HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – When I packed up and headed off to college a lifetime ago, the last thing my folks said to me as I hit the door was “remember — no matter what happens — you can always come home.”
Those were comforting words for a clueless kid headed to a new life over 1,000 miles away from everything he’d ever known.
LeBron James is going to find out the hard way that those words don’t always ring true.
You can’t always go home, at least not right away in some cases. Sometime in the distant future, perhaps 20 years from now, he might be able to return to Cleveland without drawing the ire of the masses.
Thursday night’s Heat-Cavaliers game at Quicken Loans Arena, however, is definitely not going to be that time.
Hearing James entertain a question about his jersey being retired in Cleveland one day is a clear indication that he still doesn’t comprehend the mental pain and anguish he caused those fans in Northeast Ohio. I don’t suspect I’ll be around to see that No. 23 jersey retirement ceremony, and no one should just dismiss it as a pipe dream.
But my search for signs that Cavaliers fans have simmered down from their initial anger and subsequent disillusioned state of shock after “The Decision” has turned up absolutely no evidence.
The pitchforks will be out Thursday night. Even James understands that much.
TNT’s Reggie Miller, who will be a part of the broadcast team calling the game, has some interesting advice for James, suggesting that he embrace the role of villain and use it as fuel:
“I used to encourage that, and I hope he takes this approach. I wanted to take the focus off my teammates, so I would do and say things,” Miller said during a phone interview with the Associated Press. “When you have 20,000 people yelling and screaming at you, four other guys can concentrate on the floor. So every time I touch the basketball and everyone is yelling and chanting and doing things towards me, well, four other guys can concentrate. I knew I could concentrate through that and I hope he takes that approach.”
The Heat have to play the Pistons tonight but LeBron’s already talking about being “emotionally drained” for a game that’s still a day away.
That gives us hours to ponder the possible reactions of all involved — the actual game itself seems almost like an afterthought already, what with all the buildup for James’ first steps on his old court being on the minds of so many.
Not only is the reaction of James and his teammates what we’ll be locked in on, but the reaction of those fans, who will be whipped into a frenzy like nothing we’ve seen.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, he of the of biting letter of admonishing James for quitting on Cleveland, is wisely preaching for controlled fury for the biggest game of the Cavaliers’ season:
“You don’t want to see anything stupid happen. I don’t want to see anybody do something they shouldn’t do, whether it was Thursday night or any night. I’m sure a lot of them will make their feelings known, but as long as everybody plays by the rules and doesn’t go over the top, everything will be fine. I really believe that Cleveland people will do the right thing.”
It should be a surreal experience for all involved, but especially for LeBron James, who’s going to find out the hard way that you can’t always go home.
wauuwww. he is gonna hear it. that crowd will be in a frenzy. good test of his mental toughness. make or break!
Oh, his mental toughness was tested a long time ago, and he failed miserably. without a doubt the most skilled player to ever become a quitter during the playoffs.
I’ve pretty much always been a player fan my whole life once I pick them out I will follow wherever they go. There are many of us like that and we may or may not realize it. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that, and certainly does NOT make you a bandwagon fan, thats a completely different definition. I do wish he would have signed just 1 more year for the Cavs and tried again because they city has went about 50 years without any major sports titles, and you have to feel for that.
That fact aside though, a free agent is a free agent no matter what, and are allowed to go wherever they choose. This is equally comparable to sports OWNERS and GM’s being allowed to discard a player whenever they see fit, in their prime or not. There is absolutely NO difference. How is it that the TEAM can do it, but NOT the player? Especially when the player wasn’t even under contract complaining and asking for a trade? I could see that argument more. It seems pretty funny to me that 4 or 5 years ago KB was in a TIRADE after his team lost to the Suns and tried to make the news all about him even while the NBA finals were going on. He was demanding better players or to be traded, but yet that seemed to be mostly OK in alot of peoples opinions? Why? What he did was WORSE than what Lebron did, no matter how you cut it. LBJ was labeled “The King” by Sports Illustrated back when he was still in high school. The only way he brought that upon himself was by using his unbelievable talent.
I can definitely feel for the Cavs fans as I wanted to win so badly, but what LBJ did was not WRONG by any means. Again its called being a FREE agent. Sure people may have WANTED him to stay to finish the job, but it most certainly does NOT mean he did anything WRONG by leaving.
The Cavs are still in his heart and I actually think that he still feels so bad and wanted to stay and win but just seen a better opportunity with Wade and Bosh. Alot of indifference and heartache he has felt, guaranteed. So I think when they play the Cavs, he will actually NOT go for some crazy stat lines, triple doubles or anything of the sort. He WILL play to win, but he will NOT overexert himself like some players would going back to their old team, simply because deep down he DOES still feel for the Cavs whether anyone thinks so or not. You can tell in his demeanor and expression how HARD of a decision that was, bottom line. What I think is that Cleveland fans need to be thankful for the time that they had him, because in retrospect, they got to see someone play basketball who will go down as one of the ten all time greats after it is all said and done. Instead of hate we should all stop and realize the moment, and feel blessed that we get to watch these amazing athletes in the NBA perform at such a high level.
Go Bron! You got alot of TRUE FANS still supporting you!
No matter what anyone says…
it takes someone real stupid, classless, self absorbed and uncaring (or all of the above) ….to take an entire hour on national prime TV to slap a city, if not an entire state, in the face.
the only bad thing about the one hour special was the fact that he didn’t let the teams know in advance. If he was going to wait to the very last min., which he has every right to, then he shouldn’t of done the special, If he had told the cavs that he wasn’t staying a week in advanced, i think it wouldn’t of been so bad.
GET OVER IT!! Cleveland fans are some of the whinniest, self absorbed, cry babies that I have EVER SEEN!! Sour grapes, spilled milk, call it what you want but yall need to learn to move on and look to the future. Truth be told, Lebron can do whatever he likes and shouldnt have to listen to thousands of bitching, moaning, foot dragging fans who’s life revolves around a BASKETBALL TEAM, thats pathetic. So here it is: CLEVELAND FANS GET UP OFF THE GROUND, WHERE YOUVE BEEN KICKING AND POUNDING THE DIRT AND ACT LIKE ADULTS, NOT A SPOILED CHILD THAT JUST GOT HIS TOY TAKEN AWAY!!!!
kenny obviously lives in a place where their sports teams win a lot of championships and doesn’t know how it feels to go over a half decade without a champion, or is not over the age of 15. Probably both.
