LeBron James announced Friday he would re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He made his announcement through a Sports Illustrated article, in which he detailed exactly why he is returning to his hometown team.
James skipped the TV fanfare and settled for a Sports Illustrated article to make his announcement. The article, written by James and told by Lee Jenkins, detailed his reasons for leaving the Miami Heat and returning to Cleveland.
Here are selected excerpts:
"My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now."
"If I had to do it all over again, I'd obviously do things differently, but I'd still have left."
"Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always thinking of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing today."
"I always believed that I'd return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn't know when. ... I looked at other teams, but I wasn't going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right."
James said his decision to leave Miami was about returning home and had nothing to do with any roster concerns or any displeasure for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat president Pat Riley. He also said he spoke with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert face-to-face, and he doesn't hold any grudges toward Gilbert or the Cleveland fans for their reactions when he left in 2010.
He acknowledged it would take time to build a championship team, and he didn't promise instant success.
Read the full article HERE.
