LeBron James is a Cavalier Again.
2014-07-11
LeBron James is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s official. LeBron gave an exclusive to Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated, in which LeBron said,
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…
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…
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.
It’s what we’ve always wanted to LeBron to say, and how we’ve always wanted him to act. The next era of the Cleveland Cavaliers starts today. I’m happy for everyone who persevered with this team for so long. Enjoy yourselves, Cavs fans. Next season should be quite a ride.
Where is Mo Williams ?
He’s playing with his Thundercats.
I could go on and on about today but here’s some bullet points. -Hell yes. He chose NEO. He could have forced his way anywhere and he wanted to be here. An understated part of his letter is that he answered many of Gilbert’s statements from his letter. He needed to get away though. He is a better man because of it. -ESPN and Windy were completely in the dark on this. They were completely out of the loop for a reason. -Chris Sheridan either threw up a professional Hail Mary or he actually had a source. He wrote a… Read more »
Bill Simmons had a great article about LeBron and his comparison to MJ, Bird and Magic. It breaks down what makes a basketball “genius” and although he, and Collins, believe there will never be a player like MJ, it talks about how LeBron finally advanced to that “final” level.
You can see it here – http://grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/
Joey1320, great pointer. Thanks.
Excited for the new season.
(Unless they make a stupid trade) everything is falling into place for a 10 year run.
Frosting: the Cavs next year will come to be known for playing their asses off every game, because that’s what the King will demand.
Close your eyes and picture a kinetic, well-oiled, and super athletic “D” popping the ball loose for monster slams.
Asked to comment, John Calipari replied “oops”
In the mass of articles I’ve been digesting on this….I came across the one by Grant Hill on NBA.com. Read through it if you already haven’t. I caught it right at the start of the second paragraph: “We had five great years together and one terrible night,” Gilbert told James, and so started the process of reconciliation on Sunday night in Miami. Read it again: “SUNDAY NIGHT IN MIAMI”. Remember that flght on Gilbert’s plane that got tracked to Florida? Gilbert WAS ON THAT FLIGHT. He flew down to meet Lebron. Filing away for future reference on what to believe… Read more »
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-lebron-james-forgave-cavs-owner-dan-gilbert-and-returned-to-cleveland-191445831.html
LEEEEEEEEEEEEEE JEEENKINS
Hehe. You know the World of Warcraft players …
I’m feeling a big Ohio reunion and bringing Oden back to eat a few minutes at our Center position. #thereturnpart2
Roll out an opening day lineup of Irving, Wiggins, James, Bennett and Oden and have 5 #1 picks starting
That would be amazing even if Oden retired the next day.
Now the teams that have $15MM to $20MM in cap space reserved for Lebron (and Carmelo) can use it to fight over Ariza and Stephenson and whoever is left. Ariza may just turn out to be a near max free agent signing with all the cash that’s just been freed up!
I CAN’T WAIT TO RIDE THE NEW ” KING JAMES ” ROLLER COACSTER HERE AT CEDAR POINT——SHOULD BRING BACK JOE TAIT FOR THE 1ST HOME GAME NEXT YEAR !!
For the record I’m completely in favor of trading Wiggins for Love. It might make sense to wait until closer to the trade deadline to increase our leverage over Minnesota, but what if Wiggins is a more attractive asset right now? If he starts the season looking like the 2nd coming of Harrison Barnes, we might end up missing our chance for a real big 3, with upside, plus Dion and Varejao. The Cavs can get Ray Allen and should. But if we’re trading Wiggins for Love, we’ll need a 3-and-D wing player for the starting lineup. Looking at the… Read more »
Disagree with Robin.
So we should trade Wiggins immediately then look for a guy to replace his skill set? Makes no sense. Wait out Minny. They’ll be desperate as CLE is the only team pushing a Love deal. Love looks reluctant to sign in many places which drives his demand way down.
Yep. Hope AB and Wiggins look like monstars tonight, and Minny starts scrambling.
