Insert Lord of the Rings Joke Here
2013-01-14
Would we take him back?
The Lebron-to-Cleveland tumors rumors have started back up again. Here’s a link. I don’t have much to say about this, and I don’t feel like arguing with anyone. The idea of Lebron coming back leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’m sure many people feel that a chance at getting the best basketball player in the world is something you don’t pass up. But I sincerely hope that the Cavs don’t handicap our next two years of basketball for a shot at the hometown hero who stabbed us in the back, then twisted the knife.
Summers, you summed up every thought I had more eloquently than I ever could have. Beautiful, and precisely my point.
I don’t think you realize how contradicting your argument is. I don’t give a damn is he’s the five-time reigning MVP, that doesn’t erase the way he embarrassed the city and left the team in ruin. I’m not forgetting the wins he got us, and I’m not forgetting how much I enjoyed those years. But that has NOTHING to do with the way he left the team. Nothing. If Art Modell was still alive and had limitless amounts of money to buy the Browns back and guarantee signing big-time free agents to ludicrous contracts, almost guaranteeing playoffs in the next… Read more »
@Summers
Holding a grudge is far more immature than “forgetting what he did to the city”. Of course, you’re willingly forgetting all those wins we enjoyed with Lebron here.
Seriously, how can people call themselves Cavs fans when they don’t want our team to sign the reigning MVP?
If you want a championship so bad just root for Miami
Oh because letting your ego allow you to forego a likely championship, plausibly a string of them, joy as a fan for years, and, in the organizations case, millions and millions of dollars, is somehow not shortsighted and immature? Definitely don’t forget, and keep a weary eye on the situation, but if he wants to sign the dotted line to a long term commitment, the only thing holding the organization back would be one of the most expensive, franchise crippling grudges of all time against an immature 25 year old doing what he had every right to do but in… Read more »
If LeBron comes back to Cleveland, I will no longer support that Cavaliers as an organization ever again. Sure, “we” as a collective city can (and should) forgive. But forgetting what he did to the city is immature and short sited. We will never forget, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t forgiven. Don’t bring him back!
Scott’s book is a thing of beauty. Catharsis at its best.
LeBron is the only Superstar in the league that doesn’t need to be convinced to come to Cleveland. So if LeBron wants to come back and try and win multiple titles and retire as a Cavalier I’m 100% with him. There has to be a lot of people who feels like a lighting bolt just struck the tip of their penis when you start imagining a Kyrie, Waiters, LeBron backcourt, add Thompson/The plethora of picks we have and the Championship door swings wide open. I want to see the Cavs on ESPN everyday i want to actually be recognized as… Read more »
Damn. All you need to do is drop the “L” word and bang-54 responses. I’m long over Lebron. My heart was healed by Scott Raab and his scathing book on the slut of Summit County. It helped me realize that this is nothing more than a subterfuge. It’s my escape from dealing with convoluted LA women, not using my degree, writing screenplays that will never be sold and bartending in a deli. It’s our outlet to escape this brutal bullshit world where skies are grayer than a chimney sweeps lungs and rivers catch on fire. My expectations have been lowered… Read more »
L.A. radio Mason and Ireland suggest they have inside knowledge of the Cavs operations (I guess one of them worked for the Cavs at some point) and have said that Lebron and Gilbert had a private sitdown with LBJ saying he wants to make good on what he did to Cleveland.
@ Rodney Mac I realize that it wasn’t just Lebron leaving. But the fact remains that Lebron went to the Finals (and choked) while the Cavs lost 25 games in a row. Hard to say that he made the wrong decision by leaving. He has a ring and the Cavs do not. Personally, I stopped being mad at Lebron once Kyrie proved to be a future superstar. And yes, I believe he quit against Boston….just not mad about it anymore. I want the Cavs to win a title and signing the best player in the league (in his prime) would… Read more »
Dani I got your back. If LBJ is with the cars it will be some mixture of he yankees, the Heat and Nazi Germany to me. Cason makes a decent point though. If Miami ends up being a failure then maybe if the Bulls knock him off in the second round this year and next year they only win 50 games and don’t make the finals and LBJ comes back disgraced. If the cavs beat him in the playoffs I’ll be able to handle it. But if he wins another championship no way no how will I ever root for… Read more »
Anyone here who says “we don’t NEED LeBron”, you are on crack. Almost any team, let alone this one needs one of the top-10 best players on their team to win. Let’s face it, most are sticking where they are (Durant, etc), or getting too old (Kobe, etc.) LeBron would be a coup. LeBron and Kyrie have known each other pretty well for 5 years, I think they can share the ball. The other 3 players on the court are not very important in the 4th quarter when it matters, other than to hit a 3 once and a while.… Read more »
I agree that the 60-win Cavs teams were legitimate contenders and Lebron failed to hold up his end against Boston. That being said, the move to Miami (and the resulting collapse against Dallas) apparently led Lebron to FINALLY realize that 1) He needs to embrace playing down low and 2) In the playoffs, you need to play like a superstar regardless of the talent (or lack thereof) surrounding you. Basically what I’m saying is that Lebron ditched us, but he went to Miami and he figured it out. It would be silly to reject him now that he has finally… Read more »
Tom
I sort of agree on the talent, however Mike Brown proved to be a horrible coach in the playoffs. I’m really glad he’s gone.
