Stop with the LeBron-Cleveland Thing!

Have you ever read an article that had such stupidity in it that you questioned your own intelligence after reading it? That happened to me this week. I read an article on LeBron James, because like many Clevelanders (and people in general), I can’t fight the urge to keep tabs on him. It’s like a sick, twisted obsession. I need help…I know. Please don’t judge me.

Anyway, the article was addressing some publicity hungry journalist’s claim that LeBron would consider returning to Cleveland in 2014 because he doesn’t like the way Riley runs things in Miami. My first thought when I saw the headline was “some jackass is trying to get people to read his article by making a crazy claim.” Then I read the article and the one I read was actually a response to the rumor and didn’t actually claim any sources. The article, did, however, speculate that the source of the rumor was probably a Cleveland fan who wanted LeBron to come back. For some reason, that speculation upset me more than anything in the article. Don’t speculate that a Cleveland fan wants LeBron back, call whoever it is a LeBron fan, because no hardcore, self-respecting Cleveland fan should ever open their mouth and say that they want LeBron back.

I admit that I’m biased. I didn’t like all of the phony fans who came out of the woodwork just because the team had LeBron. If you’re a true fan of a team, then you like them no matter who is playing for them. You like them when they’re five hundred and above and you like them when they’re so far below five hundred that they can’t even dream of reaching five hundred that season. You hate that they’re a losing team, but you love them because they’re your team. Unlike LeBron, I grew up being a Cleveland fan. I know my teams usually suck and I don’t like it, but I’m not going to stop supporting them.

Last season, the Cavs set the record for the longest losing streak. We were the best team at losing last season, and what did we get in return for it: Kyrie Irving, and you know what...the kid is better than I thought he would be. I don’t expect a miracle this season, but as usual, I’ll still be watching a lot of the games.

Now, let me get back on topic. Imagine if Dan Gilbert and LeBron James were lovers. I know Gilbert is a Detroit man, but let’s just say that all of Cleveland was Gilbert’s family. First, LeBron wooed the city of Cleveland, because we all know that it pays off to get in good with the family. Gilbert was smitten and decided to have a relationship with LeBron (become the majority owner of the Cavaliers). They kept their relationship private until LeBron said he had an announcement to make. Those who had not noticed the signs thought that LeBron was going to announce his engagement to Dan Gilbert. I was skeptical, but even I said, “Hmm, maybe he will.” Then I found out that the announcement was supposed to be held far away from Gilbert’s family (Cleveland) and I knew things did not look good for Gilbert. Gilbert was too in love to read the writing on the wall until it was too late. Gilbert found out that not only was LeBron leaving him, but LeBron had been cheating on him and was leaving him for three men (Riley, Wade and Bosh). Gilbert was hurt. He wrote an angry letter about their bitter breakup and many people in Cleveland supported Gilbert during his public humiliation because they understood that there was nothing worse than being dumped in front of millions of people and having to watch it over and over again.

Gilbert is a smart business man, but he has feelings too, and I hope he has enough pride to realize that you shouldn’t take someone back when they play you like that. As a lifelong Cavs fan, I’m glad that many of the fake fans have faded in to the shadows and the “LeBron” fans can sport their Miami jerseys while those of us who are “ride or die” Cavs fans can support our team without people assuming that the only reason we like the Cavs is because we have LeBron. The way I see it, LeBron made his bed and he needs to lay in it.

With the exception of that one Detroit game, the Cavs won their games as a team. You don’t put together back to back seasons of 60 wins with just one person contributing. I always hated the way the national media dismissed the rest of the team as interchangeable pieces. The team was good because they had really good chemistry. All the naysayers blamed Cleveland’s losses in the playoffs on the lack of another true superstar on the team. I’m glad that theory was rebuffed when Miami lost to Dallas. LeBron was surrounded by “talent” and still couldn’t get the job done. Don’t mistake that as me saying that I hope LeBron doesn’t win a championship, because that isn’t what I mean. I’m glad he didn’t win one the first year after he left the Cavs because Cleveland never would have lived it down. The national media would have jumped at the chance to point out that it was Cleveland that was holding LeBron back. Now, no matter what happens, they can’t say that.

To be honest, I hope LeBron does win a championship. I’m not upset with him. He made what he felt was the best decision for his career, and I have to respect that, but at the same time, I hope he never wears a Cavs jersey again, because if the Cavs took him back, that would be the first time in my life that I had to re-evaluate my love for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s moved on and so have we. Let’s leave it that way.