LeBron's (Ridiculously) Well Written Decision

A few days ago, LeBron James announced his triumphant return to Cleveland by submitting a post to Sports Illustrated discussing his reasoning behind his decision. From an amateur writer like myself, I can honestly say I was blown away by how well written it was. I gained so much respect for the King, and here is why.

First of all, I have been saying for years that LeBron was eventually going to return to Cleveland. I didn't expect it to be this soon, but it was my opinion that he would retire a Cavalier. The Cavs have so many young pieces now that LeBron can be a mentor to them and to be honest they can become one of the most dominant teams in the NBA immediately. They have Kyrie Irving. They picked Anthony Bennett #1 last year. They drafted Andrew Wiggins #1 this year. They have one of the hardest working Centers in the league in Anderson Varejao. There are pieces in place that make sense for LeBron to come back. But that was not the main reason for him... according to LeBron.

He said that it is all about his Northeast Ohio sense of loyalty. He has people and places in Ohio that cared about him before he was considered one of the best basketball players to ever play the game. I could not respect that any more. He wants to bring a championship to his state and his team. He wasn't able to do that in the past, and I am positive that it bothers him. He left Cleveland to seek championships... he won 2 of them. He has solidified himself as an NBA champion. In his eyes, now it is his time to leave a lasting legacy for himself as a Cleveland Cavalier, and more importantly an Northeast Ohio boy. 

I can relate to LeBron on this one because I have so much pride in where I was brought up. I already know that I eventually want to retire to exactly where I live right now. Illinois is my home, and I will never, ever deny or try to change where I call home. Being raised by a family of South Side Chicagoans, I learned that loyalty is of the utmost importance. Loyalty to family, friends, places, people who have helped you, etc. Loyalty is one of the biggest reasons I decided to stay in school for another year. Loyalty is what makes me defend anyone and anything I care about or believe in. Seeing LeBron be loyal to where he came from doesn't shock me. It hammers home the point that no matter where you are or what you are doing, you will always be a product of where you came from. 

LeBron didn't forget about Cleveland while he was in Miami. He was on a mission to achieve greatness, and he did. Now that he has seen that roadmap to success and what it takes to be a champion, he can bring that back to his home and do it for the people and places who have been behind him since he was just a boy playing basketball.