like each of these super-talented athletes are giving up on being leaders of their own teams and looking for the easiest road to a title.

A team that features Wade, Bosh and Johnson would be primed to make a run at the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record 72 wins. But it wouldn't have the same feeling as that stretch did.

What made the 72-10 season so special to me was every time I checked a box score and saw names like Kerr, Kukoc, Wennington, Longley, or Harper - role players stepping up and making plays. Say Wade, James and Bosh do all come together and go on a run like that, how much fun is that going to be for fans outside of the city they play in? What person wouldn't look at that group and say, "You're supposed to win all your games! You have three of the best 10 players in the league on your team!"

Sure, the Bulls had two of the best 30 players of all time and the finest defensive player (Dennis Rodman) of my generation, but the rest of that roster was made up of journeymen and castoffs. When you see something like that 1995-96 season come together, to me, it means more than if the whole thing is manufactured. And that's what a run next season by 2-3 of these free agents, put together, would be.

No room for two Type-As in one locker room
It would be different if it were players who complimented one another joining up. But what makes Wade and James - two guys who absolutely need to have the ball in their hands to make things happen - believe they can play together for 100-plus games a season for the next six years without some Alpha Dog issues surfacing?

That all-star roster worked in the 2008 Olympics because there were no endorsements involved, no statistical incentives to shoot for. But in the NBA, you can't have a team set up like that because of egos, money, etc. But, if that somehow did happen, Wade would be the alpha dog of the squad, in my opinion, and I don't think Jame's ego could take that. Wade's the one who led a team to a title. James hasn't done that. And LeBron has always said one of his main goals is to be considered the best player of all time. How's the supposed to happen if he ends up playing most of his prime with Wade?

Hopefully, competitive juices begin to flow again and rosters next season don't look like video games when the "salary cap" function is disabled.