Merry Quitness

Here's a whole bunch of LeBron vs Cavs articles to help get you through the day.

Cavaliers probing Tampering Charges.

LeBron James and his Kingdom of Ruin.

Cleveland, Don' Turn LeBron into a Sympathetic Victim.

Cleveland an Opportunity for the Heat to Show Heart.

Cavs Fans Have Payback on Their Minds.

Bud Shaw: A few well-chosen words from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert can help set the tone for game with Miami Heat.

LeBron James returns and Cleveland Cavalier fans face their own Decision.

Jason Whitlock: Sorry, but LeBron's a Lost Cause.

Home is where the Hearts are for LeBron.

Jon Krolik: Can LeBron Learn from his old Playbook?

Brian Windhorst: A Different Homecoming for Ilgauaskas.

Greeting James: Jeers and... Laughter?

Some final thoughts before tonight's game...

I love the idea of the Cavs Chants and the Laugh at LeBron campaigns, but I have some issues. I feel like this a little too elaborate to actually work.  And while I like the spirit of the chants (and that they used comic sans as their font (.pdf)), I don't actually care for the chants themselves.

For instance, chanting stuff like "NO-Ring-King" doesn't make sense to me. Cleveland doesn't have any rings either. Seems dumb to call him out on this. The "Akr-on Hates You clap clap clapclapclap" is meh to me and "Wit-ness No-Thing" seems a little too clever by half.

In their defense, they do have the "Side-Kick" and "Scot-ty Pip-pen" chants, which are my two favorites. I like the spirit and the idea, but singing some song to the tune of "My Country Tis of Thee" seems like asking A LOT of the crowd.

I go back and forth on how the crowd is going to be.  On one hand, I feel like the vast majority will be well behaved, if a bit rowdy and loud. But I wouldn't be surprised in the least if someone (or someones) threw some shit. I've read the comment sections and have seen the tweets and Facebook posts, Clevelanders are pissed off. All of the anger over the Decision, the losing, the economy, the weather, and lord knows what else is being directed squarely at LeBron.

I hope people will behave (this is just sports) but I would not be surprised if some didn't.

As for the game itself (yes, there's an actual basketball game to be played), I have absolutely no idea what to expect.  Bill Simmons, who has watched more of LeBron and the Heat than I have, believes that  the Heat will wilt under the pressure.  Skip Bayless tweeted the same thing, saying that LeBron won't be able to channel the negative energy into his play.

Maybe, maybe not. I could see the Cavs winning purely because of the crowd and I could also see LeBron drop 50 on us and add another chapter to the Book of Cleveland Sports Misery (the dude is the two time reigning MVP).

I have absolutely no idea what to expect out of the crowd, out of LeBron or out of the Cavs.  Should be fun.

Let's Go Cavs!

Believeland

I really can't recommend this article enough. Well done, Wright Thompson, well done.

"Cleveland's Response to LeBron"

South Park isn't the only one to parody LeBron's "What Should I Do" video:



I go back and forth on stuff like this.  On one hand, this is really well made and pretty cathartic.  What should I do? Don't dick us over on national television, you douche! And then don't kinda sorta apologize or ask for sympathy in a fucking shoe commercial. Way to speak from the heart, bud.

But on the other hand, we're gonna have to get past this sooner or later, right?  Yes, it's only been a few months (which is forever in the internet era) but at some point we have to move on from getting dumped.  Life goes on. The sports world sympathizes with Cleveland at the moment, but a few more videos like this (or a really ugly display on December 2nd) and we're gonna lose any good will we've built up. LeBron didn't bad mouth the city or the fans, he went to play for another franchise (in the most asshole-ish way possible, but still. No one died or anything).

(Also, I'm really really really really concerned about December 2nd. Please guys, don't do anything embarrass our city. Booing: OK.  Throwing stuff: Not OK).

I will say that I enjoy that they point out that LeBron quit in the Boston series.  This really can't be said enough, in my opinion.  LeBron and the rest of the Cavs quit.  This was the franchises' best chance to win the title and they gave up before the final horn sounded. I know his teammates were the worst players in the history of the NBA and all, but LeBron James quit. That's on his permanent record.

But ya, good video. Well done. I'm fairly certain I know the one girl (hi, Adey!), so that's neat.

It's a tad early

I'm not going to lie, I'm fascinated by this Miami team.  Am I still pissed at LeBron? Yes. of course. But am I still interested in how his game evolves and how his team does? Yes. I can't help it, I followed this guy's every game for seven years, it's hard to not be at least a little interested.

(Also, I bought some LeBron basketball shoes the other day. But don't judge, their price was slashed considerably).

Bill Simmons column about LeBron touches on many of the things I've been pondering:

This wasn't basketball, more of an arrangement. Something didn't feel right. Wade caught a breather and LeBron immediately snapped into 2008 Cleveland mode: pounding the ball upcourt with a hop in his step, attacking the rim with impunity, reminding everyone that he's the most talented player in the league (and maybe ever). He took three shots in a row. More importantly, he looked like LeBron again. A few minutes later, LeBron took a breather and Wade took over. Same thing. Everyone cleared out, Wade went on the attack, took the next two shots and looked like Wade again. Neither guy looked comfortable until the other one was taking a break.

Then again, was that really surprising? LeBron and Wade are creators in a decidedly modern way: scorers first, then passers if they can't score. I got this. That's how players think in the post-Jordan, AAU-dominated, microwavable fame era. That's how you earn the most money, generate the most attention, land shoe commercials and end up producing one-hour shows in which you pick your next team. You can't expect two superstars in their primes to suddenly shut off the "I got this" switch. It's not realistic. As Bill Parcells famously loved to say, you are who you are. And on this particular team, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are redundant unless one of them changes.

[snip]

Granted, I love overthinking this stuff. That's what I do. But I attended Miami's first two games and my biggest takeaway was the team's collective joylessness. Even during the Heat's first victory in Philly -- an infinitely easier game because the Sixers stink and their crowd was mostly catatonic -- nobody seemed happy except for James Jones, who was making open 3s like it was a pop-a-shot game. There was a distance between everyone. I noticed it. My father noticed it. My friends on Wednesday night noticed it. The vibe was undeniably weird. I thought the Heat would be as close-knit as Oklahoma City; instead, they acted like like they had been introduced 45 minutes before the game. And LeBron and Wade weren't "Kanye West and Mike Myers raising money for Katrina" level uncomfortable, but you would have never guessed they were buddies or even acquaintances.

So ... why?

The easy explanation: They're adjusting to that "everyone hates us, now it's us against the world" mentality and it's going to take some time.

The overthinking-it-but-maybe-I'm-right explanation: Maybe everyone slowly realized during the preseason, "Good God, LeBron is MUCH better than Dwyane. What do we do? How do we handle this? Do we wait for Dwyane to admit it? Do we ... wait, what do we do???"

