By David Wilson
Thought we would go without an article about LeBron James’ return to Cleveland tonight. Ha! Well, actually you’re sort of right. This is a slightly edited transcript of a conversation I had with co-editor Brian Kubasik earlier today about LeBron’s return home that I think covers pretty much all the bases about The Decision, the backlash and Cleveland’s response tonight with two starkly contrasting viewpoints.
During his seven years with the Cavaliers, LeBron James brought them close, but could never lead them to an NBA Championship. The way things have started with the Heat, Miami fans could be waiting a little while too.
Brian: Cleveland needs to stop whining and get in the chopper.
David: You do realize that Clevelanders have never had anything good happen to them right? Let’s start with day one: they were born in Cleveland. Their best athlete of all time is a Syracuse football player, their current best athlete is a white running back and their potentially second best athlete of all time got cancer before he ever played a game for them.
Brian: Exactly. So why did they expect LeBron to stay?
David: I don’t know, they figured one thing had to go right for them. They’re more angry that he was there for seven years and never won a championship and sucked in Game 6 of the Boston series.
Brian: I mean I’m not going to hate Alexander Semin if he signs with another team after this year.
David: But he’s not your best player of all time. Hypothetically, if Ovechkin were a free agent after this year would you be pissed if he left for like Boston?
Brian: But he’s not a free agent. He signed a 13-year contract extension.
David: But Semin’s not your best player of all time.
Brian: I’m just saying Cleveland has no right to hate him like they do. They are lucky they had him for when they did. Look at every player from Maryland who leaves the state to play college basketball somewhere else. They all have announcements on ESPN. They all leave home. I’m not trying to murder Kevin Durant any time soon.
David: College is completely different because the televised announcements are tradition. That’s how it’s done. I’m not saying they should try to kill him, but they should boo him heavily, possibly throw urine filled water balloons at him and then 15 years after he retires they should retire his number.
Brian: They are way overdoing it. Um sorry, everyone in the world knew he was leaving except Cleveland fans. That’s the goal of every kid from Cleveland or Akron, to get out.
David: The real issue is that he did it on TV and had his own little special; sorry, own massive special.
Brian: No, that’s just the media telling you this.
David: I am the media.
Brian: When I first heard the idea I thought it was awesome. That’s why the media sucks.
David: I knew it was gonna be entertaining.
Brian: And he’s an entertainer.
David: But it’s a classless move. Even entertainers (surprisingly) have ethics.
Brian: The media has no ethics.
David: False, I am failing a class on it. Unless we see The Decision becoming the start of a trend (which I don’t) then it’s nothing more than LeBron being an egotistical jerk.
Brian: No, it’s LeBron being the most marketable athlete in the world, since it got ridiculous ratings
David: Of course it was gonna get ridiculous ratings, it was hyped up by the ESPN machine competing against nothing else on television. I switched over from Gladiator for like a minute and a half.
95North 