James disloyal, Cleveland cursed

James disloyal, Cleveland cursed

Fanfare:

I’m a Cavs fan, and for almost all of the last seven years I have been behind LeBron James, called myself a witness, etc.

I’m not mad that he’s leaving. That’s not my problem here, and it’s not Dan Gilbert’s problem either.

LeBron James grew up here, in Akron. When he started to play for Cleveland we changed everything about our team to usher him in, new colors, new logo, new everything. The Cavs spent the next few years trying to do everything they could to help LeBron. They hired who he wanted, they did everything for him, but he never won a championship, I’m not saying that’s his fault, but it didn’t happen.

Fast forward to the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

The Cavs beat the Bulls, 4–1, and went on to lose to the Celtics 2-4.

LeBron played like garbage. Anyone with eyes could see he was done trying. He didn’t care. I think at that point, he decided he was leaving. After blowing the final game, as soon as that buzzer went off, he ripped off his Cavs jersey and left.

He then announced that he’s leaving the place he grew up in. He’s leaving the city that has a giant “Witness” poster downtown. He’s giving up on a town whose hopes of ever having a successful pro team fell on his shoulders by having an hour-long special on ESPN where he announced he’s going to Miami.

Cleveland is a city that is cursed. Our sports teams are the most devastatingly disappointing things anyone could imagine, but regardless, our fans stay loyal. We always have hope, that’s why we call it Believeland.

Watching one of our own leave us because he feels he can never win here, someone who we have seen as a hero for seven years was like a devastating final blow.

Dan Gilbert knows this, and his letter’s purpose was to fire up the Cleveland fans that now have no hope in sight for our teams. I’m sure he may be a tad bit bitter about what happened, but wouldn’t you be? If you were in his shoes, would you have not tried to do something to help the thousands of fans who were just slapped in the face by a man they’ve loved for seven years?

LeBron said on Sportscenter that he and the others would take pay cuts to play in Miami. It’s not about the money. I don’t care if they would have offered him more in Miami than in Cleveland (which we know didn’t happen). It’s about leaving to get your NBA championship when you were with a team and a city who may have needed it more than anything, and it’s about your blatant disregard for anyone but yourself.

Tyler Moliterno

Boardman

LeBron’s departure shameful, devastating

An open letter to LeBron James:

You have the words “loyalty” and “family” tattooed on your body. Please use some of your obscene wealth on a dermabrasion as soon as possible.

The farcical fiasco you just put the entire nation through on the hype machine called ESPN requires that you replace those words with “arrogance” and “egocentric”.

Shame on you for not having the decency to call the Dan Gilbert ownership group and give them a heads-up.

Shame on you for not mentioning appreciation directly to the fans of Northeast Ohio even once during your sordid monologue.

Gilbert has spoiled you rotten to the point every player move was run by you first. You don’t think the Cavs have the players you can win with? Point the finger at yourself as well. Gilbert even allowed your posse of 25-30 year old hangers-on to have the run of all team facilities.

The fans of Northeast Ohio supported you so much that a huge majority of them wouldn’t even call you out on the quit job you did against Boston. We should have had an inkling of the Boston Quit during the Orlando Quit in Game 6 in the 2009 finals.

You disrespected every sportsman who has given his all to the last second in every sporting event. Did you ever see your idol, Jordan, do that? How about Magic, Bird, Kobe, Nash, Duncan and so many many others? Shame on you.

There will be some who may respond with: It’s only a game, we have more pressing issues to worry about in Ohio and America.

Very true, but Cavs basketball was a tremendous diversion and escape from those ills. You took that away. Shame on you.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Mike DeNiro

Boardman