Maybe Wade can feel it. Maybe his competitive juices are kicking in. No, no, we're equals. He's not better than me. We're equally good. Look, I'll show you. Maybe it's just been the elephant in the room for six weeks. Maybe deep down, everyone knows the Heat can't take off until Wade has his "You can be chairman and CEO, I'll be president and COO" moment. It goes beyond who gets to take the last shot. It's about the dynamics of basketball. It's about someone emerging as the emotional leader, the spine of the team, the guy who says over and over again, "I got this." And you can't keep saying that if you're looking over your shoulder worrying that someone else is saying the same thing. It's like a fly ball in the outfield. Eventually, someone has to call it.

I agree 10000%. Either LeBron or Wade is going to have to change his game. Their games are too similar and they can't both have the ball in their hands. It was definitely noticable in the Boston game that LeBron was much more comfortable when he was surrounded by a bunch of scrubs (as well as Z).

However, this is still very very very very early in the season.  Also, Dwyane Wade missed a bunch of the preseason with his ongoing divorce proceedings and various bumps and bruises.  It's going to take a while for the Heat to figure out how to play together.

Simmons is right, either LeBron or Wade is going to have to alter his game. Maybe it will be LeBron.  After all, Slam just came out with our annual "LeBron is working on his post game". Hooray! Good for him. He needs it. Badly. But forgive me if I hold off on the low post praise until he does it in crunch time against a good team.

(You want to know what would've made me hate LeBron til the end of time? If he showed up to the Heat with a turnaround and a jump hook in his arsenal. If he had a polished post game on Day 1 in Miami, I may have gone on a murderous rampage).

Ever read a newspaper's comment section?

You're not gonna believe this, but someone on the internet wrote something racist:

To illustrate that sometimes unpleasant interaction, James took the unusual step of retweeting some hateful Twitter messages to his 900,000 followers on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, the Miami Heat star said he did it to show people what he deals with on a daily basis.

James published three negative tweets on his feed including one that was racially charged.

"I just want you guys to see it also," James said after the Heat's practice Wednesday afternoon. "To see what type of words that are said toward me and towards us as professional athletes. Everybody thinks it is a bed of roses and it's not."

In one message a person wrote that James is "a big nosed big lipped bug eyed (racial slur). Ur greedy, u try to hide ur ghettoness."

Last month in an interview with CNN, James said that he felt some of the backlash aimed at him after his decision to sign with the Heat was racially based.

Personally, I don't really think this is that big a deal.  Someone tweeted LeBron something mean and nasty? What? Unpossible! The dude has over 900,000 followers on twitter, odds are not everyone is going to be nice.

That being said, I'm not really a fan of Twitter heckling. I mean, I get it, to a certain extent. With Twitter, you know if you put someones username in your tweet, they'll be able to see it.  And if you're really mad at someone, you now have a pretty easy way to let them know about it. But tweeting insults at famous people seems like a waste of time (heh, moreso than Twitter is normally) and Cleveland fans hate tweeting LeBron just seems pretty (especially the Delonte/Gloria shit. Classy guys). 

I understand the why James is sharing these tweets with us, considering how much flack he and Maverick Carter took for saying that some of the post-Decision criticism of LeBron was racist. These tweets prove that LeBron deals with racist stuff (which really isn't here nor there). No one denies that James will get some crazy racist tweets (it's the INTERNET, for Christ sakes), but I wouldn't say these are even close to indicitive of the overall criticism leveled at Bron-Bron.

Maybe LeBron will use these tweets to light a fire under his ass. I sure hope so (the basketball fan in me is really interested to see how he plays in Miami). If these are fuel for his fire, good.  If not, I agree with Robert Little of Black Sports Online:

Give me break if you are so soft that a couple of ignorant tweets get to you, then I am going to start to believe the people that say when things don’t go Lebron’s way he folds.

Because if you are going to fold to “E-Thuggin” how are you going to deal with the Celtics or Lakers?

LeBron's Special on ESPN hurt LeBron's popularity, reports ESPN

I for one am shocked, shocked, I say!

The Q Scores Co., which conducts popularity polls, has James rated as the sixth-most-disliked figure in American pro sports. The results, known as "Q Scores," were reported Tuesday by CNBC.

According to the report, James is viewed in what the company considers a negative light by 39 percent of the general population. In January, while still a Cleveland Cavalier, he was viewed positively by 24 percent of the population, negatively by 22 percent, according to the figures from The Q Scores Co.

"LeBron's positive score at that time [January] was the highest we had ever seen it," Henry Schafer, executive vice president of Q Scores, told CNBC.

The company's current tally puts James' drop in positive rating in the past seven months at 41.5 percent. Q Scores considers James to be viewed in a positive light by only 14 percent of the people polled.

Who could've known that taking a shit on your hometown fans during a nationally televised special would hurt the 'ole Q Rating?

(And yes, I know LeBron doesn't feel that Cleveland is his hometown.  But he's from Northeast Ohio.  Most people in Northeast Ohio root for Cleveland teams. This is dumb).

LeBron in GQ

The last half of this song sums up my thoughts nicely.

So LeBron has said some stuff in GQ; he hated Cleveland growing up (shocking!), he spoke in third person (keep that up, buddy!) and he doesn't agree with Charles Barkley criticism (again, shocking!). The best part is that he hasn't even played a game for the Heat and he's already speculating about coming back to the Cavaliers ("If there was an opportunity for me to return and those fans welcome me back, that'd be a great story.").

This is why I'm critical of all the Never Retire LeBron's Number EVER talks. That's such a long time from now. Could I see a future in which LeBron returns to the Cavaliers? Maybe, it's not totally out of the question. It all depends on how good the Cavs are when LeBron reaches his ring chasing years (wait, maybe not the best example... they were a 60 win team and he went chasing rings in Miami. But you get my point). If a 34 year old LeBron signs on with a pretty solid Cavs team, I believe most fans would welcome him back. But maybe I'm weird.

With regards to him returning, LeBron says this about the fans: "Maybe the ones burning my jersey were never LeBron fans anyway." Here's the thing. I'm a Cavs fan. Yes, I like certain players more than others and yes, I even enjoy watching players for another team. Maybe LeBron doesn't get this, being a Bulls, Cowboys and Yankee fan, but most people (I assume) root for their home team regardless of the players. I certainly considered myself a LeBron fan during his time in Cleveland (all those Kobe vs LeBron arguments sure seem dumb now, huh?) but I was a Cavs fan first and a LBJ fan second. I don't think I'm odd in that respect. Team before players, right?

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I became a Cavs fan because of Mark Price. Because man, that guy was awesome (via Stephien Rules).



I cannot wait for the season to start. I'm sick of LeBron and his drama. I care but I don't. I just want the games to start. I want to see how the Cavs do sans James (J.J. Hickson time!!!). Hell, I miss the NBA so much that today my friend and I discussed getting courtside seats to a preseason game (in Pittsburgh, no less). Preseason! Pittsburgh!

You know who shows up to Cavs games?

People from Akron. Which is why LeBron's ad cracks me up:

LeBron James has taken out a full-page ad in his hometown paper in which he thanks the people of Akron for supporting him -- and doesn't mention the city where he played basketball the last seven years.

Look, LeBron has always differentiated between Akron and Cleveland. LeBron grew up in Akron, Ohio which is an entirely different city than Cleveland, Ohio.

