At the risk of inflaming passions, how crazy is it to think about Lebron James ending up back in Cleveland in a couple of years?
Since he's won just about everything he can in Miami (NBA title, MVP, gold medal), might he see the resurrection of the Cavs as his next and perhaps greatest challenge?
I do not watch much NBA, but if he came back with a humble heart this would make the NBA relevant again for me.
It wouldn't be the same for me, as a Cav's fan. Too much water over the dam for me to have that same feeling of excitement. Lebron was AMAZING (Best Cav player ever) in Cleveland, but how it ended, has led me to remember the TEAM of Price, Nance, Daugherty, Hot Rod, Ehlo more fondly.
Since Lebron left Cleveland, I've watched about a combined total of 5 full NBA games. I don't know what it will take to rekindle my interest in the Cavaliers (better players, new owner) but bringing back LeBron wouldn't do it. I don't have any ill will towards the guy, just no longer a fan.
Agreed. That ship has sailed. I wouldn't be able to root for him anymore. We weren't good enough for him before and what makes us any different now? I don't spend any time brooding over it anymore, but I feel we've just moved on. I truly, honestly would not want him back no matter what.
Screw LeBron................its not that he left but its how he left.........If the Cavs allowed him torejon the team Id stop watching Cavs hoops altogether (and i dont watch much now)
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
lets be honest here guys i moved from cleveland and it was my best decision.im a huge cleveland fan still watch them today.it was the worst moment as a cleveland sports fan i have witness.maybe besides browns leaving.miami is beautiful and who wouldnt want to go play with ur best friends.i remember him saying man of word.i think he promised wade and bosh so had to go thru.i would welcome back with open arms.it was crappy how he did it i hated him for awhile but got over it.i was happy to see him win a title.
The down vote here is why I don't come to other forums besides recruiting. It's a joke...this is an OPINION...folks. I would agree...visited both the Land and Miami beach...no ?. Thanks for your input Buck2124....
And NO Lebron won't come back because he doesn't owe Ohio or Cleveland a thing. They wouldn't get another good player (and if you say Antoine Jameson is a "good" player...just stop...plz) and he took the shot to go to S. Beach. Already has one title and could of had another one if Dallas wasn't on a mission. Good luck to him IMO.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
My word of advice? Don't take it personally. You can stress yourself worrying about your downvotes and trying to crusade against it but it's going to keep happening. It's stupid but whaddyagunnado??
Let's be honest here though. Where you live in the NBA doesn't make that much difference. He's not in Miami every day. Hell, he even lives in Akron as his primary residence in the offseason. During the season he's on the road half the time. You've got millions of dollars and travel the country every week...it's a bit of a difference from you and I just working a regular job and being immersed in the city we live in.
He had talked to Wade and Bosh about the possibilities previously, however even they were recruiting him until the last minute and weren't sure what he was going to do. I don't actively hate LeBron James anymore, but I'll certainly never be happy for or root for his success. Certainly wasn't happy to see him win a title, not just because of what he meant to Cleveland but I don't like the way the NBA is heading with this superteam garbage and what not. I don't like this "if ya can't beat 'em join 'em" mentality. I thought it cheapened LeBron's legacy that he was the best player in the league and gave up to go take a shortcut to a title.
I don't really pay attention to him anymore (I used to actively root for him to fail prior to his title) but definitely could never root for him anymore and would never take him back.
That part...I would agree with Big....he didn't need an hour long special for what took two minutes to say. That being said....I don't blame him for leaving a small market to go somewhere with a larger market in order to win multiple NBA championships.
If Dan Gilbert would have got one good player and another role player (like Jameson) then the Cavs would have won a NBA title. They didn't, so he left, now everyone's salty....I still laugh about this to myself...it's called jealousy...period.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
LeBron James supports Ohio State...I support Lebron James.
Then why was he at a Kentucky game? :/
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Because he's a basketball player...he likes to watch good basketball.
Then where was he during Sullinger's freshmen year?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
The most important thing was the tweet that aired during the game this year...lebron is the most polarizing figure in sports today...his support is huge to young athletes.
He was in attendence w/ DWade last year vs Duke. I love LeBron, who cares he left Cle. Not like he tells the fans where they can work. No way he would have ever won in Cle, especially w/ that idiot Gilbert in charge. Plus, no big time players want to come to Cle as it is.
That seem like it had more to do with coach K being there(which is why I didn't bring it up) than anything else. He may very well be a Buckeye fan, but it doesn't come across that way most of the time.
You're absolutely right. Gilbert did nothing to help LeBron. I mean they sucked finishing 8th in the East his last two years there.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He was also on the sidelines back in '06 for the OSU - Penn State football game in the rain. You got to remember, college basketball is going on the same time as NBA, it's not easy for him to just show up to games whenever he wants. Not too mention all the time he's gotta spend on off days perfecting his craft, doing his charitible things, advertisements campaigns, family life etc. Dude's gotta pretty busy slate as it is.
I do love his LBJ23 brand Ohio State shorts, 3 pairs in all different colors.
-- And that's the point... LeBron was the Cavs team. Look what happened after 1 player left. He never had support, and the ones who were his #2s during the regular seasons always shrunk in the playoffs (Hughes, Williams). After all, LeBron only want's to win... and the players Gilbert brought in were terrible. His fault, but then again.. Cle for whatever reason isn't an attractive place for NBA players so it'll be hard for them to get big time players. The only good thing about LeBron leaving is the Cavs will have one of the top picks in the nba draft for a few years so they can start building with young talent and hope they don't eventually leave.
I see what you did there ;-)
Look at his Twitter and Instagram. Littered with Ohio State support.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
Lebron has repeatedly shown he is a Buckeye fan. No need to question that. In fact, Matta has several times talked about how Lebron supports the program and how the players still like Lebron:
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2010/07/ohio_states_thad_matta_ho...
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Ohio-State-...
