DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum LeBron not ruled out playing for the Cavs again....

Source

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James says he wouldn't rule out playing again for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Back in the city where he began his NBA career, Miami's All-Star forward said Thursday he could see himself playing in Cleveland, and if he decided to return he hopes "the fans would accept me." James played seven seasons for the Cavs before leaving as a free agent in July 2010. He acknowledged that he "made a mistake" but says he has moved on and is enjoying his time with the Heat.

James says he has not made an attempt to patch up his relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who was harshly critical of the two-time MVP.

James says he could see a time where he and Gilbert make up.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

I didn't think this belonged in the Cavs thread, and deserved it's own shining light. If the refs think otherwise, let me know and I'll move it.

they are going to beat this dead horse again?

What - is he tired of being a little fish in Miami already? I thought they were going to win not 1, not 2, not 3 - but many many championships down there in "south beach".

Whether or not HE has ruled it out means very, very little, lol.

There is an exceptionally ticked off billionaire that gets a major say in things, hehe.

Yes, but by the time James' contract with the Heat is up, will he STILL be one of the best players in the league. Maybe... maybe not.

I saw this come across my feed today and I laughed so hard. It's rather funny to me. Cause down here James really is the little fish. Just like we all knew before he left, this is D-Wade's town.

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He acknowledged that he "made a mistake" but says he has moved on and is enjoying his time with the Heat.

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Which mistake is he referring too:

Leaving to go to Miami or the way he did it?

I have no problem with him leaving. It was the end of his contract and he was legally free to go.

But I dislike the way he went about it. Not even informing the Cavs that he was leaving before he told the whole world.. Tacky..

I wonder if he regrets the massive smack to his image he took. It could also be that he feels disowned by his hometown right about now. I sure hope that he doesn't feel that he could just walk back into town and have everyone fawn all over him again. I think those days are gone.

I think he was probably suckered into answering that question by the Cleveland media, which loves this story more than anybody (Oh come on, it's a week's worth of stories and columns!)

For one, I don't think he should be addressing it. He plays for Miami, despite what we think, he has obligations to them. They pay him a lot of money, he should just shoot down the question like he did about his free agency for 2 years leading up to 2010.

The second, I didn't like the way he answered it. Maybe you get a different answer if you do a sit down and really get into it, but there is a bridge that needs to be rebuilt before any of this would actually happen. I think he would probably have to swallow his pride a bit. I think Dan Gilbert would have to as well.

I find it funny that people think Gilbert would shoot him down in a heartbeat.

Care to put any money on that?

Gilbert would have him back easily. Why? Because he's a smart guy. He can spin this into the best story in Cleveland since the Cavaliers won the lottery in 2003. It would be the feel good story of the century. The opportunities that would come his and the Cavaliers way would be incredible. The return of prime time TV. The boom in the local economy. The return of deep playoff runs ($$$). Fans would eat out of his hand.

They sit down together, work out their differences. Lebron holds a press conference. Talks about his mistakes. Says that he's more than determined to make true on his promise of a title. Asks for forgiveness.

Boom, Lebron mania is back. And we have Kyrie. We've got some other potentially good players like Thompson and Gee. Better coach with a system in place.

Look, I'm not saying this is guaranteed to happen, and it certainly won't be happening for a while, but I do think it could happen.

I think the finals last year taught him that it wasn't any easier. If anything maybe it was harder because aside from the great defense they play, Lebron and Wade on the floor doesn't work. Just like Lebron and D.Rose wouldn't have worked. There's only one ball, and there is a select group of guys in the league that are so good they need the ball like that (although I still think most of them have it too much)

He may be suffering from the common disease known as "What? I'm BIG time - can't ya'll see it? Fine, I'm taking my ball and going home" itis.

He feels as though he's entitled to do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants, with no repercussions what so ever.

Cleveland doesn't need him.

Interesting...because Colt McCoy is a Quarterback

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I find it funny that people think Gilbert would shoot him down in a heartbeat.

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I don't think he would at all, but I do firmly believe that LeBron would be told up front that he will NOT have the power and influence over this organization that he previously had... and I think that would be the opening line in any negotiations for him to come home.

I still root against the Heat to lose, and won't stop doing that anytime soon...

.. but I'm really not as mad at the guy as I once was. The Finals kind of exorcised those demons.

It was a little weird ... I had so much venom for the guy ... I was actively rooting for them to lose, and relished in their loss coming as a result of LeBron collapsing on himself like a dying star, and yet there was still this microscopic part of me, just watching him stand in the corner during the Finals saying 'What are you doing!?! C'mon, man, go!'.

I'd rather build a team and win a title without him, but I think I've kind of gotten over The Decision. LeBron has been pretty much raised by everyone around him to be a complete egomaniac. Frankly, I'm kind of surprised he hasn't acted dumber.

But it's a tough call ... sometimes I think if/when the Heat do get their rings, I'll grow bitter again.

I think I'd welcome him back to Cleveland. I think in the end Gilbert would, too. If I were Gilbert, I'd hold 'The Decsion II' on ESPN.

He is just trying to repair his image.

Exactly, is it coincidence that he makes this statement just as the Heat prepare to play the Cavs in Cleveland. I'll admit my hatred for LeBron has faded...just a little bit. I still loathe the guy but not as much as I did a year ago. That being said we're still talking a few years down the road. If this team keeps rebuilding and hes the missing piece that makes us a championship contender then I'd do it. I put my love of the Cavs winning a title over LeBron not getting one.

