LeBron James broke the Knicks’ hearts right in their own neighborhood and is joining “The Dream Team,” passing up on “The Dream City.”
In a nationally televised event staged 15 minutes from the Knicks’ state-of-the-art practice facility, James spurned the Knicks and is headed to Miami to play for the Heat.
VACCARO: Knicks Need To Move On — Now
Pat Riley got his “Dream Team” with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the Knicks got the shaft in an insensitive maneuver that also damaged the fragile sports psyche of Cleveland.
James left the Cavaliers, for whom he played the first seven years of his career, and chose the Heat over the Nets, Bulls and Clippers, as well as the Knicks.
The announcement came at 9:27 p.m. from the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn.
Sources have said James was simply afraid of the bright lights of New York and didn’t want the intense scrutiny — something Mike D’Antoni alluded to before the announcement.
“I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” James told Jim Gray on ESPN. “I feel this will give me the best opportunity to win and win for multiple years. Not just win five games in a row, I want to be able to win championships, and I feel I can do that.
“The major factor and major reason was it’s the best opportunity to win now and win in the future also,” the free agent added. “Winning is a huge thing for me. I’ve done great things in my seven years (and I) want to continue to do that.”
James did not reveal terms of his new contract, but said it would be a five-year deal.
“I can’t it say it was always in my plans,” James added. “I never thought it would be possible. They put themselves in position to have all three of us and it was hard to turn down. I feel it’s time to change. It’s tough because I let a lot of people down.”
Gray never asked James about New York, but did about Northeast Ohio. Later James was asked about New York’s attraction and he avoided the question, saying he “was attracted to a lot of cities.”
“We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision …,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said in a statement. “We will continue to move forward getting back on track to develop into a championship-contending team.’’
James, a native of Akron, Ohio, said he got approval from his mother.
“I never wanted to leave Cleveland but my heart will always be in that area,” James said. “I don’t see it as leaving Cleveland. It’s about joining forces with the other two guys and winning for multiple years.”
Earlier in the day, D’Antoni wasn’t backing down from the challenge of facing the “Dream Team,” feeling there could be chemistry issues.
Talking about the potential “Miami Thrice” of James, Wade and Bosh (all free agents), the Knicks coach said the dynamics of collecting three superstars with one ball could go astray.
“You hope that,” D’Antoni said before the decision. “I’m not saying we wouldn’t do that if we could. Everybody would do it. You hope it doesn’t have the synergy people think. You hope that it doesn’t go right.
“I would take it, (but) it’s definitely not unbeatable,” D’Antoni said. “We have one piece (Amar’e Stoudemire). We’ll add another. We’ll develop some of our guys. It will set a high bar for the Eastern Conference and we’ll chase it.”