LeBron Thanks Akron, Disses Cleveland
In the latest episode of LeBronathon, LeBron James has included a full-page ad in his hometown paper where he thanks the citizens of Akron for supporting him throughout the years. That’s heartwarming, on the face of it, and news enough—but the real shocker is that nowhere does he mention Cleveland, which has the effect of turning a probably gracious letter into a manifest ‘s***w you’ proclamation.
Cleveland, of course, was the city LeBron played on for the last seven years. For that period, and completely because of LeBron James, the management and club owner Dan Gilbert tried their best to rally a losing stock into a winning team. And they did—successfully—but were unable to make any legitimate playoff runs, or prove to the world they were something more than a few good players and a great one.
James turned down an opportunity to spend the tenure of his career in Cleveland this summer, opting in free agency instead to play for the Miami Heat with superstars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. The move was the biggest basketball story of the year, completely demolishing buzz for the Lakers and their Championship win.
The ad, which appears in the Akron Beacon Journal, includes photos of James taking part in charity events in Akron such as an annual bike-a-thon. That event is anew scheduled this Saturday, and James is slated to make an appearance.
James began: “For all my life, I have lived in Akron, and for that, I am truly a lucky man. It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement, and support will always be with me."
He goes on to call the city not only his starting point but his finishing point, a place he will always return to. With the focal point of the letter being a city in Ohio, it becomes impossible not to draw parallels to Cleveland. And due to the weighty admission, one can bet not just that James is ready to move on, but that he’ll never be welcomed again in Cleveland.
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