Artist; Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The Return of the Prodigal Son. 1670-74.
Cleveland Cavaliers fans cheer as LeBron James takes the floor in the 2007 NBA playoffs. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
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LeBron was every inch the king on Friday.
The greatest basketball player on the planet, writing in Sports Illustrated http://goo.gl/YNG93A , informed the NBA universe he had a change of heart and is coming home to Northeast, Ohio.
Four years ago, it was a grotesque ESPN public relations fiasco, dubbed ``The Decision’’, when LBJ ruthlessly delivered a hard, swift kick in the nuts to Clevelanders, after telling Jim Gray he was taking his talents to ``South Beach.’’
Cavalier fans, most of them anyway, are now all-right with it, having forgiven the four time NBA MVP sensation for leaving them helpless in the dust. They’re now welcoming him home like the prodigal son, one of the parables of Jesus, which pops up in the Gospel of Luke (15-11-32).
As soon as he steps foot on Cleveland soil, most undoubtedly, will rush to fit him with a fine robe, a ring, sandals, and slaughter a "fattened calf" for a triumphant meal.
Thanks, but that’s one soiree I'd rather skip.
Not because I don’t believe in letting bygones be bygones and beginning anew.
It’s because I don’t believe a word of it.
An unscrupulous real-estate mogul that says he has some prime swampland in Florida to sell is more credible, at least from my vantage point, than what LeBron wrote in his public relations mea culpa, shamelessly posted by SI, that his ``relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball.’’
Bunk alert!
The only dribble of truth in that otherwise disingenuous 970-word article is that he still wants to win championships. LeBron left Northeast Ohio to seek championships; and is returning for the same reason. Not because he’s matured, or yearns to return to his roots and raise his family in his hometown.
If you administered some truth serum, I don’t think even Clevelanders really believe such rubbish; but unfortunately, Northeast Ohio is so desperate for a championship-there’s no telling what they’d believe or blindly accept in order to call themselves world champs of anything, whether it’s the Indians, the Browns or the Cavaliers.
Yes, they’re that desperate.
If you read the body language of LBJ in his final playoff series in a Cavs’ uniform against the Boston Celtics in 2010; especially during his nearly effortless Game 5, you knew he was fleeing the coup when the season ended. Boston eliminated Cleveland in 6 games during the Eastern Conference NBA semi-finals.
That same transparent body language was in full display, again, during his post-game press conferences in the recent NBA Finals, when he and Dwayne Wade were fielding questions together in rock star fashion like they were [John] Lennon and [Paul] McCartney.
LeBron, subtlety mind you, revealed his pent-up frustration with the Heat management for not acquiring more productive role players and bench support during the off-season. Gregg Popovich and his San Antonio Spurs, by contrast, miraculously moved fresh legs on and off the court like a well-oiled assembly line-punctuated with dazzling bench production and spectacular defensive schemes-to enable the Western Conference champs to crush the Heat in 5 games and claim their fifth NBA title in 16 seasons.
We’ve all seen that ``I’m so outta here’’ look before plastered across (The) L-Train’s face; so it really wasn’t much of a surprise that he ditched warm and sunny South Beach for the brutal harsh cold winter of Northeast Ohio-if it meant he could add another NBA title to his portfolio.
Chances are pretty darn good, I’d say, he made the right decision. LBJ, after all, will be teamed with the Cavs’ no. 1 pick (former Kansas Jayhawks forward) Andrew Wiggins, (or Minnesota Timberwolves superstar power forward Kevin Love) and all-star point guard Kyrie Irving. Add to this powerful mix, Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters and you have a new beast of the East.
Disregard all the hogwash LeBron wrote in the SI article about the ``long process'' it’s going to take before an NBA championship becomes a reality in Cleveland. LeBron wants to win now or else he would have never left Miami.
Clearly, another chief motivating factor in The King returning to Cleveland is to cement his legacy as the savior of Cleveland; and not to be remembered as the villain or turncoat who fled his hometown to seek glory and an NBA title (whatever the price) in Miami with its picturesque beaches, its world-class culture, it high-energy entertainment venues, chic fashion, and heightened media exposure opportunities.
And I don’t want to hear the feeble gibberish being voiced by some fans, claiming that LBJ should be admired for accepting approximately $42.2 million over two years, far less than his earning potential in coming back to Cleveland. For someone making nearly $100 million a year in product endorsements, his NBA salary is a pittance and really a non-factor in his hearty earning power.
Make no mistake about it: LeBron’s return to Cleveland is nothing but damage control. When his career ends, he doesn’t want to be remembered as the Darth Vader of the NBA. He wants to go out as the greatest player on the face of the planet and the Great Redeemer who returned to his hometown (however briefly) to deliver them an NBA title.
My guess is LeBron will deliver Cleveland a title in the next two years. After that, no, he won’t re-sign with Cleveland, like some who naively think he will before the 2016-17 season, when a new television deal is expected to create an explosion in value of the maximum contract.
Once LeBron signs, seals, and delivers a title to the Cavs’, he’ll quickly segue into his ``I’m so outta here’’ mode, by making up some lame excuse that he and Dan Gilbert just don’t see eye-to-eye (never have) and will seek greener pastures and increased media exposure in L.A. or New York. By then, Clevelanders won’t be so troubled by his departure, since he accomplished what he set out to do-win a title for championship starved Northeast, Ohio.
Despite my misgivings, I’m happy for all my friends who are thrilled beyond words can describe to have LeBron back on his and their home turf. Many still have their original no. 23 Cavs’ jerseys tucked away in their closets, having resisted burning them in the tumultuous Cleveland streets, like so many did four years ago.
And I’m certainly delighted if LeBron’s return means more jobs and a revitalized economy in a region still recovering from the Great Recession.
According to Jennifer Kramer, Communications Manager for Positively Cleveland, the convention and visitors bureau, the Cavaliers represent a vital component of Northeast Ohio's economy with a $215 million economic impact and $26 million in state and local taxes. Kramer believes tourists will be spending appreciably more money to see LeBron play while they’re here, which has a positive spillover effect for the bars, restaurants, hotels and the local economy. ``In fact'', Kramer says, ``we know that little over 60% of fans to the Cavs come from outside Cuyahoga County, so that is one way to validate what it means for tourism.''
And according Tad Carper, Senior Vice President of Communications with the Cavaliers, since LeBron's announcement, the team has reached its self-imposed cap of selling just a little over 12,000 season tickets (Wine and Gold memberships). The Cavaliers are freezing the remaining seating for partial season ticket plans, group sales and individual game ticket sales. Though exact merchandise figures aren't yet available, Carper reports they're experiencing a robust increase in sales and traffic through their Team Shop at the Q.
So if this economic windfall to Northeast Ohio comes to fruition as some preliminary projections indicate, that can only be a positive thing. Heaven knows, Cleveland deserves it.
I only wish I wasn’t such a cynic about LeBron’s return to Cleveland. But I’m just not buying this cleverly orchestrated media relations razzle-dazzle.
I hope I’m wrong.
Bill Lucey
July 15, 2014