And I might be weird (well...) but I've never really differentiated that much between the two. Of course they're different cities... but they're different cities in Northeast Ohio. A lot of people (I'd even say most) don't live in Akron or Cleveland proper. They live in suburbs.

Myself, I grew up in Hudson. When I've had to explain where it's located, I've always said it's about halfway between Cleveland and Akron. If you want to go see the Cavs, Browns or Indians play, you drive into Cleveland. If you want to see the Aeros or Zips play, you drive into Akron. Either way, you're making a trip into a city.

I grew up reading about Cleveland sports in the Akron Beacon Journal. The ABJ has always covered Cleveland sports. Both Brian Windhorst and Terry Pluto first covered LeBron for the Beacon. Pluto will still write about the Zips (or Golden Flashes) in the PD. Sure, they aren't the same city, but it's not like the locals differentiate between the two all that much.

As for the letter itself... whatever. If it would've come out the day after The Decision, it might've not looked so petty or cheap. But LeBron's letter came after Z's own ad (in which he thanked Cavs fans and the city of Cleveland). I can only imagine the meeting at LRMR:

"Hey, you see the ad that Z took out? He wrote a letter thanking the fans"

"Cool, we should do the same thing, but make ours much pettier"

"Brilliant"

If that's how this is gonna be, fine. I know LeBron is probably pissed at Cleveland fans right now and I can't say can I blame him. But he's the one who brought this on himself.

I just hope no one does anything stupid on December 2nd, 2010.

Hyperbole

(Note: Heh. I did not expect this post to grow this large. What started off as an overreaction to Bud Shaw making a crappy Evil Empire joke morphed into a giant LeBron thesis paper (footnotes!). It's quite long but I feel it's fairly coherent, though it does ramble at times. Proceed at your own risk. It needs editing it, but I'm lazy and sick of thinking about this subject but I don't feel like tossing the whole thing. Hopefully, this is the last time I write about LeBron until he actually does something on a basketball court).

Bud Shaw: New York Yankees' empire is not as evil as Miami Heat's.

Evil? Let's all take a step back, shall we? I think it's safe to say that we can all agree that LeBron James could've and should've handled his exit from Cleveland better. Had he written a letter like this, his departure would've stung a lot less.

But nothing about this process was, you know, evil. After seven years, six All-Star appearances, two MVP's and the franchise's only trip to the Finals, LeBron acted like an asshole when he left. Egotistical dickhead? Yes. Evil, unfeeling, traitorous monster? No. (You know what's evil? Taking a speech about overcoming racism, editing it to make it look racist and releasing to the public, stoking racial resentment in order to score cheap political points, resulting in a woman losing her job and thrusting her into the public eye. And then lying about it. THAT'S evil. /Not to get all political or nuttin...).

I guess I'm kind of surprised that I'm in the minority in disagreeing with Bill Livingston's call to never retire LeBron's number. I can't help feeling that we're overreacting just a tad.

I think I understand the grievances pretty well. They are, in no particular order: he signed a contract with Miami that was longer than any he signed with Cleveland, he didn't like the same baseball team as the rest of us, Game 5 wasn't the first time he gave poor effort*, he's helping recruit more players to Miami than he ever did to Cleveland, he didn't marry his girlfriend, he was a bad tipper**, he left via The Decision, he quit in the Boston series (most notably Game 5***) and, finally, he's a big time jerk/cocksucker/quitter/fraud/traitor/asshole/liar/douchenozzle/scruffy looking nerf herder.

Safe to say, Cavs fans are pretty pissed. Oh, and as for Bill Simmons and this mailbag quip:

Q: You missed one thing at the NBA draft that only a hypersensitive Seattleite still mourning the loss of the Sonics would catch: Kevin Durant was seated in section 206 at last night's draft. 206 is Seattle's area code. Kill me now.
-- Ben, Seattle

SG: Remember, Cavs fans -- things could be worse. You could live in Seattle.

Um, the Browns franchise moved away and won a SuperBowl five years later. Oh, and the team we got for compensation has been worse than putrid. Plus, we live in Cleveland. Your move, Seattle.

I know we all feel betrayed that LeBron left and the way he went about it was stupid. But this is as mad as we're ever gonna be (well, probably. If he shows up to Miami with a jump hook and a turnaround fade, I'm gonna murder someone). Obviously, the Cavs won't be retiring LeBron's number anytime soon but I don't think "at some point in future" is really out of the question. Right now, the wounds are still too fresh and LeBron is still playing in the league. But if the worst thing he did was "act like a dick on his way out", then I'm pretty sure it's possible to reconcile. Time heals all wounds.

It's not like it would be the first time a sports franchise has honored a player who fought with management or left on bad terms. Hell, Brad Daugherty all but shunned the Cavs franchise after he retired (I SWEAR this is true but I can't find a link to save my life), but number 43 is hanging from the rafters. Hell, if Dave Winfield can write stuff like this about George Steinbrenner,then I'm pretty sure Dan Gilbert and LeBron can patch things up. Of course, it would take an actual apology from LeBron but we got time.****

Look, I'm not going to tell anyone not to be mad at LeBron. But when my Twitter timeline (@BenCox83) is routinely full of Cavs fans sending LeBron('s intern that manages his twitter account) these vile, personal life bashing, hate filled tweets. I don't like it. I feel like we're headed someplace wrong. (My favorite type of 'CLE fan to LBJ' tweet? The "Fine, leave asshole, Cleveland is a football town anyways! Fuck you!!" ones. Nice. "Yeah, we only watched the Cavaliers because of... you. Oh." That showed him!)

Like many people, I really enjoyed Will Leitch's take on The Decision (emphasis added):

Loving sports, by definition, requires a certain suspension of disbelief and logic. We are all pouring our hearts and souls into cheering for men (and women) who do not care about us, who are not like us, who are not the type of people we would ever associate with (or even meet) in real life. We deify them because it is hard to find people to deify in the real world: Sports spans every age group, ethnic group, political persuasion, and all else that serves to divide us, separate us. We cheer for athletes because sports does not matter, not really. We cheer because sports is, ultimately, harmless.

And we trust that they will at least pretend. We trust that they will recognize the ultimate ludicrousness of this whole enterprise, that these are grown men wearing tank tops, throwing a ball up and around, running on wood, that this all exists because we allow it to exist, that the illusion must be maintained. We trust that they understand how good they have it, how much we give them, against our own self-interest. We trust that they are not laughing at us.

I get being pissed at LeBron James for how he handled his exit (including the Boston series) and that some of his conduct was shameful. But the dude isn't evil or some sort of diabolical figure.

LeBron is a 25 year old kid who grew up without a father and whose mother was in and out of his life for much of his early years. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16. He had multinational shoe corporations seeking to give him millions of dollars before he made his first NBA basket. The Cavs catered to his every whim, including hiring friends and family to official and unofficial team positions. Local sportscasters feared to criticize him. He's one of the two best basketball players on the entire planet and has made millions upon millions of dollars playing a game and endorising products. He's being advised by his high school buddies and some shady dude who calls himself World Wide Wes.

