So LeBron James is returning to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers next season. Why wouldn't he?
Could you imagine the reaction in Cleveland if he chose to "take his talents" someplace else now? I kept hearing all through the NBA Finals that the one and only thing Cleveland fans were upset with when James announced he was leaving to play for the Miami Heat in 2010 was the way he announced his departure. The ill-advised "The Decision" made for TV debacle was a triumph of ego over loyalty.
But it was also more than that.
From a morale standpoint, the city of Cleveland cratered in the wake of James decision. The divorce between James and the Cavaliers' owner, Dan Gilbert, was messy and public. None of this had anything to do with a TV show. It had everything to do with a city, its (almost) home-grown star, and the fact that the Cavaliers were then (and obviously now) the city's best chance at winning a championship.
Imagine what Cleveland would have been like if James had said something to the effect of: "Hey Cleveland, here's your trophy, I got a news conference in three hours with the Lakers."
LeBron could have opted out of his deal in Cleveland. He made close to $23 million in base salary. He'll make over $24 million next season. And -- oh by the way -- there's that shoe endorsement deal he has with Nike. His agent has hinted that may pay James $1 billion. That's billion, with a capital B.
Money can make a lot of us do silly things. But James, who has more money that anyone could spend in a hundred lifetimes, gets it. He may be one of the most mature professional athletes in any sport. You can only come home so many times. For many Clevelanders, the NBA Finals may be a once in a lifetime moment. But imagine if LeBron James makes it a twice in a lifetime moment. That, more than ego and money, has greater value.
Random Thoughts on a Random Wednesday...
My friend Terry Nelson, the former shutdown defender on that Final 4 team at UC in the early 90's, says the Warriors should be on the phone with Kevin Durant's agent right now. I think they should have been on the phone with him in the second quarter of Game 7...
No question, Draymond Green's suspension and the ensuing taunting of James were the turning points in this series. Hard to believe the Warriors would make "the full turn heel." But they did...
Wondering what David Blatt is thinking these days...
Sporting News picks the Pittsburgh Steelers to go 13-3 and win the AFC North Division title this coming season. Did that Steelers offensive line get better? I mean, I know I took a nap for about 45 minutes the other day...
Reds pitching prospect, Cody Reed, finally made his MLB debut last Saturday. IMHO, he should have been in the Reds rotation six weeks ago. Nevertheless, Reed pitched six strong innings and the Reds clawed back to tie the game 2-2 after six. Inexplicably, Bryan Price sent Reed out to pitch in the seventh. Why? The explanation was that the Reds bullpen was over worked and Reed had thrown 80 some odd pitches in six innings. Why would you not have lifted Reed, build his confidence and think long term? Or brought up a reliever in tandem with Reed, just in case you had to tap into your bullpen? Very poor decision, I think, from a man who has managed well under the stressful constraints of a front office not giving him all that he's needed to succeed...
Happy 80th birthday today to one of the greatest songwriters ever, Kris Kristofferson. He wrote many, many hit songs... but none better than this...
Kristofferson co wrote this with Fred Foster, who later went onto start the Monument Records label. Roger Miller recorded this song before Joplin, as did Kenny Rogers and The First Edition. But "Pearl" made it a hit, taking it to number one, posthumously.
Kristofferson and Joplin had a romance in the summer before her death. He claims he had no idea she recorded the song until he heard it on the radio, a few days after her death.
Kristoffer Kristofferson, born 80 years ago today in Brownsville, Texas.
