Links: LeBron’s Letter to Cleveland
Cleveland, you better sit down…
Dear Cleveland,
I need to start by saying thanks. Just like you guys know it hasn’t been easy for me, I understand that it hasn’t been easy for you guys either. But here we are. Again. At the end of another disappointing season.
I was talking to my friend Shawn last night after Game 7 about this problem that I’m faced with, and he advised me to take this directly to you, the people. (Shawn knows about getting the people on his side.)
First of all, if anyone compares that game yesterday to the old Bird/Dominique Game 7, they don’t very much about basketball. I’m a student of the game, which means I watch a lot of ESPN Classic. First of all, that was the most important game in Dominique Wilkins’ career; I’ve already been to the NBA Finals. More to the point, though, Nique went 19-23 in that game; last night I went 14-29. It was a big game for us, just not the most important game of my career.
See, I’m going to win a championship some day. That might sound brash, I understand, but it’s the truth. I might only be 23 years old, but I’ve already played in All-Star Games, won a scoring title, I’m going to win a gold medal this summer, I’ve had the huge shoe contract, I’ve hosted Saturday Night Live, I posed like King Kong for the cover of Vogue and I’m trying to position myself as a friend to corporate America. I’ve done it all. Except win a title. And as much as I like Dominique, I am not trying to finish my career without a championship.
If you watched the game yesterday, I hope you saw what I saw — a team that is not very good wearing Cleveland uniforms. If I wasn’t on the Cavs, do you think we’d have been playing a Game Seven in the second round of the Playoffs? No way. Which is really disappointing, because we went to the friggin’ Finals last year and then did not improve our team. I’m no sure who’s idea it was to screw around waiting to re-sign Pavlovic and Varejao, but neither of them returned to form from a year ago after getting late starts. Then we went out and added…Devin Brown, a guy who was an intangibles guy for the Spurs but had been out of the NBA? Then we traded for a guy with zero mobility (Wally Szczerbiak) and a guy who can’t score or defend (Ben Wallace)?
This was our team that’s supposed to battle with the best squads in the NBA? And you wonder why I drive 150 mph on the freeway.
Meanwhile, Mike Brown and I are cool, and he might make a great head coach down the line, but I need a winner, here and now. If you want to make the team better by giving us a bunch of talented veterans and sticking with the unproven coach, go for it. Or give us a veteran coach to go with a bunch of guys who’ve won before. But going young and hiring an unproven coach? And hiring a first-time GM to go along with all this? Come on.
But you’ve never heard me go off about any of this, have you? Nope. I just continue to go out and play my butt off, game after game. Did you see how hard I was playing yesterday even with all those lame ducks around me? You think Kobe would’ve tried to carry those jokers to a series win?
Maybe I should’ve just shut it down in the second quarter and let us get blown out of the building. Maybe then people would’ve realized that this team needs some serious renovation. I’m not talking about bringing in another vet who can’t do what he used to do. I mean some great talent. Kevin Garnett wasn’t available last summer? Pau Gasol wasn’t available at the All-Star break? Carmelo isn’t available right now?
I understand that the cap can play a part, although that doesn’t seem to be an issue in other cities like New York or Dallas. Even if they don’t always make the correct moves in those places, the ownership there seems committed to winning. As I’ve learned through my work with corporations like Microsoft, you have to spent money to make money. Maybe that means temporarily going into debt or taking a loan or whatever that stuff is called (Maverick handles all my financials). Either way, the Cavs have yet to impress me with a commitment to improving above and beyond the NBA’s status quo. I can’t tell you how disappointing that is.
I hope you all understand how serious this winning a title stuff is for me. I love Cleveland, love Ohio, but I am not going to strap myself to a franchise that refuses to go all-out trying to win it all. If the Cavs don’t want to make real changes, I’ll make them for them. Remember, my contract is up in the summer of 2010. I’ll be 26 years old and will not be looking for money but for the best franchise I can sign with. I hope that team is in Cleveland, but if it isn’t, it isn’t.
I will not lose.
See you in Beijing,
Bron
80 Responses to “Links: LeBron’s Letter to Cleveland”
May.19 at 12:18 pm
peteb80 says:
Hi Bron.
May.19 at 12:22 pm
aidan says:
Exactly.
May.19 at 12:23 pm
Myles Brown says:
Dear Bron, You just shot under 35% in the other six games of this series and almost set a record for turnovers in a seven game series. Your teammates aren’t your only problems. Just sayin’. Nice game yesterday though. Love, Myles.
May.19 at 12:24 pm
Eboy says:
If the ad people at Nike could construct a series of ads around Lebron’s “words” here, throughout the summer, I would be riveted. This would have seemed more appropo coming from ther fingertips of Ryan Jones, btw.
May.19 at 12:27 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
hey bron. btw, kobe wouldn’t have missed that free throw or forgotten to box out paul pierce on that jumpball. i’m just sayin…
May.19 at 12:28 pm
Jackie Moon says:
Maybe he should man up and take his grievances public.
May.19 at 12:31 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
Dear Paul,
Thanks!
Love (?),
Kevin
May.19 at 12:32 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
all jokes aside.. 2 years is a lifetime and the cavs aren’t that far away. the problem is that they don’t have any tradeable assets, so change will come slow for this team. they need to get lucky in the draft but who fits this team???
May.19 at 12:34 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
You’re right Khalid, because Kobe woulda quit in the second quarter.
May.19 at 12:35 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Seriously, though, that box out was funny because Paul Pierce just about crushed Bennett Salvatore.
May.19 at 12:36 pm
Marcel Mutoni says:
dunno, lang, the decision to quit in that ill-fated game 7 doesn’t seem like such a bad idea now…
May.19 at 12:36 pm
Jackie Moon says:
Lang, Kobe did not quit until the third quarter.
May.19 at 12:37 pm
Jackie Moon says:
I hear KVH is available.
May.19 at 12:39 pm
adams says:
The decision to molest the hotel employee doesn’t seem so wrong now, since they’re in the Conference Finals.
May.19 at 12:42 pm
Kadavour says:
Dear LeBron,
The jumper looks extremely suspect. Please address this summer.
Just Sayin, Cleveland
May.19 at 12:55 pm
Captain America says:
Bron’s acting like 23. If money is not the issue, perhaps he can help finance Melo? I couldn’t believe how he took over point guard yesterday and called his own number the first dozen (or so) time on the offensive end. Kobe doesn’t do that anymore.
May.19 at 12:57 pm
Jackie Moon says:
adams - the difference between what you say and what marcel said is that your comment has nothing to do with basketball, while marcel’s is all about basketball.
May.19 at 1:08 pm
adams says:
Thanks for pointing that out Jackie. However, I don’t see any connection between that game against Phoenix and the Lakers current success, which is heavily based on getting Gasol for free. Speaking of which: How’s that Fire Mith Kupchak thing going?
May.19 at 1:09 pm
Brian says:
Ben Wallace can’t play D? I thought he did a great job shutting down LeBron.
May.19 at 1:18 pm
Myles Brown says:
Dear Everyone,
Don’t make this about me.
Love, Kobe.
May.19 at 1:25 pm
FLUXLAND says:
This is why I love Langs work.
1. The amount of people comparing that crapfest to Niqe/Bird is ridiculous. Freaking MORONS!!
2. I was hoping LeBron would pull a Kobe and not take a single solitary bucket in the 2nd half. Should have faked an injury.
3. LeBron needs teammeats not scrubs, now!!
4. Boobie, we missed you.
May.19 at 1:28 pm
Allenp says:
Khalid is right, Kobe would have made both of those plays. If Lebron had the fundamental base of Kobe, he was be the best player ever. Period. All he lacks are the little details that make great players transcendent. His footwork is sloppy, he doesn’t always understand the correct play in the moment, he just makes little mistakes. If he took a whole summer and just concentrated on those things, those little details I think he would destroy the entire NBA in a way not seen since Wilt even with the bums on his team. Although, he needs a better offensive coach and better teammates too.
May.19 at 1:31 pm
namik says:
Myles is like Forrest Gump at the peace meeting. He said it all.
May.19 at 1:33 pm
namik says:
rally would have been a better word.
May.19 at 1:36 pm
neaorin says:
To get a Pau Gasol or a KG you need a) a stud young player and/or b) large expiring contracts. The Cavs had neither this season, LeBron not included. In 08-09 however they have $25mil worth of expirings. That gives Ferry a lot of ammo to pull a Gasol-type trade at the deadline. I’m thinking Michael Redd is a real possibility; he’s not a winning team’s #1 player, but he’d be a perfect #2 to LeBron.
May.19 at 1:44 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
redd’s not a bad idea.