And really, we're shocked that this 25 year old child star has a huge ego and handled a major life decision poorly? Seriously? Spoiled child millionaire acts like egotistical fuckstick. No way! I mean, hell, when I was 25 I made some stupid decisions and handled some relationships (both personal and professional) pretty fucking poorly. At the very least, my communication skills left something to be desired (also, turns out Barnes and Noble frowns upon an employee calling his supervisor a "Cave Troll" on this blog. Who knew?). It happens. You grow up.

And in all seriousness, I can't really begrudge LeBron for heading to Miami. He gets to play with two of his best friends (one of whom just happens to be an MVP candidate) in sunny Florida. Man, that sucks! Do you know how many of my high school friends no longer live in the Cleveland area? And as the piggybacking on Wade, I don't buy that Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson wouldn't have teamed up with another star if presented the opportunity.

And while I love Bryant Gumbel's take on LeBron:

Despite such evidence to the contrary, LeBron James seems to think he needs a ring to change his life and secure his legacy. Maybe he’ll get one, maybe he won’t, but it’s probable that no amount of rings will ever remove the stench he wallowed in last week. LeBron may yet find that in the court of public opinion, just as putting on a tux can’t make a guy a gentleman, winning a ring can’t make one truly a champion.

I also can't blame LeBron for being so ring focussed. That's all you hear about now days; Jordan has six and Kobe has five, which is one more than Shaq (and Barkley, Malone and Ewing have none. HAHAHAHAHAHA). Alex Rodriguez was still on the field wearing his glove when he was asked "A-Rod, does this World Series title validate your career?" Hell, the Plain Dealer even called LeBron out on if when he left. "Seven years, no rings."

The message is pretty clear: championships matter. The end.

Can you blame LeBron for trying to team up with other All-Stars? Is there anyone on the Cavs close to Chris Bosh's talent, let alone Dwyane Wade's? Plus, winning a ring will redeem his exit from Cleveland, at least in the eyes of most people (I mean, look at Ray Lewis and Ron Artest). In sports (and especially in the NBA), rings are the barometer that which the greats are judged. I can totally understand LeBron making the move he did.

When it comes down to it, even though I know LeBron did the Cavs and their fans no favors on his way out, again, the last seven years did not suck. I had fun. I enjoyed myself. I won't be burning any jerseys. Maybe I'm keeping my expectations low, but I liked having the Cavs matter again. Coming back to Gumbel, I know this was meant about LeBron, but I feel it goes for us fans too:

Even though he never won a title, Dan Marino is still the biggest hero in Florida. And in Boston, all those Celtics championships are dimmed by the unforgettable brilliance of Ted Williams, who never won anything. In Chicago, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus have legendary status despite playing on losing teams. And even in the NBA, where guys seem obsessed with being viewed as ‘the man’, real men like Barkley, Ewing and Baylor are ringless, but revered.

Sports is fun when your team is good. I feel like this pretty is simple. You know when the baseball playoffs are fun and interesting? When the Indians are involved. You know when they're tedious and boring? The rest of the time. And Cleveland winter's suck a lot more when Lamond Murry is the Cavs leading scorer.

Yes, the ultimate goal is to win the title, but only one team can do that each year. But it's not like the fans of every other team wasted their time (or did they?). This city hasn't had won a title since 1964 and LeBron was our best chance in quite some time. It didn't happen.

We. Want. It. So. Bad.

But even though our teams haven't won, I've really enjoyed their attempts. The Manny-Thome Indians were a ton of fun, the Price-Daugherty Cavs were my childhood team and I'd like to think the CC-Victor Indians were pretty well loved. Sure, no titles but a lot of fun, no? Nagy surviving by the skin of his teeth in 97 against Baltimore, Carmona pitching while being surrounded by nats against the Yankees in 2008.... Good times.

I guess I'm just surprised to see LeBron turn into Bill Buckner. One big mistake (how he handled leaving) erases everything else he did (though less than a month has passed, we're still a bit raw). I'm not saying I'll be rooting for him in Miami or that I condone how he handled himself, but him being a douchebag doesn't ruin the rest of his tenure for me.

While the Cavs certainly won't be retiring his number anytime soon, I'll be shocked if #23 isn't hanging from the rafters after LeBron calls it a career.

*I'd say if you asked Cavalier fans the question 'when did LeBron show poor effort?' 90-95% of them would say Game 5. Though I feel some fans would say LeBron showed poor effort constantly, especially in the regular season after a few playoff runs. Now, it's really really hard to point to LeBron's stats from 06-07 (27-6-6) and 07-08 (30-8-7) and claim the guy was loafing (which isn't exactly what I'm saying). But that's because LeBron is so freaking good. The guy can put up 25-6-6 without even trying. Trust me, I've seen him do it.

Throughout LeBron's tenure, I've ragged on about his heat checks, poor shot selection (dagger three!!) and lack of willingness to head to the block quite a bit. All of these problems stem from lack of effort. Have you ever played in a basketball game where you know you're better than your opponent or you're tired or just simply bored? I have. You know what you do? You settle for jumpers. You stand around. You make a few shots and you think "hey, I'm feeling it, I think I'll hoist another one" (and then you do and piss off all your teammates). Issues like these are what makes LeBron (and Shaq before him) so frustrating. For as good as he was, he could be even better.

LeBron could've created easier shots for himself (and his teammates) by learning some simple post moves, he could've increased his scoring by 2-3 points a game by shooting 80-85% from the line, he could've been an absolute nightmare moving without the ball. Standing around and holding ball for 15 seconds before settling for a long jumper isn't the most efficient way to get your points (and rip Coach Mike's offense all you want, but again, I can't imagine he said, "alright Bron-Bron, do nothing for 10 seconds, take a jab step and chuck it")

**I can't prove it at all, but I've heard this from a bunch of people

***My personal theory is that LeBron realized (after seeing Mo and Jamison get torched repeatedly) how much work he'd have to do in order to simply get the Cavs out of the second round, gave up. He knew he was leaving and he didn't want to deal with it.

****I really don't think it's out of the question that within the next 20 years we'll have some interview from Bron-Bron where he states he's sorry for the way he left, he was young and immature and he could've handled himself better. Granted, I don't think this interview is gonna happen anytime soon, but I believe it'll happen at some point.

Z signs with Miami

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is no longer a Cavalier, for real this time:

Saying he's chasing a dream to win an NBA title, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is leaving the Cavaliers after 14 seasons to join LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

The Cavs had a contract offer on the table and told Ilgauskas he was always welcome with the organization, but with the team in rebuilding mode, Ilgauskas chose to accept a two-year, $2.8 million offer in Miami. The second year will likely be a player option.

"It was a tough decision for me; very emotional," Ilgauskas told The Plain Dealer. "I spent 14 years of my life here. I came in as a young boy and grew up to be a man. Cleveland had a lot to do with that."

The Heat, who had no centers under contract, began recruiting Ilgauskas after James signed last week. James was part of the recruitment effort.

"Obviously (LeBron) related how much he'd like for me to join him," Ilgauskas said. "I looked at all my options. When I stepped away from all the hoopla that surrounded free agency, from a basketball standpoint, for me personally, it was the best decision I could have made."

