As he was in the summer of 2010, LeBron James was the main act in the NBA’s free agency circus this summer. But this time around, there was no clowning around for James on national television.
When James made his “decision” in July of 2010, he did it during a set-up special program on ESPN. Veteran sportscaster Jim Gray asked James a handful of simple questions before asking him the big one: Where we would he play next season?
James’ answer was that he would be taking his talents to South Beach, meaning he was going to sign with the Miami Heat, alongside fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Two championships and two runner-up finishes later, James found himself in the same situation again this summer, after opting-out of the final year of the five-year contract he signed in 2010.
James grew up over the past four years, something he admitted when he announced that he was going to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that originally drafted him in 2003, and who the Akron, Ohio native calls his hometown team.
Most notably, it was how James announced his decision that shows that he has, in fact, grown up.
There was no ESPN special this time around. The anticipation became a frenzy again, but that was more the fault of the media than of James himself. The announcement of James’ choice to return to Cleveland was simply posted on the Internet Friday afternoon, for all intents and purposes, by James himself.
It wasn’t on his personal website, which crashed the day before due to an overload of visitors, but on Sports Illustrated’s website, in the form of a story ”“ not breaking news.
The story was written by Lee Jenkins, but it came from the head and the heart of James himself. The story was an essay from James, explaining how and why he made his decision.
It was heartfelt and thoughtful. It didn’t raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of America ”“ a nice gesture that the 2010 “Decision” created, but was written off as a PR stunt ”“ but it did raise James’ reputation, which was severely dented by the 2010 debacle and the press conference with Wade and Bosh in Miami that followed it days later.
James said his decision to return to Cleveland was bigger than basketball, that he wanted to raise his children in the same northeast Ohio area where he grew up, and that he wanted to be a positive role model for children in the hard-working, down-on-its-luck corner of the Midwest.
James compared his four years in Miami to a college experience, where he had his fun but also grew into a man.
James never had that experience when he was 18 years old, as he went straight from high school into the NBA. His decision in 2010, at the age of 25, showed that James had yet to grow up, but his decision last Friday proved that four years later, he finally has.
One of the sentiments that stands out the most in James’ essay is a one-line paragraph. It reads simply: “I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.”
James left for the World Cup in Brazil soon after the story was released, so there hasn’t been a press conference in Cleveland yet. If there is one, it won’t feature the pyrotechnics that highlighted the one held by the Heat in 2010.
James left Cleveland the first time in search of a title for himself. Miami, with two other superstars, was a better bet than Cleveland. But four years later, after the Heat was embarrassed in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs despite James’ best effort, Cleveland’s outlook appears to be more promising than aging and salary cap-strapped Miami.
James made the right decision in returning to Cleveland. But it was the how, more so than the why, that James got right.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Writer Wil Kramlich on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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