OT-Lebron James returns to Cleveland

Submitted by BlueCube on

I just heard a report on TV that Lebron is returning to Cleveland. He made a statement to Sports Illustrated.

mGrowOld

July 11th, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^

I know.  Isn't is AWESOME?  I'll be happy to pick one up for you and Shembo - what size do you need?

Look.  The last time this area won ANYTHING I was exactly five years old (1964) and living in Pontiac.  If my memory serves in that time span the good folks of my home state have won two World Series and appeared in four, won four Stanley Cups and appeared in six, won three NBA titles and appeared in five.  That's not bad.  in those 50 years a team from Detroit has either won or appeared in a final of one of the big four sports every 3.3 years and won it all about 5 years.

Cleveland has appeared in two World Series and lost both and one NBA final and got swept. That really sucks. 

johnthesavage

July 11th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^

You don't even have a hockey team (the Barons don't count), so using the Wings is a bit unfair. And hey, we've got the Lions. When it comes to the biggest sport in America, we have been boned since 1964 unlike any other, no question. That's worth a lot of negative points on any scale you wanna come up with, in my opinion.

That said, congrats. You're going to win some, no doubt. Especially if you get Love w/o giving up Irving or Wiggins. I mean, you've got arguably the best player in NBA history in his prime, plus three of the last four number one draft picks. Think of the agony if this team doesn't win, either!

jmblue

July 11th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^

Eh, it's Cleveland.  They'll still screw it up.

You know what's going to happen.  After 11 years in the league, LeBron's body is ready to break down.  He'll have season-ending surgery by Thanksgiving, and then get crappy advice from the team doctors and trainers during rehab that will turn it into a Grant Hill situation.  Cleveland can always find a way to mess up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

rob f

July 13th, 2014 at 7:31 PM ^

"home state" ( in other words, Michigan), then why aren't you including Cincinnati along with Cleveland in your tally of World Championship appearances and championships and only then adding things up for the state of Ohio? 

Being that Cleveland is part of Ohio, I shed no tears for the inhabitants of that sad s***hole of a state.  May Cleveland, Cinci, and Columbus (especially OSU) never win any title in anything ever again!

MGoGrendel

July 11th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^

I never thought he would go back.  He is a bigger man than most people give him credit for; not many would return after "the letter" and all that happened.

Wishing him the best of luck and I'm on to find a new favorite team (can't pull for cLEAVEland)

Anyone know good players in Sac Town or Utah?

jblaze

July 11th, 2014 at 1:55 PM ^

this is huge for his PR/ endorsement machine. Hometwon hero returning home. His only other option would have been to stay with the Heat, but then they would have had to dump Wade.

It's LeBron's best PR and best chance of winning again (Irving and Wiggins).

stephenrjking

July 11th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^

Yes, because PR and endorsements are all that people we don't like care about.

You know what would be even better for PR and endorsements? New York or Los Angeles.

Maybe, just maybe Lebron actually cares about he place he came from. Like those of us who are Michigan ex-pats still care about our home state. Maybe there is a reason a man who is rich enough to live anywhere in the world still spends his summers in the Akron area.

Maybe he's not such a bad guy.

BradP

July 11th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

Its really hard to believe he's coming back for the love of Cleveland, when his return coincides with Cleveland being absolutely stacked with commodities.

If they didn't luck into the first pick, the talk about trading for Love isn't happening, and Lebron probably isn't going back.

stephenrjking

July 11th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^

There are lots of teams stacked with commodities. Cleveland is one, but they've also squandered a fair amount of opportunity as well. Houston is loaded, has max money to throw at Bosh, and would take LBJ at the drop of a hat. Why not them?

No doubt the ability to win played a role. But if that and publicity were the only factor he would go somewhere else.

johnthesavage

July 11th, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^

Cleveland is a better opportunity to win 6+ titles than Houston. Wiggins is a freak, and has a chance to be better than Harden for sure. Howard is already in decline. Meanwhile, the Cavs might add Love while keeping Wiggins. And frankly, I'd already take Irving for the rest of his career than Harden. This team is more set up for the next 5+ years easy, moreso than any other team with cap-space in the NBA.

The fact that he gets to play the "back home" angle, and show that he's a bigger person than Dan Gilbert, is all just icing on the cake, and will be great for marketing. But this is the decision that gives him the best chance of all to win 6 or more titles, which you know is really his goal.

OMG Shirtless

July 11th, 2014 at 7:46 PM ^

There were 8 teams that were worse than the Cavs.  There were 8 teams that had better odds to win the lottery.  Winning the lottery from the 9 spot is due to either luck or a conspiracy.  Take your pick for which one you think it was.  Most people who don't wear tin foil on their heads would call it luck.  

PhillipFulmersPants

July 11th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^

sub 10%?  

I'm an overtipper pretty much regardless of quality of service, which probably isn't a great policy, but having waited tables back in the day, I understand that service staff get shafted a lot by knuckleheads.

Same applies Im sure for bell hops, cab drivers, whatever. Some people just don't tip, for whatever reason. 

1464

July 11th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^

The common story was that he left 10 on an 800 dollar bill at a steakhouse, but Espn radio reported a separate incident in which he was confronted by a manager defending his employees because of a similar situation. I can also relay a couple of secondhand accounts because a girl that worked at a bar I managed had been dating a cavalier player while he was there the first time.

gwkrlghl

July 11th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^

I remember hearing about Elway saying or writing something like "get a real job" to a server when they racked up a several thousand dollar tab at a restaurant. My opinion of him changed immediately. I liked Elway as a kid, but there's nothing like ignorant rich people talking down to poor/middle-class people to get you annoyed in the morning