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Forums - Sports Discussion - LeBron James Chooses the Cleveland Cavaliers!!!

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers

by LeBron James (as told to Lee Jenkins)

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.




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An hour ago:



Wow after how that manager dogged him and how the city cursed him and burned jerseys etc wow. Well as a long time Heat fan I wish him the best there and now my team has PLENTY of cap space to rebuild! Hopefully they make some good moves and get some more key players!



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soulfly666 said:
Not going to lie, I think this whole thing is HILARIOUS.


I think the people in this thread are hilarious, because most of them  have no clue to what they are talking about.



BMaker11 said:

An hour ago:


People in Miami are some of the most casual sports fans on the planet.

*One week later from today*

Heat fan: "Huh? LeBron's gone?"



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DolPhanTendo said:
This right here proves je is a self center EGOtistical jack ass and is the reason NBA is 5th most popular sport here in the U.S. This puts him no where near Jordan comparison and Damn I cant stand him.

Care to explain? By the way, the NBA is #2.



Honestly this gives him some good points for me, but I still think he's a Douchbag asshole!
Now Carmelo come to chicago damnit!



DolPhanTendo said:
This right here proves je is a self center EGOtistical jack ass and is the reason NBA is 5th most popular sport here in the U.S. This puts him no where near Jordan comparison and Damn I cant stand him.


So much salt.



DolPhanTendo said:
brighat said:
Why does the NBA have this obsession with having Cleveland being home to the elite? Seems like the NBA is giving this team every opportunity to be a power in their league. Two consecutive wins in the lottery and now LeBron? Something screwy is going on...


NBA has been fixed for years reason why i havent watched a game in 9 years

So you haven't watched a game in almost a decade, yet you feel qualified to discuss it.

Why would the NBA be obsessed with Cleveland? No one can just accept that the lottery may be possibly, unbelievable, improbably RANDOM. There will be some that are extremely lucky, and some that are cursed. Normal sports fans say the NBA is biased toward large markets. This is the first I've ever heard someone say the NBA is biased toward little ass Cleveland.

Also, what is so unbelievable about LeBron wanting to go back to where he started? Get this people: HE'S NOT A ROBOT! He's a human being. You think he's not self-aware? He's very concious of all the venom and vitriol sent his way the past few years after The Decision. He's very aware of how he left the Cavs in shambles. He's very much tied to the community in Akron, where he spent his entire life before the NBA. His wife wants to raise their family in Ohio, close to home and family.



As a total noob on basketball, isn't this saying he thinks his team of the last 4 years isnt good enough?

sounds like someone wants to be carried



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