OSU wears LeBron Nike products. I do believe James is an OSU fan and supporter, but let's not act like he doesn't have a vested interest in it as well.
at buckeyevsthe world: because he is very good friends with john calipari, that is why he was at a kentucky game.
@ Buckeyevstheworld:
Because he's an NBA basketball player....who likes good basketball. Shame on him!
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Way to miss the point.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He has 4 years of college eligability. I say Get a degree at OSU.
He has 0 years of NCAA eligibility because he's already played professionally.
Rats
@ Highwire
I agree....thanks and GREAT point!
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
LeBron James is a frontrunner and supports whoever wins.
I would welcome this with open arms. I have done enough hating of Lebron and have moved past the decision.
Of course I would take him back, but if he didn't get Cleveland a championship, I'd end up being kinda pissed that he played his peak years in Miami. He'd likely be at the beginning of a slow decline in a couple years with over 10 years in the league (and LeBron in slow decline is still better than most, but it's the principle).
This is not the first time these rumblings have come up.
Off topic, but I still have a problem with the NBA in general. 80% of the cities with teams aren't cool enough to play in, yet Stern is looking to expand overseas. Take care of business at home first, Mr. Stern.
Imagine what a lineup like this could do:
PG Kyrie Irving
SG Dion Waiters
SF Lebron James
PF Anderson Varejo
C Tyler Zeller
The big men are a bit iffy but that lineup definitely could win a title
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
I think they'll trade Andy soon.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Not this season... not with that leg muslce injury...
Wasn't Andrew Bogut traded from Milwaukee while he was injured?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Definitely not the norm...
Seems like the new norm if you include the trades for Kwame Brown, and Andrew Bynum.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He'll be back before the deadline when the contenders start to get desperate. The Cavs need to unload him ASAP...which I don't like saying, because I love Andy. We need to sell him while his stock his high and get what we can. He's not going to be around or useful when (if) this team is actually in contention again.
The only problem I see with unloading him is the fact that he's missed 112 games the last 3 seasons. Will a team risk it?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Yes. He's played at an all-star level each of the past two seasons prior to injury and the NBA is notorious for having ludicrous trades from desperate teams at the trade deadline. If he'd been able to stay healthy just this one f'n season his stock would've been through the roof and the Cavs would've gotten something great in return.
It sucks for him. He's been outstanding the last two years.
I know it's unlikely, but I hope Sacramento is crazy enough to trade Cousins for him. >.>
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
I was hoping OKC would be crazy enough to trade Toronto's first round draft pick and a bad contract for him. We'll eat that bad contract for a couple years to get another top draft pick! Does suck for him...and everyone, really. He plays his ass off and I love watching him play. I'd love to see him go to a contender and do some damage.
They probably would if he were healthy. OKC needs more rebounding. Perkins is the only player I think they'd dump.
How long is he out for?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He's out until early March and there is ZERO chance he is healthy before the trade deadline on February 21st.
We lost our ability to deal him this year; anything else is just wishful thinking if you were hoping for a deal involving Andy.
I'm of the opinion that he is only 30 years old, hasn't logged a lot of minutes on his legs yet, appeared to just be hitting his prime this year, and that he has a lot of quality basketball left in him. Who knows we may be thankful down the road that he got injured this year and stuck around as a Cavalier.
There are very few trades that I would make involving him. Even a lottery pick isn't guaranteed to bring back any value remotely close to what Varejao brings to the Cavs. I agree with the guy who mentioned Cousins (even though he's a basketcase). IMO, there would need to be a proven young stud coming back our way for any deal to be worth it.
Remember it this way. LeBron is a man with an excess of cash and a lack of rings in number. I want somebody to document the prediction I'm about to make. Seriously. LeBron, for better or worse opts out of his contract. He will spend a lot of time either before or during (most likely before) his 2014 free agency determining fit, missing pieces, ect of all of the interested parties. LeBron James will sign with wherever he feels he can win an excess of championships for VETERANS MINIMUM in order to help fill out the team's remaining holes. He will singlehanded ly create the best basketball TEAM to ever play, and I hope this happens in Cleveland.
Your smokin crack if you think Lebrons ego will allow him to not get paid a superstar salary.
That and to think any big time player would want to sign in Cle. If I remember right he would have stayed in Cle if Bosh would have signed with them. I mean, the best player Gilbert was able to bring in for LeBron over his career was... Larry Hughes?.. 40 year old Shaq? An old Jamison?... Jamario Moon? ha. It's not rocket science to see why he left, and I wouldn't be surprised if Kyrie does later down the road.
To be fair, in every instance where the Cavs had money to spend there was no one of note available. Chris Bosh is the only one they pursued as a free agent that turned them down to head to a different city. Ray Allen and Mike Redd were the only two notable players available otherwise that turned them down...and they did so to stay (ahem) loyal to their own teams (plus they were getting more money to stay in town, per CBA max contract rules). Also, to be fair, Larry Hughes came off a career year when the Cavs signed him, in which he averaged comparable amounts offensively with more rebounds and assists to the only two other notable free agents available in that class (Ray Allen and Mike Redd) and was also one of the league leaders in steals that year. Also, those other guys were getting max contracts and we were paying less for Hughes even though he was coming off a better all around year than those two. Dan Gilbert and Danny Ferry did a masterful job of putting a team around LeBron while they were handcuffed early on by the Hughes deal. They upgraded the team every year via crafty trades (some of which were those requested by Bron himself) in which they would lose nothing and acquire another role player. They had to take on bad contracts, but what are you going to do when the best player in the game is holding your organization hostage and saying upgrade the team now or I bolt for New York (as I've been flirting with them for the last 3 years). This led to many hasty decisions, which upgraded the team, however mortgaged the future and led to the total post LeBron meltdown of the roster that we've seen over the last 2.5 years.
The teams Bron had around him the last two years in Cleveland were very strong. They had a great combo of defense, shooting, size that led them to the best record in the league twice...if we recall, it's not just Bron's teammates that came up short in the playoffs those year...Bron himself shrank and seemingly gave up. If your star player does that of course you have no chance.
