2010 LeBron James Sweepstakes

[alxy8s]

Simmons tweeted something interesting. James mentions Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Varejao. Not Wiggins or Bennett. Kevin Love trade incoming?

[TheOldRoman]

Wow. Great article. I though it was really poignant that he said the Miami experiment was like most kids going to college. It really made sense.

For as much as he came off as a gigantic douche in The Decision, and really like a man-child his whole time in Cleveland, he really seems mature now. Saying that he realizes they probably won't win next year was really surprising. It really means something to go back home, and that shows maturity considering he was whining four years ago that he was from Akron and Cleveland kids picked on Akron kids, or something. I'm not a James fan, but this erases his ill-will with me.

Also, I think he saw the writing on the wall with the Heat. Wade is beat-up as hell, and unless he could have pushed Wade out and made a new Big 2.5, Miami had peaked.

Also (2), LO freaking L at Wade for leaving $40 mil on the table. Bosh will go to Houston and compete, Wade might still get a max deal from Miami out of gratitude, but he's a shell of his former self and will wallow away. Good.

[Sport]

WOW. He still gave 4 years of his prime to another city and he kinda stomped on you when he left, but this is as close as you can get to righting the wrong.

Good for them.

(them being friends of mine who are legitimate Cavs fans)

[RyanB06]

R.I.P. Miami Heat fans.

July 8, 2010-July 11, 2014.

Forget that. The franchise itself might as well be written off at this point. No Lebron, no Bosh (off to Houston, most likely), an aging Wade, and a bunch of role players.

The Eastern Conference has been turned on its ear.

[FiddySicks]

I've been a big Lebron supporter through all of this, and I'm honestly not sure how to feel.

Part of me thinks it's good that he's going home, but part of me thinks it's crazy that there was all that much drama caused by the decision and he returns only FOUR years later.

I also have ZERO respect for the Cavs organization and their fans after the way they reacted to him leaving the first time. I owned a Lebron Cavs jersey and ran right out and bought a Miami jersey when he signed there. I'm not going to do that this time because, while I'm a Lebron fan, I seriously don't want to support an organization that's shown itself to be as classless as the Cavs,

Good for Lebron, and I'm always going to be a fan, but this whole story and it's history has me scratching my head.

BTW, does anyone else see Miami bouncing the Cavs from the playoffs in the first round next year?

[Cujo]

Leaving a vacation destination, regardless of success, money, etc., to go HOME.... I've done it myself and absolutely understand LeBron's thought process. Kudos to him for staying true to himself.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Simmons tweeted something interesting. James mentions Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Varejao. Not Wiggins or Bennett. Kevin Love trade incoming?

That is interesting. I also don't see how Waiters stays either. He's good, but seems like kind of a dick too.

I wonder if LeBron gets any kind of say over personnel in his contract. I'm sure it's implicitly there, but it'd be interesting and fitting for him to be a player/GM.

EDIT: Also, there's all of a sudden a lot of pressure on Kyrie Irving, right? He's gotten a free pass the past few years -- now he absolutely needs to make the playoffs or else it's kind of it for him.

[pats2000]

from what i read in the article imo it seems like he made his mind up some bit of time ago

[Thad]

The Southeast division just became WIIIIIIDE open with the Heat possibly falling down to third or fourth place (behind Washington, Atlanta, and maybe Charlotte).

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

He's back.

[pcgd]

Cavs Fan Logic:

2003-2009: We love LeBron! He means everything to us!

2010-2012: F you, LeBron! You suck! Good riddance!

2013: What? LeBron could be coming home? That could be cool...

July 11th, 2014: WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO LEBRON'Z BACK!!!11!!One!!!!1 2014-15 NBA CHAM-PEE-OWNZ, BOW-EEEEZZZZ!

I know its cool to hate on Cavs fans about this turnaround but I can't imagine many other fan bases doing something completely different. Closest parallel was Pujols leaving St. Louis and there was plenty of hating on him going on amongst the "BFIB." Hell I consider myself extremely rational when it comes to sports but I felt hurt and wasn't particularly happy when Pujols left. And if he could return at the top of his game I'd break out my Pujols jersey and wear it proudly. I can certainly understand the reaction in Cleveland and don't really think there is anything absurdly wrong with the overall reaction of the fan base.

I guess, what do you expect? Once in a lifetime talent is from your hometown. He ends up being drafted by his hometown team. Takes them remarkably close to the top but never gets over the top. Then leaves in one of the most assholish ways possible, a way he's even said was wrong. 4 years later he's still the best and wants to come home?

