The King Returns Home

These last twelve hours I feel as though I’ve been living in a dream. I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I’m in a utopia where everything in the sports world seems to make sense.

LeBron James is back in Cleveland!

When I woke up this morning around 8:30 I immediately checked my phone to see if there was any update on LeBron James’ free agency decision. There was nothing new.

15 minutes later I get an alert from Bleacher Report that LeBron’s decision to return to the Cavaliers was only being upheld for one reason – the Dan Gilbert letter.

How ironic it was that Dan Gilbert’s hate-filled letter that he wrote in response to James leaving, would ultimately be the deciding factor in James not making his return.

However, when I saw that update I thought “Wow… this is the real deal! LeBron is really thinking about returning to his hometown where it all started.”

Then about five minutes later, I got the official update that LeBron James was coming back to Cleveland.

It felt as though James’ decision created a seismic force that could be recorded on the sports Richter scale.

LeBron not only changed the entire landscape of basketball this morning, but the entire sports world will forever be changed because of the decision he made this morning.

He proved that the best athlete in the world doesn’t have to go to a big-market city.

He proved that a hero can return to his hometown.

But most importantly, LeBron James proved that he doesn’t want to be the role of the villain.

LeBron stated in his SI article that going back to Cleveland was more than just a basketball season.

James desires to uplift the city of Cleveland by raising their spirits and their economy.

I don’t think that Cleveland will have a difficult job doing that since they have the two most marketable athletes in America in LeBron and Johnny Manziel.

Though, it’s not about the team or even the money.

It was about finishing something he started in his hometown of Northeast Ohio and bringing a championship to the city of Cleveland. A city that hasn’t won a championship since 1964.

What is most exciting is that Cleveland can now realistically expect a NBA championship because of having a ton of young athletic talent; and by young athletic talent I mean three #1 former overall picks in Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins.

In their first summer game of the season tonight, Wiggins had an explosive debut with 18 points and Bennett surprised his critics with 15 points. Bennett came into summer league in much better shape than last season and it showed with a monster jam in the first quarter that shook the building.

You know LeBron is watching those highlights just fantasizing about the highlight-reel plays he is going to make with the most young, athletic roster he has ever had his entire basketball career.

Don’t forget about Luol Deng, he is only 30 years old and a vital role player to this team.

Alas, this isn’t the end of the Cavaliers offseason hopes. Kevin Love is also a prime target that would immediately make the Cavaliers a better “Big 3” than LeBron had with Miami.

I know LeBron said in his Sports Illustrated article that he will be patient for championships, but I think only a fool would say that the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

And you know what?

Call me crazy, but my early prediction is that the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs face each other in a rematch of LeBron vs. the team that has taken two championship rings away from LeBron.