LeBron Thanks Akron...and now Cleveland (bike-a-thon)

[Renodeluxe]

By Bob Finnan
RFinnan@News-Herald.com

Click to enlarge

Miami Heat basketball player LeBron James waves to bike riders before the start of the LeBron James Family Foundation, King for Kids Bike-a-thon, in Akron, Ohio, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010. James grew up in Akron and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers before signing to play with the Heat as a free agent . (AP Photo/Phil Long)

AKRON — Those looking for an outpouring of hate toward LeBron James should look elsewhere.

James was in town for his annual "King for Kids Bikeathon" on Saturday morning in downtown Akron. Even though there is much hostility toward James in many parts of Northeast Ohio, you won't find it in Akron.

He's still beloved in his hometown.

James spurned the Cavaliers on July 8 when he announced he was going to sign with the Miami Heat in free agency. The teams consummated a sign-and-trade the following day.

James, 25, even thanked the city of Cleveland in his pre-event news conference, something he forgot to do when he paid for a full-page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal last week.

That's probably one reason he has a publicist. In the newspaper ad, he failed to mention Cleveland, which was viewed as a major snub to a city that worshipped him in his seven years with the Cavs.

"Thanks to the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland and my fans in Northeast Ohio," James said. "I want to say thank you for the last seven years and the years in the future. I want to thank Northeast Ohio for all the great years I've had."

There was no additional security on Saturday. One observer said, "This isn't Cleveland."

About 400 bicycles were given away to Akron youth for the one-mile ride. James took part in the event, while his mother Gloria was the official starter.

"This is the most precious day of the whole year," James said. "I'm able to give back to the city I grew up in, the city I love and will always give back to.

"The most important thing to me is these kids you see on the bikes. We know these are our future. We want to continue to empower kids and encourage them to have a bright future."



James said those kids might be the next famous person.

"We never know, the next Barack Obama might be sitting there on a bike, or the next LeBron James or Oprah Winfrey," he said. "When you find that talent you have, go for it and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it."

Akron mayor Donald L. Plusquellic acknowledged Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville for passing a resolution thanking James for "his extraordinary basketball accomplishments and his continuing involvement in the Akron community."

Sommerville thought it was necessary because some had the impression Akron no longer supported James.

As evidenced by Saturday's actions, that's anything but the case.


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Let's see... 1000 people showed up.... 400 bikes were given out to children... I'm guessing most of the other 600 were the parents of the kids receiving the bikes.
Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area consist of about 700,000 residents... I see no evidence that the city of Akron still supports LeBron... It was basically 400 kids and their parents using LeBron for a free bike... Sorry Bob, you failed with this article...

 

[kookoo]

Off topic: Would anyone accept him back on the team after a few years?

 

[CPK]

Off topic: Would anyone accept him back on the team after a few years?

I'm good without him.

 

[DougHeil]

Finnan doesn't have a clue with this article.

Why does it seem people who defending this clown now? I'm sure the majority of Akron does not like James, so why the defense and the spinning of things like this?

 

[NarlCavs]

Off topic: Would anyone accept him back on the team after a few years?

Only if he came back as the actual leader and winner that he's always claimed he was. There would have to be an attitude adjustment along with a change in his style of play. No more stopping or breaking off plays to go 1 on 5 or standing still 30 feet from the basket not involved at ll in the offense but only waiting for the ball. A more consistent defensive effort instead of only looking for plays to get on the highlights (like the chase down block) would be nice too.

We had the lebron experience and unless it was guaranteed to be different it's best to move forward and leave it behind.

 

[MDLT]

"This is the most precious day of the whole year," James said.

LOL - Get the f*ck outta here.

 

[TheLyinKing]

I don't think LeBron could of made it more obvious that someone told him to stop being a prik and thank Cleveland.

 

[Surge]

There was no additional security on Saturday. One observer said, "This isn't Cleveland."

Hey "observer" what's your name?

 

[czvo]

Off topic: Would anyone accept him back on the team after a few years?

I signed him back after he opted out in 2K10... then immediately traded him for Dwight Howard (their offer, not mine).

That should tell you where I'm at regarding LeBron... :chuckles:

 

[OptimusPrime]

Finnan doesn't have a clue with this article.

Why does it seem people who defending this clown now? I'm sure the majority of Akron does not like James, so why the defense and the spinning of things like this?

Probably a deal with the ABJ. He probably overpaid ridiculously for a one page ad, and in exchange for those thousands, they kiss his ass and try to help fix his image.

