OK, I'll admit it. The day LeBron James was going to make his decision on where he would continue his NBA career, I thought I had it all figured out.

He was going back to Cleveland.

When he announced it, I knew I'd be feeling pretty smug, as everyone was saying all morning and afternoon last Thursday that he was going to Miami to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

He wouldn't go on national television to plunge that knife deeper into the hearts of Cavs fans, would he?

No, he was staying home.

I was wrong.

Call me an old softy, but I didn't think there was any way he would leave.

I know he said it wasn't about the money. Tens of millions here and tens of millions there and pretty soon you're talking about some serious money.

Money is not an issue. He would have received several million more a year by staying with Cleveland.

But the thought of winning multiple championships with two of his best friends was too good to pass up.

I get that. That's not an issue for me. James signed a three-year contract in 2007 instead of a six- or-seven-year deal just to keep his options open. He gave the Cavaliers three more years to see if they could build a winner.

They were on their way, winning the most games over the past two seasons and reaching the NBA Finals, Eastern Conference finals and conference semifinals in those three seasons.

Yes, James could have used some extra help, but the Cavaliers were close to winning an NBA championship. Another supporting cast member would have done the trick.

The odd thing is James had a better team waiting in Chicago with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and eventually, free agent Carlos Boozer.

He could have returned the Bulls to greatness, since they've been without Michael Jordan for nearly a decade.

He could have gone to the New York Knicks, a laughingstock for the past 10 years, but they added power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. He and James would have made a great tandem to build on in Madison Square Garden.

Had James stayed with Cleveland, Boozer could have worked his way to the Cavs. But what I think was the biggest part of the whole story was the fact Bosh didn't want to go to Cleveland and turned down a sign-and-trade offer.

If he allows that deal to happen, James and Bosh, two of the big three free agents, would be together and the Cavaliers would have their best team in history.

Instead, Bosh declined going to Cleveland and James went with the "sure thing" in South Beach.

James had abandoned his team and that was his right.

But you have to wonder what could have been had Bosh only said yes.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.