24/7 LeBron

[Hilltopper]

Cavs season tickets sold out.

Cleveland embraced the return of the "King" as expected, as the Cavaliers had all but sold out of season tickets less than eight hours afterLeBron James announced he would come back to accomplish some unfinished business with the team.

[Dr Z]

LeBron is such a media whore that he will make his announcement at halftime of the World Cup championship game.

Even Charles Barkley was impressed with the way James made the decision, via an essay on SI.com, that explained how he wanted to return home and bring a championship to the city of Cleveland. A native of Akron, Ohio, James spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Cavs, taking them to the NBA Finals in 2007. Source.

"...the letter was brilliant on his part, he might be the most loved athlete in the world"

Classic video for the bandwagon haters. The labels on the ashes in the fridge are the best!

[GP1]

I always rooted for the Cavs and I'm glad the fans have something to look forward to. Living in a city where the Bobcats/Hornets play and I can't name more than 3 players on the team because they are so uninteresting, I can't help but feel good for the people of Cleveland having a high level of entertainment with the new line-up. It will be interesting to see if a hen-pecked mama's boy on the back nine of his career can lead a team to a championship with a new cast.

I'd be interested to know if there is a comparison between LBJ and another player changing teams, at this point in his career and under somewhat similar circumstances, and winning a championship with another team. I really can't recall one because this player movement has been such a recent event.

I'd also be interesting to know the thoughts of national announcers who now will be spending more time in Cleveland in lieu of Miami in the cold winter months. LBJ changing teams changes a heck of a lot of dynamics and this is a change that makes me smile.

[Balsy]

You can call it backtracking...but I now have some respect for LBJ that I never had before. Between 2003-2010, I never cared much for him. When "The Decision" came down, I didn't like him even more. But after the letter in SI, I finally have respect for him. He finally said the things I've been wanting to hear him say. I'm NE Ohio born and raised, and I'm so tired of people who aren't from here down trotting us. I'm even more tired of hearing people from hear downtrot it. It's nice having support from a big-time celebrity, who chooses to come back to this place. I've always felt that NE Ohio is a special place, and it's in need of a lot of love and a lot of work. LBJ reflected that same opinion in SI, hence the reason I respect the guy now.

As for support of the Zips, I still want to see a more vocal, more public support of the Zips, before I start swooning a "Thanks LeBron for supporting the Zips" song.

[GP1]

I like this article.

Although, I will say this. It makes it a lot easier to relocate from Miami to Akron when you can afford your own private plane to take you anywhere you want to go at a moments notice.

[Dave in Green]

So far I like Bill Simmons' article -- God Loves Cleveland -- the most. It's a good long read trying to put LeBron's genius in historical perspective through insightful comparisons with Michael, Larry and Magic. Here's just one small part from the beginning that Simmons documents in great detail throughout the remainder of his story:

... I think LeBron would have stayed in Miami — for at least one or two more years — if he truly believed he had a chance to keep winning there.

If you think of him like a genius, it makes more sense. He’s smarter about basketball than you and me, and, really, anyone else. He sees things that we can’t see. During that last Miami season, I don’t think he liked what he saw from his teammates. LeBron James wanted to come back to Cleveland, but he also wanted to flee Miami. His heart told him to leave, but so did his brain. And his brain works like very few brains — not just now, but ever. ...

[Zip_ME87]

IMHO LeBron was very smart about how he revealed this decision...SI essay thanking Miami and explaining his heart is here at home in NEO, then heading off to the World Cup Final and letting some of the media hype die down before he returns to it. I appreciate his comparison of his time in Miami to others' experiences in college. I know I returned to NE Ohio with new perspective after living in California and Alabama. One reason I don't get into Akron vs Cleveland or either vs my small town upbringing in Tuscarawas County. We're all NE Ohioans.

[skip-zip]

I have a few thoughts after letting this sink in, and watching fan behavior.

1) One of you guys mentioned Bron being a "bigger man than me". I have to agree 100%. No way would I have worked for an a-hole like Gilbert again, if I was him. Speaks volumes about his character, which most of us in Akron already knew.

2) I have a serious problem with some media/fans attempting to frame this as "Cleveland fans forgive LeBron". That's waaaaaay backwards folks. Cleveland sports fans should be eternally grateful that LeBron forgave everything that happened here upon his departure. A lesser man would have never returned to this dysfunctional sports culture. Many of you need to thank God he missed his home so much.

3) I read a great article in the last couple of days about the difference between LeBron doing a written statement instead of a spoken statement this time around. It was great. It talked about how the video/audio gave the media so much fuel to fire up people's hatred by having the ability to chose to play one small snippet, and play it over, and over, and over. If some of the dimwit Cleveland sports fans would have ever paid attention to the rest of it, and heard things like, "Wow...this is really hard", and listened to him explain his ties to NE Ohio, and seen his discomfort, you would have noticed some of the same things in his character and his makeup that you see today. It was a great article.

