Remember back in high school when you broke up with your girlfriend. You were cool with the break up and all of the possibilities that would lie ahead. You thought that you both would be good friends because the two of you had simply grown apart. She was the girl that nobody wanted until you started dating her because you were the big man on campus. You were the trend setter, if you will.
On your strength she instantly became the most popular girl in school and the envy of all of her classmates. You took her from the quiet little girl that nobody paid attention to, to become homecoming queen and being voted most likely to succeed. However, when you decided that the relationship had run its course she flipped out. She told all the girls that you weren’t any good from day one. She said that you constantly cheated on her and never gave 100 percent to the relationship. At some awful turn she talked her friends into helping her key your car and flatten all of your tires. She even went all “Waiting to Exhale” on you and burned your clothes.
However, in the movie the wife actually helped her husband become a successful businessman. You gave this woman your soul for years and this is how you were treated. Does any of this sound familiar, Cleveland? You’re simply that ungrateful little girl that just needs to say thank you for helping me become relevant.
Lebron James carried you on his back for seven years professionally. Not to mention the four years prior to that while he was in high school. You took advantage of this kid and didn’t for once feel bad about it. You moved his high school games to larger arenas like Cleveland State and increased ticket prices by 100 percent. Sold his likeness on T-shirts etc., and didn’t give him a dime of that money. He still became Mr. Basketball of Ohio three years straight. He was drafted to the worst team in the NBA at 18 years old with the hopes of an entire city on his shoulders. He didn’t fold under pressure, though. He just went out and under-promised and over-delivered like a seasoned veteran.
LeBron became the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2003-04. In every season that he played for you, he became an All-NBA performer and was selected to the All-Star team. In 2007, he took your franchise from being the doormat of the NBA to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and then to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. He won a Bronze Medal in 2004 and then went back in 2008 and won the Gold. Oh yeah, did you completely forget about the $150 million annually that he literally chauffeured into your local economy? Let’s face it, you’ve been taking advantage of this guy his entire life. How many of you attempted to save him from a broken home before he became a phenomenon? All you did was climb on his back and paraded around the country like you were the superstar. You thought they were called “scrimps” before the King showed up and took you out to dinner. If you wanted to keep him, you should’ve put in the same amount of work that he put in for you, but you didn’t. Instead, you sat back and took this kid for granted, Mr. Gilbert (Cleveland’s owner).
You fired Coach Mike Brown, obviously, without Danny Ferry’s (GM) consent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have quit shortly thereafter. You made no effort during the offseason to acquire players that would make it attractive enough for him to stay. Then you wrote a letter to insult the one guy that put the Cavaliers on the map. You could learn a thing or two from my hometown of Gary, Ind., the home of the greatest entertainer to ever live, Michael Jackson. He made billions of dollars for people all over the world and became known as one the greatest philanthropists ever. Yet, he didn’t give a dime of that money or his time to Gary. Yes, we were disappointed in him but we loved him because he was family. The people in the “G” as we so affectionately call it, stayed by Michael’s side with whatever he decided to do or more importantly decided not do for us because he was one of our own. When the media turned against him, we defended him because he was blood, family. How dare you curse King James; spit venom at him and have the audacity to burn his jersey when you all but owe the city’s mere financial existence to him. Shame on you Cleveland!
