Four years and four days ago to this date, LeBron James announced his intentions of leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat on national television. On that night, Cleveland and Cavaliers fans everywhere were outraged. It wasn’t only because of his Decision: it was the manner in which he conducted his departure from his hometown team.
Fast forward four years later, and LeBron now has all the answers in life. He is now a two time champion. He lived in South Beach. He left his home for four years to live/play with his best friends. But even he realized that it was time to come home.
Four years ago, LeBron left Cleveland in the same way that high school seniors leave for college. He was excited to leave home to go to South Beach with his best friends. Come on. That’s probably the dream of 90% of American boys. And when LeBron left Cleveland, that is exactly what he was: a boy.
So LeBron went on television at the Boys and Girls Club to announce his decision on a television special for ESPN. He and his “buddies”, which includes his agent, received large amounts of criticism for the move. It was terrible PR for LeBron, and it seemed like a heartless way of saying goodbye to the town that had raised him.
After signing James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Heat threw a little “party” to inaugurate the big three into the sports culture. It was another PR disaster, where LeBron was quoted as saying “not one, not two not three….”, referring to the number of championships that the three intended to win with the Heat. The team celebrated before even playing a single game together.
The party was a mistake, as was the Decision. It seemed that LeBron hadn’t yet been humbled. That was yet to come.
Fast forward to the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, and LeBron didn’t play like LeBron in the fourth quarters of all six games.
Dirk Nowitzki stepped up when LeBron couldn’t, and the Mavericks took care of the Heat. And there it was: LeBron had been humbled.
In the next year’s playoffs, the Celtics and Heat played in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the series tied at 2, and Game 5 being played in Miami, it seemed like it was time for LeBron to vanquish his demons.
Nope. The Celtics’ Paul Pierce drilled a clutch three pointer to put the game away while LeBron was guarding him tightly. Pierce had just shown how clutch he could be. And LeBron couldn’t save the Heat.
The Celtics led three games to two and Game 6 was going to take place at the TD Garden. It looked like LeBron had choked again when it mattered most.
Nope once again. LeBron James played the greatest game of his life on a night where he would have been all but crucified had he not. He took the life out of one of the most energized Celtics crowds I’ve seen. He was the sole reason that the Heat won that game and were then able to win Game 7 and the NBA Finals against the over-matched Oklahoma City Thunder.
This was his epiphany: he had finally figured it out.
Two more years down the road, LeBron had added another ring and then had been demolished by the San Antonio Spurs in one of the most one-sided Finals series ever.
After the Finals, LeBron realized that one of his best friends was a shell of his former self (Wade) and that the other couldn’t be trusted to come up when it mattered most (Bosh).
Once again, LeBron had the right answer: it was time to go home.
And now, he’s going back to Cleveland to play with Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins (maybe), and/or Kevin Love (quite possibly).
LeBron knew the right time to leave, and now he figured out the right time to come back home.
As all seniors realize one day: going to college with your buddies is pretty cool, but home is the place that can never be matched.
To quote Skylar Grey, ” I know my kingdom awaits, and they’ve forgiven my mistakes, I’m coming home, I’m coming home, tell the world I’m coming home.”
Whose mistakes? The Decision? Sure, it’s important that Cavaliers enthusiasts forget about that mistake, but there’s one more mistake that had to be forgiven first.
LeBron wrote this in his essay with Lee Jenkins for Sports Illustrated:
“I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?”
What’s important here is that LeBron has forgiven Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert for the letter that Gilbert wrote after LeBron’s “Decision”.
Akron’s chosen one is coming back home, and he has changed very much since his 2010 departure.
Now, LeBron James has all the right answers.
[Photo Credit/ USA TODAY]
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