More of this please
The following is a guest contribution to Cavs: The Blog.
Part 1: Understanding LeBron AS Cleveland [Part 2] [Part 3]
Everyone has an opinion of LeBron James. It may not be a stretch to say that after Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, more Americans have an opinion about LeBron James than any other living person. I attended a banquet for an engineering professional society last Thursday and spent some time meeting the wives of my colleagues. At one point I was engaged in a lengthy conversation with an extremely outgoing 60-year-old woman from Panama. After covering a wide spectrum of topics she asked me “who do you like for the basketball?” ”You mean the Heat vs the Mavs?” I asked. ”Yes, who you like?” In the past I’d have answered a question like this with “I just want to see a good series.” After all, she may have family in Miami, or have a particular fondness for Udonis Haslem – who knows. I don’t think about things like that any more because I don’t think when it comes to LeBron James and the Miami Heat – I just react. So I answered the sweet lady “I want Dallas to destroy Miami – I really hate that team.” After I said it I realized the tone of my answer was incredibly out of place next to the high-level pleasantries that were being exchanged. She smiled and said “GOOD! I CAN NOT STAND JAMES LEBRON!” She seemed genuinely excited and continued: “Listen to this! I heard a VERY funny joke. I gave LeBron one dollar bill and ask him for change. He give me seventy-five cents!!!!!” I laughed convincingly despite failing to comprehend. Later, through twitter, I understood that LeBron wasn’t able to give the poor old lady a 4th quarter. Everyone has an opinion of LeBron James and I am no different. But understanding why I want LeBron James to fail at basketball for the rest of his life requires a deeper understanding of the prism through which I view LeBron James.
I grew up in a Cleveland suburb and was indoctrinated at an early age about where my loyalties lie. I knew my teams were the Browns, Indians, and Cavs. It was an easy concept for me even as a child – these were MY TEAMS, the best of the best representing me, my family, my neighbors, my community. These weren’t overpaid, selfish, prima-dona, egotistical, godless athletes setting out to claim their place among the gods – they were strong, hard-working, blue-collar, God-fearing underdogs. Maybe that was my mistake – being a 6-year-old with role models, a naive romanticized understanding of professional sports (the same one that every single professional league wants us to embrace) and never really growing out of it. My father definitely fostered my admiration for Cleveland’s professional athletes. He knew my favorite player was Mark Price and he believed (as I do to this day) that Price was a worthy role-model. A 6-foot farm boy that became the best shooter in the history of the NBA and played the game the right way. A second round draft pick that never missed his foul shots. I remember my Dad telling me over and over that “you know where games are won or lost? The free throw line.” He wrote Price a letter at some point basically saying he was glad that he played for the Cavaliers because it gave his son an all-star to look up to that was also such a great person. Then he asked Price to sign an enclosed photo for me for my birthday. Price even personalized it – one of the best presents I ever received.
For whatever reason, I fell in love with the Cavs at an earlier age than the Indians and Browns – probably because I enjoy basketball more. I remember begging to stay up to watch all the games on channel 43 and quietly listening to all the action under my pillow when the games were on cable, or it was bedtime. I can remember exactly how Joe Tait would call out plays. Minute details, like how his voice would get excited, fast, and high-pitched when Larry Nance would come over for a weakside block (BLOCKEDbyNANCE!) , and how that call always seemed to differ from his draw-out, methodical, (as if he expected it) tone of voice when Hot Rod Williams battled for a rejection in the post. (Blaaaaahked by Haaaaaaaht Rahhhdd!!) I remember that Larry Nance was always “wham with two hands” and Brad Daugherty was always “WHAM with the Right HAND!” I can remember where I was when I heard Steve Kerr drain a half-court shot against the Celtics in the playoffs. I remember Craig Ehlo hitting a 3 at the buzzer to beat the Jazz after he was the inbounder and there was only 1.3 seconds left in the game. I remember listening to the Cavs beating the Suns (on the road) in 1993 when the Suns were the best team in the NBA – I was so excited I almost couldn’t contain myself. It was shown on tape-delay later in the evening and I watched start to finish – even though I knew exactly what was going to happen. I cried the day my Dad told me the Cavs traded my favorite player – and that’s when I fell in love with Terrell Brandon, Tyrone Hill, and the rest of Mike Fratello’s scrappy bunch.
