Ever since the draft lottery handed us the 3rd overall pick instead of the 1st, Nuggets fans (myself included) have wondered what might have been if those ping pong balls had bounced differently and Denver got the Golden Ticket that was LeBron James. Not that we we weren't thrilled to death to get a franchise player in Carmelo Anthony or, thanks to Joe Dumars, avoid the drafting of Skita 2.0 in the person of Darko Milicic (whom the Nuggets absolutely would have taken had he been available, and which may well have killed basketball forever in the Mile High), but watching him rack up MVP awards, deep playoff runs and even a Finals appearance during his stint with Cleveland, who could blame us for having the occasional LBJ daydream?

But for all that, I've never quite shaken the feeling that, all things considered, Denver got the better deal with Carmelo. And after last night, I'm absolutely certain.

Now, in terms of straight-up basketball ability, the argument can still be made that LeBron > Carmelo. I personally think Melo's the superior shooter, and that as a result, his game will age better and make for the longer, more productive career. But that's not the point I'm here to make.

What I'm saying is this: as a package, I can honestly say that as of this morning, I feel nothing but relief that LeBron James did not become a Denver Nugget.

Think about it - when Cleveland landed the "King," they didn't just get a basketball player. They got LeBron Inc. - the brand, the celebrity, the wannabe businessman and erstwhile coach. Between Nike and the media at large, they got a 24/7 hype machine that would make Tiger Woods blush. They got the astronomical pressures/expecations that come with having a player lauded as nothing less than the second coming of Michael Jordan & Magic Johnson. And for the last two seasons, the organization and their fans have had to watch LeBron blow kisses to suitors in New York, New Jersey and Chicago as he teases and toys with them over the prospect of his looming free agency, a display that has to rank among the most shameful I've seen in professional sports.

With Melo, meanwhile, we pretty much just got a great basketball player. It's funny to think of Melo as a blue-collar timecard puncher, but compared to LeBron, that's exactly what he's been. He's had his issues on the court and off, but by and large, the guy shows up, plays his ass off, and treats both fans and the team with the respect they deserve.

Melo might not stay with the Nuggets. He might opt out in the final year, and if he does, it'll hurt. But every day I thank the basketball gods that he's never held the Nuggets (or the city of Denver) hostage the way LeBron has the Cavs and Cleveland. Never rubbed our faces in the fact that he may not be a Nugget for life. Doesn't constantly preen and pose and talk himself up despite having never won anything bigger than a high school championship. And whatever's Melo's faults, I've never seen him mail it in during a big game the way LeBron did last night (or act like it was no big deal after the fact).

So I ask you, Nuggets Nation: is there anyone who still wishes we'd landed LeBron all those years ago? Anyone who thinks we wouldn't be in the exact same position Cleveland's in now, with their franchise player one foot out the door and looking like he could he give a shit in a playoff series they were supposed to dominate, in a year they were the prohibitive favorites to win it all? Because as a fan, painful though our first round elimination was, you couldn't pay me to trade it for what Cavs fans are going through.