I'm just thrilled that he's back. He'll certainly be able to continue his activities in Akron more easily when he lives here again, full time. He always said he would put Akron on the map. Well....just the number of times that AKRON has been talked about in the national media over the last couple of weeks....alone....is probably more than he ever could have ever possibly imagined when he said that as a teenager. His impact on the future of this community is only beginning.

[Dr Z]

James has agreed to a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the team with the goal of re-signing with the Cavs before the 2016-17 season when a new television contract is expected to create a large jump in value of the maximum.

As part of the deal, James will have an option to become a free agent next summer but is fully committed to the Cavs long term, sources said

Dwyane Wade says he is sad to see LeBron James leave the Miami Heat, and he supports him regardless. Wade released a statement Saturday calling James "my brother," and saying he knows James' decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers was not an easy one for the four-time NBA MVP.

[Balsy]

I'm sorry folks, but I'm tired of hearing the "LeBron is the bigger man" non-sense. The mature response (the one he said in the essay) was that everyone made a mistake, and lets leave it in the past and move on. LeBron isn't the bigger man here. We're all "bigger me" because cooler minds prevail. LeBron shouldn't have led Gilbert on, shouldn't have made a media episode on in, shouldn't had rubbed it in CLE's face by producing a NIKE commercial; "What would you have me do" that led to Michael Jordan backing CLE fans' feelings.

You can call it dumb. You can call it stupid. You can call it inexperience. It was something that hurt a lot of people who've already been hurt for along time by their sports team. Especially someone who grew up from NE Ohio, should a known better.

EVERYONE is a bigger person from this, LeBron is not Bigger than those fans who are "forgiving" him for coming back, or is he "bigger" than Gilbert. It just irritates me hearing "LBJ is a bigger man" cause he's not. He's just being an adult. He wanted to come back here. CLE didn't go begging for him to come back.

I'm glad everyone can be adults and do what's best for everyone to be happy, but LBJ is NOT "the bigger man" we all are.

[Dave in Green]

Cavs fans just want to win. LeBron's return instantly turns the Cavs into a winner. For most Cavs fans, winning = forgiveness. For LeBron fans, forgiveness is not required.

[Zip_ME87]

He said, she said. Whatever. I'm happy for the kids in NE Ohio who look up to LeBron. He can do so much more being local year round.

Still remember giving my LeBron bobblehead to a kid who politely asked me for it that night at the JAR. I like to think it means more to him than any value it would have ever brought me.

[skip-zip]

It just irritates me hearing "LBJ is a bigger man" cause he's not. He's just being an adult. He wanted to come back here. CLE didn't go begging for him to come back.

You've obviously missed something over the last few days. They did far more than beg. Besides everything that was going on behind the scenes over the last couple of years, they even traded away some first round picks, and a future first round pick in a gamble to attract him. I'd say it's a blatant denial if someone thinks that they didn't pull out every option they could think of to get him back here.

But still, the bottom line is this...

The reason he's here right now is not because the Cleveland sports fans are forgiving him.

He's here right now because he is forgiving what people in Cleveland did to him.

[GP1]

He's here right now because he is forgiving what people in Cleveland did to him.

I respectfully disagree and I go back to something I said earlier in this thread. Primarily, LBJ is a hen-pecked mama's boy and that is why he is returning. $42 million goes a long way too. People like LBJ only live somewhere during the season and even during the season they spend a lot of time away from where they live. On the off season, guys like him spend days traveling promoting themselves and their sponsors. Or, they spend a lot of time shooting commercials or photo ads.

This whole nonsense about forgiveness is childish fan talk. LBJ and the Cavs owner are grown men who made a business decision to work together again.

Getting back to him being a hen-pecked mama's boy... In many ways, I totally understand his wife's desire to move back home closer to family. I understand she is expecting #3 right now and that is quite a handful. Moving home allows her to be closer to more of the support system she would like around on a daily basis. My guess, she may have felt stranded down there in Miami with only LBJ's nutty mother around to help her. None of us knows what is said between closed doors between a husband and wife, but he may have heard from his wife that his nut case of a mother was driving her crazy and she needed a change. Happy wife, happy life and many of you know what I'm talking about.

Moving to Akron also cures the mama's boy part of it. He can move his gravy training mother somewhere where she is comfortable with the location and give her something to do with her time other than driving his wife nuts every day.

My guess is LBJ's personal life just got much better. Good for him. He has enough money to take his family on vacation anywhere he wants to go, whenever he wants to go there. He was in Vegas last week, went to Miami and is now in Brazil for the WC final today. Life is good for the guy.

Can we all stop the forgiveness talk now and ask the real questions pertaining to who the losers are standing on the streets of Bath with signs welcoming him back? With any luck, one of them will be hit by a car and killed so there will be one less idiot in the world.

[GP1]

Some perspective and history by Kareem.

[Hilltopper]

I just hope he moves his nutcase mother somewhere other than Green where she lived before the "Decision". She was famous for making a fool of herself at local business's. Maybe he can find her a nice condo in Hudson.

[Dave in Green]

I found Kareem's piece to be a generic statement on coming home that applies to some more than others. I thought a lot of what Kareem had to say is not applicable to LeBron's specific case.

