LeBron James is taking his talents back to Cleveland

[BigTex]

Sports Illustrated:

Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.

Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. 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 think 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 went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.

I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. 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. This is what makes me happy.

To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? 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?

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.

[planosteve]

Damn! Dallas looses another one to Cleveland.

[kent]

and now they probably lose Parsons to Houston

[Bob Of Burleson]

How about that?

[Bob Of Burleson]

Can LeBron James make $1 billion?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — LeBron James is signing his most lucrative pro basketball contract, one that will pay him more than $22 million a year to play for his original team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But the contract will be only a small part of his eventual goal: becoming a billionaire.

Not that James will be playing for pocket change. While details weren't immediately released, its expected he is signing for the maximum allowable contract under the National Basketball Association's labor agreement. And he's already been paid about $128 million in his first 11 years as a pro.

But those contracts are dwarfed by his endorsement deals. Before he played his first minute in the NBA, Nike had signed the then-teenager to a seven-year, $90-million endorsement deal. Other deals include those with Coca-Cola (KO), McDonald's (MCD), Samsung (SSNLF) and Dunkin Brands (DNKN).

Published reports put his endorsements deals at between $38 million to $53 million in the past year, more than any other athlete. His current deal with Nike (NKE) alone is worth an estimated $20 million a year in endorsement income and royalties on his brand of sneakers.

But even his total endorsements come to "only" a bit over $300 million since he turned pro, according to published reports. So he'll need investments to get him to the land of 10-figure net worth. And he might well do just that.

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[BigTex]

So are LeBron and Johnny Football going to share a condo on the lake?

[Bob Of Burleson]

Lakers trade for Jeremy Lin

ESPN.com news services

The Houston Rockets have traded guard Jeremy Lin and a future first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers, a league source told ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

The Lakers were amenable to this deal, according to sources, because Lin is only under contract for one more season, thus preserving their cap space next summer. They also covet draft picks, after trading away their first-round picks in 2015 and 2017 to Phoenix and Orlando as part of the Steve Nash and Dwight Howard trades, respectively.

The Rockets have made a maximum offer to center Chris Bosh of four years, $88 million, according to sources.

A source told ESPN.com on Friday that the Rockets expect Bosh to commit "soon" to joining Houston after Miami Heat teammate LeBron James told SI.com on Friday that he was leaving to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Rockets also intend to match the Dallas Mavericks' three-year, $46 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Chandler Parsons after signing Bosh, a source told ESPNDallas.com.

After trading Lin, The Rockets' plan now is to complete their agreed-upon trade of Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans.

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[BigTex]

Posted today on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-2014-15-Miami ... 4183c0c0c0