Sorry people, but if LeBron comes back and wins a title with the Cavs, it will in no way at all diminish winning a championship.
Not at all. Anyone who argues this is nuts.
The spectacle didn’t decimate the cavs, the fact he left did. And the fact he left was entirely his right and entirely justifiable, even if his immature way of doing it was not. If you continue to hate the man, you are hating him because of the spectacle, not the decimation of the cavs. If you hate him for the decimation alone, then you should hate every big name free agent who ever signed anywhere else, and not want the cavs to ever get a quality free agent in the future.
Dani, He decimated the Cavs, but the Spectacle of the decision was besides the point. If he would have left as gracefully as possible we would be in no better position than we currently are. It was the fact he left, not how he did it, that caused the decimation. And if you take out your Cavs Are the Only Thing worldview, the choice itself to find better teammates, take less money, and enjoy his youth in a more vibrant city are entirely justifiable, and reasons you would find elating if another star free agent used them to justify coming… Read more »
Maybe I’m the only one here who holds a grudge. But the Decision decimated the Cavaliers. And whether or not he likes it, Lebron will always be linked to the Decision. Don’t tell me you buy into that shit about how he didn’t create the spectacle. He took his friends’ advice, but it was his call.
The pain is duller now, but it’s still there. Seeing Lebron in a Cavs uniform would be just as weird as it was to see him playing on the HEAT for the first time; more so, perhaps.
To me, the more success Lebron has in Miami, the less I want him back. But say last year were to be his only title with the Heat, his run there would ultimately start to look disappointing and like a mistake. He did have the humility to say he handled The Decision wrong, and that he would want to play again in Cleveland, where we are happy as clams with Kyrie Irving. In a scenario like that, everyone could admit we loved each other all along like an old BF and GF and accept each other back, cuz it’s not… Read more »
they might have had enough talent to win a championship, but multiple teams do ever year. He wanted to have the best talent available to win a championship, and if you take Lebron off the heat there is no way they aren’t in the post season, much less going on a 26 game losing streak.
Lebron wasn’t the only guy on those teams to dissappear in the playoffs. Hustle guys find the hustling harder (Andy) and Mo Williams was a shell of himself.
@Vesus I’m not sure his choice was validated by winning a championship. The reason he lost to Boston his last year in Cleveland, is the same reason he lost his first year in Miami. He collapsed in the playoffs. His disappearance when the pressure was on. Likewise, the reason he won last season is because of the way he took control. Especially, when facing a close out game in Boston. I think the difference between winning and losing had more to do with him than his team. Had he shown that same resolve in Cleveland, he most certainly could have… Read more »
Yeah – I disagree Vesus. The last two LeBron-led Cavs teams had more than enough talent to win championships. This is reflected in their records (regular season and playoffs), their point differential, their depth, their size, and how they defended. In 09 they ran into a buzzsaw and Dwight Howard exploited them. It helped that pretty much everyone on that Magic team had the series of their lives. In 2010 the Cavs went into Boston and BLEW OUT the Celtics going up 2-1 with home court advantage. And then something happened (no one knows what) and LeBron just wilted like… Read more »
And really, what is the alternative? Overpaying non-elite talent like Paul Millsap to some huge deal that we will regret in 2 years? Seriously?
News flash: Free agents don’t want to come to Cleveland without being grossly overpaid. If Lebron is willing to come back, you sign him without asking questions.
Lebron’s decision (as poorly executed as it was) was validated when the Cavs completely collapsed and the Heat made 2 straight Finals (winning 1). Say what you want about the man and his decision making, but Lebron made the correct choice if winning a title was most important.
Now, coming back to Cleveland could be the best choice for future championships. Not sure why any true Cavs fan would have a problem with re-signing the best basketball player in the NBA.
Alex, that’s one fo the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.
I would almost rather have Andrew Wiggins then Lebron.