I agree with LBJ23-6. the thing i believe that bothered the city so much was the way he did with “the decision.”I agree that was not a good way to go out but at the same time i feel its wrong to burn someones jersy after he did so much for the city, even economy wise. its fine to dislike a player but to take it to a extreme like that and say he did nothing for that franchise is an insult, and that he didnt give it his all…well thats dumb especially when he wants a ring just as much as anyone.
couldnt agree more and for all those haters who say the decision was a slap in the face to cleveland, he still funded 2 million dollors for charity with it. So if you don’t want to see someone a little emotionally hurt and see a little kid die there is somethin wrong with you.
Lebron raised SOOOO much money for a children’s charity with The Decision that everyone who attacks him for that should really be ashamed of themselves. That city was gonna be torn apart regardless of when they found out he was leaving.(which he had every right to do, by the way) Bron was the best thing to happen to that city. Period. If Dan Gilbert felt Bron was such a quitter, why did he put all his efforts into resigning him and not even consider entertaining other free-agent prospects? He knew, just as all those so-called Cleveland fans knew, his franchise would have never reached those heights without The King and never will again. Cavs fans should be pissed at Gilbert and Cavs brass for dumb @ss roster moves that almost certainly played a part in Lebron feeling a ring wasnt gonna happen in Cleveland. Leon Powe. Injured when he signed! Vastly OVERPAID. Shaq. BAD FIT! Jamison!?!? Where do I start? Undersized. Soft. No true position. Could’ve had Amare’!!!
Lebron and Co. gave 2 million to charity. The advertising for “The Decision” paid over 6 million alone…I wonder where the rest of the money went. hmmm
> This is equally comparable to sports OWNERS and GM’s being allowed to
> discard a player whenever they see fit, in their prime or not.
> There is absolutely NO difference. How is it that the TEAM can
> do it, but NOT the player?
Well, the difference is that when a team does it, it is presumably for the good of the team! The city can be mostly happy with those choices. When your best player bails, they city ain’t gonna be happy and the player deserves boos.
Heck, when Boozer bailed that was a slap to the city also, and they booed him for about a year. I still think they should boo him! They’ll be booing Lebron much longer.
you have said a lot of the things i’ve been saying all summer. as far as the owners being able to trade and cut players as they see fit for their teams. so now because a player went to a team he sees as a best fit for him everybody hates him? that’s ridiculous! he never talked foul about the cavs organization ever. i like how you compared this to the kobe situation a few years ago. that was perfect.
one thing you left out though is that he never chose to play for cleveland. the cavs got LUCKY and were able to draft him. so he’s not a traitor. this is a business and there is no loyalty in THIS business.
I am a huge fan of Lebron and I want to see him succeed at the highest level. I did not agree with a lot he did but still am a fan…Anyways I feel the whole things blown way outa proportion….We ll wait an see…Gud luck Leborn!!!!
Bottomline– Lebron James quit on the Cavs, simple as that. Ain’t nothing wrong with quitting when you know your bound to lose more than what you’ll gain but then you can stop calling yourself “the chosen one” or “king James”. Now we can all stop hating on Lebron and start realizing that he’s just a ball player like everyone in the NBA. The greats however are not like evryone else. Lets all give a warm welcome to the former starting power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, cause that’s all he was in Cleveland and that’s all he’s gonna be, with or without a ring in Miami.
His stats didnt say he quit…..you are judging him if you say he quit, because you don’t know his motivation or his thought process…..I know he put up better numbers than ANYONE ont Cleveland’s current roster in those 3 games that he supposedly quit on…..see you have probably never picked up a basketball and played in a meaningful game if you call him a quitter….basketball is a team game….and the whole team lost….so did the whole team quit? No….I am sure that we have all been in situations in our lives where we did a great job and people on the outside looking in judge our intentions and we dont like it…..why do it to him?
I agreed with LBJ23-6. Lebron did nothing wrong. Cavs should recognize and be thankful for everything that Lebron did for that organization.
Life as we know it, will go on… Breathe in, Breathe out… ‘Chalk’ up all this to ppl with nothing else to talk about.
I think he lost MJ status leaving the Cavs, I guess that means he won’t ever be in the talks of greatest all-time no matter how many rings he gets. I never really had respect for him anyways because he is a sore loser who doesn’t shake hands after being eliminated by the Magic. He quit on the Cavs last year, he acted like the biggest baby when that video of him getting dunked on was out. Lastly the way he left Cleveland was really a slap in the face, so I just hope he can recover a little.
He never had MJ Status……
How great would it be after all this speculation of insane hatred for Lebron, the Cleveland fans ended up booing Big Z!!
No one was questioning his freedom to move wherever he liked once his contract expired.
But his “Decision” was an insult, especially to cleveland people. He strung everyone along, pretended to “think abut it”, raised false hopes. But he knew it was the heat all along.
In the meantime, ballclubs lost their chances to recruit good players, and the whole cleveland were treated like morons by making them jump through hoops, beg, plead, based on a “pretend” thinking period. All for a self promoting gimmick. Where’s the respect for the people who followed him in cleveland?
He deserves every single boo and heckle coming his way. He’s a spoiled egomaniac man-child, and hope his career comes crashing down fast. And entire cities agree with me. Just ask cleveland and new york.
“Cavs are in his heart”…. what a joke. Actions speak louder than words.
you sound like my 9th grade ex-girlfriend ….as ADULTS we should think about the positive….LBJ did more positive for that city than negative hands down….the history of that franchise will never be the same because of him….had the best first 7 years of a basketball career EVER….so what he did a show….he is human…it was a mistake….but one mistake does not out weigh 7 years of LEGENDARY basketball…..
