LeBron James: Cleveland’s Prodigal Son

LeBron James: Cleveland’s Prodigal Son

LeBron James: The Prodigal Son

As a native of Cleveland, Ohio, my first thought when LeBron James left Cleveland, OH was denial.  My second emotion was anger.  But my third emotion, like many other Cleveland Cavaliers fans, was hope.  Today, after seeing Lebron’s interview in Cleveland from yesterday, that hope is growing.

LeBron James left myself and any other Cleveland Cavaliers fan in despair two summers ago when he proclaimed his infamous Decision, to “take his talents to South Beach.”   However, after watching him look like he was about to break down in tears during his interview yesterday, I can’t say enough of how strongly I want to have him back.  If you haven’t seen the interview, go back to the tape.  Notice, how LeBron looks like a kid who just got caught doing the wrong thing.  “Lebron, now what do you say???”

LeBron like the big kid he is, apologized to his tyrant of a former boss, and basically the entire city of Cleveland, stating outright that he made a “mistake.”  Now, whether that mistake was leaving Cleveland, or just the asinine (ass-a-ten, ass-a-leven, ass-a-twelve) decision to make “The Decision,” on national television in Ohio, honestly I could care less. All anyone in Cleveland cares about is winning, and honestly LeBron James is the only thing we have close to that.  Furthermore, he still fits the mold of a Cleveland athlete, because over the tenure of his career, he and Cleveland, OH have the same number of championships: zero.

Furthermore, after last year I believe the nation, and particularly Cleveland is getting much closer to giving up on beating up on one of our own.  You disagree?  Well think. If LeBron wins, you think people won’t say ten years from now “Yeah, but he was one of ours!”  If you think we won’t, you’re sadly mistaken.  Do you want to know why?  Because in ten years, he’ll still be the closest thing we have to a championship.  You disagree?  Let’s go to the numbers.

Currently, Ohio has no contenders on the professional sports levels.  Put simply, we suck.  Our baseball hasn’t been good since Jose Mesa screwed us . . . twice! Our football is only “well – represented” when Eric Mangini is on First Take.  Our National Championship contender “THE” Ohio State University has been covered in scandal only trumped by Penn State in recent years, and we can’t help but know that Kyrie Irving will probably be John Wall next year, forcing us once again into the NBA Draft Lottery to pay another young player with limited up-side, and no leadership skills because he’ll probably be a college freshman (s/o to the “One-And-Done Rule,” thanks D. Stern). So, with that in mind you’re telling me we wouldn’t want to take back a 2-Time (soon to be 3-Time) MVP, who’s already a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, with two appearances to the NBA Finals on his resume? If not LBJ, King James, “The Chosen One” (or whatever other tags he places on his bicycles) then who?

Now, bringing to my last and final point.  While most Cleveland fans won’t say this, we love LBJ.  Not just because of his awesome run in the gold and maroon, but because he’s ours.  Further, he’s the only guy that has a reason to dig us out of the hole we’ve been in for too long now.  A short list of MVP candidates over the last two years whittle down to these few names: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Lamarcus Aldridge, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki.  While I may have left a few out, what’s more important is the following question:  Someone please tell me which, of any of these potential NBA Finals MVPs would want to come to Cleveland, Ohio?  .  These are today’s potential MVPs.  Someone, tell me which of these people have ANY reason to go and win a Championship for the economically depressed, emotionally torn, and competitively incompetent city of Cleveland?  There’s only one:  L.B.J.

I know Cleveland.  I know what LeBron James meant to us.  Honestly, we’ve been in a hole for a long time, and he will inevitably be our Babe Ruth curse.  There’s only one way to defeat our worst nightmare: face them head on.  LeBron spurned us, but he’s admitted his mistake.  That’s why I say, and I know Cavs fans will agree, “Lebron, thank you for your apology, and like the Prodigal son . . . you’re always welcome home.”

 

Kyle Williams

Kyle is a writer on Comedic Prose

Follow Kyle on Twitter @darealkwilliams

Tags: , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply