Four years after LeBron James left the Cavaliers on national television, he announced that he was returning home. His chosen method this time: impeccable.
With the help of Lee Jenkins, who just might be the best pure writer we have covering the NBA, James wrote a truly touching letter explaining just why he was leaving the Miami Heat. Seriously, go read the whole thing. I'm guessing you already have, so go read it again.
Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.
LeBron James has been vilified, adored, coddled, left at various times by both parents. He's never been in trouble with the law, he is unselfish on the basketball court, has been with his wife since high school, and cares about community. He's grown from mistakes, and even in his mistakes, has ended up finding ways to be the bigger man.
If you are from Akron, or Cleveland, or Detroit, or Buffalo, or Toledo, you know what it's like to have where you are from in your bones. You understand why people build lives in these communities. LeBron James gets it. He gets that even if you leave, it's still a part of who you are. I don't really have deep thoughts on this, but through it all, LeBron has kept his humanity.
Community is bigger than basketball. LeBron James gets that.