OFFICIAL: LeBron announces return to Cleveland

spacemonkey · Post #661 » by **spacemonkey** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 2:50 am

What's Bron's max contract he'll get from the Cavs? How much money has he potentially lost?

markdeez33 · Post #662 » by **markdeez33** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:46 am

My friend Wes and I have been discussing this for over a year, and we both agreed that LBJ would return to Cleveland, and that now was the time. I am not surprised at this, at all. I thought it was an 85% chance that he would leave Miami. It just felt like time. I think the Spurs knocked the wind outta his sails in Miami, and he felt like there was no upside there. He made the right move.

|||-Abaddon-||| · Post #663 » by **|||-Abaddon-|||** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:41 am

I think LeBron handled the move with class with the letter, but lets be honest, in terms of respect, he goes down a few notches once again...and I dont hate him (at least as much as I did before)...

As much as he makes it seem like a hero coming home, he is strategically putting himself in a considerably better place for the next 5-7 years with the potential talent of the current Cavs roster. If Wade was 29 he would have stayed with Miami until they won as many championships as they possible could have. Its nothing personal, its pure strategy, he used Miami just as the organization would callously use and dispose of him when he is no longer needed. The truth is he genuinely thought Miami didn't have at least another 2 years of competing for a championship, they would most likely still storm through the East, but Western competition proves too much for an aging team losing motivation.

So the question comes down to: who can even remotely compete in the East? The East is so pathetic in its current state that the only answer is the Cavs for the simple fact that they stockpiled pick after pick and assembled a roster with very good 5-year horizon. There is no other polarizing player in the league currently that can shift the dynamic of the conferences, so its logical to stay East, and the Cavs kind of win by default...

Perfect storm for the Cavs? If the roster remained from 2010, he wouldn't have even considered them, its why he left in the first place.

But this is why my respect for LeBron goes down: he represents a new class of opportunistic athletes who want the easiest way to a championship. Screw being the top-dog and build a team from the rough beginnings, he is intelligent in the sense that his brand and legacy will inevitably be defined by the number of championships he wins. He isn't Jordan or Shaq, who suffered years of disappointment before leading their teams to trophy's, these battle scars define these players and their attitudes towards the game, and makes their journeys much more memorable. But LeBron simply knows that's all BS, he just wants to win, win as easily as possible, and as much as possible; predominately because he knows no one will remember the minute details, and he'll go down as a winner - creating a sports legacy that will generate millions/billions for years to come like the Jordan brand.

So honestly he isn't a hero, just a shrewd business man and opportunist who knows a good situation when he sees one...but with the letter he handled it so well you can't help but believe he is 'coming home' for the sake of Cleveland, but at the end of the day you know he is going to get his cake and eat it too...

Run DLC · Post #664 » by **Run DLC** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:42 am

Kyrie Irving isn't too thrilled about this news. He didn't even tweet about it or anything. Just like that, he will now play in LeBron's shadow when he probably thought he'd be the new main man for the Cavs for years to come after he had signed his new max contract. LeBron will only guide him into a more efficient player. Kyrie is already a good 3pt-shooter and FT% shooter, and with LeBron there to find him easy buckets and vice versa, his FG% will increase next season.

MetalFingaz · Post #665 » by **MetalFingaz** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:47 am

|||-Abaddon-||| wrote:Shaq, who suffered years of disappointment before leading [his] team to trophies.

Not sure if serious. You serious?

|||-Abaddon-||| · Post #666 » by **|||-Abaddon-|||** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:58 am

MetalFingaz wrote:
|||-Abaddon-||| wrote:Shaq, who suffered years of disappointment before leading [his] team to trophies.

Not sure if serious. You serious?

I think Shaq's Lakers struggled with the Jazz and Spurs for many years, keep in mind he left a Magic team beaming with talent, for a less talented squad in the Lakers, but all in the name of cementing a more complete legacy - 'I did it, with my own rules and as the undisputed top-dog'...

Chuck Everett · Post #667 » by **Chuck Everett** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:01 am

He's kind of right. Shaq didn't win a title until his 8th year in the league. Hakeem schooled him, Jordan schooled him, Malone schooled him. Then he did the schooling.

SHAQ32 · Post #668 » by **SHAQ32** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:30 am

Tim_Hardawayy wrote:
I think you guys will find at least on this website, there weren't all that many bandwagoners to begin with. Where you'll really notice it is in real life, those guys around the water cooler who don't know what they're talking about and say they're a fan of LeBron.

The Heat fanbase on here has always been about the same, around the 9th or 10th most active team board, even after LeBron came (most of the new activity initially was trolls).

How come Heat nation never addressed the trolls? Was it because they never experienced that level of attention, or was it because they enjoyed the whole "umad?" Thing?

Because I'm not mad.

Rasheeed!!! · Post #669 » by **Rasheeed!!!** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:50 am

20mb image hosting

HeatFanSince87 · Post #670 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:00 am

MRxBLACK wrote:Miami's fan base just decreased by 95%

Actually got rid of the bandwagon fans, and the strictly Lebron fans. I'm actually glad... Winning two titles was amazing. But the days if me just being able to enjoy my team without having to defend my city, or fanhood due to Lebron had become so annoying.