May.19 at 1:45 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
@Myles: That would be the first time in his life Kobe ever said those words.
May.19 at 1:45 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Redd’s a good idea. Maybe they should’ve signed him three years ago instead of Larry Hughes.
May.19 at 1:47 pm
Co Co says:
Redd probably won’t put them over the top
May.19 at 1:54 pm
neaorin says:
Lang, most people forget that Redd was Ferry’s no.1 choice that summer and he went after him as hard as he could. When Redd took Milwaukee’s offer which was more money and a chance to be the star in town, Ferry tried for Ray Allen. When that didn’t happen… well, let’s just skip the rest, shall we.
May.19 at 1:57 pm
Jackie Moon says:
adams - finally, i was wondering when someone would notice! i love that site. haha. Also-
Dear Lebron,
If you’re unhappy and you know it,
Clap your hands (before the game)
May.19 at 1:57 pm
Allenp says:
Lang, Redd wouldn’t sign with them because he could get $100 million from the Bucks. That wasn’t on the Cavs, that was Redd.
May.19 at 2:01 pm
neaorin says:
And since the Larry Hughes fiasco Ferry did a pretty good job with the $$$ he dished out. $25mil expiring next season, $30mil+ the season after that when Z and Ben come off the books, and the only player signed beyond that summer of 2010 is LeBron (and he can opt out in case you haven’t heard). Plenty of opportunities to make a move, he also needs a little bit of luck though as Cleveland is no L.A. or Boston.
May.19 at 2:19 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
they’ll be picking in the teens in the draft. if there any cavs fans on here i’d like to hear who you would like to see selected?
May.19 at 2:39 pm
Fencer04 says:
@FLUXLAND
3. LeBron needs teammeats not scrubs, now!! Amen man, Amen!!!
May.19 at 2:41 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I remember Redd not taking the Cavs offer. My thought is that they should have offered more (can’t remember off-hand if they couldn’t match Milwaukee’s offer b/c of Bird rules) or should’ve worked harder to convince him to sign.
May.19 at 2:41 pm
neaorin says:
JaVale McGee probably won’t drop all the way to #19 but if he does I’d like to see the Cavs take a chance on him. Robin Lopez - Varejao likely won’t be in Cleveland next fall and all their other serviceable big men are aging. They’ll have to take a big.
May.19 at 2:44 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
They can always trade expiring contracts for Zach Randolph.
May.19 at 2:45 pm
marcgar says:
if lebron leaves cleveland what team would he best fit with to win a championship
May.19 at 2:48 pm
Co Co says:
I honestly think LeBron thinks he’s good enough to win a ship wherever he goes. So don’t look for him to take less money or anything crazy like that for the opportunity to play beside a legit number two. Not saying he won’t end up with a great sidekick, but he won’t if it costs him a max contract.
May.19 at 2:54 pm
neaorin says:
The CBA allowed Milwaukee to offer Redd one more year and some non-trivial amount of dough ($15mil+ I believe) MORE than any other team. Ferry offered as much as he was allowed, but not many people would leave that kind of money on the table. Now, of course, once the contract is guaranteed regardless of who is paying for it, Redd might reconsider remaining in Milwaukee.
May.19 at 2:57 pm
tealish says:
I thought LeBron was the first bringing up the Nique/Bird comparison.
May.19 at 3:41 pm
RM # 0 says:
Maybe it’s just me but I think for some players it’s diffcult to play with Lebron.
If I had the choice I’d rather play for a team like the Pistons.
May.19 at 3:41 pm
H to the izzo says:
Dear LeBron,
Please at least pretend to look like you are making an effort to develop a back to the basket game or to improve on offense.
love,
God
May.19 at 3:43 pm
RM # 0 says:
An alternative would be to play Bron at PG.
May.19 at 3:48 pm
Kevin says:
Lebron’s the 2nd best player in the NBA now, but has the potential to be the greatest ever. with his athletic ability, he should put more of an emphasis and more thought into being a dominant help defender - there’s no reason why he isn’t averaging at least 2 blocks a game. on offense, the jumpshot still needs to be more consistent - but that’ll come, i’m sure - and he does definitely need to figure out a post game for that 6′8 260lb frame.
May.19 at 4:08 pm
namik says:
Anyone who compares the 2 games doesnt know too much about the game. Bronnie actually said this game would make people forget that game. Hmmm…. Yes lets put kobe down a bit more to distract people from criticizing SLAMs golden boy.
