What's really strange about all of this is it seems like everyone in the Cleveland media is opening up to the idea of James returning.
A year ago, not so much. There was the occasional thought which was quickly shot down, only to be rekindled when James made those statements during the heat of Linsanity that he'd like to play in front of us again someday. Then it died out again.
Nobody really knew what to think, we brushed it off as James teasing us like he's always done.
This year we get the news from Wine and Gold that he's seriously considering coming back, It sounds to me like W&G spoke to Rich Paul, LBJ's agent who would definitely be about as good of a source as you're gonna get.
Wine and Gold also mentioned how Gilbert has been aware of James' intentions for a while, but he isn't going to say anything or obviously try to recruit him as that would be against league tampering policy. W&G thought James was trying to establish back-channel communications and possibly see how this would all sit with us Cavalier fans.
It's just strange to me how Fred McLeod started dropping the "burning Akron rubber" call in the games again. Not to look into it too far, but the Plain Dealer has had numerous writers warm up to this idea in the past couple days.
It really seems to me besides maybe Colonel and Tlyons a LOT of people in Cleveland have this thought percolating in their mind right now and the more we think about that potential tandem, the easier it is for us to one day forgive this guy.
Then you have Michael dogging LeBron, which I absolutely love, even though it's a little petty on MJ's part. Still nothing like hearing the greatest player of all time come out and essentially say "you're no threat to me punk"
Gotta wonder how deep that hits home to LeBron. That's his boyhood idol basically saying I have you figured out, I would have dominated you on the court, your Miami Heat is nothing but a cop out because you're weak. I think the only thing that Jordan might semi-respect is James returning to Cleveland and amending for his past. Not that Jordan's opinion is going to change James' ultimate decision, but to say that it's completely meaningless is also foolish. It could be a sub-conscious factor that James contemplates, considering Mike is pretty much the undisputed GOAT and voice for "the old school era" of past players.
The pool of money and glory LeBron could have back in Cleveland is slowly re-filling. James is patching the holes, Gilbert is feeding it to us in baby bite sized portions until 2014 when we will become ravenous again.
By 2014 almost all of Cleveland will have long forgotten about past events, we'll have been so far removed from July 2010 that we just might get nostalgic for the kid from Akron.
Our core will be looking like some professional ballers by then, but we still won't have enough talent to win a championship. James changes all of that.
Accept him back, become the best team in the league, pack the Q all over again and just enjoy the fuckin show. It's pretty much an offer you can't refuse. Unless you're still bitter and think James is the exact same kid he was back in '10.