Growing up I was unaware of Cleveland’s reputation. I remember my Aunt telling me that my Grandfather had helped coin the phrase “Best Location in the Nation” – Cleveland’s motto. I knew that a Christmas Story was filmed in Cleveland, and that we had the best Orchestra (read the description) in the world. It wasn’t until 2004, LeBron’s 2nd season, that I realized how much everyone outside Cleveland dislikes Cleveland. That we were called “the Mistake by the Lake”. That we were the Yankees farm team, a decaying pit of rusted steel mills, and the place that could NEVER hang on to LeBron James. I had known that our sports teams were cursed and that we never had a chance to win the big one because we traded away Rocky Colavito (my Dad’s favorite player) but I had no idea people, particularly writers, straight up thought, as a city, we were trash. I rejected it all. This was my home, my roots, the place where all my family and friends live – WE were Cleveland, OH. At some point, sometime after this, my love of Cleveland the City, NBA basketball, and The Cleveland Cavaliers organization converged.
After the 2006 season I became immersed in the online basketball sub-culture. My best friend got me involved – he had joined some forums and been in a back and forth with a deranged Laker’s fan (the only kind). Of course the topics of contention almost came to define our fandom for the next 5 years – LeBron vs Kobe and Cleveland vs Free Agency. At first I merely looked up a variety of statistics and fed them to my friend so he had more credibility in his arguments. Eventually, he convinced me to create a user account – I did and it really opened up a new level of intensity and commitment to my fan experience. I was no longer just an NBA fan ready to be entertained, I was a solider on the front lines of the battle between Cleveland and “the haters”. I embraced the NBA’s statistical revolution and became a huge fan of John Hollinger and Neil Paine – not because I particularly cared about advanced stats, but because they proved to be the best argument FOR LeBron in the never-ending internet battle with Kobe’s minions. When 82games.com came out I relished the opportunity to debunk the “Kobe’s so clutch” claims every Laker fan held as canon. The arguments that Henry Abbott mercilessly repeats today were started by Cavs fans 5 years ago. I knew the advanced stats by heart, recorded every Cavs game, and did my best to constantly fend off the “LeBron’s just going to ditch you guys” lines that followed every basketball argument after I destroyed my ill-prepared illogical foes. Every game was discussed – the implications were great. The best days were those when the Cavs started beating the Lakers – I really went to town then, and decided I needed a blog more than I needed to be fighting off Laker trolls in comments section. My Facebook photo was a LeBron dunk, my internet avatars were PER lists sorted by rank with LeBron and Kobe highlighted. Now I was writing articles 4 or 5 times a week. Long articles, REALLY long articles, articles that maybe 5 people were reading and 4 of them were angry Laker fans trying to find any weakness in my arguments. When Kobe joined Team USA I buried my patriotism and live-blogged his putrid performances. I noted how much LeBron dominated the competition and played within the flow of the offense while Kobe jacked up hero-shots and was constantly getting burned at the other end by shamelessly going for steals. I bookmarked the FIBA stats pages and reproduced them as often as I could. I wrote an almost four thousand word essay in response to Sam Smith claiming that LeBron got preferential referee treatment and that his low foul rate was an obvious example of extreme star protection. Four thousand words on LeBron’s fouls. I don’t emphasize that as an outlier in length, as I had a propensity to try make my arguments so thorough that people wouldn’t dare disagree just out of fatigue – but what an obscure and fairly meaningless topic! Truehoop linked to it and the tagline was “don’t complain about LeBron’s fouls unless you want to deal with THIS guy.” (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED)
I even tried proving that Cleveland was good enough for LeBron and that he would never leave. I believed the entire speculation was fueled by elitist writers (read my comments) who were simply jealous of our good fortune and lusting for our home-grown star. I believed that their goal was to turn speculation into a self-fulfilling prophecy – sending LeBron to a larger market where they thought he belonged. I had the Tim Duncan arguments, the “he just built a huge mansion” arguments, the “his license plate is KNG of OH”, I had hundreds of hours of video examples of LeBron the consummate teammate, not LeBron the entitled star that threw his young teammates under the bus and demanded trades. At one point I wrote an article for a friend’s blog and ESPN used pieces of it for a Daily Dime-type special on LeBron’s presumed future departure. The article was titled “The Top 10 Reasons LeBron James will Never Leave Cleveland”. It’s chilling in some ways to re-read that piece. Not just because of how wrong I was and how fooled I had been – but because it is dated January 2008! Two years before “The Decision” my fan experience was being so tainted by threats of such a decision that I felt compelled to write something that defiant – and it was such a pertinent topic that ESPN, the worldwide leader, felt it apropos to cover. And in the very first paragraph I point out that this constant nagging assertion from the media and fans that Cleveland is not worthy of LeBron had been bothering me “for years”. I remind myself of this every time some smug writer tells me to just appreciate what LeBron did for me for 7 years – that is, that almost 5 of those years were under a constant shadow of anxiety – that he would leave. I convinced myself at the time that it was 100% media generated, but I was just kidding myself, LeBron had a lot to do with those rumors, particularly in 2009 when it became difficult to “enjoy the ride” because our collective psyche was that of a helpless kid waiting for someone to pop his balloon.