I agree with a lot of that, but the players around him only looked like the right fit because LeBron made it seem as such... then come playoff time, none of them played even decent.
I do disagree with this however, ".if we recall, it's not just Bron's teammates that came up short in the playoffs those year...Bron himself shrank and seemingly gave up."
His last 2 years in Cle playoff averages...
'08-'09 14 games played: 35.3 pgg, 9.1 rpg, 7.3 apg
Then his final season: 29.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 7.6 apg
^I'd say those are pretty good numbers and not 'shrinking'. Just like everyone said he quit in his last game in a Cle uniform... Call me crazy, but I would never say a man quit who puts up 27-19-10. Sure he didn't shoot well that game and had a lot of TO's but the man still dominated. Maybe if Mo Williams didn't avg. 5 ppg in the playoffs as his #2 they could have made it further. Let's be real here anyways, if LeBron were to have ever won the NBA title in Cle w/ the scrubs around him that he did... He would have been the first player ever without a legit #2 or #3 option on his team to win it all.
Stats can lie and believe me those numbers for his final postseason with Cleveland do not tell the whole story. I watched every single playoff game during the LeBron era, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was distracted, disinterested, and not totally motivated for some reason in that final postseason run.
Maybe it was because he wanted to leave Cleveland and didn't think he could rationalize an exodus if the Cavs won the title or came up just short in the Finals. Maybe it was because he hadn't matured yet to handle the pressure that he eventually conquered in last year's title run with Miami. Maybe it was because of the Delonte West rumor (if true).
Who knows? But any observant person who watched all of those games would tell you that he shrank big time and his heart wasn't completely in it. It's just a testament to his immense talent that he could throw up a triple double when he wasn't giving it his all (quadruble double if you count the turnovers that game...YUCK!). His body language was pathetic and nothing like he had ever shown before in a Cleveland uniform.
Those Cleveland teams were not nearly as bad as people make them out to be. They did lack a clear #2 guy but they were a solid TEAM. You don't win 60+ games for consecutive seasons in the NBA and own the league's best record if your team sucks.
You're nuts if you think he'll sign with any team for a the veteran's minimum. LeBron is still a business man and he's going to make the most that he can. He may not take the max amount that he can, but to think he'll take a minimum is borderline crazy.
Any team with LeBron is automatically a title contender. He is the best player in the history of the sport, and he is playing at his best right now.
Haha. Good one.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Would he slow Kyrie's game down like he has done to Wade?
I'm not a Cavs fan, but it wouldn't be the same. The love Cleveland had for him prior to "The Decision" was similar to the love we Buckeye fans have for Woody, and JT. Cleveland will probably forgive Art Modell before they forgive LeBron.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Whoa! I'm not so sure about that one....
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
Modell is dead. It's easier to hate the living.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Out of respect to the fact he has passed away, I will not sayhow I really feel about modell. But to think anyone will EVER forgive that asshole is a pipe dream. Once my daughter is old enough to understand, I will teach her to hate the man who stole our team. Lebron made a bad choice in how he left cleveland...most of the hate and vitriol wasn't for him leaving. It was for that damn self-promoting, prime time debacle that was the decision. I'm no cavs fan, but I'm an ohioan. And it pissed me off. That's like asking a girl to marry you in front of a stadium full of people, her saying no, and leaving with the beer guy. Modell taking the browns? That's like someone kidnapping a member of your family. One you'll get over with time. One you will never forgive. Or forget.
call me bitter but the dude spurned my city on ESPN and showed zero remorse. Greatest player besides Jordan? Without a doubt in my opinion. I still will never cheer for him.
I see the cavs trading varejao for whatever they can get this offseason since he will be out for another month. Then we will draft either shabazz or noel and look to sign free agents this summer since they will have tons of space and dion and tyler will still only be on their first-level contracts (kyrie and tristan will have their 2-year options picked up which increases salary).
Names in FA to consider may be josh smith, corey brewer, ronnie brewer, OJ Mayo and just about anyone on the Jazz roster.
In any event, I do have a suspicion that we will make a pitch for lebron in 2014 if he opts out of his deal, but I really don't know why he would opt out, and for what reason other than kyrie he would want to come back to cleveland. I have heard that Gilbert lets him use facilities to work out when lebron is in the cleveland area, which sounds absurd to me.
Bottom line: I hate lebron, I love buckeye football.
May not have been the best way of doing things, but we as fans get what we want and everyone is so interested in every little thing LeBron does, it was only fitting he would go on live TV. Not too mention the millions of dollars 'the decision' generated for kids charities... and the whole idea was brought to him by Jim Gray anyways, not like he set out to destroy Cle.
Because he couldn't raise millions doing it a different way?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He can--and does; he was the only NBA player named in Parade's Most Charitable Athletes, and started the LeBron James Foundation in Ohio to help single-parent families. In my opinion, leveraging his massive "brand" and popularity to deliver six million dollars to charity is a pretty damn good way to sign with a team. Yeah, he left Cleveland; they offered him the cash, but they couldn't deliver the team Miami promised him. It stings that he felt he couldn't make it work at home, but I'd fault the organization much more than I'd fault the man.
They won 60+ games back to back years, and made it to the ECF. People are acting as if they were an 8th seed that got bounced in the first round both years. Who did they lose to? Orlando, and Boston. Yeah, that's something to be ashamed of.
Who was going to sign with Cleveland when they had no idea if he would stay or not?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
excellent point. going 39-2 at home in one season apparently means the cavs were just mediocre. He left a team that was entirely built around him--but let's be honest he clearly colluded with bosh and wade during the team USA summer
Indeed; but you're missing the point: Miami was offering more than money--it was a truly unique opportunity to build a world-beater. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Cleveland was offering more than Miami--homeboy wanted a championship, and Miami's circumstances better assisted toward that goal.
