The King and I

Dear LeBron,

Its just a few days before the first of many of your All-Star Game starts, and I would like to take this opportunity to say a couple of things to you as an admirer, a CAVS fan, a sports enthusiast and a Clevelander.

First and foremost, I never thought a ping pong ball could make me well up and cry but on May 22, 2003, this was exactly what happened. When that little ping pong ball went the CAVS way and gave them, deservedly so after only 17 wins, the number one pick in the upcoming draft, I am sure I felt the same way as many Clevelanders. I remember Austin Carr crying as well. Here was a grown man, the all-time career scoring leader at Notre Dame, the number one pick in the 1971 draft, crying over a teenager. When the card flashed up on the screen indicating the CAVS would indeed be picking number one and in return keeping you in Northeast Ohio, I ran and called everyone in my family. My brother Mark, handling business in California, thought there was some sort of family emergency so he picked up his phone. The only thing he said he could make out was me saying: “We got LeBron, We Got LeBron.” I have a feeling Jim Paxson may have been making similar calls at the same time.

I am too young to remember the impact of Jim Brown on the city and I hardly remember Bernie Kosar requesting to play in Cleveland, though I am sure that was a glorious day as well. This however was the biggest Cleveland sports event in my life. I have followed Cleveland sports for all of my 29 years and this surpassed the 1986 Browns overtime win over the Jets to make it to the AFC Championship game, John Stollmayer winning Rookie of the Year in 1987 for the Cleveland Force and the 1995 and 1997 Major League baseball seasons for the Tribe. When you were drafted you said you were going to light up the city and that is exactly what has happened. Draft day parties were just the beginning, I personally saluted you with a cheap bottle of champagne that evening, and the excitement has yet to cease. You have made people want to come out and see the CAVS play. Let me reiterate that last statement: people are paying big money to get into Gund Arena. The public address announcer sounds better, the lights seem brighter, Gund Arena seems more comfortable. You have added excitement to this small market professional organization deprived of history, which is illustrated by Shawn Kemp making the All-CAVS first team next to Carr, Price, Daugherty and Nance.

We know we are small-market. We have heard the supposed rumors you would have rather played in Los Angeles, Miami, New York or Chicago. Rumor also has it there is a clause in your Nike agreement ensuring you would make more money working in a big market city. Let me just say we will all be watching over the next two summers to see what kind of moves you make in preparation for free agency. We will also watch to see what moves the CAVS will make to keep you here, such as signing Michael Redd to get you another running mate.

The people of Cleveland don’t want you to stay just because of what you do on the court. You have class and you are so humble for a superstar your age. More times than not, you have done the right thing, at least in the public eye. When Carmelo Anthony made a comment about not winning Rookie of the Year over you I felt insulted. You didn’t. He said he didn’t care about the award and all that mattered to him was being in the playoffs, an obvious biting remark to you about not making the playoffs. You did the right thing though. You flew to Denver and watched your buddy play in those playoffs. You never said anything back, as you could have, because he only averaged 15 points a game as the Nuggets bowed out in five games. Instead you lobbied the United States Olympic Committee to get Anthony on the Olympic team with you. You have worked as an ambassador for basketball and for the city of Cleveland and for this I am thankful. You appreciate sports in general and you have shown respect to the legacy of the game. The summer you got drafted, you went to watch the Rockers during their home games and you wore several different jerseys including your Austin Carr throwback jersey. What Cleveland sports fan, of any gender, wouldn’t have been excited to see what you had to offer this city, as you supported the Rockers and Cleveland’s historical sports icons.

Whenever I watch you play, I feel proud, though I hardly know you. We have never met and the only connection we share is that we had the same high school principal, Dave Rahtz, at two different times, at two different schools. However, before your first All-Star Game start, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for what you have done for me and for the city of Cleveland.

P.S. It is a little ironic (and completely conincidental) that both Sports Illustrated and myself are honoring you on the same day. Congratulations on your fourth cover by the age of 20.