Congrats to CLE. He never should have left, selfishly I'm glad he did. I'm thankful for 4 years of watching who I feel is the most talented player ever to play the game rep my team. I didn't just find fun in the playoffs but those random week nights after work.. Sit back at 7:30 against the pistons or bucks or whoever.. And just watch greatness on the basketball court in a "meaningless" game in December on my local station.

Now, I can go back and enjoy my team, even though I know we won't win a title anytime soon.. Without every other fan base and national media member trying to take cheap shots at the heat and it's fan base.

I would have been devastated had Wade left to Chicago in 2010. For about 3-4 days I did think he was gone... It was awful. I felt for Cavs fans. Lebron doesn't have to be Jordan.. He's Lebron and people need to realize that. This has the potential to go down as one of the best sports stories ever.

HeatFanSince87 · Post #671 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:01 am

Rasheeed!!! wrote:
20mb image hosting

This lacks so much common sense...

HeatFanSince87 · Post #672 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:03 am

MetalFingaz wrote:
|||-Abaddon-||| wrote:Shaq, who suffered years of disappointment before leading [his] team to trophies.

Not sure if serious. You serious?

I remember this clear as day. Shaq got a lot of crap before he finally won. He didn't win until his 9th season I believe.

HeatFanSince87 · Post #673 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:06 am

markdeez33 wrote:My friend Wes and I have been discussing this for over a year, and we both agreed that LBJ would return to Cleveland, and that now was the time. I am not surprised at this, at all. I thought it was an 85% chance that he would leave Miami. It just felt like time. I think the Spurs knocked the wind outta his sails in Miami, and he felt like there was no upside there. He made the right move.

Is that you chris Broussard ?

eldandy · Post #674 » by **eldandy** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:07 am

HeatFanSince87 wrote:
Rasheeed!!! wrote:
20mb image hosting

This lacks so much common sense...

Would have made a little sense had he posted it yesterday at 3 PM instead of 3 AM

But yeah... he's uncomfortably late to the party

HeatFanSince87 · Post #675 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:09 am

MaliBrah wrote:
Dupp wrote:The king is back! Yessss!!!!!!!!

he isn't mentally weak for sitting out the rest of that game with that cramp that he tried to played through anymore huh? all is good now eh.

This is only thing that annoys me. Now all Cavs fans will act like they weren't the "bad" ones. Just admit it and move forward. Admit you had a "Cavs for Mavs" shirt in 2011.. Admit you mocked Lebron during his cramp game 1 of the finals. Lol.. It's all good.

markdeez33 · Post #676 » by **markdeez33** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:39 am

HeatFanSince87 wrote:
markdeez33 wrote:My friend Wes and I have been discussing this for over a year, and we both agreed that LBJ would return to Cleveland, and that now was the time. I am not surprised at this, at all. I thought it was an 85% chance that he would leave Miami. It just felt like time. I think the Spurs knocked the wind outta his sails in Miami, and he felt like there was no upside there. He made the right move.

Is that you chris Broussard ?

No, it's not.

I would be glad to go back through my FB messages from over a year ago where we both agree that LBJ will eventually return to the Cavs! Why would I make that up? That would be pointless. Virtually anyone who followed LBJ either as a fan or as someone who disliked him had a pretty good idea that he'd eventually return to Cleveland to atone for his sins. Just most people thought he'd be 35 or so, not so soon!

Post #677 » by **ATL Boy** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:51 am

I've never really liked Lebron as a player, even back when he was with the Cavs in his first stint, and "the decision" made him more unlikable than ever in my eyes. I mean how could this dude go on live tv and embarrass the town he grew up in like that?

But with the news today, I've actually gained more respect than ever for him. He would've been on a more competitive team with Miami than Cleveland (Heat have more win now players). I was moved by his SI article: when he admitted to his mistakes and talked about how his heart bled for northeast Ohio, and especially when he gave his speech about going home. This really struck me, and many others I'm sure, personally because here's a guy who's leaving one of the most attractive cities in America for the cold winters of Cleveland, why is he doing it? Because that's home. I'm from Bosanski Novi, a small town in northern Bosnia that doesn't really have anything special or appealing about it (other than the beautiful river, Una), but I'd give up the big cities in America (although I've grown to absolutely love Atlanta, and consider this place to be a 2nd home) to go be in this small town, because it's home.

Stephen a. Smith summed everything up perfectly with this quote: "There's only one thing that compares to the quality of life you've adopted, and that's the place you call home, no matter what the circumstances."

ThadCastle · Post #678 » by **ThadCastle** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:24 am

The NBA is a better place now. He's back where he belongs.

ZCM93 · Post #679 » by **ZCM93** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:27 am

Run DLC wrote:Kyrie Irving isn't too thrilled about this news. He didn't even tweet about it or anything. Just like that, he will now play in LeBron's shadow when he probably thought he'd be the new main man for the Cavs for years to come after he had signed his new max contract. LeBron will only guide him into a more efficient player. Kyrie is already a good 3pt-shooter and FT% shooter, and with LeBron there to find him easy buckets and vice versa, his FG% will increase next season.

@KyrieIrving
Welcome home @KingJames
10:12 PM - 11 Jul 2014

MFlash321 · Post #680 » by **MFlash321** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:45 am

Did you guys see his site? Him in a Cavs uni doesn't have the number 6 anymore. Wonder what he'll choose.

Does this change how you feel about LeBron?