I think when people ridicule Clevelanders with a half-serious “getting dumped in a relationship” analogy to describe what happened when LeBron James left they may not realize how accurate that analogy is. He was the Prom Queen and we were the envy of the whole school. LeBron James was a shining beacon of success, style, fame, and jaw-dropping talent. He was also local. He went to school with friends of mine. He played AAU ball against my cousin. [He may have been "from Akron" but that distinction never resonated since the vast majority of NorthEast Ohioans aren't "from Cleveland proper". In fact the Coliseum was located closer to Akron than Cleveland, so drawing battle lines between Akronites and Cavs fans on issues related to the Cleveland Cavaliers is absurd.] The media and the trolls could take their uninformed pot shots at Cleveland but they certainly couldn’t de-legitimize the game’s best player, and our homegrown son, not on our watch. And that is how he became more than a player playing a game – he became our face to the outside world. That is why we hung a monstrous Christ-like image of a man in our city – that is why we bought Witness T-shirts, that is why we took it so personally when he refused to represent the Indians – since they were also a part of our collective psyche. It became unhealthy. Looking back it was pathetic. A ridiculously awful music video using the tune from We are the World (yes) featured the GOVERNOR OF THE STATE (really). That happened! And it didn’t happen because Cleveland was addicted to chase-down blocks and Kraken-releasing dunks. It happened because (for many) LeBron James literally became the symbol of Cleveland, OH. And LeBron’s “decision” would be the ultimate endorsement or indictment of our beloved home.
LeBron’s decision, intentionally or not, meant this to me: ”I don’t care at all about you or your city.” Quite simply, there are a lot of people that don’t care about me or my city – in fact MOST people don’t. But this stung – it really really hurt. It cut both ways. I didn’t spend thousands of hard-earned dollars on t-shirts, shoes, jerseys, posters, and other memorabilia bearing the name of most people – I bought LeBron’s. I didn’t spend thousands of dollars on tickets to cheer on most people playing basketball – I spent them to lose my voice spurring up MVP chants for LeBron. Way more importantly, I didn’t spend hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours blogging, commenting, photo-shopping, compiling, and publishing in support of most people – I did it in support of LeBron. I fought an NBA sub-culture war, (quite possibly the silliest thing I’ve ever admitted to) in defense of LeBron’s honor. Because to me, LeBron became Cleveland – and I will always support Cleveland.
I felt rejected, betrayed, and those feelings quickly gave way to embarrassment and shame. Embarrassed that I would go so far and expend so much energy on someone that did not even know I existed. Someone that, at his core, could literally not care less about what I thought of him. Someone who’s “fans” existed solely to elevate his already incredible ego – disposable fans. It was the ultimate disrespect. In one instant I knew that I would always root against LeBron. LeBron, the man that preferred tattooing himself with slogans and themes instead of living them. But that is only half of the reason I want LeBron to fail (repeatedly). That is the static half. The other half is what is left – a singular question. One that has been feverishly answered by many pundits but not the masses, and not yet by Cleveland. Did he make the right decision? The question is loaded, the answer is complicated, but when you tear away a few layers the wrong answer has paralyzing implications for a region struggling with its identity. The correct answer of course is that he made the wrong decision. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you, just like the old times…
Check back for Part 2 of “Why I Want LeBron to Fail (Forever) “
Awesome post, Tom! My draft profile of the #32 pick won’t be this cool.
