Of course I watched “The Decision.” It was like a car wreck – I couldn’t look away even if I knew it would be painful to see. 

The Summer of LeBron had reached its apex, and he suckered us all in with the entire dog and pony show, capped off by the overblown ESPN special announcing his intentions to join the Miami Heat – news that had been breathlessly reported throughout the day, taking some of the starch out of the proceedings.

Now, I could act like all the crusty sportswriters and radio hosts and decry the coverage of a free-agent’s decision as The End of Days, or spout off about the enormity of LeBron’s ego, but that would be ridiculous.

Look at the times in which we live: People regularly post to social media about what they ate for dinner or compose 140-word missives after a jaunt to the gas station. So why wouldn’t one of the world’s most famous athletes take advantage of the voracious media cycle and create the news on his own terms? And why wouldn’t ESPN capitalize on the tremendous opportunity that fell from the sky like a mysterious coke bottle from the gods?

(Full disclosure: I wrote for LeBron’s MSN.com site for a couple of years, which I supposed could make me biased in my opinion of the man, but considering I only spoke with him once during that time, I don’t think so.)

No, what resonates for me more than anything is that LeBron’s decision further hampers his legacy, no matter how many titles the Heat may win (and right now, I think that’s a lot easier said than done).

Instead of gritting his teeth and willing his hometown team to a championship (Cleveland), taking complete ownership of another proud franchise (New York or Chicago) or thinking outside of the box (New Jersey), LeBron took the easy way out, joining Dywane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, where the heavy lifting will be spread among three All-Stars.

Do you think Michael Jordan would have wanted to play with Larry Bird, even if it meant winning 10 championships? Hell, to use a modern example, Kobe Bryant wanted to own the Lakers so badly, he helped engineer the departure of Shaq just so it could be his team.

These are players who would, in no way shape or form, wantto share the spotlight with anyone else. Yeah, Jordan had Pippen, but he knew his place in the team’s hierarchy. Kobe? He’s got a bunch of role players behind him, and he rules that team with an iron fist.

So LeBron joining forces with Wade, arguably the third-best player in the league and the face of the Heat, smacks of taking the path of least resistance. Maybe LeBron doesn’t want the pressure? Maybe LeBron relishes sharing the limelight? Somehow, I don’t believe it. Does this mean he lacks the killer instinct that made the greats what they were? To some extent, yes.

To his credit, this is the rare example where an athlete didn’t take the money and run. LeBron could have made the most by returning to the Cavaliers, but I think we all knew that wasn’t going to happen. Cleveland’s franchise started falling apart the day it lost in the playoffs, and it’s only going to get worse. LeBron wasn’t going to stick around on that sinking ship.

So, he took less to join the Heat, who instantly become title contenders in the East. But can you win with three players? Because Miami doesn’t have much else, and won’t have the money to pay anything but the minimum to the scads of players they’ll have to sign to fill out their roster.

But for now, that doesn’t matter for the Heat and their fans, who are thrilled to have pulled off what seemed like a longshot when all this discussion first started more than two years ago.

One might feel bad for New York (I don’t), who threw away three seasons and now have just Amar’e Stoudamire to show for it – a player who seems solely motivated by cash; now that he has it, I can see him going the way of many a Knick big-money signee.

Chicago will be OK – they’ve got a great young nucleus, and adding Carlos Boozer can’t hurt. The curse of the Nets continues, as New Jersey missed out on everyone and was reduced to signing Travis Outlaw. The Clippers? C’mon.

Can LeBron become the legend he wants to be in Miami? It’s a risk, but not a big one. But I think we can all agree on one thing – no more LeBron until the season tips off, OK?