It’s always interesting anytime an excessive amount of hoopla
surrounds one individual. And when that person happens to be just
25 years old, it adds to the all-encompassing story.
Does anyone around here care where LeBron James goes?
It doesn’t matter in the Bay Area. It isn’t like the Golden State Warriors’ front office is eager to make a splash with a big offseason free agent signing. We Believe?
But I digress.
It’s always interesting anytime an excessive amount of hoopla surrounds one individual. And when that person happens to be just 25 years old, it adds to the all-encompassing story.
Even if you couldn’t care less but watch SportsCenter on a nightly basis, the first half-hour has been inundated with James-apolooza. It is almost comical.
New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami, Cleveland – no matter where he chooses, the money will be there.
All the allure of the Big Apple, or the nightlife and beaches in Miami, or playing in the city where Michael Jordan is immortalized, James has a difficult decision to make. It is a choice that could change the landscape of the league.
Forget all the superficial reasons for being a pro. Play for the love of the game, play for the people who turn to the sport for joy or relief. Stay in Cleveland, LeBron.
That city – which hasn’t seen a professional team win a title since the Cleveland Browns captured the NFL championship in 1964 – has embraced the phenom for the last seven years. He has brought the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers from league obscurity to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and led the team to the NBA’s best record in back-to-back seasons the last two years.
For all intent and purposes, Cleveland is home.
The championship, however, is still a fantasy, so close to coming true yet so far away. Especially if King James bolts for a loftier throne.
The threat of that happening has been hanging over the city like a never-ending thunder cloud.
His fans’ worst nightmare may be coming true. But it is in James’ court to ease their worries – and he should do that by sticking around for a few more years.
It’s about time a wealthy athlete does the right thing, understands what he means to a team and try, as difficult as it is for some, to stay slightly humble in a situation such as this.
Yes, the other teams may have more intriguing sales pitches, promising to acquire a surrounding cast worthy of playing with James to reach the pinnacle of the sport. The Cavs can pay James, but whether they can sign his right-hand man is the issue.
James doesn’t owe the city anything; after all, basketball is his job. But by staying he may generate more fans around the country and shed some of the stigma that follows pro athletes.
Stay in Cleveland, LeBron. At least until you win the ring.
