Cue the Diddy song, “I’m Coming Home.”
Four years ago, almost exactly to the date, LeBron James made his infamous “Decision.” It was broadcasted for the world to see; it was vain and it was defiant.
This time around, it seems that James learned his lesson and made the decision in a less destructive and less self-centered manner.
LeBron’s essay on SI.com is actually a very compelling and good read, which you can read here in entirety. Anyway, here are the three main reasons why LeBron James chose to go back to Cleveland:
Cleveland Is The Best Fit
This is the most logical fit. It’s a young team, starving for a chance to be relevant again. The Cleveland Cavaliers have not been the same since LeBron James left and they have had this rotten, bitter look and feel about them.
That’s probably because their owner, Dan Gilbert, wrote a scathing letter denouncing James, calling him a quitter and basically telling him to shove it. He also said that the Cavaliers would win a championship before “the self-proclaimed King” ever will.
Well, that never happened, but there is a shot that they could do it together, four years later. James said that he had a face-to-face conversation with owner Dan Gilbert and they hashed out their differences.
No one is perfect. If the savior of your franchise left your team and broadcasted it on national television, wouldn’t you reserve the right to go a little crazy?
I am not saying that this will happen, but here’s what I think Cleveland SHOULD do: They already got the ball rolling by shedding Jarrett Jack’s $6 million salary. That was a good start. Now comes the tricky part: actually putting together pieces that appeal to LeBron. You want guys who scream, “I am a championship caliber player.”
A Younger, More Exciting Core
LeBron does not want to come to a team that is riddled with extremely green players who are tentative and won’t know what to do in a pressured situation. That’s why I think they should re-sign Luol Deng.
He is a hard-nosed player who is beloved everywhere he has been. He is a clutch, veteran presence with whom James would love to play. On a team that is mostly comprised of extremely young and unproven players, this would be very appealing.
The next move would be trading for Kevin Love. Obviously, Love is a wanted man. The Minnesota Timberwolves will be reluctant to trade Love, so the package will need to be solid.
Perhaps the Cavaliers trade a future first-round pick, last year’s number-one pick Anthony Bennett and maybe include a second-round pick, too. In my opinion, this team could win a championship next season.
Now that Mr. James has made his decision to go back to Ohio, it will open the floodgates for rumors of some of his old pals to join him. That might mean Ray Allen, James Jones and/or Mike Miller. Now that this is official, it’s likely that good role players would take less money to join James in Cleveland.
A New Legacy
Besides the young talent, there’s also the legacy factor at play here. What more did LeBron James have to prove in Miami? What else could he do for that team?
He joined the squad and made the finals four straight years and yielded two world championships. This is also a fan base that will boo when you don’t win it all and leave the games early, even if the team is actually about to make a scintillating comeback to win the championship.
In Cleveland, there is unfinished business. This is a chance at redemption. It hurt Cleveland fans when James left, but the fleeing hurt LeBron, too. He saw the anguish and the despair. He watched a city morale crumble before his eyes and lose all faith in ever claiming a championship.
This all weighed heavily on James, who is from Ohio. Now is his opportunity to go back to his roots and finish what he started.
Now he can teach young guys, like Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, how to be winners. He can also team up with pal Johnny Manziel and mentor him on how to be a true professional. James can do this all in his backyard, where he can raise his family with his wife and soon-to-be three children.
Cleveland fans were heartbroken when he left, but you know they will embrace him with open arms now that he has made his grand return to the court.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers were to win a title there, James would be seen as the hometown hero who delivered the goods. If LeBron can win that ever-so-elusive title, it’s more than likely that a statue will be built in his likeness.
