Call this the shocker of free agency season. LeBron James is taking his talents back to Cleveland. I am so shocked. James wrote a passionate letter on Sports Illustrated.com this morning. You can read it here. I really thought that James was going to resign for the max contract with the Heat. He's been there 4 years, won 2 Championship rings and became a bigger superstar. I was wrong. After reading his SI.com post, I get it. The man wants to go home. He wants to bring a Championship to his home team. He wants to raise his growing family there. I get it. But, one thing I cannot shake is the utterly disrespectful letter Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote when James left and the way the Cavs fan acted (like burning his jersey and taunting him online) after "The Decision." I would love to know what words were spoken in the meeting between James and Gilbert. Something tells me the world will never know. I cannot wait to see what happens with this return. I respect LeBron as a player and a man. So, I cannot be mad at him for making the best decision for himself. This is such a surprising move in this day and age of the NBA.
"But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.
In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.
I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home." - LeBron James 07.11.2014
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