It’s been a while since LeBron James was an outcast in Cleveland, and he doesn’t intend to go back to those days.
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Cavaliers fans soaked up the pride in Cleveland Monday, as the world champions returned home to Ohio.
“I’m going to be in awe”, he said. But most importantly he kept his promise on bringing a title to Cleveland after returning from Miami. It’s widely assumed that he will decline that player option and become a free agent so that he can take advantage of the league’s skyrocketing salary cap and sign a new maximum deal worth around $30 million. “I have no intentions of leaving”, James told ESPN during the Cavaliers’ championship parade.
Cleveland sports fans celebrated today, and they also breathed a sigh of relief.
Cleveland is certainly in need of something to cheer about; the OH city, which has seen its population decrease with one of the worst poverty ratings in the country, has seen a a monumental decline following the relocation of tax-based businesses in the area. So with a new head coach in former Golden State Warriors assistant Luke Walton, they’re busy searching for new talent among free agents and 2016 National Basketball Association draft picks. Mr. James (aka “King James”), a local OH hero born and raised in Akron, then drew bitter scorn from many in Cleveland when he left for Miami after the 2010 season.
Fans stood on rooftops, portable toilets and hung out of office building windows hoping to get a glimpse of James, who rode in a Rolls Royce convertible with his wife, Savannah, and their three children.
LeBron James has had a hell of a run since the Cavs went down 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
But two years ago, the man I loved to hate had a change of heart, and instead of ignoring his mistake, he chose to try to make up for it.
It was inevitable that the Cavs would be the team to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, but at the time, it was unclear if Cleveland could hold its own against the elite teams of the West such as the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs. “Let’s get ready for next year”.
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While the crowd at Mall B waited patiently for the Cavs to arrive at the rally, they watched replays on giant screens of Cleveland’s epic Game 7 finish over the Warriors. He was a late-round draft pick who built his career on hard work and team.