I don't get the betrayal angle: he left for greener pastures, and did it on national television in an event that raised millions of dollars for charity (and one the yielded no profit for himself). He didn't burn any jerseys or anything, he left. At least he didn't pull a Carson Palmer and refuse to play and threaten retirement if he wasn't traded. That's a dick move and a betrayal to a profession, I just don't see LeBron's exit as anything like it, except that he left.
To validate your point, Hodge, Lebron did not even get a max deal from Miami. He took slightly less than what the max free agent contract could be when not signing with your previous team. Cleveland was able to offer him more years and more money and he still turned it down. He went to play with his friends since the Cavs could not lure anyone to Cleveland and they almost refused to draft anyone of quality to put around him. While I was upset with the way he left (regardless of your feelings towards him, everyone has to admit that it was a public embarrassment to the city of Cleveland), there is absolutely nothing that he owed back to the city and had every right to leave.
Lets slow down with that. He's still got a 100million dollar contract. :/ Lets not act as if he took 90million less.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Buckeyevstheworld and Abrahajc are spot on. Couldn't agree more.
Made it the finals one year only to get swept by the spurs
Hard to win the finals when your starting lineup consists of:
Eric Snow / Rookie Boobie Gibson (who hasn't even played close to the way he did against the Pistions in the ECF that year)
Larry Hughes
'Bron
Drew Gooden
Big Z
Hope he finishes his career where he started. Dude's an all-time great, and brought Cavs basketball to unprecedented heights. Sure, The Decision might not have been the best way to leave Cleveland, but everyone forgets that it raised $2.5 million for the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, CT--where the event was broadcast--along with the $3.5 million in ad revenue that was donated to various charities. I mean, seriously--how many "stars" nowadays have leveraged such a circumstance in such a beneficial way?
James seems like a pretty good dude; supportive of young athletes, active in charities, and always visible in a positive way, I'd love to see him back in Ohio--also, the fact that he's a Buckeye at heart doesn't hurt.
Am I the only one that finds the words "charity" and "Greenwich, Connecticut" out of place in the same sentence?
In all seriousness though, I wouldn't want him back in Cleveland. We moved on. We weren't good enough for him then, why are we now? He bolted for greener pastures, sure...but I don't find it endearing that he seemingly quit on his team/fans/etc. to go try to take a shortcut to a title. He left money on the table, sure...but things got too difficult so he cut and ran for what appeared to be a much easier cakewalk. And to be as pompous and arrogant about it as he, Wade and Bosh were in their first year there? Whenever this question comes up (like it inevitably continues to) I still say I wouldn't be able to cheer for him. He's one of the two best basketball players I've ever watched and I'll always look back fondly on the LeBron years, but that's behind us.
Lastly, he is not a Buckeye at heart. He is a fan of teams that win. He never pledged such public allegiance to Ohio State until it was convenient for him to do so anyway. i.e. when he wanted to be the fan favorite and said he would've gone to Ohio State, when Ohio State started wearing his brand uniforms...it only made logical sense for him to publicly support Ohio State. Even when he was with the Cavs and I supported him I said it was a crock of BS that he would've given his commitment to (then coach) Jim O'Brien to play at Ohio State...even though that's what he said he would do after the fact. Duke, UNC, or even Akron would've been more likely than Ohio State.
"The Decision" was held at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut; that's why they received the bulk of the funds--it was the brainchild of ESPN, after all.
As far as him not being a Buckeye at heart, I don't recall ever hearing that LeBron ever had any other allegiance to college team. Perhaps it was forced, but the guy did grow up in Akron.
I know, I was joking on the Greenwich thing. I never recalled hearing anything about an allegiance to any college team either. He only really became vocal about being an Ohio State fan when it was convenient for him to do so. He may have rooted for the football team a bit...but this is also the same guy who is a Bulls/Cowboys/Yankees fan if that says anything about him.
He would've gone to Duke, UNC or to Akron to play for his old HS coach before going to Ohio State IMO. When they started asking him in interviews years later while with the Cavs and trying to be Mr. Fan Favorite, he said he would've gone to Ohio State. I never in a million years could see him going to play for Jim O'Brien.
Here's what he said on The Daily Show back in October 2006.
!!!!
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You need to go to about the 3:45 mark. Granted, he is in Columbus when being asked this and he may have been playing to the crowd, but he has been seen rather consistently wearing OSU gear. Attending games of other schools isn't a big deal and really shouldn't be used as a defense to why he isn't an Ohio State fan. I have gone to multiple Pitt games, but that doesn't really mean I'm a huge fan. One of my best friends went there and on occassion I'll go to a game with him because it's college football and that shit is fun.
I know, I said he vocally supported Ohio State when it was convenient for him. What's he going to say in Columbus on nat'l TV to one of the largest fan bases in the country? Not to mention he was getting ready to roll out his uniform brand and Ohio State was about to be one of the first teams to wear the LBJ sponsored uniforms. I've honestly never really seen him wearing OSU gear. Yankees gear? Yeah. Even when he came to the OSU game vs. Duke he was wearing red but it wasn't OSU gear. I'm sure he's worn something in the past...but I would hope that he would considering OSU's bball merch is using his line!
I remember being a little kid watching the Cavs lose all the time in the early 2000's, but I still loved them. There were some kids that used to make fun of me because I loved Basketball when the Indians were on top of the world. To my surprise, it was pretty much an overnight, 360 degree change when those same kids became the biggest Cavs fans around when we got LeBron. I never liked him allot as a kid, then as I got older I loved him. There's no denying that he brought the Cavs success that they never experienced before, or maybe ever will again for that matter. The magic of those playoff runs, those are some of my best memories as a sports fan. When LeBron left, I saw allot of those kids who became overnight Cavs fans disappear. Now we may be bad now, & our record may reflect a team just as bad as some of those Cavs teams before LeBron came to town, but that's just not the truth at all. Besides Kyrie Irving & the better talent we have now, the main difference between this Cavs team & the bad ones of the early 2000's is the support we get now. I can personally tell you that way more people show up to games these days then they ever did back then. It shows me that people finally get it, it's not all about one guy, but the whole team & your city as a whole. As a loyal fanbase, we don't need LeBron. But if you really want this team to go all the way, you'll take him back in a heartbeat. He IS the best player on the planet right now, stats, awards, accomplishments, they all show that to be true. He still roots for Ohio State, that makes him one of us if you ask me. As an Ohioan, I would love to see him come home. LeBron + Kyrie = 50 wins atleast. Depending on who you put around them, it only gets better from there. As someone who's been here before, during, & after the LeBron days, I would gladly take him back.