Oh ya, cause I’m sure Lebron personally consulted you with his decision making, right? He seriously considered staying with the Cavs, going to NY, Chicago, LA, and Jersey. Stop embarrass yourself with making stupid, self absorbed comments that have no truth value. Cleveland fans need to realize Lebron didn’t go to Miami to scorn them personally. Stop being so self involved to think that a man sacrificed millions of dollars, along with a part of his legacy, and the place he grew up, to insult some nobody fan. That’s just silly to think. He made a choice that he thought was best, not what would hurt a random person in Cleveland. Everyone needs to grow up and stop throwing a temper tantrum that their comfort blanket got up and left because they couldn’t provide him with what he needed.
Jerry, you are absolutely right, what he did do his fans in Cleveland was dirty. It’s quite obvious the decision was planned, so why let his loyal fans (who pay is salary) get on the wrong end of the stick, by begging for him to come back, when there was no decision in the first place?
On the contrare I think alot of other teams benefitted from the decision. They had a legititmate excuse to shed salary to “make room”. I have a feeling that the future collective bargaining agreement will turn bargain players into fairly priced players, fairly priced players into bad contract players….etc.
agree 100% with lbj23-6 – just imagine you leaving your job (for better or for worse) Your “Decision” is your decision and Lebron made it professionally. I remember the Cavs (ugly uniforms and all) before lbj!! its a D@^# shame if the organization doesnt realize that (because a dumb fan is just gonna be a dumb fan – like all the rest of these bloggers on here) but If you ever had real luv for a player…. you rock with him no matter what!! Im a iverson fan & at his lowest worst skilled part of his life Im still following in Turkey! Jordan fan too! Chicago and Washington!! Shaq – Orlando LA Phoenix Cleveland & watch’m in Boston! but like LBJ23-6 said Im a TRUE FAN unlike the rest of these people. (And i could go into Kobe fans staying loyal through the Rape & the snitching & the Trade me tirade’s but NO low blows here : )- all about peace)
Its kool to stay lbj fan after the decision like u said lots of ppl stuck with kobe after the fake media made up story but lebron’s decision, if anything was not professional. He made his choice and thats fine, but he made a show out of it and what alot of ppl and himself to some extent dont seem to understand is that he wouldnt be as much under the attack right now had he just signed with his team of choice like everybody else did. Clev ppl were TRUE FANS and then they got let down both in a sens that the self proclaimed king did not bring any rings and in the sense that once he got tired of that he decided to make an hour special and join forces with his usa team teammates to try to get a ring over Kobe. Enough of exagerating this whole lebron and miami story, but it aint nobody business either how Clev fans are dealing with this. Unless u were in their situation, u cant really judge, and especially not tell them hey if u guys are true fans like me, root for miami now cuz thats the team ur lebron james chose over ur city.
In the same way unless you were in LeBron’s situation you can’t judge…..We all make bad decisions and do unprofessional things….but LBJ played for LBJ not the fans of Cleveland….He did what he wanted to do and probably didn’t calculate the ramifications…..just like you and I have done in our lives….but he did WAYYYYYY more good than bad in Cleveland….ADULTS BUY TICKETS…lets stop being children and realize that we all do unprofessional things and for the most part it’s understood by our peers (OTHER ADULTS) and everyone moves on….if positive out weighs negative then it’s positive…..
@ KENNY
DUDE GUESS WHAT??? ***YOU*** DON’T ***OWN*** LEBRON. YOU DON’T **KNOW** WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS MIND. END OF STORY.
What is absolutely hilarious is that the fans and people and haters TRY to cover it up by simply saying “the WAY he did it”. What? you mean how he raised a few million dollars for a lot of kids? Because tell me something. HOW would the END RESULT be any different if he would’ve just released a media statement saying he was going to Miami, as opposed to The Decision? HOW would the END RESULT be ANY different if he would’ve let the Cavs know ahead of time?
THE ANSWER? THE SAME!! HE STILL WOULD’VE BEEN IN A MIAMI UNIFORM!! AND yet he STILL would have his haters and the fans feeling let down and betrayed about it, even if he did NOT go on TV to let everyone know. BOTTOM LINE. WE ALL know this, its just that some people are way to immature and childish to admit it, so “The Decision” is THEIR excuse. Their excuse for the somewhat pathetic behavior which again they STILL would be showing had he not went on TV.
FURTHERMORE, its funny how pretty much everyone seems to forget that Bron DID indeed TRY his best to get Wade and Bosh to come to Cleveland FIRST AND FOREMOST. Bron and Wade are best friends, but that’s obviously one thing Wade wasn’t willing to do which is trade 80+ degree weather all year round on beautiful pristine beaches for the constant gray rainy lake weather in Cleveland even in summer. Thats IT. He TRIED to get them BOTH to come to Cleveland so he could STAY. It didn’t happen.
END OF STORY
long memory how can u say he made it proffesionally? the guy humiliated cleveland by ”making” decision on tv in an hour show. is this how a professional acts? of course the man is entitled to go anywhere he wants and join any team he wishes as he is a free agent. however, it is horrible to do so in an hour show. real star and proffesional would be straight forward and would not be behaving like that. i lost the interest in lebron and only watch Heat now to see the progress of the big 3 not winning the championship
Had he not done the show…..CLEVELAND FANS WOULD STILL BE PISSED!!!!!
the purpose of the decision was to collect money & donate them for charity. do you have an issue with charitable donations?
How about thanking him for all the good he did for the city of Cleveland? The game on which everyone said he quit, he actually had a triple double. Whats wrong with you people? He did not nothing wrong. The last time I checked, we still live in a democracy and he exercised his right to move to wherever he wanted to move. Suck it up and be thankful for the great moments he gave you.
AGREED. THANK YOU for pointing this out. i try to explain that to people, but they seem to forget so easily. apparently triple doubles are as good as quitting these days
The fans should not be upset, the owner Dan Gilbert should be. His bank account was affected by Lebron’s departure. But also he had one of the most popular and best teams in the NBA and now he has just another team.
