LeBron now LeLegend in Cleveland
TweetTHERE’s movement in the station cause the word has got around, The King is going home to Cleveland.
LeBron James’ heartfelt announcement (reprinted below in case you haven’t seen it already), takes him home to the Cavaliers and alongside Kyrie Irving.
Before we start talking of a new “Big Three” - James, Irving and our own Matthew Dellavedova (just kidding) – new Cavs coach David Blatt must be thinking Christmas has come early.
Recruited to Cleveland after coaching Russia at the 2012 London Olympics and then taking Maccabi Tel Aviv (and our own Joe Ingles) to the Euroleague, Israel Championship and Israel Cup trifecta, Blatt currently is getting his feet wet coaching the Cavs’ team at the NBA’s Summer Pro League in Las Vegas.
He presided over the Cavalier’s 70-68 win over Milwaukee in which Delly went for 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes as a starter.
Chris Goulding, who was on the Cavs’ summer league roster last year, also started for Dallas Mavericks in their 64-76 loss to New York, playing 32 minutes and scoring six points.
He had six more starting in the 93-85 win over Minnesota in just 16 minutes.
Dante Exum was the man most were interested in seeing in action for Utah Jazz and he did not disappoint, his first basket a reverse dunk off a lob pass.
His performance had ESPN excited with: “… his displays of smooth athleticism and skill were often breathtaking…”
Exum finished with 10 points and three assists in 27 minutes as the Jazz went down 70-74 to Phildadelphia 76ers.
One of his misses helped Brock Motum make an impression, the Brisbane big slamming in the putback for two of his four points and one of his four rebounds in 13 minutes for the Jazz.
Cam Bairstow had eight points and six boards for Chicago Bulls in 31 minutes as they saw off the LA Clippers 86-70.
BUT LeBron’s heartfelt decision to return to Ohio has the league abuzz and movement aplenty, Lakers championship centre Pau Gasol off to the Chicago Bulls.
Carmelo Anthony is reportedly staying with the Knicks in New York now, with Celtics championship forward Paul Pierce bound for Washington after one season with Brooklyn.
(Hey, if it was good enough for coach Jason Kidd to bail after just one year, why not Pierce?)
Jeremy Lin is off to the LA Lakers and Vince Carter has left Dallas for Memphis.
Chris Bosh – the most regularly missing man in the “Big 3” at Miami - reportedly has accepted a five-year $118 million offer to stay with the Heat, suggesting Heat president Pat Riley finally has lost the plot.
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison was classy in his Twitter farewell to LeBron.
Arison tweeted: “I am shocked & disappointed in today's news. However I will never forget what Lebron brought us for 4 years. Thanks for memories @KingJames”
IN case you missed it, this was how LeBron announced his intention to take his talents to Cleveland.
"Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball.
"I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now. Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left.
"Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.
"I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life.
"I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years. I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true. I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.
"When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.
"I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.
"To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned - seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react?
"I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?
"I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go.
"I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates. But this is not about the roster or the organization.
"I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile.
"Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get. In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home."
In the succinct summary by Delly, our own Cleveland Cavalier tweeted: “Welcome back @KingJames #Go Cavs”