It's 5 o'clock somewhere, & Michigan still sucks
The smartest thing LeBron could've done is take a cheap one year deal with the cavs after his final year in CLE. If he would've taken a cheap; 1 year: 1 million dollar contract and told Gilbert to put together the best team he could that year and if they didn't win, then he would leave. That would've done wonders for his publicity and the way that the public views him. Remember, he would still be getting paid alot from sponsers.
It's not that simple. They did assemble the best team they could around him already for what was available. Hell, they'd just acquired Antawn Jamison literally for free and he was a 20 and 10 guy at that point. Who else was out there and available under CBA salary/trade rules that the Cavs could've brought in?? It's not like there were a couple dozen all-star caliber players just sitting on the unemployment line, in a system where the CBA rules don't apply.
I personally could careless if he ever came back to the Cavs. You betray the people that watch up grow up and embrass them with "The Decision" instead of leaving with class is a slam in the face to the city. The way he left to win not 1 not 2 not 3 not 4 not 5 titles... is similar to how Bret Bulimia left Wisconsin and told his players he wanted to win a national title. What is it with these people and their commitments to win it all? Reggie Miller never won a title but has more class in his finger than either of these guys. Sure this might be an overreaction for how Lebron left but its the bridge he decided to burn and personally I don't want him back. Enjoy your success and fame and titles elsewhere, I'll be enjoying my Cavs and praying they win just one NBA title before I die or the world ends.
A washed up Lebron in his late 30's can't do much of anything for the Cavs if he does decided to come back. He's in his prime now and playing for the Heat. That's like Shaq coming to play for the Cavs and expecting him to be great how he was when playing for the Lakers or Heat.
As much as I hate Lebron I understand the external factors that cause him to make the decision he did but the way he left could have totally have been different. After seeing him at the Penn State and Miami football games and Duke basketball games, I feel no remorse for when the crowd bashes him. I wish he just finish out his career where he's at now if does believe in his committment to win not 1 not 2 not 3 not 4 not 5 titles and isn't seeking forgiveness from those in Ohio.
Someone didn't piss in my Cheerios but I do have a high standard for commitment and character which are things Lebron lacks. Time for my morning coffee.
P.S. I'm one of the few fans that still has my Lebron #23 jersey. While its tucked away in my closet, the only thing that's prevented me from destroying it, was that it was a gift from my grandparents.
Ohio State's band SLAUGHTERED Michigan's band. If this were a football game, it would have been Florida State vs. Savannah State. - SB Nation following OSU vs. UM 2012
WHAT? Reggie Miller played the game like an absolute punk. LeBron's game and maturity have grown every year. Last year's finals should be a really telling sign of how he is evolving as a player. While Dwayne Wade was dancing around like an idiot who just won his first ring (which of course he wasn't), it was LeBron who talked to KD and Brooksand congratulated them on their play\coaching. Revisionist history is a convenient resource, but its a really bad one to rely upon.
See Hodge's post about charitable contributions-which do more to say he has high character than anything else out there to indicate that he doesn't. As for commitment-what part of playing out each and every game of his career and never once demanding a trade showed a lack of commitment? He was the only reason the second worst (behind Iverson's 6ers) team to ever make an NBA final got there. He took an entire group of bums to the NBA friggin finals. What did he get in return? Antwaan Jamison.
The plantation attitude some Cavs fans exhibit will never go away, I get that. But people are projecting their hatred on the guy and making up reasons to stay mad. There are plenty of guys to hate in the NBA for the stuff they do on and off the court. LeBron isn't one of them. He's a class act and for effs sake, let the "Decision" go. If that's all you are going to hang your hat on after he bled for Cleveland for 8 years and got exactly bubcus in return to help him out, then your hatred for him is a lost cause. But please, NEVER use the word "Class" and "Reggie Miller" in the same sentence again, unless the latter comes before the former and has the words "Has no" in between. That's the WORST person you could have used. Because Reggie stayed in Indy? I got news for you-he stayed there because he had a team around him that could have won. They ran into Mike's Bulls too often for their own good but if he was Indy's only player, he would have left too.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
Both you and TennBuckeye are correct on Reggie Miller. That guy was an absolute turd when he played. It's so easy to forget because when analyzing the game, he doesn't get to show that side of him. Out of sight, out of mind.
And while I don't care for LeBron due to the way he left, no one can fault him for leaving. He owed Cleveland nothing. He is allowed to move and go to another team. That was 3 seasons ago. We can move on from it. But that's how things work, especially in Cleveland. You would think the fans would realize that once player after player after player left the Indians to go to the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, etc. It's nothing new.
And he does give a lot back. Part of the decision was to give money to the Boys and Girls Club. For me, it was never about his character. The man just made a very bad, public decision in which he completely rearended an entire city in the worst possible way. It was a mistake on his part. It's over and done with now, though. No reason to drag this out until the end of days.
"Reggie Miller" and "class" have no business being together in the same sentence.
For lebron to come back things have to happen: 1.Gilbert and LeBron have to patch their relationship. I think Gilbert will get over it much faster than LeBron. 2. LeBron will have to realize its Kyrie's team. 3. He needs to make a public apology to fans for the way he left. I just don't think all of this is possible, so LeBron won't be coming back. He's just doing the same thing he did last time, leading on a bunch of fan bases.
Any team with Lebron James on the roster is Lebron's team.
