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Well if you're Lebron it's all about the ego. He had to do the hour special and don't let him fool you about the charity. That' the obvious excuse. The fact is that when people compare him to Kobe, most people give Kobe the nod especially because of the rings. Lebron was jealous and that's why him, Wade, and Bosh collaborated. They are also not signing lesser contracts as they said. Do the math. Florida has no state tax so the contracts would probably have been the same if they took max deals from other teams.
I picked getting the ring as most important even though the principle of good sportsmanship is important for character. I don't begrudge Lebron for his move to Miami or that he, Wade, Bosh and Pat Riley worked this out. If the Celtics can do it why not the Heat? I think the commissioner would interfere if there was ever some kind of attempt to create a super team and there are already regulations that work against creating one dominate team. The difference with amateur sports is that professional ball is big business for the players\ franchise and city. If a player didn't want to make the effort to get a ring than I think that player would be lazy and not a good team member.
Let Lebron have some peace. It obviously was not an easy decision and he gave 7 yrs to a team that was entirely on his shoulders. Kobe threatened to leave the Lakers several years ago until they got serious about improving the team. Kobe may really like playing in LA but there is no doubt that he would have easily accepted a trade if it meant winning another championship. How many players are with the same team after 10 yrs?
Just get the ring!! Btw, The deal turned out to be a sign and trade afterall though i believe Lebron will take less...the trio kings will take less actually. The non state tax does help considerably too.
To me, it's how you win the ring. Let's think about it for a second.
Let's say I'm some low end basketball player who plays for an outstanding team, barely played during the entire season, or stayed on the bench the whole season due to an injury, and my team wins.
Am I honestly one to deserve that ring? My team won, but I barely contributed. I go home with a ring for doing almost nothing, beside showing up. A ring means little to me.
Earning a ring, doing very little is worth very little. That's just a piece of jewelry that said I was on the team when it won. Nothing more.
Sorry people. Only lazy, entitled people would believe getting a ring they honestly don't deserve, would think it doesn't matter how you win one.
I guess integrity and work ethic means little these days. I hope some of you don't go crying when CEOs cheat corporations and tax payers next time.
How about this: For those who believe it doesn't matter. Get a 4br place, with 4 roommates. 3 of you pay your rent every month with no issues, and cough up the money for the 4th roommate, who works, but pays nothing. He has 3 square meals a day, plus snacks , pays zilch, enjoys sitting in the hot tub, brings girls over (that eat your food, drink your juice, fart on your couch, and use your toothbrush, towels etc), and that roommate lets his bank account get fatter, as you 3 are the ones forking it all for your little nest and simple luxuries. He doesn't pay squat, making excuses and dodging you everytime it's time to pay.
Now, since he's part of the team, don't complain he hasn't put up his share of the money each month. He's part of the team, right?
That's the analogy of a ring in my eyes. Not everyone deserve one. It's how you earn it, not just earning it. Anyone can buy bling anyways...It's just a ring.
The answer to the question really depends on the type of player. For most players, even star-caliber players, just getting the championship is the important thing. However, for superstar-caliber players who want to be considered one of the greatest players of their generation or of all-time, how you win it becomes equally important. Even if LeBron James wins a title in Miami, he still would have done it on Dwanye Wade's team because Wade has already won a title as the top player on his team (Shaq was starting to decline and Wade really emerged when the Heat won the 2006 NBA title).
Like others have already said, it depends on the player. Great players are validated by championships. Role players aren't (at least not as much). To me, Magic Johnson stepping up and taking over a title clinching game as a 20 year old rookie makes the point. Here is a guy, fresh out of the NCAA, with veterans like Jamal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, and Dr. J on the floor and Magic rose above them all. And I repeat, he was a 20 year old rookie when he did this.
It shows leadership, an uncanny level of self confidence, and rare, once in a generation talent. It is easy to put up numbers on a bad team. But leading a team to a championship is another task altogether. Players that can lead their teams to the summit are a special breed. And let's lose the fallacious "winning it by himself" thinking. It has always taken a team to win a title. However, some players are the clear driving forces behind their teams.
For all intents and purposes Dwayne Wade is the driving force behind the Heat's trio. He led the team to its only championship. Shaq was a big factor, but it was Wade who did the most damage. In a late game situation most would rather see Wade with the ball than LeBron.
Does winning a with this trio mean LeBron is not a great player? Of course not. His raw physical talent was not left in Cleveland. However, it seems like he left Cleveland as a number one guy to go be Wade's number two guy. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if it nets a title or two. The thing is LeBron still has so much talent and potential it seems like he shouldn't need to do that. It seems like he got scared.
He will still be considered a great player. However, just by reading some of the opinions of the retired greats it seems they will never see him the same again. I get the feeling that one title in Cleveland would have made LeBron greater than three titles in Miami. He definitely lost something by making that move.
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, pays zilch, enjoys sitting in the hot tub, brings girls over (that eat your food, drink your juice, fart on your couch, and use your toothbrush, towels etc), and that roommate lets his bank account get fatter, as you 3 are the ones forking it all for your little nest and simple luxuries. He doesn't pay squat, making excuses and dodging you everytime it's time to pay. 
