This might as well be called the LeBron blog.
Once again I was surprised by LeBron James. He decided to forego the glitz and glamour of South Beach to return to Ohio where he was born and raised. James abandoned the Heat, leaving them with two more championships and a whole lot of great memories. He eschewed the chances for another Big 3 run in order to return to his familial roots in Cleveland. I couldn’t be happier for the dude. It seems now that things lined up for him just right. He is the returning leader of a rising franchise, he instantly redeemed himself to the media and the petulant fans who hated that he’d made the smart choice to leave in the first place, and along with Nike’s own Johnny Manziel, he’s brought the flash to Cleveland.
The Manziel connection is interesting and needs to be explored further. With James seeing himself as a mentor, it is interesting to note that Manziel, who is desperately in need of a mentor, and James are close friends. This return feels less orchestrated and conspiratorial than that, but the stars are aligned for Ohio to rise in two sports.
I was touched by LeBron’s letter to the fans. He gets it. He sees that this is about more than basketball. It is about friendships and challenges and doing right by the people who raised you. I still don’t think Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cavs gets it. I still feel he is a guy who saw his golden goose fly away and now is smug about having that goose back. Still, that doesn’t even matter. LeBron isn’t going back for him. He’s going back for his legacy, for his fans, for the kids he supports through his charities.
He’s going back to put Cleveland on the map.