Brave faces, ire among LIers in wake of LeBron James' decision

On the heels of LeBron James' much-ballyhooed announcement that he'd play for the Miami Heat, some dejected Knicks fans Friday were able to muster enough grace to wish him well - while others gave in to spite.

At the Long Island Rail Road station in Westbury, Nicholas Solano, who sells securities, may have James to thank for a little extra business. He said he's opened three accounts to sell stock in the fitness apparel line Under Armour because of the LeBron hype.

But despite that, "I'm really happy he didn't come. It's too much pressure for him," said Celano, 34, of Bayside. "He thinks he can hide with Pat Riley in Miami. I think we can do better without him."

But Anthony Villanueva, 38, of Westbury, said it was James' choice to make. "I say congratulations to him personally," said Villanueva, who works in information technology in Manhattan. "It wasn't all about money in the end."

"At the end of the day, the guy's gotta go where he's gonna be happy," said Denise Rhodes, 56, of Westbury, who works for HBO.

And Martine Hackett, 40, of Westbury, who works for the New York City Department of Health, said all the courting of James by the Knicks and other teams is "a lot of wasted resources and effort."

Even if James did decide to play in New York, "would it have been worth it?" she asked.