I look at it like he was a free agent and free to go where he wanted during that time frame. Players are defined by the championships that have been won but to what cost? If we know he is going to known as a all-time great, how more impact will a champion give him? This may be off the wall but if you have a long-time girlfriend and never reach a certain “tangible” goal, then go to a new young lady and reach that tangible goal in a season’s time frame or two, have you accomplished in the same meaningful way? There are rules and there are unsaid ways of doing things. Okay so he gets the ring at the end of the season then what??? The memories and long-road to success will never be as it was for him in Cleveland; no matter where he goes or what he accomplishes. Jordan, Kobe, Ewing, Bird, Barkley, Magic, Dr. J, and soooo many others have made their mark and haven’t up-rooted because they wanted the “Championship.” Iverson is known to be great and didn’t win a thing. Now I can be wrong on some of the things here but LeBron has led that team to levels that haven’t seen in a very long time if at all. Whether he would have won a ring or not would have not made him anymore elite than the other players when it comes to individual talent. Good Luck LeBron..honestly good luck. And hopefully you feel internally full-filled with a championship ring that you may have won with your home-grown team. Oh and by the way…I’m not a Cav fan or Heat.
Levron is the best young talent in the league. When Kobe is done he willcarry the torch.
I re-read my entry, pleassse excuse all of the grammaticals.
Damn old keyboard. That’s LEBRON and he will carry the torch into 2015.
I understand that fans SHOULD be thankful for the consistent success he brought to the cavs. However when you analyze this peculiar circumstance, he DID do something wrong. To have the ego and go on national tv to announce that your leaving(and in the fashion of how he did it) is wrong. Yes, it was wrong that the media hyped him up to be something that he wasn’t(even though he himself encouraged it), yes it was wrong that society put an angel band on top of his head and treated him like he was a demi-god. And yes it was wrong for the cavs organization to not hold him accountable for anything(the lakers hold Kobe for alot, even though he gets the treatment). I blame alot of this on our society, but he has to face the music.
He who crows the most, eats the most crow
-Phil Jackson
LeBron James doesnt deserve THIS muchh hate, and ive always followed him his entire career even through highschool. Personally, I do believe that the decision was probably one of the worst idea’s in the history of sports but afterall in the end he’s just doing his job as a free agent… he had every right to make a decision to leave, and although he had not left in the best of ways Cleveland should respect his decision in the end, and thank him for all the wonderful years they had together like Toronto had done with Bosh myself living in that city and seeing it. There is no love in business and thats all basketball is, forgive and forget. Let the man live his chosen path and goodluck to him and Cleveland in their respected futures.
While I don’t want anything to further disgrace the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio, I would not be suprised nor upset of some serious ISH popped off. It is gonna be soooo stupid in Cleveland and I am not going anyway near the Q.
I truely feel for the Cav’s fans. The way MEBron treated them this summer was unforgivable. Firstly for quitting on them against the Celtics & secondly for slapping them in the face on National TV. This was ill advised at best but more likely so that his ego could be massaged. Are we supposed to accept that he made “the decision” when he did? C’mon, I know that you look down on us but don’t for one minute expect us to be stupid enough to believe that you did not speak to both D-Wade & Bosh well before & you had made your decision well before this happened. If you had done it properly I’m sure that while we would n’t have been happy we could have accepted it. There’s no I in team but there’s a ME if you look hard enough. I hope that every single Cav fan burns their 23 vest & that you finally realise that you have no class & will never be mentioned in the same breath as MJ.May you leave Miami in 5 years time with nothing but a tained legacy.
mebron = worst attempt at a lebron insult ever
I think Lebron is gonna be huge in this game. Triple-double for him.
I think the crowd will give him a standing ovation while his name is announced, but at the very fisrt time he touchs the ball after the tip-off, he’s gonna be loudly booed.
I ain’t mad at Lebron James……. He made a DECISION that was best for him and his family in trying to win a NBA championship.. Let’s not forget that Lebon James is only 24yrs old.. He turns 25 on Dec 30. He was just 18yrs old when he came into the league…….. I wish him the best of luck his entire career.. Cleveland fans should be greatful that he did 7yrs there and triesd to make it work adit didn’t so he moved on……He was a free agent so he had a choice of teams to choose from……… I think the hour long promo to announce where he was going was a mistake Im sure he regrets.. I feel that he should have let Cleveland ownership know his decision before THE DECISION…….. I agree with his NIKE Commercial ad when he says “Should I just disappear”……… You have to also realize that players were bought in to help Lebron win a championship and it just didn’t work………. He has ACCOMPLISHED a lot in the CITY OF CLEVELAND and the cavlier faithful should be thankful for that………. Good luck to you Lebron!!! You deserve it!!
Lebron had the right to leave CLE. Shaq had the right to leave Orlando back in the 90s. Every free agent known since the NBA was established has the right to leave. Shaq got booed in Orlando after he left and rightfully so. Even though Lebron had no class all that needs to happen is the same boos and media backlash nothing more. Shaq at least had class when he left. Orlando lowballed him and LA took advantage of that. CLE let Lebron practically run the show and then Lebron disrespected the cavs with the Decision. The only other thing I can think of that could be respectfully done is to spit in Lebron’s chicken wings.
Z on the other hand deserves applause definitely. Classy guy. Clearly appreciates where he came from and what CLE has done for his career.
Excuse my grammatical errors as well. I sould have proof read my post before posting it.
OOOHHHHHHH Please I never liked LBJ I always thought he was overated and me being a Bulls fan I was hopeing and praying that we did not get LBJ. That being said LBJ has every right to go where he wants. But I also understand where cav fans are comeing from. If MJ would have done that to the Bulls,Magic to the Lakers,Bird to the celtics so on and so on. Each city would have been just as hurt as Cav fans are. They way he did it made him seem he was bigger than Basketball and thats what LBJ wants. Even though its early i knew that the Heat would not be as good as everyone thinks. LBJ and D-wade playing styles are to much the same. Bosh is use to the offense running threw him now that its not he also is struggling. All three of the are volume shooters and need alot of shoots to get the points we are all use to them getting.
Sekou, I think you somewhat misquote Lebron on two occasions. First of all he only discussed his jersey being retired in response to a direct question by a reporter of whether he would like for that to happen. What is he supposed to say? “No, not really, I hate Cleveland”? Second he didn’t say he’s “emotionally drained”, he said that he thinks the game will be (future tense) “emotionally draining”. Subtle difference.
Good luck to Lebron… he might get a ring someday. Hell he might get a few of them. But since he left Cleveland, it’s never ever going to bring him any closer to being among the greats.
umm yes he does deserve this much hate. i’m from Cleveland, i expected him to leave, and was still gonna root for him, even though he quit during the playoffs. I understand wanting to play in a bigger city, playing with ur friends can be fun but it takes away some of your intensity, but i still get wanting to do it. What i had a problem with was with this j_c_a_s going on national television and making it sound like he did nothing wrong after the fact. He could have had a normal press conference saying that he was going to miami like any other player, but he decided to take it out on cleveland. That’s why he deserves ANYTHING that he has coming to him.
he had a triple double that last game, thats pretty damn good. get your facts straight. dumb clevelanders
sorry for the grammatical errors, and one more thing to Lebron, age and IGNORANCE are not an excuse
Being from MI, I was a fan of him moving, because it took Cleveland off the map. After reading and reading articles upon articles about the James and gathering information both inside and out, I see an egocentric player. LeBron referred to Cleveland as a place where he could showcase his talents. MJ would never have said that. It was never about that.
I have no respect for LeBron anymore. I dislike him as a person. I wish I was at that game courtside. I’d say things he’d never forget. No doubt.
People have done a lot worse in sports, maybe or maybe not actually RELATING to the sport. But nevertheless, Kobe faced rape charges and people have forgiven him. Not to mention, he’s one of the most arrogant pieces of garbage in basketball. He ran Shaq outta town and popped off about Andrew Bynum. But yet his fans stuck beside him. Kobe has been one of the most hated athletes in sports but yet he still gets the respect he deserves. LeBron deserves the same respect.
Lebron james………………by far my favorite player in the NBA,,2ND is KOBE…..Ihate how cleveland is overaecting ,,,get over it ppls he just a basketball player my god.. it was his decision not his fanbases leave him alone i agree with Kenny. PPL may not like him but anyone that knows bout bball knows hes a good player, maybe not a winner but a good player, hes doing pretty goood for the most hated and pressured player in the NBA
My whole thing is LBJ was born and raised in the state of OHIO and marketed himself as the chosen one because he was drafted number 1 by his home state’s only NBA basketball team. For seven years people not just from OHIO but outside of Ohio loved this kid because he displayed loyalty to his homestate and it was like a fantasy to see the best player in basketball play for his homestate and accomplish things that he did for the Cavs… So Kevin Garnett and all this other free agents even Kobe Bryant did not potray this image… Now so many people hate him because he was playing for the best regular season team in the NBA and left and on top of that it was his home state that is one of the most craziest acts of disloyalty ever seen in the history of sports because of that simple fact that he gave up on his homeland… A similar comparison to that is if some other war hero or some local town hero gave up on his home country/town/state or wateva and joined another enemy or rival country.. Lastly he marketed himself as the choosen one and that he would finally bring a championship to his homestate and so when that was not accomplished or he didnt work or take the time out to accomplish that goal we all saw that he basically quit on his team and his own goal that he manifested!!!!!
what good moments
I don’t think anyone, but a few, is saying that he should not have left. I think there was a problem in the fashion that he left. Let’s say during last year’s season or even just before the season, he were to sit down, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and speak with the team’s owner and coach and say hey, I know I said I would ride this boat until we won the championship. The reality, at this point in my life, is that my free-agency is coming at the end of the season and I want to explore my options with another organization in the league. Then later let Cleveland know of his intentions and played his heart out during the season into the playoffs, he MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH BACK-LASH. Sure there are a few who don’t care about his feelings in this or his eligibility for free-agency but for the most part, would have otherwise been accepting and wished him luck.
WHAT WOULD THAT HAVE DONE??–WELL that would have definitely let the owner and fans know that he respected them and gave them ATLEAST the courtesy of letting them know before anyone in the world because he’s been their link to any competition for the longest and developed such a strong bond. Sure he’s not contractually connected to the fans but give them that much since they go absolutely crazy over him and have him involved in so many things in that community. Added, the door, I’M QUITE SURE, would have remained open for him to come back if his exploration would have not panned out the way he wanted.
BUT SINCE HE DIDN’T–he can expect the owner, fans and media to absolutely give every reason to admonish his character if he doesn’t accomplish what he said the reason for leaving is in the first place–A CHAMPIONSHIP!! So if he would have crossed the bridge and waved with a smile on the way across, he would be more than welcome to come back there in the future but it’s burned now. LeBron is a exceptional player and hope he does win a championship one day- just wish it could have been a story-book win in Cleveland.
Props to Lebron for choosing the better city and ultimately the better team, face it Cleveland you simply stink!
No need to be politically correct here, all you Cleveland fans are nothing but whiners and LOSERS (yes in every sense of the word), you guys are simply not a winning sports city, just face it it’s that simple. This is not the first time you have stars leaving you, in fact you guys have proven to yourselves that no matter how many stars you place on a team you still won’t win, if not ask Manny Ramirez and Thome just to name a few.
Good luck rebuilding for the next ten years you guys are going to need it!
I think it would be funny if Lebron calls in sick on game day
Cmon people
He did exactly what he felt was the best for him
end of story
each and every of us would do the same
he built in CC, what, just 7 years of his life
& like he needs to be that ONE human being that will generouslly give C-city its first pro-title
wtf?!?!
leave the guy alone
he’s by far one of the best to play that position already
yeah it goes in the same Kobe category ‘the-best-of-the-best’, just wait and see
I was on the money with the Big Aristotel, jeezz what, 18 years ago
I’m sure I can figure this one out after 7 seasons
& on Heat
give those guys f…g break as well, what are you thinking????
just couple of games away from No3
wazz wrong with that?
1 season together, many sidelined too, you’ll see
& till then, if all goes well, and well before they show/give Hea(r)t and mesh their skillz
GO CELTICS GO
18, 19, 20… (then we could rest for a bit)
love and peace to you all
i soo agree with everything you just said there, thank you!