Couple things...

Obviously, I'm gonna miss Big Z but it's not exactly a big blow at this point. Without LeBron, the Cavaliers should be entering a rebuilding period (Dan Gilbert's ill advised promise to win before LeBron not withstanding) and rebuilding teams don't need old centers. Z barely got any minutes in the playoffs anyways (a combination of his diminishing skills and Mike Brown's stubborn refused to see that Shaq sucked) and I don't mind the big fella chasing a ring, especially at his age.

Though I will say, Z's move to Florida has me quite conflicted. When LeBron took his talents to South Beach, it was a fairly easy decision not to root for the Heat. But now with Z in the fold, I can't simply root for Miami to lose, I've now got to root for LeBron get injured (nothing serious like an ACL tear or anything, but maybe his... elbow? Heh) and THEN hope for the Heat to win the championship without James. Much more complicated. (I'm just kidding, by the way. I never root for injuries. Except when the Steelers face the Ravens. Then I hope Ray Lewis sacks Big Ben, somehow snapping both their necks in the process. I keeed!).

Also, of course LeBron helped recruit Big Z to Miami. LeBron also met Derek Fisher at the airport for Fisher's free agent visit. Brian Windhorst tweets:

Western Conference executive: "LeBron has done more recruiting in the last five days than he did in the last 3 years."

Sounds about right. Remember, LeBron never even spoke with Tom freaking Izzo when Izzo was considering the Cavaliers job (but Bron-Bron was still undecided at the time...). When Cavs fans say that LeBron quit or his heart wasn't in it, this is the kind of crap we're talking about (also, Round 2 vs Boston).

Finally, Henry Abbot of TrueHoop tweets:

I'm waiting for someone to tell me that joining the Heat revealed some flaw in Zydrunas Ilgauskas' character.

HAR! I knew someone was going to make a snarky comparison between LeBron's and Z's respective departures and the fan/media reaction. I know Henry is trying to be funny here but man, if someone can't understand why Cleveland fans would have different reactions to LeBron and Z bolting for Miami, I'm not sure I want to waste my time explaining the difference. (As for an answer to Henry's question, Z is a roll player, not the 2-time MVP. Though, speaking only for myself, the only thing about LeBron's move to Miami was the way he handled it publically).

Hell, I'm just waiting for someone to say that Cleveland fans are racist. I mean, we freaked out when LeBron, a black player, left but we're all hugs-and-kisses for Z, who is, obviously, Lithuanian.

But in all seriousness, this really feels like the end of an era. Z's been a Cavalier seemingly forever and the squad during his rookie year is one of my all-time favorite teams. That 97-98 Cavs team (coached by Mike Fratello!) started four rookies (Z, Brevin Knight, Derek Anderson and Cedric Henderson) and a not-quite-out-of-shape Shawn Kemp. They ended up bowing out in the first round to the Pacers and the future looked bright right up until Z's feet broke and Kemp used the lockout to sample all of Baskin Robbins' 31 flavors.

Even with all of LeBron's antics, having Z on the Heat roster would make a potential Miami championship just a teensy, tiny bit easier to stomach. Still, seeing Z get to the promise land in a different uniform will be bittersweet to say the least.

I wish him all the luck in the world.

More LeBron Fallout

In a surprise to absolutely no one, Dan Gilbert was fined by David Stern for his and subsequent interviews:

Shortly after James' announcement, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cavs fans, vilifying the 25-year-old and calling his decision to bolt Cleveland as "narcissistic" and "cowardly behavior." He also guaranteed his team would win an NBA title "BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE."

Gilbert took it a step further when he later told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he felt the NBA's two-time MVP quit on the Cavs during the playoffs the past two years, and that James "has gotten a free pass." He also said James should be held accountable for his actions.

[snip]

Gilbert is attending the owners' meetings in Las Vegas, where NBA commissioner David Stern said Monday he was fining the Cavaliers $100,000 for the comments.

"He was completely correct in expressing his disappointment," Stern said, adding that Gilbert's statement and the sentiments he expressed in a follow-up interview with the AP were "a little bit extreme."

Only $100,000? That's not really a whole lot to an owner of an NBA franchise. I'm still shocked that Stern hasn't made him take that letter down. It's still up on Cavs.com for anyone to read.

Stern also said that he didn't care for LeBron's special (which ESPN innocently points out just happened garner 10 million viewers) and that LeBron should've informed the Cavs before the TV show (no shit!). Craig at WFNY has a nice post on what LeBron should've done. Me gusta.

As far as Jesse Jackson's Dan Gilbert/Slavery comments... both Stern and Gilbert dismiss them (and disagree, obviously) and I really like Jason Whitlock's take:

It’s stupid. Dan Gilbert’s rant was certainly immature, but it wasn’t remotely racist. He sounded like a scorned lover, a guy who gave his heart to a relationship and found out on national TV that the alleged love of his life didn’t care about him at all.

I agree whole heartedly

BTW ^this post^ was, um, posted today over at Upon Further Review Sports today, albeit linkless, as rebuttal to this. Check it out.

Speaking of other sites where my crappy writing appears, LeBrownsTown.com has now (for some weird reason...) been renamed LandLoyalty.com (rolls off the tongue, no?).

and finally, you know wanted to read Matt Taibbi's thoughts on The Decision. Of course you do.

Random LeBron Thoughts

First off, Dan Gilbert.... the letter. I gotta say, when I first read it, I loved it (as did Joe Tait). As a Cleveland fan, reading Gilbert's letter that night was extremely cathartic. It was refreshing to see someone put words to how we all felt and it was nice to see someone step up for the Cleveland fans. And it was definitely cool to see someone release something to the public that wasn't chock full of platitudes and bullshit jargon. That's definitely how Dan Gilbert felt, no question about it. But he came off as a jilted boyfriend and if he would've waited a few hours (or days) I'm pretty sure he would've written something different.

Also, I'm SHOCKED that David Stern let that thing stay up. That's gotta say something... but I'm not quite sure what.

That being said, Dan Gilbert absolutely has the right to be pissed at Bron-Bron. There is absolutely no reason why Gilbert needed to learn of LeBron's decision at the same time your or I did. This is an owner who, by all accounts, peddled to LeBron's every whim. He hired James's friends, he allowed the pregame rituals and he basically let LeBron do whatever he wanted. That LeBron ignored his calls and texts that night is absolutely shameful. I don't fault Gilbert at all for being angry. Though as Terry Pluto says, he might want to walk back some of that stuff. "When your heart is broken, your head doesn't work"

And to all those people ragging on Gilbert and Cleveland fans saying, "if LeBron is such a bad person, why did you want to resign him/cheer for him all these years??" BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SPORTS IS. You root for the guys on your team until they're no longer on your team. San Francisco Giants fans defend Barry Bonds. Steelers fans root for Ben Rapistberger. I rooted for that dick head Albert Belle (who did NOT take steroids!). That's just how these things work. You love your guys til they're no longer your guys.

