HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – NBA players remind me of political candidates during election season. They go from city to city, facing a media throng eager to pepper them with questions that usually result in answers that barely raise an eyebrow they’ve been given so many times.
Every now and then, though, you get something totally bizarre. And that’s exactly what the reporters covering the Miami Heat practice in Cleveland today got when they assembled to interview LeBron James after practice.
You have to wonder how these comments (courtesy of the Twitter feeds of both Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com) will go over with the faithful in both Cleveland and Miami? …
He’s happy in Miami, but: “I think it would be great, it would be fun to play in front of these fans again.”
On one day coming back to Cleveland: “You can’t predict future…If I decide to come back hopefully the fans will accept me.”
About Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert: “He said what he said out of anger. He probably would want to take that back but I made a mistake too.”
Again, the context in which these comments were made needs to be restated. James and the Heat are in Northeast Ohio and will have been for three days before Friday night’s game against the Cavaliers.
So if there is a little nostalgia floating in the air, we understand.
But talking like this so soon into his tenure in Miami, and so soon after the messy divorce he went through with the Cavs’ faithful, is bound to strike a chord with some folks!
The bigger surprise is that James has actually entertained the idea of returning to his roots someday during his playing career. That alone is reason for pause … anyway, back to Linsanity!
Consider my mind blown. This is just weird to me. He’s in the midst of his second year with Miami–in a full-blown title chase–and it seems like he’s actually interested in returning to Cleveland at some point. He even salved the wounds a bit with his comments on Gilbert.
I haven’t really considered what he’ll do when his current contract ends, but, depending on the success/failure of the Heat, it could be about as crazy as last time.
That is just too funny..its like you broke up with your girlfriend and then you are saying that you might return to your ex one day..I dont think the cavs will ever forgive him for that.
Right because he wasn’t a FREE AGENT which means he was allowed to sign with any team he wanted, or anything. No, not at all.
Just ask Adele, lots of hurt ex’s would take their guy back!
Where and when did James say this? Sounds like the Cleveland media is trying to stir up things.
he tweeted it. its not the cleveland media
My trade ideas
Main trade
Send
LA Lakers: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, Steve Blake Draft Picks
Minnesota: Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio,
Orlando : Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, Ryan Anderson Draft Picks
Receive
LA Lakers: Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Ricky Rubio (Balances Lakers)
Minneota: Pau Gasol and Jameer Nelson, Ryan Anderson Draft Picks from LA and Orlando
(Gives Minnesota Great Compensation)
Orlando: Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love , Steve Blake
Starting Lineups
LA Lakers: Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Troy Murphy, Ricky Rubio
Minnesota: Pau Gasol, Ryan Anderson, Michael Beasley, Derick Favors, Jameer Nelson
Orlando: Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love, Queentin Richardson, Jason Richardson, Von Wafer
OR
Send
LA Lakers: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, Steve Blake Draft Picks
Minnesota: Michael Beasley and Ricky Rubio,
Orlando : Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, Draft Picks
Receive
LA Lakers: Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Ricky Rubio (Balances Lakers)
Minneota: Pau Gasol and Jameer Nelson, Picks from LA and Orlando
Orlando: Andrew Bynum, Michael Beasley , Steve Blake
Starting Lineups
LA Lakers: Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Troy Murphy, Ricky Rubio
Minnesota: Pau Gasol, Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, Derick Favors, Jameer Nelson
Orlando: Andrew Bynum, Ryan Anderson, Micahel Beasley, Jason Richardson, Von Wafer
Separate trade
Send
LA Lakers: Matt Barnes and Jason Kapono, Darius Morris
Pheonix: Shannon Brown and Grant Hill
Receive
Lakers: Shannon Brown and Grant Hill (To free up salary after he retires)
Pheonix:Matt Barnes and Jason Kapono, Darius Morris
Lakers other move
Amnesty Luke Walton
Why would Orlando and Minnesota do that..? Minnesota trades away their core of young and uprising players for mediocre players and Orlando regresses from contending..
They(Lakers) don’t need superman considering pau & andrew on the line-up. I woudn’t trade the two for any guy, even how dominant he is. But i like the rubio on the lakers roster. nothing more
Dude your talkin out your butt. But what Laker fan doenst really. Sure it hurts you not to be considered a championship contender. But please could you not come up with ANYTHING that is just a LITTLE bit LESS ridiculous than those proposed trades? WOWOWOWOW .
Minnesota is NOT giving up Love and Rubio you are crazy. They just WAITED 2 years to GET Rubio and Love JUST signed a 4 year extension less than a MONTH ago. They are both young and have ALOT of upside still. Keep DREAMING man.
I was thinking just that; Love signed the extension, and Rubio is the Wolves PG of the future
looks good, but:
1. phoenix wants young players to their roster, they wont accept the deal
2. orlando will accept, but only if they recieve a big man(klove,pgasol,abynum
3.Minnesota wont trade klove, he just got an extension i think, nor ricky, they will want a pure 3 (danny granger style)
4. Lakers dont need big men for now, they need a better pointguard(no fisher) and a player off the bench, (kinda missing that without sbrown)
most likely trade to happen:
-Howard for lottery or young big man
-Phoenix wants young legs
-lakers want names(stars) not real contributors
-minesota wont trade young ppl
-celtics might squeeze into some deal, they need young legs into the starting lineup, might go for somekind of shooter(knick’s Novak?), and a guard to give rondo a hand.
He’s just trying to say the right thing because he probably feels guilty from time to time about what happened there. However by trying to say the right thing, he’s really just putting his foot in it.
