LeBron Can Envision Playing For Cavaliers Again

[Purch]

In an interview with GQ, LeBron James says he can envision a return to the Cavaliers someday.

"If there was an opportunity for me to return," he says, "and those fans welcome me back, that'd be a great story."

Presumably, James means he would return to Cleveland towards the very end of his career.

While talking about Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, James evoked the third person.

"I don't think he ever cared about LeBron. My mother always told me: 'You will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You'll get a good sense of their character.' Me and my family have seen the character of that man."

He went on to say that Gilbert's reaction "made me feel more comfortable that I made the right decision."

James also speaks of growing up in Akron, only 30 minutes from Cleveland: "It's not far, but it is far. And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us.… So we didn't actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There's a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day."



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/08/lebron-james-talks-about-the-decision-his-hate-for-cleveland-as-a-child-and-a-possible-return-to-the.html

[LoneStarState'sPride]

"La lengua es un fuego, un mundo de maldad."

Nothing to see here.

[HarlemHeat37]

Good quotes..

Gilbert acted like a slave-owner for most of Lebron's tenure in Cleveland, and their fans are horrible..

Akron still loves Lebron, as they showed last week during one of his many charity events..

[TheMACHINE]

damn...i didn't know slaves got paid millions to work.

[JamStone]

Akron Cavaliers 7-8 year old camp team?

[hater]

damn, Cleveland must really really suck.

Haven't seen general population so despise a city since the days of Sodom and Gomorah

[ohmwrecker]

LeBron should implement his "no press" rule and just stop talking for awhile.

[Venti Quattro]

damn...i didn't know slaves got paid millions to work.

i wanna be a slave

[HarlemHeat37]

The money isn't the issue, look beyond that..

Lebron was going to get paid millions of $ anywhere he went, he's an extremely rare talent..just because the man was paying his checks, it doesn't mean he was entitled to treat him like a slave and talk down on him like he did..he showed no class whatsoever..

[Gutter92]

When people talk about the "slave owner" aspect of this story, they don't refer to the money. They refer to the pure anger, the rage that Mr. Gilbert felt, after LeBron decided to leave. The sort of anger that a slave owner would have if a slave ran away. He felt like LeBron BELONGED to him, and it was a shock that he left, so he showed his anger via the letter.

[baseline bum]

LeBron with more salt in the wound, nailing Cleveland's ass to the tree of woe.

[HarlemHeat37]

When people talk about the "slave owner" aspect of this story, they don't refer to the money. They refer to the pure anger, the rage that Mr. Gilbert felt, after LeBron decided to leave. The sort of anger that a slave owner would have if a slave ran away. He felt like LeBron BELONGED to him, and it was a shock that he left, so he showed his anger via the letter.

Great post Gutter, as usual..no idea why you aren't bolded yet..

[redzero]

The money isn't the issue, look beyond that..

Lebron was going to get paid millions of $ anywhere he went, he's an extremely rare talent..just because the man was paying his checks, it doesn't mean he was entitled to treat him like a slave and talk down on him like he did..he showed no class whatsoever..

Poor LeBron. All he got in Cleveland were privileges that few players before him have gotten. :cry Dan Gilbert is so horrible for letting LeBron basically do whatever he wanted while he was a Cavalier. :depressed

And those billboards, too? Mean fucking slave owner. :cry

[Smooth Criminal]

Lmao he talks in third person too! And in the ESPN article he says people are spoiled by his amazing exploits on and off the court lol

[Basketballgirl25]

he'll want to play with the Cavs again because at that point, no other teams will want him, everyone will be wanting Durant instead

[DazedAndConfused]

This is why children need to be raised with a strong father figure. You can clearly see how it has affected Lebron.

[Mark in Austin]

When people talk about the "slave owner" aspect of this story, they don't refer to the money. They refer to the pure anger, the rage that Mr. Gilbert felt, after LeBron decided to leave. The sort of anger that a slave owner would have if a slave ran away. He felt like LeBron BELONGED to him, and it was a shock that he left, so he showed his anger via the letter.


That is such bullshit. If you as an owner were punked on national TV by a player you've spent the last 7 years doing everything for, you would be pissed too.