The Cleveland Cavaliers would have been a no name team without Bron .. he was the one who put this city on the NBA map !! Cleveland should be thankful about it and stop whining over a one hour programme !! Yes, that was an immature decision from LBJs side but he is just a kid .. he will grow up .. eventually and will realize his mistake .. apart from that … he had every damn right to switch jerseys .. how many players in any professional sport play for thieir home town or state right now ? Its all a business .. were you entertained .. yes .. thats the bottomline !
He is a henchman of the Illuminati people. We shouldn’t support his satanic ways.
The funny thing about Cleveland fans is…..
If you all think LeBron is such a quitter…WHY ARE YOU MAD THAT HE LEFT?????
If he quit on your team, you should be glad he’s gone, not PO’d.
People that can’t stand the way he left is understandable, but calling him a whole lot of names is hypocritical – ESPECIALLY since if he’d stayed, there would be NONE of all this fussing and complaining.
If the owner had decided to buy out LeBron after getting seriously injured, would these same “fans” have love for him? probably not.
….and this is coming from someone who NEVER liked LeBron.
All I have to say is this….Lebron really did his home wrong. From all the talk and hype he amped up about winning on eofr them, he really let them down and I feel that. Imagine the team you all love and and the one player you respect most on it, the one that has done so much and promised more……then, that person walks out, in a very unclassy way. Yea, you would be a little bitter too. Lebron did what he wanted and everyone had pretty much moved on. Good. But Cleveland deserves to give Lebron what he gave them on national tv…..a kick in the ass! Good luck Lebron because you will need it. Whatever your future hold so be it, but the ways it was done WILL NOT make you rank high among those greats before you. To cleveland….even Ohio, go hard or go home!
For all of those who say LeBron did nothing wrong, I say, if LeBron and his SUPERFRIENDS
i think some fans will give him a standing ovation….but most will boo him. but i believe lebron will go berserk . maybe go off for 40 points maybe more. lebron has a history of stepping up his game when “something” tick’s him off, but in this case, it’s the “whole” arena that may tick him off. remember the game against toronto when CB4′s girlfriend was dissing lebron from the sidelines? lebron went nuts on scoring and cavs won the game.
Oooops, let’s try that again …. For all those who say LeBron did nothing wrong, I say if LeBron and his SUPERFRIENDS don’t hurry and right this sinking Miami ship, you’ll see exactly what he did wrong!!!!!
Move on people… LeBron has and all of you CAVS fan need to do the same too… LBJ brought millions to the city, businesses around the arena… ya should be thankful for the years he spent in Cleveland… Hating on LBJ just makes him stronger… just watch… THE CAVS WILL LOSE ON THURSDAY TO MIAMI!!!!
LeLoser can’t handle a lot of pressure, we all know that, he’s too selfish, just watch when he talks it’s all me, myself and I.
Although as a player he’s one of the best in the league, personally I don’t like him.
Most people who still like him must have something in common with the guy.
Lebron didnt quit on cleveland, he just realized that after all those years of hard work the chances of a championship were low. You would surely have to understand why he left. People take it the wrong way like seriously. But anyway cleveland are going to have move on soon cause what has already been done is done but for now those fans still havent gotten over their lose and they really gotta respect all he has for them. Thursday night in that arena will be running with mixed emotions thru lebron, the fans, & the cavs themselfs.
Not a miami or cleveland fan lets just see how all this turns out later on in the years to come.
Ok im a huge basketbal fan, so when james left i was on his side, i thought it was his decision, cause if a team cuts a player no one blames them, but if a player leaves its a big deal? well im a nugget fan first and foremost, and after the whole melo trade rumors I now understand what the clevland fans are going through a little bit more. So you that point is you can’t have an opinion until you’ve been in that situation…………………. by the way Go nuggets fans dont listen the crap rumors, melo aint james!
I just have some questions for people who are so down on LeBron. Do you think he approached the networks about the 1 hour special or they approached him? Pretty sure they approached him. This was made a big deal by everyone in the world BUT LeBron until the time actually came to make the decision. This was something that everyone was talking about for weeks and months leading up to it, as I’m sure I don’t have to remind any of you.
The NBA and ABC wanted to make as much money and fuss over this as possible. LeBron gained NOTHING from it. He gave the couple million they paid him to charity. Now, I do agree that something didn’t seem right during his last game as a Cav. Did he quit? I won’t go that far. The thing is regardless they never would have been even close to where they were without him, and they failed to surround him with the peices he felt he needed to win. He signed with them 2 years before. He could have left then, but he gave them another chance to get their crap together and they blew it. I mean what did they really do to make him want to stay? They all these great teams chasing him with all kinds of cap space, drooling over him, and it sounds to me that their pitch was “so Bron, you’re from here, you gotta house, family here, kids here… c’maaaaan.” THAT’S NOT GONNA CUT WHEN YOU’RE COMPETING WITH THE LIKES OF PAT RILEY!!
Cavs fans should be mad at their own organization because I beleive they didn’t do enough to keep him.
One more thing. TELL ME ANY OF YOU IN HIS SHOES WOULD HAVE PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH WADE AND BOSH! HE TRIED TO CONVINCE THEM TO PLAY WITH HIM IN CLEVELAND BUT NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE THERE BECAUSE THERE ARE BETTER CITIES IN THE NBA. MORE DIVERSE, THRIVING, FUN CITIES THAT A YOUNG RICH ATHLETE WOULD LIKE TO PLAY IN BEFORE HE’S PAST HIS PRIME.
I was a big cavs fan and still am, I just think that if they were going to make LeBron the future of their team they could have done a lot more to make him see a successful future there. He gave the people what they wanted with the delivery of “The Decision” and since it wasn’t what everyone wanted to see (MYSELF INCLUDED). He gets villanized.
And the owner’s reaction was THE most unprofessional thing I’ve ever witnessed in sports. Worse than Robby Alomar spitting in that umps face, worse than Tyson biting off Holyfield’s ear, worse than any press conferance shenanigans. If I was Bron that would make me realize that they only liked him for selfish reasons.