GREAT POST!!!!! Forwarded it to all my email friends!
Incredible post!
Definitely a piece worth reading, wether a LeBron hater or admirer.
Can’t want for the next 2 pieces.
Keep fighting the good fight, Tom! You speak for all of us.
Real ballsy and original of you to post this the day after Lebron loses the finals and everybody else is crucifying him. Couldn’t you find something better/more productive to do than finishing the next 2 parts of this essay? I mean this is getting pretty ridiculous. Why let hatred toward a player define your fanhood? And why isn’t anyone writing a 3 Part Essay on Why I hate Danny Ferry (and the other Cav’s GM’s)? Is it Lebron’s fault the best players he ever played with in Cleveland became part of the worst team in the league the year after he left? The media and fans define success in winning titles while qualifying that success in certain narrativizing and value-creating ways – a real champion must be loyal to the team that drafted him, get there the “right” way, be the alpha dog and best player on his team, defeat, not team up with, his rivals, be contrite before victory is attained, etc. etc. This is frankly ridiculous.
I get that you feel betrayed by Lebron but this can really be put on your unrealistic expectations and narrativizing of sports. You set yourself up for failure when you personify the athletes you root for and define your relationship with your team as a personal bond. In my opinion rooting for your team exists in the moment – I hope my team and players find success in the current season, root for and embrace my players in the current season, but act without an expectation of continued loyalty. For younger players and rebuilding teams, there is obviously some hope and expectation of continuity – that younger players will stick with your team and improve so your team can find success – but I accept that the player is not obligated to play for your team beyond their contract and believe this is more an issue of contracts and the CBA than personal character. Any other expectation sets yourself up for failure and establishes hypocritical standards that favor the fan over the player. You are more than willing to support a trade of a “loyal” role player or injured star player that helps your team, but then turn and attack that player when he leaves of his own volition.
Full disclosure- I am not a Heat fan or Cavs fan but a Celtics fan. I rooted for the Mavs in this playoff series not because I hated the Heat or because the Heat beat the Celtics, but because I am a fan of Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs style of basketball. I hope Lebron finishes his career with a ring because I am tired of the unwarranted string of media criticism of Lebron and think a player of his talent level should finish with a ring. I also do not hate the Cavs and hope this year’s draft goes well for them.
One last note – Lebron was not the instigator of the decision. It was Maverick Carter and Jim Gray. See Deadspin or the new Espn book before you (inevitably) criticize Lebron for the decision.
Though I also didn’t want LeBron to win this year, my feelings about a lot of things are quite different from yours. Still, I admire the way you’ve really opened up and expressed yourself (does that sound corny?). I look forward to the next installment. I don’t mean this in a snarky way, but I really think that LeBron doesn’t play with the passion he did in Cleveland. When I compare how he played in the playoff series that the Cavs lost to Orlando to these finals it’s not even close. Maybe he doesn’t know how to play with another superstar, or the all of the antagonism is getting to him. I don’t know. It’s possible that he’ll come out of this better than ever, but for now he looks like a shell of himself.
And in response to the last thing Dan said above: LeBron is a grown man. He didn’t have to participate in the Decision whether he was the instigator or not (and I don’t know how you would have that kind of inside information).
@ Dan – Stop making excuses for Lebron. Please just stop. It’s embarrassing. Perhaps you could find something better to do than write a long and pathetic defense of Lebron James.
Dan, the timing is irrelevant — safe to say this post reflects the way many Cleveland fans felt last week and still feel today and will still feel next year — but it’s not Tom’s doing, nor is it a case of piling on. Tom was invited by John Krolik, proprietor of this blog, to write a counterpoint to last Friday’s “On Hate” post that took a dim view of continued animus toward James.
Dan, if after reading Tom’s post you still think he should “just get over it”, then you absolutely missed the point of the post. For you basketball seems to be just a simple “root for the moment” type of an experience, but for Tom and a lot of us Cavs fans, it is much more. That is why we won’t let go.
We hold on to these emotions and use them to fuel our everyday lives. From celebrating the moment Nick Gilbert raised his right hand after learning he/the Cavs/we, acquired the 1st. pick on the upcoming draft. To unquestionably enjoying the moment LeBron walked out of the court with his head low and no ring on his finger. These emotions will carry us through and shine bright for days to come.
