The Spurs beat down was so bad that it made Lebron humble, damn!!!! Let this be a lesson to all you kids out there. You might be the best at what you're doing in this world but somewhere, someone will beat you so bad, in the end it'll make you humble.
Tend to agree - why would he announce it was between two teams/towns, one of which has already been hugely upset with him? Why would he raise their (Cleveland) hopes only to shoot them down again? Makes no sense so Cleveland was a no-brainer.
Amazing how in this day and age Lebron was able to have a freaking meeting in Miami for 4 hours with Dan Gilbert and the others. Must have been a covert-op to say the least
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LeBron's friends and family cried when they read the first drafts of his essay. Wasn't about Cavs or Heat, was about home, home fans.</p>— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/statuses/487670997592842240">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I'm pretty sure if someobdy was tossing Jesus Shuttlesworht double-digit millions per annum, he'd be there regardless of where LeBron is.
So what number do you think he takes? Keeps the 6? or retakes his cavs 23 (which i feel like he gave up to shed the Jordan comparison). I dont think the fans care, its not like they dont all have to go get new ones anyways... all the old lebron jerseys were banned and burned in '10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Can't write emphatically enough how blindsided the Heat is right now by LeBron's decision. At start of free agency, Riley was confident.</p>— Joseph Goodman (@JoeGoodmanJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeGoodmanJr/statuses/487674547814936577">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LeBron is back. This just went up on Prospect and East 9th <a href="http://t.co/feHvdOKGKM">pic.twitter.com/feHvdOKGKM</a></p>— Jordan Zirm (@clevezirm) <a href="https://twitter.com/clevezirm/statuses/487652992410066944">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>According to the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Cleveland is now a 4-1 favorite to win the 2014-15 NBA Championship (Miami is 100-1).</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/statuses/487674867290882048">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Second NBA source: The Warriors have no plans to offer Klay Thompson to Minnesota, even if CLE comes in aggressively for Kevin Love.</p>— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) <a href="https://twitter.com/timkawakami/statuses/487676119793946624">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He gave them 4 Finals appearances and 2 championships. Can't ask for any more than that in this day and age. LeBron's college analogy was spot-on- 4 years with Miami, graduates with honors and returns home. CLE.
Here is a copy of LeBron's essay in case you missed it: 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.