I’m going to suggest a very good reason why LeBron needed to leave. He was, by all accounts, surrounded by his high school buddies. His high school buddies were almost definitely steering him in directions that were best for them, not what was best for him. Part of the standard advice for newly rich people, including newly signed athletes, is to watch out because most everyone you ever knew will suddenly be acting like they’re your best friend (because they want your cash). By leaving town, he almost definitely shed at least some of his hangers-on, at least temporarily. I… Read more »
I’d throw a party, you will all be invited.
Come on people lets be realistic here getting LeBron back would be an incredible thing for this city 1st off. You all know you like the pieces we are collecting, the future picks we have, and the cap flexibility were building up. If LeBron doesn’t leave we are the same team year to year with LeBron trying to beg/convince some other Star player here. I really like this team right now and am very confident that LeBron is coming back not only because this is his home and he likes Cleveland but he knows he has unfinished business here. The… Read more »
All that said, I’m turned off by Lebron enough, and obviously distrusting enough, to not want us to put all our eggs into the 2014 basket. If there is a possibility of adding high impact players between then and now to reasonable deals, then we should do it.
Don’t want. I like where this team is going with Kyrie and Dion as the primary playmakers, and Tristan and Andy (when he’s healthy) as double double machines. Draft a legitimate NBA SF this year and get a backup PG and one more big and you’ve got a decent rotation with CJ, Gee, Tyler, and Casspi. I think that’s a team that can develop into a contender. The last thing this team needs is pressure from its superstar around the trade deadline to sacrifice the future stability and viability of the team to “win now” by acquiring the corpses of… Read more »
Andrew, Adding Lebron, inarguably the best player right now, would not be a “gimmick”. Kyrie having one year of 4th quarter brilliance, and then falling hard on his face this year is not the equivalent of lebron’s resume. There is no other Max Player likely to come to Cleveland that is anywhere close to Lebron’s level. We have a gaping hole at SF. Kyrie hogs the ball as much/more than Lebron currently does. If you want to give a few of Zellers/Dions/TTs shots to Lebron, there is a no way that is a bad thing for the teams success. We… Read more »
Honestly I don’t want Lebron Back. At the same time, it would immediately make the Cavs serious serious contenders in the immediate, and he is the only marquee, absolutely worth a max deal, type player that might come to Cleveland. Obviously I would hope there were serious apologies and reperations made, but if the man played his cards right and acted humble about it, I could welcome him back. Lets face it, the decision was incredibly stupid. Lebron has admitted as much. But the guy was staring at a locked in roster of low-end Varejoa, Antawn “aweful” jamison, ramon sessions,… Read more »
I think pelliot nailed it. It was a really bad move to execute his FA choice the way he did. However, I believe “The Decision” was more a business move as opposed to personal. He didn’t start out by trying to come up with the worst possible way to leave Cleveland, it just turned out that way. Not much would change for me if he does or doesn’t come back. I’ve always been a Cavs fan (30+ years now), and always will be. I guess I’m willing to take him back because I’m a Cavs fan, and not necessarily a… Read more »
Would be the worst decision ever to bring LeBron back. Just look at how he has impacted Bosh and Wade down in Miami. Both are seeing drops in their stats over the years and had to take back seats. Here in Cleveland you’ll have 6 first round picks learning to share and distribute the ball, and you want to add the biggest ball hog since AI to that equation? LeBron would take Irving off the point in the fourth quarter (which is a terrible idea considering how good Irving is when he controls the game). Not only that, LeBron doesn’t… Read more »
If Lebron came back, it would prove my collusion theory correct. I once theorized that Gilbert and Lebron formulated a scheme to get high lottery picks, which could never have been acquired with him on the team. The theory goes as follows…. They decided that no significant free agent talent would sign in Cleveland, and there were no real trade chips on the team as it was constructed, and as long as James was in Cleveland they could never get a high lottery pick to pair with him. After coming to this conclusion they decided on “the decision”. Knowing how… Read more »
Gilbert would welcome LeBron back if LeBron wanted to be back. It is a business, plain and simple, and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of value are at stake. Don’t forget that drawing more people back downtown means more casino players too. I think they need to hash out what happened, but if LeBron wants to write his ticket here, Gilbert will print it. LeBron destroyed the city psychologically on national TV, yes. But, he hadn’t even turned 25 yet and was being led by a bunch of other 20-somethings. None of us here has ever been perfect, and… Read more »
Any championship in Cleveland would be satisfying.
But Lebron is not coming anywhere near Cleveland. The only person with that kind of nerve is that one guy who played his free-agent signing in a 30 minute special on TV. Ha. THAT guy is someone to be hated.
I don’t really think it’s petty. And I also think a championship with Lebron could never be truly satisfying.