The Lakers? No.
OKC? No.
Boston? 50/50, but no.
Chicago(if Rose were healthy)? No.
Clippers? No.
Spurs? No. That's Pop's team.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Give me a current player with a bigger name than James.
Kobe?
You honestly think Paul, Bryant, or Durant would take a backseat to him? I pray you're joking.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Old? Besides, they have all taken a back seat. It's not even opinion, look at the accolades. Also, anyone who watches the game wouldn't even bring Durant into the conversation. He has been invisible when matched up with James. Look, I get that you're bitter, but don't let that cloud your judgment.
So you call averaging 30 points on 50+percent shooting(in the Finals) invisible? The last time they played he had 33/7. If that's invisible, you need to get your eyes checked.
Bitter about what? I'm not a Cavs fan.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Which team won? How about in the finals? Who was the finals MVP? Regular season MVP? Look, you're whole absurd argument is leaving me jaded, I have no desire to lengthen it. If you want to point your nose the the sky and bitch about arguably the greatest athlete of our time so be it. I sincerely hope that leaves you with a fuzzy feeling, because your bitterness does not impress anyone else.
This is what you said. Now that it doesn't work in your favor you want to change it. :/
Yes, I know i'm a LeBron hater/Cavs fan(which I already said I wasn't) because I don't say his poop smells like roses.
Because impressing a LeBron fan is clearly something I care about.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Also, are you serious?
Lakers- Washed up.
Boston- Washed up.
Chicago- Rose isn't even the best at his position.
Clippers- Really?
Spurs- LMFAO.
Kobe is washed up?
Rondo is washed up?
Rose is behind who? Chris Paul? Shame on him for being behind the guy that's the best PG in the league!!!!
Downplaying Chris Paul is lol'd worthy.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
How exactly did I "downplay Chris Paul"? Kobe can score...that's about the extent of his game. Rondo is better than Lebron James? Really? Tell me, which member of the SA Spurs roster is more talented than James?
Pop's team?! Really?
You're under this assumption that him being better automatically makes it his team. The simple fact is, it doesn't. At this point a healthy Dwight is better than Kobe. But guess whose team it is.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
LeBron James, being the best basketball player on the planet, does not take a backseat to anyone. Dwyane Wade was a top 5 player and MVP candidate pre-LeBron and the most beloved athlete in Miami and it took a whopping year or so until it was clearly LeBron's team...even though he was so clearly reluctant to go seize it during his first year.
LeBron comes back i dont think they'll be as competitive as they were before with him. Not enough veteran players. Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters are 2 good young guards but they're still awfully green across the board. Not unless Gilbert goes out and tries to get 3-4 free agents to come in with him. Not sure I'd even watch them if he did come back. The Decision left a sour taste in my mouth.
"Sherman ran an option play right through the south" - Greatest.Civil.War.Analogy.Ever
He will never be back in Cleveland as a NBA player under the current ownership.
Agreed, Dan Gilbert most go first before any of that would happen.
My friend and former co-worker went to SVSM (he is younger than LeBron). He now works with the U. of Miami football team and has talked to LeBron both while he was a Cav and as a member of the Heat, but is by no means a friend of LeBron. My friend has tried to convince me that LeBron will return to Cleveland, but I just take it as his blind allegiance to being a Cavs fan. He keeps telling me that LeBron comes back to the Akron area as much as possible, and is still a Cavs fan. I wanted the Cavs to take Harrison Barnes instead of Waiters, and he tries to tell me it is because they are trying to build the team around LeBron without James even being there. I still don't believe him, but the more I see things develop, I can see it happening. However, I won't believe it til I see it.
I'm over LeBron. I was a Cavs fan before he came to Cleveland, and I'm a Cavs fan after he left to "take his talents to South Beach." I never hated the guy, but I was angry and bitter about how things ended and how he left, but honestly, since he's won a title in Miami now, it actually helped me get over him leaving. I thought him winning in Miami would be the worst thing in the world, but when it happened, I was just kinda like "alright, good for him." Now, I'm just concentrating on the Cavs and supporting Byron Scott, Kyrie Irving, and company in hopes that winning will one day be something that regularly happens in Cleveland again.
Pretty much my same feelings. I used to root so hard for his failure. After he won his title, it was like oh well. We're all moving on. Go away and stay away.
Loyalty and commitment to a professional sports team is laughable to me and it should be to you guys as well. How loyal would the Cavs have been to LeBron James if he was a bust or got injured? They would dump his contract faster than you could blink. I did enjoy watching Lebron in Cleveland though and haven't watch much NBA since then but I believe he left the possibility of returning in an interview last year. The Cavs/Cleveland would be dumb not to take him back. He is a good person that made a mistake (Jim Tressel) and would do it differently if he had the chance to.
If Lebron came back to Cleveland, it would be like a girl breaking up with you to "see" (aka bang) other people, only coming back to you once she's had her fun (aka rings) and knows there aren't really any better options around. I think it would feel desperate and awkward. While Cleveland needs a championship soon (in any sport) and he would certainly improve those chances greatly, as a Northeastern Ohio-er, I feel like the jokes that would be even worse than ones that are already said about Cleveland currently. I don't think I would accept him back, nor would a lot of fans.
To quote Superbad, "people don't forget!"
Don't give up... Don't ever give up.
This isn't entirely trolling although I feel bad saying it, but maybe Cleveland fans don't deserve to have him back. I understand the heat of the moment or month or 2 of hate but in retrospect I'm not sure how a logical fan would blame Lebron as much as Gilbert for example.
Did the Cavs draft anyone of value other than Varejao and Gibson in the decade after Lebron was picked? Did they leverage any assets into better assets? I think they made every move possible to make the team worse. Lebron made their moves look way better than they were. This includes the lack of financial flexibility due to all the bungled trades. Lucking into the #1 pick again was the only positive thing to happen personnel wise since Lebron was picked as far as I can see. The decent players they acquired like Mo Williams were vastly overpaid role players. If they built the team intelligently like San Antonio or OKC (avoid bad contracts like the plague and put a premium on draft picks), he would've stayed and probably have at least 2 rings in Cleveland by now.
