LeBron James Thanks Cleveland, Northeast Ohio

A month after leaving Cleveland behind, LeBron James finally thanked the fans who supported him his first seven years in the NBA. NBA.com has the story: “LeBron James finally thanked his fans in Cleveland on Saturday, making his first public appearance since he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. At his annual “King for Kids” charity bike-a-thon in downtown Akron, James addressed a friendly crowd of several hundred people who cheered as he took the podium. ‘To the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland, my fans in northeast Ohio,’ said James, ‘I want to say thank you for the last seven years and the years that continue to go in the future.’ Then he repeated the thank you to Cleveland a second time, as if for extra emphasis. ‘So I want to thank the city of Cleveland, also northeast Ohio, for all the great years that I’ve had,’ he said. Last week, James came under fire for taking out a full-page newspaper ad in the Akron Beacon Journal in which he thanked the city of Akron for its support. The ad contained no mention of Cleveland, where James got his start in the NBA. Emotions are still running high among Cleveland fans who felt betrayed by James, who was revered in that city for years.”