AB15 is clearly in the best shape of his life now. Looking forward to big things from him…
Unless Golden State caves on Klay Thompson. There’s something to be said for striking while you have the opportunity. Waiting is a gamble.
Missing the chance for “The curse of Rocky Colovito 2”?
You’re going to have to explain what that means.
Ekpe Udoh an option for cheap rim protection (with or without Love)
Absolutely thrilled by LeBron coming back. He showed great maturity by being able to put past events behind him. No matter whether the Cavs a championship or not, he impressed me today. Excited for the season to begin.
Side note: Cleveland has Miami’s 2017 #1 with no protection.
Side note #2: Shout out to Chris Sheridan. He called this over a week ago.
Here’s to Miami being in the top 10 this year and somehow getting the #1 overall pick in 2017!
I highly doubt Miami, who now has a plethora of cap space, will be one of the top 5-10 worst teams in the NBA in 2017, but you never know.
Sorry, I didn’t specify. Cleve is owed a #1 by Miami. That pick has top 10 protection for 2015 & 16, and no protection for 17
GROVER WHAT TIME DOES THE GAME START TONIGHT ——–I CAN LIVE WITH WAITERS ( ALTHOUGH I REALLY LIKE HIM ) BENNETT AND # 1 PICK FOR LIVE —BUT AGAIN STAND YOUR GROUND CLEVELAND——I REALLY THINK LEBRON BEING AROUND WIGINS WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR BOTH OF THEM / DON’T WANT CLEVELAND TO JEOPARDIZE THAT
great comment, but have you noticed your caps lock key gets stuck a lot?
underdog very well put —agree with you —– DO NOT TRADE WIGGINS —–
Thrilled about this but I pretty much expected it all week. LeBron is emphasizing the homecoming angle which is nice, but the Cavs just make too much basketball sense if he’s trying to add more championships to his legacy. Miami was not good enough to win this season and without any ability to add impact players they would only be older and worse next year, not to mention the next few years. LeBron’s teams always succeed but he is sensitive to when he’s being forced to carry the whole team by himself, which describes this past year for Miami as… Read more »
I have been expecting it all year (feel free to scan my posts), especially after getting the #1 pick.
But I was getting antsy this morning!
WELCOME BACK LEBRON —YOU HAVE RETURNED AS A MATURE MAN—–I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED YOU AS A VERY DEVOTED HUSBAND AND FATHER ( UNLIKE MANY OTHER HIGH PROFILE ATLETES IN YOUR POSITION—ADMIRE THOSE SKILLS AS MUCH AS YOUR BASKETBALL SKILLS )———GRIFFIN YES HOLD YOUR GROUND WITH MINNESOTA —-WE HAVE THE LEVERAGE/ DON’T TRADE WIGGINS / GIVE AWAY THE FUTURE—-PAUL GASOL MIGHT BE THE ANSWER FOR A YEAR UNTIL WE CAN APPROACH LOVE LATER —-LET’S PART IN CLEVELAND !!!
Great news. Great story. ESPN can’t be happy about SI breaking it.
I cannot wait for the first home game when Lebron throws the powder up in the air. The building may collapse.
Forget the injury prone Love . . . and sinking 80% of the salary cap into 3 players. As Tony O says: don’t trade “Lil LBJ” Wiggins. (If nothing else, there’s no need to even think about Love until next year’s trade deadline. Love will be saying “it’s Cleveland or I’m gonna be a free agent in 6 months.” Then Minny will squirm and trade him for Haywood and a pick!)
Next year: Dion + Wiggins + Bennett > Love
In one year: Dion > Love
In two years: Wiggins > Love
In three years: Bennett slightly < Love (tricked you!)
So Griffin – don’t let this wave of euphoria drown your clear thinking. Stop. Take a deep breath. Wait a few days and REALLY think this through.
