Dear Lebron James,

I have watched the cavs religiously for 4
good years now. I've seen the development of what I still believe can be the best player to ever play the great game of basketball every other day during the season. I have seen Danny Ferry do everything to bring in personnell he could, though he did not always make the best choices. I have been a witness before the witnes campaign started. I own Lebron shirts, jerseys, shoes. It has been a blessing to have such a great player on my home team.

For those reasons, I thank you Lebron. And for playing that game six with an intensity and fire that shows to me you at least care. That game 5 was an aberration. As a player Lebron has always had the effect of stagnating an offense. His own teammates look at him to run the offense, score, play defense, and lead. On paper the cavs supporting cast is great. But when they play with lebron it is as if they simply rely on him to carry them to the title. As they have found out once again this year, he cannot do that alone.

Its not an attempt to discredit him as a clutch player, but in direct contrast to the Lakers., who at least involve teammates in the fourth when running plays for Kobe, Lebron is given an iso and told to erase an 11 point deficit. Mike Brown is honestly a horrible, horrible coach.

It is for those reasons, that I feel Lebron has every excuse to leave Cleveland. He is Cleveland sports, and the face of our entire city. All facets of life would be disrupted by his departure. We would feel betrayed - but we have to understand it. The team did not deliver for Lebron in any way shape or form this offseason. The other 11 players sunk to new lows and the playoffs literally turned into "if Lebron scores 30 we win. If he scores 20 we lose". Now I don't know if he will bolt or not, and I can't say if the same thing would happen with his new teammates. Maybe 'the Lebrawn effect" just causes teammates to be rendered ineffective, I don't know. But I respect his right to find out.

I do not think he will leave Cleveland, however. Lebron is loyal almost to a fault, and Ohio is all he has ever known. New York is a media playground, but I think Lebron likes the idea of bringing the world center to him more. The Clippers and Bulls are out of the question, the Nets are plausible. If he leaves, he goes to the Nets with Wall, Harris, Lopez, Jay-Z and their russian billionaire. But, his heart is in Cleveland. He wants to bring a chip to the city, and he still can. Ferry and Gilbert will undoubtedly makes the Cavs better yet again in the offseason, and continue "pushing them over the edge" until they win it all. How could a player ever leave that? How could an icon ever abandon his city? I just don't think it happens.

I am honestly upset by our elimination. Never before has a sports loss actually made me sad, or truly angry. I feel both of these emotions from this loss. There was so much time put into this season, and it all feels as if it were for naught. the pit in my stomach that has Lebron leaving grows larger.

I don't know what I, what we will do without Lebron James. Rebuild of course, but never recover. You cannot recover from losing a transcendent sports figure in a matter of years. It takes decades. But because I would rather wait until free agency to worry about this -

We salute you Lebron. For all you have brought to Cleveland. For giving us hope again, and trying desperately to give that hope direction. For reving a franchise, and reviving a city. Thank you Lebron James, may wherever you end up accept you as wholeheartedly as we have, and as we will.



Sincerely, Cleveland




I watch sports because it let's me feel the range of emotion from joy to sorrow to anger in a safe outlet. I know its an up-and-down affair, and I feel many of us watch for the same reason. We will always pull for the Cavs, Lebron or no. And eventually we won't hate Lebron, and we shouldn't. His elbow is clearly wrecked, and the man acts like he doesn't care because he's coping. How any actual fan can say that Lebron doesn't care about losing tonight is delusional. The only thing missing from his legacy if he retired today would be that championship. Believe me, he wants it. How much better than say T-mac is he without it? All in all it wasn't a lack of effort or heart that lost it for us, it was a lack of support. The Cleveland fans really collapsed on the Cavs, and that's a shame. Its similar to the Hawks situation. You don't boo your home team ever. Thos actions are what will drive Joe Johnson and maybe Lbj out of town. And you may want Lebron gone. But when we win 30 games next year, you'll change your mind


Now I'm pulling for the Suns. BEAT L.A.