Binge Media Sports: LeBron Back to Cleveland
This is what Miami Heat fans all over the world are asking themselves today. And just so you know, I created this meme myself (damn, I’m creative.) You know you wouldn’t have thought of HOWARD THE DUCK today, so give me some credit. But the new decision is finally in: LeBron James is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In a story first reported by si.com, the world’s best player wrote an essay (as told to Lee Jenkins) on why he chose to go home.
“Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.
Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.
I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.
I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.
I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.
When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.
I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.
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. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?
I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.
But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.
In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.
I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.”
So, just be prepared for wall-to-wall coverage on ESPN, ESPN2, or any other sports network or sports radio show you may watch or listen to. If you’re looking for baseball highlights tonight, be prepared for very short clips. Hell, the news sucked me in too. Honestly, I didn’t think it would come until next week. I’ve been thinking all along that this would be the way he would go. I thought the only work I’d be doing today would be my preview of the final weekend of the World Cup, but if I’m going to write about sports for Binge Media, it’s a story that just can’t be ignored.
It really does change the entire landscape of the NBA. The era of the “Big Three” in Miami is clearly over. With this move by James, Chris Bosh is now likely to accept the max offer he received from the Houston Rockets, leaving poor Dwyane Wade to be thinking “Nobody wants to play with me”. Sad face. He’ll likely remain with the Heat for the rest of his career, which is admirable. And now, you have to wonder what this decision means for Carmelo Anthony, as he decides between staying with the New York Knicks, or jumping ship to join Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls or Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. And where does Kevin Love fit into all of this? Is there already a deal in place to bring him to the Cavs to join LeBron and Kyrie Irving? Does this mean Andrew Wiggins is on his way out of Cleveland already? There’s still so many questions to answer as this NBA offseason continues. Meanwhile, the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs have to be sitting back and laughing at all this craziness, thinking to themselves “Yeah, you guys have fun with all that, because our entire team is coming back next year and we just destroyed LeBron a month ago”.
But at least now we don’t have to listen to any more speculation on where the King will end up. So tell the world….LeBron is coming…home.
So what’s your take on all this madness? Let me know in the comments section below or follow me and tweet @THElukenorris.