 

[MDLT]

Probably a deal with the ABJ. He probably overpaid ridiculously for a one page ad, and in exchange for those thousands, they kiss his ass and try to help fix his image.

Finnan doesn't write for the Beacon, but the News Herald.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Finnan doesn't write for the Beacon, but the News Herald.

Maybe he paid them off too. Or maybe Finnan is just a dumbass who really believes that Akron loves LeBron. I don't see how a turnout of 1,000 people to his event when 400 of them were the ones getting bikes shows a whole lot of support for the scumbag.

 

[Renodeluxe]

"James said those kids might be the next famous person.

"We never know, the next Barack Obama might be sitting there on a bike, or the next LeBron James or Oprah Winfrey," he said. "When you find that talent you have, go for it and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it."


I fail to see how giving a child a new bike helps them become the next Obama ..Oprah.. LeBron... WTF was that statement even about? Wow this kid talks out his ass ...

 

[Jon]

Re: Lebron Thank You....To Akron

But are we really going to pretend that posting an article where Windhorst clearly believes that the elbow injury is not very serious and that Lebron is playing it up ,and ONLY bolding the parts where Windy is commenting on word from team officials, is a good way to make a point!?

Look you said Windhorst did not confirm the injury. He did. He said it was "relatively minor" , and obviously it was "relatively minor" that is compared to anything relatively major that would have prevented him from playing. If you think Windhorst was saying anything more than that ... what's his medical degree?!? It's bad enough when actual MDs who've never even examined James chirp in with their opinions, but c'mon now.

As for the Doctors who examined James, they're obviously not a couple of quacks. They both work for the Cleveland Clinic. One of them is the Cavs head doctor who happens to be the Department Chair, and the other has (or is) the head doctor for the Browns and Indians. Was there someone more qualified to diagnose him in Cleveland?

If you really want to dissect his article, you might have noticed that before every statement you guys are soaking up, he puts a "perhaps", or a "might", or a "could suggest". So he's not actually reporting anything, he's just speculating.

 

[Jon]

I've said it before and I will say it again, a friend of mine that I went to high school with was hooking up with Shaq during the season last year and confirmed with all of us at the party after his MVP speach, Delonte was all over Gloria that night...

She has no reason to make that up to my friends... She was at the party...

Take it for what its worth...

I feel lax for not keeping a log of every confirming piece of evidence I've read on the board, but I only feel strongly that Delonte/Gloria actually happened because of the diverse number of people who've come forward to confirm or who've given it some credence.

There have been viral rumors spread on the net, but this isn't just an email chain letter bouncing around. I just don't see the motive why anyone would make this up. Certainly LeBron does have motivation to silence talk of it, but why can't his lawyer even follow through on a cease and desist order on Terez Ownens?!?

Here's a couple more comments I found in the original thread:

AvonCavsFan: "I am fairly certain this happened. I have no reason or vested interest in this being true...but I have been told that it is true by someone who also has no vested interest in lying to me."

bbaes: "What I came to originally say is this...

Take this for what it's worth and to be completely honest I, myself, don't even know if this holds water... I have never known my mom to tell ANY form of lie in her life. So she is just repeating word of mouth what she heard. This is what she had to say:

She is a dental assistant for a dental office in Rocky River, Ohio. A doctor (and head dentist) in the office is very interested in Cleveland sports and is a huge Cavalier fan. Needless to say, he does know his stuff. My mom and this doctor have had discussions about the Cavaliers throughout the playoffs (my mother is also an avid fan). The other day my mom discussed the Delonte West/Gloria rumor with him...

A few tidbits about this (very successful) doctor:

He lives in Akron.

He is friends with a former NBA player - one my mother could not remember the name of.

His patients over the past few years have consisted of several African-American (I know it shouldn't matter but it does) men who are from the Akron area. They know LeBron, his family, and have been spotted with James at times between his high school years to present.

The doctor decided to ask these gentlemen if they had heard anything through the grape vine about the Gloria James rumor. He had asked if they had even heard of it. They simply nodded. Said they had definitely heard it. And issued a similar statement to this:

"It's definitely true. In fact, it's tearing apart his family at the moment. It's something they are trying to get worked out. He's got aunts, grandmothers, all sorts of people fighting over it. It's just a real mess."

Is this 100% credible? Maybe. I'm not going to guarantee that it is because I don't know. Someone along the line could have stretched the story or even fabricated it. It's just one more possible source that I came across.

Don't kill the messenger. Just passing the message on."