May.19 at 4:25 pm
Eazy-Yi says:
LeBron to the Spurs
May.19 at 4:26 pm
Eazy-Yi says:
LeBron and Melo - Hello Brooklyn
May.19 at 4:44 pm
speedy says:
LeBron up to now has a similar way through the NBA like Mike has had in his early years .
May.19 at 5:26 pm
Ken H. says:
“hey bron. btw, kobe wouldn’t have missed that free throw or forgotten to box out paul pierce on that jumpball. i’m just sayin… ” word Khalib. and that jump ball was ridiculous, Z and Posey were bodychecking eachother all the way up and slapping eachothers arms.
May.19 at 5:30 pm
d.Y. says:
Mike didn’t make the finals as soon.
May.19 at 5:49 pm
snyper48 says:
Dear Lebron,
We all love Clevland and Ohio but it took a guy from LA to make us succesful, so when time comes dont think twice and go to the Lakers.Kobe will be 32,you 25 and the world will be destroyed.
Love
Bone-Thugs n Harmony
May.19 at 6:11 pm
Jackie Moon says:
Dear Lebron,
I would love to coach you in New York in 5 years.
Sincerely,
Phil Jackson
May.19 at 6:16 pm
Misha Tumbas says:
Right now, LeBron is LeGolfing! LOL!! BOOK IT!!!
May.19 at 6:48 pm
B. Long says:
In 5 years Phil will be in a Professor X wheelchair and he’ll always wear sandals to show off his half dozen custom chamiponship toe rings cause Mamba, Spanish Fly, Young Drew, LO, D-Fish and the Bench Mob have a chance over the next 5 years to be the greatest team ever. FTH
May.19 at 6:49 pm
B. Long says:
If you could somehow put Kobes skill level in Lebrons body the league would have to pay him not to play. Wouldn’t even be fun to watch.
May.19 at 7:15 pm
Lakers Blog says:
What’s worse, shooting 3/11 from three point range or trying to get your teammates involved as you take zero shots in the fourth quarter of a game you are already down by 20 in??
May.19 at 8:04 pm
peteb80 says:
“trying to get your teammates involved”? You’re funny. Is that the way the story is told nowadays?
May.19 at 8:08 pm
City of Cleveland says:
Dear Lebron, Whoever is speaking for you is not very bright, because we know you understand the situation you came into and would never say something like this. The previous GM purposely put together a terrible team to be able to draft you. He also chose an absolutely terrible year to get cap space. As a result the organization has been handcuffed for quite a while. The Cavs have not had enough expiring contracts to get you a star wingman, like Gasol to Kobe. Gasol didn’t come to LA because Kobe gave up in his game 7. Gasol came because the Grizzlies thought that Kwame’s 10 mill contract coming off the books would end up being worth more than Gasol down the road. But your team’s expiring contracts come in the next 2 years, and they come pretty big. Your team has the capability of adding a couple stars in each of the next 2 years through trades. Your team is run by a couple pretty smart guys who learned under currently the best staff in the NBA in San Antonio. Don’t pretend you’re playing for the Hawks. Szczerbiak and Wallace? We weren’t excited either, but we knew that Hughes and Gooden weren’t putting a ring on your finger either, so we rolled the dice without sacrificing anything down the road. I don’t know why you’re that upset about Pavlovic, Varejao, and Brown. Most sane minds around the NBA know that thrifty spending is the way to go. See San Antonio against what the Mavericks used to be like. Throwing money around until something sticks has always been a terrible way to go about business in the NBA. But most importantly, show at least a little patience. Jordan didn’t put any rings on until 28. The City of Cleveland
May.19 at 9:34 pm
gii says:
they just need an experienced GM/Coach. Is Isaih available?
May.20 at 12:40 am
TC says:
another disappointing season? They went to the freaking Finals last year! But yeah this team isn’t very good but there is zero chance they can get Melo…..just ain’t happening….
May.20 at 6:40 am
KA says:
26 only in 2010?!! yikes.
May.20 at 8:39 am
J.B says:
nice. liked it
May.20 at 8:39 am
krod says:
Lakers in 7
May.20 at 9:01 am
Andrew says:
a question - what are the shoe stores that i absolutely have to go in ny?
May.20 at 9:04 am
marcgar says:
maybe he shoul go with parker and the spurs so everyone can stop saying the spurs are boring.