I don’t see too much scandal about this. Any player has the freewill to go wherever they want. Charles Barkley, Drexler, Payton, Garnett, and Pippen same cases on.
Metaphor:
Ronaldo (famous soccer player from Brazil) played for A.C.Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter de Milan (four of the best soccer teams in the world). Lionel Messi has been criticized in his native country often because media says he only plays good for the Barcelona. It happens.
dude comon
@ Lakersfan
While your trade suggestion sounds beneficial for the Lakers and maybe even Orlando, I don’t see any reason why the Wolves should give up Rubio for Jameer Nelson. Even if Nelson finds back his A-game with the Wolves (which I doubt), he’s not bound to grow much more, while Rubio should only get better. Trading Love sounds actually totally crazy and I see no way how that is supposed to happen. Finally the Wolves have two young core players at pivotal positions they can build a team around for years to come. Remember, they didn’t trade Garnett in his prime years, but once he was above thirty and their contention-window was closing. So, no, it’s not gonna happen.
@ Heatlatinofan
The comparison between Ronaldo and Messi rubs me in a wrong way. Yes, Messi hasn’t thrived in the Argentinian team as well as at Barca, but in modern teamsports one player doesn’t define a team anymore. As universal as Messi seems to be, his game thrives still best in a certain system. The problem is more the Argentinian system right now, rather than what Messi brings to it.
And there are plenty of other examples of over- or under-achievers in other teams as well. Look at Lukas Podolski (German midfielder/striker). In the National team he’s a beast, but he didn’t manage to succeed at Bayern München and returned to his home-town club Köln. And btw, don’t forget that Ronaldo wasn’t everywhere equally as successful either.
I would like Allen Iverson sign up for the Heat.
LMAO why the heck would you want that?!
Must be a really slow news day to be running this story. Move along people nothing to see here
Im a Lebron fan even from the beginning of his career in clevleand and to be honest i really dont like Lebron changing teams. But i dont hate him on doing it because it is his right. I really miss the Lebron vs Wade or Lebron vs Kobe and Lebron vs the whole detroit and boston series. I really miss the games where only he himself is trying pull his team for the win. If the time comes and Lebron wants to come back and the cavs doesnt accept him while he is still playing the same way as he is playing right now, That would be a big mistake.
I live in Cleveland and I would welcome Lebron back to the Cavs, but Lebron needs to know that its not going to be all about him…We do have other great players. I think that once this is said…he might or might not come back. ????
im from cleveland to and i 100 percent agree with u hopefully he does come back and ill see my 2 favorite players play together just think kyrie and lebron i would go to every game.
finally! Some cavs fans making senses! good point!
I’m from Cleveland and the intent of this article was to explore how we feel about James coming back to the Cavs
Let’s review the history:
The Steelers (pick a year), Denver’s drives and Model moving the Browns.
Hate is such a strong word…
Yeah…and you wonder if we’ll accept him back? He’s from around here…he knows he’s made his own fate.
What’s wrong with that? He’s from Ohio, have friends and family there, played seven great years in Cleveland and made a mistake broadcasting his departure. I REALLY think Lebron will be back in Cleveland one day, as a champion. Actually, I think he should retire there in 2019-2020, when some other guy will be running the show (maybe Irving?) and he will be like a mentor. He’s in Miami now, but I think he won’t retire before try to heal his relationship with the Clevelanders. I mean, he was that city for seven years, both of them can’t ignore it…
As you(heat fans) can see, your so called superstar is willing to leave you soon. LOL. hopefully, you all be ready by then. the good thing though, is that, LBJ is not a big loss anyways.
WHY CAN’T HE JUST SHUT UP, RIGHT! HE’S GAINING MORE HATERS BECAUSE OF THESE TWEETS!
you just hate him because you’re a jealous DUDE… lol
jealous about what? who? what has he have?
It would be easier to like the guy, but his tweets are annoying. knowing how he choked on the finals. Proving it on the court is better, rather than these unnecessary things, man.
I really like LBJ. But, he has been TOTALLY CRAZY and IMMATURE to say something like that in the midst of the season. The risk is to destroy Miami’s locker room. He always acts like a strong and self-confident person, while he desparetely needs to be loved and accepted. His “problem” is that he was considered a “choosen one” when he was a child and, now, he is still a slave of that. This thing is the BIG dilemma with LBJ. His mind is not empty/free and is heart is instable. I am not sure he will be able to win rings in such position.
he never get the rings, and yet he act like better than any1. too much praise! so overrated!
YOUR A FREAKING HATER MAN…..
@lakersfan: unreasonable trade….. laker biased…………………. go C’s
Thats would be wonderfull if Lebron Kame back and played for Cleveland one day!!
Lebrons just jealous that Lin stole the spotlight from him. Of course he needed to say something outlandish to get back into the spotlight.
Why doesn’t lebron go to LA?
NO CLEVLAND, NEXT STOP: KNICKS!!
Heat better win it this year ..if not big 3 will break up…Lebron just cant keep his mouth shut..why in the world would he say something like that ..Heat fans should be pissed ..such a loser..full blown playoff race heat is on and he says he could go back to CAVS…..
for cavs fans. if the heat didn’t win any championship on the span of 4 years of the big three, i think there’s a possibility that lebron as a free agent would go back to cleveland. But I hope lebron do win a championship, so that he can silence all the critics! ahahaha and to all haters, get a life dude. Lebron is the best player in basketball, and one of the most entertaining player in nba.