In the end I would prefer to have LeBron come back without a ring and win his first in Cleveland.. not likely but that would be my wish. But I won't get too terribly excited about the possibility for a couple more years when he gets into the latter stages of his contract...

Of course he is... without an improved image, his popularity - and thus marketing appeal - are nowhere near what they were.

The real pain for him is that his Decision caused people in markets outside of C-Town to despise him and view him as a punk.... until he repairs that, his marketing value is decreased. Furthermore, he's no longer The Man on his team. He's second fiddle. And the longer he goes with all of this, the more other stars rise and take marketing dollars he could have had.

He still has the ability to be a phenomenal player, but he is of decreasing relevancy.

I agree, until he wins a title. then, he'll be the BEST THING EVER in the eyes of alot of the bandwagoner sport fans.

Go Bulls, Thunder, Knicks, Lakers, Sixers, Celtics, Mavs, Hawks, Pacers, Spurs, Magic, Clippers, Nuggets... anyone that has any remote chance from July of 2010 till the day LeBron is retired of keeping him Championship ringless.

And most importantly, Go Cavs. Without LeBron.

Go jump in the ocean, "King".

I think that it would be pretty funny for the Cavaliers to win 2 championships ... then he returns, and we don't make the playoffs ... then he leaves and we win another pair.



Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Your plan is more aggressive but yes I did think it would be cool to win one when he has not and then welcome him back as a role player.

jc...

It's obvious that James will do or say anything in an attempt to escape the image he created for himself by kicking the Cavs and all the Cavs fans square in the boys, when he left Cleveland.

James ranks right up there with Art Modell for the scummy way he treated those who supported him. The latest PR stunt James is attempting, is not going to work...the damage is done and most fans will not forget nor forgive...and they should not be expected too, either.

We don't need players of James character in Cleveland...can't win with them.

And he'd still be cheered the first time he wore the uniform again...

J/C...

Anyone else think this is a very clever way - at least in LeBron's mind - of turning him into the "good guy" again and setting up Cleveland to be the "bad guy" starting with this game tonight?

He's gonna get boo'd all night tonight, as he should, and you know ESPN is gonna play up the fact that he'd "come home" and this is how "you" treat him? Because of that, mindless sheep across the country will begin to think "Hey, maybe LeBron's not a total jag - what's your deal, Cleveland?".

Perhaps it's just the conspiracy theorist in me, but it seems just all too convenient for "the brand".

I think it is all about the brand, but I also think that when he's in NY, he'll talk about how great it would be to play with Jeremy Lin. When he's in LA, he'd talk about how great it would be to play in the purple & gold.

Maybe I'm cynical, but he likes to play to his present audience and he didn't like being the bad guy, so he's back to trying to pander. I'm not buying.

Not to mention, they were out of 2% at my grocery store and I'm still bitter that LeBron didn't make sure they had enough. So, I woke up today and have the same life that I had before. I have the same personal problems I had before. I just have to get back to the real world at some point.

I don't buy that, because the guy literally gets booed in every building that he plays in, outside of Miami where they don't even notice him there.

ESPN played that card the night after the decision and tried to make the Lebron the victim, they swung and missed and fell down in the process. Nobody bought that angle of the story.

Lebron has been horrible in the villain role. Some guys are built for it, some aren't.

Honestly, if you think about it, the only way he can be back to that hero status was to return to Cleveland. If he goes to anywhere else, he'll look even more like a ring chaser. He goes home and fixes things, people will start to like him again.

Or maybe the rest of the world has gotten over it, and don't see him as the evil person that Clevelanders still do. One of those, "What's done is done, time to move on." feelings.

I disagree. Nationally, he'll be forgiven once he starts winning rings. Doesn't matter where. Nationally, people will say his "process" was vindicated once he wins a championship.

Just look at Kobe. Raped a girl, paid a PR firm who IMO slandered her and put pressure on her to accept a pay-off, then begged himself off of the Lakers (and wanted to make sure the team he went to was stacked - refusing to accept a trade to the Bulls unless Deng stayed for instance) and completely blasted teammates while doing it (Bynum! the Lakers wouldn't trade for Garnett because of Bynum!).

then, after all that, the Lakers get Gasol, win a championship and it's as if that above paragraph never happened (and I didn't even mention the Kobe v. Shaq stuff, Kobe quitting in the 7th game of the Suns series, or any of the other petulant child stuff he did)

Just clicking

I didn't take the time to read this entire thread.. But just wondering, has Dan Gilbert spoken out about this yet? Any comment from him?

LBJ can say anything he wants about his willingness to return or not counting it out, bottom line, Gilbert has to sign off on it and I don't know if he's still ticked off at LBJ or not.

Just wondering

hopefully Dan Gilbert gives this comment what it is worth and completely ignores it.

he can't talk about it, and if you listened to the Really Big Show over the last hour, Brian Windhorst was on and credited a caller for picking up Gilbert's small jab by using the media to say he'd be fined a 7 figure number if he talked about the issue.

You know, considering Pat Riley took Lebron out for dinner after a game in Miami while Lebron was still with the Cavaliers.