If LeBron had informed the Cavs ahead of time and Gilbert reacted like he did, then there would be reason to criticize. I'm not saying Gilbert's response was right, but it was understandable given the slap in the face he had just received.

Were all those fans in Cleveland who were so pissed also angry slave owners? No. It's not that LeBron left, it's the classless way he did it.

There's plenty of real racism in the world. No need to go making shit up.

[TheMACHINE]

When people talk about the "slave owner" aspect of this story, they don't refer to the money. They refer to the pure anger, the rage that Mr. Gilbert felt, after LeBron decided to leave. The sort of anger that a slave owner would have if a slave ran away. He felt like LeBron BELONGED to him, and it was a shock that he left, so he showed his anger via the letter.

Did the Slave Owners write in Capslock/Comic Sans too?

[Cry Havoc]

That is such bullshit. If you as an owner were punked on national TV by a player you've spent the last 7 years doing everything for, you would be pissed too.

If LeBron had informed the Cavs ahead of time and Gilbert reacted like he did, then there would be reason to criticize. I'm not saying Gilbert's response was right, but it was understandable given the slap in the face he had just received.

Were all those fans in Cleveland who were so pissed also angry slave owners? No. It's not that LeBron left, it's the classless way he did it.

There's plenty of real racism in the world. No need to go making shit up.

Didn't LeBron state that he didn't make his decision until the morning of the announcement? There's a very good chance he was leaning toward staying in Cleveland. He said his mother gave him some unexpected advice which really helped him decide where to go.


Poor LeBron. All he got in Cleveland were privileges that few players before him have gotten. :cry Dan Gilbert is so horrible for letting LeBron basically do whatever he wanted while he was a Cavalier. :depressed

It was not LeBron's responsibility to put together a championship team. That's what an owner and a manager are supposed to do. And if you give the reigns to a (then) 19 year old player and say, "We'll do whatever you want" you deserve to get burned as a franchise. The fans don't deserve any of this, but I've seen nothing out of the Cavs organization that indicates they're very competent at assembling a good basketball team. You have the greatest NBA prodigy maybe EVER in the league (Jordan wasn't as hyped entering as the #3 pick), and you're unable to put together a team that can make a serious run at a title, save the 2007 Cavs in which LeBron had to beat the Pistons single-handedly and managed to survive a horrifically weak Eastern Conference?

This is simply the Cavs organization trying to drum up support by trying to pass the buck for completely bombing as an organization and bringing in Mo Williams (and after 6.5 years, Antawn Jamison) as the 2nd best player. For a title run? :lol Not quite what is needed. Can you imagine if Duncan was in San Antonio or Kobe in LA for almost a decade, and the best they can do to help him is Mo freakin' Williams? The fanbase would be rabid, but it wouldn't be at the best player on the team.


And those billboards, too? Mean fucking slave owner. :cry

Exploiting a player's fame to make money is the mark of a generous person, now? Every owner does it, but that doesn't make them a nice person for doing so.

[TheMACHINE]

lol Cry....you really think Lebron decided the morning of The Decision?! haha

[v2freak]

v2freak thinks that James is ridiculous for referring to himself in third person, and that just because he stated he decided that morning does not mean that he actually did.

[Lp26]

That whole article was full of BS. I can't believe he's really that out of touch with reality.

[I. Hustle]

damn...i didn't know slaves got paid millions to work.

[ajh18]

When people talk about the "slave owner" aspect of this story, they don't refer to the money. They refer to the pure anger, the rage that Mr. Gilbert felt, after LeBron decided to leave. The sort of anger that a slave owner would have if a slave ran away. He felt like LeBron BELONGED to him, and it was a shock that he left, so he showed his anger via the letter.

Gilbert was expressing the same frustration that all of Cleveland felt. Someone is your hometown hero, you believe in them, support them no matter what... and then you find out he is leaving on a nationally televised special in which he refers to himself five times in the third person?

