Call him LeCoward.
“Hope” turned to “Nope” for all of New York last night.
LeBron James broke the Knicks’ hearts right in their own neighborhood by joining Miami’s “Dream Team,” passing on “The Dream City.”
VIDEO: LeBRON PICKS MIAMI HEAT
In a nationally televised event staged at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn. — 15 minutes from the Knicks’ practice facility — the free agent superstar spurned the Knicks and is headed to South Beach to play for the Heat — instantly becoming the biggest sports villain in New York.
James may want to catch the flu next time the Heat play the Garden.
Pat “The Rat” Riley got his Heat “Dream Team” with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the Knicks got the shaft in a curious ESPN stunt that also damaged the fragile sports psyche of Cleveland.
Sources have said James was afraid of the bright lights of New York and didn’t want the intense scrutiny of the tabloids— with Mike D’Antoni alluding to James not being up for the challenge during Amar’e Stoudemire’s news conference.
“I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” James told Jim Gray on ESPN. “I feel this will give me the best opportunity to win and win for multiple years. Not only win in the regular season, I want to be able to win championships and I feel I can do that down there.”
SERBY: NO GUTS, NO GLORY FOR CHICKEN KING
VACCARO: FORGET LeBRON AND LOOK TO KNICKS’ FUTURE
Knicks president Donnie Walsh released a tasteful statement that read: “We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision.
“We will continue to move forward, getting back on track to develop into a championship contending team.”
However, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert unloaded in a fan letter, calling the circus a “narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his decision unlike anything ever ‘witnessed’ in the history of sports and entertainment.”
Gilbert guaranteed the Cavs would win the title before “the self-titled former King.”
Gray never asked James about New York during the formal interview. Later, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon specifically asked James about New York as an attraction and James cowardly sidestepped the query.
“I think I was attracted to a lot of cities,” James said. “I was attracted to a lot of cities, but it came down to where I can win and where my family would be happy.”
James strung the Knicks along for two years to motivate his Cavaliers and Miami and Chicago to clear salary-cap space. The Knicks torpedoed two seasons to create space for James and another star, and Walsh did the trick – adding Stoudemire, with an ability to sign Carmelo Anthony or Tony Parker next year.
“I did think New York was the perfect place for LeBron — the whole way,” Walsh said.
James referred to a Miami dynasty. Bosh is 26, James 25 and Wade 28.
“I can’t say it was always in my plans,” James said. “I never thought it would be possible. But the things the Miami franchise has done this summer to have the cap space for all three of us and it was hard to turn down. Those are two great players, two of the greatest players we have in the game. I feel it’s time to change. It’s tough because I let a lot of people down.”
James, a native of Akron, Ohio, addressed the death blow he delivered to Cleveland.
“It’s heartfelt, I never wanted to leave Cleveland but my heart will always be around that area. I don’t see it as leaving Cleveland,” he said. “It’s about joining forces with the other two guys and I feel we have a great chance of winning multiple years.
“At the end of the day, I feel awful and feel even worse I wasn’t able to bring an NBA championship to that city because they’ve wanted it a long time.”
Earlier in the day, D’Antoni said Miami’s “Dream Team” could face chemistry issues, collecting three superstars with one ball.
“You hope that,” D’Antoni said. “I’m not saying we wouldn’t do that if we could. Everybody would do it. You hope it doesn’t have the synergy people think. You hope that it doesn’t go right.
“I would take it, [but] it’s definitely not unbeatable,” D’Antoni said. “We have one piece [Stoudemire]. We’ll add another. We’ll develop some of our guys. It will set a high bar for the Eastern Conference and we’ll chase it.”
D’Antoni didn’t watch “The Decision.”
Believing reports the Knicks would finish behind Miami and Cleveland, he took a flight to Las Vegas for today’s first Knicks summer-league practice.
“I’m just going to Vegas, if he wants to come, great, I’ll be happier than anything” D’Antoni said. “If not, we’ll go on.”
Walsh, too, said he would not watch the spectacle but said he was informed by James’ agent that the defeated teams would be notified right before the announcement. James, though, said he only notified the Heat of his decision.
“We have a Plan B and will chose the best Plan B,” Walsh said.
What a bizarre day in Knicks history, holding a press conference for their biggest free-agent signing since Allan Houston, only to have it all overshadowed by James’ king-sized ego.
There was hope in the Garden offices when word leaked Wednesday night that James was coming to Greenwich to announce his decision. One Knicks official received more than 100 texts and e-mails congratulating him on netting James.
But the locale was a gaffe by Team LeBron — not realizing Greenwich was so close to the Knicks’ practice facility, pouring sweat into the wound.
Privately, the Knicks think James’ handling of his announcement was ego-driven and amateurish. One person familiar with the Nets’ thinking stated minority owner Jay-Z was also furious at James’ display of poor communication with the teams.
D’Antoni said he was “shocked” the club lost to Miami and took subtle digs at James for not wanting the challenge like Stoudemire did.
“I would be shocked if he didn’t come here,” D’Antoni said. “The opportunity to play on the biggest stage of world, Amar’e took that challenge. And it’s still there. You want to find the guys who will accept the challenge.”
Not LeBron.
marc.berman@nypost.com