I would rather see a championship in Cleveland than hold some petty grudge against Lebron.
I appreciate it, Chris. It really shocks me that so many people are partial to the idea of Lebron in a Cavaliers jersey once more. I was branded as the crazy Cleveland fan along with everyone else the night of the Decision. I doused my Lebron Jersey in Lighter fluid and set it on fire. When I burned that jersey, I did so with the intentions of never seeing Lebron James in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform again.
You’ve gained so much respect from me. Thank god for Terry Pluto and you guys, I can’t stand any other writers in Cleveland, especially ESPN Cleveland and Waiting for Next Year (horrible fall from grace in the past year).
Sports is about emotion and overcoming adversary. This would fly in the have of that
I like Rihanna. But I like you even more, Rodney Mac.
If the cavs got LBJ back I don’t think I would be able to express how much I would hate them. I hated the heat more than any team ever for the last 3 seasons. My level of scorn for the cavs would dwarf that if they signed LBJ. If Gilbert offered LBJ a contract ever again I’d probably cease to watch the NBA which has been my favorite sport since 95 when I was 5 years old. I’ve never understood rooting for a team just because they were good. I’ve never done that, not to say I haven’t rooted… Read more »
bumsquare, let’s be friends.
We should definitely welcome Lebron back. We should also give Florida back to the Seminoles and start cheering for the Ravens. Let bygones be bygones.
Fuck that!
Man who ever on here talking about they won’t accept him back is a damn lie their gonna be the fist ones buying his jersey’s and shoes and shit again but I personally would like to see him as a cav again and it will be even sweeter than when he was here before because he would have a LEGIT point guard and i believe they would be a Legit contender immediately
Nevermind, it’s 2 points (most recently by Golden State vs. Toronto in 2004). They could still beat Chicago’s record for fewest points in a game (49 vs. Miami in 1999).
Is 5 points a record for fewest points in a quarter?
If you take emotion out of it, why shouldn’t the Cavs be just as mercenary as the rest of the NBA? LBJ is just another prime asset they can use to piece the championship puzzle together. If not him, then K Love or another major piece. Whatever it takes to keep KI from making his own painful decision in a few years.
Scarily, the logic makes some sense- why the Cavs passed up on Barnes….why they didn’t (seriously) address the SF position in free agency…why they are hoarding cash in general.
It’s incredibly disappointing. I don’t want him back. At all. He’s a whore. I don’t want a championship if we have to pimp to do it.
Don’t look now, but the Hawks have only 20…at halftime. Tom Thibodeau, take your bow.
Keep in mind I’m not justifying anything he did. He was just plain stupid. A stupid person who made a very stupid choice thanks in part to the advice of his stupid friends.
I felt that way, too, but I realized he was getting terrible advice at the time. It was exceptionally stupid, arrogant, and insulting, and I was livid like everyone else.
But like I said, I do think he’s learned some humility and has changed in the past two years. I’m still pissed about the Decision, but I feel the guy deserves a chance to show he’s really changed.
In my mind, Lebron took the decision beyond the realm of simple sports bitterness when he made it The Decision.
I, for one, welcome our new basketball overlords. I am at present trying to figure out how we can add LeBron and another max player (K-Love?) over the next 2 seasons and kinda hating myself for it. I gave up actively rooting against him a long time ago and feel emotionally divested from him at this point, which is absolutely for the better. I do think he’s realized a lot about humility since the Finals loss against the Mavericks. The prospect of having the best player in the game playing next to a top 5 PG (presumably top 3 at… Read more »
I am full of crap about most things, but I would definitely welcome him back. Minutes after The Decision I threw up. Then I couldn’t sleep for two nights. That’s when I realized I cared too much about something that doesn’t care about me back. Dan Gilbert has moved on, but he’d welcome Lebron back too. Both are different people than they were in June of 2010. I just hope wherever he signs it will merely be a tweet of him wearing a new hat and not an ESPN special.
This is a done deal, the prodigal son returns to bring Cleveland its first chip in decades.
Do I want him back? No. But would I still hate him if he were back on the team? Unsure. I would love for the Cavs to become a competitor again, but like you said, I don’t think this is the way that it should be done.
I’m not full of crap, and I don’t want Lebron back. It just seems like a pathetic way to gain success….licking the boots of the man who left other Cavs a shuddering shell of a team.
I sure hope LeBron comes back. Everyone is Cleveland who says she/he woudn’t root for him or wouldn’t welcome him back is full of crap.
It would be awesome to watch him play for the Cavs again. Full arenas, 60 win seasons, long playoff runs, leading off sportscenter, it’d be great!