As exciting as it would be to bring in Love, I really want to see what this team can do without him. I firmly believe that Waiters is a 20 ppg scorer very soon. I firmly believe Anthony Bennett is going to be a very good player, and will show flashes this year that he could be a perennial All-Star. I also feel that Wiggins could be a super star. I would absolutely love to win the East this year with LeBron, Kyrie, Waiters, Wiggins, AV, and Bennett leading the charge. Then, let Love come sign long term with us… Read more »
I’ve decided that I think building around 3 stars (Kyrie/Lebron/Love) is a bad idea. I’d rather have 2 stars (Kyrie/Lebron) surrounded by a bunch of very solid other guys (Wiggins, Andy, Dion, Bennett, etc).
Right now, we have that. I don’t want Love.
Cleveland is home. Miami is just a good vacation spot
Love intrigued by the Cavs. Will commit long term.
We’ve offered Waiters, Bennett, and a #1.
I hope Griffin strong arms Saunders and hangs onto Wiggins.
I’ll be sad to see Waiters go, but we’d win about 5 titles.
Irving
Wiggins
James
Love
Varejao
Win way more titles by NOT making that dumb trade. That trade would put us in the same position Miami was in salary cap wise.
Anyone who thinks LeBron actually wrote that letter is naive. How soon we forget the hurt and heartbreak he caused four years ago. Are we that desperate as “fans” to swallow our pride and welcome the Prodigal Son back with open arms?
I have very mixed emotions about this recent “decision” to be honest…
Welcome home LBJ the Cavs fans are already proud to have its native son back where it belongs, you don’t even have to win a ring because we’ve already won. Great to have you back and welcome again. Now keep the management from making stupid mistake of even thinking of trading the little LBJ ” Wiggings” for anybody. Tonight I sleep well. Go Cavs.
Marc Stein reporting the Cavs offered Bennet, Waiters, and and #1 pick to wolves for Love who would commit to the Cavs long-term. Thats a good trade for us. Hopefully Minnesota bites, but their price probably just went up knowing that Cleveland will want to win a championship asap.
One thing to remember: Minnesota just lost any leverage they may have had. They can’t say: “Hey, you guys need Love to get Lebron.”
Just don’t send Wiggins, please. Need him to defend the best wings and keep Lebron fresh.
Stein also was wondering IF Wiggins, Waiters, Bennett, and a #1 is enough… That would be insanely overpaying.
That’s WAY overpaying.
The Cavs have the leverage. “Minny, take what we’re offering, or you can have the Celtics pu pu platter of Brooklyn draft picks. Enjoy your five-year rebuild.”
I’d rather keep the team as is than overpay for Love, even if he re-signs.
Absolutely. To be fair I think they were including Kevin Martin too but he’s overpaid and that would probably be doing them a favor. I want no part of that however.
Okay. Now I know not to pay any attention to Mark Stein. He knows nothing. He’s been thrown onto my “block sender” list along with Windhorst and Simmons.
Simmons….forgot about him. I look forward to his scathing article about why this is all wrong for the NBA. You know, because the Celtics or Clippers don’t benefit.
Simmons tweeted that he was happy for Cleveland. We shall see if he maintains that tone through the coming weeks.
Gotta play hardball with Minny…don’t give up Wiggins. Wait til the trade deadline, so we can see these young players play. What’s wrong with waiting til Love opts out? Minny has too much leverage right now…gotta wait a little.
We won’t be able to afford him if we wait until he’s a FA. But I think we should absolutely wait until January or so. Let’s see a couple of months of Wiggins/Bennett/Waiters, see who fits best, and then talk.
Great day, obviously. Plus, now we can trade Wiggins! Yay! ;)
Kidding!
Mostly…lol
Hate to be that guy, but isn’t the SI guy named Lee Jenkins?
Oy. You’re right! I hope when he hit submit he yelled “LEE ROY JENKINS!!!”
Lmao just noticed this
Guys – I am so happy right now. We’ve been grinding through these seasons with a bunker mentality. This is our time now.
