We’ve been wondering here lately about how a leadership vacuum in Cleveland contributed to LeBron’s departure, the existence of that vacuum being largely supported by Dan Gilbert’s own statements. Now more evidence by way of the latest must-read report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
No one could stand James as a 19-year-old in the 2004 Athens Olympics, nor the 2006 World Championships. Officials feared James could become the instigator of everything they wanted to rid themselves for the ’08 Olympics. . . . Behind the scenes, officials had taken to calling James’ inner circle, “The Enablers.” No one ever told him to grow up. No one ever challenged him. . . .
Before Izzo finally turned down Gilbert, he was delivered a direct line to two of James’ close NBA friends, who told him he should only take the job with an expectation he’ll never coach James in Cleveland. Gilbert tried to sell Izzo, but the coach feared there wasn’t a single influential official in the Cavs organization who truly had a relationship with James. . . .
The TV event had delivered hope to the Cavaliers that they would keep James because they never believed he would go on air and open himself to such a visceral reaction.
Better than anyone, [the Cavaliers] knew LeBron James could sometimes be so unaware of the world outside his own needs, his own yes men. . . . [Yet, the] telephone call to the Cleveland Cavaliers came minutes before the 9 p.m. show, and somehow the news still shocked them. LeBron James was leaving, and the truth finally washed over owner Dan Gilbert and his front office: James had been gone a long time. They just never wanted to believe it.
Now consider what Brian Windhorst wrote yesterday:
What the Cavs want to know is why, despite doing everything James asked and attempting to trade for as many top players as they could, they were not afforded anywhere near the same opportunity [to build a franchise around James] as James is already giving a team he’s been with for less than two weeks.
In his comments in ESPN’s “Sunday Conversation” last weekend, James blamed Cavs owner Dan Gilbert for not considering the long term.
What the Cavs wanted to scream at the TV and have been seething about privately all during the Vegas Summer League is how could they when James himself had them shackled to the short term.
James had the Cavs shackled? Or is it that the Cavaliers organization spent seven years walking the path of least resistance with respect to LeBron in fear of upsetting Dan Gilbert’s money play on the franchise? I’m inclined to put more blame on the grown-ups here than the rags-to-unprecedented-fame/riches kid athlete and his along-for-the-ride homeboys. If the Cavaliers had figured out a way to break these so-called “shackles,” or even tried, maybe by the end there would have been at least “a single influential official in the Cavs organization who truly had a relationship with James.” It’s actually exactly how influence is built. You challenge someone, and they come to see that you were right to do so. The evidence continues to pile up that nobody ever did that to LeBron in Cleveland.
Stand for something or fall for nothing. And now the Cavaliers are left “seething privately” and “screaming at the TV.”
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Have you seen the new crib that LeBron’s rumored to have purchased in Miami? Does he plan to sell the one in Bath? How? To whom? One idea is that we can turn Cleveland Frowns into a 501(c)(3) non-profit and move our corporate offices there so LeBron can get another tax write-off. LeBron, you know how to get in touch.
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That’s all for now, but we’ll be back shortly with a number of non-LeBron related things, including Tony Grossi’s latest, and what all those fireworks looked like when they went off.
Hope everyone’s week gets off to a bangin’ start in the meantime.