That's a pretty fair point. Gilbert is certainly not my favorite person. I'm not sure if the reason the Cavs were unable to bring in better players around LeBron had to do with their unwillingness to do so, or if Cleveland is such a tough sell to top players. I would've thought guys would want to play with James, but maybe not in Cleveland. Or maybe management really didn't try hard enough. I don't know.
Most fans though believe that James quit on his team in the postseason series with the Celtics. And then he followed that up by making 'the Decision'. Although I contend that Cavs fans would've been upset regardless of how James left, the way it all went down is the thing most cannot forgive. I've personally moved on, but it took me some time. Others probably never will.
I would classify it as incompetent management of the roster rather than unwillingness to acquire quality players. Examples are devaluing draft picks in favor of overpaying bad veterans and trading for bad contracts. They could have been much more patient rather than getting in win now mode when Lebron was 19. They wouldve been better off missing the playoffs andgetting another lottery pick than overpaying guys like Larry Hughes.
Free agency such as mid level exceptions is the worst way to build your team anyway so its overblown with the inability to attract free agents other than maybe Bosh at the very end after the Miami thing was already a done deal. I would say they were trying too hard in some ways.
Firstly, Gilbert and Ferry (the two assigned the blame for not building the team properly) weren't initially there in LeBron's early early days. Those years, surely, were boned by bad draft picks. They also ascended fast enough that you can't just stop and say tank it now for better draft picks. My biggest gripe with the Gilbert/Ferry days was the drafting of Christian Eyenga...but what are you really going to do with the 30th overall pick?
Lebron held them hostage twice so they couldn't build in the normal fashion. They had to make rushed maneuvers that were run by his grace lebron first to make sure he approved and hopefully entice him to sign again. If lebron had signed a long term deal early like Durant, the Cavs likely land Ray Allen or Michael Redd in free agency as opposed to having to settle for Larry Hughes to hopefully get that clown to sign on the dotted line again. The Shaq trade was also a desperation move.
He didnt hold them hostage the first time. And Durants deal is a function of nba restricted free agency. The team has leverage on that first max extension since they can match all offers. Same with Lebron. They should have built through the draft and acquired cheap assets rather than bad contracts.
His first extension wasn't to the full length. He timed it up with bosh and wade to all be free agents simultaneusly. Durant maxed his extension length. Lebron basically held the cavs hostage for those additional 3 years because it wasn't the 6yr maximum he could have signed at the time (now it's been cut down to 5). 6yrs of guaranteed Lebron changes a lot of things both in terms of free agent attraction and long term draft plans. The short 3 yr deal left the Cavs not much better off going forward than the Magic were when Dwight only resigned a one year deal. You need core stability to make long term plans.
Durant is also fortunate enough to have 2 more top 5 draft picks follow behind him. The Cavs were not as fortunate to be as bad for as long as Seattle/OKC.
To be fair, they had a shot at Redd and Allen but those two just opted to stay with their current teams. Milwaukee and Seattle both were able to offer bigger deals and more money to them per CBA structure. Also, at that time Larry Hughes had actually put together a stronger all around season the year before than both of those guys and they got him for cheaper. Bummer it didn't turn out and that contract wound up handcuffing and haunting them for years as they never had cap space and were never back in the lottery again.
You really need to look at the roster and what year after year Danny Ferry and Dan Gilbert turned over into becoming the winningest team in the league for two years before LeBron left town. This is my biggest pet peeve of an argument out of the whole thing. First of all, they were winning a lot and had bad draft picks. Secondly, a guy named LeBron James was pressuring the organization to make quick hasty decisions to take on bad contracts to upgrade the roster otherwise he'd bolt for NYC, which was always the threat at the time. He'd even make comments about it immediately after elimination from the playoffs that they better do something to improve the roster. They turned so many garbage players into upgrades (for far worse contracts, why else was the other team just giving them up like that??) They even executed trades asked for by Bron down toward the last couple of years bringing in Shaq for Sasha Pavlovich and Ben friggin' Wallace (not to mention the entire roster shifting trade that sent total garbage players for the overhaul they pulled in, including Wallace). They traded literally nothing and got an at that time 20 and 10 Antawn Jamison to be their stretch 4 as Bron asked for specifically. In free agency, the only years they had any money to spend were horrible FA class years. In those types of years, teams, EVERY time, overspend on a tier two guy because that's what the market dictates...and when you have LeBron James over your shoulder saying "upgrade now or else" you hastily pay Mo Williams (which wasn't even a max contract and the guy wound up making the all-star game one of the two years).
People always say the organization didn't do enough. Yet no one can name anyone that was AVAILABLE that they could've brought in. Appeasing LeBron was the reasoning for the hasty decisions and not allowing for organically building the team like the Spurs or OKC (but even then, let's face it...the Spurs hit the lottery with Ginobili and Parker. Those were later picks in the draft that wound up becoming star players, that doesn't always just happen. Many other teams have tried the same approach but haven't had the same fortune. OKC had 3 top 5 picks in as many years....I surely hope they could've built something with that! We never had that luxury in Cleveland because the team was too busy enjoying success). Everyone acts like, oh they should've just traded for Kobe or they should've just signed Garnett...those weren't available options. They surrounded him with a team that was good enough to lead the league in wins twice and that was all done by trades by the front office, not through FA and not through the draft...because those weren't available options.
And do NOT bring up the, well look how good that team was after LeBron left argument, because that team the following year had D-league players playing for them. Most of the players on the following year's team never set foot on the same floor as LeBron due to roster turnover and injuries. That's the only argument that's more fallacious than the front office didn't do enough for LeBron argument.
