LeBron James Discusses Relationship with Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert
When LeBron James first departed the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat on the night of "The Decision," he was quickly cast as the NBA's villain. And no franchise bought into that villain designation more than the Cavaliers, as an entire city was left broken-hearted and showed its pain by burning James' jerseys.
In the aftermath of "The Decision," Cavs owner Dan Gilbert penned a letter that called James' departure a "cowardly betrayal" and called him a "former hero." So when James announced he would be returning to Cleveland this season after spending four seasons in Miami, more than a few folks wanted to know how the player and the owner had managed to reconcile.
Namely, people wanted to know how James came to forgive Gilbert for his statements years ago. James recently spoke on that matter, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
In his letter announcing his return to Cleveland, James also noted, "I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?"
James' statements certainly seem genuine. After all, it wasn't long before James had to confront the fact that he had handled "The Decision" rather poorly years ago. And his words are something we can all abide by.
Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report certainly thought the quote was powerful:
"That LeBron quote on Gilbert is one of the best quotes from an athlete I've ever read.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) October 16, 2014"
Of course, it also made excellent business sense for James to forgive Gilbert. The Cavs are a younger team than the Heat with more assets. They already had a star in place (Kyrie Irving) and were able to bring another one aboard (Kevin Love). Holding a grudge would have kept James from returning home and returning to a better situation over the next five years than the one he was leaving.
And that's also the point. What good would holding a grudge have done James? What might it have cost him?
James said he wanted to be on the progress side. As both a man and as a basketball player, forgiving Gilbert seemingly put him on that side.