I’ve been blessed to have, what I consider, a good life. I have a great wife, an old but beautiful house and a great family. And I will go back to that life and all of it’s blessings/problems, but I will do so even happier knowing LeBron didn’t get it done!
Great article, Tom. After this Finals loss, I think I have gotten over “The Decision”. This season I hated Lebron, the player, for turning his back on the city while we struggled with a 19-win team. Now that he lost and the Cavs are on the upswing with some great young talent, Lebron’s departure doesn’t bother me as much.
However, I will still always “want Lebron to fail forever” because I despise Lebron, the person. He stands for everything that fans hate and what is wrong with the league. Lebron is spoiled, he blames his teammates, doesn’t show up in the clutch, and complains. He is a self-promoter, takes shortcuts, and lies. And after all of this he has the audacity to play the victim and tell the “haters” that they have to face reality.
The real world is not a bubble, and your actions have consequences. That’s something Mr. James needs to realize and nothing is guaranteed in life. Remember: hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
I worked the Finals for Cbssports.com. Miami is a beautiful place with great people, but they have to be the weakest sports fans in America. The energy 5-min before tip was non-existent. I’ve been to regular season Cavs games with more energy in the building.
I just can’t imagine a guy like Lebron choosing to play out his prime in a city that doesnt truly appreciate his greatness. He should have picked a place where the fans would live and die with him every day. It’s going to be a long lonely off season for LBJ.
Note to all sports fans – and it’s not a bad life-lesson either: Stop letting your happiness depend on other people. And don’t worship anyone once you are an adult – ever. And don’t confuse worship with love. You might have worshiped your parents or other adults as a kid, but you should have realized through the years that worshiping someone can only end in disappointment, as no one is perfect enough to deserve that worship. Love people that deserve your love – but love and worship are different things.
I know this may sound preachy but stay with me here. I’m a Clevelander and I’ve been thinking about this ever since “the Decision”.
I grew up in Cleveland and am still a Cleveland sports fan although life has taken me other places and I don’t live there anymore. I will be a Cavs, Browns, Indians fan for life. As a child I would cry when these teams lost, but as I grew up I began to recognize sports for what it is, it’s entertainment, a diversion from life – but life is always more important.
I was disappointed LeBron left and I think that he and his people handled it terribly. Maybe LeBron’s a terrible person, and maybe he’s a saint. I don’t know, and I don’t care. He’s not a friend of mine, not family of mine. He doesn’t know me and doesn’t care about me. Then why would I tie my happiness to his actions – I shouldn’t.
It’s understandable given what has happened through Cleveland sports throughout the years, that LeBron became an object of worship by those in Cleveland. The city was starved for a championship and here came this local kid who was arguably the best player in his sport on the planet. But that worship – though understandable – was misguided. LeBron is still just a person. He is not a savior. No one is. He doesn’t know you, love you, or hate you. He just doesn’t consider you – no athlete does. He’s just a man who is going to do what he believes will bring him happiness. We should all do the same.
Yes, athletes will say they love the fans, or do it for the fans, or appreciate the fans. But that’s all they can really do – appreciate the fans. They can’t love you in a way that will bring you any kind of happiness that is fullfilling or sustaining. So why do we sometimes stake so much of our happiness on what they do? Maybe we just haven’t grown up. It still happens with me. I’ll get angry if my team does something stupid, or disappoints me. But that disappointment usually is fleeting now, and I then get on with my life.
The children we are hard-wires us into the adults we will become. Our loves and passions as children develop the beliefs we will have as adults. When we were kids, it felt so good when our team won, and we felt pride in the accomplishment. But we didn’t really accomplish anything in those victories – that doesn’t mean those victories are meaningless – they can make us feel good, but that feeling is fleeting. Depending on it to sustain you isn’t healthy, because you are depending on the actions of others to make you happy.
The sports culture we have today wants us to feel we are part of the action – but we’re not. Often we don’t ever lose that connection we mistakenly thought was there as a child – that our team winning was “us” winning. We aren’t in the movie, we are just spectators. We can still get viscerally involved in the movie and laugh or cry at the ending, even if we knew what was coming, but when the credits roll and the lights come up, it’s over – we were just told a story. That’s all sports are – a story – a reality show maybe, but still just a story. That’s why it’s fun to frame people as heroes and villains and underdogs. But when it’s all over – it’s over. It’s just a movie you’re watching – you’re not a participant in the story – you just paid your money to be entertained.