May.20 at 2:17 pm
Z says:
Man ya’ll need to calm down. First, this has nothing to do with Kobe. LeBron is sick, he’s the 2nd best player in the L… let’s just sum it up by saying that he’s not the problem. What about Coach Brown? I mean… what are the Cavs running? No cuts, no screens away from the ball. No imagination in ways to get Bron open (curls, flare screens, flex cuts, etc.) Most Cavs’ possession end with LBJ dribbling the ball near halfcourt with 10 seconds left on the shot clock and then you hit him with a high screen. Quite easy to defend for the elite teams.
May.20 at 5:09 pm
tealish says:
Lakers Blog: Kobe had a 1/10 from 3pt game against Utah. I’m just saying.
May.21 at 1:30 am
Baljit says:
This is all T-macs fault
May.21 at 2:23 am
zion says:
hey bron at least u have a boobie and mr.prison break and not to mention that donkey from shrek(damon jones)!
May.21 at 12:02 pm
ciolkstar says:
The Cavs are bad. Bron will be gone soon. I still don’t understand the Pavlovich/Varejao signings. Pavlovich has been shooting about 40% over the last 2 seasons combined (37% this year)Varejao plays decent D and boards well, but dude’s main skill is flopping. With the aging Z they really needed offense to come from the post… Mike B is a SA guy, but there’s 2 halfs to a game and just locking down D ain’t gonna do it ion the playoffs.
May.22 at 1:03 am
Jeter says:
Dear Bron-Bron, Hi. I’m Steve. We spoke on the phone. It’s 2010 already. I’m really not in the business of basketball. I just want to ruin Mike D’Antoni’s career. So how about I give you whatever you want, just please sign with Phoenix and not New York? Thanks. Mr. Kerr.
May.22 at 7:34 am
BENITO says:
Bron needs to develop a mid-range Game! He needs to become a little bit more unpredictable for opposing teams! Don´t get me wrong-he has many offensive weapons, because of his athleticism and skillz, and they alway know what he will do and most off the times, he still will get his, but they need to put him in a position where he can score more easily, when the defensive is focusing too much on him, go and show them something different. Let him come of screens more, throw the ball to him in the low block, then go back to a two man Game and play the pick´n roll. He needs to have more ways to find a rhythm, if they shut down his dribble-drive like the C´s did, when everybody is watching him going 1 on 5 from the top of the key. Now it´s either going to the basket at full blaze or settle for contested 3-point shots. If he would have a consistant mid-range Jumper on a regular basis he would be so much more deadlier. It´s an big edge Kobe has on him. I mean the Cavs-team is terrible without a question, but even with him strugglin most of the times and Ben, Lonte, No-Show Z, and the amazing slow Sczzerbiaaccckck on the floor, they came just an inch short of takin Game7 against the NO.1 Seed Celtics…what I´m saying is that LeBron is still that hell of a player, that he can take a D-leaugeteam to the Finals all by himself and that is still kind of amazing to me…although Kobe is better overall, I´ve never witnessed another player who had such an impact, takin a real bad team to such heights, never!
May.22 at 9:53 am
Paps says:
You must have never seen Jordan play.
May.22 at 2:30 pm
a-rod says:
allenp hit it right on the nail. polish your game lebron
May.22 at 4:17 pm
BENITO says:
Oh I did, belive me I did and without a doubt he´s the best to ever played the game, but even his deep playoff- and championruns came with a perfect sidekick in Pippen and quality players like Horace Grant and Dennis and roleplayers who absolutely did their job…pretty similar to what the Lakers have nowadays…nothin like that seen on Bron´s teams so far…
May.22 at 6:30 pm
pablo (from Argentina) says:
Lang, I can notice the american inside of you. Why? you AGAIN (like every american do) said you´re going to win the gold this year. Beg your pardon man, but here in my country we disagree and we have something to prove it as well
May.26 at 2:21 pm
Jdub says:
I feel you Lebron You need mad help i remember when you played with Boozer, Wagner, Dmiles and all of those people if you really wrote this you are definately tellin the truth
p.s. get yourself a jump shot and youll be on Kobe’s level cuz right know your not but youre still nice though
May.26 at 10:28 pm
andrew says:
hiring a first time gm? come on! and now u expect the guy in the 3000 dollar suit to keep da door open for someone who wont make that in a month.. come on!