National Basketball Association

Vendors giddy over LeBron's failure

Published Jun. 13, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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After decamping from Cleveland last summer for the promise of greater things in Miami, and then failing to lead the Heat to an NBA title against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James awoke to an unprecedented level of vitriol for a modern athlete Monday.

T-shirt vendors mocked him with fresh messages like "Still Ringless" and "Maybe Next Year," while one electronic greeting card company unveiled a design that said, "Thanks for being less disappointing at your job than LeBron James."

In a nod to the player's ineffectiveness in Finals games' fourth quarters, Twitter denizens proclaimed Monday "National LeBron James Day," a day on which celebrants were encouraged to leave work 12 minutes early.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, acting on behalf of jilted Cleveland fans, named the Mavericks as "Honorary Ohioans." In a dig, Kasich even praised Dirk Nowitzki, the team's star forward, for "keeping his talents in Dallas."

Such was the fallout for James, who failed to win an NBA title in his seven seasons with the Cavaliers.

But James did himself no favors after Sunday's loss, when he said that those rooting for him to fail "got to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before."

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National Basketball Association