Speaking of pissed off fans... stop it with this shit. There's no need to be bringing LeBron's mother into this. It's immature, childish and in unbelievably poor taste. There's enough reasons to hate on the guy that we don't have to call out his mom.

Same this all of LeBron Fatheads being slashed to $17.41 (the birth year of Benedict Arnold). Yes, it's Dan Gilbert's company and he can do what he wants, but it's fucking petty. Lord knows that Gilbert has as much reason to be pissed as anyone, but it's childish.

Look, LeBron isn't a traitor and even if you think he is, it doesn't excuse a lot of the 'jokes' I see going around twitter about his mom or his GF (and about how he's probably cheating on her in Miami). While I didn't want him to leave (um, hello? he's the 2-time MVP!!), it's his choice and one could argue that he chose the better position.

But the way he left was a major punk move. I can't deny that. He didn't talk to Tom Izzo. He wouldn't take the calls of Bernie Kosar, let alone the fucking owner of the Cavaliers (but hey, he'll help recruit Derek Fisher to the Heat). He strung Cavs fans along and then took a dump on them on national television, acting like we should've been grateful for all those years (even though he committed 5 year to the Heat, more than he ever gave the Cavs to build).

Ignoring the Cavs and the city before bolting is classless. He had to have known what his departure would do and he could've and should've handled it better. He could'be taken out a full page ad, thanking the fans (like C.C. Sabathia did). Hell, LeBron wouldn't have even needed to write the thank-you letter, just paying for it would've been enough. He could've, oh I dunno, signaled his intentions to the Cavaliers front office and allow them to move forward with their offseason plans. Going out the way he did the Cavs no favors and he burned any bridges he had left (and Dan Gilbert came in and pissed on the remnants).

I dunno, there's enough legitimate reasons to be angry at LBJ that I don't think we need to be cracking mama jokes (though, I will say this is funny), ragging on him for not marrying his girl and sending him hate mail via twitter (though I have heard that he's a terrible tipper... so... ya! EVIL).

As for the Cavs, I'm glad that they didn't let emotions get in the way and actually completed a sign-and-trade with the Heat. I'll take four picks and a trade exception (two firsts and two seconds). It's better than nothing. (Although, it means that LeBron isn't taking less money to join the Heat).

In my opinion, the Cavs need to rebuild. Tear down and start again. Now, I definitely wouldn't mind watching a plucky Cavs team get to the playoffs and try to get home court, but they aren't going to do any damage once they get there. There's a rumors floating around about a Shaq+Mo for Marvin Williams + Josh Childress deal and I really don't like it. Marvin Williams is a b-u-s-t and he's owed roughly $30 million over the next four years (salary from Sham Sports). The last thing the Cavs need to be doing is taking on more longterm salary.

The Cavs need to stockpile as many young players and draft picks as they possibly can and start fresh. I don't know how the fans are going to react after LeBron's departure, but I think there's been enough new fans that Gilbert and co should get some leeway in rebuilding the franchise.

But maybe not. Maybe the Cavs will sink back into irrelevance as the Browns scratch and claw their way to another sub .500 season (Delhomme to Engram baby!! Whoo!!!). I dunno.

But I do know this: life goes on. It's just sports. They're supposed to be a diversion from Real Life. It's supposed to be fun. As Terry Pluto always says, "Don't let millionaire athletes ruin your day".

The Last Days

So here we are, the waning days of the LeBron Era in Cleveland.

Maybe.

This last month has been a bit nuts, there are rumors flying every where. The NBA world has officially gone mad.

LeBron was supposed embark on a elaborate free agency tour but instead decided to host teams in Akron. LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson(?) were all set to have a Free Agency Summit but it got canceled. Except that it didn't. But LeBron wasn't there. Or maybe he was.


William Wesley is trying to push LeBron out the door so he can be a stronger agent (and a very convenient scape-goat). Hell, World Wide Wes is even trying to engineer a trade for Chris Paul, a player he doesn't even represent. But apparently, Wesley won't be a part of any of LeBron's negotiations.

For LeBron, it all comes down to winning. And the ownership, the ownership definitely matters most. But LeBron isn't even talking with the Cavalier front office! Except that he is. Windhorst says that LeBron will have the final word (well, duh) and that despite everything, the Cavs still have "the edge" to retain his services. And hey! The Cavs even have a coach! (maybe)

Are we having fun yet?

I don't know how this is possible, but I'm fascinated by this whole saga while simultaneously feeling extremely ambivalent. It's not that I don't care (obviously, I do) but I've simply grown numb to the whole thing. I've been bombarded with so much LeBron James News, it's insane (and that's without watching any PTI or SportsCenter).

(I've embarked on an unofficial boycott of ESPN ever since the Cavs were unceremoniously bounced from the second round of the playoffs. I do this whenever Brett Favre/Barry Bonds/Terrell Owens-eque stories pop up. Why watch? I know I'll simply get frustrated. Same reason why I never watch Cable News).

Basically, I just want it to be done.

(Also, re: ambivalence. LeBron is the first pro-athlete I've really followed where I've been older than the athlete. It's a different experience. I still care probably more than I should but, as with ESPN, I have other things that interest me (aka books, politics, job, not-having-money, not-getting-laid, etc) and obsessively following some dude younger than me seems weird. I dunno).

Right now, it looks like Miami and Chicago are LeBron's two most likely non-Cleveland destinations. The Bulls can sign two max free agents (New Jersey is making a last ditch effort to clear space to do the same. Fuck you, Washington) and LeBron could team up with another superstar like Wade or Bosh (while the Heat are pushing for the whole threesome). Needless to say, the Cavs cannot do the same.

While I certainly understand the appeal of playing alongside another superstar, I hope LeBron realizes it's not an automatic championship like many believe (aka Fantasy Sports =/= Real Life).

Say LeBron signs in Chicago with Bosh and teams up with Derek Rose and Joakim Noah. Pretty sweet, right? But tell me why you wouldn't simply back the lane against that squad? Derek Rose is many things, but a spot up shooter he ain't (they just traded Kirk Hinrich for, as far as I can tell, nothing). Nevermind the fact that he'll have to drive by Jordan's statue every day heading into work. Enjoy playing in that shadow.

And Miami? So LeBron is going to head into D. Wade's house and either A) take over the show or B) defer to Wade? Really? All while taking less than the max? And how good is Chris Bosh? On a team with James and Rose/Wade, Bosh's offensive duties would certainly decrease. Is Chris Bosh going to be able to defend and rebound against the likes of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol come playoff time? Bosh is certainly skilled offensively but is he be willing to do that dirty work down low? Would you call him playoff tested? I dunno.

What I do know is this: two years ago the Cleveland Cavaliers won 66 games and this past season they won 61. Yes, LeBron is the reason the Cavs were contenders but his performance is also the reason they were bounced from the playoffs two rounds too early (not that he was the only issue, mind you). Leaving a 60 win team on the heels of an epic choke job is going to be his Ohio Legacy. Good luck with that (he'll be second only to Art Model in Most Hated Cleveland Sports Figures).

Certainly the idea of LeBron teaming up with Bosh and/or Wade is tantalizing, but how many championship teams were built through free agency? Has that ever worked? I just hope that if he bolts, he knows he's leaving a pretty damn good situation.

