After Lebron: Can We Talk Cleveland…

[Elano]

He was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Basketball became his outlet and saving grace. He became a hometown hero, beloved by his state, and revered by his peers. His name is Lebron James, professional basketball player.

Lebron loves Akron, he loves Ohio, and he loves his fans. Fresh out of High School, he was draft #1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. You couldn’t script a better beginning to a story. He had the height and length of an Ervin “Magic” Johnson with the explosiveness and competitive attributes of Michael “Air” Jordan. His career in basketball was blanketed by hype from the start. And if you could look past that fact that he put in 7 years without a without winning a championship, he actually exceeded the hype.

While we’re on the subject of hype, I wanted to make the point that hype isn’t something you bestow upon yourself. Hype is placed upon you; it surrounds you. Hype is an overwhelming expectation which picks up steam and grows into a monster of pressure, not necessarily felt by the subject. As a matter of fact, those that place hype on a subject, often accuses the subject of owning and spreading this social virus. Flava Flav said to not believe the hype. Over the past few days, people believed the hype, became angry with the subject of it, lashed out on the subject, and never stopped to think whether or not Lebron James believed it himself.

Hype led people to believe that Lebron James set up his press conference to stick it to the city and state he loved. On Wednesday, Wade and Bosh had a similar press conference on the same channel. There wasn’t much difference between the two press conferences. Well there was one difference. For those that don’t know, The Boys and Girls Club of America are suffering from major funding cuts across the country. These clubs need our help, our time, and our donations. So when Lebron took all the hype placed on him and found a way to generate money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, how could you not respect him for that?

The truth is, the Summer of 2010 was built up to the most anticipated free agent event in NBA history, by the league. Furthermore, the New York Knicks played a role in growing the hype around James with their ongoing pursuit. New York media hyped the fact of Lebron hosting his press conference in Connecticut as a precursor to him signing with the Knicks. Yet people were mad at Lebron for his location choice, when 1 + 1 never equaled 2 All-Star signings for the Knicks this summer. Let’s be honest, if Lebron was anything like Jordan or even Kobe Bryant, the honor was scoring 50+ points in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks. Who wants the pressure of trying to score 50+ points, for 42 games in the regular season? There’s no allure in that.

The NBA and ESPN played a role in growing the hype around Lebron. For the NBA, it accomplished being near the top of the news chain during the month of July; a month where the league is normally all but forgotten until the next season. So to place Lebron James up against the World Cup and hold its ground was a victory for the league (at Lebron’s expense). For ESPN, this was the perfect opportunity to infuse news, opinion and drama, hour after hour, day after day. ESPN acquired exclusivity to both press conferences, kept all the teams that were in the Lebron sweepstakes in the mix and allowed for their analysts to play for and against the hype. It was a win/win situation for the NBA and ESPN. For Lebron, his character took a critical blow.

LBJ gave all he had to the city of Cleveland. It was his skill sets that sparked the winning attitude that Cleveland fans would give their first born to be a part of. It was Lebron’s passion that made Cleveland a city of believers again. He didn’t rebuild Cleveland on his own. He was given an opportunity and excelled with it. All the more reason that when he made the decision to leave for Miami, the initial reaction was mirrored to walking in on your spouse having sex, with your sibling. There isn’t a beating heart in Cleveland today. But you will heal, and this is why.

Cleveland, if you love Lebron as much as he loved representing you and his hometown (well accept for the fact that he loved the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys), you will someday understand that this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Cleveland, you must find solace in the fact of how much it took for him to leave you; it took two Olympians, one of them an NBA Finals MVP, a President of Basketball Operations that knows exactly what it takes to win a Championship, and living with the heart break of not delivering to you what he wanting to lift in your name, an NBA Championship. If you ever loved Lebron, his leaving will sting, but his winning of a Championship would be your victory as well. Who’s to say that after his deal was up in Miami, that he wouldn’t have come back to you?

Cleveland, what if Lebron won a title in Miami, and came back home to you with the knowledge and experience needed to deliver you the trophy? Think about it. He was clearly emotional in his goodbyes last night. The man loves you, he is dedicated to you. Sad to say that after the release of the letter from your owner Dan Gilbert, your favorite son may never come back home.

Dan Gilbert went in with the relentlessness of Lil’ Wayne on mixtapes and the brash tongue of Kanye West at an awards show. Gilbert did more than call Lebron a quitter, he fueled the fires of your disappointment until your favorite son, became public enemy #1. The nation watched on as official Lebron James jerseys burned, as posters were ripped, cardboard cutouts were pulled apart, tears fell, and people were locked up for disorderly conduct. But my question is this Cleveland, if a clearly injured Lebron quitted on you during the Boston series (Boston later went on to lose in Game 7 of the NBA Finals) why did Gilbert still try to sign him to a max deal?

Cleveland, take a deep breath and think about what just transpired. Think about the stories you’ve read in the newspaper and online. Think about all the drama surrounding Lebron on Social Networks. Most importantly, think about the 7 years that Lebron James given to your team. You’re team had the best record in the league, Cleveland. You had a two-time MVP, Cleveland. You’ve made it to an NBA Finals, Cleveland. Yet, you have an owner that believed your city was cursed? He did say that the “curse” would follow Lebron down south, right? How do you expect to finally reach the euphoria of winning a championship without getting past your past? For better or for worse, Lebron James, your favorite son, has taught you and the world that Cleveland can be a strong force in Sports. So I suggest that you take Lebron’s lead and move forward. You can no longer allow for the media to tell you that you’re destined for failure; you don’t have to accept media outlets creating a top 10 of the worst sports moments in the history of your city. You must close your ears to the older generations that insist Cleveland is cursed; it is hard to believe, when you think you’re cursed. Cleveland can thrive again. But it starts with you; your mentality, your perseverance and optimism.

Lebron James has spread his wings and left the nest. Wish him luck, Cleveland. Be prideful from within. Cleveland, we wish you luck.

[M Dogg™]

This does not address though what has been bothering the mid-west for a generation. The mentality in the Mid-West is that their kids will move out, and on, and this bothers the Mid-West. Places like Pittsburgh, Ohio, Michigan, once thriving industrial cities have seen their jobs shipped away, and their children move to green, better lands. Cleveland was excited because one of their own had stayed. It's not just being a Lebron fan, it's the economy, the $20million he brings in to the downtown area for games, the extra media coverage for Nationally televised Cavs games, and the pride of a hometown kid who's going to win a title for the long suffering city. Now after gathering my thoughts, I have actually decided that for me, i think LeBron leaving is a GREAT thing for the NBA as a whole. Now it's the worst thing possible for small market cities. But I will have more on that later. For right now, Cleveland is mad at LeBron, that anger will fade. But this highlights the situation in which areas like Ohio have endured for the last 3 decades, and is almost like a slap of reality to a region that's better days are far behind them.