Stay Classy, Cleveland: Is LeBron James Worth Your Dignity?
Okay, I know I am going to get some backlash for this from Cavaliers fans, but someone has to say it, although you are not the only ones guilty of this (I am looking at you LA Clipper fans).
Yes, LeBron James is the greatest talent in the NBA today. He is a freak of nature, the likes of which the NBA has never seen, and he is only going to get better.
On the other hand, Cleveland is one of the most hard-luck cities in America, both sports-wise and socially. I know you Cleveland fans are dying for a champion, but can't you do it without losing your dignity?
Joakim Noah made headlines (for the first time in his NBA career) when he dissed the city of Cleveland. Noah basically said Cleveland "sucks" and has "nothing going on."
I have been to Cleveland and spent four years in Ohio, so I have friends from Cleveland. While I wouldn't say Cleveland "sucks," Cleveland fans sure aren't disproving Noah's "nothing going on" case with their willingness to sell their left arm, first born child and souls to keep LeBron in Cleveland. I'm not being literal, but it could be true with what Cleveland fans have been doing.
It was this video that got me thinking on this subject:
Now I am not saying LeBron will go elsewhere. I like it when players stay with a team for their whole career, but let's think about it.
New York: Biggest city in the world, Broadway, Madison Square Garden, Times Square, Spike Lee.
Cleveland: Kid getting slapped in the face by 23 girls.
LeBron can be a big fish in a small pond, or he can be a big fish in the biggest pond.
Now, I don't want LeBron to go to the Knicks or anywhere but Cleveland, but when Kobe was a free agent Lakers fans did not go crazy and look like a desperate girlfriend/boyfriend trying to hold on to a relationship that is no longer working.
And if I am not mistaken, Kobe is working on bring LA back-to-back championships.
Dwyane Wade also brought Miami a NBA championship—its only one—and even they are more reserved about keeping their superstar.
Cleveland you look desperate...really, really desperate.
LeBron has stated that he wants to be a billionaire and a huge global star, and you are acting like he is Jesus Christ and the city of Cleveland will fall into the depths of hell without him.
Yes, LeBron is a hometown boy, and you have shown him nothing but love, but now he won't even commit to you. So what do you do? You beg and plead and embarrass yourself while more attractive cities like Chicago, New York, New Jersey (well maybe not New Jersey), and Miami try to seduce him away behind your back.
You are putting all the pressure in the world on this young man to stay. What if he doesn't want that pressure?
This is not a vote. There is no need for a petition. There is no need to sell t-shirts.
If LeBron wants to go, he is going to go. It doesn't matter how many people sign a petition or how many t-shirts you sell.
Then what?
You lose your biggest star, and you look like a naive girlfriend that got cheated on after she gave her boyfriend the keys to her car and half her bank account. It's not very attractive to future free agents if you already have NBA players saying "Cleveland sucks!"
Another big name free agent, Chris Bosh, gave Toronto his "wish list" for a sign-and-trade (if he doesn't, of course, re-sign with the Raptors), and those teams were Chicago, Miami, New York and the LA Lakers.
No Cleveland, even with the best player in the NBA on that team? The Knicks before the Cavs? Really? Cap room aside, Cleveland needs to work to get onto the lists of players like Chris Bosh so that not everything is dependent on LeBron's decision.
Yes, the Cavs can offer LeBron the most money, but Cleveland does not have the cap space (Wally Szczerbiak still has a cap hold in Cleveland) to bring in another key free agent.
We all saw how Lebron seemed disinterested with his teammates and Mike Brown during the 2010 playoffs, and if the Cavs don't get a Phil Jackson-esque coach, Lebron would be back pretty much in the same situation.
LeBron said Cleveland has "the edge" in re-signing him. You are doing all this begging and pleading and LeBron is just giving you "the edge." We have no idea how large that edge really is. When Kobe was a free agent, he said he wanted to retire a Laker. At least LeBron could do the same if the city of Cleveland is going to embarrass itself on his behalf, but he hasn't.
There is nothing wrong with being a fan, but you are turning a 25-year-old man into the basketball Jesus. Again, what if he doesn't want that pressure?
You are basing your economy on a basketball player, one 25-year-old basketball player at that. Instead of petitioning to LeBron, you should petition the local government for some better economic opportunities and other exciting activities to attract key free agents.
It will be heartbreaking for LeBron to leave, but if he does, it is going to be even more heartbreaking because you made yourselves look completely desperate.
No slight to Cleveland, but you might want to hold off on all the begging. LeBron is not going to re-sign just because you beg more. You need to beg the Cavs not to re-sign Shaq and cut some of those other jokers.