If I were Gilbert, or Cleveland, I'd feel disrespected, and as if my emotions had been used as a promotional ploy to get more attention. The notion that expressing that anger and those feelings of betrayal, whether it was an actual betrayal or not, equates to believing you "own" someone is ridiculous. It's not that Gilbert or Cleveland felt like they "owned" Lebron. It's that they felt there is a right way, and a wrong way, to make a decision like the one Lebron made and inform your fanbase about it... and they feel Lebron chose the disrespectful way.

There was, and still is, real slavery in the world. "No rights, your life is forfeit, you don't have control over your body or anything you create or earn" slavery. Comparing a mean letter to the behavior of the criminals in the world that perpetuate these acts is an insult to the people who actually know slavery first hand and have suffered from its effects.

[HarlemHeat37]

My reaction to Jackson's statement was as immediate and powerful as the one my friend, sports commentator Mike Wilbon, described on one of his shows about his response to Gilbert's tirade. "Without any consultation with Jesse Jackson," Wilbon said, he wondered, "Wow, did one of [Gilbert's] cotton-pickers get away?" He added that "tens of thousands" of black men agreed that the owner's anti-LeBron rant failed the racism "smell test.'

[Kermit]

The only thing Dan could be blamed for is failing to prevent Delonte from turning LeChokes mom out.

[TheGreatest23]

damn...i didn't know slaves got paid millions to work.

[TheProfessor]

My mother always told me: 'You will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You'll get a good sense of their character.'
:rollin

[Spursfan092120]

damn...i didn't know slaves got paid millions to work.
:tu couldn't agree more.

[21_Blessings]

Wilbon is such a faggot.

[Mark in Austin]

Didn't LeBron state that he didn't make his decision until the morning of the announcement? There's a very good chance he was leaning toward staying in Cleveland. He said his mother gave him some unexpected advice which really helped him decide where to go.

So tell them that morning. There's no excuse for disrespecting your team and your fans on national TV like he did.

[HarlemHeat37]

He didn't disrespect anybody, TBH..I could possibly understand if he was a restricted FA, but he wasn't..he no longer had a team, he had no obligation to the Cavs in any way, he was a Free Agent..

Lebron wasn't(rightfully so) going to give up generating 6 million $ for charity just so the Cavs' could know his decision beforehand..the fact that he was no longer obligated to them means that they shouldn't have had any "special privileges" over any other team..no other team knew, there was no reason for the Cavs to be different than any other team..

[ducks]

The money isn't the issue, look beyond that..

Lebron was going to get paid millions of $ anywhere he went, he's an extremely rare talent..just because the man was paying his checks, it doesn't mean he was entitled to treat him like a slave and talk down on him like he did..he showed no class whatsoever..
yes rare talent to quite in playoffs
only other player ever to do that is rodman

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol Ducks, what are you gonna do when He wins 8 in a row?..

[v2freak]

He didn't disrespect anybody, TBH..I could possibly understand if he was a restricted FA, but he wasn't..he no longer had a team, he had no obligation to the Cavs in any way, he was a Free Agent..
Lebron wasn't(rightfully so) going to give up generating 6 million $ for charity just so the Cavs' could know his decision beforehand..the fact that he was no longer obligated to them means that they shouldn't have had any "special privileges" over any other team..no other team knew, there was no reason for the Cavs to be different than any other team..

Maybe in the official business sense, he had no obligation to tell them. But he wasn't exactly what Damon Stoudemire or Derek Anderson was to the Spurs. He was their superstar, their leader for a longass time and a hometown hero.

[Chillen]

imo If he wins a couple rings in Miami, don't bother. If they don't win a single ring in Miami with the James/Bosh/Wade trio it's possible the fans would feel sorry for LeBron and welcome him back. I can't imagine if the Heat wind up being really good and winning multiple NBA titles that he would be welcome back there at all. He'd have to show up ringless...he didn't win squat there in Cleveland except an NBA finals appearence against the Spurs in 2007. They were all witnesses to failure, if he had led them to an NBA title he would be welcome back with open arms. The fans probably have a huge chip on their shoulder, lots of money spent on 1 player who they believed was great enough to lead the Cavs to an NBA title. They burned his jersey, if that's not a sign to go f**k yourself I don't know what is. They wanted him to win them a championship and the owner went out of his way to accomodate LeBron.