LeBron James thanks his fans in Akron, not Cleveland

AKRON, Ohio - LeBron James has finally thanked his fans in Northeast Ohio. Well, some of them.

James took out a full-page advertisement in Tuesday’s Akron Beacon Journal, thanking fans in Akron and saying that the city will always be his home. The letter made no mention of Cleveland, or Cavaliers fans.

“For all my life, I have lived in Akron, and for that, I am truly a lucky man,” the letter read. “It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me.”

The ad appears on the back of the paper's front section, and it comes a few days before James’ annual bike-a-thon in Akron, which gives hundreds of bikes to needy children in the city. Some had speculated that the event might be cancelled after LeBron’s decision to leave for Miami, but LeBron chose to continue with the bike-a-thon, although it has been scaled back because of the city’s budget woes.

James is scheduled to appear at the event, which will take place Saturday. The scene at Saturday’s bike-a-thon may not be as welcoming for LeBron as it has been in the past, but his letter insists that he will always continue to support the city.

“Akron is my home, and the central focus of my life. It’s where I started and it’s where I will always come back to. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything I can for this city, which is so important to my family and me. Thank you for your support…you mean everything to me.”