I still love Cleveland; I still think it’s a great place. The city will win a championship someday and everyone who has been holding their breath for 40 – 50 years can breathe again. My point is … why wait for that. Go out and live your life, Cleveland is a great place, if you care about it so much, spend your passion and energy making it a better one.
Sure, cheer for the Cavs, Browns and Indians, but they are not nearly as important as the people you love and love you. The Cavs, Browns and Indians players don’t love you, they aren’t even aware of you.
LeBron doesn’t care about you, and that is fine. Why care so much about him? LeBron can’t make you happy. Only you can make you happy. Do that.
Awesome post. I love how John “Hot Rod” Williams is simply listed as “Hot Rod Williams” in the Cavs v Suns box score
“you want to perform well for nobody else besides your teammates. That’s ultimately what it’s about for me. If I can play well for my teammates, help my teammates win basketball games, then I’m always satisfied with that.”
Everyone is rightfully piling on Lebron for the comment he made about the average person waking up tomorrow and dealing with their problems while he gets to be Lebron James. But I think the above comment he spewed out is just as bad.
How many times do you hear an athlete say “this is for the fans”, “we have the best fans ever”, “the fans deserve this one”, etc. With that comment, TWOA comes right out and says he doesn’t play for anybody but his teammates. I’m guessing the paycheck is pretty high on that list too. Of all the things he plays for, wins for, loses for, it seems like fans aren’t even on the list. The only reason he tolerates us lowly mortals is to stroke his ego and his wallet and then he’s done with us. It would truly be something awesome if this chump never wins a title.
Well said Matt. I’ve been weaning myself off sports idol worship the last few years and the decision sealed it for me. Players, owners, coaches, media – none care about Joe Fan. They play us to make millions and billions of dollars, throw us a shoutout every now and then but in the end, as long as we support them, they don’t care for us.
It would truly be an amazing thing if we could unite, stop spending our money en masse on sports products, and see where they are without us. But like peace on earth, I’m sure this would be impossible to pull off.
Great article. I haven’t been able to really muster the hate for Lebron even though I was terribly hurt and disappointed by his leaving. Still, seeing the Mavs win was a relief.
I hope in the future Lebron finds his way to redemption. Learning some humility would be a good start. A sincere apology to the fans in Cleveland for The Decision show would be a good first step, too.
I wish people would stop telling other people how they should cope with things that bug them. Mind your own business. If someone wants to harbor a little anger about getting shit on by someone they invested themselves in, then so be it. Puppet or not, own that huge shit you just took on Cleveland and make amends. And not with some half-assed apology a year later.
If you feel like you can separate your love of Cavs from Lebron the last 8 years, then good for you. But I think you’re just dealing with the stench in your own way.
The thing that kills me with James is that he doesn’t realize he is a poor public speaker. He would be so very much better off following the Tiger Woods example of being as cliched and boring as possible. He just can’t win if he goes off that script.
This is not a personal attack. Conveying meaning clearly is very difficult. For all I know, when he said that thing about everyone waking up the next morning and having the same life they had before he actually meant that everyone should keep things in perspective – it is just basketball and life goes on. But when you look at what he said, especially in writing, it could mean anything from life-goes-on to whatever-you-all-just-wish-you-were-me.
Looking forward to the rest of the article!
3 parts? Really?
Great post, Tom. I’m looking forward to the next two. Thank you for writing it and thank you John for requesting it.
Krolik and Colin- You seem to forget that there are two words in the name of the team we love and you write about- Cleveland and Cavaliers. You guys do a good job of covering the second part- the xs and os, the pure basketball.
But when John questions how we can cheer for Chicago over the Heat and Colin tells us to get over Lebron and stop hating him, it is painfully apparent that you guys don’t get the first word at all- you don’t get Cleveland. If you got Cleveland you wouldn’t neglect your Cavs blog to cover the Heat Index (following in the footsteps of Lebron, Windhorst, and all of the others who have abandoned Cleveland when the going gets tough or the stories are too small market).
John- it seems like you are on your way out. If that’s right, please consider leaving the blog in the hands of someone like Tom, someone who not only can tell us interesting things about the Cavaliers, but someone who gets that they are the CLEVELAND Cavaliers.
^^ ctown – good post!