They were certainly greater than the sum of their parts for sure. I am just giving Lebron more of the credit for making his teammates look better. They did structure the team with good shooting around him. But Varejao was the only decent contract on the team other than Lebron's amazing contract. Certainly part of that is pressure from Lebron but there were plenty of boneheaded decisions.
I couldn't agree with you more, Bolt. LeBron pressured the organization into "Win Now" mode by signing the short 3 year contract extension, publicly and privately "asking" for roster upgrades, etc.
We didn't have the draft picks to significantly make the team better via the draft but Ferry doesn't get any credit for some of the wizardy he performed year in and year out at the trading deadline and in free agency. People are correct in asserting that we never brought in a player in his prime that was a great #2 option next to LeBron, but we traded and signed for the best players that were available that fit the system that we had built around LBJ.
And why would FAs sign in Cleveland when they had no guarantee LeBron was going to re-sign with us in the summer of 2010? There were multiple reports of FAs reaching out to him, seeking confirmation that he was going to stay in Cleveland beyond the 2009-2010 season and that he wouldn't confirm that to them. How in the world were we supposed to land the best players in FA if our best player (and arguably the league's best player) wasn't doing all he could to recruit and sell others on the organization. The very organization that was at his every beck and call and did everything in their power to build a championship team around him.
"because that team the following year had D-league players playing for them."
^ LeBron's whole career in Cle. Sure you can say he brought in Jamison, which isn't a terrible pick up but Twan is old and he had maybe 5 good games for the Cavs and then in the postseason... no where to be found. And don't give me bringing in a 40 yr old shaq who couldn't even jump over a quarter laying flat.
If you want to list D League players, or in this case D League talent LBJ had his whole career, it goes something like: (Keep in mind, I'm naming the best players he's played with)
Boobie Gibson, Donyelle Marshall, Luke Jackson, Tractor Trailer, Dejuan Wagner, Darius Miles, Ben Wallace, Shaq, Jamison, Mo, Parker, Moon, Smith, Snow, Hughes, Gooden, West, Boozer for a year, Big Z, Ira Newble!, McInnis, Pavlovic, Cleaves, Kapono, Ollie, Mihm, Battie, Ricky Davis, Damon Jones, Shannon Brown, Wesley, Pollard, Flip Murray, Szerbiak, Danny Green before he actually played.
I guess you're right though, that's a pretty impressive list and looking at it... I have no idea why LBJ never won anything in Cle or why he decided to leave!!
Now look at all the other past Champions and their teams. All of LBJ's best players he had (and not counting a young, healthy shaq) would have been bench or role players for any normal team.
He didn't have time to gel with Antawn and I wished he'd given it another year. Antawn was old but he was still playing at a fringe all-star pace in Washington and was a great locker room guy. You don't tie a record for most home wins in a season and one of the highest win totals in NBA history with a bad roster. LeBron definitely made players better, but they had a nice blend of defensive specialists inside and outside, rebounding, size, shooting, etc. The only thing you can really complain about is that they never really got him that one true sidekick...but there was never an opportunity to do so. Parker was a shooter that played phenomenal peremeter defense and had a dirt cheap contract. Mo actually made the all-star team one of the years and averaged over 18 a game while shooting the ball very well. LeBron was, well LeBron. Jamison was a 20 and 10 guy at Washington and even an old slow Shaq/old slow Z was still effective when healthy. You've got Verajao coming off the bench and his defense, size, and rebounding were invaluable. Delonte West would have started for a lot of other teams and did start for other teams after leaving the Cavs coming off the bench. Danny Green was one of the last guys off the bench and he went to San Antonio and was actually a starter! They didn't have the star quality next to LeBron, but they were deep and they had a team full of players that fulfilled every role. Defensively they were one of the very very best teams in the league if not the best. They led the league in wins. That is not a garbage team. That is a team that is meticulously constructed, given some big time roster/financial restraints under CBA rules, that turned them into one of the best teams in the league. You can blame James' teammates in the playoffs as well...but James himself had an absolutely miserable series against Boston and actually gave up on the team.
Yeah I get what you're saying but using players like Danny Green in your example who never did anything in Cle besides be LBJ's dance partner, you can't use him since he never played. I get that he's good now and I get that Shaq was good back in the early 2000's. The reason the Cavs were good was because of LeBron. You could switch Kyrie with LeBron and the Cavs would at least be the 3 or 4 seed right now. I mean, that team he took the finals was absolutely terrible, he should just get a complimentary ring for that... and I know people say the East was weak back then, but he did take down the Pistons who were basically the same team they were back when they beat the Lakers in the final when Shaq was still in his prime and Kobe, and Malone and Payton.. although I will give props to someone finally helping LeBron in a series in Boobie, he straight up dominated a couple games as a Rookie.. pretty impressive. But I do understand where you're coming from so, agree to disagree? haha
If Ohio State fans can embrace Urban Meyer despite him doing this (btw, do not click on this), then I don't see how they won't re-embrace LeBron if he were to come back to Cleveland. Sports fans want a winner. If he comes back to Cleveland, it will be to apply what he learned in Miami and win in Cleveland. All he has to say is, "I came back to Cleveland because I want to be the one to end Cleveland's title drought, and make right what once went wrong." I don't see how he would not be welcomed back with open arms.
I feel like the pipedream of Lebron coming back is hindering the Cavs moves right now. They are holding onto Varejao instead of moving him for a first rounder before he is too broken to be worth one anymore and then using the minutes to develop Zeller and Thompson further.
I can't hate him any more. I still strongly dislike Lebron, but it's just been sooooooooo exhausting. I don't like seeing him win, I don't wish him well in his career, and I'm pretty damn sure I don't want him back in a Cavs jersey. I hate the way he left and the way he embarrassed my beloved CLE with his circus, but I'm just too tired of it all to keep actively hating him.
It's terrible, but I don't think I've watched a single NBA game since he left. As much as I hate Lebron for leaving the way he did.......I secretly struggle rooting against him, and would probably be the first one to scream "King James!" everytime he would make a play if he would come back.
Too much butthurt...