As for LeBron's wife and mother, I thought he put their feelings compared with his own in good perspective in his written explanation:

... To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. ...

Some people are going to be dissecting LeBron's written statement and trying to read between the lines for years to come. Others are just going to take the man at his word.

[GP1]

Others are just going to take the man at his word.

I'm taking him at his word in this case. He is a hen-pecked mama's boy.

I can't imagine being a married guy with three kids needing the approval of his mommy. On some level I find it sad.

[Spin]

I decided a long time ago that with pro sports, I root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back. And today my NBA team is a hell of a lot better than it was last week. The best player in the NBA is on my team now.

Is Cleveland big enough for Johnny Football AND Mr. Basketball???

[LZIp]

You can call it backtracking...but I now have some respect for LBJ that I never had before. Between 2003-2010, I never cared much for him. When "The Decision" came down, I didn't like him even more. But after the letter in SI, I finally have respect for him. He finally said the things I've been wanting to hear him say. I'm NE Ohio born and raised, and I'm so tired of people who aren't from here down trotting us. I'm even more tired of hearing people from hear downtrot it. It's nice having support from a big-time celebrity, who chooses to come back to this place. I've always felt that NE Ohio is a special place, and it's in need of a lot of love and a lot of work. LBJ reflected that same opinion in SI, hence the reason I respect the guy now.

As for support of the Zips, I still want to see a more vocal, more public support of the Zips, before I start swooning a "Thanks LeBron for supporting the Zips" song.

I'm sorry folks, but I'm tired of hearing the "LeBron is the bigger man" non-sense. The mature response (the one he said in the essay) was that everyone made a mistake, and lets leave it in the past and move on. LeBron isn't the bigger man here. We're all "bigger me" because cooler minds prevail. LeBron shouldn't have led Gilbert on, shouldn't have made a media episode on in, shouldn't had rubbed it in CLE's face by producing a NIKE commercial; "What would you have me do" that led to Michael Jordan backing CLE fans' feelings.

You can call it dumb. You can call it stupid. You can call it inexperience. It was something that hurt a lot of people who've already been hurt for along time by their sports team. Especially someone who grew up from NE Ohio, should a known better.

EVERYONE is a bigger person from this, LeBron is not Bigger than those fans who are "forgiving" him for coming back, or is he "bigger" than Gilbert. It just irritates me hearing "LBJ is a bigger man" cause he's not. He's just being an adult. He wanted to come back here. CLE didn't go begging for him to come back.

I'm glad everyone can be adults and do what's best for everyone to be happy, but LBJ is NOT "the bigger man" we all are.

You couldn't have said it better Balsy. Lebron admitted he messed up, Gilbert admitted he messed up. It's time to put the past in the past and leave it there. Sad people hold grudges. Lebron's letter shows how much he has grown up. Also, some of you need to drop this little brother syndrome. Akron, Cleveland, who gives a damn, we are all apart of the same community and are stronger if we embrace it, Northeast Ohio.

edit: I also love how he basically gave the big 'ol F U to ESPN by giving the story to an SI guy.

[Spin]

I was never as pissed about the Decision as everyone else.

For months the Cleveland media talked about how LeBron never had a "college signing day" where he sat behind four baseball hats, and they showed highlights and everyone talked him up, and then he picked one up and put it on. They kept saying he missed out on that and should do it for his Decision. His people were obviously listening.

They just thought he was going to put on a Cavs hat. Of course those same media members crucified him when he did what they said he should do.

[Dave in Green]

My mother had some serious age-related problems in her later years. My older brother was so intimidated by the situation that he wouldn't even try to help. The situation was bad enough that no one had been able to help. My mother was an extraordinarily strong-willed person, and my wife and I understood that trying to help her would present the biggest challenge to our marriage that we would ever face. We took on the challenge together because we feared that my mother was otherwise headed for certain self-destruction. For five years it turned our lives upside down. But we managed to make the last years of my mother's life safe and comfortable. From the personal perspective of that experience, I have great respect for people like LeBron and his wife who do all they can to help make his mother's life safer and more comfortable.

[LZIp]

I was never as pissed about the Decision as everyone else.

For months the Cleveland media talked about how LeBron never had a "college signing day" where he sat behind four baseball hats, and they showed highlights and everyone talked him up, and then he picked one up and put it on. They kept saying he missed out on that and should do it for his Decision. His people were obviously listening.

They just thought he was going to put on a Cavs hat. Of course those same media members crucified him when he did what they said he should do.

95% of Cleveland/NE Ohio media are a complete joke.I think that is something we can all agree on. The only guy that is worth his paycheck is Jason LLoyd, IMO.

[GP1]

My mother had some serious age-related problems in her later years.

I think there is a difference between supporting a family member with an age related problem and a person taking seriously the opinions of a bad actor. A good son supports an aging parent. A mama's boy worries about the opinions of his mommy.

[skip-zip]

Akron, Cleveland, who gives a damn, we are all apart of the same community

WHOA!! I have lived in both places. I was even born in Cleveland. Forty miles and a huge recreational valley in between is a Godsend to us Akronites.