Also…”THE REBUILD WORKED” lol
“THE REBUILD WORKED”
Hilarious sentence
Let’s say thank you in a meaningful way: http://lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org/donate
This is a great idea, just donated myself.
I think they are looking for money donations, not indentured servants, but that was still a sweet gesture! ;)
Great suggestion. Done!
SO HAPPY… and so many angles to think about… Here’s hoping the heat are in the lottery next year, but get the # 11 pick. This of course means it is conveyed to Cleveland Here’s hoping LeBron returns to # 23, because it will be difficult retiring TWO jersey numbers in the coming years Here’s hoping that Cleveland keeps Andrew Wiggins. I’d rather have Wiggins on a rookie contract than Kevin Love on a short term deal. Here’s hoping the Cavaliers can find another center (Chris Anderson???) Here’s hoping the Cavaliers can sign Ray Allen and Mike Miller, who would… Read more »
Preach it Charlie! That letter heals a lot of wounds. I’m so happy he’s realized what he means to Cleveland outside of basketball. He’s coming home to be our hero again
Agree with Charlie, and pretty much everyone else.
My faith in LeBron being totally smart is restored, so I assume he has conveyed to the Cavs: “Whatever you do, don’t trade Wiggins and Bennett!”.
So, so good. I feel like a missing piece of my soul was just put back.
This is about restoring the relationship of fans and athletes that makes sports run. All pros everywhere should be thankful to LeBron for making it about more than just money and publicity.
Wow. That letter is great. Thought the part where he said he’d still have gone to Miami was really interesting – don’t fault him at all, that’s a mature point of view.
Would love to see some reaction here on the blog about how Cleveland sports fans have matured over the last 4 years as well. I know my perspective has changed a lot. It would have been very different if he made this decision 4 years ago. This might be more rewarding.
Sports fans never mature. If we did, we woudn’t have blogs.
Lol. Ok, so maybe “changed” is the word i was looking for.
The king has returned!
Where’s Brandon and all his “LBJ isn’t coming back” and “How dysfunctional is the CLE management” BS?
I would have stood by that if they didn’t get him. Obviously they had a verbal and LBJ was waiting for the SI article to drop. Where was the leak/source on that ESPN?
That letter is perfect. I also find it wonderful that he gave it to SI and not ESPN.
One note: No mention of Wiggins or Bennett. Wiggins has not signed his rookie contract, because if he had, he couldn’t be traded for 30 days. Wiggins, Bennett and picks for Love? I hope not. I doubt Waiters is trade bait given his mention.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Either way, welcome home, LeBron.
Very astute observation.
Ugh. Don’t trade Wiggins. So dumb.
I agree…give up as many draft picks as they want. Ten #30 picks are not going to be worth one Wiggins.
Keep an eye on the Vegas league game tonight. If Wiggins and Bennett end up not playing….
Kinda bummed about that. Most likely going to happen.
Awesome letter though
Lebron also says that ‘It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010’ so hopefully that means no panic trades to try to win next year…
Maybe he just doesn’t mention Wiggins and Bennett because they haven’t necessarily played in the NBA much and he has personally played in games with and against the others he mentioned. I got the sense from the letter that the team intends to build from the ground up and embrace his mentoring role.
I hope that is the case. I’d love to see what this team can do under his tutelage, especially Wiggins and an in-shape healthy Bennett.
Here’s a thought: Could Love play center?
He played some center for Minny, and hated it.
Greatest open letter to Cleveland in history. The wrongs are righted. Welcome back Bron
I could cry, been a tough 4 years. Ive called every family member already. A bit surreal.
What a fantastic letter by Lebron.
Gilbert could learn a thing or two about class.
unbelievable. wow.
I’m looking forward to the extreme excitement and an unbelievably fun season. We have a lot to look forward to with this team. It’s going to be a fun ride.
emotions. all of them…