I also think that if LeBron decides to stay, he should sign for more than a three year deal. Take the full max and reup for six years (and make a TON more money); the Cavs can't go through another three years of "you better win right this second or I'm gonna leave". It's no way to build a franchise; it hurt them last summer with free agents and it's the reason they currently have no cap room (or coach). LeBron needs to be their rock (ala Magic, Bird and Jordan) and it's hard to build around a cornerstone if you can't count on him to be there in the future.

People like to point to KG's "loyalty can hurt" comments after Round 2 as reason LeBron should go, but I can't help but wonder if say, Paul Pierce feels the same way. Winning in Cleveland will count for more. Period. How many championships will LeBron need to in Chicago to feel validated? Three? Four? More? What if he only gets one? He'll never be bigger than Jordan, not anywhere, but especially not in Chicago. He wins in Cleveland, he's The Man. Period. The End.

As for what I think he's going to do? I have literally, absolutely no idea. No one does. Everything is pure speculation. If I had to make a guess, I'd say he goes to the Bulls. Yes, LeBron would have to share the ball with Derek Rose in Chicago, but at least the end-of-game situations would be pretty cut and dry (unlike Miami). I certainly hope he stays here (the Cavs do supposedly have the edge) but I haven't felt confident that he'd reup ever since the Cavs were bounced by Boston.

I guess if I have a plea for LeBron, it's to finish the job here. Don't let your last home game in Cleveland be the Game 5 stinker (or let your legacy be: Yankees Hat==> Hold Franchise Hostage==> Flirt with Other Teams==> Lay Egg in Biggest Game of the Playoffs==> Leave for Team that Historically has Ripped Out the Hearts of Cavalier Fans). If you can get the Cavs over the championship hump it'll count for so much more. You'd have built your own legacy. Winning here, in Cleveland, in Ohio, will be sweeter.

Somehow, I think you know that.

PS: I never mix work and sports blogging, but this is a special occurrence. On July 8th (the first day free agents can sign with their new teams), the Brook Park branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library system is hosting Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto. I actually set up this particular event but I'd be lying if I told you that I purposely planned to host Pluto on LeBron's (possible) signing day. Just a happy convergence. Sign up here.

It was a very good year

The Cavs finished the season at 61-21, the best record in the NBA and their second best in team history, after last season's 66-16 However, they also ended the season on a four game losing streak.

All in all, I feel pretty good about them heading into the postseason. I'm not thrilled with the way they ended the year (barely even trying), but I do see the logic in it (hell, they saw the Raptors lose Chris Bosh first hand and they nearly lost Jamison against the Bulls). I have a hard time complaining that the team with the best record in the NBA didn't win enough games. (And as for the 'Michael Jordan played all 82' argument, who cares? Jordan was also a competitive maniac who got into fistfights with teammates during practice).

Statistically, the Cavs are quite good. They're 9th in the NBA in scoring, averaging 102.1 points a game (up from 100.3 last year) and are tied for fifth in points allowed, only giving up 95.3 (they were first with 91.4 last season). Their difference of +6.5 ranks second behind Orlando's +7.5 (they were first last season with +8.9) and they're tied for third with Chicago in opponents field goal percentage, holding teams to just .442 shooting (the Magic are first with .438). Their team field goal percentage is up from .468 to .485 and they assist on 53% of their made baskets (3rd in the NBA). The offense is good and the defense is good (I know, you're shocked).

So despite the five win difference, I fully believe that this year's squad is better than last season's 66 win team. The Cavs started off this season 3-3 and finished 0-4, meaning 1/3 of their losses came either while they were still working in two new starters or when they rested LeBron and others after clinching the best record in the NBA. A full third! (Interestingly, they lost to the Bulls during both stretches).

I'm confident in this team because they've passed basically every test they've faced this season. The Cavs were just 4-3 early in the season when they went down to Florida and swept back-to-back against Orlando and Miami. They went 3-1 and 3-2 on their two West Coast trips, losing those three games by a combined 10 points. They beat the Lakers on Christmas Day and again a month later, without Mo Williams. They swept a home-and-home with the Hawks and nearly came from back from a 22 point deficit in Boston (with LeBron missing a three to win).

They added three new players in the offseason (including two, then three new starters), developed J.J. Hickson and Jawad Williams, added Antawn Jamison (another new starter) and Leon Powe midseason, brought back Z late in the year and still managed win streaks of 13, 8, 7, 6 and 5 (twice). Shaq hurts his thumb and the Cavs go 16-2. Mo Williams goes down and they rattle off 11 straight wins. These guys are talented and they are very, very deep.

They also happen employ the best player on the planet, LeBron James. James, a shoe-in for his second MVP in as many years, finished with averages of 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists while shooting 50% from the floor. LeBron's chameleon like ability to play anywhere from point guard to power forward (coupled with the Cavs' great depth) allows Coach Mike the luxury of playing any style of ball. They can slow it down and go big or speed it up and go small at a blink of an eye.

If LeBron and the Cavaliers have one weakness, it's free throws. James is shooting 76% from the stripe, down from 78% last season (though still the second highest % of his career) and as a team the Cavs are dead last in the NBA at 72% (down from 75% last season). It's not exactly shocking that the team free throw % took a dip after adding Shaq (who made just 49% from the stripe) but Antawn Jamison didn't help matters by shooting just 50% at the line since the trade (he made them at a 75% clip for the Wizards).

Being last in the NBA in free throw shooting obviously isn't good, but it won't necessarily stop the Cavs from winning a title. The San Antonio Spurs won the championship in 2003 and 2005 and both years were 26th in the NBA from the stripe, shooting 72.5% and 72.4% respectively. While 72% foul shooting isn't acceptable or defendable, it doesn't have to be a fatal flaw.

Things are looking up heading into the playoffs, despite the free throws and four game losing streak. Despite the 0-4 record, I did like the fact that Mo Williams had to carry the load with LeBron street clothes. The Cavs are going to need Mo to play well if they are going to win the title and his 35 points, 10 assist effort against the Bulls was great to see (as was his 19 points through three quarters against Orlando). And while I don't blame Brown for resting guys for health reasons, I really would've liked to see Shaq shake off some rust in a game that didn't matter, rather than the first round.

(I will note that Brown chose to stop competing in crunch time following the Chicago loss (playoff preview!), when the James-less Cavs went scoreless over the final minute and a half, mustering only a forced turnaround from Mo and two ugly jumpers from Varejao. I'm still quite wary of their late game play calling).

The Cavs are healthy, LeBron is rested, Shaq has lost 20 lbs, Mo's shot is falling, there's no one like Sasha Pavlovic or Eric Snow in the rotation and they have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. You've got to feel good about this, no?

Plus, as a Cavs fan, you couldn't ask for a more entertaining (potential) road to the title. Should Boston, Orlando and the Lakers take care of business (let alone the Cavs themselves), Cleveland will face the Bulls in the first round, the Celtics in the second round, Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Lakers in the Finals. So they'd start with Michael Jordan's old team, then face the team that knocked them out in 2008, follow that with the team that sent them home last season (one of Shaq's former team) and finally end it against Kobe and the storied Lakers (another one of Shaq's former teams). Awesome.

