By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — King James' castle is moving to South Beach.
After two years of salary shedding, speculation that neared obsession and Knicks executives holding their breath, LeBron James announced Thursday night he would join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat.
"I'm going to take my talents to South Beach," James said during a one-hour special on ESPN, citing his desire to win as his motivation for choosing the Heat.
But it was hard to find anyone north of the nursing homes and orange groves of the Sunshine State who was pleased with his decision.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert certainly wasn't. He tore into James in a letter to fans that described their "former hero" as "narcissistic" and "self-promotional."
"Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us," Gilbert wrote. "You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal."
Then, in an interview with the Associated Press, Gilbert said James "quit" on the team during its playoff series this year against the Boston Celtics.
"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert told The AP. "People have covered up for him for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."
He then guaranteed that the Cavaliers would win a championship before the Heat do.
"It's not about him leaving," Gilbert told the AP. "It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time."
In Cleveland, betrayed Cavs fans were seen burning their LeBron James jerseys, with the "King" fast approaching Art Modell heights of hatred in that city. Modell infamously moved the beloved Cleveland Browns football franchise to Baltimore in 1996.
Many news outlets reported that James didn't want to play in Manhattan to avoid the intense scrutiny of the New York media. That plan didn't work out on Friday morning, when the tabloid press hammered him.
"LeBum!" is how the New York Post described him.
"Son of a Beach!" screamed the back page of the Daily News (and the Post).
Manhattanites were not happy, either.
"He's a sell-out," said an angry Scott Finlay, 23, who works in Midtown, after watching James' hour-long "Decision" program on ESPN. "If he was a true super star, he wouldn't need to play with other stars."
Steve DelMauro, 21, of Murray Hill agreed.
"This is ridiculous, why not go to New York?" DelMauro exclaimed.
"But I'm still a LeBron fan," he admitted.
Joel Umanzor, 25, was more upset than angry.
"I'm disappointed and sad at the same time," Umanzor said. "I would have liked to see a star player with the Knicks. I mean we have Amare [Stoudemire] but who knows?"
The Knicks pressed hard to sign James, but they were ready to move on after being spurned.
“We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision,” said team president Donnie Walsh in a statement.
The team immediately made moves of their own, agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors that sent Knicks All-Star David Lee out west in exchange for three young players: Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike.
New York City fans have cheered the star for the past two years — even as he dropped dozens of points on the hometown Knicks. Celebrities and politicians including Mayor Michael Bloomberg also weighed in, urging "C'mon LeBron" in websites, murals and events aimed at enticing the superstar basketball player to New York City.
James himself kept the decision close, even as the rumor mills churned. Only hours before the announcement, while rumors abounded of James planning a party in South Beach to celebrate with the Heat, reports of him signing with the Knicks and staying with the Cavaliers were still circulating.
