LeBron James’ loyalty to Cleveland is understated, underestimated and underappreciated
L:eBron James’ loyalty to the Cleveland Cavaliers is understated, underestimated and underappreciated.
After a few years, contradictory storylines about LeBron James’ loyalty to the Cleveland Cavaliers have twisted the minds of fans. National reporters always scry and, in their opinion, there’s plenty of reason to think James will only stay in Cleveland if his demands are met. James has already left the team once (in 2010), it seems like he has a contentious relationship with the team’s owner, he has yet to sign a long-term deal, is a fan of other NBA teams and is in pursuit of a championship every season.
With that said, it’s sensible to assume James would only stay if the Cavs are not only perennial championship contenders but a team with a championship culture (i.e. respect and loyalty to players, stability).
However, it would seem like fans forgot James and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert burying the hatchet when the former returned in 2014. It would seem like fans forgot James was angling for a massive long-term deal last summer but there were logistical issues due to the previous CBA’s Over-36 rule. It would seem like they forgot the seven years where James had to deal with top free agents’ generally signing anywhere but Cleveland.
In addition, there are many players who are fans of other teams as they grew up as fans and have friends on other teams. So bringing up his Lakers fandom, while relevant should he leave, is a fallacious argument. As is discussing his focus on winning championships, considering that the world knows he’s hoping to catch Michael Jordan’s six rings – at least – and that winning multiple championships is a priority for many of the elite players.
James won two championship after he infamously took his talents to South Beach. Yet, watching from afar, James took notes on what was happening in Cleveland. Certain events happened in the immediate aftermath of James’ departure, like fans burning his jersey and team owner Dan Gilbert writing “The Letter”, were impossible for anyone in the NBA world to ignore.
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Then, as it so happened, the Cleveland Cavaliers would go 19-63 in the 2010-2011 season, their worst record since the 2002-2003 season (17-65). After winning the first overall pick in the NBA lottery, the Cavs would draft Duke University’s Kyrie Irving to be the new face of the franchise and then, three spots later, the Cavs would draft the University of Texas’ Tristan Thompson. Irving didn’t have the same level of success James had as the team’s leader, he was sensational nonetheless.
His ability to mesmerize crowds with flair and acrobatics, knock down big-time shots and explode for all-time great games has been the life force of Irving’s NBA career. Irving was one of the great young players in 2014 and had a level of talent that, when compared to Dwyane Wade, James’ second-in-command in Miami, inspired confidence in his ability to help James win championships. Irving’s gifts as a player made the decision for James to return that much easier.
However, it’s important to note that when Irving was selected he (and Tristan Thompson) had a previous relationship with James.
James would also return after being more-or-less courted by Cleveland Cavaliers fan favorite, former teammate and good friend Zydrunas Ilgauskus when the latter’s jersey was retired by the Cavs in 2014. That’s a speculative statement, as there are no official reports of such a conversation having transpired. However, you can probably imagine how watching a player who he had spent seven seasons playing with in Cleveland having his jersey retired, while James was there on his behalf, watching on and interacting with former teammates and old associates would play on the King’s heartstrings a bit. Ilgauskus, who was former general manager Chris Grant’s “special assistant”, wouldn’t have invited James solely for that reason. It was his jersey retirement ceremony and James is his friend.
However, let’s call it luck – or fate – that James would have to be in that type of situation right before the summer of his free agency.
When James lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals, a series where Wade’s knees seemed to have given out on him, the writing wasn’t “on the wall”. However, there was a real chance that James, who liked Irving and Thompson, would return to Cleveland in games against the team that drafted him and in an arena where fans would draw up signs asking him to return to his kingdom and had just had an incredibly sentimental moment with Ilgauskus, would return.
As James’ agent Rich Paul met with the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, James met with Wade and Gilbert. Then, Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins would release the public announcement of James’ decision.
A piece entitled “I’m Coming Home“. Home, where the heart is. Home, where he returned against his mother’s wishes. Home, where he brought a championship for two years and broke down like he never had before. Where he screamed, “Cleveland this is for you”.
Home, where he doesn’t plan to leave again. One of the most notable quotes in “I’m Coming Home” was this:
"“I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when.”"
Fans and media, swaying with the tides of the most exciting storylines, have left rationale (and evidence) by the wayside when assessing James’ loyalty to Cleveland.
As a result, James’ loyalty to the Cleveland Cavaliers has been understated, underestimated and underappreciated.