This should be fun.

Reverse Psychology

Marc Berman, New York Post:

When a native asks if you’re attending the Saturday night Knicks-Cleveland game at the Q, reply, “Yes, and I’m excited about seeing LeBron James play his final season in Cleveland.”

The response is either laughter, utter disdain or both. A guy on Cleveland’s Rapid Transit rail tells me it’s “80-20” — 80 percent of Northeast Ohio patrons believe James will re-sign with the Cavaliers. Then he adds curiously, “But if the Cavs win the championship, that drops to 50-50. He’ll want to win another one somewhere else.”

That is the Cleveland inferiority complex at work. Even if James reaches the summit in Cleveland, bringing the city its first NBA title, he still would want to leave. It’s nonsense, flying against everything James has chattered about in the run-up to his free agency, which begins July 1.

Last night, James stopped chattering, blowing off his pregame interview session, which is becoming more commonplace.

During the Cavs’ 113-106 victory over the Knicks, several fans held up signs reading “No York” — a reference to the Knicks’ pursuit of James, who dropped 47 on them.

The better the Cavaliers do this season — and right now they own the NBA’s best record at 41-11 — the worse the Knicks’ chances of making the biggest score. The worse the Knicks do this season also takes the air out of the July grand ball.

Cleveland Magazine reported 40.5 million Google results for the phrase “LeBron James unrestricted free agent.” The magazine deduced in a cover story titled “LeBron Will Stay” that after parsing all the quotes on the subject, a 90-percent chance exists he doesn’t leave Cleveland.

Frank Isola, New York Daily News:

The worst-kept secret in sports is that James, a pending free agent, is the Knicks' primary target starting July 1. The best thing the Knicks have to offer is Madison Square Garden and endless marketing opportunities - although James appears to be doing pretty well in the marketing department while wearing a Cavs uniform.

Cleveland is also providing James with the best chance to win, which James says is his top priority. The Cavs have now won 11 straight games and are on pace to lock up the NBA's best record for a second straight year. The Knicks have to root for Boston, Orlando or Atlanta to knock off Cleveland during the postseason because a second trip to the NBA Finals would likely result in James re-signing with the Cavs.

"That's what we're thinking," said one Cavs official. "You never know what could happen but I think he'll stay."

The Cleveland franchise is cautiously optimistic that James will spend the prime years of his career - or at least the next three - in his home state. But they also understand the lure of New York City. Walsh has plenty to offer James, except a winning team.

Mike D'Antoni's squad is 19-31 and will struggle to make the playoffs. The Knicks are on pace for a ninth straight losing season and thus it's hard to imagine James leaving to join a rebuilding team.

"I think they're trying to show LeBron that (Danilo) Gallinari is a good piece to build around," said the Cavs official. "I like him as a player but right now he's one-dimensional. And a lot of those other guys are free agents and won't be back. The Knicks are going to get someone this summer. I have no idea who that is but they're still a few years away from being a contender."

James has refused to discuss his future for several months, but people close to him claim that he hasn't made a decision yet. The Knicks are hoping to get him to visit the Garden on July 1 and there is a feeling that James, who likes the attention, would milk the recruiting process for as long as possible.

As a Cleveland fan, I won't believe LeBron is staying until he signs that dotted line but I won't pretend that this isn't a positive development either. If NY folks are starting to realize that LeBron leaving is a long shot, then things are trending in the right direction.

The Cavs and Dan Gilbert can't offer beaches or the big city, but he can offer a winning franchise with top flight facilities (oh, and the most money). As I've said before, James isn't hurting trying to find marketing gigs here in C-Town (and by the way, that McDonalds' Super Bowl HORSE ad with Dwight Howard wasn't that good) and I doubt he wants to start over with a team trying to make the playoffs. The Cavs are winning and the teams hoping to sign LeBron aren't, you can't ask for much more than that.

This small market thing is really holding LeBron back

LeBron James is set to star in a crappy movie:

LeBron James will play himself in another movie called "Fantasy Basketball Camp," a Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment comedy, according to Variety.

Brian Grazer is producing. Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel are writing the script. Shooting for the film is scheduled for next summer.

Fantasy Basketball Camp is a comedy about five guys from different backgrounds who come to Vegas to live out their fantasy by attending the LeBron James Adult Basketball Camp.

Good for LeBron, I guess.

Now, obviously, I'd rather James spend his time working on some post moves than making mediocre movies, but that's me. Now, LeBron could follow in Michael Jordan's footsteps and use the down time on set (which, from my limited experience on WSM?, there's a ton) and get himself in ridiculous shape:

Jordan spent hours away from the set inside a temporary indoor gymnasium Warner Bros. built near the studio especially for Jordan. NBA stars such as Reggie Miller and Magic Johnson stopped by for pickup games, and Jordan worked out with trainer Tim Grover. It was in that mini-gym where Jordan, committed to reshaping his body for basketball after a foray into baseball, would lay the groundwork for the Bulls' 1995-96 championship season.

Pytka called the gym the "Jordan Dome," and the director took great pains to stay on a strict production schedule that called for Jordan to start filming at 9 a.m., work till 1 p.m., break two hours for lunch and a workout, and end the day no later than 6 p.m.

One last thing, the filming is supposed to take place next summer. We're all aware of next summer, right? Summer 2010. Summer of LeBron. So, in addition to teasing every NBA market, he's also going to be filming a crappy movie. Awesome.

It's gonna be a freaking circus.

LeBron on the Daily Show

I thought the interview was pretty good and that James handled himself well with Stewart's 'come to NYC' shtick.

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Never gets old

Season of Dreams

So not only have Browns fans suffered through one of the most disappointing, gut-wrenching, pathetic seasons in recent memory (which in itself is saying something, considering the last decade) but now we get to watch the Ravens and Steelers battle it out for the right to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. Awesome.

But hey, at least the future looks bright (and you bet your ass I'm gonna by one of those jerseys)

So lemme get this straight

The Browns fired their head coach (Romeo Crennel, who used to be Bill Belichick's defensive coordinator) and GM (Phil Savage, who worked under Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome) because things weren't working out and they need to move into a new direction.

And what a new direction it is! Randy Lerner and the Browns are about to hire a brand new head coach (Eric Mangini, who used to be Bill Belichik's defensive coordinator) and they'll soon be interviewing their guy for the GM position (George Kokinis, who worked under Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome). Awesome.

In all seriousness, I have no idea if this will work. Mangini and Kokinis could very well turn the Browns around. They are their own men, Romeo and Phil have no direct bearing on readiness for the job(s). But if they fail, this go down as one of the dumbest decisions in a franchise who's history is riddled with stupid decisions.

(also, LeBron traveled. It's OK. He really did. If he would've made that move during the second or third quarter, they may not have had to come back from 14 points. Instead, they were content to just hoist jumpers and not challenge the Wizards inside. It's not a good loss by any means, but it's a long, long season. However, their recent level of play has not inspired confidence, especially with the showdown with Boston looming).