Man people are getting dramatic. I wish people were as chill as Dirk.
Ctown — I’m trying to keep a balance. Tom is great and I thought he helped keep that balance, but he has a full-time job and a family. And guys like Tom don’t grow on trees.
This is a tough job — it requires a lot of time and thought, and offers no pay, and I’m not really willing to sacrifice what works about the site analytically to add more of what you’re asking for, although it does give points on the proverbial application. I like the site the way it is, and always want its niche to be more team analysis than fan blog. We’re also not the only Cavs site out there — WFNY does an amazing job of providing a lot of analysis with a lot of “Cleveland,” as you define it.
I’m doing my best, like I always have, as a writer and an editor here, but it’s very hard to be all things to all people, especially since the post-Decision holy war; I mean, on Twitter, Colin’s piece was one of the most well-received pieces this blog has had in months.
I’ll take guys who are willing and able to do the job wherever they come from — Colin has been great, as have Mo, Kevin, and Ryan. I’m very happy with this blog right now, and I think it’ll only get better/more appreciated as the Cavs become the Cavs again and not “The team that used to have LeBron.”
Bottom line — if you don’t think this blog is covering the team correctly, go make a blogspot and do it yourself, make your voice known in the comments here regularly, or try and break in with FanPosts or something over at SB Nation.
Believe me, you will get a sizable following if you work hard enough and do the thing well enough — there’s a lot of great Cavs writing out there, but there certainly isn’t a surplus. And if you’re really good, I’ll probably try to shamelessly poach you and have you write here, like I did with Ryan.
Funny the way things turn out sometimes. I found myself watching the Finals wanting LeBron to be great (but not win). When he didn’t show up, I was disappointed. I think it’s because I wanted him to validate the seven years I put into rooting for him as a Cav. He gave me hope that he could lead the Cavs to a title, and now I see that the hope was a mirage. He’s not The Man who will deliver a title, even though he looks every bit the part. So I am no longer sad that he left. He saved me from years of near misses and heartbreak. A friend today compared LeBron to Alex Rodriguez – all the talent and ego, but not The Man. It seems appropriate.
personally i say you ban anyone from posting anything about lebron…if you want the cavs to be referred to as the cavs and not the team that used to have lebron stick to the cavs then. he is no longer a part of our team so why even talk about him? i flat out hate him and love seeing the aftermath of the finals fall right at his feet but i think the cavs blog should be about the cavs.
This was such an amazing post. I found myself saying, Wait didnt i just tell my friends this?Didnt i just make this arguement to a collegue.Its fantastic.Am forwading it to every Tom Dick and Harry.
@Cavsfan, i agree with you. I cheered and defended this guy for a long time. The joy of him loosing was amazing but loosing when he played at his best, would have been even better. This is like the actresses and TV models on Tv. We citisize them for their unreal life and constant starvation, but wouldnt have it any other way. If my HD finds a zit that wasnt adequeatly covered on her forehead,i will loose it. If I realize Allison Sweeney has added a few pounds that are noticably, am yelling of why he needs to get back to the gymn.I wanted him to loose. But i wanted him to play his best and loose anyway. That sounds cruel, but like you said, i cheered for something while i was in Cleveland.That something better be good.
All that said, I was in one of those”Cleveland needs to get over it”arguements with someone yesterday. I pointed out that as much as i hate him and Mia and watching him loose miserrably delights me beyond measure, as an ardent fan i was once,for the past year, i’ve been silently begging him to show me that he deserves forgiveness.Now i understand fully well this sounds silly. Lebron doesnt owe me a thing. But like Tom said, he hurt us deeply.When he left the Q on Dec 2nd he said it was nothing personal.Well It was. For us it was.It was deeply personal. And so i’ve been hoping that at some point he’ll “get it”. he’ll stop being such an arrogant prick because quite honestly, that doesnt suit him, he would get over the Cavs and simply be trully happy for the teammates he left behind without neccesarily taking a dig a them every chance he gets, that he would be happy for the fans regardless of their vitriol, because we spent a much longer time cheering and worshipping and getting into fights with the rest of the world for him, than we have and perhaps ever will despising him.I have hoped that perhaps he’ll let bygones be bygones, tap into his inner humility and just be a fantastic basketballball player that we all know he can be.I have hoped that he would do more charitable things here that show that he still cares. I have begged ,and hoped becaus i trully do want to forgive the guy. I want to defend him when he’s being absolutely destroyed by everyone. Why?Ultimately because he’s from here. MJ was and is perhaps perceived by many to be and arrogant prick, but you will not get out of NC alive if you dare say that to them even if they think its true.Kobe annoys alot of people but LA and his high school will lynch you if you dare say he shoots too much.Who does Lebron have?Really Who?There’s more people who hate Lebron here than like him meaning the one who do love him still are more often drowned out by the rest of us.