Cleveland, you’re city needs some improvements, maybe try getting out and voting instead of putting so much energy into hating one of your own citizens who made a difficult decision that didn’t work out in your favor. You should be thanking the man for all he did for that team and that city. Most of you would love to move to Miami for a good paying job. I know I would.
Cleveland, maybe its not bad luck that your franchises time and time again dissapoint, maybe it’s you.
Thank you LBJ23-6 for your insightful comment about Lebron having the right to leave the Cavs, its amazing how emotional fans tend to get when a player leaves. They have to realize that this game is also a business filled with owners and players deciding whats best for the other making it very difficult to root for one team. I have learn not to root for a team, but to follow a player, no matter what team they play for. Cleveland fans I feel your pain, but would you have Lebron stay and NEVER have a possiblity of winning because thats what was going to happen. I remind all you fans that Kevin Garnette stayed ALL those years in Minnesota and he wanted to stay there but owners decided he was’nt the Franchise player he used to be and traded him for younger players. Well thats team loyalty for you. They use them til they can’[t produce anymore and trade them like baseball cards. In have no problem with the DECISION. Lebron made the best choice for him. FANS GET OVER LEBRON LEAVING HE IS NOT THE FIRST OR LAST.
If we are talking about home, we can put it this way: LeBron’s home was the Cleveland Cavaliers. The fans loved him. They were not yet ready to let him go. Its like as if he’s the “prodigal son”. The Cavs fans placed so much sentiment in LeBron, much like how we treat our dogs or something. Then suddenly, ‘The Decision’; that’s just wrong. You don’t broadcast to the whole world that you’re gonna leave home. No, you sit down with your family and tell them straight to the face.
I think Le Bron doesn’t understand the anger but I think he is looking at the wrong thing, Going to another team is one thing but the way he went about it was more the motivation for anger than anything else. If you are going to go free agent fine but to turn it into a circus or media carnival shows a lack of maturity on his part it also shows an abnormally large ego, I could tell by the way he avoided the conversation about free agency that he wasn’t going to stay, but the people of Cleveland deserved better treatment from their favorite son. Lots of people go free agency but none have turned it into such an extravaganza or media event, My opinion of Le Bron went down considerably on that day. I still think that he and Kobe are the 2 best basketball players on the planet, but he has a lot of growing up to do, The game is a team game and playing like a team and sometimes playing w people you may not like. While I understand the reasoning for leaving the way he went about it was incredibly strange. Good luck Le Bron I hope you have learned something from this on how to treat those who have been good to you.
Will Cleveland still shout Z!!!!!!! when Big Z shoots?
if every body hates lebron in cleveland so much y do they follow him up,,, y d they always think about him,, y cnt they let go,, if hes such a bad person let it go man seriously..hah personally if id hate a plyaer i would nvr think about him or follow hi up.. to round everything up if u hate Lebron so passionatly cleveland.. that means u would take him back nd ur r just in love with him as a player as his good fans
HEAT’S WON IT!
Not going to the game would be a big slap in the face for Lebron. Would you imagen an empty Arena with only the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers Teams playing???? That would be a never seen before event!!!!!
I’m so sick of how everyone talks about Cleveland fans and they city of Cleveland in general. Yes, the city of Cleveland took “The Decision” very personally when you put it in the context of other Cleveland sports tragedies over the years. (i.e. The Fumble, The Drive, The Shot, The Move) The reaction of Clevelanders was totally overblown by the media, and our city does not revolve around Basketball, trust me there are many more pressing issues. I have been to quite a few US cities, and currently am going to school in Chicago, and have never experienced a place like Cleveland before. To be there, and to be part of our community, is to share a common sentiment – one of the blue collar, gritty, determined, and loyal WORKING MAN. We work hard to be recognized, to provide for our families and to support each other, and for LeBron to take advantage of this sentiment and lead the city on to believe he bought into it was selfish. (Let’s remember he promised to bring cleveland a championship more than once – just search for the audio on google) A whole lot of Clevelanders, myself included, defended LeBron’s “bad games” in the post season, as well as several questionable image issues (Jordan Crawford dunk) because we truly believed he was a Clevelander. Everyone on here can say what they want about my home, but you just don’t undestand what it’s like to be connected to your community in the way that all Clevelanders feel that connection. (Laugh at me, scoff at me, say what you want, it won’t change my opinion) LeBron brought much national attention to Cleveland, and helped to invigorate the downtown community…and then he left. Would you be thankful for a tutor that you paid generously who helped you a lot throughout the semester and then abandoned you right before your Final Exam?
As to the fact that The Decision raised money for charity, yes it did, and Camp LeBron made sure everybody knew about it. It doesn’t changed the fact that the whole gimmick was self-absorbed and self-promoting. How come he couldn’t air the decision weeks earlier, at least giving the teams he was not going to, especially the Cavaliers, time to deal with free agency and make meaningful roster changes?
In regards to his triple double performance against the Celts, he almost had a Quadruple Double! You forgot the nine turnovers.
Yeah to anuar Fakih… HE NEVER HAD MJ status…My goodness! What are you people thinking…It’s like saying tracy mcgrady has MJ Status.. The best player in the world today is Kobe Bryant…If there is anyone who has MJ Status it’s him
*lebron drops a 50 peice….
Once again I was a Lebron fan and Im not from Cleveland because I truly felt he was gonna overcome the odds that he was gonna make history and that he was gonna create a storybook career by being drafted by his hometown and by bringing his homestate a NBA Championship. Then once the lure that created LEBRON and that hype that he created was destroyed by himself nobody cares about Lebron, this guy Lebron aka chosen one is such a big figure because of those facts he wouldnt be as big and loved if it wasn’t for the fact he was playing for his home state now he is not such a miracle and fairytale player as we once viewed him… Imagine if Lebron had got drafted by another city not his homestate the guy wouldn’t be as intriguing and his brand wouldn’t be as big… Lebron was so big and so hyped because of the story it was like not real it was unimanginable to see that guy get drafted by his home state with all that hype he had coming out of high school too… So once again the disloyalty and the fact that he marketed himself so greatly by saying we are all witness and he is the choosen one was his doing and by just disregarding your identity you look like a fool!!! He will never go down as a great one because he quit on his home state that is disrespect to yourself and nobody likes to see someone say one thing but do another thing he will never be the same!!!!
