Just in time for the Miami Heat’s visit to Cleveland, the latest absurd consequence of Dan Gilbert’s regressive self-serving LeBron demonization campaign: The hometown superstar says something that any decent human should want to hear him say (that “it would be great” if he were to come back home to play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers), and the response is mainly a bunch of tut-tutting about how LeBron should keep his mouth shut about Cleveland and focus on playing for the Miami Heat. Worse, current Cavs players say they’re “puzzled” by these remarks about the former superstar someday returning to the team. The Plain Dealer’s Tom Reed adds that the Cavaliers’ “serene season” has been “pierced” by LeBron’s comments.
This is insane. It’s like if somebody punched you in the face and took your money, then shortly apologized, asked for your forgiveness, offered give you your money back and pay your medical expenses, and further promised to work for the chance to give you even more money on top of what he took away. What if in response you said: “No, no. What’s done is done. You should stay focused on spending my money on yourself now, and stop distracting yourself and everybody else with this idea of giving me my money back. Frankly, I’m puzzled by your effort to make up for what you did. You’re really piercing my serenity here.”
Granting as any of LeBron’s worst critics would that his decision to leave the Cavaliers was a plain breach, a promise broken, and also, probably, a mistake, what could be more natural than a person wanting to make good on a broken promise and correct a past mistake? Of course, it’s just like he said, it really would be great if he could do that in Cleveland. What could be greater than that, really?
The prodigal son narrative, accepted as affirming of humanity everywhere else, even in church, but not here. Not when we’re talking about LeBron.
Which is what happens to peoples’ brains when the powers that be decide that they have something to gain from people hating somebody, and the people respond by giving in to their worst impulses.
Ooh, Scott Raab will be at the game tonight! What’s he going to tweet about Delonte and LeBron’s mom? Whore whore whore whore whore! Tut tut tut tut! I’m so puzzled!
Um, go Cavs. You can’t say we haven’t made at least some progress here.
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Yes, it’s as good a day as any to re-read the definitive review of Raab’s regressively celebrated book “about LeBron,” “The Whore of Akron.”
And here’s what LeBron actually said:
“I think it would be great … “It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can’t predict the future, and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I’m here as a Miami Heat player, and I’m happy where I am now, but I don’t rule that out in no sense.
“And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.
“I don’t have any hard feelings. [Dan Gilbert] said what he said and I’ve moved on. But there’s been no attempt to patch things up. . . . I don’t hold grudges. I hold them a little bit, but I don’t hold them that long.
“He said what he said out of anger and he would probably want to take that back. But I made a mistake, too, and there are some things I would want to take back as well. You learn from your mistakes and move on.”
Of course.
Alright, Cavs Cavs Cavs. Hope everyone has a decent weekend. 47 more days till opening day, 69 more until the draft.
UPDATE: Per Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
LeBron James came to Cleveland with an unmistakable mission this week, the beginning of a campaign to soften the fans and ownership on his desire to return to the Cavaliers in 2014. Free agency is forever on his mind, and James is determined to make his hometown want him as much he wants it again.
This was no accident, no misspeaking, nothing out of context. Before mentioning Thursday his openness to playing in Cleveland again, James months ago had an emissary or two carry that message to the Cavaliers’ front office, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. His camp wanted the message delivered to owner Dan Gilbert, sources said, but so far, the response has been silence.
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At this point. Make no mistake: James will need to make this easy for Gilbert, make it a public mandate. It promises to be a delicate dance for Gilbert. After all that, how do you welcome him back. And, well, how do you tell that talent, that kind of winning and profit, no?
“He has started to lay the groundwork, and he’s waiting to see what Dan Gilbert’s reaction to it is,” one league source with direct knowledge told Yahoo! Sports.
Here we go again, yes. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported a month ago that James had expressed unhappiness in Miami, and that a return was on his mind. Different dynamics are working here too. James loves to be in perpetual recruitment, always wanting to be wanted. LeBron is the MVP of the NBA this season, and yet, he isn’t the story. And he likes to be the story.
And/or he simply understands that he made a mistake in leaving, and wants to come back home and make good. Who wouldn’t?