I just can't say I'd react much differently, except on a smaller more level headed scale.

Edit: The actions of Gilbert in 2010were out of line however. I can see forgiving him but he was entirely unprofessional.

[CS85]

Simmons tweeted something interesting. James mentions Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Varejao. Not Wiggins or Bennett. Kevin Love trade incoming?

Hard to say since that's all about Minnesota accepting the deal and Love being willing to extend after this season. I'd say it was more appropriate not to mention him just in case there was no deal. For what it's worth, Wiggins people have heard nothing about being traded.

Wow. Great article. I though it was really poignant that he said the Miami experiment was like most kids going to college. It really made sense.

For as much as he came off as a gigantic douche in The Decision, and really like a man-child his whole time in Cleveland, he really seems mature now. Saying that he realizes they probably won't win next year was really surprising. It really means something to go back home. I'm not a James fan, but this erases his ill-will with me.

Same here. I've never been a fan of his but I've never rooted against him. (Correction: I've rooted against him, but it was more rooting against the Big 3 concept and trios of players orchestrating free agency). There's so many people that are genuinely moved by this return. It impacts the economy of the area. It touches on the long-suffering fandoms of that area. It means so damn much to the culture of the oft-forgotten midwestern basketball sports scene. For years, stars have been going to the coasts and treating franchises like Cleveland as an afterthought unless the money's absurd.

This is the first time in this era of sports where a player, a megastar, a world phenom like LeBron, has chosen to return to his home and for reasons beyond money and beyond basketball. It's genuine, it's powerful, and it's incredibly important for a part of our country that is so typically bowed from the routine failure of their pro franchises.

[dbadefense1990]

So what is the over/under on Miami fans desecrating everything LeBron-related right now the way Cleveland did four years ago?

[DDR]

[Cujo]

I doubt Miami fans will even notice.

[TheGrimReaper]

Lebron + Irving + Wiggins + Bennett (if he can reach his potential) could be really, really, really deadly. This will be fun to watch.

[DarkJourney]

The Eastern Conference will be mediocre as ever. Now is the time for Mr. Silver and the NBA owners to realign the playoff format. Top 16 teams by record no matter which conference. Seeded 1 through 16.

[TheGrimReaper]

I've been a big Lebron supporter through all of this, and I'm honestly not sure how to feel.

Part of me thinks it's good that he's going home, but part of me thinks it's crazy that there was all that much drama caused by the decision and he returns only FOUR years later.

I also have ZERO respect for the Cavs organization and their fans after the way they reacted to him leaving the first time. I owned a Lebron Cavs jersey and ran right out and bought a Miami jersey when he signed there. I'm not going to do that this time because, while I'm a Lebron fan, I seriously don't want to support an organization that's shown itself to be as classless as the Cavs,

Good for Lebron, and I'm always going to be a fan, but this whole story and it's history has me scratching my head.

BTW, does anyone else see Miami bouncing the Cavs from the playoffs in the first round next year?

No, because the Heat won't even make the playoffs next year.

[TheOldRoman]

I've been a big Lebron supporter through all of this, and I'm honestly not sure how to feel.

Part of me thinks it's good that he's going home, but part of me thinks it's crazy that there was all that much drama caused by the decision and he returns only FOUR years later.

I also have ZERO respect for the Cavs organization and their fans after the way they reacted to him leaving the first time. I owned a Lebron Cavs jersey and ran right out and bought a Miami jersey when he signed there. I'm not going to do that this time because, while I'm a Lebron fan, I seriously don't want to support an organization that's shown itself to be as classless as the Cavs,

Good for Lebron, and I'm always going to be a fan, but this whole story and it's history has me scratching my head.

BTW, does anyone else see Miami bouncing the Cavs from the playoffs in the first round next year?

No. Miami is in 5-8 seed hell for the forseeable future.

As for his departure, Gilbert was clearly wrong. He was pissed as someone who saw the value of his franchise pretty much cut in half in such a manner. He should have publically apologized as some point. As for the fans burning jerseys? Big deal. James left, and did it in the sleaziest way possible. Then they boo'd him when he played in Cleveland. It's sports. As long as nobody was making threats to his family, it's no big deal.

[dbadefense1990]

So the Heat have fallen off the face of the Earth, the Pacers are the biggest first-place frauds of the NBA, the Bulls too often underachieve, the Nets are imploding because their one-year gamble has failed, and the Knicks are the Knicks.

So I guess the Eastern Conference "favorites" are the...

...Wizards?