By the way…the greatest fan of lebron james is Steve Aschburner…A writer of NBA.COM! Is he part of the marketing team of lebron? I am pleading for his resignation as a writer..
Who cares what the clevland caviliers think about lebron james and just because he left you that doesnt mean you should start hating and if you were his fans you would still redspect hime and atleast try to watych his games but no all you gauys care about is clevland wining but ttooo bad you had your chance with the king he wont play with you all your life untill you learn how to play.
Why does almost everyone that doesn’t like Lebron keep saying he quit? REALLY? How are you guys gonna forget that he got a TRIPLE DOUBLE in his last game in a Cavs uniform? Because you are blinded by HATE. Thats how. The man’s line read 27 19 10 3 steal 1 block. And he QUIT? Are you KIDDING me?
He TIED HIS CAREER HIGH IN REBOUNDS!! Rebounds are a direct indicator of just how hard a player is goin at it. If he REALLY quit do you think he would’ve had ***19*** rebounds? WTH? There have been 100s of forwards in history who have never even cracked 12 or 13 let alone 19!!!
I think even though they lost, it was fitting that the triple double machine that Bron is (next to Oscar and Magic) got one in his very last game as a Cavalier. Instead of enjoying the memories of the incredible talent that he showed these Cavs fans every time he stepped on the court, and feeling blessed that they were alive to WITNESS it, they choose to now ignore it and hate. Thats NOTHING but SAD.
To Cleveland Fans: You don’t own LBJ’s soul.
“The Decision” to go to Miami was such a bad career move for LeBron James in so many ways [smh]. I would understand a need to change zip codes and find a team that could better suit LeBron’s talents and give him a shot at a championship, only if the preceding years before the end of his contract were periods where the Cavaliers were one of the worst teams in the league and/or there was no potential for Cleveland to be a title-contender. The thing was, the Cavs were considered title contenders and had achieved the best regular season record two years in a row. LeBron had a team with strong role players and many teammates whom he’d built a strong chemistry with. LeBron was the star and many of the other Cavs players knew their roles on the team. The system at Cleveland was built around LeBron. It was only a matter of time that the Cavs would achieve dynasty status, with LeBron leading the team.
Alas, LeBron was way too impatient. He saw a chance to play with Dwyane Wade and an overrated Chris Bosh and thought this would be a place for instant success. He’s now finding out the hard way that even if a team has multiple all-stars on the roster, lack of team chemistry, lack of role identity, and a lack of time played together, will result in struggles.
It seems that LeBron will actually have to wait longer to win a championship in Miami than he would have had to wait if he had stayed in Cleveland b/c most of the ingredients were already there in Cleveland for LeBron to win multiple championships. Now LeBron has to build chemistry with all these new teammates, learn how to share the leader role with Dwyane Wade on the court, all the while dealing with a league that just wants to see him fail more than ever, and teams working harder just to see him fail.
And all LeBron had to do was request to the Cavs management to fire Mike Brown and find a better coach that could actually coach in the playoffs -_-
I’m fine with Lebron leaving. I never liked him even when he was in Cleveland. The Decision was a bonehead move and WAS a slap in the face to all Cleveland Fans. A couple of pool tables for The Boys and Girls Club of America does not constitute him pulling off his antics like he did. And after the decision, instead of thanking Cleveland for the 7 great year they gave him, he repeatedly reminded them of how it was him that had given the city 7 great years. And lets not forget that Lebron did promise to bring a championship to Cleveland before it was all said and done. Thats what really irks me, he went back on his promise to HIS city. Don’t be suprised if Lebron gets hurt in Detroit tonight and does not make the trip.
Looking forward to Z coming back though. His name will be hung in the rafters in Cleveland soon enough.
Lebron is wack and if I played in the NBA and seen a dude quit on team that was extremely good I would lose respect for him and believe he has no heart….. That team cleveland had could have one the championship if they had a better equipped coach and on top of that this is what sports are about not quitting showing loyalty to your team in these professional sports your team becomes your family and for him to walk out on a team that was winning 60 plus games a year is absolutely crazy… He didn’t come through in the playoffs and he didn’t deliver and my belief is he realized that he aint as great as the hype so he said you know what Im go to someone else team…. No way would D Wade a champion leave Miami ever because champions show loyalty, grit and hardwork and they just are plain smarter and determined!!!! D Wade is a champion so Lebron needs to follow D Wade and learn how to be a champion cause champions include a lot more than your stats it comes down to the clutch and if you can do amazing things in that clutch time Lebron couldn’t… You see Mike he was a champion cause he hit a game winner when it mattered most not those game winners lebron would hit like that one against the magic that should never be replayed cause he lost the series LOL!!!!! Basically people get to caught up in the stats and numbers when in reality these NBA games are decided by who can come through in the clutch or the 4th quarter countless times we saw Michael Jordan and bulls master the clutch and thats why Mike was so great because he could play in the clutch… So its about your mental ability to understand the game and what matters… If one day Lebron is able to understand that the stats and all that BS dont matter and what matters is being able to produce in the clutch and down the stretch then it will be different I just think he is physically gifted player so his stats are tremendous but his mental game is lacking and thas why he doesnt pull his teams through.. Like you gotta have a different mind cause when I use to play and it came to the clutch those were moments i cherished and I remember in my mind I was determined and like Michael I wasnt gonna pass the ball no way I was gonna be the one to hit that shot cause this is what I dreamed of and now is my chance to live through my dream and make or miss I was gonna be the one with the chance to pull the game through for my team!!!
anyone who sez lebron quit on his last 3 games as a cavalier is stupid. his last game as a cavalier, he gave them a triple double. A TRIPLE DOUBLE! now a triple double is tantamount of quitting? WOW
What goes on in the dark always come to light!!!!!! Lets go Cavs!!!!! If you never been here than I suggest you watch what you say on here!!!! HATERS
Oh Yeah by the way!!!!! The “MIAMI HEAT” record is no better than the CAVS!!!!! The Big Three what a joke!!!! None of them is even in the running for MVP!!!!