So perhaps this will never happen. Perhaps its all gone. But even in my hate, i hope he learns the lessons he needs to learn about life, basketball and being a good human being.I hope he find humility in this loss and moves past this arrogance he has somehow convinced himself is so fine and perfect for his image.And yes, i do hope he becomes a better player.But i also hope he wins absolutely nothing and the 2010 big three acquisition will be regarded as the biggest bust of all time.I hope. And I hope.
Tom, this was a fantastic post. Cannot wait for the next two parts. I might just print all three out as one big document and frame it. Just, wow.
@John
Have to thank you for the awesome work over the last years. At first it was just me joining the Lebron, the Chosen One, King, next Mj just better- bandwagon, but after a while i came to read your posts on a daily basis. And it really opened up my view on several aspects of the game, the roster and the plays. Also it gave me a glimpse of what it has to be, to be Cleveland and to get Lebron – A dream, too good to be true.
I couldn´t believe the decision really happened, and as much as i admired Lebrons game (just think of the Detroit game), and as much as i repected Wade- i just couldn´t hop to the Miami bandwagon. Now, i´m no CAVs fan, although i still tune in to read your posts once in a while, but i was really happy for all of you, that you got a new number one pick to start a new buildup and maybe a new run in a few years. I wish only the best to you all and hopefully the CAvs can get a Durant type of starplayer.
Dirk had maybe the hardest time (only second to KG in Minni) of all Hall-of-fame Players of his generation. He got so close, couldn´t seal it and got the blame for 5 years. Next to nobody gave the Mavs a chance prior to the playoffs. All questions were: Is he good enough to be the best player on a championchip team? And to see this guy now: totally exhausted, redeemed, satisfied and on the brink of tears all day- That should have been Cleveland, Lebron in 2015.
He wasn´t the chosen one, he wasn´t the guy you desperately needed him to be. And he sure isn´t the next MJ, next Magic or whatever. He just is one dumb-ass less in a city of great man. That´s the picture from far, far away.
Go CAVs!
Dan is just another Lebron apologist who is too thick headed to see beyond his love for Lequit. I’m a Laker fan, yes and a true fan since the 80′s born and raised in LA. I fully understand where you’re coming from, hell even I felt pretty upset when lebron went on public and embarrased his home fans like that.
Ultimately the problem with Lebron has been his EGO. Never in my almost 30 years of NBA basketball had I seen a player more hyped than Lebron. Nike and the Media found the perfect target to reach out to the public and sell their products. As a Laker fan, it was annoying, but I’m sure for the Cavs fans it was glorious to see their local player reach this status and even be compared to Kobe, MJ, and Magic without even winning an NBA championship. On top of that, he self proclaims himself as “King James”, WTF???? King of what exactly?”, that was just arrogant on his behalf, it seems he started to believe his hype and that’s where his weakness is. He’s too concerned about what the media say and what they think. He’s very weak mentally, allowing criticism to impact his game. It seems to Lebron that Stats are his main priority, he could care less if they lose, just as long as he puts up a triple double and boost’s his numbers he’s fine with that, thats his consolation. I’m not knocking him, he’s very talented but not as good as the media make him to be and obviously not yet at the same level as MJ, Kobe or Magic. Then he decides to “take his talents” to Miami to become a support type player?…what is his agent thinking. He could have been great in Chicago and NY but he decided to join the other douchebags and win an easy ring…lol Not so easy it seems.
I’m glad he’s still ringless because what he did was wrong, it goes to show that his actions did not go unpunished and that Karma is a bitch afterall. I was very happy for Dirk who has beem a loyal servant to the mavs finally got a ring a complete opposite to Bosh and Lebron who abandoned the city’s that embraced them since day one. It also sent out a message to other players wanting to join forces and take over the league like miami. Lets hope this was a humbling for Ledouche and co.